The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

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The place where the meditation room of the temple is located is lush with trees. Because the temple is on the mountain, most of the tall trees are pine and fir trees, so it is still full of greenery.Visit download txt novel

The weather has been fine these few days, and the snow accumulated some time ago has completely melted. The small yellow grass on the side of the road is soaked in snow and wet, and small buds are sprouting in the fine weather.

Master Shanxiang pointed to the end of the path, and said, "Almsgiver, please look, the meditation room is over there."

Su Jin raised his eyes and looked carefully, and saw several simple houses scattered in the forest, and he couldn't see the whole picture. He couldn't help laughing and said: "It's such a clean place, as the predecessors said in a poem, 'the winding path leads to a secluded place, and the meditation room is deep in flowers and trees' Sincerely don’t deceive me.”

Master Shanxiang smiled and said: "It's a bit appropriate. In spring and summer, the forest is full of flowers and trees, which is really as the poem says."

Su Jin sighed: "Master can practice here, it is really enviable."

Master Shanxiang glanced at Su Jin and said: "It is good to have a place of practice that is clean, but people's practice is limited to external objects and falls into the inferior vehicle. No matter where, even if it is a place where dogs and horses drown, as long as you practice with all your heart Not to be moved by external objects is the highest cultivation.”

Su Jin nodded and said: "What the master said is very true, but I am afraid that few people can reach that level."

Master Shanxiang said: "Yes, the old man is in charge of this temple, but his practice is too different from his predecessors, but he has too many troubles, and he can't clean his six senses. It's a sin."

Su Jin was surprised and said, "Can't even the masters cleanse the six sense organs?"

Master Shanxiang pointed to the scattered temple buildings around him and said, "In the eyes of the benefactor, what is the weather like in this temple?"

Su Jindao: "Guibao temple is well-known, the incense is flourishing, the temple is majestic, and it is famous far and near. Isn't the master satisfied?"

Shanxiang smiled and said: "What you see with your eyes can deceive people the most. The temples you see are majestic and splendid, but you don't know that several main halls have collapsed beams and houses. It rains heavily every day. Even the statues of Bodhisattvas need to be covered with raincloths, otherwise they will be destroyed." The golden body is wet; you can see that the incense is in full bloom, but the ascetic monks in my temple only have food and clothing every day, and there is no charcoal for heating in winter; even the oil of the ever-burning lamp in front of the Buddha has to be saved from the teeth; Under the circumstances, do you still think this is a blessed place on earth?"

Su Jin was surprised: "Is it so dilapidated?"

Master Shanxiang said: "Buddhists don't tell lies, so today's benefactor can give generously, I am really grateful; although Buddhism pays attention to poverty and hard work, and doesn't care about enjoyment, honor and disgrace outside the skin, but Buddhists are also mortals. , I also know hunger and cold, cold and warm, this is what I always worry about, and the six sense organs are not pure because of this."

Su Jin sighed: "Such a precious temple is actually in such a situation. Is there no one from the imperial court or pilgrims to fund the temple?"

Shanxiang smiled and said, "There are, but it's just a drop in the bucket, just enough to repair and maintain."

Su Jin pointed to the two side halls on the hillside and said, "Isn't there a lot of construction going on there? Where does the money come from?"

Shanxiang recited Buddha's ten words together and said: "That is a side hall funded by Puji, a disciple of the old monk. It is a place where Manjusri Bodhisattva is worshipped. The Manjusri Hall collapsed two years ago, and the golden body of the Bodhisattva has been exposed for more than a year. This old monk has no choice but to agree. Puji funded the construction of the Manjusri Hall, and this old monk was always worried about it.”

Su Jindao: "Why are you uneasy? Don't Buddhist disciples make donations with a heart for Buddha?"

Master Shanxiang smiled, talked about him from left to right, and said: "The meditation room is here, please come in and have tea with the benefactor."

Su Jin bowed to salute, stepped inside, looked around, it was indeed very simple, the walls were useless, the only thing that seemed rich was the wooden shelf on the south wall that was full of Buddhist scriptures, surrounded by several futons on the pine floor A small table is placed, on the table is a wooden fish, a gavel, nothing more.

"Master's life is really poor. If you don't see it with your own eyes, you can't believe it." Su Jin sat cross-legged on the futon under the direction of Master Shanxiang, and smiled.

Master Shanxiang raised his eyebrows and said: "There are people who are so kind and generous like the benefactor, I already think it is very good. The money and goods donated by the benefactor today have met my urgent needs. I should personally serve tea as a thank you."

Su Jin laughed and said: "What is this? It seems that I have to come here more and give alms more. If my mother finds out that the monks in the temple are so poor, I am afraid that her old man must be restless."

Shanxiang laughed, took out a few tea bowls, ordered the little novice to get hot water, rolled up his sleeves and poured a bowl of tea for each of Su Jin and the three, and said with a smile: "I can't thank you, I can only use the tea I planted with my own hands. The picked tea leaves are presented to the benefactor as a token of gratitude.”

Su Jin let out a sigh, and said in his heart: The tea is also grown and made by oneself. The life of the old monk is indeed hard enough.I looked down at the tea leaves floating and sinking in the boiling water, green and lovely. I took a sip of the tea leaves, and the fragrance entered my lungs, which was unspeakably beautiful.

"Good tea. It's really rare to drink such good tea in winter. The tea made by the master is really extraordinary, without a trace of earthly taste. I'm flattered."

Master Shanxiang smiled and said: "Little benefactor is very good at talking. I have talked with you a lot today, and I haven't talked with anyone for a long time."

Su Jin smiled and said, "Didn't the master have a few lay disciples? Wouldn't it be nice to invite them to chat and play chess in their spare time?"

Shanxiang looked embarrassed and said: "You can't talk about common things with them. If it weren't for the temple's financial difficulties, how could the old monk accept them as disciples? In exchange for the prosperity of the temple in exchange for the prosperity of the temple after polluting the Qingming for a lifetime, it is considered right to spread the incense of the temple in the hands of the old monk. Buddha."

Su Jin said in amazement: "It seems that the master is not very satisfied with them. After all, the person who can afford a huge sum of money to build a temple must be a big family in Yangzhou, but who is it?"

Shanxiang waved his hand and said: "Don't talk about them, it's not going to spoil the old monk's mood."

Su Jin thought about it, it seems that this Master Shanxiang is helpless, he must also know that Feng Huo and others are not good people, but he is forced by life, and he does not want the temple to be ruined in his own hands, so this is in exchange for their charity. Accepting them as disciples was regarded as a great shame and humiliation in his heart.

Master Shanxiang didn't want to talk about it, but how could Su Jin let him go, and said with a smile: "Master, there is no need to be like this. Buddhism accepts all living beings. As long as they are not sinful people, after converting to Buddhism, the master has the responsibility to teach. The slow enlightenment is that there will be a day when the master will be satisfied."

Master Shanxiang lowered his eyes and sighed: "This old monk is incompetent. He has tarnished Buddhism. I don't know if this is right or wrong. When it comes to teaching, he has no intentions. These two people are two stubborn stones. Although they listen to me every month Teach Buddhist scriptures, but once out of the mountain gate, I am still the same, I have already given up on them."

Su Jin asked curiously: "Who are they? Why doesn't the master want to say their names?"

Master Shanxiang picked up the mallet and slammed the wooden fish, and then said: "It doesn't matter if you don't say it, why does the benefactor need to know?"

Su Jin drank the tea in one gulp, cupped his hands and said, "I'm bothering Master, it's really an honor to be able to drink tea in the Master's meditation room today, but the day is going to the west, and I'm going back to the city."

Master Shanxiang said: "Amitabha, it's just a bowl of bitter tea. Why be polite? It's very pleasant to talk to the little benefactor. The little benefactor can often come to the temple to visit. You and I are destined, maybe we will become friends of Wangnian. I don't know."

Su Jin said in his heart: I understand your thoughts, don't you just want me to bring more money for charity?

"I am very flattered. I am very moved after listening to the master's words today. I am also interested in Buddhism. I will definitely come here often, but I am a little bit disappointed to see that the temple is so poor. So I will stay in Yangzhou for a few days. Buy the supplies and donate again the next day, and do your best.”

Shanxiang was overjoyed, and Gao proclaimed the Buddha's name and saluted again and again.

Su Jin said with a smile: "When is the right time for me to come? I heard that tomorrow is a big day for Buddhism. Do you have time to see me tomorrow?"

Master Shanxiang said: "Tomorrow? I'm afraid it won't work in the morning. There must be a lot of people in the morning. I want to sit in the Daxiong Palace to thank all the pilgrims."

Su Jin said: "How about the afternoon?"

Master Shanxiang pondered: "I'll be free after Shenshi in the afternoon, but it's getting dark by then, and the benefactor will not be able to go down the mountain if there is any delay."

Su Jin said: "Can't it be done before the application time?"

Master Shanxiang said: "Before the opening time, I want to give a lecture to my disciples in the meditation room, I'm afraid I won't be able to get away."

Su Jin's heart brightened, nodded and said: "Then I'll see you after the hour, what are you afraid of when it's dark, there are no wolves, tigers and leopards on this mountain, just walk away with a lantern in hand."

Master Shanxiang folded his palms together and said, "Amitabha, you have worked hard as a benefactor. After tomorrow, there will be a lot of free time. How about..."

"No need, my next family is out of town, and the year is approaching, and I am in a hurry to go back. It will be tomorrow, so I will say goodbye." Su Jin got up and bowed, and walked away with Chao Ma Han.

Master Shanxiang leaned against the door to see him off, sighed and said to himself: "It's a sin, I have fallen so badly, how can I be worthy of many devout believers, Amitabha."