Could it be that God is recreating the scene when A Lianmei fell into the Mingjing Lake next to Fozi Pier while living in seclusion in Tianlu Mountain? Or is it looking back? Or is Alianmei still living in the present, protecting the long mountains and rivers of her homeland, worrying all living beings, and revealing heaven's secrets to others? This scene made the Sixth Patriarch Huineng think about it.
While they were deep in thought, a bolt of lightning and a thunderclap exploded, awakening An Daocheng and the Sixth Patriarch Huineng from their long thoughts.
After An Daocheng woke up, he stretched his hands, rubbed his old and dim eyes, looked up at the sky with rolling black clouds, and hurriedly said to Shenhui: "No, the storm is coming! Go and wake up Your master goes back to the temple."
It’s no wonder that the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, Shenhui and An Daocheng just stepped into Longshan Guoen Temple. They saw the dark sky blown away by a strong wind, and the ground rolled up. The sky was covered with yellow leaves. After the storm, the world returned to normal. The wind was gentle and the sun was beautiful. Longshan Guosi Temple ushered in a new day.
The Sixth Patriarch Huineng, Shenhui and An Daocheng returned to the dining hall and sat down when they saw Fahai rushing forward, panting slightly, and said: "Master, the Zen monks and believers who came to listen to your sermon yesterday, all They came to the hall early in the morning and waited for Master's sermon. They all said, 'Master, your sermon yesterday was very wonderful. After listening to it, I suddenly became enlightened and wanted to know the outcome of the contract.' Master, is it..."
"Brother, you..." Shenhui was about to interrupt Fahai and tell Fahai how Master stayed up all night last night and went back to his hometown before dawn and has not had any rest until now, so that he can know. Go tell the Zen monks and believers to let Master take a rest.
Unexpectedly, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng had already understood what Shenhui was thinking, waved his hand to him, and said: "Fahai, you go to the hall first and tell them, I will be there in a minute."
Besides, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, An Daochengcheng and Shenhui took a short rest after having a meal in the Zhaitang.
When the Sixth Patriarch Huineng entered the hall in high spirits, the whole hall cheered: "Namo, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng!"
After the cheers, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng's voice sounded like the sound of nature coming from the Buddhist kingdom again in the hall——
Besides, in this year, Sakyamuni Buddha traveled to Maitreya's hometown, Paranai Country, and lived in Shilu Forest.
That day, the Buddha had finished begging for food and sat down under a tall tree.
Standing beside him were Mahakassapa, Shariputra, Moggallana, Ananda, Rahula and other voice-hearing disciples, as well as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Maitreya and others surrounding him.
At that time, Maitreya saw the Buddha sitting quietly, with a peaceful light radiating from his face. He stood up from his seat, walked out from the crowd, walked to the Buddha, knelt on his right knee, clasped his hands, and bowed respectfully, and said: " World Honored One, I have a question that I would like to ask for advice, and I only hope that you can give me an answer.”
The Buddha smiled brightly and said with a golden mouth: "Maitreya, just ask, I will explain it in detail and make you satisfied."
When Maitreya saw the Buddha's permission, he was so excited that he danced and asked quickly: "World Honored One, what method has the Bodhisattva accomplished that can quickly achieve Anuttarasamyaksambodhi?"
Anuttarasamyaksambodhi is the supreme enlightenment. This is the wisdom that only Buddha can realize, and it contains the meaning of equality and perfection. The truth he understands is the highest, so he is called "Supreme"; his wisdom covers the universe and is all-encompassing, so he is called "Supreme and Universal Knowledge". The entire content of the Mahayana Bodhisattva practice is to achieve this kind of enlightenment. That's why Maitreya asked like that.
When Shakyamuni Buddha heard Maitreya's question, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Maitreya, you have already understood this question! Are you asking it deliberately to benefit the public?"
Miroku scratched the back of his head and smiled "hehe" as an answer.
The Buddha then said: "Well, only people who have come here can ask for the point and the profound meaning of Tathagata. You all listen carefully and think carefully, so as not to let Maitreya's kindness go down."
Therefore, the Buddha described fifty-five ways to stay away from evil paths and quickly achieve Bodhi...
…
When Maitreya saw that the Buddha had finished speaking, he raised his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, put his palms together in respect, and praised the Buddha's merits in a very beautiful voice.
At this time, Ananda asked the Buddha: "World Honored One, Maitreya is not only extremely wise, but also brilliant in writing. How does he have such talent?"
Sakyamuni Buddha said: "A long time ago, a long time ago, there was a Buddha born. The Buddha's name was 'The King of Flames and Wonderful Sounds.' At that time, where the Buddha was, there was a young Brahmin named 'Xian Shou'. He saw When arriving at the Flame Light Buddha, his wonderful appearance is solemn and serene; his face is as graceful as the full moon; his majesty is as bright as the sun shining brightly; he moves like the spring breeze and stops like a green pine. I am extremely happy with my longevity and make a wish in my heart: I will also live in the future life. , to achieve such a majestic body of merit, I wish the Tathagata could reach me with his feet. At this time, Yanguang Buddha had already understood Xian Shou's thoughts, and immediately kicked his body with his feet. When the Buddha stepped down, Xian Shou got Immortal Dharma Endurance (that is, keeping the mind on the truth of non-birth and immortality). Yanguang Buddha immediately announced to everyone: Xian Shou has achieved the Inanimation Dharma Endurance and has reached the realm of the Bodhisattva of No Regression, and will soon be able to Achieve the six kinds of supernatural powers: celestial eye, celestial ear, other mind, dwelling place, divine realm, and wisdom.”
After speaking, Sakyamuni asked Ananda: "Do you know who that wise man is?"
Ananda shook his head, and the Buddha told him: "Could that person in the past life be someone else? He is Maitreya today!"
Ananda thought for a while and said, "Since Maitreya has already attained the Patience of the Unborn Dharma, how come he has not attained Anuttarasamyaksambodhi?"
Yes, since Maitreya has already reached the realm of the great Bodhisattva who will never regress, how come he has not become a Buddha yet?
Sakyamuni said: "It has been forty kalpas since Maitreya practiced the Bodhisattva practice before I developed the mind of Anuttara-samyaksambodhi. Due to my bravery and diligence, I surpassed him and achieved Anuttara-san in the virtuous kalpa." Miao San Bodhi."
As a result, the Buddha's eyes were filled with a dreamy look, and his thoughts returned to the distant past -
The Snowy Mountains stand majestically, so high that you can’t see their tops, and so wide that you can’t see their sides. They are only covered with ice and snow, shining with colorful light in the sun. A cool country of ice and jade, a world of crystal clear glass. At that time, no Buddha was born, and no Buddhist scriptures were circulated, but there were still Bodhisattvas practicing hard.
On this day, a Brahmin came down from the deserted Snowy Mountains and lived in the open mountains to practice Bodhisattva practice.
The southern foothills of the Snowy Mountains are extremely quiet, with lush woods, gushing springs, medicinal herbs and dense water pools. The waterfalls in the mountains are like the Milky Way hanging upside down, and the creeks between the rocks are like the sound of a piano falling to the ground; there are many flowers surrounding them, colorful and fragrant, and the fragrance is hazy; the birds and animals live in harmony, the warblers sing and the swallows dance, and everything is peaceful...
The most pleasant thing is that there are countless types of dried fruits growing all over the mountains and fields; there are also various lotus roots and many sweet wild yams underground. Therefore, Brahmins can eat all kinds of fruits at will when they are alone in the mountains and never have to worry about food. After eating wild fruits every day, he would sit in meditation and meditate.
Deep in the mountains and separated from the rest of the world, only haze is my companion.
As time goes by, flowers and plants alone mark the Spring and Autumn Period.
The white snow melts, the red flowers bloom, the green branches grow and then the yellow leaves fly. The Brahmin has gone through countless years, but his Taoism has not retreated and he has continued to practice asceticism.
Because he lived in the snow mountains for a long time, he lost his name and was called the "Snow Mountain Master".
Snow Mountain Master - Brahmin, because he has no Buddhist teachings to guide him, his practice is like a blind man exploring the road at the top of a solitary peak covered with thorns and traps. Not only will he be bruised and bruised, but he may also miss the mark at any time and fall off a cliff thousands of feet to pieces. …
It's hard to make it happen, but I have to go, and I still hope if there is no hope. Such a difficult exploration and such tenacious perseverance made Shi Tihuanyin and other heavenly beings greatly surprised. They wanted to test and test how strong Snow Mountain Master's will to seek the Dharma was.
So, he came to the southern foot of Snow Mountain and stood not far from the place where Master Snow Mountain sat in meditation.
In a soft and elegant voice, he recited half of a stanza spoken by the Buddha in the past:
All actions are impermanent,
It is the law of birth and death.
After saying this half-verse, the Rakshasa ghost came to the Snow Mountain Master and looked around, as if looking for some delicious prey. The look in its eager eyes is extremely ferocious and intimidating.
At this time, Snow Mountain Master, who had been practicing asceticism for many years without making any progress, felt happy after hearing half of the stanza, just like a night walker who suddenly sees a bright light when facing a desperate situation; like a patient who is suffering from a long-term illness. When a person is in pain, he suddenly encounters a good doctor and good medicine; like a person who fell into the sea and met a boat, like a person who found a clear spring when he was extremely thirsty, like a spring rain that has finally come in the driest season, like a wandering wanderer. Suddenly I found my hometown...
The Snow Mountain Master was very happy and elated, and his excitement was beyond words. He immediately stood up from his seat and looked around for the speaker:
Who uses the wonderful sounds of the Buddhas,
Opened the door to liberation for me?
Who wakes up alone when all living beings are sinking into the sleep of life and death?
Sing a song of enlightenment?
Who can live in the desert forever?
Feeding hungry ascetics with nectar?
Who on earth said this half verse?
Enlighten my heart,
Like the flower god swaying in the spring breeze?
However, what he saw was a ferocious-looking Rakshasa ghost!
How could such a terrifying and ugly face speak such a beautiful and profound verse? Can beautiful lotuses grow in the fire? Is there still warm water in the ice and snow?
However, Snow Mountain Master did not hesitate, because he thought, I do not have the wisdom now to explore the causes and conditions of the past. Perhaps this Rakshasa can see the Buddhas in the past and hear half of this stanza from the Buddhas.
He immediately walked up to Rakshasa and asked: "Excellent, Bodhisattva, where did you get half of the stanzas spoken by the Buddhas of the past? Where did you pick up the righteous path preached by the Buddha? There are countless sentient beings in the world now. , because of my karmic obstacles, I never had the merit to hear such mysterious Dharma principles."
Unexpectedly, the Rakshasa replied: "Great Brahmin, you should not ask me such a question. Why? Because I have not eaten food for many days, and I have been asking everywhere but cannot get it. It is the pain of hunger and thirst that has made me My mind is very confused, so I talk nonsense at will. Those two verses are like delirium, and the meaning behind them is beyond my ability to understand."
Snow Mountain Master said: "Bodhisattva, the sentence you spoke in the verse is not finished, and the meaning is not fully expressed. Why don't you say it again? I just listened to half of the verse. I will worship you as my teacher and be your teacher for the rest of my life." disciple."
Rakshasa replied: "Are you too selfish? You are only worried about yourself, but you don't see that I am tortured by hunger and in great pain. How can I have the strength to explain it to you?"
Master Snow Mountain quickly said: "What do you eat for food? I will help you find it. If you have a full stomach, you can teach me the Dharma."
Rakshasa smiled bitterly: "What I ate..."
Master Xueshan thought for a while and said seriously: "After you finish saying the second half of the gatha, after I hear the gatha, I am willing to dedicate and donate my body to you as food for you to enjoy."
Rakshasa smiled coldly: "Who in the world will believe these nonsense of yours? Just for two short sentences, eight words, you can dedicate your body that you take care of in every possible way? Can you give up your most precious life? ?”
Master Snow Mountain replied: "Rakshasa, you really have no wisdom! For example, if someone gives a fragile clay pot in exchange for gold, silver and jewelry, would you exchange it? This is what I am doing now, giving up my fragile body. But I can get the Vajra body! If I am like now, what use will this body have after I die? Will it be eaten by tigers, wolves, owls, eagles, insects and ants? And there will not be even a trace of merit. Today I am seeking to obtain Ah. Nuttara Samyak Sambodhi gave up his physical body and exchanged it for the vajra body, so he was willing to give up his life for the eight words."
Master Snow Mountain was filled with infinite joy, and he immediately took off the deerskin he was wearing and placed a solemn throne for Rakshasa. He said respectfully: "Monk, please come and speak."
He helped Rakshasa onto the seat with his own hands, clasped his hands together, and knelt down.
Rakshasa finally said the second half of the stanza:
Birth and death have ceased,
Desolation is bliss.
After finishing the gatha, Rakshasa was afraid that Snow Mountain Master would regret it, so he quickly said: "You have heard the entire gatha now. I have fulfilled your wish. You should give me your body as charity, right?"
"All actions are impermanent, this is the law of birth and death; birth and death have ceased, and silence is the joy." Snow Mountain Master repeatedly recited this stanza, thinking simply, and feeling the profound meaning of it more and more.
In order to benefit all sentient beings and make it easy for future generations to learn about Buddhism, he wrote these four verses on rock walls, tree trunks, etc. He then climbed to a tall tree, jumped down in the air, and sacrificed himself to Rakshasa...
Just when his head was about to hit the rock and he was about to be shattered to pieces, Rakshasa recovered the body of Lord Shakti, caught Snow Mountain Master in the air, and put him safely back on the ground.
At this time, all the gods appeared in their divine form. Under the leadership of Shiti Huanyin, they bowed their heads at the feet of the Snow Mountain Master.
Shiti Huanyin praised: "Good, good, you are really a great Bodhisattva! With your spirit of sacrificing your life for the Dharma, you will surely light a huge torch in the darkness of ignorance, illuminating the path to enlightenment of the truth and liberation from suffering. , can bring immeasurable benefits to all sentient beings. I deliberately test you out of love for Buddhism. I hope you can accept my repentance. You will definitely be able to achieve Anuttarasamyaksambodhi in the future life."
After saying this, Shi Tihuan and many heavenly beings paid obeisance to Master Snow Mountain and suddenly disappeared.
That Snow Mountain Master was actually the predecessor of Sakyamuni. Because he sacrificed his life for the sake of half a gatha, he was able to transcend through this cause and effect, and achieved Anuttarasamyaksambodhi before Maitreya.
It was an extremely distant era. In this whirlpool world of ours, there was a great king named Maharaja Tanang. It means "big treasure"------it rules five thousand small countries, which can be said to be very big; the country is rich and powerful, and has countless treasures. The king had three precious sons, the eldest was named Mahafunananin, the second was named Mahadev, and the youngest was named Mahasattva. Prince Satao was very innocent and kind-hearted at a young age. He often played with small animals and treated all living creatures equally.
On a warm spring day, the king and queen led the three princes, as well as the ministers and generals who protected them, to play in the mountains and fields. Perhaps because the king was old, or perhaps because of his habit of taking a lunch break, after the lunch picnic, the king felt a little tired, so he took a short rest in the mountains and forests.
The three princes were young, strong, and full of energy. Together they climbed over the mountain ridges, passed through the dense forests, and continued to explore and play in the mountains.
Clouds and mist seal the rivers and ravines, and one scale and half a claw hides the dragon's energy;
Forests cover the mountains and hills, and tigers can be found in grassy caves and caves.
Sure enough, they found traces of tigers in a hidden cave!
