From "Not by Accident"
A group of young Buddhist monks were up late playing poetry games with one another when one announced that he was very hungry. He remembered having seen some fresh melons stored in the basement earlier in the day, so he decided he would go down and get one and share it with his friends.
Naturally he didn't want to alert anyone to his presence in the basement, so he brought no light and found his way to the melons by touching and sensing where he was in the darkness. He found a very large melon that promised to be juicy and as he headed for the stairs, he thought he heard a footfall.
Naturally he was afraid that he would be caught stealing a melon and hurried toward a corner of the room where he might hide from whomever was coming down to the basement.
Suddenly he felt tremendous pain in his forehead. It was so sharp and painful that he began weeping instantly. He realized that he was caught on a meathook that he had not seen in the darkness. No matter what he did, he could not escape it and every movement he made caused him agony. His only hope was to stand still to lessen the pain.
Time went by and eventually his friends stopped their games long enough to realize that he had not returned. So, carrying a lantern, they came down to the basement and saw their friend with the hook through the skin of his forehead and blood pouring down his face.
Immediately they set about releasing him and once he was free they all raced up the stairs and enjoyed the purloined melon.
Years later when asked about this experience the monk only said of his time stuck on the meat hook: "I was awakened."
Naturally he didn't want to alert anyone to his presence in the basement, so he brought no light and found his way to the melons by touching and sensing where he was in the darkness. He found a very large melon that promised to be juicy and as he headed for the stairs, he thought he heard a footfall.
Naturally he was afraid that he would be caught stealing a melon and hurried toward a corner of the room where he might hide from whomever was coming down to the basement.
Suddenly he felt tremendous pain in his forehead. It was so sharp and painful that he began weeping instantly. He realized that he was caught on a meathook that he had not seen in the darkness. No matter what he did, he could not escape it and every movement he made caused him agony. His only hope was to stand still to lessen the pain.
Time went by and eventually his friends stopped their games long enough to realize that he had not returned. So, carrying a lantern, they came down to the basement and saw their friend with the hook through the skin of his forehead and blood pouring down his face.
Immediately they set about releasing him and once he was free they all raced up the stairs and enjoyed the purloined melon.
Years later when asked about this experience the monk only said of his time stuck on the meat hook: "I was awakened."