"It's a shame to say..."
Thus, Li Ping'an pricked up his ears and listened to the past of Mahaparinirvana, the Monk Who Broke Precepts:
Mahaparinirvana had once been a local military officer in Shan State, and amidst the vast sea of people, he chanced upon a distressed maiden in the bystreets, and sought to defend her honor. Yet, with just three punches that caused slight injuries, great calamity descended upon him for the first time. Thus began his life of wandering—where was home? He then took monastic vows at Mount Wutai to evade the sharp edges. A thousand words condensed into a longing gaze back.
When all that he wished for echoed unattainable in the valleys, the fierce glare of the Vajra could not tolerate such rashness thrice over. When the stern edge of the Zen staff finally swung toward the earth, a lone figure in a straw cloak and rain hat, Staff and straw sandals turned toward the distant horizon.
