A Thief Becomes A Spiritual Practitioner

News 53, Master Tells Stories
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu Center, Formosa • February 19, 1995
(originally in Chinese)

Once when a thief tried to steal something in the palace, he overheard a conversation between two eunuches: “Our king wants to marry the princess to a monk practicing on the bank of the Ganges River. What do you think?”

The other eunuch said, “Good! It is good! The princess is the most precious person in the country, and the monks practicing by the Ganges River are also the most rare, most virtuous and most noble persons in the world. Naturally, I am delighted and agree with the idea!” Hearing these words, the thief halted his stealing business, and stealthily went back to become a monk instead. (Laughter)

Hastily, he shaved his head, put on a monk’s robe and then mixed among the monks to meditate, while hoping the princess would become his wife.

Several days later, the king really sent a eunuch to the bank of the Ganges River, to ask the monks whether they would marry the princess. He asked one by one. Upon receiving a negative answer, he would ask the next one, and the next one.

The monks were good practitioners and didn’t care about the princess, so all of them declined. Only the thief remained unasked, sitting there with his heart throbbing like mad. His mind screamed: I am here! Come over quickly. (Laughter) Finally, the eunuch went to ask him. When the eunuch asked him, he remained silent, (laughter) and didn’t say a word. All the others said they didn’t want to, but he didn’t say anything. It was already a great difference.

The eunuch was very happy, and reported to the king, “A monk practicing by the Ganges seems to have the intention of marrying the princess. We asked him, he didn’t decline, which means he has consented 90 percent, only that he didn’t decisively say he really agrees. Among those whom we asked, he was the only one who didn’t say no.”

Delighted by the good news, the king thought that he should go personally and take lots of presents, then the monk would definitely agree to marry the princess.

The king took along all his councillors, generals and the eunuch, and went to the Ganges where the thief was meditating. With great respect, he asked the “monk” to marry the princess. As the king also practiced spiritually, he didn’t want to marry the princess to an ordinary person. He preferred his daughter to marry a spiritual practitioner, so she could also practice in the company of a good husband, a good teacher. The king would only be satisfied having a son-in-law who could teach the princess how to meditate and to be a virtuous person. Therefore, upon hearing that a practitioner meditating by the Ganges would marry the princess, he was very happy. He showed him great respect, bowed to him, and asked him to marry his daughter.

The thief was complacent, but then he thought: “I have just shaved and put on a monk’s robe impersonating a monk, a spiritual practitioner, yet the king and all his councillors treat me with so much respect, and offer me wealth and precious things. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I were to become a real monk, a real spiritual practitioner!”

After consideration, he didn’t want to marry the princess anymore! (Laughter) Instead, he started to practice seriously. Pretending in the first place, he now became a real monk because he perceived the benefits of spiritual practice. Since then, the thief meditated and practiced very sincerely. Eventually he was enlightened and became a great saint, a very famous spiritual practitioner.

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