The Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant
1 Again, Byakuren began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around her was so large that she got into Murasa's boat and sat at the bow, while all the humans were along the shore at the water's edge. 2 She taught them many things by parables, for they were but ignorant rustics incapable of understanding complex religious doctrines. 3 On this occasion, a village elder argued against her teachings of peace, saying peace would not come until the youkai were all exterminated. 4 But another elder opposed him, saying that that was too extreme a view, and that the youkai should simply be driven far away. 5 Then a youthful man, wiser than his age and the other two, proclaimed the youkai to be superior, and that it is the humans that should give way to them. Therefore did much arguing and yelling erupt amongst the throng.
6 The Master, staying serene on her boat at a distance from the riled up crowd, delivered this teaching after quelling the crowd: 7 "Formerly, there was a king in the Western land of India who addressed a man and asked him to round up all the people in the city who were blind from birth. When the man had done so, the king asked the man to present the blind men an elephant: 8 some were presented the ear, others a tusk, the trunk, the body, a foot, the hindquarters, the tail, or the tuft at the end of the tail. And to each one he said, 'This is an elephant.'
9 "When he reported to the king what he had done, the king went to the blind men and asked them, 'Tell me, blind men, what is an elephant like?' 10 Those who had been shown the head of the elephant replied, 'An elephant, your majesty, is just like a water jug.' Those who had been shown the ear replied, 'An elephant is just like a winnowing basket.' Those who had been shown the tusk replied, 'An elephant is just like a plowshare.' 11 Turn by turn the blind men described the parts of the elephant that they had come into contact hearing one another's different responses, they fought each other with fists, and the king was delighted at the ridiculous spectacle they made of themselves. 12 In this way, everyone that does not agree with me is like the blind men in this parable, and I am the more informed king who looks on in amusement as you all rip each other apart." 13 The people present surely did not have the wit by which to respond to the Master, for they fell silent in shock. Most probably because of her sharp wit. She continued with her teachings.
The Law of Karma
14 "We are all heirs to our own karma; all that we do by our own will must one day return upon us. 15 I say unto you, volitional speech, mind, and body acts of an afflictive sort generate dark karma with dark results; 16 this karma, when it comes to fruition (whether in this life or a future one), caused by afflictive acts, will cause its owner to likewise suffer affliction, as for example the denizens of the hells do. 17 Volitional speech, mind, and body acts of a non-afflictive sort generate bright karma with bright results; 18 this karma, when it comes to fruition (whether in this life or a future one), caused by non-afflictive acts, will cause its owner to likewise experience non-affliction — he will experience pleasant things, such as being reborn amongst the devas of refulgent glory. 19 Should one go through life generating near equal amounts of both bright and dark karma, he will reap a result that is both bright and dark, being reborn and experiencing a mix of both pleasure and pain, as we humans do. 20 Finally, there is the fourth kind of karma, which is also the best, the most beneficial, the most worthy of being sought after. 21 The fourth kind of karma is karma that is neither bright nor dark, and it has neither bright nor dark results; 22 this karma that is neither bright nor dark leads to the destruction of karma. 23 It is generated by the volition to abandon both the dark karma with its dark results and the bright karma with its bright results, and it ends samsara, the cycle of reincarnation. 24 This most sublime, noblest kind of karma is generated by following the holy life laid out by the Awakened One: by truly understanding the Four Noble Truths and by living according to the Noble Eightfold Path."
Byakuren Calms the Storm
25 After having completed her teachings, not a human in the crowd spoke. Byakuren looked out over the crowd and, seeing that they had opened their ears to what she had to say, 26 she said no more to them, getting up to instead talk to Murasa. "Let us go over to the other side." 27 Leaving the crowd behind, she and the nine apostles made for the other shore. 28 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was in danger of capsizing. 29 Byakuren had gone to the stern and was sleeping on a cushion. Some of the disciples woke her and aid, "Teacher! Don't you care if we all drown like Murasa did? Are we but rats for which you care not?" 30 These words offended both Murasa and Nazrin. "Are you saying I did a rat's death?" Murasa questioned indignantly. "Are you all asserting that the lives of rats are somehow lesser than other creatures'?" Nazrin boldly challenged. 31 Nue then stepped before Nazrin and said, "That's only common sense. But if you think you can show us otherwise, I'll spare you from meeting your end at the storm's hands." She smiled maliciously, 32 and Nazrin then backed down. Not out of cowardice, but because she was taking the higher road and was refusing to continuing fighting before the master.
33 Byakuren then stood and silently walked through the crowd of disciples and got onto the deck. She rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still! Or I swear to all the gods above and below that I will beat you both into silent submission!" The wind and waves, realizing that only a complete madman or a person of extraordinary power would think that yelling was all it took to make nature itself cease 34 felt great fear, because neither of those possibilities seemed pleasant. Not desiring to mess with this woman who continued to shout at them from a lone boat, they immediately ceased.
35 She then turned to her disciples, who had come above deck to watch her shout threats at nature. She said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? Do you cling to these bodies that you will one day depart out of?" 36 Ichirin said, "But Master, if we are not to fear death nor treasure this life, why have I seen you practicing black magic to extend your own life?" 37 The master picked her up with one arm and chucked her far out into the waters. 38 The other disciples were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey her!" But Nue said, "Did none of you just see her hurl Ichirin off the boat with one arm!? Quit standing around sucking her dick! We have to go rescue her!"
This was a chapter of little fun and much religious teaching. The parable and the teaching on the four kinds of karma comes from the book In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, edited by Bhikku Bodhi. Man, I don't have much desire to write.