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When Master Shinran of Japan was nine, he asked Zen Master Jienn to tonsure him. Master Jienn asked, “Why do you want to be a monk?” Shinran replied, “I would like to learn why people die, and why I am separated from my deceased parents.”
“Wonderful!” said Master Jienn. “You will be my disciple. But wait until tomorrow, it’s late now.” Shinran countered, “Master! I am young and ignorant, and not sure how long my resolve will last. Besides, you are old, and may not be alive tomorrow.” Master Jienn said, “That is certainly true. I will tonsure you at once!”
When Venerable Master Xuanzang sought to become a monk, the head examiner, Zheng Shanguo, informed him he was too young for the exam that was required during the Tang Dynasty. “But why do you wish to be a monk?” he asked. In tears, the boy replied, “To bring glory to the teachings of the Tathagata and to propagate the Bodhi seeds of the Buddha.” Such great aspiration earned him special dispensation to be a monk at age twelve.
These two sages of China and Japan, each reflecting the other, shine across the ages and inspire Buddhists to this day.