On this day, Huineng came to Huaiji Yanyan, which is a large and high cave. It is the only habitat for the South Sea swiftlets to come to the mainland.
Every year, swiftlets from South Asia fly in and lay eggs on the roof of the cave, so there are many bird's nests in the steep rock walls and crevices.
Some local villagers have unique skills inherited from their ancestors and have extraordinary abilities in rock climbing. They can climb rock cliffs more than ten feet high with bare hands and make a living by collecting bird's nests.
Huineng passed by the village next to Yanyan and heard people crying loudly in the house. His curiosity drove him to go inside to find out.
It turned out that the villager's only son ate too much barbecue food a few days ago, so he had a high fever for three days and three nights. His cheeks were red and his forehead was frighteningly hot.
I took many doses of traditional Chinese medicine prescribed by a nearby doctor but no effect was seen. I knelt down to burn incense and prayed to God and Buddha, but no Bodhisattva appeared. Seeing that their son's condition was gradually deteriorating and he was dying and waiting for the arrival of death, the old couple was helpless and couldn't help crying at home.
After Huineng learned about it, he checked on the old man's sick son and found out that his son was suffering from severe fever. After comforting the two old men with kind words, he immediately went to the nearby mountains to collect suitable Chinese herbal medicine.
This time the medicinal stone was like a panacea. The child only took three doses, and the high fever subsided. After taking three more doses, he could get out of bed and walk around. When the two old men saw that their only son had escaped death, they were so grateful to Huineng that they took out several bird's nests from the room and gave them to him.
Huineng said that the bird's nest was too expensive and waved it away, saying that he was strong and did not need to take such supplements.
But the two old men stubbornly insisted that he accept it, and took turns telling him emotionally that you saved my son's life, which is a great kindness. Although bird's nests are precious, how can they be as precious as my son's life? Besides, these bird's nests are just some local products, we picked them from the steep rock walls. If you don't accept it, you are looking down on us country people. You, a young person, don’t need to take this supplement, but the elderly people in your family can take it.
These words of the two elderly people touched Hui Neng's longing for family. Her mother was old and frail. If she could take this supplement, it would be of great benefit to her body. Therefore, under the irresistible kindness of the other party, she had no choice but to accept it. I laid these bird's nests.
After receiving these bird's nests from two elderly people, Huineng, who was hiding in the deep mountains and forests of Huaiji and Sihui, missed his mother even more.
Huineng received the palm-printed Buddha lamp and became the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism. A person in the Buddhist sect should be empty of all four elements; but after all, he is also a mortal with flesh and blood, traveling back and forth in the deep mountains and forests of Huaiji and Sihui. After disappearing for several years, when he is not practicing Buddhism and Zen, he is always thinking about Xinzhou. The elderly loving mother here.
Especially on the night of the full moon, Huineng was on the high mountain, facing the bright moon in the vast sky, looking up to the south, towards his hometown, missing his mother who gave birth to him and raising him, and his devoted sister Alan, he couldn't stop thinking about it. I can't sleep at night because of my overwhelming emotions.
The years pass quietly like the mountains and streams on the mountains. In the blink of an eye, several years have passed. Now, in the dead of night, looking at the bag of bird's nests alone, the words of the two old people come to mind again, and the feeling of longing arises...
The feeling of longing is the most torturous. Huineng finally could not suppress the surging feeling of missing his family in his heart, and decided to go back to his hometown to visit his long-lost mother. So he quietly left Huaiji and Sihui to practice meditation with a simple luggage on his back. In this place, Xiaoxing stayed overnight and finally returned to Xialu Village, Xinzhou.
In the dark sky, floating clouds cover the moon and the stars dim.
There is no wind in the land of Xinzhou, and everything is quiet. Occasionally, a few frogs croaking, breaking the silence of the dark night in the mountain village.
A vigorous figure came down from Longshan. The cat lowered its waist, the mouse leaped and the fish leaped, and disappeared into the darkness like flying. Not long after, it entered Xialu Village.
This mysterious night traveler is Huineng.
Longshan's old feelings and scenes appeared in front of him again. Everything here seemed so familiar!
But “the flowers are similar every year, but the people are different every year.”
Huineng knew that after he took over his ancestral cassock and fled south, the shadowy figure with ulterior motives would never give up and would definitely come to hunt him down. Therefore, he hid in the dense forest of Longshan until midnight, and then quietly entered the village from the back mountain. Come.
The closer he got to his home, the more Hui Neng's heart beat wildly. The closer he got to home, the more timid he became!
It had been several years since he left home, and he was afraid that if he knocked on the door at night, there would be no response at all. After all, my mother was already old and frail when we parted! Therefore, when he knocked on the door, his raised hand actually trembled a little.
"Go, go, go!" Shortly after three crisp and short knocks on the door, a faint echo came from inside: "Who is it?"
When Huineng heard that this was her mother's familiar voice, the big stone in her heart finally let go. She put her mouth against the crack of the door, lowered her voice and replied, "Mother, it's me."
Li was awakened by a knock on the door in a daze. Her son's voice was the most familiar to her mother.
Her heart twitched violently, and she hurriedly got up from the bed. She rubbed her groggy eyes, not knowing whether it was reality or a dream, and then asked towards the door: "Who?"
The answer outside the door was still so soft, yet so crisp: "Mother, it's me."
Mother and son are in love!
"Ah, Neng'er!" Mrs. Li was overjoyed when she heard this. She was about to get out of bed, but a few days ago when she went up the mountain to cut firewood, she accidentally sprained her left ankle, which made it difficult to move. Not long after she got home, she got sick all over again. The red spots of different sizes are very uncomfortable due to the disease. Now in the middle of the night, she suddenly heard the voice of her son who was worried about her every day. Regardless of everything, Li picked up the crutches placed on the bedside, got off the ground, supported her sick body, and tremblingly touched the front door. Unlock the upper and lower door latches, and pull the two doors inward.
The door opened, and against the backdrop of the dark sky, standing at the door was none other than Huineng, his son who had been thinking about it day and night.
"Ah, Neng'er, you're finally back!" Before Mrs. Li could light the oil lamp, she threw away the crutch she was holding, rushed forward, and hugged Hui Neng tightly in her arms. Said to himself: "I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Huineng said sincerely: "Mom, we are not dreaming, I am indeed back. I miss you very much after these few years apart!"
Looking forward to it day and night, she finally saw her son tonight. While caressing Huineng's head with trembling hands, Mrs. Li murmured to herself: "This is good, this is good..." The two of them Tears filled with joy and sorrow flowed down Huineng's shoulders and wet his clothes.
Hui Neng clearly felt that as her mother's thin body twitched, waves of heat came over her. After all, this was a rare reunion in life!
After the mother and son embraced passionately for a while, Huineng helped Li to the familiar big bamboo chair in the corner of the hall, let her sit down, and then lit the oil lamp on the table.
After staying in the dense forest of Longshan, hiding here and there, he was nervous for a long time without drinking any water. When he returned home after a long absence, Hui Neng felt that his throat was as dry as fire, so he went to the large water tank in the kitchen to pick up the wooden shell and scoop out He drank most of the water, raised his head, and drank "Gulu, Gulu" before returning to the hall.
Under the flickering light, Huineng looked at his mother and saw that she was much thinner than when she left: her cheeks were sunken, but her stork bones were raised. The originally shallow wrinkles on his face have now become numerous and deep, his complexion is grayish-yellow, and there are many more white hairs hanging down from his forehead than a few years ago.
Facing his mother's aging and frail appearance, Hui Neng couldn't help but feel sour in his heart, and couldn't help but say: "Mother, you have changed a lot."
Li rubbed her dull eyes, widened them again, looked at Huineng up and down, and murmured to herself: "Neng'er, you have lost weight and become darker too."
Since Hui Neng left his mother and his hometown of Xialu Village, he embarked on the road to seek Buddhahood. After going through many hardships and dangers, he arrived at Huangmei East Zen Temple in Hubei Province, where he received the mantle of the Fifth Patriarch Hongren. He was hunted down by his fellow disciples and fled south to hide in his arms. Ji and Sihui practiced hard in the deep mountains and dense forests. In just a few years, his life has gone through many ups and downs, ups and downs, and now he is still in the danger of being hunted. He is exhausted and exhausted. Naturally, Thin and dark.
Seeing her mother's sad look, Hui Neng forced a smile and said comfortingly: "Mom, don't worry, the dark clouds will eventually dissipate, and everything will get better naturally in the future. After leaving my hometown for these years, I have gone out to see you. The world is more diverse, I am more mature, and I feel that life and work are more meaningful.”
Occasionally, the night owl's cry came from outside. Li suddenly thought of the monks from the north two years ago and recently, all holding swords in their hands, coming to the house to search fiercely, asking Hui questions. Neng's whereabouts...
Thinking of this, Mrs. Li's muscles on her face trembled a few times, and she asked worriedly: "Neng'er, you didn't meet those monks from the north when you entered the village, right? I heard that they live in nearby Chengwei."
Huineng knew that the monks from the north had already set up a dragnet. He raised the corner of his mouth and said contemptuously: "They set up a bag to let me get in, but you have a good plan, and I have a wall ladder. Tonight I am not Are you back from under their noses?!"
Li was still worried: "When you come back here, be extra careful. You must know that you will encounter danger anytime and anywhere!"
Huineng comforted him: "Mother, don't worry, I have expected this a long time ago. When the sun sets today, I have returned to Longshan from other places. I have been hiding in the dense forest in the mountain until I come down from the mountain at midnight. He came in quietly from the banana forest behind the village."
"That's good." Mrs. Li breathed a sigh of relief, pointed to the pair of bowls and chopsticks placed on the dining table, and said emotionally, "After you left, every day when I eat, I will use these things that you usually eat. Put the bowl here, and put the pair of chopsticks you usually use. In this way, every time I eat, I feel like you are right next to me. It’s been like the same day for several years!”
"Ah!" What true love in the world is deeper and greater than maternal love? A wave of enthusiasm rose in Huineng's heart and surged throughout his body. He felt his throat was itchy and his voice was choked, "Mom, I have been away for many years. Why don't I miss you day and night? I often I feel uneasy and regretful that I cannot fulfill my filial piety in front of you. Mother, do you blame the child?"
"No blame, no blame, how could I blame you." Li gently stroked Huineng's head and said, "Neng'er, since you left home, I have gradually figured it out. You stay at home and be filial. For me, this is just a small filial piety. But if you can learn the Dharma and let the Buddha's light shine on the parents of everyone in the world, this is a great filial piety."
Huineng was very moved after hearing this: "It's rare for you, mother, to be so understanding of justice. With your words, my child will feel at ease when he goes out in this life."
Mrs. Li praised, "Neng'er, you are really my good son!"
Huineng suddenly thought of something and said, "Mother, I have brought something good to honor you."
Li: "What good things will you have?"
Hui Neng untied the black luggage on his body, put it on the table, and slowly opened it. In addition to a few simple clothes, there were more than a dozen golden oranges inside.
Li said angrily: "Ahem, I thought it was some kind of treasure, but it turned out to be some oranges, sour and astringent."
"Mom, don't talk so much, just taste it first." Huineng said, picked up an orange, peeled it off quickly, and handed it to Li's mouth.
Mrs. Li bit into it, and a sweetness like rock candy immediately filled her mouth. After chewing a few more times, a smile appeared on her face, and she praised repeatedly: "Good, good! These oranges are really different from the oranges we usually eat." same."
Huineng pointed to the east: "This is a local specialty from Sihui - sugar oranges."
"Sugar orange?" Mrs. Li praised it, "No wonder it feels like eating candy when you bite it. I have never tasted such a sweet orange."
Huineng: "This time I brought it back from Sihui specifically for you to try."
Mrs. Li spoke with a bit of pity: "Just now you went into the kitchen to get a wooden shell to scoop out some water. I think you are very thirsty. In this case, why were you hiding on Longshan Mountain? Why don’t you eat these oranges?”
Hui Neng replied: "I am so thirsty that I can endure it. Mother, I want to leave more delicious food for you!"
Mrs. Li praised: "Neng'er, you really have the filial piety of a mother-in-law."
After Huineng finished speaking, he picked up a small paper bag from the bag and opened it carefully, "Mother, these are better treasures."
Li leaned over and lowered his head, looking through the dim light: there were several ingot-shaped nests wrapped inside, about two inches long and about an inch deep, with small corners at both ends. If you look closely, they are made of silver. The white filaments are woven into irregular nets and then densely piled up.
Mrs. Li had never seen such a novel thing before. She blinked and asked, "Neng'er, what are these?"
Huineng put his mouth close to Li's ear: "This is a bird's nest."
"Bird's nest?" Mrs. Li was touched by something, her relaxed brows furrowed again, and she asked, "Are they the bird's nests that the rich landlord eats on weekdays?"
"Yes. My mother is absolutely right this time." Huineng nodded and said, "I heard people say that bird's nest has five major functions: nourishing yin, moisturizing, replenishing qi, tonifying the middle, and nourishing the skin. It can treat lung yin deficiency, cough, night sweats, hemoptysis and other symptoms. Eating it on weekdays can strengthen the body."
"No wonder Landlord Laocai wants to eat it to replenish his body." Li turned around and stared at Huineng. "Bird's nests are very precious. How can you have the money to buy these things? Could it be that Landlord Laocai Was it stolen from home?"
Although Mrs. Li knew that her son had always been honest and would not do things like cocks and dogs stealing, she knew that bird's nests were extremely valuable and Huineng didn't have much money. This thing must have a great origin, so she asked her son with a straight face. .
"Mother, you have always taught your children to be honest people. How could I do those sneaky and bad things?!" Huineng picked up the bird's nest and shook it. His attitude was particularly serious when he spoke, "The bird's nest is indeed very precious. .These bird's nests were given to me by the villagers in Huaiji."
"The villagers gave it to you?" Ms. Li still couldn't understand the doubts in her heart. "The country people are so poor that they can't take care of the next meal. How can they have the money to buy bird's nests for you? How can there be such a big world in the world? Frogs jumping all over the street?”
"There is a Yanyan near the place where I live in seclusion, which is the origin of bird's nests. Because I saved the life of the villager's son..." Huineng then asked Li about the origin of the bird's nest.
After listening to Huineng's story about the origin of the bird's nest, tears overflowed from Li's eyes. She took the bird's nest, inspected it carefully, and said emotionally: "Neng'er, you have such a filial heart, you are really my good son."
Huineng said apologetically: "Mother, after I left Longshan, you were the only one in the family. Although my uncle sometimes came to take care of you. But on weekdays, no one would carry heavy burdens for you, no one would greet you, and no one would pat your back. Loose bones. It’s been really hard on you these past years.”
Li seemed very plain: "I am destined to be a humble person, and I will suffer hardships throughout my life."
While mother and son were talking, Huineng noticed that Mrs. Li was scratching her body with her hands from time to time. She leaned over and asked with concern: "Mom, what's the matter with you?"
"No...it's nothing..." Although Li's mouth answered like this, she couldn't control the itching on her body for a while, and she couldn't help but scratch it again.
The flame of the oil lamp on the table was still flickering. Hui Neng then carefully looked at Li's skin. He saw that there were many red spots of different sizes, high and low, so he pointed at her skin and asked: " Ah, mother, how could you do this?"
Li frowned sadly: "I don't know what happened. Ever since I went to Longshan Mountain to look for firewood, I once got into a bush and accidentally sprained my foot when I went down the mountain. When I went to bed that night, I felt all over my body. It’s hot and my skin is getting itchy.”
Huineng stretched out his left hand to Mrs. Li: "Mother, let me feel your pulse."
Huineng said this with a certain degree of confidence. Before he left Xialu Village, he had learned some knowledge about Chinese herbal medicine from the old doctor Zhong Zhaoxiangbo in the village. When he went to Longshan to collect firewood, he would also collect some herbs and bring them back. I could take care of him when he had minor illnesses. He went to Huangmei Dongzen Temple and worked as a temple servant in the North Campus, pounding rice and planting vegetables. Although he only stayed there for more than eight months, the servant who worked with him and lived in the same room was a senior brother named Sun. This Senior Brother Sun was originally from Jingzhaohua, the hometown of Medicine King Sun Simiao. Before he became a monk, he was a famous doctor in the countryside and had extensive research on the medicinal effects of various mountain herbs. Huineng and Senior Brother Sun got along very well. They stayed together day and night, talking about everything. They humbly asked Senior Brother Sun for advice, and learned a lot about the treatment of diseases with wild herbs. This time Huineng put what he had learned to use.
