The Lake God

(Book 129 Entering the Most Hidden Yin- Yang Realm《走入最隱秘的陰陽界》)
‧Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
(contiuned from pg12 , TBN issue # 1050)
　“Have some wine, David,” I would call out.
　The drunken ghost would then appear.
　Every few days, I would walk to the lakeside to sprinkle wine. These were solitary trips, marked by the greeting, “David, here I am. Have some wine.”
　These frequent short trips to the lake became a cause of concern for some people. They found it weird that I was often nowhere to be found in the temple compound.
　“The Grand Master often disappears for no reason at all.”
　“Grand Master Lu is hiding some secret.”
　“But Grand Master Lu is an adept in esoteric cultivation.” Some people even wondered…
　“Does Grand Master have a secret date?”
　To my students, I only smiled and said, “I just love to see the lake!”
　Once, I described the lake:
　
　The lake, of such beauty, shimmering with a turquoise glow.
　The lake, of such beauty, a venerated sage.
　The lake, of such beauty, innocent and mysterious like a child.
　
　Once I wrote a poem in praise of Lake Sammamish:
Here there is only the joining of palms,
　Where the heart and spirit do not wander as is described;
　Everything is forgotten,
　Including all sorrows.
　
　Sunset at Lake Sammamish,
　Bathed in holy light like the Buddhas;
　A hymn naturally sacred and pure,
　That can be seen without eyes.
　***
　On one occasion, David and I were enjoying the cool shade under a pine tree.
　David asked me, “Have you become naturalized yet?”
　“Yes, I am an American citizen now. How about you?”
　“Ha ha! I am a citizen of the drowned,” answered David.
　“What is that?”
　“Master Lu, you are a Living Buddha and know the Buddhist view of the six realms of transmigration, but I suppose you do not know of the citizens of the drowned! All those who die of drowning belong to the domain of the citizens of the drowned. As far as I know, those who perished in fires are called citizens of the incinerated.”
　“Oh, I see.” I was taken aback and asked again, “How many citizens of the drowned are there in Lake Sammamish?”
　“One hundred twenty-five.”
　“Who is in charge of them?”
　“The lake god.”
　“How can you get out of this domain?”
　“To get out, I have to wait for my chance. It is the same as that of a company that needs fifty employees to do the work, and only allows one to leave if another worker is found. If no one comes in, no one leaves.”
　“Finding a replacement.”
　“That’s right, finding a replacement.”
　I thought of the ancient Chinese legend of drowned ghosts looking for replacements. In a story I heard when I was small, a man was fetching from a river when suddenly a hand rose out from the water, grabbed him and tried to drag him into the river. Fortunately, an old woman was walking by. When she saw what was happening, she started screaming, “Water ghost, water ghost!” Startled, the water ghost vanished.
　That particular river was said to be frequently haunted by water ghosts, and many people had died in it. I loved swimming when I was a child, but fear kept me from swimming there. Indeed, one drowning incident involved a group of children swimming there. They all became citizens of the drowned.
　So, not only do Chinese water ghosts look for replacements; western water ghosts do too.
　“Are you going to make me your replacement?” I spoke half in jest.
　“Ha ha! How can that be possible! You are a Living Buddha, your whole body is immersed in light and you have troops of dharma protectors around you. Without your permission, I would not have been able to come near you.”
　“How about that first time when you showed yourself ?”
　“I was in the water, which is my natural domain. Your gaze had barged into our world.”
　Suddenly David stood up. “Master Lu, I should go now. My fellow citizens of the drowned are looking for me!”
　In that instant, I saw troops in plumage and feathered canopies standing on the surface of the lake. David walked towards the surface of the water and disappeared.
(to be continued)