Today’s Enlightening Entertainment will be presented in Chinese, with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Greetings and welcome! It is truly a blessing to have an enlightened Master accompany us on our spiritual path. But how does an enlightened Master train his disciples to grow in wisdom? During a lecture given in Brazil in 1989, Supreme Master Ching Hai shared a story that sheds light on this topic.

There is one Master. He's very perfect, the greatest one. One day he told one of his disciples to take two potatoes and go and eat them. He emphasized again and again that the disciple must eat two potatoes all of it together. So the disciple took two potatoes from the Master's hand and then went to the stream, sat down and began to eat.

So he sat there and ate, one potato already, and then he began to peel the second potato. Then came a beggar, very hungry, nearly dying. Says, "Please give me that potato because you have eaten one and I have nothing for many days. I would die if you don't give me this potato." So, now what you do? You surrender to your Master or you surrender to compassion?

So, what happened next? Let’s find out through this dramatic adaptation of the story as told by Supreme Master Ching Hai. “Two Potatoes” was performed by our Association members and friends of our Association, from Formosa (Taiwan).

Grandpa, what stories do you want to tell us today?

Okay, let me tell you the story, “Do not learn from the Master by outer appearance.”

Do not learn from the Master by outer appearance.

The story is like this: Once upon a time, there was an enlightened Master who trained his disciples to be wise and learn how to use wisdom. One day, his disciple asked the Master,

Master, how shall we go about to become a Master and a present Buddha like you?

To become a Buddha or a Master, some qualities are required.

Master, what kind of qualities? He must have at least two kinds of innate qualities so as to practice in a very fast pace.

Two kinds of qualities, what are those?

First, a tolerance quality with which he can tolerate what others never can.

This sounds simple.

Second, the observation ability to observe all subtle details over and over again.

Everyone can do that.

Not exactly, not everyone can do it.

What do you think? De Kuang?

I await Master’s more detailed instructions for inspiration.

De Kuang, go to the kitchen and fetch a bowl and fill it with some waste matter.

Ah, waste...

Go, hurry up. The stinkier the better. Yes.

Master, here it is.

It stinks!

You follow what I do.

It’s so stinky. Brother, you go first. Brother, you go first.

Congratulations, you have passed the first test but not the second one.

Master, why?

You have passed the first test of the tolerance quality with which you withstood such stinky and dirty stuff. Indeed, you have good tolerance ability.

Ha, I said so! That is easy.

But the second observation ability, you did not pass, because you lacked the observation ability.

But we did it Master. We did exactly the same way as you did. At least we’d tried our best to swallow it.

No, no, no. You only saw the outer appearance without discovering the subtle details.

Master, what does that mean?

I actually used this finger to put into this bowl, and use the other one to put inside my mouth.

Ah, we were all tricked!

It was not a trick. It was that you did not observe with subtle attention.

I thought so! How could Master eat such things.

Master, we admit our fault. Just now, we thought as long as we copied Master’s outer appearance by remaining calm, it was enough. Actually, it took attentive observation. No wonder you said that only with this quality can one progress much faster in spiritual practice.

Every one of us has creative inborn talent to create things according to their artistic and creative abilities. We don’t need to copy anyone else including Buddha, Master or any high rank bishops. They don’t look alike among one another at all. We don’t need to copy Master. We have to find our own innate self and be our own Master.

Go rinse you mouth.

Yes, Master.

You got it?

Understood a little. A little confused.

Oh, that’s alright. To say it simply, just try to be yourself and not copy from others from outer appearance.

I got it.

Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

Welcome back to Enlightening Entertainment as we continue the presentation of “Two Potatoes,” an adaptation of the story told by Supreme Master Ching Hai, will continue.

Finished your candies?

Yes, we finished.

I have tastier stuff here.

More? Wow.

Potatoes. (Potatoes?) Come. Take some yourselves. You have to eat the baked ones with the peels.

Grandpa, can you tell us another story?

One more story? Okay, let me tell the story of two potatoes.

Two potatoes, great!

Don’t overlook such a little potato, it’s got so much significance inside.

Significance? What is that, Grandpa?

Once upon a time, there was a disciple who respected his Master very much and practiced diligently. He knew that his Master was very perfect and great. Any words his Master said had special meanings. He must follow every word that Master says. One day, disciples were cleaning in the yard and Master called him to enter into the room…

Vanished are the birds upon soaring high, Save a cloud solitary, floats freely by.

Tired not of reciprocating one another's gaze, Thou, and thou only, Mount Jingting and I.

Under the pines I asked a boy, He told me that the teacher had gone to pluck the herbs.

It was amidst the mountains and in the unknown deep clouds

De Kuang, Master is looking for you.

Okay, this is for you.

Master, you looked for me?

De Kuang, come over, here are two potatoes for you.

Potatoes?

Remember, you must eat these two potatoes.

Yes. Thank you Master. But, you don’t leave one for yourself?

No, no need. Remember, these two potatoes are very important. You have to eat them all up. Understand?

Understand, Master.

Go take them. Remember, eat these two up.

Yes, Master. Strange. Why does Master want me to eat these two potatoes? Actually, three or four can all be okay. Maybe…

Oh, compassionate little brother, please take pity on me.

Old lady, what’s the matter with you?

I am thirsty, very hungry. I… I had walked a long way and did not eat for many days. Please, good-hearted person, you are a Bodhisattva. Please give me something to eat. I am starving to death…

Old lady… I… my Master…

Please, I beg you… Please give me your food. If not, then I… I…

Ah, so difficult! Master wanted me to eat up these two potatoes.

I’m hungry. I am about to faint. Give me the food quickly.

See how pitiful she is. Master had taught us to be compassionate and always share things with others.

Old lady, here is one potato for you.

Ah, thank you for your kindness.

Old lady. Please eat slowly. I’ll get water for you. Old lady? Old lady? I have to see Master. Master! Master!

What is so urgent?

Master, I was eating the potatoes you gave me. But when I wanted to eat the second one, an old lady came to beg food from me, and said that she was to faint and begged me to give her the potato.

What did you do?

I struggled hard in my heart because Master had told me to eat up the two potatoes. But I could not stand to see how pitiful she looked. So…

So, what?

I gave her the potato.

And then!

And then she disappeared.

Ah, such a stupid disciple you are. I clearly told you to eat up the two potatoes. Why didn’t you listen to me? You know how important these two potatoes are for you?

Master, I am sorry. Please tell me.

Ah, De Kuang, I love you so much and gave you the best I could. How could you let me down?

Sorry Master.

Those two potatoes are important to you. The first has the blessing power of worldly wealth, success and fame. The second one contains the blessing power of high enlightenment which will lead you to the utmost and supreme enlightenment. Do you realize that?

Ah, that’s what it is… Master, then… I…

You thought it was a simple thing, you could manage anything and knew everything. You also thought that you didn’t have ego. But the reality was not that simple. We have too many preconceived concepts, so most people’s minds are blurred. We think we see, but we don’t actually see anything. We think we understand, but not really. The worldly illusions are incredible. Ah, Maya’s works are tremendous.

Master, this disciple knows the fault he had committed. Please forgive me.

It is destiny. Maybe it is your destiny that you cannot get it. De Kuang, I feel pity for you…

Master, what shall I do? What shall I do…? Master…

It’s really pitiful!

What happen later?

After that, De Kuang resumed a secular life and obtained the first grade in the imperial examination. And he returned to his hometown gloriously and enjoyed high fame and noble wealth. He had a lot of servants to wait on him. But, he was not happy the whole time.

Why?

Because he still had some worries inside his heart…

Respected master. Please have a taste of this, if you please? Maybe a little bit fruit? Why is our respected master not happy?

My heart is as dark and suffocating as the raining sky.

Why was he unhappy with so many servants and maids waiting on him?

Was it because he did not eat the second potato and could not become a Master?

Then we’d better eat quickly. Maybe we can get the highest wisdom.

That’s right, quickly, quickly.

Don’t rush, don’t rush! Slow down. Actually, deep inside De Kuang’s heart, the most important concern was spiritual practice. He did not really care about the worldly fame and wealth. So, eventually, one day, he decisively gave up all these worldly glories, position and wealth, and went back to the mountains looking for his Master in pursuit of spiritual practice.

Wow! That’s so touching.

Vanished are the birds upon soaring high, Save a cloud solitary, floats freely by.

Tired not of reciprocating one another's gaze, Thou, and thou only, Mount Jingting and I.

Clean up quickly, quickly.

Fortunately, De Kuang did not disappoint his Master, and went back to spiritual practice.

But what would happen to the old lady? She was pitiful.

Actually, the disciple could tell her that this potato could not be given to you because of Master’s command. Please wait for a while. I will bring a bowl of rice porridge for you. Wouldn’t it be better?

Oh, yes. Why didn’t I think of this? We should all go home. It’s time to go home.

During a 1989 lecture in Brazil, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained the spiritual lesson of this story of the two potatoes.

We think it's also very easy to follow a Master. No, it isn't easy. Even to eat two potatoes you have problem. So, it's hard to dream of doing any other difficult task. Yes, because we have so many preconceived ideas. We have so many prejudice. They obstruct our way.

Because we think, "No, no. I know it. My mother told me so, my teacher in the school told me so, my priest in the church has told me that. So we did exactly the opposite what the Master desired us to do. It is truly great, the illusion of this world.

It cheats us into believing in anything that we should not believe. And we follow very faithfully, very nicely and obediently until there is someone who is awakened, enlightened came along and shake us out of this illusion.

Thank you for watching today’s Enlightening Entertainment. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Words of Wisdom, coming up next after Noteworthy News. May Heaven’s blessings be with you on your spiritual journey.