Besides, after traveling for a day or two, I really felt a little tired. As soon as I arrived at the monk's room, I fell asleep and fell asleep, snoring loudly.
In his sleep, he didn't know that that night, the sea conditions, earth veins, and celestial phenomena in the Tianhua Temple area all had quite strange and special phenomena:
That day, there was what the locals call a "little tide" - the tide was low and flat. However, what is strange is that the tide that night was unusual. The tide buzzed and roared from the depths of the ocean, like thousands of troops galloping together. The tide was high and the waves were flying. It was so spectacular that it can be said that Comparable to the annual August 18th astronomical tide;
The tide is like a high wall made of sea water, rushing forward. It hits the rocks on the seaside at high speed. It can be said that the waves crack the shore and roll up thousands of piles of snow!
Herringbone tide, two independent waves rush diagonally and meet in the center, as if two palms are clapping together, not only hitting waves several feet high, but also making a thunderous sound...
At the same time, smoke rose from Tianluo Mountain near Tianhua Temple, and a cloud of water mist spewed out from a deep cave into the sky.
As the smoke rises, there is a rumbling roar inside the mountain, just like the movement of earth veins and the rush of magma...
After that, five forked caves appeared deep in the cave on Tianluo Mountain - known as Wutong Cave.
Buddhist saints have a theory of "five connections". Namely: clairvoyance, celestial ears, other minds, fate, and wishful thinking.
People with clairvoyance can see things day and night, whether far or near or inside or outside;
People with clairvoyance can hear all sounds;
People with his telepathy can see clearly the thoughts of others at all times;
People with destiny knowledge can recall events and calamities in the past and know them clearly;
With a person who has good luck, he can do whatever he wants, such as going to heaven and earth, moving mountains and seas, sowing beans into soldiers, calling for wind and rain, flying clouds and mists...
Is this Wutong and that Wutong just a coincidence in their names, or do they have some symbolic meaning?
At midnight, the sky above Tianhua Temple is clear. Suddenly, an extremely bright lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the mountains, rivers, land, oceans and harbors, followed by a thunderbolt, with echoes that rippled for a long time...
It is not normal for lightning and thunder to occur in the middle of winter, let alone a bolt from the blue, which is unprecedented and unheard of.
So many strange phenomena certainly aroused the curiosity of the monks in the temple and the people nearby. However, no one could explain the reason.
Only Monk Yunqing, the abbot of Tianhua Temple, had an inexplicable thought in his mind: "The Buddhist scriptures say that when a saint is born, the heaven and earth shake." Brother Xiankuang of Yuelin Temple said in the letter that this is a person with an origin. Could it be the tsunami and the roar of the mountains last night? Is the thunder and lightning related to his arrival?”
At that time, it was the turbulent period at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Warlords were separatist, bandits were everywhere, wars were raging, and wars were constant. As a result, many people were forced to hide in Buddhism, which was relatively safe and peaceful.
These people who could not control their own destiny had no choice but to pray to Buddha and Bodhisattvas for their blessings. Therefore, temples everywhere became extremely prosperous.
Tianhua Temple is close to the mountain and faces the sea, close to an ancient ferry. In front of the door is a wide post road, which leads to Mingzhou, the most prosperous Dayi in eastern Zhejiang, to the north, to the sea to the south, and through Xiangshan to Taizhou, Yongjia and other rich products. States and counties.
It is located at the hub of sea and road transportation, with smooth logistics and trade and convenient personnel exchanges, which has brought a large number of pilgrims and donors to Tianhua Temple.
Therefore, the place is full of incense, crowded with tourists, and very lively. Believers have donated for many years and accumulated a large amount of paddy fields, dry land, mountains, forests, and tidal flats for Tianhua Temple.
Food is plentiful and life is quiet. A large number of wandering monks come here because of its reputation. There are as many as four to five hundred permanent monks in the temple.
If there is a Buddhist festival such as the Christmas of Buddha and Bodhisattva, there will be a grand scene of "thousands of monks passing through the hall, surrounded by thousands of fingers".
I am a newly ordained novice, and I am new here. Therefore, I am not yet qualified to enter the meditation hall to meditate, and I can only do odd jobs. The master waved his hand and said, "Let's chop wood!"
Therefore, the deed was sent to Chaitou (the servant who manages firewood under the throne in the temple. His main responsibility is to collect firewood in the mountains for public use). From then on, the deed was given to an ax and a pole. There is no end to the daily work with woodcutter on the mountain. He used to collect firewood before he became a monk, and he still collects firewood after he became a monk. If he had known this, would he still have become a monk under this contract?
However, the subtlety of the matter is that although it is the same to collect firewood, because of different motivations, the results will be very different.
Along with Qi, there were three other monks, Xing Dan, who was responsible for supplying firewood to the five hundred monks in the temple. Chai Tou's Buddhist name is "Ying Qing", and he and his three senior brothers, Ying Jing and Ying Kong, are all adults.
Six months ago, the three of them traveled from Shanxi together to Tianhua Temple. It is said that they were robbed by robbers on the way and lost the Dudu (an official document certifying monkhood issued during the Tang and Song Dynasties).
In those days, there was war and chaos, bandits were everywhere, and it was common for passers-by to be robbed. Therefore, the abbot, Monk Yunqing, was very compassionate and still took them in.
They said that in order to support the public and help others achieve spiritual enlightenment, they were responsible for the entire temple's firewood supply.
Perhaps because the mountains are high and the roads are far away, it is difficult to cut firewood. It is difficult for the three of them to provide for the entire temple, so Qi Su was sent here.
Buddhist monks are not ranked by age, but by monks (age as a monk). The four of them ate, lived and worked together. Since the three senior brothers entered the mountain gate first and were much older than Qedi, Qedi regarded them as his elders, treated them with great respect and listened to his instructions in everything.
On the first day when we went up the mountain to cut firewood, the brothers brought the deed to a firewood forest. Yingqing said: "Xiao Qi, this mountain forest belongs to our Tianhua Temple. You can collect firewood here. We are not around, so you can't be lazy!"
Qi Chi didn't quite understand this arrangement and asked, "Senior brother, am I the only one collecting firewood here? How about you?"
Ying Qing and the other two people looked at each other and smiled, pointing to the lush jungles all over the mountains and plains, and said, "We want to go to the deep mountains and old forests in the distance."
Qi Chi said quite innocently: "Brother, I have never been deep into the mountains and forests. There must be many strange flowers and plants there, as well as birds that are rarely seen in ordinary times. Can you please take me with you?"
"No!" The grumpy Ying Jing waved his hand and said, "Bringing you here will ruin our business!"
Qi Chi felt aggrieved and muttered in a low voice: "Isn't it just collecting firewood? How could I ruin your business?"
Ying Qing glared at Ying Jing fiercely, then patted Qi Ji on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Junior brother, what Ying Jing means is that the place where we are going to collect firewood is high in the mountains and the road is far away, and you are still young. Your strength has not yet been fully developed, so I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with our pace, which will tire you out."
Yingkong also said: "As a matter of fact, we are here to collect firewood, not for fun. We monks should keep the Tao in mind and not just be curious and playful. Besides, there are often tigers and leopards deep in the mountains and forests. It is very dangerous to be infested, and if we are distracted from taking care of you, we will delay chopping wood."
Qi Ji said: "Since the depths of the jungle are so dangerous, why don't brothers collect firewood here?"
Yingqing said: "This forest is too small. If the four of us were to cut firewood here, it would be all cut down in a few days. Besides, if we don't cut the firewood in the forest in the temple far away, we will not be able to cut it down." It’s just wasted. So, although we put in a little more effort, we can ensure that there will never be a shortage of firewood in the temple.”
It turns out that the reasons why the senior brothers made this arrangement were, firstly, for the good agreement, and secondly, for the long-term plan of the temple.
After listening to the teachings of the senior brothers, I felt very ashamed. Compared with the brothers who always think about others and always think about the permanent residence (specifically referring to the temple and the Sangha. Because the temple is the dojo where the monks always live, the word "permanent" has become synonymous with the monks' permanent residence in the temple and the Sangha). His noble sentiments made him blush for the distracting thoughts and indulgence in his heart.
After the senior brothers left, he did not dare to slack off for a moment, waving the ax and chopping firewood. By the time the brothers returned from the depths of the forest in the afternoon, he had already chopped two large bundles of good firewood.
When Ying Qing saw this, he praised him very much.
Of course he was very excited to receive the praise from his senior brother. Even the trembling pole was as happy as dancing.
And Qi Zi chopped too much firewood. The two big bundles weighed more than a hundred kilograms. After a while, he was a little overwhelmed by the two big bundles of firewood carried on his shoulders. In addition, the mountain road was bumpy. He was so tired that he was out of breath, and his legs were as heavy as if they were filled with lead. They were getting heavier and heavier, making it difficult to move...
No wonder the senior brothers said that he was still young and not full of strength. Look, he was also carrying a load of firewood. He walked so easily, and soon he was far behind.
Only then did he realize that the two bundles of firewood carried by his senior brothers combined were not as much as his bundle.
No wonder they walked so easily! He then thought that the places where the senior brothers went were far away and the time to collect firewood was short, so of course they would collect less firewood.
Qi Ji's shoulder was red and swollen from the weight of the pole, and he felt a burning pain. The brothers who were walking in front had long disappeared.
Although he gritted his teeth, when he was still one mile away from the temple, he could no longer carry the load of firewood.
Just when he was completely desperate and wanted to cry loudly, he found three senior brothers waiting for him at the bend of the mountain road ahead.
From a distance, seeing him swaying under the weight of the heavy burden, stumbling and in pain, Yingqing said to the other two people: "You two pick up my firewood separately, and I will take it."
Yingqing came back quickly and without saying a word, he took the load of firewood and walked towards the temple.
Looking at Senior Brother Yingqing's back, Qi couldn't help but be moved to tears...
Who says monks are cold and heartless?
From that first day, whenever Qi Jizai was still one mile away from the temple, a senior brother would always come to carry firewood for him in time, allowing him to walk back to the temple empty-handed.
One day, when they came back as usual, the prison courtyard stood at the back door of Tianhua Temple where they went up the mountain to collect firewood.
There was a thick cloud on the face of the prison, so gloomy that one could almost squeeze water out of it. For some reason, Ying Qing, Ying Jing, and Ying Kong were so frightened that their faces changed color, and their steps became unnatural.
Only Qi Zhi, who was walking at the end, was ignorant and happy, dancing with an empty pole in his hand and jumping up and down under his feet.
The prison camp turned a blind eye to the fawning and flattering smiles of Ying Qing and others, and simply pointed at Qi Xi and shouted: "What's the matter with you?"
Qi Chi Leng was startled by him and was at a loss. He stammered: "I...I...I, no...nothing happened!"
Seeing his innocent look, the prisoner became even more angry and scolded him: "I asked you to collect firewood, why did you come back empty-handed?"
Qi Zi blushed and muttered: "I...I..."
The prison guard interrupted him unceremoniously: "I am not me. No wonder some people say that you are lazy every day and pass the responsibility of collecting firewood to your senior brothers. I saw it with my own eyes today, what else can you say to make excuses?" "
Qi Ji quickly explained: "Master, I didn't mean to be lazy, but because I don't have enough strength, so..."
"How can your lack of strength be the reason for you to avoid working? Do you remember what Zen Master Baizhang said?"
Although Qi Chi had just become a monk, he had been playing in Yuelin Temple since he was a child, and often listened to Zen monks telling stories about the Patriarch's koan and Jungle (another name for Zen temples). Therefore, he understood that Jianyuan refers to Patriarch Baizhang Huaihai's "if he does not do anything for a day, he will The story of not eating for a day.
Baizhang Huaihai was a disciple of Mazu Daoyi.
In the fourth year of Zhenyuan of the Tang Dynasty (AD 788), after Ma Zudao passed away, Baizhang Huaihai held a handful of tears and began to go out. He traveled again and again, and soon he arrived at the foot of Daxiong Mountain in Xinwu, Jiangxi (now Fengxin County).
This Daxiong Mountain is really a good place. The mountain is full of ancient trees, the ravines and flowing water are flowing, the deserted paths are deserted, and the empty valleys are filled with the fragrance of flowers. The most peculiar thing is that a series of majestic rock walls rise up from the mountain. It is solitary and steep, standing thousands of feet tall, displaying the unique charm of a majestic and majestic man between heaven and earth.
Facing the majestic scene, Huaihai couldn't help but cheered and kowtowed on the ground: thanking the Creator for giving him such a unique mountain, known as the "Baizhang" mountain, which is the most suitable place to promote Zen.
Baizhang Huaihai hung his luggage high on a tree branch, raised his hoe, and opened up a new world in the grass.
The walls of the Baizhang Mountain stand thousands of feet tall, and are miraculous and majestic. The Baizhang Zen staffs are scattered in all directions, which is magical, majestic and fascinating.
Not long after he became the abbot of Daxiong Mountain in Baizhang Huaihai, monks from all over the world came upon hearing the news. Zen monks gathered under Baizhang Rock and surrounded by nunneries.
Baizhang Huaihai led his disciples to open up wasteland and cultivate fields, doing both farming and Zen, paying equal attention to farming and Zen. He creatively integrated spiritual practice into work, practiced in daily labor, and started a new way of life and practice in the Zen jungle.
The idea of simultaneously promoting agriculture and Zen had already sprouted during the period of the Fourth Patriarch Daoxin and the Fifth Patriarch Hongren. It took 150 years to reach Huaihai and began to be formally included in the "Baizhang Qinggui" customized by him, and consciously standardized it from the institutional perspective. . This is a matter of far-reaching influence and significance in the history of Zen Buddhism.
It is a major reform to the Indian Buddhist spirit of living by begging and giving alms, thereby adapting Buddhism to China's national conditions based on a self-sufficient natural economy, and is a decisive step in the Sinicization of Buddhism.
According to the "Baizhang Qinggui", all labor services in the Zen Jungle are performed in a universal manner (collective labor), which benefits both the upper and lower workers.
In other words, from the abbot to the novice, all monks must work with the crowd, without any special distinction.
Baizhang Huaihai has always set an example and always puts himself before the public in everything he does. Until his later years, he still went to work in the fields every day like a young man.
The apprentices were heartbroken to see their master still working in the fields every day at such an advanced age. They also tried to persuade and plead many times, but Baizhang always laughed it off and insisted on farming. Seeing that the soft methods were ineffective, the master decided to do something simple - he hid the hoe used by the master to open up wasteland the night before.
The next day, all the monks went to open fields. Huaihai couldn't find his tools and was so anxious that he was running around.
The head teacher took the opportunity and said: "Master, you are so old and you are still working like us. It is really unbearable for us to see you. What should we do if you become tired and sick? We have discussed it, and you Just don’t go to the fields. Don’t worry, each of us will dig a few more heads and we’ll do your share.”
Unable to open up wasteland without tools, Huaihai had no choice but to stay in the temple as his disciples couldn't. At noon, when the Zen monks came back to eat, Baizhang Huaihai was nowhere to be seen in the dining hall. "What's wrong, Master?"
"sick?"
"Why don't you come for dinner?"
The master and several of his disciples came to the abbot with speculation and asked Huaihai, who was sitting on the Zen bed, why he didn't need lunch.
Huaihai said: "I am an incompetent and immoral person. How can I let others do my share of the labor? Since I did not participate in opening the fields, I am not qualified to eat."
The disciples brought the rice and handed it to him, but Huaihai firmly refused to eat.
People are like iron, and food is like steel. If you don't eat a meal, you will feel panicked. What's more, Baizhang Huaihai is already a gray-haired old man. If he is hungry all day long, wouldn't he be starved to death?
In desperation, the head master and everyone else knelt down and asked the master to eat.
But Huaihai said very firmly: "If you don't do anything for a day, you won't eat for a day."
As a result, everyone could not defeat the master and had to return the tools to him.
The next day, the old and happy figure of Huaihai appeared again among the people working in the fields.
"A day without doing anything, a day without food." From then on, Huaihai's shocking words of self-discipline became popular in the jungle, and monks rushed to imitate them, becoming an unwritten rule of Zen Buddhism. To this day, it has become the motto of the jungle monks, always warning Buddhists.
The prison guard looked at the deed intently, and after a while, he said majestically: "Since you know the shocking self-discipline words of Patriarch Baizhang: 'If you don't work for a day, you won't eat for a day.' How dare you evade work?" ? You are deliberately violating the temple rules. According to the co-residence agreement, not only can you not eat, but you will also have to make a confession (public criticism) in front of the entire temple monks and pay incense (kneel before the Buddha to repent)."
At this moment, I just feel aggrieved. However, the Prison Court relied on what they saw with their own eyes and did not give him a chance to speak and express his feelings.
It's hard to explain this contract, and it's hard to justify it. The tears are like broken beads, falling down...
At this moment, Ying Qing, who had been watching, spoke: "Master, Qi Zi is not deliberately lazy. He goes up the mountain with us to collect firewood every day. It's just that because he is still young and is still growing, we I was afraid that the heavy load of firewood would crush him, so I took turns picking it back for him."
Yingjing and Yingkong also echoed: "Yes, yes, although Qi Zi is a little weak, he still works hard to collect firewood every day."
Since everyone is interceding for this contract, it is hard for the prison to say anything. Finally, he pointed at Qi Chi's forehead and said: "For the sake of Yingqing and the other three, I will spare you this time. However, please remember that the temple is not a place for lazy people. You have to take care of yourself from now on!" If you make a mistake again, I will move you out of the temple regardless of who recommended you!" After saying that, the prisoner walked away.
Yingqing patted Qi Ji on the shoulder, then patted his own chest and said, "Qi Ji, in Tianhua Temple, you have our brothers making the decisions for you, so you don't have to be afraid of anyone."
I couldn't thank these brothers enough for being able to uphold justice for him at the critical moment, and I shed tears again. From then on, he admired the three senior brothers even more.
Time flows smoothly like this.
The life in the monastery is extremely harsh, especially the meager food that lacks oil and salt, which is difficult for ordinary people to adapt to.
Breakfast usually only consists of porridge. At noon, the food is slightly better due to Tanyue giving alms, donors offering food, and pilgrims dining.
Due to the "unseasonable eating precept" in the rules, the Buddha ordered monks not to eat after noon, which is commonly known as "Zhiwu". Therefore, the original monks did not have dinner and could only eat breakfast and lunch a day.
After the rise of Zen Buddhism, it was advocated to pay equal attention to agriculture and Zen. Because Zen monks had to participate in heavy labor every day, they would be hungry without dinner.
The ancestors were clever and convenient, and made some modifications according to the actual situation, calling the afternoon meal "medicine stone" - to cure hunger diseases.
Since it is medicine and food, it is of course very simple. It is often made by adding water to the leftover lunch and making it into a pot of gruel.
Qi was still growing up, and when he first became a monk, it was difficult for him to adapt to this kind of diet. I drank three to five bowls of rice porridge in the morning and urinated a few times, leaving my stomach empty. Relatively speaking, the lunch meal at the temple is better.
However, due to the high mountains and long roads, they could not come back at noon to collect firewood, so they could only eat dry food from spring water in the mountains.
Because of the lack of oil and water, he couldn't help but feel hungry after eating dry food, and soon his stomach began to sing. This was one of the reasons why he was too weak to carry back a full load of firewood.
Doing heavy work requires a lot of physical strength, and growing your body requires more nutrients. There was no other way. Qi Ji, who was so hungry, had no choice but to stuff his stomach with porridge all morning and all night.
Over time, his stomach became more and more distended. After a few months, he could actually drink ten bowls of gruel, and his belly was as big as if he had been eight months pregnant.
From then on, he became paunchy - truly full of food!
Qi Ji envied and admired the three senior brothers very much. They were doing the same heavy work and could only eat some dry food at noon, but they could still strictly abide by the Buddhist rules and not eat after noon. What's even more amazing is that not only did they never say they were hungry, but they were all strong, full of energy, and extremely energetic.
It is said that those who practice at home, feed on the joy of Zen, can not only nourish the physical body, make the body light and healthy, but also be filled with Dharma joy and have boundless spiritual power. Its mystery and beauty are simply unimaginable.
Qi thought to himself: Could it be that these three senior brothers who collect firewood every day have also reached such an incredible sacred realm?
There is one more thing that I cannot understand. He has not eaten meat since he was a child, so he is extremely sensitive to the smell of meat. However, since he came to Tianhua Temple and lived with his three senior brothers, he could often smell a fishy smell unique to meat in the room.
However, Buddhism quietly forbids all meat and fish, so where does the fishy smell come from?
Besides, this room is divided into an inner and an outer room. The three senior brothers live in it. The outer room stores their working tools and some sundries. There is a small bed in the corner. There is no pot and stove at all. How can there be cooking? What about the taste of meat?
Qi Qi thought that this was another inner demon at work, manifesting this disgusting smell to disturb him, so for a long time, he ignored it.
This day is the traditional temple fair on the third day of the third lunar month, and nearby villagers sing operas in the square in front of the temple. The three senior brothers probably went to watch the fun, but they hadn't come back yet when it was time to go to bed. Qi wanted to lay out the quilts for his senior brothers, so he came to the back room that he had never visited before.
The disgusting smell got even stronger!
"Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha..." Qi Zhi silently chanted the Buddha's name in his heart, hoping to use the Buddha's blessing to suppress this inexplicable feeling.
But, to no avail, the closer he got to the back wall of the house, the stronger the smell of cooking meat became.
His nose was extremely sensitive and he sensed the smell coming from behind a painting hanging on the wall...
After opening the painting, I found that several bricks on the wall were loose, and I could feel a heat radiating outward.
He carefully took away a brick, and a bright light shot out - there was actually a section of the largest candle burning brightly in the wall!
After he removed all the loose bricks, he found a hole in the wall, and a casserole was placed above the candle. A skinned hare was stewed in the pot, and it was bubbling!
"Wow!" Qi Ji ran out and vomited violently. After vomiting the gruel, he vomited out gastric juice, and after vomiting out gastric juice and bile, he almost vomited out all his internal organs...
He finally stopped vomiting, and his first reaction was to report to the Prison Yingqing and the others about secretly cooking meat.
Because it is a fundamental taboo for monks to kill and eat meat, and it is a precept that cannot be violated.
This is not informing, but caring for each other. The reason why the Sangha can live together in harmony is that criticism and self-criticism, and mutual promotion, are an important foundation.
However, he then thought that maybe the senior brothers accidentally encountered a dead hare while collecting firewood and got greedy for a while, so...
Mistakes are inevitable for everyone in the journey of life. As long as you sincerely repent and never make the same mistake again, it will be fine. So Qi went back to the back room and deliberately left a brick without putting it back to let the brothers understand that what they had done had been discovered and they should correct it quickly.
Sure enough, the three senior brothers didn't say anything, and they didn't resent him because of this. They still treated him as before.
However, three days later, Yingqing approached the prison on behalf of the other two people and requested that the deed be moved out of their room.
The prisoner was puzzled: "Why? Don't you live well together?"
Yingqing said seriously: "According to the precepts, novices cannot live in the same room with monks. Qi is a young novice who has not yet received full ordination, so he should not live in the same room with us."
The prison guard said: "Your house has an inner and outer rooms. It actually counts as two rooms. It does not violate the regulations."
Yingqing refused to give in: "However, there is no door between the inside and the outside, only a curtain. He can enter and leave our sleeping place at any time."
Since the precepts were involved, the prison did not dare to change, so they had to let Qi Ji move out and live in half a warehouse where farm tools were stored.
As for the commandments, everyone must strictly abide by them.
Isn't it? Every time during this year's uposatha, before reciting the precepts, the monks always say: "Are the novices leaving the hall?"
As a novice, you should not listen to what you should not hear, and you should not see what you should not see. This has always been the case for thousands of years. Therefore, Qi Chi didn't think much about it, he still tried his best to collect firewood, still drank porridge with open belly, and still had fun every day.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Qi Ji cut firewood every day and gradually mastered the skills. He still cut as much firewood with half the effort, but the time spent cutting wood was greatly shortened than before.
So, he had some free time to wander around the mountains and forests, firstly to enjoy the wonderful scenery that changes all the time in the mountains and forests, and secondly, to look for some wild fruits and wild vegetables to fill his growling stomach.
One day, he just admired the gorgeous mountain flowers and unknowingly climbed over a high hill and came to another valley. Here, there are thick bushes and waist-high weeds. The environment is quiet and inaccessible.
Qi thought to himself: Senior brother and the others should be gathering firewood in the forest across the valley, right?
Suddenly, Qi Zi seemed to hear a rustling sound next to a bush, as if it was the sound of something trying to break free.
He walked over quickly. The closer he got, the louder the sound became, and finally turned into a desperate struggle:
"Squeak...squeak..."
