There were three famous Chan masters from the history of Chan Buddhism who lived during the Tang dynasty. They are Chan Master Xuefeng Yicun, Chan Master Yantou Quanhuo, and Chan Master Qinshan Wensui. These three masters often traveled together.

One day, the three masters had wandered until they were tired and hungry. They went in search of a village where they could beg for alms. By chance, they arrived at a riverbed where a single lettuce leaf was floating down the river.

Chan Master Qinshan remarked, “Look! There is a leaf of lettuce in the river. If we keep traveling upstream, there are sure to be people living nearby. Let’s keep going. I’m confident we’ll find a house that will feed us.”

Chan Master Yantou added, “Did you notice how fresh that leaf of lettuce was? It looked unspoiled. What a shame it is that someone just let it flow down the river!”

Chan Master Xuefeng joined in, “The villagers upstream probably don’t care that much about such resources, and don’t give it a passing thought to let perfectly good lettuce leaves flow down the river. They might not know how to cherish what they have. Such people are undeserving of us teaching them the Dharma, and likewise unworthy of us begging for alms. Maybe we should go to another village to teach the Dharma and collect alms!”

As the three masters were going back and forth on this topic, they saw someone racing down the riverside. The man saw the three Chan masters and hurriedly asked, “Masters, may I please ask: have you seen a lettuce leaf float down this river? Just now I was washing lettuce and accidentally lost a leaf. I have to find it quickly. If I lost it that would be a shame.”

Hearing this, the three masters laughed heartily, “The people here really cherish what they have. They truly have an affinity with Buddhism. Let us go to where he came from and teach the Dharma.”

One lettuce leaf is worth little, but the Chan masters were not looking at its material value. They were considering its value in the minds of others. When Chan masters see a flower or a tree, they are looking at the entire world. In a grain of sand or a stone, they see the billionfold universes. Although these objects are of little material value, if we can treasure them, we are truly blessed. Is there anything in this world that is not valuable?

Source: Hsing Yun. Pick it Up! Chan Stories to Inspire. Los Angeles: Buddha’s Light Publishing, 2018.