By Yu Dan

The Universe in a Bowl of Mushroom Soup

By Yu Dan

I was fortunate enough to be acquainted with Grand Master Hsing Yun. In Dajue Temple of Yixing City, when I had my f i rst meal, the starter soup was white, creamy, and aromatic. I almost choked on its delicious taste when I took the fi rst sip, and the root of my tongue melted with joy instantly.“Master, what soup is this?” I asked in astonishment.

“Just some types of mushrooms.”The Grand Master smiled.

“How could mushrooms yield such a fl avor?”

“As a Buddhist monk, we seldom fry food, and neither do we use too much oil or soy sauce when cooking. But we do have sufficient amount of time, and we are willing to take time to simmer food in water and bring out the original aromas of the ingredients. For this mushroom soup, for instance, the simmering process started last night, and each kind of mushroom was put into the soup at a different time, and when the soup was ready, a handful of ground white sesame was added.” Grand Master said, still smiling.

At that moment, with a sense of Zen embracing me and the aroma of food lingering in my mouth, I felt my taste buds. They were rather insensitive due to the daily exposure to deep-fried fast food, MSG, and chili pepper, but with each bite of soup, they gradually became smooth and delicate again.

After the meal, I left the temple for a walk along Cloud Lake. There, verdant bamboo formed a thick forest in which mosquitoes were flying around. In the blink of an eye, red and itchy mosquito bites covered my hands and feet. “Mosquitoes here are hostile to newcomers. I got all these bumps practically right as I stepped outside, yet the locals don’t get bit at all.” I complainedto Grand Master.

Grand Master Hsing Yun smiled again and said, “These southern mosquitoes haven’t seen much of the world yet, so they were happy to take the chance to try northerners’ blood. Just regard it as your opportunity to be acquainted with them.”

Later, I came to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Grand Master Hsing Yun invited me to Fo Kwang Mountain. Since it was a rare chance, I asked Grand Master for his preaching, and he granted my wish and took me to a place. After walking down a winding path through a vegetable field, I came to a place far from peaceful and secluded: more than ten red parrots were fl ying up and down in a big wire mesh room, as if they were lively and bright dancing flames. Grand Master Hsing Yun guided me to sit on a swing, and then, he brought two adorable piglets in his arms and gave one to me, and we started chatting.“This is the botanical garden and zoo at Fo Kwang Mountain,” he said, moving his fingers back and forth. The white and chubby piglet was stretching itself again and again in my arm, and at that moment, I suddenly had the innocent feeling of a child.

Grand Master told me a story:

A little monk asked his master,“What is the way of practicing meditation?” “Eat and sleep.” the master answered. “Tell me who doesn’t eat or sleep? How can eating and sleeping be the way of practicing meditation?”the little monk said in disdain. “That’s right. Though everybody eats, most of them are picky about food; though everybody sleeps, most of them suffer from insomnia and fi nd it hard to sleep tight. If you eat well and sleep well, you are already practicing meditation.”

“There is no other way of becoming immortal, but to discard all the worries and forget about pains and always be joyful.” In my memory, I’ve never heard Grand Master Hsing Yun draw a conclusion of worldly concerns, but his random joyful comments about the basic necessities of life and all the fl ora and fauna will always leave a deep impression on my heart.

(From A Bright Heart Helps Everything Grow, Changjiang Literature & Art Press. Translation: Zhu Yaguang)