ENG
Strength unused, with no place due,
Lifting stones, a task askew.
Eyes so bright, yet lost in haze,
An empty gaze, lost in self's maze.
In the past, the craftsmen building the grand hall in the New West frequently encountered strange occurrences, leading many to quit. Curious, several craftsmen sought out the abbot, reputed to be a high monk, for answers.
The abbot, without hesitation, led them to the Great Pagoda, where he revealed the Lantern Warden. The craftsmen were terrified, having heard tales of yaoguais in their youth but never having seen one. At that moment, a wondrous sound echoed through the Great Pagoda, and the Lantern Warden emitted a blinding light, causing the craftsmen to lose their sight. They cried out in despair.
The abbot smiled and said, "To see the truth, one must be willing to sacrifice even sight. You might as well stay here in this temple and practice the path to ultimate bliss with me. Perhaps you will have the chance to transcend and reach the Buddha's realm."
Realizing they were now blind and unable to find work, the craftsmen decided to abandon the secular life and join the temple. They asked the abbot how they should practice, and he replied, "Whatever you are skilled at, practice that."
The craftsmen, known for their great strength, decided to pursue enlightenment through martial arts. Despite their blindness, they trained under the temple's Overseeing Monks. They tied large stones to iron chains and attached them to their wrists, lifting them daily. This also conveniently prepared the stones needed for the temple's construction. The abbot was pleased and appointed them as Supporter Monks, saving a considerable amount in labor costs.
A group of craftsmen working on the grand hall in the New West kept running into unexplained problems, and many of their peers quit. A few curious craftsmen went to see the abbot, a senior monk, to ask what was happening. The opening lines of the source hint that these men were strong but directionless, and that their lives and sight were about to change.
The abbot led them into the Great Pagoda and showed them the Lantern Warden, a fearsome presence that reminded the craftsmen of the yaoguai from stories they had heard as children. When the Lantern Warden reacted, it produced a blinding light that took the craftsmen’s sight; they cried out in despair as they became blind in that moment.
Instead of consoling them, the abbot smiled and said something startling: to truly see the truth, one must be willing to sacrifice even their sight. He urged the craftsmen to remain at the temple and practice the spiritual path with him, suggesting they might eventually transcend and reach the Buddha’s realm. His words framed their blindness as part of a religious test or opportunity.
Faced with permanent blindness and no way to earn a living in the secular world, the craftsmen accepted the abbot’s offer and joined the temple. The abbot told them to practice whatever skill they already had, and because they were known for their physical strength they took up martial practice. Under the Overseeing Monks they trained blind, tying large stones to iron chains around their wrists and lifting them every day.
Their daily training had a practical side: the stones they lifted were also useful for the temple’s construction. The abbot was pleased with this outcome and officially made them Supporter Monks. In the end, their physical strength was redirected into religious practice and temple labor, saving the monastery significant costs while giving the craftsmen a new, if forced, spiritual path.