232: Unable to Repay the Most Venerable

The Origination

I was a cosmetician moved from Baigang, Yunlin County to make a living in Taipei. Since I was born, I was diagnosed with Congenital Dislocation of the Hip (CDH) and limped when walking. In addition, my spine also developed a slight fracture and an inward curve. Because of my hard working, my customers care a lot about me. Within my heart, I’ve always wanted to practice the teachings of Bodhisattvas but there was never a right origination for me. Luckily in one occasion Mother Chu, a customer of mine, introduced me to a great master of Bodhisattvas Dharma.

A sudden stroke of Bodhisattvas

And yet when I met the venerable H. E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, I did not know what to start with. So Mother Chu asked Rinpoche to enlighten me of my health condition.

It is unbelievable when Rinpoche told me the name of my problem is “Congenital Dislocation of the Hip (CDH)”, a medical terminology that is only known to the medical experts. Without looking at how I walk, Rinpoche was able to tell me what my problems are. Though doctors from some famous hospitals asked me to walk a few steps, they still can’t tell the problem if I don’t take the X-Ray examination. “Why did Rinpoche know my problems? All he did was kindly asking me to reach my palm few inches under his!” I was so surprised and couldn’t stop wondering to myself. Because of this, I couldn’t help but believe the practitioner in front of me must be a Bodhisattvas. A sense of great respect grew inside of me naturally.

Bearing the fruition from past life’s cruelty

“Come attend the regular “Cho”puja will be good for your problems.” Rinpoche told me and I did listen to him. After two puja, I went to a training course for my work in Southern Taiwan for 4 days. When I returned to Taipei, the pains from my spine and hipbone became so unbearable that I couldn’t get off the bed and walk. My husband was really panic so immediately he carried me down from the 6th floor to the hospital. Diagnosis from the doctor suggested that I need to take rehabilitation therapy and perhaps, will need a wheel chair in the future. Since then, I stayed in bed for a whole month, not able to walk at all. Without my husband patiently fomented my spine and hipbone, it was too painful to sleep. All the attention and care he gave me really touched me. I couldn’t wonder why this happened to my body. My problem has caused great worries from my families. Later on Mother Chu knew my situation, she suggested to seek for help from Rinpoche again. Since I couldn’t walk, my husband had to carry me to meet Rinpoche.

Rinpoche enlightened me patiently: “The pain you have is the fruition of wrongdoing. Why do you have these problems? Why can’t you walk? That is because your wrongdoing matures sooner since you met me”. “There was due to one of your past lives that you broke the spine of a four-legged animal with a stick. Wrongdoing from that life matures in this life and that’s why your spine developed inward with fracture.” After hearing those words from Rinpoche, my tears couldn’t stop running down from my face. “How could I be so cruel to the sentiment beings before!” No wonder now I experience the same kind of pain. I did it all by myself. There is nobody to blame except myself!

Rinpoche asked me to attend the “Cho” puja again. When I told Rinpoche that Doctor said I may need a wheel chair for the rest of my life, Rinpoche answered firmly: “You will never need a wheel chair if you sincerely confess and truly believe in Bodhisattvas!” His answer comforted me greatly and my strong confidence to Rinpoche grew since then. Ever since that, I attended every “Cho” puja. Amazingly, my spine pain stopped after two attendances and no longer needed my husband to carry and foment for me.

Afterward, Rinpoche asked me to stop working as a cosmetician. Instead, he gave me a simple job to help watching the tea house he opened. Because of this opportunity, I was able to see that Rinpoche never stop devoting tremendous efforts to practice the teachings of Bodhisattvas. At that time Rinpoche has started to receive and help the believers. When there is no one for Rinpoche to receive, Rinpoche would always read sutra in his room. One time, Rinpoche asked me to sit next to him and read the fruition related to my hipbone problem. First he read what was written in sutra and then explained to me. Thought I did not understand a word at all but Rinpoche explain the meanings clearly and easily: In one of my past lives, many innocent sentiment beings fell into the deadfall I dig. Not only did they break their legs, I also seized their money. Therefore, I get the fruition of having hipbone problem and pain in this life.

A loafer’s turning point

My husband is a chef working for a non-vegetarian restaurant. As an antitheist, he never believes in fruition of wrongdoing. Rinpoche once enlightened me: “Fruition of making money from selling flesh of the sentiment beings will lead you to hell. It is also extremely harmful for your health and family members. Since you spent the money your husband earns, your problem will never cure.” For a long time I wanted to tell my husband and yet I don’t know how. But for his own good, I forced myself to tell him exactly what Rinpoche enlightened me. My mind was totally blank and couldn’t believe what I heard after I hold him: “Take me to meet Rinpoche since your hipbone problem has improved a lot.”

Every behavior is Buddha Dharma

Therefore with great pleasure, I took my husband to meet Rinpoche. However, unlike the usual kind attitude, Rinpoche scolded my husband: “How could you ignore your mother because you got company from your wife? Your mother treated you so well but you didn’t even give her a phone call! What an unfilial son you are! You are old enough to understand tell what’s right or wrong. If you continue to stay in this business, terrible accident will happen to you”.

This time I was truly speechless of what happened. With fear and trepidation, we went home. I thought he will lose his temper but surprisingly, he praised Rinpoche from his heart and said: “What Rinpoche said to me was all true and to the point. No beat around the bush and no flattering. Each word is like a knife that scarred his heart deeply.” From the bottom of my heart, I truly respect the great loving-mind and compassion from Rinpoche for he can dissolve a disbelieved loafer like my husband.

Reborn

Afterward, Rinpoche told my husband to work in a vegetarian restaurant so that it will be possible for my problems to cure. My husband immediately agreed. Not only Rinpoche cured my problems with Buddha Dharma, he also referred my husband to work in a vegetarian restaurant. Rinpoche did not accept the offerings from my husband until my husband changed his job. Using the red envelop holding my husband’s offerings, Rinpoche clapped my husband’s head to eliminate his fruition. Because of Rinpoche’s blessings, not only I didn’t need a wheel chair, I could even perform the 「full prostration」, prostrating with 5 points of body. In addition to that, I also paid the religious pilgrimages in Tibet and climbed up to more than 4,000 meters height to meet the most Venerable Tenzin Nyima Rinpoche at drigong ti temple.

Also I remembered my father was infected with Herpes Zoster on his waist. Blister and pus quickly spread along his waist and so my father was extremely painful. When I knew about this, I immediately pleaded Rinpoche to help. While Rinpoche was in concentration, he asked me to buy a bottle of un-iced mineral water. I quickly returned and Rinpoche mixed some of the holy water he’d treasured with the mineral water I bought and urged me to apply on the infected area for my father. I immediately took the night bus back to Baigang and told my father to follow Rinpoche’s instructions. The next morning, Rinpoche asked me to buy some unshelled green beans. Though Rinpoche never practiced the Chinese medicine, however he knows how to treat the infection with the right medicines. Soon my father was recovered and deeply believed in the great powers of Rinpoche. Though my younger sister bought the ointment for my father, instead my father asked my sister not to waist the money. He believes nothing can work better than the holy water Rinpoche gave us.

Cherish the Origination Now

If my husband and I did not have the chance to meet Rinpoche, I think our life will be miserable in the future. Rinpoche is a living Bodhisattvas and like a father that gave us a new life. Not only did both of us receive help from Rinpoche, he also helped my father and conducted “Phowa” puja for my grandmother. In addition to the precious holy water, how lucky I am to have the merits for Rinpoche to explain me the meanings of Buddha Dharma. I remembered that I was afraid to ride a motorcycle before even though I had a license. Yet after one question Rinpoche asked: “I-Feng, I thought you know how to ride a motorcycle?” I started to have the courage to give it a try. Now this motorcycle has been with me for more than eight years, yet this little motorcycle was blessed by Rinpoche. One time Rinpoche pointed at it and told me its problems that I should pay attention to. At the end of year 2006, those problems appeared. Owner of the repair shop said: “It is so dangerous that you’d rode this motorcycle from Lujout to Taipei!” It is truly unbelievable that Rinpoche has great power to predict years before! I can never repay the kindness from Rinpoche for the rest of my life.

I truly realized that the best way to repay Rinpoche is believe in Bodhisattvas and Rinpoche, and obey the instructions from Rinpoche to practice the teachings of Bodhisattvas.

Beyond all doubt Rinpoche is a Bodhisattvas with great loving-mind and compassion. Different ways he uses to help the migrators but never asks anything for return, nor does he show off what he has done. The offerings to Rinpoche from the followers are totally used to support Monastery of Drikung Kagyu Linage in India and Tibet, doing so Rinpoche helps us to accumulate merits. All he did is for the followers, not for his own benefits. What a difficult opportunity to meet a great master like Rinpoche and to have the chance to hear Buddha Dharma from a true person?! Therefore I shall cherish this rare origination for good.

I-Feng Wu, Disciple of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center

Updated on April 3, 2008