This year, Budai monk passed by Xuedou Mountain.
In Xuedou Mountain, there is a hundred-foot-long waterfall flowing down, and a series of majestic peaks reaching into the sky.
The rapid falling of the waterfall and the thunderous thunder wash away people's soul; the steep and straight Qianren Peak, towering into the sky, is breathtaking.
Such a peaceful place is naturally a scenic spot for Zen practice, so many years ago, Zen monks built a temple here to practice.
Over the years, Xuedou Temple in Xuedou Mountain has also been a favorite place for Budai monks to stay.
Because the host here, Zen Master Changtong, is his close Taoist friend.
Forty years ago, a tall and tall Zen master came to Xuedou Temple - Zen Master Changtong.
Chang Tong was originally from Xingzhou, Heshuo, and his common surname was Li.
He traveled thousands of miles from the banks of the Yellow River to the banks of the Xiangjiang River to read a verse by Master Jingcen of Changsha. Master Jingcen from Changsha asked him, "Where are you from?"
He replied: "He is from Xingzhou."
Changsha Jingcen was calm and suddenly showed his cold Zen spirit: "I said you don't come from that place!"
Chang Tong did not hesitate and immediately retorted sharply: "Monk, have you ever lived in this place?" Master Jingcen of Changsha laughed heartily and approved of his enlightenment.
From then on, he inherited the Zen method of Changsha Jingcen and promoted the Zen style of Nanquan Puyuan.
After he took charge of Xuedou Temple, one time, Budai monk came to place an order. He still mixed in with the ordinary monks, like a grain of sand rolling down on the river beach.
However, Zen Master Changtong seemed to have seen through his whereabouts and took the initiative to say to him: "Bu Dai, you often come to the old monk, why do you never ask him a Zen question?"
Budai monk actually said: "What do you want me to ask?"
This silly remark almost made the onlookers laugh to death - a monk didn't know how to ask about Buddhism! What is a Buddha? How is Zen? What is the intention of the Patriarch to come to the West? What is the meaning of Buddhism? …
For thousands of years, hasn’t this been the question asked by almost every Zen practitioner to the ancestors?
Because everyone wants to get a perfect answer from Master and become enlightened immediately. But this Budai monk, faced with such a golden opportunity, turned out to be stupid and confused.
The same words almost choked Zen Master Changtong to death.
However, he knew in his heart that Budai Monk's words seemed to be ignorant, but they were deliberately pretending to be stupid, and they also contained the meaning of Zen.
Chang Tong is a man of great enlightenment, so he is not afraid of being muddled and covered in grass. He continues to test and say: "You are too old to even ask a question!"
The Budai monk really asked a question, but he didn't ask about Buddha and Zen, but he asked in a nonchalant way: "What is the secret room?"
Zen Master Changtong replied: "No communication."
The Budai monk continued to ask: "How is he the person in the secret room?"
Zen Master Changtong said with great pride: "Even if all the sages come to ask for help, none of them have met."
Yes, since you are in a secret room, of course you won’t meet anyone.
So, the Budai monk clasped his hands together and bowed deeply - this bow seemed to be the etiquette of ending the question, but it also contained a hidden secret - Qian Sheng was not there, how could he still be worshiped?
Of course Chang Tong understood and chanted:
Thousands of saints cannot think,
Halloween is not negotiable.
The universe is bad or not bad,
Void bag or not.
Regardless of comparison,
The third generation cannot sing.
The Budai monk then joked: "You also know me, and I also know you." After saying that, he carried the Budai on his shoulders and walked away.
Zen Master Changtong chanted at his back:
The bag stores everything,
The stick carries the sun and the moon.
The sound of laughter and laughter is outstanding,
The silly and foolish monks are among the best.
The order is made with a stick and a mark,
Doujixi slapped his palm and blood came out.
Farewell, just like a little blood in a red furnace.
Five years ago, Zen Master Changtong passed away in July. In the seventy-second year of his life, the stupa was built in the southwest corner of Xuedou Temple.
Today, after Buddhist monk Budai swept the stupa of Zen Master Changtong, he stood in front of the temple for a long time. The monks were puzzled and asked him, "Why have you been standing in front of the mountain gate for a long time?"
But the monk Butai said: "You only know the death of the Buddha, how can you know that the Buddha has not yet been born!"
Everyone trembled in awe, and immediately felt the fierce sarcasm coming overwhelming——
Sure enough, the Budai monk continued: "If you know that you are not born, you must know that there is no death. As long as you understand the word ʿ无死', you will be free and easy. From now on, you will breathe out the same nostrils as Sakyamuni and Laozi. This is what we monks You should have faith in your family’s treasures.” After saying this, listen to my verse:
The Buddhist tradition of no birth and no death,
Don't fall into the past and present.
The place where you touch it is always bright and still,
Longhua Chicken has no idea.
Everyone felt that this fat monk had a lot of knowledge in his big belly, so they invited him to go back to Xuedou Temple to preach.
Uncharacteristically, Monk Budai no longer pretended to be stupid, and really started teaching the Dharma eloquently: "You should stop clinging to attachments and experience the nature of awareness. Nature is eternal and will never be born or destroyed. In the inborn nature, the law of birth and death is shown. ; In the nature of birth and death, the whole nirvana is true. You don't judge yourself, you regard falsehood as true, you cling to the truth of the world, you are willing to undergo reincarnation, and you are in vain, but you still haven't awakened. If you can look back and know what is wrong, you can use your machine to pierce the maggots and not go beyond One thought, and you can see the true source.”
What he means is that when our hearts no longer wander outwards, we reflect back and look inside our own nature, and we will find that our own nature is immortal, pure and untainted, and can give rise to all things. Precisely because the self-nature is immovable, its immutability can be reflected in the phenomenon of birth and death.
A Zen monk listened with great interest and walked out from the crowd and asked: "What is the sudden and gradual method?"
Budai monk recited a stanza:
Your heart is right wisdom,
Why ask about the order?
Not even saints can come,
The flowers in the sky reflect the sun and fly.
The monk asked again: "What is the Tao?"
Butai monk still replied with a gatha:
The clear water reflects the solitary peak,
The cold pool reflects the bright moon.
You and I are missing,
The soles of Xumi's feet are more.
Budai monk lived in Xuedou Temple.
One day, he found a monk secretly counting money in a corner of the monastery.
He walked over quietly and patted him on the shoulder suddenly.
The monk was startled.
But he smiled, stretched out his hand, and said confidently: "Give me a penny."
The monk said: "Budai monk, why have you ended up in this situation? You have to beg from others even for a penny!"
"I have reached this point." Budai monk said.
The monk said: "If it really comes to this, just take a penny."
At this time, Budai monk asked instead: "Why did you get to this point?"
The monk couldn't help but be stunned. Yes, a monk who left home and left his hometown should have cultivated his mind and enlightened the Tao as his foundation. Why did he become contaminated with the stench of copper and become a lay monk?
Budai monk pointed at him and said: "You are a Buddha, why are you nostalgic for ordinary feelings? You should quickly cut off all the connections, clean up the bad habits, study the non-birth of the mind and body with all your strength, and realize the true nature of wonderful brightness. If you obtain the unhindered and perfect nature Wisdom is a great Arhat. Otherwise, you will kill a great man in vain."
The monk was suddenly enlightened, threw down the copper coins and left.
However, Budai monk picked up a penny and said to the monks who were watching, "This is from the Longhua Association."
Longhua Meeting is a solemn ashram where Maitreya attains Buddhahood, preaches the Dharma, and saves all sentient beings. How can there be copper coins! Therefore, everyone would not believe his lies no matter what, and immediately dispersed.
Isn't this true? Even if you say it, you won't believe it. It's truly clear and wonderful, and you can only know it by practicing it.
