All went as planned until Huai Su was 10 years old. One day, bored with his lessons, he sneaked out of the house. Wandering alone and enjoying his freedom, he happened to come upon a Buddhist temple. He had never seen a building like it before, and he was eager to explore the unique structure. Curiosity quickly pulled his feet inside.

Huai Su was amazed by what he observed. He seemed to be the only visitor, and the interior of the temple was quiet and tranquil. The scent of burning incense wafted through the air. A few monks were present, busily attending to their tasks. Huai Su found the sight of the monks interesting, but it was the gigantic statues of three buddhas in the main hall that were a true eye-opener for him. In awe and astonishment, Huai Su simply stared at the immense statues and wondered who they were and why they sat there so quietly. A sense of serenity gradually descended upon him, and filled him with the desire to kneel before the buddhas. He liked the temple and felt that it was where he belonged. Then and there, he decided to leave his home, his wealth, and his family, and join the order of monks in the temple.

When Huai Su's parents received the news that their only child had joined a Buddhist monastery, they were shocked beyond belief. They questioned why their beloved son would choose to give up a life of luxury and prestige and adopt the austere life of a monk. They wondered if they had pushed him too hard by forcing him to study so much. The father, angry at how carelessly Huai Su seemed to abandon his future, immediately dispatched a group of soldiers to the temple to bring back his only son.

The soldiers met no resistance from the monks in the temple or from Huai Su himself, and they easily removed the boy, still wearing his monastic robe, from the temple. His parents soon discovered, however, that Huai Su's spirit was far harder to recapture than his body had been. He simply sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room, folded his hands, and chanted the Buddha's name. Despite his parents' best efforts, he paid no attention to their entreaties to leave the monastery and return home. In an attempt to break his son's spirit and change his mind, Huai Su's father ordered that he be given no food or water. However, even this harsh treatment was in vain. Four days passed without food or drink, and still the young boy would not back down. No matter what tactics his parents used, he maintained his iron will and refused to renounce the life of a monk. Even the wealth and power of his father was not strong enough to overcome his determined spirit.

Seeing the ashen color of her son's face, Huai Su's mother became very anxious about her son's life. She begged her husband to relent and let him eat. Seeing that his efforts had failed, the father finally yielded and ordered their chef to prepare a vegetarian meal for his son. The meal was prepared immediately and brought to Huai Su. At this, the boy gracefully folded his hands and bowed to his parents. With respect, he spoke, "Mother, father, thank you very much." Only after giving thanks did he begin to eat his meal, slowly and deliberately.

After the meal, Huai Su stood up very slowly. He swayed slightly from side to side as he tried to balance himself. He could barely stand; his legs had become numb after sitting cross-legged for four days. He had also gone without sleep the whole time and was very tired. But once he regained his composure, he folded his hands and bowed again to his parents. He reassured them, "Mother, father, I know what you've been thinking, but please do not worry about me. I have chosen this path myself. If you really love me, please do not try and stop me from following the Buddha."

Huai Su's parents looked at him with tears in their eyes. They realized that all the enticements in the world would not sway their son's determination to follow the Buddha. The boy again bowed to them. He then walked out of the house and returned to the temple without ever looking back.

Ten years later, the news swept across the Tang Dynasty like a wildfire: the eminent monk, Hsuan Tsang (玄奘, whose story appeared in the Spring 2000 issue of our Tzu Chi Quarterly), had returned after many years of diligent study in India. Everyone in the country became excited, as though his return heralded a new era of hope and prosperity.

Huai Su shared the excitement of his countrymen. He had heard stories about the great monk for many years. He knew of the monk's courage, how he had traveled to India alone across hazardous deserts and mountains. Huai Su also knew how highly monks and kings in India respected Hsuan Tsang. For many years, Huai Su had aspired to become a disciple of the venerable monk. With his return, that desire might have an opportunity to be realized.

In Xi'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, crowds of people lined both sides of the streets to welcome Hsuan Tsang home. A procession of soldiers and cavalrymen escorted the celebrated monk's horse-drawn carriage. Everyone cheered and shouted as he passed. It was a homecoming fit for royalty.

When Huai Su saw the parade moving forward on the street, he immediately ran towards it. He squeezed through the dense crowds of bystanders and found himself standing before the approaching cavalcade. Suddenly, the procession stopped. Seeing the venerable Hsuan Tsang sitting in the carriage, Huai Su knelt down and proclaimed loudly, "Master Hsuan Tsang, please accept me as your disciple!" Then he kowtowed before the great monk.

Silence descended upon the crowds. Nobody had expected this to happen; everyone was stunned and speechless at Huai Su's bold actions. Some in the crowd quietly ridiculed Huai Su's impulsive actions and called him crazy; others discreetly admired the young monk's bravery. After a few seconds, two soldiers at the head of the procession detached themselves and marched toward Huai Su. Waving their spears to make their point clear, they yelled at him to stand aside and allow the procession to continue. The crowd continued to watch quietly, eager to see how Hsuan Tsang would respond to this unexpected turn of events.

Hsuan Tsang was as silent as the people watching from the sidelines. He was as surprised as everyone else. He certainly hadn't expected someone to jump out from the crowd, kneel down in broad daylight, and beg to be accepted as a disciple. Despite his surprise, Hsuan Tsang admired the young monk's bravery. "This young man may have acted impulsively, but he has demonstrated great courage," he thought.

The revered monk descended from the carriage and approached Huai Su. He greeted the young man with a smile and asked, "Young monk, who are you to so courageously stop me and ask to be my disciple?" Huai Su replied, "I am Huai Su, native of Xi’an." Hsuan Tsang asked, "How long have you been a monk?" Huai Su replied, "I'm 20 years old, and I've been a monk for 10 years. I have long admired your courage in crossing dangerous deserts and mountains to immerse yourself in the true Buddhist teachings in India. I hope you will accept me as a disciple, so I may also learn the Buddha's teachings." After this, Huai Su again kowtowed.

Like Huai Su, Hsuan Tsang had become a novice when he was very young, around 13 years old. Seeing Huai Su reminded him of himself in the past. At the memory, Hsuan Tsang smiled and said to the young monk, "You really remind me of myself when I was younger and wanted to join the congregation. I admire your courage and your devotion to Buddhism. I therefore accept you as my disciple."

Huai Su said happily, "Thank you very much, Master," and kowtowed to him yet again. Hsuan Tsang returned to his carriage. Huai Su followed him and began to walk proudly next to the carriage, the reins of the horses in his hand, as the procession resumed its way down the street.

As Hsuan Tsang and his new disciple passed, the people talked among themselves about what they had just seen. "Look at the young monk! He sure had guts to do all that!" "Of course! He knew how to take advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself." "His future will be bright when Master Hsuan Tsang becomes the Emperor's man!" The crowds that had been uniformly quiet as they watched the exchange between the two monks now buzzed with excitement and admiration.

After a short rest in Xi'an, Hsuan Tsang and Huai Su were granted an audience with Emperor Taizong (太宗), who was then in Loyang preparing for war against Korea.

The emperor was very impressed by Hsuan Tsang's report of all that he had brought back from India. The old monk had returned to China with over 600 volumes of Buddhist scriptures and many statues and sculptures. Pointing to Huai Su, the emperor said to Hsuan Tsang, "I heard that you accepted your first disciple upon your return. Is this the one?"

Hsuan Tsang rose to his feet, bowed, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. His name is Huai Su, and I accepted him because he reminded me of myself when I was his age, full of enthusiasm and a desire to learn."

The emperor nodded his head and asked Huai Su with a smile, "You look very extraordinary. I have heard that your father and your grandfather are government officials. Why did you not follow in their footsteps? Why did you forsake a life of comfort and luxury and choose to enter the monastery instead?"

"Your Majesty," replied Huai Su politely, "I have been attracted to the serenity and compassion of Buddhism since I was a child, so I decided to pursue this path."

"But a young man should have a broader vision. He should join the government or the military to serve the country. It would be quite a waste for you and Master Hsuan Tsang to remain in the monastery." The emperor tried to entice them away from their chosen paths, to lure them into giving up monastic life and becoming officials in his dynasty.

Huai Su answered: "Your Majesty, as a monk, I can serve the country as well as an official. I have heard the story that when Your Majesty was fighting rebels to unite our country, 13 monks from Shaolin Temple saved your life. Were they not serving their country as monks at that time? If it were not for them, you might not be alive today. Still, even though you later asked these monks to join the government, they refused."

After Huai Su had finished talking, the emperor sat too dumbfounded to say anything for a moment. What the young monk had said was true. When the emperor was trying to unify China, 13 monks from the famous Shaolin Temple saved his life from a local magistrate and his soldiers. To show his gratitude to the monks, the emperor offered them positions as officials in his government. The monks refused the offer because to accept would have required them to give up the monastic life, something they could not bring themselves to do.

In place of the rejected offer, the legend continued, the emperor issued a royal decree that permitted all the monks in Shaolin Temple to eat meat and drink alcohol, both of which were normally forbidden for Buddhist monks. Furthermore, the edict allowed the monks to voice their opinions in important governmental affairs. The order also granted more land to the temple so the monks could plant more crops.

The emperor saw the wisdom in young Huai Su's carefully chosen words. Just as the 13 monks refused to renounce their monastic vows, Huai Su refused to renounce his. Turning to Hsuan Tsang, the emperor said, "You have an excellent disciple here. I believe he will one day leave his mark in Buddhism."

At this, Hsuan Tsang folded his hands together, bowed to the emperor, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I believe he will too." He then added, "I have brought back over 600 volumes of Buddhist scriptures from India, and I request Your Majesty to grant me my wish of translating them as soon as possible."

The emperor nodded his head in agreement and said, "Certainly, I'll tell the prime minister to help you arrange everything so you can put your mind to it."

A few days later, good news reached Hsuan Tsang and Huai Su: the emperor had ordered that Hongfu Temple (弘福寺) in Xi'an would be the translation site. Hsuan Tsang and Huai Su moved to the temple and began preparations for the intimidating task of translating over 600 volumes of sacred Indian text. They invited other knowledgeable monks in the capital to Hongfu Temple to help with the translation process. Even the famous monk, Tao Hsuan, was invited to participate (see his story in the Summer 2005 issue of our Tzu Chi Quarterly.)

Tao Hsuan came to the temple at Hsuan Tsang's invitation, but left shortly after the translation work got underway. Tao Hsuan knew very little about the Sanskrit language of the original scriptures, and he felt helpless as a translator. Also, he was more interested in teaching and promoting the Buddhist precepts than in translating scriptures.

However, before he left Hongfu Temple, Tao Hsuan had the opportunity to meet and talk with Huai Su. Along with Emperor Taizong and Hsuan Tsang, Tao Hsuan felt that the young monk would one day make extraordinary contributions to Buddhism. They talked extensively about the Buddhist precepts, and Huai Su became eager to learn more about the subject. Therefore, while the translation work was going on, he spent extra time studying the Sifenlu (四分律), a book on the Buddhist precepts developed by the Dharmagupta school in India. The book was also very popular in China at the time and was being studied by many monks.

During this time, Hsuan Tsang was spending every waking moment deeply immersed in the translations of the scriptures, and he feared that he was neglecting his young disciple. Hsuan Tsang felt that if he could not find time to teach Huai Su directly, he should at least help him find a good teacher. When Hsuan Tsang informed Huai Su of his plan, the young monk immediately knelt down in apprehension and begged his master not to expel him. Hsuan Tsang smiled at his devoted disciple and told to him to get up. "Huai Su, I'm not expelling you. I'm only suggesting you learn from someone that has the time to give you the instruction you deserve."

Hsuan Tsang explained to Huai Su that the translation work was so time-consuming that he didn't have time to properly instruct him. However, the older monk did have another teacher in mind for his young disciple. A few days before, Hsuan Tsang had met Master Dao Cheng (道成), a monk who specialized in studying the Buddhist precepts. Hsuan Tsang knew that Huai Su had recently become interested in studying the precepts, so he asked Dao Cheng if he would consider teaching the young monk. Master Dao Cheng agreed to the arrangement. Relieved he was not being dismissed, Huai Su thanked Hsuan Tsang for the arrangement and vowed to do his best to learn about the precepts from his new teacher.

Huai Su studied diligently under Master Dao Cheng in Hengji Temple (恆濟寺) for 10 years and grew greatly in his understanding of the precepts. Eventually, he was assigned the post of disciplinarian (whose duties were to ensure that the monks in the monastery observed the precepts) for the newly established Ximing Temple (西明寺). Not only was the venerable Tao Hsuan the abbot of the temple, but his beloved master Hsuan Tsang was also there, engaged in more translation work. However, despite being reunited with his mentors, Huai Su was not happy with his new post. The only reason Huai Su had accepted it was because he felt he should be there to help Hsuan Tsang with the translation work. He had also hoped to learn more about the precepts from Abbot Tao Hsuan. Unfortunately, the latter was busy writing a historical book on past Buddhist monks and had no spare time to teach Huai Su.

In 659, Hsuan Tsang, then 60 years old, petitioned the emperor to allow him to move to a quieter temple to focus on translating more scriptures. The emperor consented, and Hsuan Tsang and some of his disciples moved there to continue their work. After bidding farewell to his master, Huai Su felt there was little keeping him as disciplinarian at Ximing Temple. He didn't enjoy the work, the abbot was too busy to teach him, and now his old mentor had moved away. It wasn't long before Huai Su resigned from his job at Ximing Temple and returned to Hengji Temple to continue his studies of the precepts with Master Dao Cheng.

A few years later, he left Ximing Temple and began a journey to Riguang Temple (日光寺), where the renowned monk Fa Li lived. Unfortunately, Master Fa Li passed away before Huai Su arrived. Huai Su heard the sad news as he was resting in a small temple along the way, and he considered turning back. Before he did so, however, a thought occurred to him: he realized that Master Fa Li had left behind his writings in the library of Riguang Temple. Although he no longer had any hope of meeting the great monk in person, he still had an opportunity to read his writings and absorb his knowledge. With this prospect in mind, he set out on the journey again and soon arrived at Riguang Temple.

Huai Su spent five years there, immersed in Fa Li's writings. When he felt he had thoroughly absorbed and understood the great master's thoughts, he returned to Hengji Temple. All the monks, including old Dao Cheng, welcomed him home wholeheartedly.

Dao Cheng and Huai Su chatted happily after their long separation. They swapped stories and insights that each had gained during the previous five years. Three other monks, also disciples of Dao Cheng, took part in the discussions too. Wen Gang, Man Yi, and Ding Bing asked Huai Su many questions about the late Master Fa Li's books and thoughts.

Through these conversations, Dao Cheng began to sense that Huai Su's knowledge of the precepts had even surpassed his own. Huai Su had clearly learned much from Fa Li's writings and brought back many new insights. Dao Cheng speculated that Huai Su might even one day establish a new school of Buddhist philosophy. He asked Huai Su what direction he was going to take in his studies. Huai Su replied that after studying Sifenlu for so many decades, he wanted to write a book that would reveal the inconsistencies in Tao Hsuan's and Fa Li's commentaries on Sifenlu.

Hearing this, Dao Cheng began to worry that Huai Su's advanced understanding might end up putting him in conflict with the other three monks. Wen Gang followed Tao Hsuan's theories, and Man Yi and Ding Bing subscribed to the ideas of Fa Li. Seeing the differences in beliefs and levels of knowledge as potential sources of conflict, Dao Cheng advised Huai Su to try to get along well with the other three monks.

Huai Su didn't quite understand why Dao Cheng would offer such counsel. He confidently replied, "Master, we are all learning the Buddhist precepts to promote the Buddha's teachings. Engaged in a common purpose, I'm sure I'll get along with them well. Although we may have a disagreement from time to time, it won't put a dent in our friendship." Dao Cheng sighed and hoped things would go as smoothly as Huai Su expected.

Huai Su went on to elaborate how his ideas diverged from those of Tao Hsuan and Fa Li. He explained to Dao Cheng that the main theory of the Precept sect was based on the notion of Precept Essence--a spontaneous function that prompted an individual to abide by the Buddhist precepts after devoutly learning and accepting them. Fa Li believed that Precept Essence was neither a conduct nor a mental activity. Tao Hsuan felt that it was a mental activity only. Huai Su differed from these two masters in that he understood the Precept Essence to be purely a matter of conduct. A person's mental activity, thoughts, and all illusory phenomena of the universe were just means by which the Precept Essence was attained.

Dao Cheng sighed even harder when he heard Huai Su's explanation, because he foresaw that conflict between Huai Su and the other three monks was inevitable. He also knew the conflict for Huai Su would spread far beyond the small community of monks at Hengji Temple.

At that time, Tao Hsuan and Fa Li were two of the most renowned masters on the Buddhist precepts and Sifenlu. They had many disciples spread throughout the country, and their ideologies were upheld by almost every monk and nun in China. Furthermore, Tao Hsuan and Fa Li were highly respected by the ruling dynasty. Thus, trying to criticize the theories of the great monks would be deemed disrespectful to the country's rulers. Like a pebble dropped into a calm pond, Dao Cheng knew that Huai Su's critiques of Fa Li and Tao Hsuan would produce ripples that would extend outward across the country, upsetting the status quo of traditional thought.

Dao Cheng himself had studied Sifenlu for decades, and he was as knowledgeable about the book as Huai Su. He knew of the errors in Tao Hsuan's and Fa Li's understanding of the Precept Essence. However, he didn't have the courage to criticize them. Dao Cheng felt proud that his disciple had enough courage to stand up to the two masters, but his pride was mixed with sadness as well. He realized the unfavorable consequences that Huai Su would have to face by boldly stating their errors. He knew that Huai Su's criticisms of the two masters would be akin to throwing an egg against a rock, certain to break apart and come to nothing.

Huai Su did not share Dao Cheng's fears. He was intent only on promoting a correct understanding of Sifenlu. He understood his criticisms mainly as a way of correcting and refining the understanding of that book, in the same way that the captain of a ship makes minor course adjustments from time to time to keep the vessel moving in the right direction. There was nothing personal in his criticisms; he admired and respected Tao Hsuan and Fa Li as much as everyone. However, he insisted that even though he had learned from them and had great respect for them, he still had to point out their errors. It was his responsibility to stand up for what was right.

When Wen Gang, Man Yi, and Ding Bing heard about Huai Su's criticisms, they became very angry at him for being so disrespectful and insubordinate. After all, they argued, hadn't Huai Su learned so much from Tao Hsuan and Fa Li? Who was he to criticize two of the most eminent Buddhist scholars in the country? The three monks were not able to see that Huai Su only wanted to criticize the ideas involved, not the two famous masters themselves.

Just as Dao Cheng had predicted, Huai Su's ideas unleashed a firestorm of opposition. As the news of Huai Su's criticisms spread, so did the anger directed at him. All the other monks in the temple felt the same as his three friends, and they all shunned him. If it hadn't been for the wise and moderate intervention of Master Dao Cheng, Huai Su would have been expelled from the monastery.

Huai Su was heartbroken to see the irrational reactions of the other monks. After all, didn't they all want the same thing? Were they not all working to better understand Sifenlu? Couldn't they understand that he had as much respect for Tao Hsuan and Fa Li as they claimed to have? He wondered if he had truly done anything wrong. Despite these inner questions and doubts, He maintained his ideas and refused to recant his criticisms.

Several years later, Huai Su finished his commentary on Sifenlu. A debate with those in opposition to his ideas, headed by Wen Gang, Man Yi, and Ding Bing, quickly followed. Despite their best efforts, none of the three were able to win the argument against Huai Su. Even so, few monks were swayed to his opinion. Many more people completely disagreed with Huai Su's arguments. To throw out the ideologies they had grown accustomed to and accept new ones, even in the face of superior reasoning, was just too difficult.

When the emperor heard about the debates, he ordered Huai Su and his opponents to move to Chongfu Temple (崇福寺) in the capital so that they could continue their discussions under his supervision. The emperor seemed to have made a wise decision, especially in light of the unique layout of Chongfu Temple. The temple was divided into eastern and western halves, each half possessing a tower and having the same number of rooms arranged in an identical layout. Huai Su and his followers resided in the eastern half of the temple. Thus, his school of Buddhist thought came to be known as the Eastern Tower Sect. He was opposed by followers of Fa Li's Xiangbu Sect (相部宗) and Tao Hsuan's Nanshan Sect (南山宗). Wen Gang, Man Yi, Ding Bing, and their followers took up residence in the western section of the temple.

To most observers, the emperor provided this arrangement to show his neutrality on the debates. In reality, the emperor wanted them in the temple so he could control them. He was interested in the services they could provide, not in the outcome of the debates. In fact, he didn't care which side prevailed. However, the monks never suspected the emperor's ulterior motives. They were interested only in the outcome of the debates and in making the Buddha's teachings more clear. They thanked the emperor for the arrangement that allowed them to debate every day.

Day after day, Huai Su continued writing, relentlessly pushing himself to present a more logical presentation of Sifenlu. He neglected his own physical needs, and he grew thinner and thinner. His disciple, Fa Shen (法慎), felt sorry for him and did his best to make him more comfortable. Fa Shen encouraged his master to stop writing and rest for a while, but Huai Su refused his advice. He replied that his friends, the three monks, were writing new books to counter his, and he couldn't stop until his own book was completed. Yet, through it all, Huai Su still showed good feelings towards his friends.

Indeed, after the emperor had opened Chongfu Temple to all of them and they had moved in, each faction admonished its disciples not to quarrel with the opposition. This helped to create amicable relationships among all the monks in the temple. Disciples from both sides constantly visited each other, sometimes even with gifts.

One day, Fa Shen shyly asked Huai Su, "Master, may I go to listen to Wen Gang, Ding Bing, and Man Yi?" Huai Su replied with a smile, "Why not? I'm opposed to some of their theories, but there is still much we can learn from them. We are all simply trying to improve the theories on the precepts."

Due to Huai Su's accommodating attitude, some of his disciples went on to learn the theories behind the Xiangbu and Nanshan sects. They would eventually write books of their own, combining the best ideas from the Eastern Tower, the Xiangbu, and the Nanshan sects.

In 698, Huai Su sensed that his time was drawing to a close. When Ding Bing heard the news, he immediately gathered some disciples and visited the old master. Despite the years of opposition to Huai Su's ideas, Ding Bing was sad to see his old friend so close to death. He assured Huai Su that Man Yi and Wen Gang were out of the temple, or they would have come and paid their respects to him as well. He continued by saying that he would surely miss him as such a formidable opponent.

Huai Su smiled, folded his hands together, and sat cross-legged. After a lifetime of persistent efforts to improve and refine the foundational tenets of Buddhism, the time for rest had finally arrived. Music could be heard in the sky and, surrounded by his friends and disciples, Huai Su peacefully passed away at the age of 74.