I scratched my head a little, and I said that I don’t have a teaching position, so it’s useless for you to seek apprenticeship from me. You have to find another master.
But Bai Xiaoyan told me seriously that her Baihu had said that no matter who gave her a title, her master could only be me.
She has been following me for the rest of her life.
I was a little speechless, so I asked her why, why did she still depend on me?
She said she didn’t rely on me anymore. The white fox told her clearly in the dream, because in my previous life, I was her master...
This made me a little confused. How did I become her master in my previous life?
She said she didn't know, but that's what the white fox said.
Since she wanted to take action and her senses were really strong now, I gave it some thought and then let her choose her own master. As for her future practice, she could follow me.
She didn't quite understand, so she asked me how to choose a master. Can I still choose this thing by myself?
I say that choosing a master is very important. Many people just don't choose the right master, and they go through repeated trials and tribulations, making everything unsatisfactory for them and suffering all the ups and downs.
Therefore, you must be cautious when taking action, never be careless, let alone listen to others' deception, and remember to follow your inner thoughts.
She didn't understand anymore and asked me what should I do.
I told her not to rush into action yet, let herself calm down for a while, communicate more with her immortal family, and ask the masters behind her more so that they can choose a suitable master.
If the master is wrong, he would rather not take action than make a fuss about it.
After hearing what I said, Bai Xiaoyan calmed down, tried to communicate with the Xian family, and quietly waited for the Xian family's guidance.
In fact, I like her mentality very much. She is not only obedient, but also very smart. She can be neither impatient nor impatient, which is really rare.
To be honest, when I first started, I was not as stable as her.
At that time, there was a very sensational news, that is, the Buddha's top relics unearthed from the underground palace of Nanjing Buddhist Temple were officially put on display.
I knew about this when I was in Nanjing two years ago. I didn’t expect that after two years, the Buddha’s top relic would finally be made public.
It's a pity that I could only read about such a sensational thing in the news, but I didn't have the chance to go to Nanjing to see the Buddha's top relic with my own eyes.
But this incident touched me, especially in those days when I had been reciting the Diamond Sutra. Every time I recited the sutra, the feeling was very strong. Once, I even had a vision in my mind and saw gods and Buddhas all over the sky.
There are also endless Sanskrit chants that echo in my ears for a long time.
I remember that what I saw at that time were four Buddha statues, three of which I knew: Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Buddha.
There is another Buddha statue that I don't quite recognize. It is the image of a bald monk, wearing cassocks and holding a tin staff. He has a peaceful expression and a solemn appearance.
I told Uncle Ma the next day, and he told me without hesitation: "When the opportunity comes, go and bring the Buddha statue back."
I'm still a little confused, I said this...isn't it good?
Because I always feel that Uncle Ma is a Taoist and I am his disciple after all. If I were to make offerings to Buddha, I would not be very respectful to him.
Uncle Ma was very generous. He said there was nothing wrong with this. Don't be obsessed with those external appearances. As the saying goes, the three religions are one family. Although you are my disciple, you have not entered Taoism. Wouldn’t it be better to practice both Buddhism and Taoism?
Seeing that Uncle Ma had no objection, I stopped thinking about it. In fact, I had already had this idea, so I immediately went to Kek Lok Temple to ask for the Buddha statue.
The three figures in front went well, but I still don't know which one is the bald monk in the back.
After looking around, I found a Buddha statue that was exactly the same as the bald monk!
I asked people who this was, and the eldest lady at the Buddhist shop told me that this was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!
It suddenly dawned on me. Somehow, I felt trembling all over my body at this moment, and an uncontrollable excitement surged through my body in an instant.
Without saying a word, I immediately decided to invite this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva home!
At that time, the eldest sister also told me that most people’s homes do not have many offerings to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, so young man, you have a great destiny.
I asked her why, and the eldest sister said it was because Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is also the leader of the Netherworld. If the offerings are not good, or if there is some kind of spiritual inspiration, it is easy for the family to attract things.
This principle is the same as ordinary people cannot recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra.
At that time, I didn’t know if what she said was right. After returning home, I offered these four Buddha statues.
But someone else told me that it is wrong to offer odd numbers to the Buddha, such as one, three, five, seven, or two or four.
I felt uneasy, so I ran to Jile Temple and asked an old layman.
The old layman told me that this is right. There are many things to pay attention to when making offerings to the Buddha. You cannot make offerings randomly and you must do so according to the law.
So I looked around in the store again, trying to find the number of five statues, but I couldn't find the Buddha statue I wanted to buy.
It happened that a master came out of the temple at this time, so I followed him, put my hands together, and humbly asked the master for advice, asking him, what is the right way to make offerings to the Buddha?
The master smiled and told me some truth.
He said that there are actually no restrictions on how to make offerings to the Buddha, it all depends on your own motivation.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are all enlightened beings who do not eat the fireworks of the world and do not need our support. However, in order to educate and transform sentient beings and facilitate their practice, they show compassion and accept our offerings to provide us with a convenient way to practice.
What we offer to the Buddha is our own piety and respect, and we offer to the Buddha with a sincere and pure heart, so there is no limit on the number.
The same goes for offerings. Some people often say that there are limits on the quantity and type of offerings, but in fact, Buddha does not care about these. For Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the best offering is the true belief in Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in one's heart.
Therefore, if you accumulate virtue and do good deeds and are a kind-hearted person, even if you do not burn earthly incense or offer earthly things, your pure heart and piety are the best offerings in the world.
If you have to make up the numbers because of the so-called quantity limit, then you will lose the original intention of making offerings to the Buddha. As the saying goes, Bodhi is not a tree, and a mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, so where can it cause dust?
Those who impose many rules on worshiping the Buddha are actually human thoughts and ideas and are not the original intention of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas at all.
After listening to this master's words, I suddenly felt enlightened.
So until now, I have been worshiping the four Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I think the master is right. Whether you are worshiping the Buddha or learning Buddhism, it all depends on how you set your mind. If you have to be restricted by something, you will give birth to many things. Delusion and anger.
A few days later, Bai Xiaoyan suddenly came to me and said that she had magically seen me when she was meditating just now.
I was very curious and asked her what she saw?
She said that not only did she see me, she also saw her receptionist.
