He Did Not Consume Any Food or Water for Twenty-Two Days; He Lost About Six Pounds
At this time, I carefully inspected the entire retreat room. All of the other reporters also carefully inspected the room. It was truly empty. There was no food there at all. All of the yellow pieces of paper bearing the signatures of the ten guards that sealed each of the doors and windows of the room were not touched in the slightest. Other than the door through which meals were sent in, there was no other door or window through which anything could be brought in. We thoroughly questioned those ten guards, who kept watch both day and night and who did not leave the room outside the entrance to the retreat room. We found out that the food that was sent in each day was returned untouched. This proves that the Rinpoche did not eat. After twenty-two days of not consuming any food or water, the Rinpoche clearly lost weight. I learned that the Rinpoche lost about six pounds.
In today’s world, whether one practices exoteric dharma, esoteric dharma, or the dharma of the various sects within Hinayana Buddhism, the dharma one learns is basically superficial, empty, and without substance. Such dharma lacks very much real usefulness, not to mention the ability to lead the practitioner to enlightening his mind, seeing his original nature, and entering vajra samadhi (deep concentration). The meditational attainment of the Buddha whereby he was able to “use meditation as food” has long since vanished from this world. This has caused many people to think that the Buddha-dharma is just empty formalities or legends.
The most eminent monk of the Chan (Zen) School in modern times, elder monk Xu Yun, practiced vajra meditation in Yunnan Province. He meditated for twenty-one days without eating or drinking. He thereby earned the great admiration of a local warlord by the name of Tang Ji-Yao, who built for the elder monk a temple on Mount Jizu. It would be an amazing attainment for one who has true meditation skills to meditate for ten days without eating or drinking. Throughout all these years, I have hardly heard of anyone else besides elder monk Xu Yun who was able to abstain from food and liquid for twenty-one days. Through Hengxing Jiacuo Rinpoche, we have finally seen again vajra meditation skills based on the authentic and magnificent Buddha-dharma. This proves that the genuine Buddha-dharma relating to meditation has again appeared in this world!
After he came out of retreat, Hengxing Jiacuo Rinpoche stated that he would fulfill his vow and complete his journey around the island of Taiwan. During that journey, he prostrates after every step in order to endure hardship on behalf of other living beings.
