Inspired by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng's broad mind and infinite compassion, this stubborn Yingyin finally repented and became a Buddha immediately.
This is Zen, the wisdom of Zen, the breadth and depth of Zen, the attitude of a Zen person, and the style of a Zen person! It was the Sixth Patriarch Huineng who cultivated the seeds of Zen sown by Bodhidharma during his eastward journey to Cathay (China) into towering trees and made them flourish into forests.
When it comes to Zen, we have to start with Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism.
Everyone, let us travel through time and space to trace the history of Bodhidharma's "crossing from the ocean to the east and sowing the seeds of Zen"——
In 527 AD, when Bodhidharma's bare feet set foot on the solid land of Guangzhou in the South China Sea of Cathay (known in history as the place where he first came), Emperor Wu of Liang was practicing Buddhism.
However, due to disagreements with Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty, Bodhidharma drifted to Songshan Mountain in Henan Province and sat facing the wall in Taikoo Cave. Bodhidharma sat there for nine whole years. Bodhidharma faced the wall, waiting for someone, and this person was Huike (the second ancestor).
Huike's original name was Shenguang. He had a square head, big ears, and was extremely intelligent. After he heard about Bodhidharma facing the wall, he had a clear understanding and immediately went to seek Dharma from this patriarch from the Buddha's hometown.
When Shenguang came to Songshan Mountain in great excitement, he met with disappointment in Taikoo Cave - Bodhidharma sat facing the wall all day long, silent and motionless, letting Shenguang beg in every possible way and tell it a thousand times, always with his eyelids. Didn't even lift it.
From spring to summer, from summer to autumn, from autumn to winter, Bodhidharma faced the wall every day, and his divine light hit the wall every day. But he persevered and his pursuit of truth remained unswerving. In the twelfth lunar month of winter, Shen Guang insisted on asking Bodhidharma to accept him as his disciple every day, but Bodhidharma still ignored him.
However, in order to seek the supreme road, Shenguang made up his mind: If you don't agree to my request, I will stand outside the cave and never leave.
This day is the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. The weather is cold, the air is frosty, and the dripping water turns into ice.
The cold wind was like a sharp knife, making small cracks on Shenguang's cheek again and again; the cold air was like an ice snake, drilling into the seams of his bones from the soles of his feet, torturing his nerves... Shenguang was also like Bodhidharma, motionless.
At night, heavy snow fell from the sky. The wind swept the snow, hitting her face and falling into her collar, making her tremble with the cold.
But despite the biting cold and raging wind and snow, he insisted on standing outside the cave.
The night is getting deeper and deeper; the snow is falling more and more heavily; the wind is getting stronger and stronger...
The north wind was strong all night, and the snow was still falling at dawn.
The divine light that had stood outside the Taikoo Cave all night was covered with white snow, covered with frost flowers, and covered with ice pendants, as if the frost had solidified and the ice was carved out of snow.
Bodhidharma's consciousness came out of meditation and glanced outside the cave.
So, he saw the snowman-like light in his eyes and asked calmly: "You stood in the snow all night. What do you want to ask for?"
Master Bodhidharma finally spoke! Shen Guang was ecstatic and extremely excited. Two lines of tears, whether bitter or salty, flowed down...
After a long while, the divine light popped out a sentence intermittently from the teeth that were so cold that it rattled: "Great... Master, Ci... Ci... Compassion, for... for... I... open... the nectar method."
Patriarch Bodhidharma glanced at him sideways and said slowly: "The supreme and wonderful Dharma of the Buddhas is something that has been cultivated over a long period of time, through doing difficult things, enduring unbearable emotions, working hard for many lives, and spending countless kalpas. With such a little bit, you can You just want to endure it?"
When Bodhidharma said this, he said disapprovingly: "Hmph! What do you mean by standing in knee-deep snow? If you want to know my mind, it will only be red snow from the sky!"
Red snow falling from the sky? This is impossible! In other words, there is no hope for divine light to seek supreme enlightenment.
Shen Guang was hungry and cold, and at this moment, his heart, which was twitching with despair, was even more painful.
He could endure the raging wind and snow, but he could not accept the reality of being rejected by Bodhidharma.
At this time, a dense pine tree on the cliff had too much snow on the crown, and all its branches were bent downwards.
The snow is still falling, and the snow on the trees is still increasing. It seems that the pine trees can no longer bear the huge weight, and the big trees may collapse at any time...
With a "click" sound, one of the longest branches on the tree broke.
Because the balance of the whole tree was broken, it shook violently at that moment, and the snow fell one after another.
Although the pine tree lost a strong branch, it gained the life of the entire tree.
Witnessing all this, Shen Guang was suddenly inspired: Buddha Sakyamuni broke bones to extract marrow, risking his own life in order to seek Dharma and enlightenment.
Buddha can do it, why can't I do it?
In order to show his determination to seek the law to the death, and to show his sincerity from the bottom of his heart, Shenguang drew out his sword and slashed at his left arm...
At this time, a miracle occurred. The blood spurting out from Shenguang's broken arm dyed the snowflakes floating in the air red, and dyed the white snow red.
Shen Guang was ecstatic and shouted to Patriarch Bodhidharma: "Master, look, look, it's red snow falling from the sky! It's really snowing red!"
Patriarch Bodhidharma couldn't help but burst into tears.
He did not expect that Shen Guang would cut off his arm on his own in order to seek the Dharma.
He said very passionately: "Yes, yes! When all the Buddhas in the past were seeking the Dharma, just like you now, they all forgot themselves and sacrificed their lives for the Dharma. You have proven with your actions that you are fully qualified to continue the Buddha's Zen." His wise destiny."
The name Huike came from this (from then on, Shenguang changed his name to Huike).
This divine light broke an arm and made him tremble in pain, but he did not say that he was in pain, but said: "Master, I am heartbroken and uneasy. Please reassure me."
It turns out that Shenguang is asking Bodhidharma in disguise for the true meaning of Buddhist Zen.
Therefore, the heart he talks about is not our heart in the usual sense, but our true heart. Although the heart is invisible and formless, it can think, delusion, speak, discern sounds, move hands, raise eyebrows and blink eyes... Omnipresent and omnipotent.
What Buddhism calls "clear mind and seeing one's nature", that there is no difference between mind, Buddha and living beings, refers to this heart.
When Patriarch Bodhidharma heard Shenguang say that he was heartbroken and uneasy, his eyes widened with strange eyes. He suddenly stretched out a big hand in front of him and shouted loudly: "Bring your heart, I will make you feel at ease!"
The moment Bodhidharma stretched out his hand in front of his eyes, Shenguang clearly felt that he was hit by an invisible but tangible force.
He was dumbfounded and astonished. If he had some realization, he couldn't explain it...
Bodhidharma's big hand suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, spanning the whole world between heaven and earth, and seemed to be emitting a faint red light.
It keeps asking for the divine light: bring your heart, bring...your heart...come!
When we use our heart, the true heart is everywhere and omnipotent, but after we use it, it disappears without a trace, formless and formless. Where can I find such a heart?
Shen Guang was stunned for a long time and murmured: "Master, you asked me to get the heart, but where is the heart? I can't find it!"
"Take your heart and I'll give it to you!" Bodhidharma yelled again.
His roar was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in front of Shen Guangmian's door, suddenly shattering his random thoughts.
Yes, since you can't find your heart, why are you still heartbroken? Since there is no trace in your heart, what else can you put there? You can’t find what you want, I’ll give you peace of mind! The fog has cleared and the sun is shining brightly. Divine light is the aura of wisdom in the heart.
God's light gave him great enlightenment.
...
Flowers bloom and fall for several spring and autumn periods.
On a bleak autumn day, Patriarch Bodhidharma said to Huike: "I am about to pass away. Now I will formally teach you the four volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra and a cassock. As the second ancestor of the Eastern Land, you should know the heavy burden on your shoulders. . Dongtu Zen Lantern, it’s up to you to continue.”
Huike stood silently while Patriarch Bodhidharma spoke a verse:
I originally came from this land to teach the Dharma and save people from confusion.
One flower blooms with five leaves, and the fruit grows naturally.
...
Along the Pearl River Estuary where Bodhidharma arrived in China, and upstream to the Xijiang River, there is a tributary rushing from the southwest called Xinjiang. In the middle and upper reaches of the Xinjiang River, a series of mountains are crisscrossed, with towering peaks and steep rock walls, winding for more than fifty miles, like a black dragon lying on the riverside. Therefore, the locals call it Longshan.
Under the peak shaped like a dragon's head, like a treasure carefully hidden under the jaw of a giant dragon, there quietly exists a small village.
The crouching dragon leaps, soars in the blue sky and pours nectar, and the neon clouds fly in seven colors; the orb is born, shining brightly on Kyushu, and its charm will last forever.
In the land of Zhongling, there should be people who are outstanding among their kind and outstanding; mountains and rivers are strange, and there are sages who shine with the sun and shine with the moon.
Therefore, for thousands of years, local people have always said that there is a dragon vein lurking under Longshan Mountain. Once the opportunity is ripe, a generation of sages will be born from here.
