The Governor and the Buddhist

Czoe Gyu Dong

Can you recall Buddhas advice on how to live a virtuous life? As you read this story, find out if the Buddhist monk
is really a disciple of Buddha.

Many years ago, a son was born to the head-man of Hyob Czon, in the province of Gyong Nam, when he
was nearly sixty years of age. He doted on his son to such an exaggerated extent that he would not even send him to a
teacher to be educated. The boy was utterly ignorant when he attained the age of thirteen.

There was a famous Buddhist who lived in the He-In Temple, which was in the same district, and renowned as one
of the biggest in Korea. Hearing of the head-mans idle son, he called one day on his father and said to him, You are
already very old, and your son and heir is completely illiterate. Your family may suffer for this in the future. Will you
entrust your son to me that I may give him the education which he needs? The head-man was persuaded by the
Buddhists words, and entrusted his sons education to him. He promised the he would not interfere in any way, and
gave the Buddhist a document to that effect.

The Buddhist then took the head-mans son to the temple, and subjected him to the customary stern discipline.
The boy was often harshly scolded, and soon began to feel that the restrictions imposed upon him were intolerable. So,
one day he tried to escape from the temple, but the Buddhist restrained him. He explained the real purpose of his
education to the boy, and showed that the document that his father had written. So, he devoted himself to his studies,
and in a few years, he had mastered all the classics, for he was a very talented boy. He was well advanced in his
preparation for the High Civil Examination, but he still bore a deep grudge in his heart towards the monk in the temple
who treated him so harshly. At last he passed the Government examination, and was appointed Governor of his own
province of Gyong Nam.

Now that he was powerful, he determined to get his revenge on the monks for the harsh treatment they had
meted out to him. So, he went out to the temple with an imposing train of attendants. His former master, the chief
Buddhist of the temple, and all the monks met him courteously at the gate. When the Governor saw his former master,
all his resentment melted away, and in its place, came a feeling of deep gratitude, so touched was he by venerable
character of the Buddhist.

The two men talked far into the night of their association in the past, and then the Buddhist went to his library
and brought out a strange paper. On it, the Governors future was described in great detail, with all the ranks to which
he would be promoted, that he would be appointed Governor of Pyong-An Province, and the age of which he would die.
As he rolled the document up again the Buddhist said, I wil see you at Pyongyang, when you will have been appointed
Governor of Pyong-An Province.

A few years later they were very pleased to meet again at Pyongyang, when the former pupil was appointed
Governor there. They talked together till far into the night, and went to bed in the same room. But the fire beneath the
floor made the room so uncomfortably hot, that the Governor could not sleep. So, he got up and took his bed to the
next room.

In the morning, he found the Buddhist dead in the room he has been forced to leave. He had been murdered and
so the Governor ordered a strict investigation into his death. It was found that he had been killed by one of the official
dancing girls who had mistaken him for the Governor.

The Governor was overcome with gratitude for the Buddhists noble self-sacrifice, for there could be no doubt
that he had foreseen what would happen, and had given his life to save his friend.