ENG
In the mountains high above, a fiend blocks the way,
With a hideous visage, and a crooked blade in sway.
As the wind howls wildly, souls seem to fade,
For life's last salvation, be swift and do evade.
The yakshas who migrated from the west had a great fondness for meat. Fortunately, New Thunderclap Temple did not uphold a strict rule against eating meat, which delighted the yakshas who sought refuge there.
All the yakshas in the mountains aspired to become Patrollers, not only because of the uniquely designed large sword that looked particularly imposing and could fly back to its owner with great precision, but also because Patrollers guarded the outer mountains and always had access to fresh meat.
One day, the yakshas gathered together, drinking blood, eating meat, and reveling in their merriment. Their raucous behavior soon became known throughout the temple. The Overseeing Monks, who adhered to ascetic practices and only ate food not of flesh, were displeased. They carried a large pot to the yakshas. When the yakshas peered into the pot, they saw only radishes and greens, and their appetite waned.
One yaksha derided them, "Do you think eating this will help you gain a deeper understanding of Dharma? How shallow." Another added, "Our master said that to achieve ultimate bliss, one should not restrain one's desires." Hearing this, the supervising monk replied, "My desire is to promote virtue. If I cannot persuade you, I too shall be unable to achieve ultimate bliss." Thus, both sides argued heatedly, without reaching a conclusion.
Alas, eating what one likes and saying what one wants are not inherently wrong. However, one's happiness should not disturb others, and one should never derive pleasure from judging those perceived to have transgressed. In this case, both sides were at fault.
The story takes place high in the mountains near New Thunderclap Temple, where the paths are dangerous enough that a fiend can block the way with a crooked blade and a terrifying face. That danger helps explain why the temple and its guards matter: the outer mountains need protection, which is why certain roles exist there.
The main characters are a group of yakshas who migrated from the west and the temple’s Overseeing Monks. The yakshas love meat, and New Thunderclap Temple allowed meat, so they were happy to take refuge there. All the yakshas wanted to become Patrollers, a prestigious role that let them guard the outer mountains and gave them regular access to fresh meat. Patrollers also carried an impressive large sword that could fly back to its owner, which made the role even more desirable.
One day the yakshas celebrated loudly, drinking blood and eating meat in a raucous way. The monks, who lived ascetically and refused to eat flesh, were upset by the yakshas’ behavior. The monks brought a large cooking pot to the yakshas to make a point, but when the yakshas looked inside they found only radishes and greens, which made them lose their appetite and mocked the monks’ food.
The confrontation grew into a verbal fight. One yaksha taunted the monks, saying eating bland greens wouldn’t deepen their understanding of Dharma and accusing the monks of shallow thinking. Another yaksha defended indulgence by quoting their master, saying ultimate bliss comes from not restraining desire. The supervising monk replied that his desire was to promote virtue and that if he could not persuade them he could not reach ultimate bliss either. The argument stayed heated and produced no agreement or resolution.
The story ends by showing that both sides were wrong in different ways: enjoying your preferred food or speaking your mind isn’t inherently bad, but your actions should not disturb others, and you should not take pleasure in judging people you think are doing wrong. The conflict remains unresolved, and the implied lesson is that both restraint and respect for others are needed to avoid ongoing friction.