Shih-fu's words hooked firmly onto my heart. I strained my nearsighted eyes but couldn't see how the world was different. But since Shih-fu said there was a difference, there must be a difference. Then the so-called "doubt" rose in my mind. Although I was urgent to resolve my doubt, I was not anxious. The thought came to me-"When the causes and conditions are ripe, each will receive the appropriate retributions." I also knew that Shih-fu was using all kinds of methods to find the "person, " and still hoped I could participate in this "examination."

After a while, Shih-fu came into the lecture hall and said, "Chi-Ch'eng!" I stared at him.

"Who is Chi-Ch'eng?"

Those words shot into my heart. I mumbled "Don't know...don't know." I looked intently at my body, at my hands, feeling them so intimate, yet so distant.

"Who was speaking to me just now?"

"Don't know, don't know." Still looking carefully at myself, feeling like a stranger to myself. Murmuring, making a few gestures, I laughed, "How incomprehensible!" Suddenly my body fell forward. Shih-fu said kindly, "Be careful!" I replied, "Doesn't matter." This body isn't mine. So what if it fell?

Urgently wanting to know, I asked, "Shih-fu, have you found the 'person'?" I knew I was still not the person Shih-fu was looking for. He asked me, "Is there such a thing as up and down?"

"No!"

"Is there such a thing as the sky or the earth?"

"Where?"

I raised my head, looked at Shih-fu, his shining, powerful eyes shooting right at me. Right away I felt his compassion. I leapt down from my seat, prostrating to Shih-fu, my eyes holding tears, saying from within my heart, "Shih-fu, you are too compassionate! You are too compassionate!" I was thus kneeling and crying.