Chapter 17 Chapter 1 Artificiality and Impermanence-11

Once upon a time there was an old man who became a monk. He was already old when he was ordained, with gray hair and a dignified appearance.A believer offered lunch to the monks according to the custom.The female benefactor didn't know that the old man was just a novice novice, and thought he was a senior monk, so she arranged for him to sit in the upper seat and treated him with special respect.It is customary to invite a monk to lead everyone to dedicate merits and virtues after the lunch offering, and to give a short lecture.Some young monks felt displeased with this novice because they had practiced for a long time, and decided to let him lead the audience to humiliate him.Before the old man had time to object, the pious female patroness bowed to him and asked for instructions.In panic, he couldn't say a word.The young monk looked at him happily.The old monk stood up, muttered to himself, and repeated several times: "Ignorance is suffering."The patroness pondered on his words and thought, "It is so true that ignorance is the root of all our suffering." Through such constant reflection, she finally attained enlightenment.This matter spread quickly, and many people also began to think about ignorance and suffering, and they all got enlightenment.The old monk went back to his former patroness and asked her to teach him, and thus gained enlightenment.