Tetsugen, a Zen devotee, decided on a huge project – printing of seven thousand copes of the sutras – Buddhist scriptures, which were available only in Chinese.

He traveled throughout Japan to collect funds. Some wealthy people offered him as much as a hundred pieces of gold, but mostly he received small coins from peasants. Tetsugen expressed equal gratitude to each donor, regardless of the amount of money given.

After ten long years, he had the funds for the task. Just then the river Uji overflowed and thousands were left without food and shelter. Tetsugen spent all the money he had collected on these suffering people.

Then, he began raising funds again. Several years later he had enough money. But, an epidemic spread over the land; so, Tetsugen gave away all he had collected to help the suffering.

Once again he set out and twenty years later his dream of having the scriptures in the Japanese language finally came true.

The printing block that produced this first edition is on display at the Obaku Monastery in Kyoto. The Japanese tell their children Tetsugen got out three editions of the sutras; the first two invisible and far superior to the third.

*Story, Anthony de Mello

Amazingly, many religious persons speak so much about the Bible being the measure of a person's integrity and truth of faith. I remember Jesus having said nothing about such belief, but he did say, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” And, “Love your fellow person, as you love yourself.” Jesus did not die for a belief, he died because he loved those whom persons of faith esteemed unfit, unclean, and lost.