The Buddha's Amazing Gift

Once upon a time, there was a famous temple with a statue of the Buddha with a priceless gem between its eyes. A family nearby happened to be starving due to poverty. Out of desperation, the man of the house decided to sneak into the temple to steal some of its many treasures. He dug his way into the temple one night. Upon entry, he wondered which treasure he should take. Catching sight of the gem on the Buddha's forehead, he decided that it would be the prize catch for his family. He started climbing the statue to reach for it. Amazingly, it seemed to keep growing taller, with the gem always out of reach. The man exclaimed, "I've heard that in his former lives, the Buddha gave away all his possessions to benefit others. But even his statue won't even give a poor family one little gem!"

Suddenly, the right hand of the Buddha statue moved, plucking the gem from the forehead, passing it to the man. Astonished, the man uttered his thanks and quickly escaped. However, he was caught the next day. He tried to explain that it was the Buddha who gave the gem to him, but no one believed him. As a last resort, he said, "If I am telling the truth, may the gem glow with light!" To everyone's surprise, the gem glowed brilliantly. The authorities realised that the man did not steal out of greed, but for his family. They all agreed that the Buddha would rather that the poor had enough to eat, than to have his statue be lavishly decorated. A few days later, the statue was noticed to hold a gentle smile, which was not previously there.

- Traditional story

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From Shian II:

Noble Wishes in Daily Life

When putting on clothes, make the wish:
May we don the garment of conscience and propriety!

When tying your belt, make the wish:
May we fasten the belt of the vows and precepts!

When opening a door, make the wish:
May we open the door of the profound innate nature!

When closing it, make the wish:
May we close the door to the lower realms!

When walking, make the wish:
May we move forward on the path to enlightenment!

When riding, make the wish:
May we ride the horse of diligence!

When crossing water, make the wish:
May we cross the ocean of samsara!

When walking upward or ascending a staircase, make the wish:
May we ascend the path of liberation!

When arriving at the desired destination, make the wish:
May we arrive at the city of nirvana!

When meeting a master or noble beings, make the wish:
May we meet with a true master and be accepted by him!

When visiting a shrine for the Three Jewels, make the wish:
May we take rebirth in a pure Buddhafield!

When on a journey or going to sleep, make the wish:
May we rest on the path of the Dharma!

-Avatamsaka Sutra, Chapter on Totally Pure Conduct

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________