Zen Master Liangkuan had been practicing and meditating for his whole life without an idle day. At his old age, word came from his hometown that his nephew did not attend to proper business and squandered all money on gambling and a dissipated life.
The elders in the hometown hoped that his uncle, the Zen master, would show mercy and save him by persuading him to move back to the right track and turn over a new leaf.
Eventually moved by the elders, Zen Master Liangkuan spared no effort and it took him three days walking back to the hometown where he had spent his childhood. He then managed to see the nephew who he had not seen for quite a few years. The nephew was very pleased to gather with his uncle and even invited him to stay over.
Zen Master Liangkuan sat on the layman’s bed for meditation throughout the night. The next morning before he left, he said to the nephew, “I think I’m really old now. My hands keep shaking. Would you please help me lace up my straw sandals?”
His nephew gave him a hand with great pleasure.
Zen Master Liangkuan said benevolently, “Thank you. You see, as you get old, you will become weaker and weaker. You need to take good care of yourself. Conduct yourself and build your career while you’re still young. ”
As he finished his words, he turned around and walked away immediately without mentioning a word of his nephew’s misbehavior. Since then, his nephew quit his dissipated life.
The teaching approaches of Zen can be an admonition, a retort, an implication or even silence. In brief, the education of Zen is to have it unrevealed, which can be seen as a way one can fully express himself.
All loving parents should know about this Zen heart.
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