Reminded me of a good (true) story:
http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=142598
It wasn't easy being the Sixth
Patriarch. Many wished to kill him and his disciples as well. For
this reason, after the Great master obtained the Dharma, he went
into hiding, dwelling among hunters for sixteen years. Even after
establishing his Dharma platform at Nan Hua Temple, followers of
other religions tried to kill him, and so the Great Master hid
inside a big rock. He sat there in meditation, and although they
set the mountain on fire, he was untouched by the flames. The rock
can still be seen at Nan Hua Temple.
Hui-neng is counted as the Sixth Patriarch from the First
Patriarch, Bodhidharma, who was the Twenty-eighth Indian Patriarch.
"Bodhi" means Enlightenment and "Dharma" means law. When
Bodhidharma set sail from India, fulfilling the prediction of
Shakyamuni Buddha that Mahayana teaching would be transmitted to
China during the time of the Twenty-eighth Patriarch, the
Buddhadharma already existed in China, yet it was if it was not
there at all. Although there were men who studied, there were few
who lectured or recited the sutras and repentance ceremonies were
seldom practiced. Cultivation was superficial. Scholars debated and
argued, but none of them truly understood.
The principles in the Sutras must be cultivated, but at that time
in China they were not cultivated because everyone feared
suffering. Now, in America, it is just the same. People sit in
meditation. However as soon as their legs begin to ache, they wince
and fidget and then gently unbend them. People are just people and
nobody likes to have aching legs.
While still in India, Patriarch Bodhidharma sent two of his
disciples, Fo T'o and Yeh She, to China to transmit the Sudden
Enlightenment Dharma door. But no one, not even Chinese Bhikshus
would speak to them. So they went to Lu Mountain where they met the
Great Master Yuan Kung, who lectured on mindfulness of the
Buddha.
Master Yuan asked, "What Dharma do you transmit that causes people
to pay you so little respect?"
Fo T'o and Yen She could not speak Chinese, so they used sign
language instead. Raising their arms in the air, they said, "Watch!
The hand makes a fist and the fist makes a hand. Is this not
quick?"
Master Yuan replied, "Quick indeed."
"Bodhi (Enlightenment) and affliction," they said, "are just that
quick." At that moment, Dharma Master Yuan became Enlightened,
realizing that originally Bodhi and affliction are not different,
for Bodhi is affliction and affliction is Bodhi. he made offerings
to Fo T'o and Yeh She, and shortly thereafter, the two Indian
Bhikshus died on the same day, in the same place. Their graves may
still be seen at Lu Mountain.
