Chapter 144 Meditation (Part 2)

Style: Historical Author: The Eleventh Young Master of HongmenWords: 1655Update Time: 24/01/11 22:06:52
It is said that one day, one of the disciples of the Buddha came to meditate in the forest outside the city together with the great disciple of the Buddha.

The eldest disciple spread a cushion next to a big tree and meditated under the tree. The disciple knew that there was a cave under the nearby cliff, which was also a good place for meditation, so he went to the cave to sit in meditation.

That disciple was an experienced practitioner and soon entered samadhi.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt bitten by something. His body and mind immediately came out of the meditative state. When he opened his eyes, he found a very small poisonous snake! The disciple was very aware of the power of this venomous snake. He understood that once bitten by it, the poison would spread very quickly and no medicine would be able to cure it.

This means that he will die soon.

Sure enough, the disciple could feel the snake venom spreading rapidly in his body. But he was not frightened and called Shariputra as usual.

The eldest disciple heard the call and came out of meditation.

The disciple said: "Senior Brother, I was bitten by a poisonous snake. Please find a few people to carry me out of here before the poisonous gas reaches my heart."

The eldest disciple didn't believe it, and looked at his face carefully and said, "No way? Your voice calling me has not changed, and now I see that your face has not changed either. I have seen people bitten by poisonous snakes, their faces The panic, fear, despair, and pain are indescribable! And if you were really bitten by a poisonous snake, how could you look so calm, so serene, and so nonchalant?"

The disciple smiled and said: "Brother, the Buddha has long said that our body is just a combination of the four elements. For a bhikkhu who has realized the emptiness of his nature, his mind is always in a state of meditation. Zhong, Ruru is motionless, so even if my body is injured by a poisonous snake, my complexion will not change much."

The first disciple was greatly moved. He clasped his hands to the disciple and said, "You are right. A monk like you who has cultivated to the rank of Arhat has been liberated from both the spirit and the body, and is forever freed from the suffering of reincarnation."

The eldest disciple gathered people and carried the disciple to the clearing in the forest.

The poison in that disciple's body began to take effect. But he sat there, just like he usually meditated, with a calm and peaceful expression until the end of his life.

This is the magical power of meditation of a Zen practitioner. Throughout the ages, thousands of Zen masters have demonstrated this incredible wonder!

Sitting quietly can lead to a state of meditation. However, meditation is not the same as sitting still.



After several months of meditation, Zhang Shaofei has completely understood: Meditation is a state of mental immobility. If you blindly confine your body and sit in meditation all day long, it will be like a stubborn stone and dead tree, which will not be of much benefit to enlightenment of life. .

One day, he overheard Zen Master Huiming, who lived next door, reciting "Tutu". After reciting for a while, Zen Master Huiming sighed: "If the meaning of the sutra is like this, what's the use of sitting empty?"

After Zhang Shaofei heard this, he went to visit Zen Master Huiming.

Zen Master Huiming came from Dalin Temple in Lushan Mountain.

Dalin Temple is only across the river from Huangmei Dongshan Zen Temple, so he was very familiar with Master Hongren, the fifth ancestor of Zen Buddhism.

From the conversation with Zhang Shaofei, Zen Master Huiming knew that he was a generation of dragons and elephants and was not suitable for practicing in this small temple. He said to him: "You should be a talent like a big roc spreading its wings and roaring in the sky. This little A bird's nest is not a place for you to rest. I have long heard that Master Hongren of Huangmei Shuangfeng Mountain is opening a Zen sect. He is the Fifth Patriarch with profound Taoism. You can go to him to study Buddhism."

After listening to Zen Master Huiming's words, Zhang Shaofei decided to stick to his original intention and go north to practice Zen. But Zhang Shaofei was a very kind man, and Zen Master Huiyuan regarded him very highly. He could not bear to live up to the old Zen Master's kindness, and he could not leave without saying goodbye, so he had to stay in Shimen Temple for some time.

One day, Zen Master Huiyuan discussed the wonderful use of meditation with him. Zhang Shaofei said: "Zen concentration does not only exist in sitting quietly. In our daily life, concentrating on doing one thing and working without distraction is meditation. People often say, ' Wherever sincerity reaches, metal and stone will open. This kind of concentration relies on, which is the power of meditation. Without perseverance and concentration, people will never be able to achieve anything. For example, when a person is thinking deeply about a difficult problem, His thoughts were all focused on this point. Not only did he forget to eat and sleep, even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of his eyes and the thunder exploded in his ears, he would turn a blind eye and listen but not hear. This is also meditation. In addition, people often praise good paintings and beautiful articles as the pen of a miracle. It should be noted that these magical strokes all come from the author's immersion in the state of selflessness, corresponding with concentration, and the flash of inspiration... These can be said to be the magical effects of meditation."

Zen Master Huiyuan stared at this young man in stunned silence, as if he didn't recognize him.

After a long time, he let out a long sigh and said with some sadness: "Zhang Shaofei, I originally wanted to keep you in Shimen Temple and inherit my mantle in the future. I didn't expect that your ability to comprehend is so extraordinary. It seems that I really don't have the ability. Teach you. The grand discussion you just made seems to be very consistent with the Zen method of Master Huang Mei Hongren. His Dongshan method is inherited from Patriarch Bodhidharma. You should go and worship him as your teacher."

Zhang Shaofei was moved by Zen Master Huiyuan's noble character and broad-mindedness as a Zen practitioner. He respectfully kowtowed three times to Zen Master Huiyuan, reluctantly said goodbye to Shimen Temple in Xishan, continued to cross Meiguan, and headed north.

In other words, before Zhang Shaofei visited Master Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, he had already had a certain understanding of the Nirvana Sutra. After arriving at Dongchan Temple, the specific atmosphere there enabled him to use his understanding of Buddhism to a greater extent in adversity. Incisively and vividly.