Buddha crossing a predestined person: Dharma and wisdom in life

Chapter 52 Cultivate the Ordinary Mind with the Buddha’s Heart—Three Thousands of Weak Waters, Take Only One Scoop (2)
In terms of specific practice, Zen Buddhism also shows differences in methods from other sects. For example, Zen meditation has always emphasized meditation, but the Sixth Patriarch scolded sitting posture.For example, the "Tan Sutra" said: "Good friends, the Tao must flow freely, but why does it stagnate? Shariputra sat in the forest but was scolded by Vimalakirti. A good teacher also taught him to sit, watch the mind and observe tranquility, and not move. Teach, so I know a big mistake." The Tao can only be proved through the state of mind without attachment. If you live in the sitting posture, you will definitely not be able to prove the Dao. He also said: "You are born without sitting, and you die without sitting. A stinky bone, What is homework?" It is also opposed to living in sitting posture.

Huairang, who was descended from the ancestor's family to Nanyue, took a disapproving attitude towards meditation.Mazu Daoyi sat in meditation at Nanyue, and Huai let the Zen master know that he was a magic weapon, so he went to him and asked: What does the great virtue want to do when he sits in meditation?Daoyi said: Figure to be a Buddha.Chan Master Huairang took a brick and ground it on the stone in front of him, and asked, "What is grinding for?"Zen Master Huairang said: Grinding makes a mirror.Daoyi asked: How can grinding a brick make a mirror?Zen master Huairang said: "You cannot make a mirror by grinding bricks, and how can you become a Buddha by sitting in meditation."Daoyi asked: What should we do then?Zen Master Huairang said: If a cow drives a cart, if the cart does not drive, if you take a taxi, you should still hit the cow.Similarly, if you learn to sit in meditation, you hope to become a Buddha, but meditation is not about sitting or lying down. The Buddha has no fixed form, and there is no way to live, so you should not choose or reject.Because if you stick to the sitting posture, not only will you not be able to understand Zen, you will never be able to become a Buddha.

When practicing meditation and cultivating the Tao, the mind cannot dwell.Before the rise of Zen Buddhism, the Hinayana meditation concept popular in the religious circles all used the method of focusing on the mind and the state, while Zen Buddhism believed that the mind should not dwell in meditation.For example, the "Tan Sutra" says: Sitting in meditation in this sect is neither focused on the mind nor pure, nor is it motionless.If you promote the mind, but the mind is illusory, what good is it if you know the illusion of the mind?If you advocate purity, the human nature is inherently pure, but it appears impure because delusions cover the truth. Now you have the appearance of purity, which itself is a kind of delusion, which will hinder the nature, and it is like the Sixth Patriarch's guidance and conceit. In the karma of Zen masters, Zen master Huairang paid homage to the ancestor. The sixth patriarch asked: "Where did you come from?" Huairang said: "Songshan Mountain". The ancestor asked: "What things come here?" Huairang said: "If you say something like it, you will not hit it." Is it still possible to practice certification? Huai Rang said: Cultivate certification is not nothing, pollution is not. The Sixth Patriarch said: This is the thing that is not contaminated, the Buddhas protect you (that is, so am I. This public case It has been explained that cultivating the Tao is to maintain an uncontaminated mind and not give birth to any signs of dwelling).

The Zen masters also check each other whether they live in each other.When Zhaozhou visited Tiantai Mountain, he met Han Shan on the road and saw the footprints of cows on the road. Han Shan said: Did you see the cow?Zhaozhou said: I don't know.Han Shan pointed to the cow's footprints and said: These are left by the five hundred arhats who traveled to the mountains.Zhaozhou said: Since it is an Arhat, how could it leave the cow's footprints?Han Shan said: Heaven is heaven.Zhaozhou laughed out loud.Han Shan asked: What are you laughing at?Zhaozhou said: "The sky is the sky."If this dialogue is viewed from the perspective of ordinary people, it seems unreasonable, but it shows the difference between Taoists and ordinary people. Ordinary people have appearances. The footprints of cows are the footprints of cows, and the footprints of Arhats are the footprints of Arhats. See.In terms of dharma, the footprints of a cow are the footprints of an arhat, and the footprints of an arhat are the footprints of a cow.

Based on these premise, Zen practitioners follow the non-existent life in their daily life, because they don’t live in appearance, and always live a very simple and frugal life: for example, Zuoxi Xuanlang often travels in Toutuo, lives in Shiyan, A cassock has been worn for more than 40 years; Chan Master Tonghui entered Taibai Mountain without food and grass, lived under a tree, ate tree fruits when hungry, drank spring water when thirsty, wore a skirt and quilt, and wore a pair of shoes for more than 20 years. The Zen master has a down-and-out personality and always wears a shabby robe. There is nothing in the room except sheets, clay bowls, and wooden spoons. The door is never closed; Damei Fachang does not eat vegetables under the hoe; Huixiu The Zen master has worn a pair of shoes for 30 years.They have reduced their material desires to a minimum, but they have gained great joy from the peaceful state of mind.

Zen practitioners practice Taoism in simple life, in daily tasks, they experience Taoism from eating, dressing, farming, picking tea, sweeping the floor, chopping firewood, and weeding.Therefore, when you ask a Zen master how to practice Taoism, he will tell you that eating and dressing are different from ordinary people.But Zen people can't eat or drink, can't wear and wear clothes, follow the fate everywhere, and feel at ease everywhere.

Not living with appearance can relieve the pain of life. The "Heart Sutra" tells us to use prajna wisdom to contemplate everything, and realize that everything in the world is empty and unattainable.You will be able to have no hindrances in your mind, and there will be no fear if you have no hindrances, so as to stay away from reversed dreams and reach the ultimate Nirvana.Nirvana is eternal bliss and tranquility. Only after attaining Nirvana can life be completely free from suffering.

If there is nothing to worry about, it is a good time in the world

To be "indifferent to things", to be able to enter the world and do things, but to have nothing in mind, this is the work.I am extremely busy all day long, "emotions, anger, sorrow, and joy are all in the middle of the day", but there is nothing in my heart, nothing in my heart, "nothing in my heart", this is the real way to be nothing, and nothing will happen up.

In reality, everyone can't let go of their hearts.You can't let go of the good in the past, and you can't let go of the bad in the past; you can't let go of the good and bad of planning for the future.Nothing more than my name, my profit, everything I love, can I get it?In society, if you walk fast, you are afraid of catching up with failure; if you walk slowly, you are afraid of being caught up by failure.Be yourself everywhere.If the business doesn’t make money, it’s distressing; if the business makes money, it’s also distressing.

Those who have distinctions between right and wrong, good and bad, how much, and good and evil are busy people. They worry too much and care too much. They remember the good things they have done. If they are bad things, they will try their best to cover up and defend them. Do more and do less. You have to compare yourself with others. If you achieve success, you will be proud, but if you fail, you will be frustrated.These people have something in their hearts, and they are called people who have something to do.Some sentient beings feel sorry for themselves, punish themselves, and even jump into a pit of fire, shouting for help while jumping, and complaining about the fire; they are too busy making karma to receive retribution, and they are troubled people.Zen Master Linji said: "Nothing is a noble person." As long as there is nothing in the heart, the world will be peaceful. There will be no enemies or enemies, no one who can't let go, and no one who is particularly close or particularly resentful. Therefore, He does no harm to anyone, but benefits everyone, so he is noble.People with troubles are poor, always dissatisfied, always pursuing, always greedy.People who have nothing to do are always satisfied and at ease in their hearts; even if they have money, they will not be stingy and proud, and if they have no money, they will not feel inferior, so they have a noble temperament.

Every day, my heart seems to have a heavy burden.My children are disobedient, don’t study hard, can’t let go, and feel distressed; when I do things at work, my superiors seem to be dissatisfied with me, and I can’t let go, and feel distressed; friends, I’m afraid I’ll be fooled by him and make me suffer. distressed.All the problems make you distressed, so you seem to have a heavy burden in your heart, which you can't let go, worrying about gains and losses.Every day my heart is like facing a big enemy, I receive it together, I can't let it go, I feel very sad.

A drug-addicted prisoner is behind bars, and the cell space is very small, restrained and uncomfortable.His heart is also full of indignation and injustice, feeling aggrieved and sad, feeling that he is a purgatory on earth, blaming everyone and everyone, complaining constantly.

One day, a fly flew into the small cell, buzzing and bumping around, making a lot of noise.He deeply felt that the flies were annoying, so he was determined to catch them.So, he caught them carefully, but the flies were clever and light. Even though he was rushing around and panting, he still couldn't make the flies become his "defeat", so he had to give up.At this point, he couldn't help sighing, it turns out that my small cell is not small!It can't even catch a fly, so it's quite big!

From this little story, I can't help realizing a simple but profound truth: if you have something in your heart, the world is small; if you have nothing in your heart, a bed is wide.

The great painter Zhang Daqian likes to grow a beard, and his beard is as long as a foot.One day, a child asked him, do you put your beard under the quilt or outside the quilt when you sleep at night?This question stopped Zhang Daqian.At night, when he was sleeping, he really didn't know what to do with his beard, whether it was placed under the quilt or outside the quilt.The beard, which he didn't care about at first, was so "entangled" that he couldn't sleep.It seems that having something on your mind, even a small thing, can make people restless.Only when there is nothing in your heart can you live a chic and comfortable life.

If you have nothing in your heart, you have to be indifferent, not surprised by favor or humiliation.University scholar Qian Zhongshu, foreign journalists came to China to visit him, but he refused: "You know there is an egg that is delicious, why do you have to see the chicken that lays the egg?" , really, truly, and calmly walking your own life path, how relaxed and comfortable it is.

If you have nothing in your heart, you have to be optimistic and optimistic, and treat life with an open-minded attitude.When Wu Jingzi wrote "The Scholars", his family was poor, and he had no money to light a fire to keep warm in winter. It was unbearably cold to write, so he circled the city for dozens of miles with his friends, singing and singing in harmony with each other, like this every night. After ten years, he finally wrote brilliantly. tome.The great writer Shen Congwen once gave such life advice to his cousin, the great painter Huang Yongyu: "Get up quickly when you fall down, and don't appreciate the hole you made."

If there is nothing in your heart, you have to be tolerant and generous, and be kind. "A gentleman endures what others can't bear, tolerates what others can't tolerate, and treats what others can't deal with." Treating people with a generous attitude makes people reflect on themselves, convinces them sincerely, and makes them feel at ease.Qigong is a famous calligrapher in our country. Many people imitate his handwriting and sell it for money.One day, a person who specialized in counterfeiting Qi Gong's calligraphy went to a shop to sell fakes. He happened to meet Qi Gong.As a result, Qigong did not refuse to forgive, but said generously: "If you are forced by life, just imitate." Qigong tolerated the harm of others with a kind heart, open-minded and unconcerned, which is also kind himself, so live a leisurely life.

Tolerance is a huge personality force, like a hemp rope, which has strong cohesion and appeal, and makes people unite around themselves; tolerance is a kind of open-mindedness and love, like a clear spring, which can extinguish resentment, jealousy and anxiety The fire of fire can turn conflicts into peace and wars into friendship; Tolerance is a kind of profound self-cultivation, a state of being kind to life and others, can cultivate people's sentiments, bring people's inner peace and tranquility, comfort and sublimate their own spiritual world.

"A gentleman is not harsh on inspection", Zhuangzi said; "A gentleman is virtuous but can tolerate incompetence, knowledgeable but can tolerate foolishness, broad but can tolerate shallowness, pure but can tolerate miscellaneous", this is what Xunzi said; A villain criticizes others’ faults”, Wei Zheng said; “The sea is tolerant to all rivers, tolerance is great”, the ancients said; “A tolerant person often has more love than resentment, he is optimistic, happy, open-minded, forbearing, and Not pessimistic, depressed, anxious, angry," Nassouf said.

There is a meaningful couplet next to a smiling, chubby Maitreya Buddha with a big belly exposed in the Mituo Temple of Foxiang Mountain in Wuning, Jiangxi: "Smile when you open your mouth, laugh at the past and laugh at the present, and smile at everything; a big belly can tolerate, accommodate the world, It is not tolerated by others." It is not only a vivid portrayal of Maitreya Buddha, but also an artistic representation of tolerance and tolerance.The Maitreya Buddha has a philosophical (smile) attitude, and in his eternal smile, there is a kind of longing for the future and the joy of enlightenment; he has a tolerant measure (big belly), showing his experience in life and his attitude towards others. Art, broad self-restraint.Its image can be said to be an artistic image created by the ancients according to the philosophy of tolerance and tolerance combined with Buddhist teachings.

An old Zen master silently educated the disciples who violated the temple rules and walked over the wall with calmness and tolerance;

Chen Fu of the Eastern Han Dynasty used calmness and tolerance to warn and educate the gentlemen of Liangshang who are "not necessarily evil at first";

King Zhuang of Chu used his wisdom and tolerance to educate and encourage those who were decapitated for molesting his concubine Xu Ji;
Fan Ju of the State of Wei did not remember Xu Jia's humiliation by Doctor Wei, and tolerated Xu Jia who had given him a thick silk robe;

Liu Kuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty was lenient to others, Cao Cao was lenient to the soldiers who betrayed him, Zhao Wang Shile was magnanimous, Tang Taizong was tolerant, Lu Mengzheng was tolerant, Sun Yat-sen was magnanimous...

On the bus, a woman accidentally stepped on a man's foot and apologized blushing. The man said generously and humorously: "I should say I'm sorry, the only fault is that my feet are too slender."

The tolerance of the ancients and the present makes people feel the beauty and greatness of tolerance all the time and everywhere.

Tolerance is a kind of generosity and a kind of demeanor.

In the face of winners, we should tolerate their success; in the face of rich people, we should tolerate their wealth; in the face of those who have different ideas from our own, we should tolerate their differences.We should be tolerant of other people's talents, abilities, opportunities and concepts, and even tolerate others' arrogance, extreme, indifference and isolation.

Tolerance is a buffer for interpersonal communication, which can resolve many unnecessary conflicts; tolerance is a lubricant for interpersonal communication, which can reduce friction and ease tense relationships.

This is tolerance, it is as sweet as mellow wine, and it is endless aftertaste.

This is tolerance, it is as warm as caring, which makes people feel endlessly moved.

This is tolerance, it is as kind as seductive, and it is moving.

This is tolerance, it is as bright as a morning star, and it makes people know when they are lost.

The magnificent sea can only become big if it does not reject all rivers; the mountain of Cuiwei can grow high if it does not hesitate to dig the soil;

As Zen Master Wumen said: "There are flowers in spring, moon in autumn, cool wind in summer and snow in winter; if you have nothing to worry about, it is a good season in the world." No matter how the world changes, as long as our hearts are not disturbed by the outside world, Then the honor and disgrace, right and wrong, gains and losses in the whole life cannot control us. Although the prison is small, the world in our hearts is infinitely broad.

This is the realm of existence that we mortals should pursue.

Tolerance, not to be disturbed by others, not to compare pennies and pennies, not to be enslaved by foreign things - a bed with nothing in mind will enable us to have this kind of true and pure state, and will enable us to have a broad psychological space.

Buddha-nature is like water, cleansing everything
If a person wants to imitate the selfless and benevolent deeds of nature, he must be as rigid as water, pure, tolerant, and big-hearted.

"Shuoyuan Miscellaneous Words" quoted in "Confucius Collection": Zigong asked Confucius: "A gentleman must look at the big water, I don't know what to pay attention to?" Confucius replied: "A gentleman uses water to compare his own virtue. Water spreads all over the world. There is no partiality, just like the morality of a gentleman; wherever water goes, it nourishes all things, like the benevolence of a gentleman; the nature of water is downward, giving shape to things, like the dignity of a gentleman; shallow water prevails, and it is unpredictable when it is deep, like the wisdom of a gentleman Water rushes to the abyss without hesitation, just like a gentleman's bravery; water is soft and flexible, meticulous, just like a gentleman's insight; water is turbid, and does not give in, just like a gentleman's tolerance; water endures lawlessness, and finally clarifies, It is like the goodness of a gentleman; water enters a measuring vessel and keeps it level, which is like a gentleman's uprightness; water stops when it is full, and is not greedy, like a gentleman's moderation; water has gone through twists and turns, and finally flows eastward, like a gentleman's intention."

Lao Tzu's "Supreme goodness is like water" means that a moral and good person is just like the nature of water. Water is good at benefiting all things and not competing with all things. It stays in the humble place that everyone does not like, so it is closest to A man of the highest kindness should live in a place as good as water, live in a low place, be as quiet and deep as an abyss in his heart, make friends with mutual affection like water, speak with sincerity like water, and act as a leader like water Be methodical, do things as omnipotent as water, and act as swiftly as water.

From the descriptions of water by Confucius and Laozi, we can fully realize that water is not only a kind of spirit, but also represents a noble state of life.

The vast universe, short life, how we should get a full and happy life, it all depends on our mentality and spiritual character.

This kind of water nature has explained to us the lofty state of being a human being silently through the crystal clear fluid.As for how we can achieve the highest state of water, it depends on how our minds are purified in the dust of reality and how we improve our literacy.

The various properties of water tell us: human beings, as individual lives higher than all life in nature, to survive in this world, must have a kind heart, be kind to everything, be willing to contribute, behave with a low profile, and do things with a high profile.

To be a person is like water, and one should be kind and fraternal like water.All spirits in the world, whether it is flowers and strange trees, rare birds and animals, or weeds and bushes, poisonous insects and jackals, are nourished and nourished by water without prejudice.Don't abandon gnats because of their smallness, don't reject whales and elephants because of their size, don't disgust them because of tigers and wolves' ferocity, don't deceive them because of their softness and kindness.All spirits in the world are children of water, and water loves and cares for all spirits equally.O most soft and good water, you are the milk that all living beings suck.

To be a man is like water, so we should change the past and reform the new like water.When the grass is withered, the trees are rotten, and the dirt and mud are clogged, the water will violently flood and ravage, ruthlessly destroying the withered and sick bodies, cleaning up the world, and purifying the world.Experience the spirit and body of all spirits, invigorate and invigorate the breath of life, so that life will be positive and never depressed.After the flood, the land was full of water and grass, the flowers were in full bloom, the birds were singing, the beasts were majestic, the sky was full of auspicious clouds, and the land was prosperous.Water restores the world to a vibrant and thriving new atmosphere.

Being human is like water, and you should cleanse the dirt like water.Water is clear and pure in nature, but it never pretends to be lofty and self-admiring. Instead, it has great courage and great compassion in its heart, and uses its own clarity and flawlessness to cleanse the dirt in the world.The water goes deep into the world bravely and fearlessly, rushing with silt and dirt, and settles the silt and dirt in secluded bays, making the water clear and dust-free.When water encounters turbid currents, it absorbs and dissolves without avoiding it; when it encounters clear streams, it becomes clearer and more extraordinary.Water does not hesitate to contaminate itself, and is willing to dedicate its purity to all spirits, so that the world is clear, clean, pure and natural.

(End of this chapter)