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October 28,1978
above Santa Cruz on Highway 1
Dear Shih Fu,
Truly recognize your own mistakes,
And don't discuss the faults of others.
Others' faults are just my own;
Being of one substance with
everyone is great compassion.
--Venerable Master Hua
An old friend of Heng Ch'au's saw us outside a housing project in Santa Cruz. "His face ‘cracked' and after a brief talk, he left rather in a hurry," said Heng Ch'au. The nest morning, just before zao ke, I was not yet on guard over my mind and I broke the rules by writing a casual, chatty note to Heng Ch'au. As I reached for the pen and paper, I knocked the lit stick of incense out of the censor and burned a hole in my jacket. This was a clue that I should be careful and check myself--what is out of harmony here? (But, I ignored the signal and went ahead to take another false step.)
I wrote, "Your friend must think you have not only fallen but have also burned out your circuits--crawling in the gutter in rags, with a friend who looks equally wasted," and gave it to Heng Ch'au to read.
Even before I saw the look on his face, I knew I had made a mistake. Heng Ch'au read the note and his statement showed disappointment. He said nothing. I had all of zao ke and the following