One
day Master watched the video series "Emperor Qian Long Travels
in Southern China in Disguise" with us. The series included
a plot about the emperor falling in love with a southern beauty.
Meanwhile, however, he is forced to return to the imperial court
to handle official matters and cannot stay any longer. Qian Long
is so in love with this woman that he tries all he can to take her
back with him to the capital city. He even risks his own safety
by divulging the secret schedule of his homebound trip by water,
hoping that she will meet him on the wharf and he can smuggle her
on board. For some reason, which I cannot recall, the woman does
not show up. As the ship sails farther and farther away, Qian Long
stands on the deck looking forlornly back into the distance. His
lonely reflection in the green waters mirrors his unspeakable sadness.
The camera stops on the scene of the solitary ship sailing in the
distant horizon. Here, we heard Master speak faintly, "Isn't
this scene so familiar? So familiar! I know this feeling. It seems
that I've been through this before." Then she asked, "Have
you ever felt like this?" Her voice was full of helplessness.
Master
once made an analogy in another story. Once upon a time, there was
a king who was determined to give up his throne to seek the Truth.
His wives and concubines and the royal family wanted to follow him,
not knowing that there would be trial after trial waiting for them.
His mother was overcome by fatigue. Then the queen collapsed from
exhaustion. Even as he saw them fall and stop one after another,
the king kept going. Though he felt sad for them, he had to go on
and only those who could keep up continued to follow him.
During
a seven-day retreat, Master asked the group of fellow practitioners,
"Are you ready to climb mountains and cross rivers with me?"
Everyone rubbed his or her palms and replied, "Yes!" Even
as the words rang in their ears, many had begun to fall behind or
drop to the ground. Some, though still on their feet, had already
quietly retreated into the mundane world.
My
dear Quan Yin family, persevere. Let us not have our Master feel
that unspeakable sadness on some other wharf again.
Dream
Analysis