Supreme Master tells a story about an enlightened master and his young disciple. The young monk came to a busy town for the first time in his life and saw a beautiful woman. He knew nothing about woman and wondered why master called her tiger. He then got the permission from master and came down the mountain, intending to put an end to his affinity with the mundane world. Later the master came to look for him several times and asked him to go back to the mountain to practice, but the disciple was deeply trapped in the mundane world and couldn’t wake up. What did the master finally do to bring his disciple back to the mountain? The Supreme Master commented: we all know this is an illusionary world, but no one can run away from it. This story sounds like persuading people to leave home and become a monk, but I don’t think it’s the only way. We can be in the world while our heart remains unattached to it, knowing that there is nothing but trouble. We should carefully protect our longing for the Tao, just like the lotus flower growing out of mud and blooming pure and untainted.

The love of an enlightened master is unimaginable . He protects us no matter what. But if we do not see through the illusionary troubles in this world, we ourselves will suffer. As disciples, we can do anything, be it abusing, misunderstanding or attacking and criticizing the master, but master could not do the same to us. He takes care of our souls forever. He follows us wherever we go; no matter what painful situation we are in, he suffers the same. So of course there’s a difference between having and not having a master. Master is our best friend in this world, the most loyal, tolerant and loving to us, giving us more love than any of our relatives or friends.