Qi walked over and saw a hare with one hind leg trapped in a hunter's noose. He went up to untie the noose on the rabbit's leg and let it return to the forest.
The hare ran far away and looked back at Qi Zhi, as if it didn't quite understand why this man would release it...
After that, I kept this in mind. He found that among the shrubs and grasses in this area, there were many traps specially designed to catch hares and pheasants. "This was probably set by the hunters in the village." Qi Ji looked at the traps and said naturally to himself.
From then on, the first thing I did when I went up the mountain every day was to walk around the area. Once I found a captured small animal, I quickly and quietly released it. The reason why the contract did not remove these traps and hunting snares is because hunters also have a hard time and have to make a living. It is already a sin to let go of prey that people have taken great pains to capture. If they destroy other people's food and property, , he really couldn't bear it.
However, Qi Zi did not expect that a terrible tragedy would be staged under his watch:
That day, a weasel's front paw was caught by an iron clamp. It screamed in pain, but could not break free.
After finding out about it, he quickly ran over to this place to help it escape.
How can a weasel, who is suspicious by nature, understand Qi Shi’s intentions? When it saw someone coming, it became even more panicked and frightened. In order to escape for its life, it actually bit off its pinched claws!
For the sake of the country, the people, and the cause, a strong man cuts off his wrist, which is a song and a cry; but for the sake of his own desire for food, people force small animals to mutilate their own limbs, which is abominable and hateful!
Seeing the bloody severed limbs that had lost their vitality, Qi felt that his heart was twitching and bleeding! He suddenly collapsed on the spot and burst into tears...
I don't know how long it took, but Qi Ji suddenly heard someone moving around in the valley, accompanied by vague voices.
Qi Ji hurriedly hid in a dense bush. He wanted to see what kind of hunter it was that caused this tragedy...
"Alas! That little novice agrees with this..."
When Qi Shi heard this, he was shocked, "Oh, they are actually talking about me!" He thought to himself at that moment: Since I came to Tianhua Temple, I have been coming to the mountain to collect firewood every day. I have not interacted with the local people, and it is impossible to get acquainted with them. Hunter, who actually knows my name?
While Qi Cheng was thinking about it, another voice came faintly: "Since the arrival of that little Qi Cheng, the good days that we had enjoyed are gone forever."
"Yes, you have to be careful when you come to the mountains, and you have to be careful when you return to the temple. Fortunately, my eldest brother is resourceful and used a strategy to drive him out of the room..."
"Oh my god! They are actually the three senior brothers Yingqing, Yingjing, and Yingkong!" If he hadn't covered his mouth tightly with his hands, Qi Su would have screamed subconsciously.
"However, since that little brat came, he has chopped more firewood alone than the two of us. It is more than enough to supply the daily needs of the temple, saving us a lot of effort."
They were getting closer and closer, and Qi Zhao could already hear it. It was Chai Tou Yingqing's voice. Next, it should be Yingkong's turn to speak, because he is the boss's follower.
Sure enough, just as Qi Zhi expected, Yingkong echoed Yingqing's words and passed them clearly:
"That's right, that little guy is so stupid. He doesn't know how to save his strength. He collects so much firewood every day that he can't even carry it. What's even more ridiculous is that when we come to the temple every day, we take over his load of firewood and unknowingly carry him. The credit for collecting firewood is all credited to us, and he is always grateful."
"That kid is too careless. As people often say, he helped others count their money even though he was sold."
"Anyway, that little guy is a dead star. Since he came, the traps we set in this area rarely catch prey."
"Oh my god, those hunting snares were actually arranged by Yingqing and the others!" Qi Ji almost jumped up.
At this time, Qi Chi heard Yingkong say again: "These condoms always yield nothing. We haven't had barbecue for lunch for several days in a row. I was so hungry that I almost didn't have the energy to walk back to the temple in the afternoon."
Yingqing continued: "Perhaps we have wiped out all the rabbits and pheasants in this area, and we should move them."
Ying Jing said: "I don't think what the elder brother said is right, because I have found traces of animals struggling in the place where we set the trap several times, but the prey disappeared inexplicably."
Yingkong exclaimed: "God, was it discovered that we were stealing wild animals and roasting meat to eat? Could it be that little Qihe secretly let the prey go? If he found out, If we report it to the governor of the temple, things will go bad! We will definitely be kicked out of Tianhua Temple..."
Yingqing said: "Looking at what you said, it's not that mysterious. That little novice monk spends all his time chopping wood, how can he have time to hang out here? I think it must be the people nearby who take advantage of the sheep and put the prey in the trap. Stolen."
Ying Jing also said: "I think so too. When we roasted hare for the first time, didn't we just steal it from the hunter's trap in the village? Later, we even got their hunting trap and dropped it into the sky. In the mountain farm where Hua Temple belongs."
After Yingqing arrived at a place where condoms were placed and inspected it, he said with disappointment, "It seems that I'm going to leave empty-handed again today." After saying that, he turned around and started to walk back.
Ying Jing said: "Wait a minute, I'll go to the hillside and take a look."
Yingqing said: "We didn't set traps on the hillside."
Ying Jing smiled proudly and said: "Ever since I noticed that the prey always disappeared from the trap, I was afraid that they might have escaped on their own, so I brought over one of the hunters' iron traps. Let's go and take a look at the place where the trap is placed. , has it changed?"
What they saw was, of course, a mess and a bloody scene!
Faced with this tragic scene, even an iron man would be heartbroken.
"Oh my god, how could this happen?" Ying Jing shouted involuntarily.
Yingkong looked at the trampled marks on the surrounding grass and said, "It seems like someone has been here."
Yingqing silently untied the iron clip and threw it into the valley, then turned and left without saying a word.
However, before leaving, he glanced at the bush where he was hiding...
Qi hesitated for two days and finally told the prison what Yingqing and the others had done.
Unexpectedly, after listening to his story, the prison guard looked at him for a long time like he was examining a monster.
Seeing this, he felt panicked and itched all over his body. He really didn't understand what was going on, so he asked uneasily: "Master, is there anything dirty on my face?"
The prison guard said angrily: "You may have a clean face, but your heart is extremely dirty! It's more cruel than a wolf's heart and a dog's lungs, and more vicious than a snake's and scorpion's heart!"
Qi Ji was scolded so badly that he was embarrassed, but he was confused and didn't know what mistake he had made.
With a confused look on his face, he asked the prison: "Master, you, Mercy, please tell me clearly what is going on?"
"You are really good at pretending! Do you still need me to remind you of what you have done?"
"As a master, I really..."
The supervisor said very seriously: "I agree to this, please listen to me. First, as a novice, you must absolutely respect the monks and should not speak ill of them! This is a commandment formulated by the Buddha himself."
Qi Ji was stunned for a moment, and finally remembered that there was such a commandment. He nodded solemnly and said, "Disciple realizes his mistake and will never do it again in the future."
However, the prison guard sarcastically mocked him and said, "If a dog changes its habit of eating shit, it will no longer be a dog."
Qi Ji quickly knelt down and said sincerely: "Disciple Qi Ji sincerely regrets his sins and is willing to accept the most severe punishment."
The jailer still had a gloomy face and said, "Don't act for me anymore. I've already seen through what you are!"
Qi Ji said with a confused look on his face: "Master, I'm really confused by you. I don't understand what's going on?"
"Okay, then let's open the skylight and speak frankly! Let me ask you, did you catch any wild animals when you were collecting firewood in the mountains?" The prison guard stared at Qi Ji's face with his bright eyes and asked bluntly. .
Qi said: "I have caught them. However, I am here to rescue them."
"Hmph!" the prisoner snorted from his nostrils, and then said indifferently, "Rescue? Was he rescued in your stomach? Did you catch a snake and then secretly burned it and ate it?"
Hearing this, Qi Ji almost vomited: one was the innate physiological reaction, and the other was the psychological reaction of being wronged. Although he always wanted to compromise and excuse himself, this scapegoat was too heavy and almost related to his qualifications as a monk. Therefore, he subconsciously asked: "Who is slandering and deliberately framed me like this?"
The prison guard smiled coldly: "Monks don't tell lies. Could it be that what the three senior brothers told lies?"
Qi Zi blurted out without thinking: "When they see that the matter is exposed, they will complain first."
"You're the one who beat me up!" the supervisor shouted suddenly.
Qi was stunned.
The prison guard continued: "I am so ashamed of you! You have grown a big belly in vain, but you are so narrow-minded! When Yingqing and the others told me about you secretly burning snakes in the mountains and eating them, they repeatedly felt sorry for you. To excuse themselves, they said that you had just become a monk and had not yet adapted to the austere life in the monastery, so eating meat occasionally was not a serious sin. As before, they repeatedly begged for your mercy and said they would help you slowly change. Get rid of your bad habits and prevent me from punishing you severely. But not only are you not grateful for the kindness of the three senior brothers, but... you, a villain who repays kindness with hatred, will not end well!"
Now that things have happened, what else can be said about this agreement? He could only endure the huge injustice and the deepest grievance, and no matter how many tears he shed, he could only shed them into his stomach...
Qi Xi deeply felt that as a person who had just stepped out of home and had almost zero experience in social life, he was far from a match for veterans like Ying Qing. Going against them would definitely bring humiliation to oneself, and there would be absolutely no good fruits to be gained.
However, the next day, he still dismantled all the traps they had set up in the mountains to hunt small animals! And chop it into pieces with an axe, so that it can no longer be used to harm living creatures.
In order to warn them not to do evil again, he also wrote many pieces of a "gatha for abstaining from killing" and posted them on the road they must pass to collect firewood every day:
For thousands of years, there has been soup in the bowl,
The injustice is as deep as the ocean and the hatred is hard to overcome.
If you want to know the calamities of swords and weapons in the world,
But I heard the sound of the slaughterhouse in the middle of the night.
Just think about it, which living being is willing to be slaughtered and devoured? The person who kills must be extremely cruel and resentful; the person who is killed must naturally feel resentful and have thoughts of revenge. With such endless retribution of injustice, how can there be peace in the world?
The purpose of this agreement is to shake the souls of Yingqing and others, awaken their conscience, and then realize their lost ways and correct their evil ways.
Unexpectedly, his series of actions pushed himself into an even more difficult situation.
The reason why Tianhua Temple is famous in eastern Zhejiang is not only because of its strategic location, but also because it has a treasure that is the temple's treasure - a golden incense burner personally given by Empress Wu Zetian.
However, one day, the prison received a report from the incense lantern master of the Main Hall (the monk responsible for managing the incense in the Buddhist hall): the golden incense burner given by the Queen was missing!
The prison guards searched all suspicious places, but could not find the golden incense burner.
The prison guard was helpless. He spread his hands and said, "It's strange. An incense burner has neither legs nor wings. How can it still burrow into the earth and fly into the sky?"
Yingqing said angrily: "Although it has no wings and cannot fly into the sky, it may be able to get into people's stomachs."
Yingkong sang with him: "Who's belly is so big that it can hold an incense burner? Senior brother, is that golden incense burner hidden in your belly?"
Yingqing added: "My belly is too small, but there are people with big belly!"
The prison staff had a vague feeling that Yingqing and the others seemed to have other intentions! So, he had an idea and took people to the farm tool warehouse where Qi lived. Sure enough, in the pile of tattered clothes under his bed, he found the temple's treasure.
"Where is this contract? Bring him to see me!" The prison guard couldn't help but became furious.
At this time, Qi Zu was still carrying firewood and marching hard on the mountain road. Because the burden was too heavy, he had to rest after walking a short distance, so he has not returned yet.
The prison officer ordered: "When he comes back, have him leave the living room immediately!"
Going to the living room is no joke.
If there are any disputes or frictions between monks, they should be sent to the guest hall; monks who seriously violate the precepts and the temple should be dealt with by going to the guest hall. The ending of Xia Ke Tang is either to be slapped with a zen board or to be expelled from the temple!
As soon as Qi Jin walked into the back door of Tianhua Temple with his load of firewood, he was taken to the living room by a guest who had been waiting for a long time.
As soon as Qi stepped into the living room with one foot, the prisoner shouted loudly: "Kneel down!"
Although Qi Chi didn't know what happened, he still knelt down in front of the Buddhist altar obediently.
The prison guard waved his hand, and the monk took out the Zen board inserted in front of the Buddhist niche and hit Qi Xi hard on the body...
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
Ten or twenty boards were knocked down, and Qi Zi was shaking all over in pain, but he gritted his teeth and refused to beg for mercy.
After beating the board, the prison guard placed the golden incense burner in front of Qi Jin and asked him, "Tell me, what's going on?"
Qi Zhi knew the story of this precious incense burner, but he really didn't know what it had to do with him, so he had to remain silent.
However, the jailer regarded him as deliberately being deaf and asked directly: "Tell me, how did it get under your bed? How did it hide in your clothes?"
Qi Zi finally understood in his heart that he had once again been plotted by others and framed as the blame. He knew that even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he would not be able to escape, so he simply remained silent.
The jailer thought that his silence was acquiescence, holding the incense burner in his hand, and said mockingly: "Although this incense burner also has three legs, if it does not have three hands, it will not be able to do anything by itself." Run to your room?"
Qi Zi had a clear idea in his mind that it must be Ying Qing and the other three who were causing trouble again, and wanted to take revenge on him. The purpose was to drive him out of the temple because he was an eyesore and a hindrance.
The prisoner continued to follow his own logic and said: "Xiao Qi, you have a big belly, but you have become more capable. You used to be lazy and greedy, but now you have learned to steal, and you are almost all five poisons!"
Qi Ji still endured the unwarranted insult silently without saying a word to defend himself.
The prison guard remained silent when he saw the deed, and the anger in his heart disappeared a lot. He let out a long sigh and said, "With this in mind, how can a monk become greedy for money? It seems that your secular roots have not been cut off and your earthly fate has not been resolved. You should return to secular life as soon as possible and go home."
This contract allows me to endure humiliation and physical pain, but I refuse to return to the secular world no matter what.
He hurriedly asked for instructions: "No, no, no, master, I will not return to secular life! I would rather accept the most severe punishment and not leave the monastery. Master, I beg you..."
The jailer shook his head and said firmly: "Stealing is a fundamental prohibition. There is no room for accommodation. All violators will be discharged from the hospital."
Qi Chi was really anxious and said, "But I didn't steal the golden incense burner at all!"
Hearing this, the prison guard was trembling with anger: "I found this from under your bed with my own hands. So, how did it get there?"
"How do I know? Someone must have put the blame on me!"
The jailer's face turned pale and he said word by word: "You mean, I am deliberately setting you up?"
Qi Ji shook his head: "Master, of course you will not wrongly accuse me intentionally, but someone must be deliberately plotting against me."
"Who, who are you talking about? Who framed you for stealing the golden incense burner?"
At this time, Qi Zi started to laugh: "The pure ones will be pure by themselves, and the turbid ones will be turbid by themselves. Who is the thief or not? Heaven knows and the earth knows, he knows and I know. The consequences of karma and retribution are not satisfactory at all. It is difficult to deceive oneself and others." Achieve Bodhi; harm others and harm yourself, what’s wrong with your karma!"
Seeing Qi's awe-inspiring look, the prison staff couldn't help but be horrified and thought to themselves: "Could it be that Qi's crime was wronged? However, when he was collecting firewood, he came back empty-handed, and the golden incense burner was hidden under his bed. These were all his own." I saw it with my own eyes!”
Therefore, the prison guard hesitated for a moment and insisted on letting Qi Xi leave Tianhua Temple.
When Qi was desperate, the abbot, the great monk Yunqing, appeared at the right time. He smiled and said to Qi, "Xiao Qi, you are so stupid. Since you stole the golden incense burner, why did you have to hide it under your bed? Isn't it deliberately reserved for people to catch the stolen goods? If you really want to keep it for yourself, why not take the opportunity of going up to the mountain to collect firewood every day to take the stolen goods and bury it in the mountains, then no one will notice. All of you Say, isn’t it?”
After saying that, Monk Yunqing glanced at the prison, and then burst into laughter.
Of course, the prison heard the implication of the great monk, and the theft of the incense burner was ignored.
