Buddha crossing a predestined person: Dharma and wisdom in life

Chapter 21 Breaking the Precepts—In the Great Thousand World, a Free Body (3)
The monk was at a loss.

Back at Mazu, Mazu asked, "How big is the firewood you saw?"

The monk said: "Infinity."

Ma Zu smiled and said, "You are really strong."

The monk asked, "How do you say this?"

Mazu smiled and said, "You carried a big firewood from a long way back, are you still weak?"

■Sentiment——

Xiqian used "Matsu is like firewood" to test how well monks understand the relationship between living beings and the world.After the monk came back, he was obsessed with firewood. In fact, he clung to Xiqian's problem and used force in the wrong direction. comprehend.A few words are like soldiers coming and going, dispelling Shi Shi's fierce offensive.

How is Patriarch Xi Laiyi
Some scholars asked Xiqian: "What is the intention of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?"

Xiqian replied, "Go and ask Zhu."

The scholar said: "Students can't understand it."

Xiqian said, "I don't even understand."

■Sentiment——

Xiqian's Zen method is vague, flexible, and elusive, but he also has a common technique, that is, to make a complete negation, and even himself does not pretend to be clever.Generally speaking, those who are new to Zen often think that there is really such a thing in Buddhism, so they have the desire to realize it.Xiqian knew this mentality well, so he simply said that he didn't know either.In fact, I really don’t know. If I know something, it is delusional in Xiqian’s Zen.Knowing but not knowing, the mystery of Zen is not so easy to express.

"What about holding a broom?"

Luo Han Guichen, a later disciple of Stone, is famous for his humor.

Seeing the monk coming, Gui Chen raised his whisk and asked, "Do you understand?"

The monk said: "Thank you, Master, for your compassionate acceptance."

Gui Chen smiled and asked: "When I saw me raising my whisk, I said the decree to you. When you see mountains, rivers, people and things every day, which one is not pointing you?"

After a while, another monk came over, and Gui Chen held up his whisk again. The monk praised and bowed, Gui Chen teased, "When I saw me holding the whisk, I bowed and praised, but what if I held up the broom?"

■Sentiment——

There are countless people who pursue Buddhism as a specific thing. Gui Chen's intention is nothing more than to teach people to reflect on their own nature.

Don't think I know Buddhism

A student monk came to ask Shitou's personal disciple, Emperor Dogo: "What is the mysterious Zen method?"

Dao Wu's face was indifferent: "Don't think I know Buddhism!"

The student monk followed closely: "Then what should the students do if they are confused?"

Dao Wu said, "Why don't you ask the old monk?"

The student monk said, "I have already asked."

Dao Wu then drove out the student monk.

■Sentiment——

Dharma is in life.Tianhuang Dowu "does not know Buddhism", which means that we should not leave our lives to realize Taoism.what is lifeThere are joys and troubles in life, and there is no life without troubles.Zen Master Shenhui said, "Afflictions are Bodhi"—only when there are afflictions can one seek to realize the truth of Buddhism, and not let afflictions disturb the original pure heart.Zen Master Benming said in a verse: "Not knowing afflictions is Bodhi, but following afflictions is foolishness."

break the teacup and pick it up

A student monk went to visit Zen Master Yuexi and asked: "Master, I have studied Zen for 20 years, but I don't know anything about Zen. Can you teach me something?"

Chan Master Yuexi didn't speak, but just slapped him in the face, scaring the student monk out of the door, thinking: It's really inexplicable, I must ask him to explain it.The student monk who was angry met the first old Zen master outside the Dharma hall. Seeing his angry face, the old Zen master asked kindly: "What happened? Come and have a cup of tea with me! What is there for a seeker to be angry about?" ?”

While drinking tea, the student monk began to complain that Zen Master Yuexi beat him for no reason.When the student monk said this, the old Zen master waved his hand and slapped him immediately, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. The old Zen master said: "Just now you said that you have understood Buddhism and Zen, and you only need some Zen. Now , I will use the way of Zen to support you. Do you know what the way of Zen is?"

The student monk was dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer.The old Zen master asked again, but the student monk still couldn't answer. The old Zen master said: "I'm really sorry, just let you see our Zen way!"

After speaking, he picked up the broken teacup, picked up a rag, and wiped off the tea that had just been spilled all over the floor, and then said, "Other than these, what other way of Zen is there?"

The student monk finally realizes that the "way of Zen" is by his side!
■Sentiment——

The student monk was troubled because he didn't know the way of Zen, and he was also troubled because he was beaten by the master. "You must know where the afflictions are, and enlightenment is Bodhi."That is to say, in the midst of troubles in life, one should be like a lotus flower that emerges from the mud and is not stained. When troubles strike, one must not be at the mercy of troubles, but be good at forgiving and self-comforting. If you regard it as illusory, you will maintain your inner tranquility without losing its original pure heart; on the other hand, it can be said that just as lotus flowers can grow out of mud, afflictions can also make people have a sense of Buddhism. The awareness of the truth, so that you can "constantly be happy wherever you live."

money is good too

Chan Master Yuechuan is a master of painting, but every time he paints, he insists that the buyer pay first, otherwise he will never paint. Some people in the society often criticize this style in private.

One day, a lady asked Zen Master Yuechuan to help her make a painting. Zen Master Yuechuan asked, "How much can you pay?"

The woman replied, "I'll pay as much as you want! But I want you to come to my house and splash ink in public!"

Zen Master Yuechuan promised to go with him. It turned out that the woman was having a banquet at home. Zen Master Yuechuan used a good brush to paint for her. After the painting was completed, he got paid and was about to leave.The lady said to the guests at the banquet: "This painter only knows how to ask for money. Although his paintings are very good, his heart is dirty. Works with such a dirty heart are not suitable for hanging in the living room. Can only adorn one of my dresses."

As the lady spoke, she took off a skirt she was wearing and asked Zen Master Yuechuan to paint behind it.Zen Master Yuechuan asked, "How much did you pay?"

The lady replied: "Oh, I will give you as much as you want."

Zen Master Yuechuan offered a particularly expensive price, and then painted a painting according to the lady's request, and left immediately after painting.

Many people doubt, why as long as you have money?Zen Master Yuechuan, who doesn't care about being insulted in any way, is thinking in his heart?
It turned out that famines often occurred in the place where Chan Master Yuechuan lived, and the rich refused to pay to help the poor, so he built a warehouse to store rice for relief to the victims.And because his master had vowed to build a Zen temple before his death, but unfortunately his ambition was not fulfilled and died, Chan Master Yuechuan wanted to fulfill the old man's wish.

When Zen master Yuechuan fulfilled his wish, he immediately abandoned his brush, retired to the mountains and forests, and never painted again.He only said this: "It is difficult to paint the skin of a tiger to paint the bones, and it is difficult to paint the heart when painting a human."

■Sentiment——

Money is not necessarily dirty, it depends on how it comes from and where it is used.Like Zen Master Yuechuan, he used his works of art to ask for money regardless of reputation, but he was saving people and the world. The money is very clean and noble; his heart is not necessarily pure, although some people will pretend to be noble.Like the rich woman, she seems to regard money as dung, but she is just so vulgar that she thinks that money can buy everything.

more flavors
One day, it had been raining heavily since the morning, and several small vendors selling snacks on the roadside outside the Buddhist temple had no business.

By noon, the pancake seller had already baked a large stack of pancakes, but he couldn’t sell them anyway, so he felt a little hungry, so he ate a piece of pancake he had baked himself.The watermelon seller sat bored, so he cracked open a watermelon and ate it.The people who sell spicy and fragrant dried can't bear it anymore and start to eat spicy and fragrant dried.Those who sell red bayberries have to eat their own red bayberries.

The rain kept falling, and the four small vendors just kept eating what they wanted to sell.

However, the one who sells red bayberry tastes sour, the one who sells spicy and fragrant dry tastes spicy, the one who sells scones feels thirsty, and the one who sells watermelon makes his stomach swell.

At this moment, a young monk came slowly out of the rain. He bought all four items from four peddlers and sat in a nearby pavilion.I saw him pick up those foods, some were fragrant, some were spicy, some were sour, some were sweet, and he devoured them. It looked delicious.The four small traders were drooling, looked at each other, and sighed repeatedly.

However, there was a burst of scolding suddenly: "Huisheng, where is your junior brother?" It sounded like the voice of an old master.

"Master, just now Junior Brother Huisheng saw a few small vendors outside the door and said he went to teach them." A young monk replied.

After a while, the young monk in the pavilion got up and left.Look at the four small vendors again, they are already eating each other's food, and they feel very sweet and happy.But the little monk started to meditate in the Chanting Pavilion.

■Sentiment——

There are many flavors in life, including sweet, sour and hot. If you taste one kind of life for a long time, you will eventually get bored. Only by experiencing the various flavors of life can you live happily.

freedom is the greatest happiness
Once upon a time, there was a beggar who went around begging for food during the day and went to sleep in a ruined temple at night.But his son made a fortune in business, and his family was quite rich.Therefore, many people scolded his son for being unfilial, and said in front of him: "Your family is so rich, but your old man is begging outside! Can you bear it?"

That son was very embarrassing by others.So he sent people everywhere to find his father back home.Finally, I found it.When the old man returns home, make new clothes for him, and prepare delicious food to support him.

However, within a month, the old gentleman ran out to beg for food again when no one was paying attention.

People asked him: "Why do you not want to enjoy your blessings? Why do you like to beg everywhere?"

The old man said: "It's free to beg for food! You don't have to worry about anything, you don't care about anything, you travel around the mountains and rivers every day, you have food everywhere, you have a place to live, you are free and unrestrained. But when you go back home, you are very uncomfortable being supported by your son. Not free at all."

■Sentiment——

A free beggar is happier than a captive king, and liberty is the most precious of all happiness.Freedom is so commonplace that people in freedom do not feel particularly precious to freedom just like air.But once you lose your freedom, you will feel that freedom is really the most precious thing of all happiness.

but be free
In the Tang Dynasty, Zen Master Lanzan, who lived in seclusion in a cave in Nanyue, Hunan, wrote a poem to express his free and easy life attitude:

The world is long, not as good as the hills; lying under the vines, with a stone pillow; if you don't face the emperor, how can you envy the princes?There is no worry about life and death, so why worry about it?
Later, this poem spread to Tang Dezong's ears. Dezong wanted to meet the Zen master very much, so he sent ministers to welcome the Zen master.The minister found the cave and saw the Zen master drinking in the cave.

The minister shouted loudly at the entrance of the cave: "The imperial decree has arrived, kneel down and accept the decree."

But Zen Master Lanzan pretended to be deaf and dumb and ignored him.

The minister looked over and saw that the Zen master lit a fire with cow dung, and sweet potatoes were burned on the stove. The smoke was lingering inside and outside the cave, which made the Zen master runny nose. The guard couldn't help shouting: "Hey! Zen master, your nose is running Come down, why don't you wipe it off?"

Zen Master Lanzan replied without turning his head: "I don't have time to wipe my nose for ordinary people." Then he picked up a hot sweet potato and put it in his mouth, saying repeatedly: "Delicious! Delicious!"

The minister was stunned when he saw this.The Zen master also picked up two pieces and handed them to the minister, and said: "Please eat it while it's hot! The three realms are mind-centered, all dharmas are consciousness-only, rich and poor, high and low, raw, cooked, soft and hard, don't divide them into two sides in the sea of ​​consciousness in your heart."

Chan Master's strange actions and difficult Buddhist teachings made the ministers dare not answer, so they had to rush back to the court and report the truth to the emperor.After hearing this, Dezong said with emotion: "It is really a blessing for everyone to have such a Zen master in the country!"

■Sentiment——

Among the monks, there are monks in the world and monks who live alone.Monks in the human world spread the Dharma to benefit life and serve the society; monks who live alone in deep mountains and caves practice the Tao purely.Some human monks are in the world of mortals, but their hearts are in the mountains; some solitary monks are in the Taoist temple, but their hearts are in the secular world.No matter what kind of monks, there is one thing in common, that is: in the vast world, a free body.

Skull can also serve porridge
Zen Master Wen Dao was a wandering monk, and he admired Zen Master Hui Xun's Taoism very much.Therefore, he trekked across mountains and rivers and traveled thousands of miles to the cave where Zen Master Huixun lived.

Zen Master Wen Dao said to Zen Master Huixun in front of the cave: "I have always admired Zen Master your noble style, and today I made a special trip to visit you. I ask Zen Master to give you a merciful lecture!"

Since it was already very late, Zen Master Huixun said, "The sun is setting today, so you can stay here for a night!

The next day, when Zen Master Wen Dao woke up, Master Hui Xun had already woken up and had already cooked breakfast.When eating, there was no extra bowl in the cave for Zen Master Wendao to eat, so Zen Master Huixun took a skull from outside the cave and served porridge to Zen Master Wendao.

Zen Master Wen Dao was very surprised, hesitating for a while, and Zen Master Hui Xun said, "You don't have a mind of Dao, and you don't really come here for the principles of Zen. You deal with things with clean, dirty, vain emotions of hatred and love. What about attaining the principles of Zen?"

■Sentiment——

Good and evil, right and wrong, gain and loss, clean and dirty, this is the world known from the mentality of discrimination, but the true Zen principle does not think of good or evil, neither is it pure, nor is it dirty. Therefore, Chan Master Wen Dao's concept of love and hatred , Refusing to accept feelings, of course, will be considered as having no Dao heart.

If you have accumulated good roots, good fortune, and deep karma, you can thoroughly understand the principles of Zen, believe in it, know the pros and cons, and understand the gains and losses, you will not lose your mind.

Barberry Tara
After Zen master Huangbo became a monk, he believed that "you must give up your kindness, and only when you achieve inaction can you truly repay your kindness." Therefore, even after 30 years of Zen life, he never went back to the secular home to visit his relatives.But deep down in his heart, he misses his elderly mother very much. At the age of 50, during a visit trip, I unconsciously walked towards my hometown.

The mother also missed her son who became a monk, but there was no news of him, and she cried mournfully from morning to night every day, until she lost her eyesight.Because she missed her son, she also set up a tea booth by the side of the road. She not only entertained the wandering monks in the past, but also greeted them at home and washed their feet as a sign of respect.Another reason is that there is a big mole on Zen Master Huangbo's left foot. Although she is blind, she hopes that by the chance of washing her feet one in ten thousand, she may be able to recognize who is his beloved son.

On this day, Zen Master Huangbo also accepted his mother's hospitality. While letting her wash her feet, he told her the story of the Buddha's renunciation, hoping that her mother would gain faith and peace of mind.Zen Master Huangbo only washed his right foot for his mother, but not his left foot.

Zen Master Huangbo returned home for the second time in a row. Although he felt that it was hard to leave, he still reluctantly set out for a walk in the clouds and continued to visit.The neighbors couldn't help telling his mother this fact, saying that the person who told you the story of Sakyamuni's renunciation is the son you have always looked forward to.After hearing this, the mother said almost madly: "No wonder the voice sounds like my son."After speaking, he chased after him until he reached the big river. Unfortunately, at this time, Chan Master Huangbo had already boarded the boat, and the boat started to move. His mother jumped into the river in a hurry, and unfortunately drowned.

Standing on the opposite bank, Zen Master Huangbo saw his mother slipping and falling into the water and drowning. He couldn't help feeling sad, and wept bitterly, saying: "If one son becomes a monk, the nine clans will ascend to heaven; if he doesn't ascend to heaven, all the Buddhas will lie."

After Chan Master Huangbo said this, he returned by boat immediately, cremated his mother, and wrote a gatha: "My mother has been delusional for many years, and now the Bodhi Forest is blooming in bloom. In the next three sessions, if you are worthy, I will return to the Great Compassionate Avalokitesvara."

■Sentiment——

Confucius said: "Parents are still there, so don't travel far away." It looks very filial, but in fact it is just "small filial piety".There are three so-called filial piety: one is small filial piety, which Gan Zhi supports; the second is middle filial piety, which honors the ancestors;Tara, Zen master Huangbo, is the great filial piety among the great filial piety.

be compassionate to yourself

Once, when Chan Master Danyuan was carrying a basket to the abbot's room, Master Huizhong stopped him and asked, "What are you doing with so many green plums?"

Chan Master Danyuan said: "It is used to make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas."

Master Huizhong asked, "How can you make offerings to the green plums, which are not ripe yet and are sour and astringent when eaten?"

Master Tan Yuanxiang replied: "The so-called supporters are used to show sincerity."

Master Huizhong said: "Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not accept such a sour sincerity. In my opinion, you should make offerings to yourself!

Chan Master Tanyuan asked: "I am already making offerings. There is no difference between mind, Buddha, and sentient beings. Why bother so much? What about you, the national teacher?"

Master Huizhong said, "I don't make offerings like this. I am very serious about making offerings. I will not make offerings until the plums are ripe!"

Chan Master Tanyuan asked, "When will the plums of the national teacher be ripe?"

Master Huizhong said: "Actually, my plums have already been ripe."

Chan Master Tanyuan asked, "Since we have known each other for a long time, why didn't the national teacher make offerings?"

Master Huizhong said: "Because I love plums, I keep them and don't give them to others casually."

Chan Master Danyuan said: "Why is the national teacher so stingy? Good things, if you have a compassionate heart, you are willing to share them with others."

Master Huizhong asked back: "I don't know what is a good thing?"

Chan Master Danyuan said, "It's green plums."

Master Huizhong said: "If good things are green plums, you should cherish them and not give them to others casually."

Chan Master Danyuan said, "I can't say enough about you, you are too stingy."

Master Huizhong said: "It should be you who are stingy, not me!"

Chan Master Danyuan had no words to respond.

Master Huizhong said: "Keep green plums for your own use, and don't just give them to others. That's kindness!"

Chan Master Danyuan made a profound enlightenment with his words.

■Sentiment——

Here, the plum is a symbol of Buddha nature.The plums are unripe and extremely sour, but once the plums are ripe, they are extremely sweet.If the Buddha-nature is entangled (worries), it is like green plums. If the Buddha-nature is not entangled, the sourness is sweet. Master Huizhong means that the green plums should be cherished, don't rush to others, and be compassionate to yourself!

be a real person
Once upon a time, there was an old woman who built a thatched nunnery and supported a monk for 20 years of practice.Finally, she finally wanted to try how the monk's practice skills were.

One day, she asked the woman to hug the monk and ask how her practice was going.

The woman followed the teachings, but the monk replied with a poem: "Withered trees leaning against cold rocks, there is no heating for three winters!"

After the woman came back and reported the situation, the old woman said angrily: "Think about it, I raised him for 20 years in vain! He doesn't care about your needs, and he doesn't ask about your situation. He Although there is no need to show enthusiasm, at least you have to show sympathy!" So he drove the monk away, set a fire, and burned down the thatched cottage.

(End of this chapter)