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In the Diamond Sutra, there is a verse that says, “If one sees me by form, seeks me through sound, that person follows a mistaken path and will not see the Buddha.” This means that one is easily confused and deluded if one is attached to appearances and thus is unable to resonate with the pure and equanimous nature of the Buddha.
There is a story in the Buddhist scriptures:
There was a lay practitioner who often paid homage to Manjusri Bodhisattva when worshipping the Triple Gem. Whenever he saw the Bodhisattva adorned with pearl and jade necklaces and holding the sword of wisdom, he would be delighted and prayed that Bodhisattva grants him wisdom.
However, his daily prayers were not answered. Hence, he decided to make offerings to the monastics, in the hope that Manjusri Bodhisattva would answer his prayers.
The almsgiving ceremony was rather grand. The lay practitioner prepared a majestic chair, awaiting the arrival of Manjusri Bodhisattva. During the ceremony, several monks arrived; among them was an ordinary-looking, shabbily dressed elderly monk with a walking stick. He walked towards the majestic chair and sat down.
The lay practitioner immediately requested the elderly monk to step off the chair, but in a blink of an eye, the elderly monk sat on the chair again. This repeatedly occurred seven times. The lay practitioner said with annoyance, “I have devotedly made offerings to welcome the one I respect most. Why do you repeatedly sit on this chair?”
Upon hearing this, the elderly monk retreated to a corner and silently consumed the offered meal.
The lay practitioner’s prayer was ultimately unfulfilled. That very night, he dreamt of Manjusri Bodhisattva asking, “Weren’t you very eager to see me? Why did you prevent me from sitting on the majestic chair seven times?” At that instance, the lay practitioner was shocked to realise his narrow-mindedness, and with great remorse he said, “It was my discrimination that blinded me to the noble and wise teacher.”
The Buddha said, “Look upon all beings with equality.” When one makes a contribution or donation, one should not discriminate based on appearance. This is also reflected in the common saying, “Give without expectation; instead, be grateful to the recipient who accepts our offering.”
(Translated by Andrea Lim）
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