Prevod
Long ago, in India, there was a temple where a great many monks lived. The master Bodhidharma entered this temple and observed their practices. In some cells, monks were invoking the Buddha’s name, reading sutras, and performing various other devotions. In one cell, however, he found only two old monks, some eighty or ninety years of age, playing go. There was no image of the Buddha, nor any sutras to be seen; they did nothing but play go. Bodhidharma left the cell and asked the other monks about them. “Since their youth, those two old monks have done nothing but play go,” they replied. “They have never so much as heard the name of the Buddha’s teaching. For this reason, the monks of the temple despise and shun them, refusing to associate with them. We regard them as no better than unbelievers, receiving the offerings made to the community while doing nothing to deserve them.” Hearing this, the master thought there must surely be some reason for their conduct. He sat down beside the two monks and watched them play. One rose while the other remained seated, and suddenly the one who had risen vanished. While Bodhidharma was still wondering at this, the monk returned and sat down; then the other monk vanished from his seat, only to reappear a little later. “Just as I suspected,” Bodhidharma thought. “I was told that you did nothing but play go,” he said, “yet you are holy men who have attained enlightenment. Pray tell me how this came about.” One of the old monks replied, “For many years we have done nothing else. But whenever black wins, we grieve, thinking, ‘My worldly passions have prevailed.’ Whenever white wins, we rejoice, thinking, ‘Awakening has prevailed.’ With every move, we wish for the black of worldly passions to be vanquished and the white of awakening to triumph. Through the merit of this practice, we suddenly attained enlightenment.” The master left their cell and told the other monks what he had learned. Those who had despised and scorned the two for so many years repented, and all came to revere them.
