[Listen to audio]
Chan Master Dingzhou and a novice monk were in the courtyard doing walking meditation when a sudden gust of wind showered them with falling leaves. The master bent down to pick them up, one by one, and put them in his pocket. The novice said, “Chan master, don’t pick up any more. We will sweep them up tomorrow morning.”
Master Dingzhou replied, “Don’t talk like that. Do you mean that a broom will make it cleaner? Each leaf I pick up cleans the ground a little.”
“Chan master, there are too many leaves. You can pick these up, but more will fall. There will be no end.”
Dingzhou persevered, saying, “These leaves are not only on the ground; they are also on the mind-ground. When have I gathered all the leaves from the ground of my mind, they will all be picked up.”
Hearing this, the young monk finally understood the life of the Chan practitioner.