Chunji's words, "The precept blade saves oneself; do not seek to save another's heart," came from an old incident.
In his early years, Chunhui had cultivated under his senior brother Chunji.
There had been a butcher who believed devoutly in the Buddhist teachings. Every day, after slaughtering animals, he went up the mountain to burn incense and worship the Buddha, undeterred by wind or rain. He had done so for over a decade, and everyone called him devout.
Chunhui alone felt deeply ashamed to see the butcher commit the karma of killing every day, then come burn incense before the Buddha. He believed the man was merely buying peace of mind with incense offerings, defiling the purity of the Buddhist Path.
One day, he stopped the butcher and berated him fiercely.
Shamed by the scolding, the butcher went down the mountain, closed his meat stall, and put away his cleaver. From then on, he no longer slaughtered animals or sold meat.
Chunhui was very pleased with himself, believing he had performed a deed of great merit.
But the butcher, who had once been fairly wealthy, later saw his family fortunes decline. He fell into poverty and destitution, and died in misery.
When Chunji learned of this, he admonished Chunhui with those words.
Their original meaning was that saving others through Buddhist teachings required the right karmic affinity. If a person's heart was not ready, it could not be forced.
Goodness imposed by force might bear evil fruit.
Chunhui already felt guilty over the outcome. After receiving his senior brother's guidance, he took it deeply to heart, and from then on made even greater progress in the Buddhist teachings.
After finishing the story, Chunji pressed his palms together and sighed softly. "Benefactor, if the day truly comes when he forces your