Ao Tu explained the matter of praying for rain and asked how much lamp oil and gold the monks had offered when they prayed.
The monk could not understand.
The monk said, "Master Taoist, that was a year of terrible disaster. People were starving to death. The common folk were eating dirt. Who would still come to worship the Buddha? Where would we find lamp oil or gold for offerings? Having a few incense sticks and candles to offer was already very good."
Ao Tu laughed. "Ha, you see! No lamp oil? No gold either? Yet you asked Buddha Kong to make a trip and still spoke of sincerity?"
The monk said, "How can you say that? When wealthy countries offer lamp oil and gold, that counts as sincere worship; but when our impoverished country has no lamp oil or gold to offer, our worship is not sincere? We exhausted what strength we had left making those incense sticks and candles. How can you say we were not sincere?"
Ao Tu said, "You exhausted what strength you had left, did you? Then did your prayers for rain work in the past?"
The monk said, "Well... they worked once in every five or six attempts."
Ao Tu laughed. "Once in five or six attempts? You merely happened to catch the rain when it came."
The monk could find no answer.
Ao Tu said, "Come to think of it, since your prayers for rain never worked reliably before, why was the king angry with you?"
The monk said, "Wasn't that all because..."
Ao Tu said, "Because of what?"
The monk did not quite dare to say.
Ao Tu said, "It is all right. I am a Taoist from elsewhere, with no grudge or quarrel against you. I also studied Buddhist teachings in