Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Reminder from the Old Abbot
Tao Bin found his master’s residence, only to learn that his master was not there and he had no choice but to look for the Old Abbot.
The Old Abbot, hearing his purpose, chuckled softly and shook his head, “No harm, don’t worry.”
Tao Bin sat down next to the Abbot with a plop and babbled on, “How can I not worry? You don’t know, my sister has had such a hard time, washing diapers in ice-cold water at such a young age, and doing so many chores! It’s so pitiful; I can’t bear to think about it. Every time I think of her, a tiny figure squatting on the ground, reaching her hands into the icy water, I want to cry.”
As he spoke, Tao Bin’s eyes truly reddened.
The Old Abbot had no solution for this sensitive and emotional disciple but to sigh deeply, “You should change your temperament, you are a man, and no matter what happens, you should remain calm and composed. You are so easily influenced by emotions, which in the future could hinder your tasks, hinder yourself, and even…”
Further discussion was pointless; the will of heaven must not be disclosed.
The Old Abbot gave a hint, hoping Tao Bin would understand the deeper meaning in his words.
But at that moment, Tao Bin’s heart was full of his pitiable sister; how could he be receptive to anything else?
Seeing him so thickheaded, the Old Abbot said in annoyance, “You, you’re just a wooden fish with no wisdom at all!”
“Heh heh!” Tao Bin laughed shamelessly, “If I had wisdom, wouldn’t you have shaved my head and made me a monk? I definitely don’t want to be a monk for life!”
“If you were willing to become a monk, you might actually escape a calamity,” the Old Abbot hinted.
“Calamity?” Tao Bin edged closer, whispering, “Are you saying my fate has a calamity in it? Did you divine it? Tell me, what calamity?”
The Old Abbot, however, closed his eyes.
“Hey! After talking so much, now you’re playing deaf and dumb! You can’t do this to me! Tell me quickly!”
“You ancient person, I will badger you!” Tao Bin, a mischievous monkey, began practicing boxing in the Abbot’s room, with a series of hee-hee’s and growls.
The Old Abbot frowned deeply, helpless, and could only mumble vaguely, “You are too attached to kinship, your relatives are your weakness. If anything happens to them, you will be utterly discomposed. Do you understand?”
Tao Bin shook his head, “I don’t understand.”
It’s like playing the lute to a cow!
The Old Abbot didn’t want to speak another word.
Tao Bin caused a ruckus at the Old Abbot’s place for a while, but seeing that the Old Abbot had entered meditation and was unwilling to accompany him to check on his sister, Tao Bin left angrily, slamming the door behind him.
As the monks passed by the door, they wanted to scold him, but they heard the Old Abbot shake his head, “He’s just a child, there’s no need to be too harsh.”
“But he’s really out of line, temper tantrums in the temple! It doesn’t matter what status these children have outside or whose children they are, in our temple, we treat everyone equally. We cannot indulge their spoiled behavior,” the monk said indignantly.
The Old Abbot, weary, lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at him, “You’ve forgotten this is a temple; don’t start a conflict. Let the big issues shrink and the small vanish; you’ve lost your equanimity.”
The monk was startled, hesitated for a moment with an apologetic look in his eyes, and with hands clasped together bowed slightly, “It is I who have lost my equanimity.”
Tao Bin ran all the way back, only to see Luo Hanchen covering his eyes as if trying to force them back into their sockets.
Unable to hold back, Tao Bin quipped, “You’re not really going to pop your eyes out, are you?”
“Shh!” Tao Ti pulled him aside, whispering softly, “He just cried and is afraid of being laughed at by us kids, so he’s covering his eyes.”
“Cried?” Tao Bin was puzzled, “Cried because he can’t see Ghost? Is he sick, randomly longing to see Ghost ?”