Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

the "Five Leguminous Trees Hermitage." Mr. Chen
stood there to welcome us in a loose, blue Chinese
jacket and trousers, a skull-cap on his rounded head,
and a whirling silver prayer-wheel in his hand. He
commiserated with us about the rain, which we said
was nothing. Despite this, he was truly concerned
about our wet robes and tried wringing out the
water from Bhante's. The yogi seemed particularly
happy, not at all the somber saint that is often the
Western idea of a hermit. A broad and gentle smile
comes easily to him, and his laugh, like his tears, is
genuine, unforced, and from the heart. He began his
third discourse thus:
As a hermit, I have not had direct contact with Western
Buddhism but some European and American Buddhists
have visited me, so I know some of their ideas. Also, I
have corresponded with Buddhists in many parts of the
world, so that by letter or by visit, I have met quite a
few Western followers of the Buddha. First, let us
classify the persons holding certain ideas regarding this
subject, and then we should examine their mistakes. In
my opinion there are three types:
First, there are those who wear robes, members of the
Sangha, the Sangha, the sramaneras. However, some of
them still keep some professions, so they have not
completely renounced. You are both maha-bhikshus
from the West, and you practice the precepts (Vinaya),
both of which facts are rare enough by themselves, but
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