Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

HOMAGE TO THE BUDDHA SAKYAMUNI
AND THE THREE GEMS
Chapter I
REASONS FOR WESTERN INTEREST IN THE
PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
We had brought with us a bagful of young sweet
maize grown in the Vihara garden as a gift to Mr.
Chen upon our second meeting. He accepted them
smiling and with many thanks, immediately taking
them to his shrine room as an offering to the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. One fine piece he took
out of the bag and, opening his back door, he placed
it in a little box high up on the wall, as a gift to the
Four Great Heavenly Kings finely depicted there in
miniature. They guard the entrance to every Tibetan
Buddhist monastery just as they do the Yogi's shrine.
After answering a number of questions upon a
previous topic, Mr. Chen excused himself and made
a brief salutation to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and
guardian deities, for we were about to talk and write
on Dharma, a serious matter. When he had
completed this, we made a start on this chapter. Mr.
Chen seemed to be particularly exalted, as exalted
as the nature of his opening section. It was not easy
to keep up with him as the information flowed out. It
is hoped that everything he said has been caught
here.
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