"Power and riches are like the wife and child of...
"Power and riches are like the wife and child of the goatherd: just fantasiesWhat is the point of wasting effort to obtain them when losing them will only cause sorrow?"

"There was once a husband and wife who had three cakes," Chen replied"They ate one cake each, but could not decide who should eat the thirdFinally, they agreed that whoever talked first would lose the chance to eat the cake

Hearing Chen relate another story from the Hundred Parables Sutra, Heavenly Rainbow nodded

"The two stared at each other in silenceSoon after, a thief entered and ransacked the house for the couple's valuables, but because of their agreement, the couple continued to stare at each other without saying a wordSeeing them thus, the thief became even more bold and violated the wife in front of the husbandThe husband made no complaint at all about what was happening, but in the end, the wife could stand it no longer and cried outThe chanel bag thief grabbed up the valuables and fled, while the husband clapped his hands and shouted triumphantly: 'You lose! The cake is mine!'"

Heavenly Rainbow could not help but smile, even though he knew the story well

"He ignored great suffering for the sake of minor personal satisfaction, allowing the thief to steal his possessions and violate his wife in order to satisfy his appetiteAccording to Buddhist tenets, one should try to help all living things and should not think only of oneself

Heavenly Rainbow sighed, and quoted from the Buddhist scriptures: "There are no rules to regulate behaviour, there are no rules to which I am subjectMan is at a standstill until acted upon by a forceThose with no desires, will not be troubled by dreams and fantasies

"Life for most people is full of hardship," Chen replied"The monk Zhi Daolin once said: 'Emperors are cruel and evil by natureHow can one stand idly by?'"

The abbot vintage chanel jewelry could see Chen's determination to carry out his duty and help ease the people's burden, and was full of respect for him

"Your enthusiasm is commendable, Master Chen," he said"I will set you one more question, and then you can have your way

Chen bowed his head in acknowledgement

"An old woman was once lying under a tree, restingSuddenly, a huge bear appeared wanting to eat herShe jumped up and ran behind the tree to escape, and the bear stretched its paws round either side of the tree to grab herSeizing the opportunity, the old woman pressed its paws down onto the tree trunkAs a result, the bear could not move, but the old woman did not dare to let go eitherSome time later, a man passed by and the old woman appealed to him for help, saying they could kill the bear together and share the meatThe man believed her and took her place holding down the bear's pawsThe old woman then fled, leaving the man in the same dilemma she ladies vintage cartier watches had been in

Chen knew the moral of the story: "Never regret helping others, even if you suffer yourself as a result," he replied

Heavenly Rainbow lifted the the long-haired duster he was holding"Please go through," he said

Chen stood up and bowed before him"Please forgive me for trespassing on this sacred place," he saidAs he walked out of the room, Chen heard the old man sigh

--



** 2 **

He passed along a covered pathway and into yet another hall lit by two massive, flickering candles and filled with row after row of wooden cabinets, each one marked with a piece of yellowing paper stuck to the sideHe picked up one of the candles and began his searchBefore long, he located the right cabinetHe opened its doors and found inside three parcels wrapped in yellow clothThe parcel on the left was inscribed in vermilion ink with his foster father's name: 'Yu Wanting'Chen's hands shook slightly and several drops of louis vuitton galliera pm bag candlewax splattered on the floorThen, with a silent prayer, he opened the parcel

Inside was a thick file of yellowing papers, a man's embroidered waistcoat, and a woman's white undergarment which was badly ripped and speckled with black spots that appeared to be blood stainsChen opened the file and began reading from the beginning: "I, Yu Wanting, a twenty-first generation pupil of the Shaolin Monastery of Putian, Fujian Province, do hereby respectfully confess in full my misdemeanors

"I was born into a peasant family and spent my youth in great poverty and hardshipI knew the girl Xu Chaosheng, who lived next door, from when we were very youngAs we grew, we came to love one another

Chen's heart began to thump wildly"Could it be my foster father's misdemeanor had something to do with my mother?" he wonderedHe continued reading:

"We secretly agreed to remain faithful to each other for life, and would marry no-one prada backpacks else