Ngọn lửa và chiếc y

The scorching Indian sun beat down onto the cracked earthen road. The heat was so intense it felt as if the blood in one’s veins might boil. A group of people trudged along wearily after offering a meal to the monks; everyone was listless, their robes soaked through with sweat.

The monk leading the group frowned slightly. He sensed the suffering of the lay followers behind him, who had invited the Sangha to their homes for offerings and now had to walk under this terrible heat. He raised his hand to the sky and made a gentle gesture. Instantly, a white cloud appeared, shading the entire group. A gentle rain began to fall, following them all the way back to the monastery.

That afternoon, the most persistent among the lay followers came to his room. They knelt, bowed, and pleaded:

"Venerable Sir, we have heard you have attained supernatural powers. Please, out of compassion, demonstrate them for us just once so we may witness them."

The monk shook his head, refusing gently but firmly. But the laypeople lay prostrate, begging endlessly, persistent as leeches. They used every possible argument and would not give up. Finally, the monk sighed and, out of compassion for their earnestness, agreed.

He asked them to bring his robe outside, place it on a rock, and pile straw over it. He then closed his door and sat in silence. After a moment, a tiny flame shot out from the keyhole and flew straight to the pile of straw. In a flash, the fire blazed, reducing the straw to ash. But strangely, when the wind blew away the ash, his robe remained completely intact, clean, and unharmed.

The lay followers gasped in admiration and praised him without end. They bowed to the monk with boundless reverence. But immediately afterward, the monk quietly donned his robe, took his alms bowl, and walked out of the monastery. He never returned to that place again.

For he knew he had violated the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha did not permit the careless use of supernatural powers, as it stimulates the ego and nurtures pride. And what he feared most was that those persistent devotees would come to beg him again.

The Meaning of the Story

Supernatural powers are not the goal of a Buddhist practitioner. Their use easily gives rise to the ego, causing the practitioner to mistakenly believe they have achieved attainment, while in reality, they are still clinging to a notion of self. The Buddha teaches us to always be humble, not to show off or seek mysterious powers, but to focus solely on purifying the mind and eliminating ignorance.

Compiled from a Dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.