It is enough for most monks to
only have the ability to chant and
teach the Dharma, and of course I
too can chant sutras and teach the
Dharma. But only being this kind
of monk was not something I was
willing to do. I wanted to become
a monk who was able to engage
in propagating the Dharma in a
multifaceted
way: There is nothing
I would not do, as long as I am capable
of doing it and as long as it is
related to Buddhism.
At the many places I engaged in practice and study—at places such as Qixia in Nanjing, Jinshan and Jiaoshan in Zhenjiang, and Tianning in Changzhou, where I was brought up experiencing spring breezes, summer rains, autumn frosts, and winter snows—I studied silently and grew up quietly. I was always thinking as to how I could repay Buddhism’s kindness. I could not make a living by depending on Buddhism over the long term. I ought to make some contributions to Buddhism—this was the idea that developed in me from a young age.
