Feathers in Hair
World's Tallest Hobbit
As the soldiers began to bring their swords down to behead Miao Shan, a tiger lept from the forest and tackled the soldiers. It was the biggest tiger that the girl had ever seen, and she (logically) assumed that she would be eaten when the animal took her into its teeth. Instead of biting down, though, the tiger carried her away, dropping her off at a cave.
Confused, Miao Shan got up and attempted to touch the cave walls around her. She began to float down a tunnel, finding herself ultimately in a huge cave. Below her, she saw ghosts milling around in hopelessless, and above them a figure that she recognized as the ruler of the dead, Yen Lo Wang. This puzzled the young woman further, as she knew that she wasn't dead. Why was she here? She saw that the ghosts were trapped by Yen Lo Wang. Because of this, they would never be able to be reincarnated, and recieve peace.
Miao Shan floated to the ruler, whose visage was terrifying. The girl did not flinch, however, and asked the god why he was keeping the ghosts in bondage. The god's flaming eyes narrowed at this girl, who seemed to be glowing with the aura of a saint. The cruel god knew that no saints were wanted in his place, and opened his
mouth to curse her. When he opened his mouth, though, he felt a peace upon him- one so unfamiliar that he was unable to speak.
As Miao Shan floated before the god, the ghosts began drifting toward her light. Wang suddenly realized that he had no power over the girl and let her take the ghosts with her. She thanked him, and blessed the ghosts, who floated upwards toward the infants that they would be reincarnating as. When this happened, Miao Shan closed her eyes in happiness and opened them to find that she was no longer in the cave. The Buddha, who seemed to be full of joy, was before her, and congratulated her on becoming very near divine. He gave her a peach from the Garden of Heaven, which set her free from hunger and thirst.
Miao Shan set out on a path of helping others, offering them kindness and mercy while she travelled. Eventually, coming to a rest, she decided to stay near the town she'd grown up in. People would come and visit her, and when they were healed, they would sometimes tell her the news that they'd heard. One day she learned that a local businessman had been cruel to his daughter, and that a hermit woman had cursed the man to suffer in sickness. The only cure for the curse was for that man to obtain the hands and eyes of someone who was without hate. Miao Shan realized that this man was her father. Unhesitatingly, she parted with her own hands and eyes, giving them to the visitor who had told her the news and asking that he bring them to the business man.
When her father recovered, he learned with horror that the person who had given him these things was his daughter, and he ran to where Miao Shan now lived, sightless and unmoving. He cried that his actions had brought such pain to someone he loved and he cried that Miao Shan would still be willing to commit such an act of profound forgiveness. Her fathers' heart, through his daughters actions, opened once again to compassion.
In this, Miao Shan had inspired someone else to feel compassion, and she became as holy as the Buddha. She felt the peace and light of eternal power begin to absorb her into its energy. Though giving herself to the light would mean bliss and happiness forever, Miao Shan asked the light to leave her, because she had much to accomplish still. She remains here, bringing mercy and compassion, and the inspiration to others to embody those things, as well.
I love that story.
Confused, Miao Shan got up and attempted to touch the cave walls around her. She began to float down a tunnel, finding herself ultimately in a huge cave. Below her, she saw ghosts milling around in hopelessless, and above them a figure that she recognized as the ruler of the dead, Yen Lo Wang. This puzzled the young woman further, as she knew that she wasn't dead. Why was she here? She saw that the ghosts were trapped by Yen Lo Wang. Because of this, they would never be able to be reincarnated, and recieve peace.
Miao Shan floated to the ruler, whose visage was terrifying. The girl did not flinch, however, and asked the god why he was keeping the ghosts in bondage. The god's flaming eyes narrowed at this girl, who seemed to be glowing with the aura of a saint. The cruel god knew that no saints were wanted in his place, and opened his
mouth to curse her. When he opened his mouth, though, he felt a peace upon him- one so unfamiliar that he was unable to speak.
As Miao Shan floated before the god, the ghosts began drifting toward her light. Wang suddenly realized that he had no power over the girl and let her take the ghosts with her. She thanked him, and blessed the ghosts, who floated upwards toward the infants that they would be reincarnating as. When this happened, Miao Shan closed her eyes in happiness and opened them to find that she was no longer in the cave. The Buddha, who seemed to be full of joy, was before her, and congratulated her on becoming very near divine. He gave her a peach from the Garden of Heaven, which set her free from hunger and thirst.
Miao Shan set out on a path of helping others, offering them kindness and mercy while she travelled. Eventually, coming to a rest, she decided to stay near the town she'd grown up in. People would come and visit her, and when they were healed, they would sometimes tell her the news that they'd heard. One day she learned that a local businessman had been cruel to his daughter, and that a hermit woman had cursed the man to suffer in sickness. The only cure for the curse was for that man to obtain the hands and eyes of someone who was without hate. Miao Shan realized that this man was her father. Unhesitatingly, she parted with her own hands and eyes, giving them to the visitor who had told her the news and asking that he bring them to the business man.
When her father recovered, he learned with horror that the person who had given him these things was his daughter, and he ran to where Miao Shan now lived, sightless and unmoving. He cried that his actions had brought such pain to someone he loved and he cried that Miao Shan would still be willing to commit such an act of profound forgiveness. Her fathers' heart, through his daughters actions, opened once again to compassion.
In this, Miao Shan had inspired someone else to feel compassion, and she became as holy as the Buddha. She felt the peace and light of eternal power begin to absorb her into its energy. Though giving herself to the light would mean bliss and happiness forever, Miao Shan asked the light to leave her, because she had much to accomplish still. She remains here, bringing mercy and compassion, and the inspiration to others to embody those things, as well.
I love that story.
