The Story of a Great Buddhist Monk, Daxing

By Guang Hua

(Clearwisdom.net) The bodies of many Buddhist monks of great virtue on China's Mount Jiuhua remained uncorrupted after they passed away. Monk Daxing from the end of Qing Dynasty (1636-1911 A.D.) was one of them. Monk Daxing's fellow cultivators stored his body in a large barrel after he passed away. When the barrel was opened three years later, Monk Daxing's body remained soft and looked like he had just passed away.

Monk Daxing was a compassionate and generous man. Throughout his life, he endured a lot of hardships and was very diligent in the Buddhist cultivation practice. The following story illustrates his exceptional level of forbearance.

At the foot of Mount Jiuhua, there lived a wealthy family. The family had a daughter named Xiao Hui. She was promised in marriage at a tender age to another rich family's son.

Three years before the proposed wedding date, Xiao Hui gave birth to a baby boy. Her parents were in great shock and disappointment. They demanded to know the truth. Xiao Hui finally told her parents, "I once went to worship Buddha at the Buddhist monastery on Mount Jiuhua and was raped by Monk Daxing. I became pregnant and gave birth to this baby." Her father was furious. He brought his servants, hurried to Mount Jiuhua and stormed into the monastery. He condemned Monk Daxing for his alleged crime. Together with his servants, he cursed and beat up Monk Daxing. Finally he presented the newborn baby to him and demanded Daxing to take it. Monk Daxing was silent throughout the process. He accepted the baby boy and said peacefully in prayer, "Buddha Amitabha!"

Monk Daxing's reputation was immediately ruined. He was once a highly respected monk, but now he became a scandalous rapist in the disguise of a monk. Everywhere he went, people laughed at him, condemned him and cursed him. However, Monk Daxing seemed indifferent to all the insults. He went down Mount Jiuhua every day to solicit alms to buy milk for the baby. Under his attentive care, the small baby grew increasingly strong, plump and smart.

Three years passed quickly.

Despite the alleged rape, the wedding took place as scheduled. On the wedding night, her husband demanded to know what became of her baby, so she told him everything in tears. The next day, the groom told his parents the truth: the two of them had had a secret rendezvous and that was the true reason why Xiao Hui had become pregnant and given birth to a baby three years before. That was why he had insisted on marrying Xiao Hui despite the scandal. In order to protect her future husband's reputation, Xiao Hui made up a lie and framed Monk Daxing.

On the third day after the wedding when Xiao Hui visited her parents according to the Chinese tradition, she took the opportunity to tell her parents the truth. Her parents were even more astonished than when she had suddenly given birth. They regretted doing wrong to an innocent monk and abandoning their own grandson.

The two families hurried to the monastery. They knelt down in front of Monk Daxing, begging for his forgiveness and asking to take the baby back. Monk Daxing produced the baby boy with a big smile on his face and took him to Xiao Hui's arms in a respectful manner. He looked as if nothing had happened and told them with a grin, "Take the baby back! Buddha Amitabha!" He put his hands up in front of his chest to bid farewell to them and returned to the meditation chamber with a big smile on his face.

From then on, all the monks in the monastery and the local residents admired Monk Daxing even more.

http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/articles/2005/6/27/3096.html

Chinese version available at http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2004/1/21/25447.html

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