When Qi saw the woman constantly blaming herself, repenting, and apologizing, she smiled sincerely from the bottom of her heart, then turned around and drifted away.
With his tolerance and unbearable practice, Qi Ji finally won people's understanding and respect. Instead of mocking him, they gradually fell in love with this pot-bellied monk with a gentle temper, broad heart and a big smile. .
…
At that time, the monk in charge of the temple's property was called the village owner. He is responsible for monitoring the field boundaries, repairing the farm buildings, and managing all affairs in the farm such as households.
The land of Tianhua Temple is near the temple, so there is no dedicated owner of the village. The deed is equivalent to an overseer responsible for supervising the work of the villagers.
He is hands-on in everything he does and is completely involved with the farmers who are hired to work. He sets an example when working in the fields and often does more than others.
What moved those bankers the most was that Qi Su not only treated them completely equally, but also trusted them very much and regarded them as his brothers and sisters.
Real gold exchanges for real gold, people exchange people for people. Because of the sincerity of the contract, the dealers are naturally very sincere in their work. This year, Tianhua Temple's autumn rice harvest was unprecedented, and farmers also received more rewards.
After the autumn harvest, the farming work came to an end, and Qi returned to the temple.
The Zen Jungle, starting from Patriarch Baizhang Huaihai, has always paid equal attention to farming and Zen: monks farmed during busy farming hours and practiced Zen during slack farming days. Every year after the autumn harvest, a Zen meditation ceremony is held in the Zen forest. Most of the monks live in the Zen hall and concentrate on meditation.
However, Qichi was not qualified to enter the Zen hall to meditate during the off-season, because his time as a monk was short and he had not received the ordination.
"Go and be a guardian!" Abbot Yunqing said. External protection is to fully protect the Zen people who are diligently practicing and obtaining enlightenment in the Zen hall, ensuring that they have rice in their bowls and tea in their cups, without any distractions, and can practice with concentration.
Therefore, Qi Ji had just put down his farm work in the fields and started doing chores in the temple.
That day, Qi went to the town to purchase soybeans and did not come back until evening.
As soon as he entered the mountain gate, he felt something strange. When the novices and monks saw him, they couldn't help but cover their mouths and secretly laugh. They didn't know what they were laughing at.
After dinner, when he was returning to the tool shed where he lived, he occasionally noticed someone following him quietly, as if there was something strange to see.
Qi's heart is pure and he doesn't care. When he opened the door and just stepped in with one foot, his whole body was pushed out by an extremely stinky smell!
The smell is very strange, as disgusting as it is, it seems to be able to penetrate into the bones! Isn't it? Qi Zi was so smoked that his stomach was churning and he couldn't help but vomit...
Behind him, a burst of laughter that had been suppressed for a long time broke out - those naughty little novices finally saw the scene they expected.
It turned out that at noon that day, a wandering monk came to Tianhua Temple holding a Zen staff and carrying a bag. He seemed to be beyond his age, his clothes were ragged, his face was covered with dirt, his body was covered in scabs, and his whole body exuded an indescribable stench.
People who were only three feet away from him were so smoked that it was difficult to breathe and made them want to vomit. Therefore, everyone on the road covered their noses and stayed away when they saw him.
The wandering old monk walked into the living room as if there was no one else around. When Zhike saw him like this, he almost lost his temper: "Get out, get out, get out quickly!"
But the old monk did not move at all, and said plausibly: "The jungles of the ten directions live in the ten directions, and the monks of the ten directions live in the ten directions. Tianhua Temple is the jungle of the ten directions, and it should accommodate the monks from all over the world. Why do you want to drive the old monk out? "
When Zhike heard this, he was speechless for a moment, and after humming for a long time he said: "Although Tianhua Temple is in the jungle of ten directions, a meditation ceremony is being held. During this period, there are so many Zen monks coming to meditate, and there are no beds. We have temporarily stopped placing orders. ). So, Master, please go and stay somewhere else."
Monks have the right to place orders, and Zhike can also place orders at any time. Therefore, it is Zhike who has the final say whether to let the wandering monk place orders.
The ancients said: If you are old and immortal, you are called essence. This old monk seems to have lost his age, so he has already become a spirit.
He said calmly: "The jungle rules (system), stop orders must be reported to the public. However, I did not see the stop order sign you hung at the door of the living room."
"This..." Zhike was hit hard and was speechless.
The old monk did not embarrass him, and continued: "Master Zhike is compassionate, you see that I am old and sick, and I am so hungry that I have no strength. How can I still walk? Just find me a shack. , let me take a rest."
"But……"
The old monk did not wait for him to say the meaning behind "but", and promptly interjected: "Master Zhike, you don't have to be embarrassed. If there is really no room, I will rest in your living room for a while."
As he spoke, the old monk actually sat down cross-legged on a Zen stool in the living room. Moreover, with his eyes slightly closed and his hands in the meditation mudra, it seems that he wants to meditate deeply here and sit quietly for several hours.
The living room is the face of a temple. Sitting here is a dirty and smelly monk. It is not only unsightly and indecent, but also "smells far away". Even the most devout pilgrims may have to flee after smelling the smell, look away, and stay away. .
Zhike had no choice but to hold his nose and come over, clasped his hands to the old monk and begged: "Old man, please understand that the young monk has the same difficulties as the young monk. During the Zen Seven Dharma Conference, there are too many people from all over the world. If you just find a place, I’m afraid I have wronged a mature and mature man like you..."
The old monk opened his eyes at the right time: "Just find me a thatched shed."
At this time, Yingqing came over and said to Zhike: "Since this old man has repeatedly said that he lives in a thatched shed, let him rest temporarily in the tool shed here."
As a result, the nameless old monk was led to Qi Chi's room by Ying Qing.
After vomiting the porridge in his stomach, Qi Ji's nausea improved a little. He pinched his nose and walked into the room. He saw an extremely dirty old monk lying on his bed with no clothes on. He showed no reaction to anyone entering the room, as if he were dead.
Qi Chi was a little worried and asked: "Teacher, what's wrong with you? Are you sick? Do you want me to hire a doctor for you?"
The old monk remained motionless, still sleeping with his head covered. I heard that his breathing was quite even and his life was probably not in danger, so I felt relieved. However, his house was originally a small shed for stacking farm tools. It was low, narrow, and damp and cold. Now that it was the off-farming season, a large number of farm tools were stored. There was no room for anything inside, and his bed was occupied. Went, there was no place to sleep.
Qi Ji really couldn't bear to wake up and drive away the unknown old monk who was occupying the phoenix nest, so he had to gather the farm tools and free up a space the size of a dustpan. He brought some straw, made a straw nest, and sat down half I spent the whole night half leaning there.
Early the next morning, Qi Ji opened his eyes and found that the old monk was still lying on the bed.
He quickly got up and found that the old monk's body was covered with scabies and boils, which were red and swollen, with blood and pus flowing out. Then I tried his forehead with my hand. It was hot and scary.
It seemed that he was indeed seriously ill.
He quickly found the living room and reported to Zhike so that he could ask the doctor for medicine.
However, Zhike said: "No one has seen this person before. I don't know where he wandered from. He doesn't even have an ultimatum. Who knows if he is a monk? Besides, when a person gets sick, his karma manifests itself. Once he gets sick, he will feel pain." It’s just for him to eliminate his karma for a few days, so there’s nothing to make a fuss about. Just keep an eye on him and don’t let him die in our temple.”
Feeling helpless, Qi had no choice but to return to the room, repeatedly soak the handkerchief in cold water, and then apply it on the old monk's forehead to cool him down.
However, after Qi had soaked a basin of cold water into warm water, the old monk's body was still burning like charcoal.
We understand that simply relying on cold compresses will treat the symptoms but not the root cause. The key is that the abscesses all over his body must be treated to truly reduce the fever.
Looking at the festering boils and hard scabs formed by pus and blood, I felt so sick that I started to retch.
Even though he was wearing clothes and covering himself with a quilt, the stench emanating from the old monk's body could stun a person to death. If he opened the scabs and squeezed out the putrid pus and blood, he wouldn't be disgusted to death!
He subconsciously and involuntarily walked out...
As soon as Qi came out of the door, he seemed to hear a slight sigh from the old monk who was sleeping on the bed.
This reminded him of his father, Zhang Chongtian. If it was his father lying on the bed, would you still avoid him? You say that enemies are equal, but can you really do it?
Qi Chi resolutely decided to go back to the bedside and took off the old monk's robes that had not been changed in a thousand and six lifetimes. He used warm water to thoroughly clean and wipe the pus, blood and dirt all over his body. Then, he used a bamboo stick to clean the old monk's clothes. The rotten boils were opened one by one, and the sticky, thick, fishy and smelly pus inside was squeezed out...
After working all morning, Qi Ji finally "cleaned up" the old monk thoroughly. Strangely enough, when he devoted his whole body and soul to cleaning the old monk's pus and blood, he did not smell the suffocating stench.
He suddenly realized: The odor of the outside world will only occur when it corresponds to your heart! When all your attention is focused on other aspects, you will not notice its existence at all!
It can be seen from this that all kinds of dharmas arise because of the birth of the mind. As long as the mind is destroyed and no distinction can be made, all the factors that cause your psychological changes will not exist.
Therefore, the Patriarch said: "The three realms are based on mind, and all dharmas are based on consciousness."
Isn't it? The concealment and appearance of the odor, its presence and absence, are clear evidence of the powerlessness of the mind. Therefore, the ancients said: "All dharmas arise from the heart, and there is no need to seek outside."
With this understanding, he realized that all dharmas arise from the mind and cannot be controlled outside the mind. From now on, there is no need to seek Buddhism, Zen or other things from others, everything lies in one's own mind.
It is not enough to just remove the pus and blood from the old monk's body. He must be smeared with ointment specially designed to treat boils in order to recover.
However, I am a novice monk and must keep the money precept. In other words, not only was he not allowed to save any private money, but he was not even allowed to touch money. Therefore, he had no money to buy medicine for the old monk.
Qi Qi thought of the bankers who were friendly with him, so he took the time to go down the mountain and ask them to think of a solution.
The villagers are all poor and cannot afford to spend money to help Qihe buy medicine. However, the poor have limited means. They have a unique recipe passed down from their ancestors, using a local herbal medicine to treat boils very effectively.
Although this herb is effective, its processing method is also unique: put it in your mouth, chew it, mix it into a paste with saliva, and then apply it on the sores.
So the deed became a cow, a cow chewing hay.
However, it would be nice if he was really a cow - the old cow chews hay and makes his mouth full, and he will be as happy as he wants; but doing this is extremely painful!
It was fine for just one or two chews, but the old monk was covered in boils and needed to be smeared with a lot of medicinal mud.
He chewed and chewed until his mouth became dry and his throat smoked, as if all the water in his body had been sucked out by the dry herbs, causing his lips to crack and the corners of his mouth to bleed...
Under Qi Ji's careful care, the unknown old monk's boils became red, swollen, scabbed, and gradually healed. After sleeping for seven days, I slowly opened my eyes.
"Namo's master, Sakyamuni Buddha. Old man, you are finally awake!" Qi Zi clasped his hands together and murmured.
To his surprise, after the old monk woke up, he turned a blind eye to the healing of boils all over his body, and did not even ask how he was cured, as if he had never had those abscesses.
Without saying a word, he started giving orders to Qizhi. At one moment, he said that his back was itchy and asked Qizhi to scratch it. At the next moment, he complained that his back and legs hurt, and asked Qizhi to give him a slap...
Before Qizi could catch his breath, he pointed to his mouth again, indicating that he was thirsty and asked for water.
Qi Ji casually scooped up a bowl of water from the earthen pot he usually drank from and handed it to him. Unexpectedly, he didn't even look at it and said, "I don't drink cold water."
Qi went to the kitchen to get him a bowl of boiled water. However, he still refused to drink it and said, "I don't drink boiled water."
Feeling helpless, he went to a fellow tea lover and asked for a handful of tea leaves. He set up three rocks outside the door and made a pot of hot tea.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the old monk drank it into his mouth, he spit it out and scolded him: "Is this tea? It's just rotten tree leaves! I want to drink Hangzhou Longjing."
Although Hangzhou is only more than three hundred miles away from Fenghua, poor monks like Qi Shi have never heard of Longjing tea. However, the old monk kept shouting and would not stop until he drank Longjing tea.
Qi had no choice but to shamelessly go to the abbot to kowtow to Monk Yunqing, and then asked for some Longjing tea, which finally satisfied the old monk's demands.
In the next few days, the nameless old monk tried every means to torment Qi Zu, as if he was born to be a grandfather and master, and Qi Zu was originally a slave to serve him!
"I agree, give me a bath!"
"Here you go, cut my nails!"
"I agree to this, give it to me..."
Qi Ji did not complain about anything he did for him, but Qi Ji was so busy that he couldn't even eat.
It turned out that the old monk came from nowhere and had no ultimatum. The ultimatum is the proof of the monk's identity. According to the rules of the jungle, you can't place an order without an ultimatum, and you won't have food to eat. After this, he was secretly hungry and gave his share of food to this wandering old monk...
This is because when I was young, I had no food in my stomach and my energy was inevitably low. So as soon as it got dark, I would snail myself in the grass early in order to forget the unbearable worry of hunger:
A dream will never scare you, and you will sleep until the sun rises, naturally you will have peace of mind;
Let go of all the fate, let him ridicule you for honor and disgrace, but you will still be the same as before.
A wisp of fragrance floated slowly, and Qi felt that he was being led by it to fly up and up to the sky, and flew into a gorgeous palace.
There is a tall, broad lion in the center of the palace. Without thinking, he sat down on the throne as naturally as if he had returned to his own home.
As soon as he sat down, a group of beautiful goddesses swarmed over and presented him with all kinds of fairy melons, exotic fruits, and delicacies.
Qi Shi was suffering from hunger. When he saw such a sumptuous immortal feast, he couldn't help but move around with food and insects, so he couldn't care less and stretched out his mouth to eat...
"Bang!"
Qi Chi didn't get any delicious food in his mouth, and was beaten on the head first.
He opened his eyes in a daze, and there was no heaven anywhere! Where is the throne! Where is the fairy banquet!
It turns out that all those beautiful things are just a dream!
He, however, still lives in a small tool shed.
The only difference was that the person standing in front of him was not a beautiful goddess, but a ferocious old monk.
The old monk was pointing his Zen staff at his head and scolded: "It's just dark, and you go to bed. How can a monk be so relaxed? The Buddha said that the first night is the right time to meditate. Get up, get up! It's the time of the meditation ceremony. , get up and sit in meditation.”
Qi Chi said: "People who participate in meditation practice usually meditate in the meditation hall."
"Is it true that sitting meditation is only allowed in the meditation hall?" The old monk's Zen staff almost poked the tip of his nose.
Qi Xi thought about it and shook his head.
"Is it possible that only those who specially attend meditation meetings can practice?"
Qi thought about it again, and then shook his head again.
"Monks, you should keep your spiritual practice in mind at all times, and important matters have not yet been resolved, such as the death of your heir. Could it be that your mother-in-law just died, and you can still sleep well?"
Qi couldn't help being stunned. The old monk pointed at the wall with his Zen staff and said, "You have been serving me for a few days, so I will give you a couplet as a gift."
I saw some words like this on the wall:
Bricks and tiles, porridge and rice are all the benefactor's fat, farmers' blood and sweat, you have not practiced meditation, your wisdom is not clear, you can be worried, fearful, sighing and sighing;
One hour, one day, one month, one year, but time flies by, and no one can see it. Your thoughts are not finished, and important things are not done. It is shocking, terrifying, sad and pitiful.
After reading the couplet, Qi was horrified, and a chill rose from the middle of his spine and went straight to his brain.
The ancients said: "A grain of rice in Buddhism is as big as Mount Sumeru. If you eat it, you will not be able to achieve Taoism. You will return it with hair and horns!" The cause and effect are clear and precise. If a monk does not practice or understand the Tao, he will turn into a cow or a horse. Repay other people’s support!
Unknowingly, I was sweating like a shower. The old monk's couplet made him wary and frightened, and he couldn't help but feel repentant of the wasted time in the past year since his tonsure.
He followed the old monk's instructions and made a futon from the straw nest. He crossed his feet, straightened his iron spine, tied his hands in meditation mudra, and began to meditate.
Although Qi Zi had also sat in meditation before, it was only in sporadic sittings. Now after sitting cross-legged for two hours, the insteps of his feet and the backs of his calves overlap, and he feels a burning and burning sensation from inside. The nerves emanate, as if placed on a stove, which is unbearable.
Just when Qi Chi was about to move, the old monk lying on the bed with his eyes closed and concentrating, coughed hard as if he was predicting the future.
Qi was startled and did not dare to act rashly.
The next night, the old monk urged Qi to sit in meditation again.
Qi Chi said, "I'm really sleepy tonight. Can I make up for it tomorrow night?"
The old monk smiled coldly and said, "People are afraid that their words will not count."
Qi heard what he meant and asked, "Are you talking about me? What did I say?"
"Didn't you tell Zen Master Xiankuang that life is just between breaths? If you can't take a breath, you will die."
Qi was shocked: "Oh, when I said this to Master, there was no third person present. How did you know?"
The old monk smiled enigmatically and said: "How I know is not important, the key is how you do it. You must know Maitreya Bodhisattva, right?"
"Of course I know. Although he is a Bodhisattva, he is a Bodhisattva who repairs his faults throughout his life. He is the successor of Sakyamuni and the next Lord Buddha of the Saha world, so we call him 'Buddha Maitreya in the next rebirth.'"
"Then, do you know that Maitreya Bodhisattva set out to practice cultivation forty eons earlier than Sakyamuni Buddha? Why did he become a Buddha later?"
Qi Qi blushed inexplicably.
The unknown old monk went on to say: "Maitreya took up his aspiration very early, and was once a disciple of Manjusri along with the most famous Tathagata such as the lamp-burning Buddha in the past. However, because he was lazy and carefree, he was not as diligent as Sakyamuni, so instead Being surpassed. You have to understand that if you sail against the current, if you don’t advance, you will retreat.”
The old monk obviously meant Maitreya, but Qi Zi was so ashamed that his cheeks burned and he was sweating profusely. Without saying a word, he crossed his legs and sat down.
Has Qi this ever practiced the skill of not falling down (that is, not sleeping at night. Sitting in lotus position all day long, regardless of day and night)? In addition, I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, so I worked for another day during the day, and with a burst of mental bravery, I persisted in sitting until midnight.
After that, the sleepiness in his head could no longer be controlled and all ran out, causing his upper and lower eyelids to fight constantly, yawning continuously, and tears and snot flowing down his face...
So he leaned forward and back, swayed from side to side, and dozed off from time to time.
He didn't know it, but the old monk lying on the bed knew it in advance. Whenever Qi Shi was about to become confused, the Zen staff in his hand suddenly fell down, making a pinging sound on Qi Shi's bald head...
With this practice of sitting meditation, I have made rapid progress. After only four or five nights, I have overcome the two major obstacles of lethargy and restlessness (the mind is not focused and still), and entered a state of meditation that is like the autumn moon in a clear pond, with clarity and clarity.
When the mind rests in this empty and pure state, a kind of peaceful joy arises spontaneously. Therefore, not only will it not cause fatigue, but it will become more energetic.
The long night that originally required suffering was just a matter of moments.
No, after dinner, Qi Zu began to meditate. When he felt uncomfortable holding his urine in meditation, it was already past midnight.
The whole three hours, in his mind, was nothing more than a process of crossing one's legs and spreading one's legs.
After he went to Dongsi for convenience, he returned to his cabin. The old monk was already lying on the bed and fell asleep.
This agreement no longer requires his supervision, because sitting in meditation has become his greatest pleasure and the highest level of enjoyment.
Before he sat cross-legged, he couldn't help but glance at the sleeping old monk, and a thought came to his mind: Humph, you are still a senior, so relaxed!
I don’t know if the sleeping old monk miraculously sensed Qi Shi’s mentality. He turned over, faced up to the sky, and snored:
"Hmph... Huh... Huh... Huh..."
A series of thunders rolled around Qi Ji's ears - the old monk's snoring was like a continuous thunder, disturbing him so much that it was difficult to sit still.
Because you cannot enter concentration, your emotions cannot calm down, and you feel more and more irritable;
My spirit became more and more restless and my mood became more and more troubled, so much so that I couldn't help but feel resentful in my heart, and I wanted to put a smelly shoe on the old monk's mouth that was constantly snoring...
At this time, even the rats in the house came to cause trouble, running around, biting and fighting, making Qi Zi very upset and restless...
Early the next morning, the old monk yawned, stretched, and asked Qi how he was practicing that night.
Qi Zizheng was so angry that his face turned green with anger when the old monk asked such a question.
He said unceremoniously: "You still have the nerve to ask. You don't practice cultivation yourself, and you still snore, making it difficult for others to meditate."
The old monk said: "You were so angry last night that you almost put a smelly shoe on my old man's mouth."
"Oh my God, how did he know what I was thinking?" Qi Jin exclaimed in his heart.
The old monk continued: "The mice are chasing each other for fun. What does it do to you, and is it worthy of your resentment?"
"God, this old monk can actually detect the fleeting thoughts in his mind. What kind of state is this?"
Qi Ji's mouth opened into a big "O" shape - he was so surprised that he couldn't even scream!
The old monk didn't care whether his mouth could be closed or not, and continued to say shockingly: "Your angry thoughts disturbed the two mice. They panicked, hurriedly ran away, and squeezed through a small gap. In the past, although the rat was uninjured, a flea on it had its leg crushed and fell off.”
With that said, the old monk walked to the place where the mice had scurryed last night, picked up a flea from the ground, and showed it to Qi Xi.
Qi suddenly saw that the flea's leg was indeed broken!
The old monk added: "This flea's leg was broken. It was so painful that it screamed all night long, which disturbed me so much that I didn't have a good sleep."
God, what an incredible state this is!
Even if there is some slight movement in the outside world, he will not be able to concentrate his mind: while others are sleeping with their heads covered, but they are clearly aware of everything around them. Even your thoughts can be observed clearly and clearly! By this time, Qi Cheng could be said to be in a state of admiration for the unknown old monk.
The old monk said: "That's right. Don't think that human thoughts are formless and have no material essence. You have to understand, don't say that the heart only knows itself, a thought can shake the world! It will not only affect your behavior, And it can really radiate outside the body and be noticed by the outside world... Therefore, practice must start from the mind, and the precepts of Mahayana Buddhism must also start from the mind.”
Qi was convinced by this and nodded vigorously.
The old monk added: "You said at that time that my snoring disturbed you and prevented you from practicing. To practice, you must not only practice in silence, but also in movement; not only in sitting, but also in walking and doing. Cultivation while living.”
Qi didn’t understand this: “How to practice walking and working?”
"When you walk, you focus on walking, and when you work, you work wholeheartedly. This is cultivation! Even eating, sleeping, and defecating, as long as you concentrate on it without any distractions, you are practicing. You have to know that as long as our hearts are on the Tao, everything will If you can practice in life or at any moment, you are practicing!”
The agreement suddenly became clear. Since we can practice cultivation at all times, everyone can understand their mind and nature and achieve enlightenment.
From then on, he truly established his confidence to become a Buddha and become an ancestor.
Early the next morning, the prison guard found Qichi's dormitory and told him that it was for heating in winter. In addition, there were too many people at the Dharma gathering, so there was not enough firewood in the temple, so he asked Qichi to continue collecting firewood.
Just collect firewood, you can practice cultivation anywhere, no matter what kind of work you do, it is the same for Qi.
While Qi was preparing axes, ropes, poles and other tools for collecting firewood, the unknown old monk said, "You left, and I am left alone. It's strange to be lonely."
"Then let's go up the mountain together. The scenery on Tianluo Mountain is very beautiful."
"Okay, I've been hiding in your little shed for half a month, and I want to take a look outside. However, my body is still very weak, I'm afraid I can't walk."
"It's okay, I can carry you on my back."
