After listening to the Sixth Patriarch's verse, Fa Da suddenly felt ashamed and had a look of hesitation on his face. Although he still stood blankly, he looked around to hide the shame and irritability in his heart, knelt in front of the Sixth Patriarch, and confessed: "From now on, I must be humble in everything." The disciple recited the "Lotus Sutra" without explaining the meaning of the sutra, and often had questions in his mind. The monk has great wisdom and is willing to listen respectfully to the teachings in the Master’s sutras.”
The Sixth Patriarch said: "The Dharma has been reached. The Dharma has been greatly reached. But your mind has not reached it. There is no doubt about the truth of the sutra, and you have doubts in your mind. When you recite this sutra, what is your sect?"
Fada replied: "Students are stupid. They only recite the text according to the text. How do they know the true meaning of the sect?"
The Sixth Patriarch said, "You said I don't know how to read. You try to pick up a sutra and recite it, and I will explain it to you."
Fada lowered his head, his face alternated with joy, sadness, shame and regret. He folded his hands and repented: "Fada is young and ignorant. From now on, he must be humble and respectful towards others."
Master Ying Xingchong ate the melon and said, "You are a good boy if you correct your mistakes when you know they are wrong! Come, sit down!" Everyone couldn't help but laugh again.
Fa Da sat half-assed on the stool brought by Yingxing and asked the Sixth Patriarch coyly: "I recite the Lotus Sutra, but I don't understand the meaning of the sutra and often have doubts. Master is wise, please explain it to me. Explanation.”
The Sixth Patriarch said: "Fada, the Buddha's Dharma is originally accessible, but your mind is not. There are no doubts in the Buddhist scriptures, but you have doubts in your heart. When you recite the Lotus Sutra, you must know what it says about enlightening the Buddha." See, show the Buddha’s knowledge and views, realize the Buddha’s knowledge and views, and enter the Buddha’s knowledge and views, right?”
Fa Da looked at the Sixth Patriarch with embarrassment and said, "I'm ashamed, my disciple only knows the literal meaning."
"Buddha's knowledge is the knowledge of enlightenment. Buddha is enlightenment. There are four kinds of enlightenment, the wisdom of opening enlightenment, the wisdom of showing enlightenment, the wisdom of understanding enlightenment and the wisdom of deepening enlightenment. If you hear the enlightenment, you can Going deep into the wisdom of enlightenment, this is the wisdom of enlightenment, and your own enlightened mind and nature can be revealed. The so-called wisdom of Buddha is actually your own heart, and there is no other Buddha. People often cover it up by themselves. They lose sight of the brightness of their nature, are obsessed with various superficial phenomena, are disturbed by their own moods, and are willing to be driven by material desires. Therefore, I, the Buddha, Sakyamuni, use various methods to speak earnestly and earnestly, admonishing people to calm down and retract their minds, and not to turn outside their hearts. Don't seek in vain. If you have correct knowledge and insights, you will always be wise, observe your own mind, stop evil and do good, and this will unlock the wisdom of the Buddha." The Sixth Patriarch said in detail.
Fada said with emotion: "I'm ashamed. I, Fada, have always just chanted according to the words of the scriptures, read the scriptures, and read the scriptures. Listening to the teacher's words is worth ten years of reading."
The Sixth Patriarch smiled and handed Fa Da a bowl of tea. Fada seemed to be really thirsty and drank it all in one breath.
The Sixth Patriarch asked: "Fada, you have drank the tea. Please express your feelings accurately and concisely, so that others will know that you drank this bowl of tea, not the morning meal." Drinking tea.”
Fada was very embarrassed and said: "This, this...Master, the feeling of drinking this bowl of tea is indeed different from drinking tea every day, but this subtle difference can only be experienced, not explained in words."
The Sixth Patriarch laughed and said: "Zen is indescribable, just like a person drinking water and knowing whether it is warm or cold. The mystery of Buddhism cannot be expressed in words. All scriptures, including the Lotus Sutra, are taught by the Buddha to enlighten us. Tool. It is like a finger pointing to the moon. Its purpose is to allow us to find the moon smoothly and quickly. The finger itself is not the bright moon. If you only study the thickness, length and color of the finger, you will never find the moon in the sky. So, People who study Buddhism should directly explore the original meaning of the Dharma instead of clinging to the classics. If you recite the Lotus Sutra with such a mentality, all the wonderful Dharma will naturally come out of your mouth like a lotus!"
After listening to the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch, Fa Da suddenly understood. However, there was still a trace of doubt in his heart, and he hesitated and said: "Thank you, Master, for the enlightenment, but..."
"If you still have any doubts in your mind, just tell me."
Fada asked: "If this is the case, as long as you understand the meaning of the Buddhist scriptures, there is no need to recite the scriptures?"
The Sixth Patriarch said: "Your mechanical understanding of 'either/or' has fallen into another kind of dogma. What's wrong with the scriptures? How can it prevent you from reciting them? If you recite the scriptures with your mouth, you can also practice it in your heart." , is to 'turn the sutra'; if you recite the sutra with your mouth but have other thoughts in your heart, you are being turned by the sutra."
The Sixth Patriarch recited another stanza to Fada:
My heart is fascinated by the Lotus,
Enlightenment turns to the Lotus.
Reciting sutras has been unknown for a long time,
Enemies of righteousness.
Without thoughts, thoughts are righteous.
Thoughts turn evil.
No matter what you have,
Chang Yu white ox chariot.
The white ox cart is a metaphor in the Lotus Sutra, which represents the origin of human nature.
When Fada heard the verse, he was enlightened. Unconsciously, he cried and said: "Fada has never recited the Lotus from the past, but was recited by the Lotus."
Then, Fa Da further asked: "The Sutra says: All the Great Hearers and even Bodhisattvas have tried their best to measure and measure, but they are still unable to measure the wisdom of the Buddha. Now let ordinary people realize the knowledge and views of the Buddha only if they realize their own minds. They are not the superior root. , it is unavoidable to doubt and slander. The scripture also talks about the three carts, the sheep cart, the deer cart and the white ox cart. How to distinguish them? May the monk explain it again. "
The Sixth Patriarch said: "The meaning of the sutra is clear, but you have lost your way. People of the Three Vehicles cannot measure the wisdom of the Buddha, and the problem lies in measuring it. Rao Yi has thought about it all, and turned it away. The Buddha originally taught it for ordinary people, not for the Buddha. . Anyone who refuses to believe this principle should leave the table. Little did he know that he was sitting in a white ox cart and looked for three carts outside the door. The Kuang Sutra Wenming said to you, there is only the Buddha's vehicle, there is no other vehicle, two or three, and even countless conveniences , all kinds of causes and conditions, metaphors and words, these are all the result of one Buddha's vehicle. Why don't you realize it. The three vehicles are false and are for the past; the first vehicle is real and are for the present. I only teach you to get rid of the false and return to the real. After that, there is no real name. You should know that all the precious wealth belongs to you, and you can use it. You should not think of your father, nor think of your son, nor think of it in any way. This is called holding the Lotus Sutra, from calamity to calamity, without letting go of the scroll. From day to night, I always remember the time."
Fada was enlightened by the instructions of the Sixth Patriarch, and all his doubts disappeared for a while. He was very excited and rejoiced, and he composed a verse and said:
Three thousand sutras are recited,
Cao Xi died in one sentence.
The purpose of birth is not clear,
I would rather rest than be tired and get mad.
The rights of sheep, deer and cattle are set up,
After junior high school, he became a good person.
Who knows that inside the burning house,
Yuan is the king of Dharma.
The Sixth Patriarch said: "From now on you can be called a sutra-reciting monk."
Hearing this, Fada knelt down in front of the Sixth Patriarch with tears in his eyes and begged sincerely: "Master Sixth Patriarch, Fada is obsessed with enlightenment and is rude to the Master. Please forgive me. I hope I will be by your side in this life." , I also ask for your kindness, Master!"
As Fada spoke, he kept touching the ground with his head.
The Sixth Patriarch said: "People are not sages, how can they have no faults? Well, you can stay." Fada continued to kowtow: "Thank you, Master, thank you Master..."
Yingxing patted the back of his head and said, "Get up, junior brother. Are you transformed from a kowtowing insect?"
Fahai said: "Yingxing, what are you talking nonsense about?"
Yingxing looked aggrieved: "I'm not talking nonsense. I started school earlier than him, so naturally I am a senior brother! You all relied on Master's partiality to start the school later than me, but in turn you all became my senior brothers. This Fada, I will no longer be polite, I will definitely let him be my junior brother."
He turned to Fada: "Is that right, junior brother?"
Fada said with a smile: "You have been calling each junior brother for a long time, shouldn't I be a good junior brother?" Everyone laughed.
Later, as taught by the Sixth Patriarch, after Fada suddenly realized the wonderful purpose of the First Vehicle, he continued to recite sutras as before, followed the Sixth Patriarch, and became the successor of the Sixth Patriarch.
…
Besides, Shenxiu, who had achieved great enlightenment after spending 15 years in seclusion at Dangyang Mountain in Jingzhou, no longer planned to spread the Dharma. He lived in isolation and built a thatched house on a mountain seven miles east of Yuquan Temple. He lived in the shade of pine trees, drank the breeze, and felt at ease. If it were not for the sudden arrival of two Zen monks that day, he would have lived in seclusion in obscurity until he died in the mountains.
In the afternoon of that day, two Zen monks ran quickly to the thatched house in the forest, knocked on the door quickly, and shouted: "Uncle, uncle."
The door creaked open, and Shenxiu who came out saw that the two monks looked unfamiliar, so he asked, "Who are you two..."
The two Zen monks said in unison: "We are disciples of Master Faru, see Master."
Two Zen monks knelt down and kowtowed.
Shenxiu returned the gift and said, "Oh, you are Fa Ru's disciples. How is Junior Brother Fa Ru doing now?"
The two monks knelt down again: "Master, his soul has passed away to the West!"
Shenxiu was startled, and two lines of clear tears slowly flowed down.
Zhicheng came out of the room and let the two Zen monks who had come from afar into the room.
Shenxiu and his two apprentice nephews sat down respectively as guest and host, while Zhicheng poured tea.
The older Zen monk said: "Master told us before he passed away that we must find you and ask you to come out of the mountain to take care of his disciples and lead Jiangbei Zen school."
Shenxiu said: "Junior brother of the Sixth Patriarch is preaching Dharma at Baolin Temple in Shaozhou. Why don't you go find him?"
Another Zen monk said: "He? He is a woodcutter. He is just a handyman in Dongzen Temple. What skills does he have?"
Shenxiu said sternly: "Junior brother of the Sixth Patriarch has a natural wisdom. Looking at the world, who can compare with him? Unfortunately, the distance between the north and the south is far away, and I am too old to go and ask him for advice. You young disciples, why don't you hurry up? Come and listen to the teachings!”
The elder monk said: "Uncle has lived in seclusion for many years and does not know anything. In the past, under the lobbying of Yinying and other monks, Jiangbei Zen Forest had deep prejudices against the Sixth Patriarch...Master...Uncle Master. If you invite him When I come back to lead the monks, I'm afraid it's like adding salt to the oil pan - I have to fry the nest."
Another Zen monk knelt in front of Shenxiu and begged: "Uncle, except for you, no one is suitable to lead Jiangbei Zen Forest. For the sake of our master, please go out and take care of the disciples."
Shenxiu shook his head: "I have sworn many years ago not to keep disciples, not to teach the Dharma, not to write books, so as not to mislead others, so..."
The older Zen monk also knelt down and cried: "Since Master passed away, we have no one to control us and are in danger. Master, please have mercy on the disciples, Master!"
The two Zen monks burst into tears and kept kowtowing.
Zhicheng was so moved that he burst into tears and knelt down: "Master, you are compassionate, please promise me!"
Shenxiu burst into tears and nodded helplessly.
The two Zen monks from Mount Song, the central mountain, invited Master Shenxiu out of seclusion in Dangyang Mountain.
Originally, Shenxiu had no intention of spreading the Dharma. After the death of Master Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, his Dongshan Dharma tradition was inherited by another great disciple, Fa Ru. However, unexpected events occurred. Only three years after the banner of Dongshan Dharma was erected in the Central Plains, Fa Ru passed away at the age of 52.
His untimely death not only made it difficult for the traditional dharma lineage to continue, but also the many disciples he left behind in Zhongyue Songshan suddenly became orphans waiting to be fed.
In order to continue the Dongshan method and for his disciples to have a good destination, Fa Ru made his last will and testament: He should consult Zen Master Shenxiu Yuquan of Jingzhou.
As a result, hundreds of Zen monks traveled thousands of miles to seek refuge, and Shenxiu had no choice but to open the door to accept them and teach Zen.
Because he was young and virtuous, his skills were profound and he understood everything, and he could lift his weight with ease. When it came to his mouth, the profound and difficult Zen was as simple and clear as common flowers and plants.
Song Zhiwen wrote in "Yingxiu Zen Master Biao": ...the more colorful the form, the deeper the benefit. Apprentices from the two capitals and believers from all over the country traveled thousands of miles to go to the five gates together... The common people in Jiujiang love them like their parents, and the scholars and women in Sanhe look up to them like the mountains.
One can imagine how high Master Shenxiu’s reputation was at that time.
Soon, the Yuquan Temple where he abboted became the center of Zen in the country. Compared with the Sixth Patriarch of Caoxi in Lingnan, who was located in a remote area, his reputation was as high as the sky.
One day, eight or nine wandering monks came to Yuquan Temple, and the leader was actually Yingyin!
This Yingyin (Yan Fakui), maybe he really has a few lives! At that time, Xinzhou County Magistrate Zhang Zhongchang learned at the funeral of Lu's mother that Yan Fakui, who had been executed in the autumn, was still at large. He immediately arrested him and brought him to justice to verify that he was executed. Unexpectedly, the person who executed Yan Fakui was the same person who executed him back then, so Yan Fakui naturally escaped again. This also illustrates the magic of "money can make the world go round".
Yingyin and the others, who were cast aside by people for setting fire to the mountains, reappeared after hiding for many years. Master Shenxiu avoided seeing them and strictly ordered them not to place orders in the living room.
Yingyin led his brothers to kneel down outside the abbot's door of Master Shenxiu, begging bitterly: "Master, we know our mistake! Back then, we did something that was against morality due to a mistake in our thoughts. But, we We have paid a heavy price for it. Not only Dongshan Temple does not allow us to go back, but other temples also do not welcome us. The world is so big that there is no place for us. Over the years, we have been like bereaved dogs, wandering around the world and eating After all the suffering... Fortunately, the Sixth Patriarch did not die in the sea of fire. Hasn't he come out of the mountain now? Therefore, we did not hurt him and cause irreparable consequences. The Buddha said, 'Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately'; and he also said,' The sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back is the end. We have put down the butcher knife, we have turned back! Besides, Master Shenxiu, at the beginning we were also sincere and wholeheartedly avenged the injustice for you, so..."
Their weeping complaints finally moved Master Shenxiu's compassionate heart and allowed them to stay on the mountain and change their ways.
…
