The Whole and the Part

There was once a destitute woman who offered her only two coins to the Three Jewels. The abbot himself dedicated the merit on her behalf.

But fortune changes. The woman later became empress and returned to the monastery with a retinue of palace ladies to make a grand offering. The abbot did not preside over the ceremony this time—he simply asked his disciple to chant the sutras and dedicate the merit for her.

Finding this strange, she asked the old abbot, "When I was poor and gave just two coins, you personally dedicated the merit for me. Now I've come with so much wealth—why do you only have your disciple handle it?"

The old abbot replied, "Those two coins were all you had. Your heart was wholly sincere, so I had to do it myself. Today you are empress, possessed of boundless wealth. What you offer now is no more than a drop in the ocean. My disciple's dedication is more than enough."