The light snow begins to clear, and the mountains are still white.
A group of visitors stepped on squeaky wooden clogs and walked along the mountain road to enjoy the scenery. Occasionally, naughty squirrels flew back and forth in the forest, causing the snow on the pine trees to fall rustlingly, which was very interesting.
"Although Dongshan Temple is a small temple with no famous monks, it has been established for two hundred years. Unexpectedly, today..."
Hearing this, a young monk walking in the middle cast his gaze at his feet. This was a mountain road paved with cobblestones, which was obviously newly built.
After turning two corners, you can see the wide open temple gate halfway up the mountain.
There were no visiting monks, so the group maintained their identity and went straight in. After going around for a while, they saw a few monks clearing away the snow.
"Where did your distinguished guest come from?"
Childish questions rang out from behind everyone. The young monk turned his head and saw a little novice looking over curiously with his head tilted.
"The poor monk Xuanzang has come to pay a visit to the abbot of your temple." The monk knelt down and said with a gentle smile, "Would you like to take me there?"
The little novice monk thought for a while before nodding, trotting all the way in front, leading everyone to a courtyard.
"Wrong, wrong!"
"There are rumors circulating that the temple will be dismantled and taxes will be paid for four years. It's just nonsense."
A clear voice sounded in the courtyard, "Someone should be able to release the news that they will force the tax to be paid for four years, and then reduce it after the temple is dismantled. In this way, the resentment will be greatly reduced."
"Although it's a bit cunning, it's an unusual method to look closely at people's hearts."
Everyone outside looked at each other, some frowned, some bowed their heads, some smiled, and finally a middle-aged man coughed loudly with a sullen face.
"Creak."
The young monk opened the door and saluted in surprise, "You are..."
"The poor monk Xuanzang was entrusted to pay a visit to the abbot of your temple." Xuanzang's eyes fell involuntarily on the young man ten steps away.
This is an unparalleled handsome young man. Although he is dressed in a cloth robe, he has a tall and straight figure, a high nose, and flying sideburns. There is still snow around him, and the chill is not diminished, but the young man holds his hands politely and smiles like spring. As gentle as jade.
"My garbled words disturbed you all. I would like to apologize." Li Shan bowed in a neither humble nor overbearing manner.
"Who are you?" A young man came out with a smile, "The methods are cunning and cunning. Although the words are good, they have already offended people."
Everyone behind the young man looked strange, and the middle-aged man even had a long face.
"My little boy, Li Shan, came to Chang'an to visit his relatives a few months ago, but he was turned away unexpectedly." The smile on Li Shan's face did not change. "He committed suicide by hanging himself from a beam in anger. The elders sent me here in the hope of using Buddhism to resolve the poison of anger."
Xuanzang folded his hands and saluted, "What is anger?"
"It is said that doing harm to the nature of emotions and pleasures." Li Shan sighed: "The three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance harm the body and mind and lead to reincarnation. They are the origin of evil."
Xuanzang was silent for a moment and then said softly: "Please see the host."
Li Shan led the way without changing his face, but he was cursing in his heart that he came for inspection without notifying him in advance... What he hated most in his previous life was such nonsense as surprise inspections by his superiors.
Across the courtyard in front, Xuanzang, the young man and the dark-faced middle-aged man followed Li Shan into the small hall.
The young man inadvertently looked up and saw a picture hanging on the wall. He stopped and read: "The body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is a mirror stand. Always brush it diligently to prevent it from being stained by dust."
After just one glance, Xuanzang looked away and looked at Li Shan, "Do you preside over the practice in the house?"
"yes."
"Please lead the way."
After walking more than ten steps forward, the middle-aged man was surprised to see another calligraphy hanging on the wall, "Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the beginning, so how can it be stained with dust."
The young man frowned and thought carefully, and sighed: "Brother Keming, these two verses have a Zen meaning."
While pushing the door open to report, Li Shan glanced out of the corner of his eye... Well, this trick was completely useless to Xuanzang, this guy didn't even move his eyelids!
The two people outside had some insights, but Xuanzang went straight inside and saw a withered old monk sitting cross-legged. He saluted and said, "The poor monk Xuanzang is a monk in the Pure Land Temple in Luoyang. He has not asked for advice to preside over the name."
The old monk nodded, but turned to look at Li Shan.
"Presiding over the Dharma name Wuchao." Li Shan whispered: "Zen Master settled in Dongshan Temple many years ago. Since then, he has practiced silent meditation and has been silent for ten years."
Xuanzang, who had always looked calm, was stunned for a moment. How can he discuss Buddhism when he practices closed-mouth meditation?
Regardless of Buddhism, how to check it?
How to know whether this temple should be abolished?
As a disciple of Buddhism, Xuanzang was naturally dissatisfied with the saint's order to dismantle temples, but he encountered this problem when he chose the first one...
Xuanzang was silent for a moment and said, "To reduce the karma of speaking, to eliminate sins and avoid disasters, it is often shown by the wooden sign of forbidden speech, and it is not heard of the matter of not speaking for ten years."
"The mouth is the door to the heart." Li Shan said softly: "When the mouth is closed, all sounds are victorious; when the heart is sinking, everything is lovely."
Seeing Xuanzang deep in thought, Li Shan handed over the two books he had prepared, "These are the records written by the Zen master many years ago, and there are also copies of scriptures passed down."
Xuanzang opened it and took a few glances, then his expression suddenly changed, "This is the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra?"
"Why is it different from the translations of Kumarajiva and Dharmagupta?"
Li Shan breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and it really worked.
"The Mahaprajnaparamita Heart Sutra is also very different from Kumarajiva's translation..."
"Zen Master, where did these scriptures come from?"
Before entering the house, Xuanzang was not cold as ice, but he was also cold and cold. At this moment, he was anxious and his face was flushed... Hey, you are a Buddhist.
Under Xuanzang's fanatical gaze, Zen Master Wuchao's old and skinny face showed a look of relief. He gently raised his hand and stretched out his index finger, a little weakly.
"Zen Master, what do you mean by this?"
Xuanzang was stunned for a moment. When he asked again, Zen Master Wuchao had already closed his eyes.
"Master Li, what does the Zen Master mean?"
Li Shan blinked, thought for a while and shook his head, wondering if Tang Sanzang was stupid. Isn't this obvious?
You have to pay to buy a pair of shoes, but you want to know the origin of the scriptures without paying anything?
When the confused Xuanzang walked out of the room, the two people outside were a little surprised. Although the monk in front of him was young, he was recommended by the Ten Great Virtues. His reputation in the Buddhist world was not low, and he was very knowledgeable. However, he was like this just a moment after entering. Gaffe.
"Zen Master, how are you?" The young man couldn't help but ask.
Xuanzang nodded first, then shook his head, pointed his index finger in the air, and suddenly thought thoughtfully, "This is the south..."
"Oh, we were in the house just now, that was the west!" Li Shan quickly hammered the nail on the head, "The west refers to..."
"It's Tianzhu!" Xuanzang said with high spirits, "It must be the true scripture from Tianzhu!"
Well, that's your guess, it has nothing to do with us.
Next, Li Shan accompanied Xuanzang to the foot of the mountain without hearing any hint from the other party.
Watching the carriage leave, Li Shan wondered whether today's performance was a success or a failure.
Xuanzang must have set out to the West during the Zhenguan period. He was only four years old now. Logically speaking, he should be very interested in the scriptures from Tianzhu... Li Shan couldn't help but guess, could it be that the monk already had the West? To seek scriptures?
Since the first plan failed to solve the problem, we can only use the alternative plan. Li Shan waved to Zhu Ba, "Are you ready?"
"It has been prepared a long time ago. I have already asked someone to follow me. I will know where the monk will stay in the evening."
