Chapter Ten: Belief and Dedication 10

The Founding Master said, “If a disciple who seeks the dharma from his teacher, does not devote his whole heart or fails to be steadfast in his dedication to the teacher, he won’t be able to receive the dharma completely. Long ago, when the Sŏn master Kujŏng first entered the monastery on a bitterly cold day, he received an order from his teacher to install a cauldron. All through the night until the dawn he changed and installed the cauldron nine different times without complaining at all, so finally he received the name Kujŏng (Nine Cauldrons) and became a monk. Thereafter, he did not receive any special dharma instructions but only served his teacher for several decades, never wavering in the sincerity of his confidence in and his reliance on his teacher. Finally, when his teacher became gravely ill, he nursed him with even greater devotion. His mind suddenly awakened at that time, and he realized that awakening for oneself is identical to receiving the dharma. A person seeking the dharma must have this much belief and dedication in order to receive the dharma completely.”