In ancient times, a monk named Ming Huei lived in a temple high on a mountain. He was a man of high character and had achieved outstanding moral cultivation.

Not long after Ming Huei was born, his father passed away. When he was four years old, his mother also died. He then went to live with his uncle.

When he was nine years old, his uncle decided to send him to an old temple to do moral cultivation. The temple was far away from their home, so his uncle hired a horse and groom to take him there.

For several days, the horse on which the boy was riding walked on and on. Even when it was very hot , the horse didn't stop. When they passed by a lake, the horse drank water even as it kept walking on. It never stopped to rest. "Why doesn't the horse want to take a rest?" the boy wondered. "Perhaps it wants to get there as soon as possible." From that, he realized that if he wanted to reach a goal, he had to persevere.

After traveling a long way and climbing numerous mountains, they finally reached the temple. Because the boy was clever, handsome and more mature than other children of his age, an old monk in the temple liked him very much. He frequently told the boy stories, especially stories about how Buddha gave his own life in order to save other living creatures. The boy was particularly impressed by one story that told how Buddha fed a tigress with his own body.

In a previous life, Buddha was a very kind prince. One day when he was walking in the woods, he saw a tigress with seven baby tigers. Unable to find any food, they wailed pitifully with hunger. The mother tiger almost swallowed one of the cubs. The prince couldn't bear to see this scene, so he jumped before the tigress and fed her with his own body.

The boy was so moved by this story that he decided to learn Buddha's compassion and courage. He always went out alone and meditated on a large rock to train his courage.

He was walking out one evening when his master called to him. "It's getting dark outside. Where are you going?" "There are many wild beasts on the mountain," the boy replied. "I want to try my courage."

The old master wanted to stop him for it was too dangerous. The boy took out from his pocket the Buddha's Own Life Sutra. "You often told me Buddha's own life stories and you also encouraged me to cultivate perseverance and courage. One will die anyway, either young or old. If I don't experience life and death personally, how can I train myself to be courageous and persevering? So please let me go."

The old master admitted that he had taught him these things. Now the boy wanted to test himself. How could he stop him? He quietly watched the boy walk into the woods.

There were frightful bears, wolves, tigers and leopards in the woods. "Be calm and brave," the boy told himself again and again. "One will die sooner or later. I must face impermanence bravely." He walked on step by step and finally reached a remote, desolate area. He found a big rock and seated himself on it.

The sun had already set. The moon was shining and the stars twinkled in the sky. The boy chanted "Amitabha" quietly. Because of the tranquillity in his mind, he could perceive the actions and sounds around him. He could hear clearly the chirps of the birds and insects and the babbling of the streams. He could even hear the steps of bears, wolves and other animals approaching him. However, he had learned the fearless spirit of Buddha. He was very persistent and remained calm.

All of a sudden, he saw two shiny spots in the woods. Looking closer, he found they were the eyes of a large bear. He stayed motionless. The bear passed by him quietly. He was not frightened at all.

Soon after that, it was dawn. At the other side of the woods, a shadow appeared. It was his master, who came to him and said kindly, "You must have fulfilled your wish."