In the past, there were two clay idols² in a temple. On the left was the idol¹ of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the founder³ of Taoism, and on the right the idol of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism⁴.

 

One day, a monk⁵ saw the two idols in the temple. He was displeased⁶ and said: "The power of Buddha⁷ is infinite. How can we condescend⁸ to allow the idol of Sakyamuni to be placed on the right of that of Tai Shang Lao Jun?"

 

So the monk moved the Buddhist⁹ idol to the left of the Taoist idol.

 

Shortly afterwards, there came a Taoist priest. When he saw the situation, he felt offended and said: "Our Taoist doctrine¹⁰ is the highest and unsurpassed. How can we condescend to allow the Taoist idol to be placed on the right of the Buddhist idol?"

 

So the Taoist priest moved the Taoist idol to the left of the Buddhist idol at once.

 

Thus, the monk and the Taoist priest kept on moving the two idols right and left until the idols were broken into pieces in the end.

 

从前，有一座寺庙，里面供奉着两座泥像，左边是道祖太上老君像，右边是佛祖释迎牟尼像。

 

一天，有个和尚看见庙中的这两座像，心里很不高兴，说：“我们佛法广大无边，怎么能让佛祖屈居在老君的右边呢?”

 

于是，和尚动手把佛像搬到了老君像的左边。

 

不久，来了个道士，看见这种情形很是气恼，说：“我们道教至高无上，怎么能让老君像屈居在佛像的右边呢?”

 

于是，道士立刻动手把老君像搬到了佛像的左边。

 

就这样，和尚跟道士不停地搬来搬去，最后竟将这两座泥像都搬碎了。

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