Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

I have always done prostrations as though I were in the
presence of the Buddha himself and worshipping him. It
is certainly my experience that gurus appreciate such a
disciple and give their best instructions to him. Thus
bestowals do not depend entirely on the merits of the
guru, but also upon the disciple's. It depends upon
whether or not one goes to him as though he were the
Buddha.
There is a story showing the power of devoted
prostrations. A pious old woman and her merchant son
lived far away in the steppe lands of Northern Tibet.
From time to time the son traveled to India bringing
Tibetan products and from their sale acquiring Indian
wares. Being a Buddhist, he went to Buddha Gaya
several times to venerate that holy place. Each time
before he set out, his mother implored him to bring back
a relic of the Buddha for her to worship, so that she
might gain more merits. Every time he returned without
one, for such holy relics were not easy to get, and also
he would forget his mother's request. On one such
journey, the son was nearing his home, when he
suddenly remembered. "If I do not have a Buddha-relic
this time, she is certain to strike me," he thought.
Then he saw an old jaw-bone of a dog lying by the
roadside. Picking it up, he extracted one of the teeth,
and went on his way toward his home. His mother first
asked him, "Did you get…?" "Yes," he said, "one of the
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