This evening, the setting sun slowly put away its last few rays of light.
The vast dusk mist flows diffusely among the mountains.
"Kid, what are you doing here?" Xiao Huineng, who was picking Shanmin fruits on the grass on the hillside, raised his head and saw an old man with a long gray beard standing in front of him.
The old man's thin face was stained with sweat and a thin layer of yellow dust, making him look tired and weak.
He was wearing a faded and frayed black long gown, carrying a simple luggage bag, and showed an elegance in his informality.
Xiao Huineng raised her head, her two big eyes flickering like two black gems in the blue sky: "Grandpa, you are a passerby, do you want to stay here?"
"Oh, how did you know?" The old man felt a little surprised.
"There are no people wearing your clothes in the nearby villages." Xiao Huineng looked at the old man standing in front of him, guessed, and said, what's more, there are barren mountains and ridges everywhere within a ten-mile radius, with no village in front and no store behind. The sun has just gone down. Outsiders arriving at this time are all staying. Although Huineng is young, his answers are quite reasonable.
"You are so smart!" The old man extended his right thumb and praised, "What's your name?"
Xiao Huineng took out a few ripe purple Shanmin fruits from his pocket and handed them to the old man, and then said, "My name is Huineng."
The old man was chewing Shanmin fruit. When he heard the word "Huineng", he couldn't help but be startled. "This seems to be the name of a person in Buddhism. How did you come up with this name?"
"I don't know, everyone in the village calls me that."
"where is your home?"
Xiao Huineng pointed to the south: "It's at the foot of the mountain over there."
Old man: "If you don't mind, please take me to your home, okay?"
Xiao Huineng agreed: "Okay."
After Xiao Huineng finished speaking, he walked in front and led the old man towards home.
Compared with the six-year-old child, the old man's steps were longer. As the two walked, the old man was walking in front unknowingly.
Suddenly, the old man heard Xiao Huineng's clear voice: "Don't move!"
The old man stopped, turned his head, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Xiao Huineng pointed to the ground: "Look."
The old man squinted his presbyopic eyes and looked down. He didn't find anything on the ground, so he shook his head and said, "I didn't see anything?!"
Xiao Huineng stepped forward, squatted down, pointed to a place about two feet away in front of the old man, and said, "Look, aren't the ants moving?"
The old man followed what Xiao Huineng was pointing and looked around. Sure enough, he saw a few lines of ants crossing the mountain road in front of him. Then he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "What you said just now scared me. I thought Something big happened, it turns out you meant the ants were moving."
Xiao Huineng argued rationally: "I won't remind you. You will step on these ants. Your feet are so big, how many ants will you trample to death!"
Hearing what Xiao Huineng said, the old man's heart surged with a wave of heat that he had not experienced for a long time. He stroked Xiao Huineng's round head with his hand and said with emotion: "Ah, in this chaotic world, materialistic desires are rampant, and intrigues and intrigues are everywhere. You will fight to the death. I haven’t seen someone as kind-hearted as you in many years..."
Xiao Huineng said disapprovingly: "The biggest sin in life is killing. Ants are also small spiritual animals. They work all day long, and it is extremely difficult to find two meals."
The old man asked strangely: "Ah, you are so young, how come you speak like an adult?"
Xiao Huineng answered seriously: "This is what my mother taught me since I was a child."
The old man became interested and asked, "What else does your mother teach you?"
Xiao Huineng: "My mother told me that Buddhism regards killing as the first of the ten evils."
The old man deliberately followed Xiao Huineng's words and wanted to test him: "Do you know what the ten evils are?"
"Of course I know." Xiao Huineng closed his eyes slightly, shook his head, and recited, "Among the ten evils, the first is killing, the second is stealing, the third is sexual immorality, the fourth is lying, the fifth is idle talk, and the sixth is two Tongue, seven is evil speech, eight is greed, nine is anger, and ten is wrong view.”
The old man was so surprised that Xiao Huineng's recitation was as big as a bell: "Ah, your memory is so good."
Xiao Huineng: "I will keep all my mother's teachings in mind."
The old man asked again: "What is the opposite of the ten evils?"
Xiao Huineng replied: "Ten good deeds. If you don't commit the ten evils, you are the ten good deeds."
Old man: "Does your mother often recite Buddhist scriptures?"
"Well, she often recited scriptures with her and taught me how to read." Xiao Huineng nodded, "Ah, it's getting late, let's go home quickly."
Xiao Huineng led the old man back to the door, opened his little mouth, and shouted loudly: "Mom, we have a guest!" The clear and tender child's voice was like an oriole singing in the valley at dusk.
After a while, a middle-aged woman came out of the house.
The old gentleman looked around: the woman was wearing a dark blue top with rough fabric. It had obviously been worn for many years and was a little faded.
She didn't wear shoes or socks, and her wide feet were not wrapped in cloth like a rich lady, but were covered with mud. She is Xiao Huineng's mother, Mrs. Li.
Mrs. Li came back from the field and just put down her hoe. After hearing the cry of little Huineng, she hurried out of the house. After meeting the old man, she bowed her body and saluted: "Thank you for your hard work, you came all the way." .”
The old gentleman waved his hand: "I am like a wandering cloud and a wild crane, wandering from east to west without any hardship at all."
"Old sir, if you don't mind the humble abode, please come inside and have tea." Mrs. Li invited me warmly.
The old gentleman entered the house and as soon as he sat down on the pine wooden bench, Mrs. Li handed over freshly brewed camellia.
The old man took a sip and felt that it was fragrant and sweet, so he exclaimed: "Good tea!" The old man, who had been running all day, started drinking with open arms.
Seeing the extraordinary bearing of this old gentleman, Mrs. Li asked, "Where do you come from, sir, and where do you want to go?"
The old man twirled his long beard and sighed: "In this mountainous place, I am not afraid to speak out clearly. This old man is the imperial master..."
It turned out that this old gentleman's surname was Li and his given name was Chunfeng. He was a famous national teacher in the Tang Dynasty.
Li Chunfeng, the great master of the Tang Dynasty, was also a famous astronomer and almanacist in the Tang Dynasty. He was born in Yong, Qizhou. He served as Taishi Ling in the early Tang Dynasty. He was an ancient Chinese scientist and historical and cultural celebrity. He was smart and studious since childhood, and was well-read, especially proficient in astronomy, calendar, mathematics, yin and yang, etc.
Li Chunfeng's father, Li Bo, had served as a local official in the Sui Dynasty. "He abandoned his official position and became a Taoist priest because of his low rank and ambition." Li Bo "was quite learned. He called himself Huang Guanzi, annotated "Laozi", and wrote ten volumes of local chronicles and pictures. ," and wrote "Astronomical Elephant Fu".
Li Chunfeng, who was known as a "child prodigy" since he was a child, became well-read under the influence of his father, and was particularly fond of astronomy, geography, Taoism, and the study of yin and yang. At the age of 9, he went to Jingyun, Nantuo Mountain, Henan Province to worship Taoist Priest Yuan. Be a teacher. He returned to his hometown at the age of 17 and was recommended by Li Shimin's friend Liu Wenjing. He became Li Shimin's adviser and participated in the uprising against the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty.
In 618, Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor and named Li Shimin King of Qin, and Li Chunfeng became the official secretary of the Prince of Qin and joined the army.
The calendar used in the early Tang Dynasty was the "Wuyin Yuanli" compiled by Fu Renjun. This calendar had certain flaws. Li Chunfeng made a detailed study of it and proposed modifications. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty sent people to investigate and adopted some of his suggestions.
In ancient times, calendar compilation was a specialized study that was difficult for ordinary scholars to learn about. Li Chunfeng was only in his twenties when he proposed revisions to the Wuyin Yuanli. This naturally attracted people's attention, and he was praised and awarded the title of General. Lang, entered the Taishi Bureau. Li Chunfeng took to the water like a fish in water and fully demonstrated his talents.
In 618, Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor and named Li Shimin King of Qin, and Li Chunfeng became the official secretary of the Prince of Qin and joined the army.
Li Chunfeng was expelled from the court because of his extreme intelligence and ingenuity, which attracted the jealousy and frame-up of traitorous officials.
Li Chunfeng was observing the sky at night on a bright and clear night, and suddenly he noticed a white auspicious light rushing straight into the world from the direction of Lingnan, shining brightly and lingering for a long time.
He was both excited and confused: because this auspicious sign was a great auspicious omen that was rare and once in ten thousand years, indicating that a great figure who would go down in history was about to be born.
Li Chunfeng watched the sky again at night, puzzled and thought: The Tang Dynasty was in its golden age, and Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was the only emperor in history. Could it be that there are still huge changes brewing between heaven and earth? With a nervous mood, he disguised himself as a Feng Shui master and quietly sneaked to Lingnan.
Li Chunfeng followed the Pearl River estuary where Bodhidharma arrived in China, and went up the river to Zhaoqing, and followed the Xinxing River, a tributary rushing from the southwest.
In the middle and upper reaches of Xinxing River, a series of mountains are crisscrossed, with towering peaks and steep rock walls, winding for more than 300 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 jaws of a giant dragon, there quietly exists a 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.
Li Chunfeng climbed mountains in search of dragons during the day and stayed at the home of Huang Leitian, a wealthy man in Xialu Village at the foot of Longshan Mountain. After many days of mountain climbing and dragon-hunting observation, he discovered that: Longshan Canglong Cave is like a Mani Pearl; it has been nurtured for millions of years and shines brightly for thousands of years.
This feng shui and this dragon vein are clearly the place where emperors were born; however, this auspiciousness and colorful clouds are so peaceful and gentle, without the domineering aura of emperors dominating the world at all. The charm here is more powerful than that of kings. His grace is even more free and easy than that of Wen Quxing.
Li Chunfeng fell into deep thinking: What kind of auspicious omen is this? What kind of person is he who inspires auspicious energy from the earth and auspicious clouds from the sky?
At this time, it is the darkest moment before dawn, the world is in chaos, and the thick morning fog fills all the space, making people feel heavy, depressed, and inexplicably upset.
The series of black mountains are like dead dragons and snakes, crawling in the wilderness...
At midnight, suddenly, a shrill scream came from the village under the dragon-head-shaped mountain peak, followed by a loud newborn cry, like a thunderbolt that cut through the clear sky, shaking the night sky in the mountains and fields, shaking. The whole world.
Then, a ray of red light soared from the inner room, passed through the window lattice, and rushed up to the vast and confusing sky, illuminating the surrounding area in red, and then attracted thousands of colorful lights. At dawn, I saw two monks coming to congratulate...
Li Chunfeng has been searching for dragons for thousands of miles. When he saw all this, the confusion in his heart was relieved. He clasped his hands together and murmured to himself: Amitabha, it turns out that this auspicious sign should be in Buddhism...
Li Chunfeng counted on his fingers: this day was the eighth day of February in the 22nd year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (AD 638).
On this day, exactly a century has passed since Patriarch Bodhidharma passed down the most incredible wisdom in the universe - Zen, to the second ancestor Huike.
On this day, the sixth generation ancestor of Zen Buddhism passed away.
…
It just so happened that a few years later, Li Chunfeng left the prosperous place where shengxiao orchestras played. He followed the dragon veins of the Lingnan Mountains and came to the vicinity of Longshan in Xinzhou. In the evening, he met the man who had passed away in pregnancy on the hillside grassland. Xiao Huineng followed him to stay at his house...
After hearing what the Imperial Master had to say, Mrs. Li also angrily cursed: "There is strife between the government and the opposition, and loyal ministers have no way to serve the country! My husband is also a clear proof."
The Imperial Master's heart was moved, and he raised his head and asked: "Who is your husband?"
"My husband was just like you, a fallen man from the end of the world." Mrs. Li also told Lu Xingxin's story.
After hearing this, the Imperial Preceptor let out a long sigh: "I heard about this before when I was in the court. But the emperor is stupid, alas..."
Mrs. Li went to the kitchen and slaughtered the only old egg-laying hen in the house to entertain the imperial master.
At night, the Imperial Master slept on a temporary hard bed made of pine boards in the living room.
The ground was a muddy ground with many potholes, and only three of the four bed legs touched the ground.
As soon as the Imperial Master turned around, the bed board creaked like a rocking wooden horse.
Outside the window, thick black clouds covered the moon tightly. The stars that usually blink naughtily did not dare to show their faces in the dark night sky, and the earth was completely dark.
The Imperial Master felt deeply about his life experience, recalling that treacherous ministers were successful and loyal ministers were killed in the imperial court, and he couldn't help but feel sad.
However, during the day, he waded through rivers and climbed mountains. He walked too much and his whole body was very tired. As he was thinking about it, he fell asleep unconsciously.
The Imperial Master tossed and turned several times on the bed. In the hazy state, he seemed to hear a slight sound, and suddenly opened his eyes and looked around.
At night, there was nothing strange in the thick black night. The sparse stars outside the window blinked their weak eyes, flashing a faint cold light.
"Is this my own illusion?" The Imperial Master doubted himself a little, but in this silent mountain night, there was indeed a slight sound.
"Where did this slight sound come from?" The Imperial Master squinted his eyes again and listened attentively: Oh, I heard it, this slight sound came from under the bed.
The old man stretched his head out of the mosquito net dyed black with yam and saw a dark thing crawling on the ground. He was suddenly startled and hurriedly lit the small oil lamp placed by the bedside.
The dark hall was immediately filled with flickering yellow light.
The old man looked intently: It turned out that there was a child crouching under his bed, with the small palm of his right hand reaching into the foot of the bed that could not reach the ground.
"Ah - Xiao Huineng!" The old man immediately jumped out of bed, took out his right hand from the foot of the bed for Xiao Huineng, and said in a reproachful tone, "It's late at night. If you don't sleep in a bed, lie down on the ground. What to do?"
Xiao Huineng rubbed his sore palms and said, "I saw you tossing and turning and couldn't sleep. I knew the bed was uneven and one of the legs couldn't touch the ground."
The old man said nonchalantly: "If the foot of the bed is not level, then it's not level."
Xiao Huineng said in a serious tone: "You can't sleep. I see in my eyes that you will be thinking about this matter all night long and you won't be able to sleep. You have been rushing for days and the soles of your feet are almost worn out; and when you get up early tomorrow morning , it’s too hard to drive through the mountain road. I think, instead of both you and me being unable to sleep this night, it’s better for me to work harder myself and let you have a good sleep first.”
The old man said a little angrily: "You don't need to use your palms to prop up the feet of the bed. You can just find stones."
Xiao Huineng explained: "The sky is so dark, it is not easy to find a stone with the right height and size for Huineng. Besides..."
Old man: "Besides what?"
Xiao Huineng murmured for a while before answering: "Besides, I'm afraid that when I look for stones, the slightest sound will wake you up."
Old man: "So, you put your palms under the foot of the bed and flattened the foot of the bed?"
Xiao Huineng nodded: "Hmm."
"Your palm doesn't hurt?"
"It hurts, of course it hurts! But thinking that you can sleep peacefully, I try my best to endure it."
Hearing what Xiao Huineng said, the unnamed Imperial Master felt a heat wave welling up from the bottom of his heart, rolling straight to his throat. His nose felt unbearably sore, and when he took a breath, two lines of old tears fell from the dryness. His eyes swished down. He hugged little Huineng tightly and praised sincerely: "You, a six-year-old child, have such a perfect and sincere understanding, you are really the Buddha."
