Elder Udi and the High Seat

In the lecture hall of the monastery, after a dharma talk, the bell rang out clearly before fading into silence. The afternoon sun slanted through the door cracks, illuminating dust motes drifting lazily in the air. Monks and lay practitioners rose one by one, arranging their shoes gently as they stepped out, leaving the room in quiet stillness. On the high platform, the seats of the senior elders remained untouched, their wood gleaming under the fading light.

Udi was an elder with advanced age and many years of monastic training. Yet, his mind remained unopened; he had not attained meditative concentration, and whenever asked about the teachings, he found himself at a loss. Afraid that others might look down on him, he constantly sought ways to appear dignified. For a long time, he had grown accustomed to arrogance, craving respect even though his heart was empty inside.

One day, when the lecture hall had emptied and no one remained, he looked around, his heart pounding wildly. He climbed onto the platform and sat heavily in the seat reserved for senior elders, clasping his hands together to pretend he was in deep meditation. "Sitting here is truly the place for an elder," he told himself, a smug smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Venerable sir, I bow to you. Please teach me about the Noble Eightfold Path?" a lay practitioner passing by saw him seated there and approached to pay respects and ask a question.

Udi froze, sweat beading on his forehead. "Uh... this matter... let me think," he stammered, his eyes darting away. When the layperson asked further questions, Udi could not offer any clear understanding.

"You have trained for so long as an elder, yet why do you not understand the Dharma when questioned?" the layperson muttered, his face showing disappointment.

Whispers reached the ears of the Buddha. The Buddha then taught a verse: "A fool may spend a lifetime near a wise person, yet learn nothing of the truth, just as a spoon knows not the taste of food." This was the turning point. The Buddha clearly pointed out that Udi was like a spoon that scoops up food endlessly but never knows if it is delicious or bland.

After hearing the Buddha’s words, Udi bowed his head, his ears burning with shame. He stepped down from the seat, no longer daring to play the game of arrogant pretense. From then on, he tried hard to study, but his fundamental capacity was difficult to change. His story remains a reminder for later students: being close to wise teachers without self-reflection is like a spoon that never tastes the soup.

The Meaning of the Story

Being close to an enlightened teacher is not enough; one must open one's own mind. A person who has practiced for a long time but has not realized the path or understood the principles is like a spoon that scoops food forever without knowing its flavor, even if sitting right next to the Buddha. We must remain humble and eager to learn, avoiding the trap of vanity that leads us to sit in places we have not earned.