Traveling through time and space.

Chapter 70: Approaching the Ground of Remaining Dependence (IV) "Compassion Pervades the World, Rescuing Suffering Without Refusing to Work Hard"

In the small town at the foot of Lingxu Mountain, the market was bustling as usual, a clamor of activity rising and falling. Master Amin, dressed in simple monk's robes, stood tall and straight, his expression serene. He and several of his disciples were among the villagers, meticulously explaining the essentials of Buddhism. Just then, a messenger arrived, his expression as hurried as a gust of wind. "Master Amin, bad news! The distant town of Qingping has been ravaged by a severe drought. The sun is scorching, the earth is cracked, crops are failing, and epidemics are rampant. The people are suffering terribly. We have come to implore you to show your mercy and come to their aid." Upon hearing this, Master Amin's heart sank, and without hesitation, he rushed to Qingping Town.

Master Amin led his disciples on the journey to Qingping Town. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, like a blazing fireball, mercilessly scorching the earth. The road was rugged and winding, like a giant python lying across the mountains, covered with gravel and potholes. Though the disciples' faces were exhausted and their clothes were soaked with sweat, their eyes were determined and they had no complaints. Halfway through the journey, a group of bandits suddenly emerged from the dense forest. The bandit leader had a face full of flesh, holding a long knife with a cold gleam in his hand, and shouted loudly: "Monks, if you know what's good for you, leave your belongings and dry food behind, otherwise don't even think about leaving this forest!" Master Amin looked calm, put his hands together, and said calmly: "Donor, the people of Qingping Town are struggling in the disaster of drought. We are taking these supplies to save lives. I hope you will be kind and give us a favor." After hearing this, the bandits burst into laughter, "We can hardly protect ourselves, so why don't we care about the life or death of those people? We only care about whether we can fill our stomachs and survive these difficult times." Master Amin's heart was full of compassion. He looked at these bandits and knew that they were also forced into such a situation by life. However, the people of Qingping Town were also crying out for food on the brink of death, and their hearts were caught in a dilemma.

After pondering for a moment, Master Amin looked sincere and said slowly: "Donor, we can leave some dry food for you to solve your urgent needs, but please allow us to take the rest of the supplies to Qingping Town as soon as possible. After we rescue the people, I would like to return and preach to you, guiding you a way to escape from hardship and move towards light." When the bandit leader heard this, he was touched. A hint of hesitation flashed in his originally fierce eyes, and finally he silently gave way.

Upon arriving in Qingping Town, the scene before them resembled a gruesome apocalyptic scene. The earth was cracked and crisscrossed, like gaping maws. The crops had long since withered, leaving the land barren and desolate. The people's faces were gaunt, their eyes hollow, and despair hung heavy over them like a gloomy haze. Master Amin and his disciples, fearless of any delay, quickly launched a rescue operation. Master Amin, nimble and resolute, ventured deep into the mountains. With a keen eye and unwavering determination, he painstakingly searched through the thorny, winding, and deep forests, finally discovering a hidden underground water source. The clear spring, like a ray of hope, gushed forth. Disciples busily distributed food and medicine throughout the town, offering comfort and warmth to the affected.

During the rescue effort, Master Amin encountered a stubborn old village chief. Over 70 years old, his face wrinkled like the furrows of time, he clung to deeply ingrained traditional values ​​and scoffed at Master Amin's rescue methods and Buddhist teachings, believing them to be foreign and unreliable. Master Amin patiently spoke with the chief, his voice gentle yet firm, as he expounded on the Buddhist principles of compassion and salvation, and how these principles could nourish the villagers' parched hearts like gentle rain, helping them find comfort and strength amidst the heavy suffering, rekindling their hope for life and rebuilding their faith in the future.

Master Amin also actively organized the town's young and able-bodied people to participate in self-help and mutual aid efforts. However, this involved the thorny issue of vested interests in the distribution of supplies. Some families, driven by selfishness, sought to appropriate more supplies, leading to heated skirmishes. Master Amin, with a solemn expression, mediated the disputes with impartiality. His words, resonant like a bell, reassured everyone that in the face of this immense suffering, only unity, mutual support, and love could help overcome the difficulties.

As the rescue operation raged, Master Amin witnessed firsthand the struggles and cries of sentient beings in the abyss of suffering. His heart of compassion, like a blazing flame, grew ever more intense. He knew that in this arduous journey of saving suffering, he was not only practicing the bodhisattva path, but also deeply cultivating and tempering the path of the "Stupas of Remaining Dependence." Each heroic overcoming of numerous difficulties, each heartfelt connection and soul transformation with sentient beings, was a firm step toward a higher realm of spiritual practice. All of this strengthened his resolve to spread compassion throughout the world and save all suffering. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, like towering mountains before him, he would guide the Dharma as his shining beacon, fearlessly forging ahead, just as he would steadfastly hoist the sails of the seventeenth stage of practice described in the Yogacarabhumi Sutra, sailing towards the sacred shore of liberation and perfection.