Poetry and Writings Index Spiritual Stories 3

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A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper.  How can I cure it?" "You have something very strange," replied Bankei.  "Let me see what you have." "Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other. "When can you show it to me?" asked Bankei. "It arises unexpectedly," replied the student. "Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your true nature.  If it were, you could show it to me at any time.  When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you.  Think that over."

From the book Sky Dancer "O Yogini who has mastered the Tantra, The human body is the basis of the accomplishment of wisdom And the gross bodies of men and women are equally suited, But if a woman has strong apsiration, she has higher potential. From beginningless time you have acrued merit from virtue and awareness, and now faultless, endowed with Buddha's Qualities, Superior Woman, you are a human Bodhisattva. This is you I am speaking of, happy girl, is it not? Now that you have achieved your own enlightenment, Work for others, for the sake of other beings." Keith Dowman "Sky Dancer:The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyel", 1996, page 86.