Flesh Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva Stories #11
The Dissector had dissected countless people, yet he could not dissect himself. Although he did not feel disgusted with life, living was inevitably filled with boredom and tedium. The Dissector was not a person who indulged in sensuality, and entertainment brought him little pleasure. As he said himself, he seemed to view life with excessive indifference, even numbness. This was likely a form of occupational disease. Friends had introduced him to prospective female partners, but the Dissector thought that no woman would be willing to fall for a man like him. Moreover, he himself had absolutely no desire for physical matters, and consequently, it seems he had no pursuit of emotions either.
After working tirelessly for many years, the Dissector finally decided to take a few days off to practice Zen meditation in a mountain temple. He had no understanding of Zen meditation, but he had heard from a friend that a certain temple had a serene environment. Thinking it would be a good place to dispel his boredom, he decided to go. The Dissector joined a short-term Zen meditation camp and practiced for two days. Rumors began to circulate among the participants that upstream from the temple, in a small hut, lived a female nun who had not shaven her head and was extraordinarily beautiful and captivating. Initially, the Dissector dismissed these rumors, thinking that it was absurd for people who claimed to be here to cultivate their hearts to believe and eagerly spread such stories. Then he wondered if this could be a unique method employed by the temple monks to test the resolve of the practitioners. After much consideration, he found himself unable to dismiss these thoughts, and the image of the mysterious woman was constantly lingering in his mind.
On the afternoon of the third day, the Dissector felt a little discomfort in his stomach during his meditation and took a break. After resting for a while, there was nothing wrong. At this time, he didn’t know why, a thought arose in his heart: why not sneak out of the temple and explore upstream? As soon as the thought occurred, he seemed bewitched, his legs involuntarily stepped out of the temple gate and traced the stream upwards. The trail in the forest was intermittently visible, and the stream sometimes broke off. He didn’t know how long he’d walked when he suddenly came to a slightly open place, where green trees provided shade, and water converged into a pool. At the far end of the pool, layers of chaotic rocks were piled up, with water cascading down step by step. On one of the smooth large rocks, a woman was sitting cross-legged, without a thread of clothing on her. The Dissector was startled and stood still, afraid to move, fearing that the other party would discover him and misunderstand his intentions. However, such an extraordinary sight, if not clearly seen before withdrawing, would be regrettable. Therefore, his legs unconsciously moved forward, even stepping into the pool, wading towards the nymph in the forest. The woman had a kind and beautiful face, her eyes lightly closed, her black hair hanging down her shoulders like a waterfall, her skin was as smooth as ice, speckled with droplets of water, glistening. Sunlight and tree shadows dappled her body, the shimmering reflection from the water added to the quiet yet vibrant scene. A gust of wind blew, and unidentified small white flowers scattered like snowflakes, adorning her pure and naked body. Her eyes suddenly opened and saw the Dissector, but there was no surprise on her face. Her mouth, with an ambiguous smile, issued a soft sound like flowing water, saying: “Dissector, why can’t you dissect yourself?” He was taken aback, the door to understanding suddenly unlocked. He stripped off his wet clothes and dove forward, his heart aflame, unable to control himself. At this moment, the sky was covered with clouds and rain started drizzling down. The delicate body in front of him slowly transformed into a clump of mud and sand, washed away by the flowing water.
The Dissector returned to the temple in a daze and had a fever all night. The next morning, although the fever had subsided, he was extremely tired. He couldn’t meditate, didn’t go to the meditation hall, and hastily packed his personal belongings and left. Back at home, he collapsed onto the bed, just about to get a good sleep, when he suddenly received an urgent call. He immediately changed his clothes and went to work. The Dissector was a professional, always diligent and responsible in his duties.
When he walked into the operating room, a corpse was already there. According to the record, the deceased had agreed to donate all useful organs and parts of the body after death. Since the death was caused by an accidental broken neck, the condition of the body was almost perfect, truly a rare treasure. Many patients in need had already been notified at the earliest possible time, awaiting organ transplant surgery. The Dissector thought to himself, today was sure to be extraordinarily busy. He lifted the cloth covering the corpse. Lying before his eyes was the miraculous body from upstream of the creek. Now it still looked flawless. The scene in the pool seemed like a dream, yet it was so vivid. He composed himself, avoiding the face that was as beautiful as a nymph, and tried to start from the abdomen. However, those proficient hands that held the scalpel started to shake involuntarily. The flesh seemed to respond with a kind of fervor, surrendering to his blade.