As night falls, Caohou Village is shrouded in thick night fog.
Liu Zhilue just talked to Huineng about his aunt, saying that "he never talks about people in the day, nor talks about gods at night", and said, "Cao Cao, Cao Cao will be here soon." At this time, in the darkness shrouded in darkness, I saw a gust of wind blowing in clothes, and a middle-aged nun appeared at the door of Liu Zhilue's house.
When Liu Zhilue saw her, he quickly stood up and introduced Huineng: "She is my aunt."
The middle-aged nun clasped her hands together: "Amitabha. I heard that the benefactor saved my niece Zhixiu's life from the tiger's mouth. It is really a great kindness and virtue, comparable to Tianqi."
Huineng smiled: "Accumulating virtue and doing good deeds is what each of us should do."
The nun announced her family name: "The poor nun's Dharma name is 'Endless Treasure', and he is worthy of living in the Shanjian Temple in the south."
Huineng asked: "Master, do you usually recite the Nirvana Sutra or the Diamond Sutra?"
Wuwu Zang was surprised: "Ah, you also know the scriptures? The nun recited the Nirvana Sutra every day." So, she talked to Huineng about the Nirvana Sutra.
"The Nirvana Sutra is the last sutra spoken by the Buddha before his death, and it is also one of the most important and profound Buddhist sutras. Master Daolang of the Later Qin Dynasty said that it 'is the mysterious hall of the Dharmakaya, the treasure of perfect enlightenment. The mirror of the Sutra is the ultimate source of all streams. Because of this, the famous allusion of "Tao Sheng preaches, and the stubborn stone nods" was born in Chinese history. From ancient times to the present, many people have devoted their lives to studying the "Nirvana Sutra" ..." Huineng talked eloquently.
Liu Zhilue also believed in Buddhism, so he would chime in from time to time. The more the three of them talked, the more they became more and more speculative. As soon as the conversation reached the point where the white fish belly was exposed in the east, and the birds chirped on the branches of the lychee tree behind the house, Wuwu Zangfang got up and said goodbye and returned to Shanjian Temple.
…
After Liu Zhilue's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, Huineng temporarily settled in Caohou Village.
He often went to Shanjian Temple with Liu Zhilue to listen to Wuwu Zang chanting sutras.
Huineng was good at understanding the main idea of the sutra. After listening to its recitation, he was able to explain the sutra's meaning to Wuwu Zang and Liu Zhilue.
One sunny afternoon, Liu Zhilue and Huineng went to Shanjian Temple to listen to Wuwu Zang chanting sutras.
Walking on the mountain road leading to the Shanjian Temple, clear and transparent mountain streams and springs pass around the mountain stream. The sky is blue, the ground is green, the water is clear, the temple is clean, and the road is smooth. Even though it is noon in autumn, you can still feel the breeze in the mountains. The coolness it brings. The mountain spring water originating from the Longshan Mountain behind the Shanjian Temple flows gurgling down the ravine, giving the Shanjian Temple a beautiful scene of "small bridges and flowing water, free from the secular world, quiet and elegant".
As soon as Wuwu Zang saw Liu Zhilue and Huineng, he invited them to take a seat.
After drinking tea, Wuwu Zang picked up the Buddhist scripture on the table and said to Huineng: "I read this Buddhist scripture last night. I didn't recognize a few words. It just so happened that you guys are here today. I just happened to ask you Please teach me." Wuwu Zang opened the Buddhist scriptures, pointed at the words on the page, and handed it to Huineng.
Huineng was about to take the scripture and read it. Suddenly, he felt a buzzing in his ears and listened carefully. It seemed that an old monk was talking to him: "His Holiness, please remember that in front of the world, especially those in the Buddhist sect, Never reveal your knowledge of reading and writing, please keep it in your heart. That’s good, that’s good.”
This voice felt familiar to Huineng, as if he had heard it somewhere...
Huineng asked in his heart: "Master, why can't you say it?"
The old monk said: "Everything has a cause and effect, so why does the Dharma King need to ask about the future? You'd better take good care of your health and go on your way to seek Dharma as soon as possible."
At this time, Huineng felt as if he was enveloped by this hoarse and magnetic voice. His ears and head were filled with dense sounds, as if the speaker was above his head and beside him.
…
Wuwu Zang saw Huineng standing there in a daze, moving his lips as if talking to others.
Seeing that Huineng wanted to take the scripture but refused, Wuwu Zang couldn't help pointing to the words on the page again, handed it to Huineng, and said, "Please give me some advice."
"Ask me for words?" Huineng came back to his senses and laughed insincerely.
Hui Neng stopped laughing, waved his hands and said, "I'm ashamed to say that I don't know the Chinese character "Nutou Da Da"; I can't read the scriptures because I'm illiterate." When Hui Neng said this, he couldn't bear to dismiss Aunt Liu Zhilue's wishes, so he added, " However, if Master reads out the scripture, perhaps I can explain its meaning to you.”
"You don't know the word "Niutou Da"?" A faint hint of cloud appeared on Wuyuzang's smiling face...
Wujizang lowered his eyes and said in a slightly reproachful tone: "Buddha forbids lying. Therefore, honesty is the first priority for those who study Buddhism. How can you explain the profound Buddhist teachings in the scriptures if you don't even know a word?" How can we explain the meaning of the scriptures?"
"The truth of Buddhism has nothing to do with words!" Huineng said astonishingly!
Liu Zhilue was shocked by his words: "What? The magical and mysterious Buddhist teachings have nothing to do with words? Then, what do you need these precious Buddhist scriptures for? Tang Monk went through all the hardships to go to the West to obtain scriptures, wasn't it just to bring back the scriptures? "
Huineng added: "The subtlety of Buddhism is not in the words."
Liu Zhilue and his aunt looked at Huineng as if they didn't recognize him.
But Huineng sniffed inexplicably, and while looking around, he said, "Where does the fragrance of flowers come from?"
This Huineng was not only "illiterate", but also truly blind, even turning a blind eye to the cluster of brilliant mountain flowers endlessly hidden in front of the Buddhist niche.
Wuwu Zang pointed to the vase on the altar table and said, "The poor nun picks wild flowers to offer to the Buddha every morning. The faint fragrance in the room is emanating from the cluster of brilliant mountain flowers in front of the Buddhist niche."
Huineng didn't speak, he just tilted his ears, as if listening to something... Suddenly, he asked nonchalantly: "Where is there someone playing the piano?"
When Liu Zhilue heard Huineng's question, he really didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He explained in a calm tone: "The reason why this temple is called Shanjian Temple is because there is a mountain stream nearby, and the water in the stream jingles like the sound of a piano. You see, It's over there." Liu Zhilue pointed toward the outside of the temple.
Huineng's eyes did not follow the direction pointed by Liu Zhilue's fingers, but looked at his fingers carefully.
Liu Zhilue was angry and funny, and said: "Brother Xian, you are a very shrewd person. What happened today? What do you think my fingers are doing? They are neither water nor can they make a sound!"
At this time, Hui Nengcai laughed and said: "Look, the true meaning of Buddhism is like the wonderful fragrance of flowers and the sound of flowing water; and the words are like the fingers you pointed to me. Fingers can point out the fragrance of flowers and the sound of flowing water. Where the flowing water is, but your fingers themselves are not fragrant mountain flowers, nor are they pleasant streams. Moreover, seeing beautiful flowers and listening to the flowing water of mountain streams does not necessarily have to be done through your fingers."
Finally, Huineng suggested: "The wonderful principles of the Buddhas have nothing to do with words. Therefore, we cannot be attached to the scriptures."
Hearing Huineng's wise words to awaken the world, Wuhuizang felt like he was enlightened and said, "Oh my god, you are simply a Bodhisattva in the flesh! Amitabha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, poor nuns are so virtuous and incompetent that they actually have the presence of a living Bodhisattva!"
Wuwu Zang stood up, straightened his cassock, spread out his worship tools, and bowed down to Huineng...
Huineng, a householder, would not accept the worship of Wuwu Zangni Master no matter what. But she was a bhikshuni, and he was a man, and he couldn't help her with his hands, so he quickly knelt down first...
During that period, Hui Neng and Liu Zhilue worked together during the day and listened to Wuwu Zang chanting sutras at night. After listening to and reciting the sutra, he turned around and explained the meaning of the sutra to the nun Wuwu Zang.
Although Huineng had never come into contact with the "Nirvana Sutra", after hearing An Daocheng recite the "Diamond Sutra", he gained enlightenment in his heart and deeply understood the samadhi of "the mind should be born without abiding", so he was able to understand everything at once. , once you hear it, you will realize it.
Wuwu Zang even had a premonition that Huineng was a strange person, so he told the virtuous and famous elders in the village about the matter, saying: "Huineng is an enlightened and enlightened person. He should be invited to make offerings to him." .”
Soon, Cao Shuliang, the great-great-grandson of Cao Cao, Marquis of Wei Wu, and nearby lay people came to pay their respects. Because Huineng had not yet become a monk, people called him "Lu Xingzhe".
When the elders in the village heard about this, they came to pay their respects. After talking to Huineng and listening to him explain the meaning of the scriptures, they couldn't help but admire: "This Lu Xingzhe has such a brilliant view and has reached the level of self-realization of heaven's secrets." . It is not within the reach of ordinary people. I am afraid that when the great Bodhisattva comes to this world, he can actually go to Baolin Temple to become a master."
Therefore, at the suggestion of Wuwu Zangni Master, the believers in Caohou Village politely invited Huineng to live in the famous local Baolin Ancient Temple.
Huineng lived in Baolin Temple for a short time. He felt that without the guidance of a famous teacher, it would be difficult to achieve great things. He even forgot his original intention of seeking a teacher and planned to go to Huangmei to pay homage to the Fifth Patriarch.
On the day before leaving, Liu Zhilue held a grand farewell banquet for Huineng and entertained all the folks in the village.
Huineng said goodbye to the people in the village who came to the banquet one by one.
In the evening, he and his adopted brother Liu Zhilue had a long talk late at night in the guest room.
The slanting moonlight penetrated the room, floating on the ground like clear water waves. The branches outside the window were swaying, and the moonlight was like broken silver scattered on the ground. It seemed that you could hear the tinkling sound of it falling down.
Huineng quietly packed his bags. He slung his luggage on his shoulder, opened the door gently, and listened. The courtyard was silent, except for the crickets singing about the brightness of the moon.
Huineng walked through the yard, opened the door gently, and just stepped out with one foot, a faint sad singing voice came from the direction of Zhixiu's boudoir:
The moon in the south of the Yangtze River is like a mirror or a hook. It is like a mirror that does not touch the pink surface. It is like a hook that does not display the green curtains. It is empty and shines eastwards.
…
