Lessons from an Arhat
A quiet moment at Baoguang Temple.
When I visited 宝光寺 (Bǎogūang Sì) Baoguang Temple in 新都区 (Xīndū Qū) Xindu, I took part in an old tradition: selecting an arhat whose presence I felt drawn to, then counting an auspicious number— 21, the age I turn this year— forward to find my destined guide.
That arhat was 第六十尊 金山觉意尊者 (Dì liù shí zūn Jīnshān Juéyì Zūnzhě) Jueyi, the 60th arhat.
The moment felt quiet but charged.
The following reflection came after sitting with that stillness.
These words are mine but the lesson belongs to something older.
Incense hanging in the stillness.
《第六十尊 金山觉意尊者》
二十一岁，远行在外，心未乱，志初成。
行至宝光寺，随缘一掷，得尊者觉意。
金山不言，觉意不动。
尊者指我曰：“你已知世界之繁， 你将识自身之简。”
愿我不为喧嚣所动， 不为聪明所傲， 不为沉静所沉， 不为路径所困。
愿我守心之光，修意之清。 愿我所建有根，所爱有魂， 所行有意。
金山在望。觉意已生。 愿我登峰，不忘初心。
Lessons from an Arhat
At twenty-one, far from home— my heart was steady, my path just beginning.
At Baoguang Temple, I cast my lot— and received the Venerable Jueyi.
The Golden Mountain said nothing. Jueyi did not move.
The arhat looked at me and said: “You’ve learned the noise of this world. Now you must learn your own silence.”
May I remain unmoved by clamor, unimpressed by cleverness, not lost in stillness, not trapped by any single path.
May I guard my inner light and keep my mind clear. May what I build take root, what I love have soul, what I do have meaning.
The Golden Mountain awaits. Jueyi stirs. May I climb— and never forget where I began.
Arhats lining the corridor at Baoguang.
Original Verse from the 60th Arhat Venerable Jueyi 《金山覺意尊者》
金山覺意尊者，為佛陀弟子。
尊者常在佛陀身邊聆聽妙法，有如佛祖般的覺悟，
撇棄人世間的一切煩惱，專意修習佛法，
遵守佛祖教導，終成阿羅漢果。
揚眉朗笑太千，大千世界有洞天，
功名利想君收束，著力搖船舉岸邊。
Rough translation:
The Golden Mountain Arhat, Jueyi, was a disciple of the Buddha.
He remained near the Buddha, always listening to the Dharma,
and awakened with a clarity like that of the great teachers, casting off worldly troubles and cultivating with pure focus.
Following the Buddha’s teaching, he ultimately attained Nirvana.
With lifted brows and a radiant smile, he sees the vast world clearly.
Glory and gain—let them pass.
Steer your boat with care, and reach the other shore.
Final Note
It’s easy to think of spirituality as something abstract. But standing there, with incense in the air, walking among the 500 arhats, I felt something tangible: a quiet invitation to reflect.
Not to do more. But to see more— by doing less.