Reincarnation, The Blumise Way

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Friday, April 24, 2009, 13:23

Monk Totonaka seized with a frenzy to attain enlightenment, worked day and night ceaselessly to get awakened. He put himself to rigorous meditation hoping to be enlightened at the earliest. This played havoc on both his mind and body due to the stress of his continuous efforts. Totonaka then sought the guidance of Master Blumise in the Nowind Monastery.

The Master educated Totonaka on the theory of reincarnation. He explained that the present birth was one of the many that Totonaka had encountered and there are many more to follow up. The spiritual indulgence in this life would be carried over to the next, just as how the former involvement has ensued to this life. The master advised him to go easy in his practice and to follow the natural course of things. He further asked him not to get overstressed with his arduous meditation practices.

Master Blumise's instructions were instrumental not only in the recovery of the body and the mind of the disciple but also in making rapid spiritual progress. The master's guidance enabled Totonaka to let go his obsession for enlightenment by not focussing on the distant future; instead Totonaka's mind was laid to rest by dwelling in the present. Totonaka was very happy about his tremendous progress and shared the knowledge imparted by his master with his friend Junjo.

Junjo was also very interested in enlightenment but however his temperament was opposite to that of Totonaka. His meditations were irregular and indulged in sensory pleasures that got his body bloated and his mind, sluggish. Hence his spiritual progress was as slow as ever. He too joined the Nowind monastery for the guidance of Master Blumise.

Master Blumise came down heavily on Junjo's laziness. He condemned Junjo's views on reincarnation, soul, higher life and so on. When Junjo said that he was informed about all this by Totonaka, the master harshly said thus : “Shut up! It is all lies. There is no reincarnation and being lazy and wasting this life is the greatest sin you can commit".

Master Blumise further said if he screwed up his present life without practising for enlightenment, he was sure to lament on his death bed of wasting a precious life laden with opportunities.

Junjo then pulled up himself and acted swiftly as per the guidance of the master. In a few months he got his body and mind in shape by giving up his indulgent ways. His spiritual progress reached heights by meditating regularly and intensely.