The Budai monk didn't dare to say a word to vent his anger and came out of the abbot.
I saw that Yuelin Temple is no longer what it was before. The old buildings have been demolished to the ground, making the view very broad.
Budai monk strolled to the reconstruction site of Yuelin Temple and found that the basic construction of the Main Hall, Tianwang Hall, and Dabei Pavilion had been completed, and they were indeed waiting for the wood to be transported back to support the pillars and beams.
He secretly marveled: Old monk Xiankuang has really become a spirit. As early as a year ago, when he set out, he had already calculated the date when the wood would be returned from Wuyi Mountain!
Seeing this, Monk Budai didn't dare to neglect, and immediately racked his brains, scraping his stomach and intestines, thinking hard about how to transport the large number of pillars back to Yuelin Temple.
He was restless, so he kept wandering back and forth in the temple, and unknowingly came to an ancient well in front of the original Mahavira Hall.
He sat absentmindedly on the edge of the well, watching the bright moonlight flowing down from the high and distant sky like water, floating on the ground, hazy and ethereal. The scenery is like a dream, the void is like light smoke, everything seems real and illusory, making people feel ecstatic... Suddenly, Budai monk seemed to hear a faint sound of ocean waves.
An ancient person once compared the sound of the Buddha's Dharma to the "sound of the ocean tide" - the louder sound is likened to the ocean tide; the one who believes in his words is like the ocean tide. The drum of the sky has no thought, and it sounds according to the people; the waves of the sea have no thought, and they must not miss the time.
The sound of the sea tide is exactly the same as the season, just like the unconditional compassion of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who respond to the opportunity to speak the Dharma for all living beings.
"The sound of the sea and the tide of the Sanskrit." Is this faint sound of the sea the Buddha's sermon? However, the main hall has not yet been built, and the Buddha statue has not yet been rebuilt...
Budai monk felt that the sound of the tide came from the ancient well. He lowered his head and looked into the well. There was a bright moon floating in the water.
There is water in a thousand rivers, a moon in a thousand rivers, a thousand rounds of water in one month.
Rivers, lakes and seas are all water, how can there be no moonlit night without water and moon!
He suddenly thought of the Buddhist principle of "infinite origin" of the origin of the Dharma Realm: one is everything, everything is one; a hundred realms are like a thousand realms, a hundred realms are like a thousand realms, the Dharma realms are integrated with each other, everything is unobstructed, and everything is harmonious...
Budai monk had a bright smile on his face.
He returned to Xiangshan Port overnight and asked the crew to throw all the wood that they had worked so hard to transport into the vast sea...
This was the first time that the Buddha returned to his homeland after his enlightenment. He did not return home in fine clothes, but in rags, bald and barefoot, begging on the street. However, the welcome he received was even warmer than when the king went on tour. The people of Kapilavastu came out in full force, with hands clasped and tears in their eyes, to welcome the return of the Buddha.
The Buddha did not obey his father's arrangement and live in the palace. Instead, he lived with the monks in the forest outside the city.
One day, a gorgeous carriage came to the Buddha's residence, and a lady got out of the carriage. She was the Buddha's aunt, the Buddha's stepmother, and the Buddha's closest relative's mother - at the time, Sakyamuni (at that time) On the seventh day after the birth of Siddhartha (also known as Siddhartha), his biological mother Maya's soul returned to the Trayasa Heaven, so his aunt Prajapati became his adoptive mother and raised him.
After Prajapati met the Buddha, she took out a gleaming golden cassock that she had woven by herself—a cassock with golden threads that only the Buddha was worthy of wearing. She held her hands up to the Buddha.
However, Shakyamuni Buddha refused and said: "Thank you, please give alms to the monks. Giving alms to the monks will have great rewards."
Prajapati emphasized: "But mother, I knitted this specially for you! Since you became a monk, whenever I miss you, I hand-knit gold cloth and embroider this cassock to express my thoughts." . It can be said that every stitch and every thread on this cassock is soaked with mother's heart and love."
The Buddha was very moved, but he still said: "My mother gave me the cassock because she loved me. This kind of kindness is not extensive. If you give to the monks, you are offering the Three Jewels and at the same time you are offering me. The merits of offering to the monks are incredible. , so, I would like to advise my mother like this."
The Buddha also said: "There are many great Arhats and great Bodhisattvas in my Sangha, such as Shariputra, Moggallana, Maha Kassapa, etc. If you make offerings to them, your wealth will be immeasurable."
Prajapati understood the meaning of alms, and her mood suddenly became brighter, so she happily presented the gold-threaded cassocks to the monks.
She walked in front of the monks one by one, and no one dared to take this extremely beautiful cassock that only a Buddha could match.
Finally, Maitreya accepted it.
Soon, the Buddha and his disciples wandered to the country of Parana, which is the hometown of Maitreya. However, he was forced to leave his homeland as soon as he was born, so no one here knew him.
That day, Maitreya wore a gold-lined cassock and went to the city to beg for food.
He was originally the same as the Buddha, with thirty-two physical features, straight facial features, and a purple-gold complexion that seemed to radiate soft radiance.
Now he is wearing a solemn golden cassock, which makes him even more dazzling and eye-catching.
He stood begging for alms by the main road of Polo Naicheng City. He was really full of energy, graceful and majestic, and his wonderful writing was hard to come by.
People gathered around him and praised him happily, but forgot to bring him food.
A jeweler happened to pass by here and saw Maitreya's solemn expression. He admired Maitreya very much and warmly invited him to his home to worship. Maitreya agreed to his request.
The jeweler personally cooked and prepared an exquisite vegetarian meal for Maitreya.
According to the rules of the Sangha at that time, after accepting alms from others, a bhikkhu must preach sutras and sermons to the host.
So, after the meal, Maitreya washed his hands and rinsed his mouth, then ascended to his seat and lectured the jeweler on Buddhism.
Maitreya decided to study Buddhism forty kalpas earlier than Sakyamuni and had practiced for countless years. Therefore, he had a sweet voice, beautiful words, thorough reasoning, and clever metaphors. It can be said that flowers are falling from the sky, golden lotuses surge from the ground, like dragons and phoenixes crowing, like heavenly music playing...
The jeweler felt like drinking nectar, feeling like bathing in the spring breeze, and was so intoxicated that he was completely fascinated by it. He forgot the time, the place, and even himself.
Today, there is a rich man in the city who wants to marry his daughter. Before that, he asked a jeweler to process a rare moon pearl as a dowry for his daughter. Because this moon pearl is very precious, the processing fee is as high as 100,000.
Originally, the jeweler should have finished processing the moon pearl before noon, but he was only busy preparing fast meals for Maitreya and listening to the Dharma, and completely forgot about it.
When the rich man sent his servant to get the pearl, the jeweler was very interested in listening to the Dharma and said absently: "You go back first, I will process it in a moment."
The servant was afraid that he would forget again, so he put the moon pearl in his hand and went home.
After listening to the servant's report, the rich man said anxiously: "This piece of jewelry will be used today, how can we delay it? You go with a processing fee of 100,000 yuan. If he still doesn't do it, take the Moon Pearl back!"
The servant comes again. However, the jeweler was still listening to Maitreya.
The servant took out a hundred thousand coins that were golden, shiny, and jingling. However, the jeweler was unmoved and continued to listen attentively to the wonderful method preached by Maitreya.
The servant had no choice but to take the Moon Pearl back.
The jeweler's wife was very angry when she saw that the money she had got was lost again. Regardless of the situation, she rushed out of the house and yelled at the jeweler: "You got one hundred thousand coins with just a little effort, which is enough to make our family happy." You have had enough food and clothing for three years. But you just listened to this ascetic (monk)’s boasts and lost this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make money!”
After listening to his wife's words, the jeweler felt that it was important to listen to Buddhism, but also felt that it was a pity to lose the opportunity to make money, and he was very conflicted.
Maitreya knew his mood and said: "Since there is no work to do in the afternoon, can you go back to the monastery (the monastery where Buddhist practitioners live) with me?"
The jeweler also wanted to go out and relax, so he followed Maitreya back to the monastery.
Maitreya asked the monks: "What if a benefactor invites a bhikkhu who keeps the precepts and is pure to offer fasting at his home, and the benefit he gets is compared with one hundred thousand dollars?"
Kauchenru, the head of the first five monks of Buddhism, immediately replied: "If someone gets a hundred carts of treasures, it is not as good as the blessings he can get by making offerings to a pure monk."
Shariputra, the great disciple of the Buddha, said: "If someone obtains the property of a country, it is still not as beneficial as asking a recluse who observes strict precepts to come to his home to make offerings."
Moggallana, the most powerful among the disciples of Buddha, said: "Even all the treasures in the world cannot compare with the benefits of making offerings to the pure precepts monks."
The rest of the monks spoke one after another, explaining that making offerings to pure monks can lead to unimaginable merit.
At this time, the Venerable Analuddha, who has the best eyesight and can see the past and the future, said: "Although there are many treasures in the universe, they are far from being comparable to the benefits of making offerings to a recluse who observes strict precepts! The reason why I say this is, It is based on facts.”
"Before the ninety-first calamity, after the nirvana of Vipassi Buddha, when the Dharma of that period was extinguished, I was originally a poor woodcutter, chopping wood for a living. Because of a kind thought, I made my bowl rough. I made an offering of tares porridge to a Pratyekabuddha. Unexpectedly, I immediately received immeasurable merit. At that time, I was worshiped as a minister by the king, and I enjoyed endless wealth and glory. After that, I had no wealth in all my life. In this life, before I became a monk, I was always leisurely and leisurely. My brother Mahanan was very jealous, but my mother said that I was born with merit. Mahanan was not convinced. When I was supervising the work in the fields, he used He covered the empty bowls and basins with tarpaulins and brought them to the fields for me. However, when he opened the tarpaulins, he was stunned with surprise, because the originally empty bowls and basins were already filled with delicious food... Look, I The merit gained from offering a small amount of tares porridge to Pratyekabuddha has never diminished for ninety-one kalpas. Moreover, with this merit, I was able to meet Sakyamuni Buddha, attain the status of Arahant, and escape from the sea of suffering forever. "
After hearing this, the jeweler was delighted and became a humble layman from then on, always making offerings to the Three Jewels.
Later, Maitreya dedicated the golden cassock, which symbolized the Buddhist lineage, to the Buddha. You must know that at the beginning, the reason why he accepted this cassock was not because of its magnificence, but to achieve the merits of Prajapo's contribution to the monks.
…
Budai monk returned to Yuelin Temple empty-handed.
As soon as he entered the mountain gate, Monk Xiankuang asked him: "Where did you transport the wood?"
But the Budai monk said: "Of course it was transported back to Yuelin Temple."
The young novice monk accompanying Zen Master Xiankuang grinned: "I finally understand what is in Brother Butai's big belly."
The Budai monk deliberately teased him and said, "You are not the roundworm in my belly, how do you know what is inside?"
The little novice said: "You have too many lies in your belly, so you have stretched your belly."
Budai monk smiled innocently and didn't care.
Zen Master Xiankuang reprimanded the young novice monk seriously: "Don't talk nonsense! When did your senior brother tell lies?"
The little novice monk said very aggrievedly: "He is just lying! He said that the wood has been transported back to Yuelin Temple, but look at it, old man, there is not even a new piece of wood in the temple. Isn't he telling lies with his eyes open? !"
Zen Master Xiankuang said: "How can a firefly understand the brightness of the sun and the moon? How can an ordinary person understand the realm of saints? You young man, please repent to the bag!"
The little novice stood stubbornly - originally, there was not even a single piece of wood in the temple.
The Budai monk waved his hand magnanimously and said, "Children speak freely and freely. There is nothing right or wrong."
Budai monk turned to Zen Master Xiankuang: "Master, please ask some brothers to fetch wood from the ancient well in front of the main hall. I have already transferred it from the sea of Xiangshan Port to the bottom of the well."
The young novice secretly curled his lips and muttered in his heart: "Lie!"
However, Zen Master Xiankuang did not doubt his words. He actually called a few young and strong monks and asked them to set up a high scaffolding (an ancient tripod for lifting heavy objects with wooden tops) above the wellhead. pulley).
Under the command of Zen Master Xiankuang, everyone got busy. Some installed the wheels, some arranged the ropes, and some tied the iron hooks. They even cleared a large open space and prepared to pile up a large amount of wood. .
Seeing this scene, the young novice couldn't help but wonder: Is this ancient well in Yuelin Temple really connected to the sea eighty miles away? He suddenly remembered that someone seemed to have said that as long as you are calm, you can hear the rising and falling of the waves and the rising and falling of the tide in this ancient well. He couldn't help but walked to the well, stretched his neck and looked into the well——
There was no wood in the well, but there was a little monk - the reflection of the little novice himself - and the water in the well was so calm!
At that time, the young novice monk was scolded by the old monk Xiankuang and became disgraced, but now he finally caught the reason.
He was a clever child and did not report directly to the old monk. Instead, he brought a bucket and hung it on the big iron hook that was originally intended to pull out the wood.
Seeing this, Zen Master Xiankuang said, "You little brat, you are making trouble out of nothing, and you are just adding to the chaos!"
The young novice said: "There is only a pool of pure spring water in the well. You spent a lot of time and effort to build the scaffolding. Why don't you carry water?"
Zen Master Xiankuang looked at Budai, and monk Budai said: "The old monk should wash his hands and burn incense, beat the drum and ring the bell, and thank the protector for his hard work."
So, Zen Master Xiankuang put on his clothes and carried his tools (wearing cassock and holding a worship utensil), came to the Dharma Protector Hall, offered incense and worshiped.
At the same time, the bells and drums of Yuelin Temple rang together, creating a solemn and sacred atmosphere. Suddenly, people heard a gurgling sound like a pot was boiling in the ancient well. Immediately, the spring water surged up, the waves rolled, and a thick piece of wood showed its head...
Zen Master Xiankuang immediately directed people to put down the hooks, tie the wood, and use the wheel to lift it out.
What a pillar of talent! The diameter of the circle is three feet, the thickness is five feet, and the length is five or six feet. It is smooth and straight, which is very rare.
Use them as pillars and beams, which can bear an even load; use them as pillars, they can stand for thousands of years! What's even more gratifying is that just after one was hung out, another one popped up, as if there was no end to it.
Zen Master Xiankuang asked Budai: "How many roots did you transport back in total?"
Budai didn't answer and asked: "How much does the old monk need?"
The little novice monk interjected: "Of course the more the merrier!"
Budai smiled and said: "Senior brother, the more greed you have, the more troubles you will have. There are ten knots and ninety-eight knots in life, which add up to a hundred and eight troubles. Do you still think that is too little?"
Xiankuang thought for a while and said: "Three halls require a total of 108 beams and columns."
Budai said: "Then, turn your worries into Bodhi, and turn your hundred and eight worries into one hundred and eight beams! Old monk, just do the counting. When you have enough, call stop."
Ringing the bell in the temple one hundred and eight times day and night is intended to eliminate one hundred and eight kinds of troubles; and according to the number of one hundred and eight troubles, there are one hundred and eight beads.
The beads hung around the abbot's neck were used to calculate the amount of wood.
After counting the beads in a circle, Zen Master Xiankuang hurriedly shouted: "Enough, enough! Enough counting."
I don't know if he yelled too slowly or something else, but there seemed to be a piece of wood faintly in the well water!
Zen Master Xiankuang asked people to count the hanging logs, and there were only 107!
Zen Master Xiankuang looked at the rosary beads in his hand and didn't understand what was going on. The Budai monk seemed to be a prophet and said with a smile: "You will understand if you ask my junior brother."
Zen Master Xiankuang looked for the little novice monk with his eyes, but there was no trace of him anywhere - the little novice monk had already escaped.
It turned out that after the old monk had rested last night, the playful and curious little novice monk quietly stole the string of crystal and round gemstone beads that the old monk hung around his neck every day, symbolizing the abbot's majesty and identity. While he was playing with it, he imagined that one day he would also wear such a string of orbs...
He accidentally broke the string of the beads, and the jade and gems rolled everywhere. After all his efforts, he only recovered one hundred and seven. He strung them together again and quietly put them back in place...
Therefore, Zen Master Xiankuang used it to count the wood, and one less piece was lost.
However, the log stuck in the well could not be lifted up anyway, so it had to stay in the water.
With these pillars and materials, the expanded Yuelin Temple is grand in scale and cleverly laid out. The entire temple is like a giant dragon:
The wide mountain gate is like a dragon's mouth; the towering bell towers and drum towers on the left and right sides of the mountain gate are like the horns on the dragon's head; the two circular release pools side by side inside the mountain gate are like the bright eyes of a giant dragon; On the central axis, the thick and solid Heavenly King's Hall, the tall and majestic Mahavira Palace, the exquisite and clever Chongning Pavilion, and the Dabei Pavilion with flying eaves are arranged in sequence, like a long dragon body, exuding majestic power...
After the Yuelin Zen Temple was expanded, Zen Master Xiankuang was about to die, and he planned to pass the position of abbot to Qizhi.
However, this free and crazy monk had already disappeared without a trace after transporting the wood back to the temple!
Budai monk ran to Hangzhou again.
