Huineng was a well-known filial son.
Hui Neng walked home on the mountain path. He felt very sad when he thought that he had to go far away to pray for Buddha, leaving his mother alone at home. However, the desire to devote oneself to Buddhism is like a blazing fire. Roasting his heart.
After returning home, Huineng told his mother what had happened in the past few days.
A look of sadness appeared on Mrs. Li's face: "Neng'er, the Lu family has been here for generations, and now you are the only one surviving. I still hope that you can pass on the family tree and continue the Lu family tree, so that the cigarettes will continue to smoke for generations. Do you want to Think about it seriously!”
Huineng replied: "Mother, I have thought about it again and again. From the perspective of the four seas, the continuation of the Lu family's lineage is only a trivial one. If I become a Buddhist and practice hard, I will succeed in the future. Zhengguo, if the family is passed down like this, there will be thousands of successors, this is the real Bandai cigarette!"
"This..." Ms. Li didn't expect her son to answer like this, and she mumbled for a long time but couldn't form any words. Although she usually reads the Bible, she doesn't understand its meaning. Moreover, now she is exposed to the actual situation at home.
At this time, my uncle arrived carrying a load of new rice and some dried potatoes and mountain goods.
There is a saying in the countryside, "Thunder God in the sky, uncle in the ground." Huineng lost his father when he was three years old, so his uncle's majesty became even more prominent and important.
Mrs. Li knew that her uncle loved Huineng very much and would definitely not let him go as a monk this time, so she said to Huineng: "Well, if you ask your uncle, if he agrees with you to go, then you go; if he doesn't agree, then you can go." You don’t need to waste any more words on me.”
So Huineng came to his uncle and told him that he was leaving his hometown and going to Dongchan Temple in Hubei to seek Buddha.
When his uncle heard that Huineng had this idea, he felt nervous for a while and advised him: "Aneng, it would be unspeakably miserable to escape into Buddhism and meditate!"
Hui Neng said calmly: "What's so terrible about suffering? Don't you and my mother always teach me, 'Only when you endure hardship can you become a master'?"
The uncle was immediately blocked by him, and muttered: "This..."
Huineng's tone was firm: "I heard from people that Bodhidharma once faced a wall for nine years. As long as I can become a Buddha and save all sentient beings, I can endure any suffering."
"That's what I say, but it's really hard to do it!" The uncle shook his head.
Huineng begged again and again, but his uncle still refused.
After his uncle put away his things, he went home.
Huineng chased his uncle, walking and grinding all the way to the end of Jiusu Village.
Seeing that his earnest attempts to persuade him were ineffective, his uncle deliberately raised a difficult problem to make Huineng give up his ambition.
The uncle said to Huineng, "If you want to become a monk, you can, but we have a condition."
Hui Neng replied calmly: "As long as you allow me to go to Dongchan Temple, I will agree to your huge conditions."
"You come with me." My uncle took Huineng to the entrance of the village, pointed at the standing boulder and said, "If you can move this boulder away, then go ahead!"
Huineng asked loudly, "Uncle, do you really mean what you said?"
My uncle also replied loudly: "Seriously!"
Huineng raised his voice again: "You won't regret it?"
My uncle also answered in a louder voice: "Your mother and I have already made an agreement and will never regret it!"
"Okay!" Huineng agreed. He believed that sincerity would lead to success.
This huge stone is about one foot high and eight feet wide. It has been mottled by wind and rain and stands at the entrance of the village.
Huineng put incense sticks in front of the boulder, lit candles, knelt down on his knees, clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and prayed softly: "May the Buddha appear from heaven and split the boulder for me."
The scorching sun was in the sky, shooting down thousands of burning tongues of fire. The broad banana leaves at the edge of the village curled up in the sun, and the Setaria japonica that used to look up and down hung its head feebly. There are wisps of swaying water vapor floating on the road. As people walk over, a cloud of smoke appears with each step.
Sweat flowed from Huineng's head down his face, and the ground was also wet with a large puddle.
Li peeped secretly from the shade of a tree in the distance. Seeing this scene, she felt really distressed. However, in order to make Huineng look back at the ordeal, she clenched her fists tightly, gritted her teeth, and endured it without disturbing him. .
Huineng's faith was as solid as a rock. Regardless of day or night, regardless of the sun or rain, he knelt on the ground, silently recited the "Diamond Sutra" and prayed with his eyes closed.
After many days, my uncle felt uncomfortable and quietly went to take a peek.
Suddenly there was a thunder in the blue sky thousands of miles away, shaking the sky and the earth.
A dazzling bolt of lightning swept down from the sky and struck straight at the boulder like a sharp sword.
Sparks flew from the boulder and smoke rose.
When the smoke cleared, Huineng opened his eyes and said ecstatically: "God help me!"
It turned out that the middle of the boulder had been split into two sides.
Some scholars say, "Where sincerity reaches, gold and stone will open." This is where this idiom comes from.
Witnessing this wonderful scene, my uncle couldn't help but sigh: "God's will! This is God's will!"
So, he took Huineng back to Xialu Village.
Mrs. Li originally thought that a difficult problem that ordinary people could never solve would make Huineng give up his ambition to become a monk. Unexpectedly, the huge stone at the entrance of the village was split open by thunder and lightning. To be honest, she and Huineng were dependent on each other, and they were unwilling to let their son leave just like that. They became a monk and escaped into Buddhism, and they even wanted to stop him.
But my uncle understood the righteousness well: "Sister, the words you speak are like spilled water. You can't take them back. Besides, we made a vow to Huineng."
Li was embarrassed: "This..."
The uncle looked seriously and said to Mr. Li: "Sister, Huineng'er is devoted to the Buddha, and even the thunder and lightning from heaven and earth came out to help him. It seems that this is God's will, and it is really difficult for us to violate it."
After hearing this, Mrs. Li shed tears sadly: "According to the laws of nature, this is indeed the case, but if Neng'er becomes a monk and becomes a monk, my Lu family's cigarettes will be discontinued. Back then, Xu Guoshi's promise that my family could have cigarettes handed down for generations to come has become an empty promise. My husband feels uneasy on the Huangquan Road!"
The uncle waved his hand: "Sister, what you said is wrong."
Mrs. Li pouted in dissatisfaction: "Brother, why did you say such a thing? Are you favoring the capable ones?"
"Sister, I am of the same flesh and blood as you, why would I go out of my way to help Huineng? We must act in accordance with the laws of nature." The uncle looked solemn, "As the saying goes, if a son does good, the Nine Patriarchs will ascend to heaven. Huineng was right that day. If he achieves enlightenment in Buddhism and spreads the world, then thousands of people will worship him and pass it on from generation to generation, then this will be the real cigarette of all generations!"
"Oh, is this what the Imperial Master was referring to back then?" Li suddenly realized at this moment.
The uncle recalled: "The national teacher was very talented and knowledgeable. He was once inferior to one person and above ten thousand people. He would never speak nonsense. Do you remember? On the day Huineng was born, two eminent monks came to visit him. Name him and enlighten him as brother-in-law."
After being reminded by her uncle, Mrs. Li thought about the two eminent monks who came to visit Huineng the day after he was born, and knew that Huineng indeed had a unique connection with Buddhism.
With the advice of his younger brother, Mr. Li finally understood the truth. He said: "Neng'er, since God's will is unbreakable and your heart is as solid as a rock, I can't keep your heart even if I keep you as a person. My mother won't embarrass you anymore. You can go on your way someday!"
"Thank you, mother." Huineng smiled widely, but after a moment, his face was covered with a thick cloud.
The uncle asked in confusion: "Aneng, your mother also agreed to let you become a monk and pray to Buddha. Your wish has been fulfilled, but why do you look gloomy instead?"
Li: "Yes, you should be happy. Is there anything you can't let go of?"
At this time, Huineng became worried for his mother and said: "Mother, after I leave, I will be gone for an unknown amount of time. You are alone at home, eating and drinking, with no one to take care of you. I -"
"Huineng, don't worry about this. I will do my best to take care of my sister." His uncle took over, "You can rest assured and go on your way."
"Then thank you uncle." After Huineng finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to his uncle.
Huineng came to Jintai Temple excitedly and told Master Shi Hui what happened.
Master Shi Hui was stunned when he heard this. After being astonished, he said in a deep voice like a bell: "Ah, this is God's will, this is God's will!" Then he walked into the abbot's room and took out one hundred taels of silver and gave it to him.
Huineng looked at the white money and waved it away: "How can I accept Buddhist money?"
Master Shi Hui said sternly: "You went to Huangmei East Zen Temple in Hubei Province and defected to the Fifth Patriarch Hongren. From now on, you will also be a member of our Buddhist sect. Why should we divide it between each other again? These silver coins are from a donor named An Daocheng. I know you You have to leave home and go north to visit the Fifth Patriarch and ask me to transfer it to you. Besides, these coins are not for your use."
Huineng: "So, who are you using it for?"
Master Shi Hui said affectionately: "You, mother and son, depend on each other for life. You are far away from home and your mother is old. You should keep these silver coins for her in case of difficulties."
Huineng wanted to refuse, but Master Shi Hui seemed unhappy: "This is not only the intention of Lao Monk, but the intention of all the monks in Jintai Temple. If you refuse again, you will look down on us."
"This..." After hearing what Master Shi Hui said, Huineng had no reason to refuse anymore, so he had to accept the money and take it home to his mother.
There are also historical records that the abbot of Jintai Temple gave Huineng ten taels of silver. There is no way to verify the exact number, and it is not of paramount importance. The most important point here is that Huineng’s journey north to seek Buddha was funded by Buddhism.
The night before parting, mother and son stayed up all night, cutting candles and talking for a long time until the rooster crowed.
My uncle also came on time.
"It seems that the boulder has a spirit. We might as well go to the boulder to see Neng'er off." Li suggested.
The uncle nodded: "This is exactly what I want. Firstly, we will see him off, and secondly, we will reward heaven."
So, Mrs. Li, her uncle and Huineng burned three sticks of incense in front of the huge stone at the head of Jiulang Village. After bowing, Huineng waved goodbye to his mother.
This huge stone, later generations called it the "Farewell Stone", has experienced thousands of years of wind, rain, and billions of thunderstorms, and it still stands at the head of Jiulang Village. This is another topic.
Not far from the village entrance, I just turned around the hillside and saw a master leading dozens of monks lined up on both sides of the mountain road.
Master Shi Hui and all the monks in the temple were going to see Huineng off.
Master Shi Hui took out a letter from his pocket, handed it to Huineng, and said, "This is my letter of recommendation to the Fifth Patriarch of Dongchan Temple."
Huineng accepted the letter gratefully: "Master, you are really thoughtful."
Watching Huineng's figure disappearing into the dense trees, Master Shi Hui said with emotion: "In our Buddhist Zen sect, there is another person who can inherit the lantern."
Huineng became a monk because he was forced by life, he was hunted down by his enemies, and he was hurt by love and saw through the world of mortals. His lofty ideal is to see the Buddha and explore the true meaning of the Diamond Sutra. There is a saying that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Looking at it from another angle, Huineng's starting point for joining Buddhism was at a high level, which is really unmatched by ordinary people in the world. This also determines that his future achievements will also be unmatched by ordinary people in the world.
The wind is rustling and the wilderness is vast.
A path covered with basil leads to the vast mountains in the distance, and a lone goose flies in the empty sky.
Hui Neng, who was already twenty-four years old, wore a black coarse cloth, carried a bag on his back, and wore straw sandals, embarking on a journey of thousands of miles that lurked difficulties and dangers...
Since then, there has been one less diligent firewood collector in the old forests of Xinzhou; in the history of Chinese Buddhism, there has been an earth-shattering Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
