"The disaster has not been eliminated for a day, so we will continue to give out porridge!" The Sixth Patriarch said as he personally distributed porridge to the people at the scene.
Many people in the crowd recognized the Sixth Patriarch and whispered: "It's the Sixth Patriarch. It's the Sixth Patriarch who has come to save us..."
The Sixth Patriarch continued: "Disasters from heaven are warning us that we must work together to overcome difficulties. The more difficult this time is, the more important it is to help each other!"
As a result, people automatically lined up in order.
The Sixth Patriarch got off the grinding wheel, walked to the end of the line, and helped up a sick and old man.
People gave way to them.
The Sixth Patriarch said emotionally: "Thank you all, thank you all! Being courteous to the elderly and caring for the young are the eternal virtues of China. In this time of crisis, as long as we help each other, we will definitely be able to tide over the difficulties!"
The Sixth Patriarch helped the old man to his side. Fahai served him porridge, and the old man poured it into his mouth impatiently, choking and coughing.
The Sixth Patriarch beat him on the back and said, "Old man, don't be anxious. As long as I can do my best, I will not let another one of you starve to death!"
The old man nodded with tears in his eyes.
Zhiche replaced Fahai who was sweating. The Sixth Patriarch said to him: "Fa Hai, the most urgent task now is to set up porridge restaurants widely to help the victims in all directions."
Fa Hai wiped his sweat and said breathlessly: "Master, we have set up 18 porridge shacks on the roads that the victims must pass through."
The Sixth Patriarch said, "It's not enough, we need to set up more."
Fahai said, "We don't have enough manpower. More importantly, the amount of rice and noodles required is too large and there is no time to transport it."
The Sixth Patriarch thought for a while and said, "If we don't have enough manpower, we can organize the victims to help themselves. As for rice and noodles, we go to wealthy families to beg for alms, use my Buddha's compassion to influence them, and open warehouses to give alms. If that doesn't work, we will pay for the surplus grain in their inventory." "
Fahai said: "I will handle it right away."
A little girl ran towards the corner of the street holding a porridge pot in both hands. She accidentally fell and the earthen pot broke into pieces. She cried loudly while holding the porridge sprinkled on the dust with her hands.
The Sixth Patriarch filled the porridge in his own bowl, brought it to her, pulled her up and said, "My child, don't cry, don't cry. Here, drink."
The little girl took the bowl and ran to the street corner again.
The Sixth Patriarch chased her while shouting: "My child, don't run away, just drink it here. If it's not enough, you can fill it up again."
The little girl said without looking back, "I'll give it to my mother first. She's starving to death." The Sixth Patriarch hurriedly followed her. In a corner of a ruined house, the Sixth Patriarch caught up with the girl. On the haystack in the corner, a semi-conscious middle-aged woman was lying.
The little girl handed the porridge bowl to the middle-aged woman's mouth. The middle-aged woman's lips moved, but she was unable to raise her head.
The Sixth Patriarch helped her up and leaned against the wall.
Huizhan helped the little girl feed the porridge to the middle-aged woman's mouth.
The middle-aged woman drank faster and faster. After half a bowl of porridge, she regained her vitality.
She opened her misty eyes, and the smiling Sixth Patriarch became the shining Guanyin Bodhisattva in her eyes.
She murmured: "The Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, saves the suffering Guanyin Bodhisattva..."
When the Sixth Patriarch saw the middle-aged woman regaining consciousness, he quietly left.
Little girl: "Mom, that's not Guanyin Bodhisattva. It was the Sixth Patriarch who saved us by giving porridge."
The middle-aged woman was stunned for a moment, closed her eyes and opened them again. What she saw was the back of an old monk.
The little girl said: "Mom, he is the Sixth Patriarch!"
The middle-aged woman looked at the almost disappearing figure and murmured: "The Sixth Patriarch is the living Bodhisattva..."
…
What the Sixth Patriarch was most worried about has happened: the plague, this demon dragging a huge shadow, is approaching step by step!
It was the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and the weather was extremely hot. The ownerless corpses that died of illness and starvation quickly decomposed, with maggots crawling around, flies flying everywhere, and the stench was overwhelming!
What is even more frightening is that the epidemic, the most brutal killer of mankind in history, has begun to spread...
Rotting corpses are everywhere. If it is not buried quickly, the soil, water wells, and air will be seriously polluted, and mosquitoes and flies carrying germs are everywhere, so an unprecedented plague will be inevitable!
Who is not afraid of being infected?
Therefore, no one dared to bury the ownerless rotting corpses carrying plague germs...
If I don’t go to hell, who will? The Sixth Patriarch decided to personally lead his disciples to bury the corpses.
However, something unexpected happened.
It turned out that the dead bodies exposed in the wilderness were gone and all were buried.
Moreover, those who died of the plague were cremated with firewood!
Who is so compassionate?
So fearless?
Finally, the Sixth Patriarch saw that person next to a fire where corpses were cremated - the old monk with scars on his face who had been cleaning the road in front of the mountain gate of Baolin Temple all year round.
He seemed to have been infected with the plague, lying feebly by the fire.
When he found the Sixth Patriarch and several disciples walking towards him, he hurriedly waved his hands to stop everyone from approaching him.
The Sixth Patriarch did not stop and walked towards him.
He used up his last strength, struggled to stand up, and tried to hide away...
"Yingyin...Yingyin...Yingyin Zen Master——" The Sixth Patriarch sent out affectionate calls one after another! The old monk subconsciously froze in place. Immediately, his back was shaking violently...
"Fellow, Zen Master Yingyin!" The Sixth Patriarch continued to call, and his trembling voice showed that he was already in tears...
The old monk finally turned around - he was indeed Yan Fakui, a fellow Xinzhou fellow of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, and Zhike Yingyin of Dongshan Temple!
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said sincerely: "Yingyin, I have known it was you for a long time. For decades, I have been looking forward to you meeting me with your true self..."
Yingyin covered his face with his hands and sobbed silently.
The Sixth Patriarch extended his hands of forgiveness and welcome to him.
Yingyin cried bitterly and blamed himself endlessly: "Sixth Patriarch, I, I, I... I deserve death, I am full of sin, I..."
"Ahem——" The Sixth Patriarch shouted and interrupted him: "Yingyin, there is nothing in the first place, where can you cause dust?!"
Yingyin was stunned for a moment, and then, his face, which was already dying, suddenly radiated a dazzling brilliance - inspired by the Sixth Patriarch, he suddenly became enlightened!
The radiance of enlightenment illuminated his life. He said dreamily: "Master Namo, the Sixth Patriarch..."
The Sixth Patriarch was relieved, smiled happily, and walked towards him step by step. Yingyin hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Sixth Patriarch, Sixth Patriarch, don't come over, I have been infected with the plague..."
The Sixth Patriarch seemed not to have heard, and still walked towards him with an affectionate smile.
However, Yingyin retreated step by step, and had already retreated to the fire where the dead body was cremated! Suddenly, he turned around and jumped into the blazing fire!
"Yingyin, old—xiang—" the Sixth Patriarch let out a heart-rending cry.
Amidst the rolling flames, Yingyin sat cross-legged, with a peaceful smile on his face red by the firelight...
The Zen monks who witnessed all this knelt down and collectively recited the Rebirth Mantra:
Namo Ami Poha...
The Sixth Patriarch seemed to be unsteady on his feet because of excessive grief, and his body began to sway. Hui Zhan, who was always paying attention to his master, quickly handed him the Zen staff.
The Sixth Patriarch picked up the Zen staff and started to dance slowly...
As his Zen staff danced, a breeze rose from under the grass blades and blew slowly across the field... He danced faster and faster, and danced faster and faster.
But just at this moment, dark clouds rolled in and strong winds blew...
A bolt of lightning shot out of the dark clouds - a thunder crashed on the ground - and heavy rain fell from the sky...
