The Tang Dynasty was a powerful dynasty in Chinese history and a dynasty where Buddhism was vigorously promoted.
In the third year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (629), Xuan Lei was entrusted by the emperor to go west from Liangzhou to Tianhui via Yumen Pass. This lasted seventeen years. This was the famous "Tang Sanzang's Retrieval of the Western Scriptures".
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng was born while Xuanzang was studying in Tianzhu.
The emperor's vigorous promotion of Buddhism made the practice of Buddhism very popular in the world.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng received the true inheritance of the Fifth Patriarch Hongren Master. Since he raised the banner of enlightenment and Buddhahood in Caoxi, many disciples have become enlightened immediately under his inspiration. They are like carps leaping over the dragon gate, swimming in the sky and sea, and spraying clouds. Fog, so lively. Shaozhou Baolin Temple is even more famous all over the world.
Therefore, Caoxi became famous and became a holy place in the eyes of Zen monks all over the world. Buddhist monks from all over the country were attracted by the wind, and there was an endless stream of people vying to invest in it.
As a result, the original halls and dormitories of Baolin Temple became cramped and unable to accommodate the public.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng was very pleased that the incense in Baolin Temple was becoming more and more prosperous, but he was also
The temple of Baolin Temple is too small and sad. The original monk's room was changed from two people to one room to four people to one room, but this still did not solve the problem.
"what to do?"
To turn Baolin Temple into the birthplace of the Southern Buddhism, it is necessary to expand Baolin Temple to expand its influence.
After class that day, Xingsi reported to the Sixth Patriarch: "Master, there have been more than a thousand monks coming from all over the country recently. In a few days, Tongying Lawyer from Jingzhou, who is thousands of miles away, will also lead his hundreds of monks." The disciples have come to take refuge with you, but the houses in the temple are no longer enough to live in."
After hearing this, the Sixth Patriarch happily said: "Then find a few places with quiet mountains and rivers and build a few temples. Lawyer Tongying is one of my masters who received ordination. He came to take refuge in me instead. I can't wrong them too much."
"Yes, Master." After Xingsi finished speaking, he went to deal with matters related to the expansion of Baolin Temple.
When the donors heard that Baolin Temple was to be expanded, they all generously donated money to help.
To expand the temple, it is not enough to have money alone, but also to have land.
The mountains around Baolin Temple belong to a wealthy man named Chen Yaxian.
Chen Yaxian has thousands of hectares of fertile land and tens of thousands of acres of mountains and forests. He is considered to be one of the richest people in the Caoxi area. But he has a great characteristic, that is, he is stingy.
A week later, Xingsi came back and reported to the Sixth Patriarch the recent land issues related to the expansion of Baolin Temple: Almost every mountain and every piece of land in Caoxi belongs to the rich man Chen Yaxian. He is extremely shrewd and would never give away a penny, I'm afraid...
After listening to Xingsi's report, the Sixth Patriarch smiled and said: "How could Chen Yaxian have accumulated such a large family fortune if he was not smart and stingy? Don't even think about asking for alms from such a person. He will not even give away a grain of rice." , how can you give up a large piece of land? Go and ask Cao Shanren to be accommodating, and we can spend money to buy his mountain land!"
Xing Si half-jokingly said, "Master, I went to Chen Yaxian's house with Cao Shanren, Liu Zhilue and the others to save food these days. I was always rejected at his house. When I said I came to buy land, they wouldn't even let me in. !”
The Sixth Patriarch comforted him and said, "We can't rush this matter. We'll wait for Lao Ne to visit another day." Two days later, the Sixth Patriarch took Yingxing and walked along the mountain road to Chen Yaxian's house.
On the way, Yingxing said with great interest: "Master, you are in such a good mood today that you are willing to take me on a mountain tour."
The Sixth Patriarch said: "Who said this is a sightseeing tour? We are going to beg for alms."
Yingxing blinked and asked doubtfully: "Alchemy, brothers and sisters, do you need the Sixth Patriarch?"
The Sixth Patriarch said: "Today we have a great fate, Lao Na has to come forward."
Yingxing asked excitedly: "How big is the fate?"
The Sixth Patriarch gazed at the mountains and forests of Caoxi and said, "The entire Caoxi. We have to ask Chen Yaxian to donate all the mountains, rivers, trees, land and houses in Caoxi to Baolin Temple."
"Chen Yaxian, this rich man, is the most hateful. When a monk goes to beg for alms, he doesn't even give alms, and he doesn't even give him a good face. He is really a rooster who doesn't plunk a dime. You old man wants to take away all his family property, but he doesn't follow. Let's fight for our lives!" Ying Xing said with a grimace.
The Sixth Patriarch smiled and said: "What a robbing, snatching, how disgusting! Monks are asking people to give alms voluntarily."
While they were talking, the Sixth Patriarch and Ying Xing had already arrived at the gate of Chen Yaxian's house.
The Sixth Patriarch, the abbot of Baolin Temple, personally visited the house. Although Chen Yaxian was reluctant, he had to invite the Sixth Patriarch and Yingxing to the living room.
After the Sixth Patriarch explained his intention, Chen Yaxian flatly refused.
The Sixth Patriarch was not in a hurry. He looked at the luxurious and extraordinary living room of Chen Yaxian's house, looked at the dazzling array of treasures displayed on the ancient bookshelf, and said casually: "Donor Chen really has a great family and a great business, and he is as rich as the country!"
Chen Yaxian said proudly: "God is worthy of my hard work. After decades of hard work, I finally achieved something small."
"I wonder where these properties were decades ago?" The Sixth Patriarch changed the subject.
"..."
Seeing that the fire was almost over, the Sixth Patriarch turned to the main topic: "The poor monk is here to ask for alms today. Among the Bodhisattva Dharma, giving is the first. If the old donor can donate his property, not only will his karma be eliminated, but his merits will be immeasurable."
Chen Yaxian said nervously: "Really? Oh, Master Sixth Patriarch, how much charity can I give to eliminate disasters?"
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng stretched out his right hand to Yingxing beside him, and Yingxing handed over the futon on which the Sixth Patriarch usually meditated.
Chen Yaxian looked at the futon. It was less than five feet long and three feet wide. He breathed a sigh of relief: "You are a famous monk, so you can't deceive others!"
The Sixth Patriarch said with absolute certainty: "Monks do not tell lies, nor do they make jokes!"
Chen Yaxian smiled easily: "Okay, I'll go with you, please choose a piece of land!"
The Sixth Patriarch, Chen Yaxian and Yingxing walked out of the village and came to the bank of Caoxi River. The Sixth Patriarch looked around and asked, "Donor Chen, which lands are yours?"
Chen Yaxian pointed east, west, north and south: "To the mountain in the east, to the river in the west, to the woods in the south, and to the mountain peak in the north. These are my family properties, master, choose whatever you want."
"Okay!" the Sixth Patriarch said, and slowly walked towards a forest on the bank of Caoxi River.
In the mountains, wherever there is a stream flowing through it, there are lush forests on both sides. They receive the nourishment of the stream and return vitality to the stream. In this way, the stream inadvertently flows out green ribbons in the valley.
As a result, the mountains became green, the water became beautiful, the sky became blue, and the wind became gentle.
The three of them came to the grove on the bank of Caoxi River. The Sixth Patriarch casually found an open space and stopped.
Yingxing unfolded the futon on which the Sixth Patriarch usually meditated.
Chen Yaxian raised his head to the sky and laughed loudly: "I thought the master wanted a lot of land from me, but it turned out that he only wanted a place as small as a futon. Buddha, are you kidding me?"
The Sixth Patriarch said: "There is no joke in Buddhism, what I say is serious."
Chen Yaxian said cheerfully: "Okay! I will give you whatever you want."
The Sixth Patriarch held up the futon and raised it to Chen Yaxian: "I want as much space as my futon can cover the sun."
Chen Yaxian looked at the futon, which was less than three feet in diameter, and thought: How much space can you cover with this futon?
So he agreed: "Okay! Okay! I will give you as much space as this futon can cover the sun."
The Sixth Patriarch smiled and asked again: "Donor Chen, your words are not a joke, are they?"
"Of course it's true. How can I dare to speak big words in front of the Buddha? It's true that once a man says something, it's hard to follow him." This time, Chen Yaxian became serious.
"Okay! Just watch!" The Sixth Patriarch said, raising his right hand upwards, and the futon flew straight into the sky like a spinning arrow.
"Sure!" Liu Mian raised his head. Shout loudly towards the sky.
Strangely enough, the futon that was flying upward actually stopped in the air, motionless, blocking the direct light of the sun and casting a large shadow in Caoxi.
"Here! This is the place I want to use to expand the temple." The Sixth Patriarch said looking at the large shadow.
Chen Yaxian was shocked. To tell the truth, he really couldn't bear it. But when I thought that I had sworn an oath in front of the Buddha and saw the boundless power of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng today, I thought for a moment and said, "Buddha really has great supernatural powers. These mountains and forests are the property I have acquired in my life. Today I will use them as my property." Good deeds will bring blessings to the people of Li, and my ancestors will feel gratified if they know it. However, I have a prayer."
The Sixth Patriarch said: "If Almsgiver Chen has any prayers, just tell him."
Chen Yaxian pointed to a hill not far away: "There is the cemetery of my ancestors on that hill..."
"Don't worry, Donor Chen, we will preserve your ancestral graves well. Today, your kind deed has benefited all directions and extended to your descendants. It is really admired by the world." After the Sixth Patriarch Huineng praised Chen Yaxian, he used another method to point it out. Transform him.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng looked at Chen Yaxian who looked anxious, pointed to the ground and said: "Donor Chen, please sit down."
After saying that, the Sixth Patriarch sat down first, closed his eyes, and soon entered a pleasant and comfortable state of meditation.
Seeing his peaceful and comfortable expression, Chen Yaxian also sat down.
It was very quiet in the forest, and the sunlight seemed to be dyed green through the layers of leaves; the wind was combed by the trees, making it refreshing and intoxicating.
Chen Yaxian, a very wealthy man, has not been able to be as leisurely among the mountains and rivers as he is today for many years. The unique freshness of the woodland and the sound of the gurgling stream gave him a long-lost intimacy and an inexplicable touch.
A butterfly flew over their heads.
So Ying Xing crept away quietly and went to the edge of the forest to catch butterflies.
When Chen Yaxian saw him, he couldn't help but think of his childhood, the carefree, simple and happy time...
At that time, the mountains and rivers here did not have the surname Chen, and the Chen family was just an ordinary family living in the mountains. Like all children in the mountains, his spirit and spirit were all left behind in the mountains, hanging in the woods and floating in the streams. A wild flower, a grasshopper, or a group of small fish can all bring them great surprises.
As a result, their happy laughter echoed in the mountains and forests all day long, flowing like a rushing stream...
Chen Yaxian's current state of mind is just like this mountain, this water, and this forest. After it became his own private property, he realized that he had endless worries and endless worries: he was worried about naughty children playing with fire and setting the forest on fire. , I was thinking about someone stealing trees...
Either worrying about gains or worrying about losses, endlessly, endlessly, every night, Chen Yaxian wakes up several times...
That is to say, from that moment on, the simple and fulfilling satisfaction and the unrestrained joy became a distant dream that could never be found again.
A drop of crystal tears oozed from the corner of Chen Yaxian's eyes.
When he opened his eyes, the Sixth Patriarch was looking at him with a smile.
He also wanted to laugh, but his smile was sour and sad, and he sighed unknowingly.
The Sixth Patriarch asked with concern: "Why did Master Chen sigh?"
Chen Yaxian said: "I have long heard people say: I have a lot of gold and silver in my pocket, but I can only eat three meals a day; even if there are thousands of mansions, my sleeping space is only three feet wide. But I have never woken up, I have not seen through it, and I am reluctant to let it go. . Now it seems that I, the biggest rich man in Caoxi, am not as happy as you, an empty-handed monk."
The Sixth Patriarch smiled and said: "Donor Chen used his talents to accumulate thousands of wealth. There is nothing wrong in itself. The key is the way of possessing and using it."
As he spoke, the Sixth Patriarch picked up a handful of fine sand from the sand, poured some of it into Chen Yaxian's hand, and asked him to hold it tightly.
However, the harder Chen Yaxian squeezed, the faster the sand disappeared, and eventually there was not much left. At the same time, the Sixth Patriarch opened his palms, and very little of the sand in his hands fell out.
The Sixth Patriarch then said: "Property is like the sand in your hand. The more you try to grab it and hold it tightly, the faster it will be lost. But if you take it out and share it with the public, not only will it not decrease, it may even increase."
Chen Yaxian didn't believe this. Wealth will only decrease the more you use it. How can it be true that it does not decrease but increases?
The Sixth Patriarch knew that he did not believe it, so he smiled and said: "Donor Chen, it seems that you often feel the pain of losing and wasting money, but rarely experience the joy of giving away money. Just like you own vast mountains and forests, but rarely experience the pain of giving away money." It’s like feeling the tranquility in the forest today.”
Chen Yaxian had to nod.
The Sixth Patriarch said: "Experts often say, ʻGood steel is used on the blade.' Similarly, only when money is used where it is most needed can the value of a wealth creator be fully reflected. It is like the same bag of rice. Mold naturally makes people feel distressed; if charity is given to hungry people, it is likely to save a life. I believe that saving people will bring a greater sense of honor, accomplishment and happiness to Donor Chen than wasting it."
Chen Yaxian was embarrassed because in the past he often left the grain stored at home until it became moldy and was reluctant to take it out to give to his neighbors. Now that I think about it, I feel really ashamed, ridiculous, and stupid.
The Sixth Patriarch also said: "Using the wealth in your hands in the right place and letting it play its due role will definitely bring great happiness to the person who owns the wealth, and it will definitely stimulate his motivation to create more wealth. and wisdom. At the same time, building bridges and roads, helping people in need, will greatly improve a person's credibility, and people will naturally be willing to deal with him, which will lead to wider financial opportunities and abundant financial resources. Besides, being kind and charitable will accumulate great blessings. Received the protection of Bodhisattvas. So you see, the famous good people in the world are not only rich and wealthy, but they are also often longevity stars with good fortune, good health, and many descendants."
Chen Yaxian thought about it seriously, and it was indeed as the Sixth Patriarch said, those famous families with both wealth and wealth are all families who have accumulated good deeds. As for the children and grandchildren of those nouveau riche who cheated and deceived, almost all of them were prodigal sons with all kinds of evils, and their families would soon be ruined. He recalled what the Sixth Patriarch had said to him this day. Every word he said was truly from the bottom of his heart and was for his own good.
So, he knelt down in front of the Sixth Patriarch and said sincerely: "I... no, no! Disciple, disciple is stupid. I have not had the opportunity to listen to the master's teachings before, and I do not know the mystery of Buddhism. I have offended you. Please forgive me." "
The Sixth Patriarch put his hands together in return, helped him up, and said with a smile: "Buddhism talks about the word 'fate'. Now, the opportunity has come for the poor monk to meet Almsgiver Chen, so the poor monk came uninvited and came to beg for alms. "
Chen Yaxian said: "Disciples understand the principle of 'the sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore'. I voluntarily donated all the land in Caoxi to Baolin Temple to support the master."
The Sixth Patriarch shook his head and said with a smile: "That's not necessary. If you could donate a few acres of land to build a temple, I would be very grateful to this poor monk."
Chen Yaxian said sincerely: "Disciple is sincere."
The Sixth Patriarch said: "If you have this heart of giving and practice it physically, you will be able to give up all greed and attachment, and your soul will be liberated. At the same time, giving alms to the Sangha has great merits, and the Buddha and Bodhisattva will protect you. No disaster, no illness, peace of mind and good health.”
Chen Yaxian murmured to himself: "Thank you, master, for the enlightenment, thank you, master, for the enlightenment..."
From then on, Chen Yaxian, like Cao Shanren, became the most devout disciple of the Sixth Patriarch.
With money and land, Baolin Temple quickly started construction and carried out large-scale construction.
Craftsmen from all over the world wanted to do more good deeds and accumulate more virtue for themselves, so they came to help.
The expansion of Baolin Temple is very fast.
Within a few months, an extraordinary temple hall stood in Caoxi.
Dotted with palaces were built along the heights of the mountains, with towering towers and high pavilions, all surrounded by the auspicious clouds of Buddha's light. Hidden in the dense forest are thirteen large and small temples, with green bricks and green tiles, cornices and winding corridors, making them even more solemn and solemn. The majestic pagoda points directly to the sky; the clear stream that lubricates it is even better than a sweet spring.
