"Okay." Huineng nodded, and he and Shenhui landed ashore.
They walked not far from the shore and came to a small hill. They saw the surrounding trees and the chirping of returning birds. However, there was no vegetation on the hill. There was a small nunnery built alone on the top of the hill. In the dusk, It's quite lonely and lonely.
Shen Hui looked excited: "Master, this place doesn't look good, but I think the spiritual energy of Buddhism is very strong!"
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said to his disciples: "That place will be an important Buddhist holy place in the future. Let's go and talk to the abbot about Buddhist principles and Zen."
All the disciples: "Okay."
Shenhui suggested: "Tonight the river is blowing hard and the waves are strong, let's go to that nunnery to seek shelter."
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let's stay in this small nunnery for one night."
Shenhui walked to the small nunnery and said a few words to the monk guarding the door. The young monk guarding the gate nodded and quickly ran into the nunnery to make an announcement. The abbot of the small nunnery, Zen Master Xuanqing, was meditating. When the young monk guarding the door reported that a monk from other places had come to seek accommodation, he quickly stood up from the futon and walked quickly to the gate to greet him.
He saw an old monk with a long beard and extraordinary aura among those who came, and he murmured in his heart: "Who is this eminent monk?"
The gods came forward and respectfully presented the Buddhist ultimatum.
Zen Master Xuanqing opened it and took a look, "Oh, the person who came here turned out to be the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism!" He immediately knelt down and knelt down and bowed: "I didn't know that Master is coming, and I'm sorry to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me."
After Zen Master Xuanqing led the monks to bow to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, he led them up the hill.
This small nunnery occupies a small area and only has a few low green tile-roofed houses. Compared with the grand Baolin Temple where the law is performed, it is completely different. Zen Master Xuanqing welcomed the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and his entourage into the small hall, sat down, and asked the young monk to make some tea.
The young monk took the order and left.
When the monks in the small nunnery learned that the Sixth Patriarch Huineng was coming, they were full of joy, vying to see the Buddha's grace.
After a while, the young monk held the brewed fragrant tea and handed it to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, Shenhui and others.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng picked up the tea cup, put it to his mouth, took a sip, and felt that the taste was very poor. He frowned and looked down at the cup. Under the shaking rosin lamp, he saw that the tea inside was extremely turbid, like yellow soup. .
Seeing the expression of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, Zen Master Xuanqing deduced what he was thinking and asked bluntly: "Master, the mud smell of this tea is too strong, isn't it?"
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng nodded: "Yes. How can such turbid water be used to make tea?" Zen Master Xuanqing showed a look of helplessness on his face: "In our small nunnery, monks usually use water for cooking and eating. It’s from the Xijiang River. Nowadays, the Xijiang River is in flood season, and there is too much sediment washed down from the upper reaches. We put the river water we picked up back into the pool and let it sit for a long time. Even if it was beaten with alum, the sediment could not completely settle.”
"Oh, drinking such turbid river water for many years is really hard on you." The Sixth Patriarch of Zen asked puzzledly, "You have clear mountains and clear water here, and beautiful bells and souls. Why don't you dig a well in the nunnery to get water?"
Zen Master Xuanqing: "The monks in our temple once dug a well in the nunnery."
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said: "Since we have dug a well, why do we abandon the near and seek the far away and not drink the water from the well?"
Zen Master Xuanqing sighed: "Although the well was drilled, no spring water came out."
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng: "Take me to see it."
"Okay." Zen Master Xuanqing led the Sixth Patriarch, Shenhui and others out of the small hall. Not far from the door, they saw a square well. The surrounding shrubs had turned yellow due to lack of water.
It was already dark at this time, and when I looked down, I saw nothing but darkness.
The young monk in the nunnery lit a torch and explored the square well.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng saw that due to the accumulation of sediment, the bottom of the well was only a few feet deep at this time, and the sediment could be seen turning white. Apparently, the well had been dry for a long time.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said: "Since there is no water in the well, why do you give up halfway and stop digging deeper?"
Zen Master Xuanqing: "This place is close to the Xijiang River and the terrain is low-lying. Judging from the situation of digging wells in other places in the city, spring water will continue to gush out after only digging a few feet. We once dug this well several feet deep, but it still didn't work. Dry and without water.”
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng: "My Buddha talks about fate, and everything in the world is predestined to me, the Buddha. Water is also a spiritual thing. If we are not destined to it, even if we dig a hundred feet deep, there will be no spring water flowing out."
If Shenhui realizes something, he will say: "Ah, so that's it! No wonder there aren't many trees and grass on this hill."
Zen Master Xuanqing looked helpless, spread his hands and said: "It seems that God has destined that the monks here will drink the turbid water of the Xijiang River in the future."
"I don't think so." The Sixth Patriarch Huineng waved his hand and said, "As the saying goes, where there is sincerity, gold and stone can be opened. As long as we pray sincerely, there may be unexpected results."
Zen Master Xuanqing: "Master's words are reasonable."
Shen Hui asked the Sixth Patriarch Huineng: "Master, who should we pray to?"
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said: "The dragon moves the rain, and the dragon mother controls the water. In this matter, it is best to pray to the dragon mother to come and help."
Zen Master Xuanqing had a troubled expression on his face: "Deqing Yuecheng is the blessed place of Dragon Mother, but she has achieved enlightenment, returned to heaven, and ranked among the immortals. This place is thousands of miles away from Jiuzhongxiao. How can we invite Dragon Mother to the mortal world?" , come to help?”
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said: "As long as we burn incense and candles in front of the Buddha and pray sincerely, she will definitely know."
Zen Master Xuanqing: "Master, your Dharma is boundless. This time I have to trouble you to pray in person."
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng nodded crisply and replied: "Okay."
So, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng first performed a fasting ritual, then lit the incense and candles himself, knelt on the futon, closed his eyes tightly, clasped his hands together, facing the rising smoke, chanted Buddhist scriptures, and prayed to the spirit of the Dragon Mother in the sky. Can help him.
The words of prayer from the Sixth Patriarch Huineng floated into the sky along with the rising smoke.
After burning incense, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng stayed in this small nunnery that night.
In the misty clouds, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng saw the Dragon Mother descending to the earth in auspicious clouds and came to Mei'an.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng and Zen Master Xuanqing, the abbot of Mei'an, were overjoyed when they saw Mother Long arriving.
Zen Master Xuanqing: "Dragon Mother will come down from the heaven and learn about the drying up of the well in Mei'an."
Dragon Mother nodded: "The Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism has already communicated this matter to us in Buddhist language in front of God. Today I came down to the mortal world, and it is indeed for this matter."
"Dragon Mother is really kind-hearted," the Sixth Patriarch Huineng sighed, pointing to the dry well, and said, "Then please ask Dragon Mother to use your magic to make this well gush out sweet spring."
The Mother of Dragons waved her hand: "If we were in the ordinary world, Long'er and I would naturally be able to use a few tricks to make the sweet spring gush like a tide. However, this time we have to rely on you."
Zen Master Xuanqing Ba blinked his eyes and was puzzled: "It's all up to you, the dragons, to cultivate the clouds and sow the rain in the heaven and on earth. The Dragon Mother is the head of the water tribe. If you can't cast a spell to bring the water, we mortals will... How can it have such extraordinary magical power?"
Dragon Mother: "Master, what you said is wrong."
Zen Master Xuanqing spread his hands and asked, "Where is the difference?"
Dragon Mother pointed upward to the sky and downward to the earth, and said: "Between heaven and earth, although there are many schools of thought, gods, immortals, Buddhas, and Taoists each have their own place and perform their duties. In this holy land of Buddhism, the pure land is dust-free, and we can truly The solution to the problem is the extraordinary power of your Buddhist family."
Zen Master Xuanqing seemed to have some realization at this time and said: "The extraordinary power of our Buddhist family?"
Mother Long pointed at the Sixth Patriarch who had been silent beside her, and said: "Exactly. Huineng is the Sixth Patriarch of Zen. He has become a monk and practiced Buddhism. His Buddhist teachings have made people all over the world admire him. The tin staff in his hand is even more impressive. He is the supreme authoritative representative of Buddhism.”
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng wanted to say something more, but the Dragon Mother had already left in the clouds.
"What's going on?" The Sixth Patriarch Huineng woke up suddenly, and it turned out that he had made a
Dream.
