Taoist
After a short visit to the Nanian Monastery and a small snack on the sidewalk, when my friend and I decided to sit away from the table of noisy tourists and enjoy a few minutes of rest and a small snack, we headed towards the cave where a Taoist monk has been living in seclusion for many years.
The cave is very modestly furnished with a bed, some shelves, and a supply of various items for Taoist ceremonies … a few seats with meditation cushions, and a small altar. A narrow stone walkway leads around the cave, on which are built several low wooden chairs with backs, typical of the Chinese countryside style, a table with a lot of miscellaneous things, including a large calendar with many Chinese characters, Chinese zodiac signs, and other information useful for initiates. Today this calendar shows 17.07.2014 Thursday. Other interesting things certainly include a large alarm clock completely covered in plastic adhesive tape, probably due to humidity. Bundles of Taoist prayer books are stacked next to the table, which are used in the morning and evening services. These can probably be bought by visitors or taken away, as quite a lot of them are kept here.
There was no one in or around the cave when we arrived, which is quite unusual given my experience from previous visits. The old monk usually has a large number of locals and sometimes tourists from the nearby tourist area on a visit. Suddenly, the curtain in the dark cave moved and the master of the house appeared in the faint light coming from the entrance of the cave, where there were many leafy trees shading the direct sunlight.
I’m used to seeing a cute old man smile on his face, but this time the monk seemed very serious without his typical welcoming gestures and smiles. My friend was here for the first time and this picture left her with no noticeable reactions at first. But everything changed when I started trying to communicate with my bad Chinese. The old man lit up like a light bulb that doesn’t light up in the cave but in you. And no matter how you feel at that moment. The ability to communicate seems to be absolutely key to opening people’s hearts.
The magical, sincere, joyful, childlike smile of the old Taoist completely shattered the uncertainty of whether our visit was a welcome diversion or a mere interruption of the afternoon siesta. To be honest, when we decided to visit the cave, I didn’t even realize that it was just the time of rest after lunch when the Chinese usually sleep.
We introduced ourselves and laughed, and the monk went to the gas cooker to prepare lunch. Deciding not to disturb, we walked past the mounds of spiritual books, a beehive, and a small kitchen set-up and came out onto a small platform with stone stools in front of the cave, where we intended to rest and then continue as planned.
I went back to ask if the old road around the Purple Cloud Temple was still passable when the old man pointed to a large pan full of what looked like couscous with eggs and vegetables. “It’s passable,” he replied, handing me a bowl of lunch. We sat on small wooden chairs and the monk was at the table across from us. Lunch tasted very healthy and light. We laughed a lot during lunch and my friend liked the monk very much. It is true that each of his prompting gestures was accompanied by a wonderful, very happy smile and moving on the chair like a small joyful innocent child when he is unable to sit and is very much looking forward to something. The old man’s spontaneity really reminds one of the innocence and gullibility of young children. Then he got up, took my hand, and led me to a large pan where there was still a lot of food. The portion we received was so large that we gratefully declined the extras. When we finished our meal, we praised the chef’s cooking and placed the empty bowls on the table in thanks.
However, the fact that the bowls were empty was only our illusion. After what followed, I felt myself to be who I really am — a tourist from the land of excess and waste visiting the world of true Taoism and life unseparated from nature and its laws. It was a visit to the world of this friendly monk devoted to cultivation in seclusion.
Without any gesture, movement, or emotion, the kind monk took mine and then my friend’s bowl in his hands circled it with his finger, and cleaned it of the last crumb. He wiped what he collected into his bowl and ate it with gusto. Not a hint, not a look, not a gesture that should indicate to us that it is not to be wasted. Only again a wonderful smile full of life experiences, the goodness of the heart that comes from hard life trials and a deep understanding of life, and the joy of the presence of new guests who dined with him.
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There was still plenty of food in the large pan. After this lesson from a true Taoist, we gave thanks and wanted to offer fruit. After a little struggle, the old man finally convinced us that he is the master of the cave and therefore the rule is what his heart dictates. Of course, he didn’t accept. We shook hands to say goodbye and my impression was that the monk really enjoyed the friendly handshake. Like great friends enjoying sacrifice after long years of separation. My friend and I really enjoyed his warm and friendly farewell. With a strange silence inside, we set off on a path that led steeply down stone steps through a stone gate…
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The heartfelt farewell was not addressed to me and my friend, but to anyone who comes to visit quietly and respectfully. For a visit anywhere — to a house, to a cave, to a foreign country… To everyone who comes and talks less and listens more. To all who know that there is no moment in life when we know enough or more than others. Life is a school and we are students, not professors …
Those who talk do not know, those who know do not talk … Tao De Jing
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Knowing that you shouldn’t waste food and talking about it and lecturing about it on the one hand, and really not wasting food on the other, are two completely different things. It is not only about food but about all life-giving resources.
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… knowing how to clean a car window is knowledge, to do it — is wisdom ….
movie Peaceful Warrior
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The old monk did a masterful job. Teaching by example is very rare. If we want to change the world for the better, let’s be strong enough to change our own lives and be an example to others. You can’t change anyone but yourself. If we can do it, we can motivate others to take their lives into their own hands and try to change themselves for the better… why? because we are the world… according to a well-known Czech saying …
… if you want to change the world, start with yourself…
