Seeing that everyone could not answer, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng said loudly: "Yes!"
"What method?" Zhang Zhongchang asked.
Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, replied: "As long as the method is appropriate. One of these methods is the Zen culture of Buddhism, a traditional Chinese wisdom that makes people's living conditions and mental states peaceful and harmonious."
Then, Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, further analyzed Zen culture - the essence of Zen thought is to enlighten wisdom and purify people's hearts. The open-mindedness of Zen is a smooth road to inner and interpersonal harmony.
Zen is a great way that teaches everyone: The world is me, and I am the world. When the world is beautiful, I am beautiful, and when the world is painful, I am also painful. Everyone should live peacefully and naturally, such as Rain is in clear water, like clouds in the blue sky, like flowers blooming in spring in March, like snow falling in cold winter, living in harmony with the sky, the earth, people, animals, and still life, living in harmony with the sky, the earth, and still life. Like fish and water, clouds and sky.
If people's hearts are as clear as a mirror, as peaceful as a lake, and as serene as a mountain, then the wars mentioned above, the battles for the throne that troubled the emperors, and the wars caused by disasters such as palace coups and other disasters to the country will also happen. It is unconsciously eliminated in every initial state that has not yet sprouted roots.
The words of Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, made Zhang Zhongchang nod his head in agreement. "The competition for power between the DPRK and China is fierce, and the delusions and obsessions of the civil and military ministers are also very strong. How can we achieve harmonious coexistence?"
When God met with Zhang Zhongchang and raised such an eternal problem, he clasped his hands and said, "Good, good! Your Excellency is talking about a big topic..."
Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, said: "This is about what the mind thinks about. It's easy to say, but it's also difficult to say! This is because the human mind can have two completely different realms and two worlds with just one thought. ah!"
When the Sixth Patriarch Huineng said this, he meaningfully gave an example: In the early years, there was a young man from the countryside with outstanding talents. Due to his strong self-esteem and introverted personality, he failed to become a scholar in several rural examinations. Therefore, it was inevitable that he would become a scholar. People commented that he had little talent and little knowledge, and that he could not hold up the wall with mud.
When these comments reached him, he felt depressed, depressed and decadent for a time. In order to relieve his sorrow and boredom, he went out alone to visit several famous mountains and rivers. However, the chatter and laughter of the tourists failed to arouse his interest. Instead, they made him feel lonely and lamented. In his eyes, the green mountains and green waters lacked any aura or vitality.
He was so desperate that he finally decided to go to a mountain that he had heard of occasionally but was not very famous, not for viewing, but to end his life in a place unknown to his relatives and friends.
When he arrived at the mountain, he was shocked: there was a bare mountain with only a simple ancient temple, no scenery! But I saw a large number of tourists, all of whom worshiped devoutly. He had never been to Buddhism and found the behavior of these people incredible, so he curiously asked them why they came to this mountain. Although the answers were different, they all expressed kind and beautiful wishes.
He was both shocked and puzzled: Everyone has hope, but I am hopeless... What should I do?
Later, he accidentally saw a copy of "Vimalakīrti Sutra" in that ancient temple, so he couldn't help but read it again.
To his surprise, he suddenly experienced an epiphany and resolutely returned to school and devoted himself to studying his lessons seriously.
He said: "It was the profound and profound "Vimalakīrti Sutra" that made me understand the wonderful Zen principles of seeing through, letting go, and being at ease. It helped me transcend the desolation and enter a new world full of vitality! "
The poet Du Fu's famous line, "I feel the flowers shed tears when I am grateful for the time, and the birds are frightened when I hate others", which expresses the poet's sadness when his country is broken and his relatives are separated. Because he is sad about the times, the poet feels "tears" when he sees the flowers and is frightened when he hears the birds chirping due to his emotional environment. From a psychological perspective, this is consistent with the example above of the rural young man whose eyes were filled with desolation due to despair.
Due to delusions and persistence, all living beings are confused by various situations, and their minds are wandering in pursuit. Due to the constant greed, anger, and delusion, there will be joy, anger, sadness, and joy. When people are confused, people will change when they are confused. When they are enlightened, people will change. Situations arise from the heart and emotions arise due to situations. All these illustrate the difficulty of regulating the human heart.
The teachings of Buddhism are a great way to heal people's hearts. Some people are "sad for a leaf in autumn" because they are afraid of the shortness of life and worry about the loss in life; but Buddhism can understand the true meaning of the impermanence of life and the emptiness of all dharmas from a fallen leaf.
Some people sigh that "the sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's almost dusk", which is really out of the helplessness of life being short and insufficient pursuit; some people "like to sing dusk odes, and the green mountains are full of sunset lights", which reflects the magnanimity of a wise man with a full life and an open mind. feelings. Therefore, it is said that when one is confused, time and circumstances change people, and when one is enlightened, people change circumstances.
In this regard, people who are frustrated and confused should take more time to study the "Vimalakīrti Sutra" and gain insights and insights into the true meaning of life from the profound Buddhist scriptures, so as to control themselves.
It can be seen from this example that no matter whether people are noble or poor, as long as they get rid of secular thoughts, maintain an ordinary "sincerity", and face everything with a quiet and peaceful attitude, they can achieve the goal of "not liking things, not liking things". Compassion for oneself", one can achieve the goal of "not losing one's ambition when frustrated, and not forgetting one's form when triumphant", and realize that "the green bamboos are all Dharmakaya; the gloomy yellow flowers are nothing but prajna."
After Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, finished telling this story, he was very moved and said: "The first thought of confusion is an ordinary person, the second thought is enlightenment, the Buddha; the first thought is the trouble, the second thought is the Bodhi. Lao Na believes that, Beyond the state of 'full of desolation', everyone can enter a new state of 'full of vitality'! This is where the Vimalakīrti Sutra is useful to the world."
After Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, finished explaining the usefulness of this sutra in one breath, he showed a look of relief on his face.
You must know that the above-mentioned "Vimalakīrti Sutra" spoken by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is the fruit of his ten years of painstaking exploration!
He was about to consult Zhang Zhongchang's opinion when he suddenly heard a cry of "good".
The Sixth Patriarch, Master Huineng, followed the sound and couldn't help but let out an "ah" sound!
The visitor turned out to be the fat monk he met while collecting firewood in Tianlu when he was young.
The appearance of this fat monk brought the Sixth Patriarch Huineng back to the bitter and happy years when he went to the mountains to collect firewood...
At that time, Huineng carried firewood and came to a valley. On the small bridge over the mountain stream in front of him, he saw this fat monk lying on his back leisurely in the middle of the single-plank bridge. Under the bridge was a rushing stream, with waves flying and water foam splashing. Small people will feel dizzy if they walk on it.
But the fat monk actually crossed his legs leisurely! That relaxed and contented look was like lying on the most comfortable couch in the world, intoxicated in a wonderful dream.
The water was gurgling under him, and the clouds were clear. He just lay leisurely on his back among the mountains and rivers, as if he had merged into the heaven and earth. Everything was so perfect, harmonious, and natural.
As soon as they met, Huineng felt strange. He seemed to have some kind of connection with this monk, as if he had known him a long time ago. Later, the Taoist priest from Shuiyuan Mountain came and saw the fat monk lying on the single-plank bridge, blocking his way, so he asked the fat monk to get up quickly and give way.
Unexpectedly, the fat monk actually refused on the grounds that Vimalakīrti had a one-foot-square bedroom, and said with a Zen message: “My husband’s room accommodates three thousand realms, and the vast world is a Zen bed. Tell me, is this single-plank bridge within the vast world? Outside the world?"
According to the "Vimalakirti Sutra", the layman Vimalakirti at the same time as the Buddha, his bedroom was only one foot square, but millions of people entered it without seeing it crowded. He is sitting on the Zen bed, his body is not moving, but he can use his supernatural power to place the three thousand worlds in his palm like a clay ball. Even the infinitely distant other worlds can be moved over and displayed to everyone. before.
…
After more than fifty years of vicissitudes in the world, Hui Neng and the fat monk reunited again. This time, it was the turn of Feng Shui and they understood each other well. The person who preached the "Vimalakīrti Sutra" was already Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism!
Coincidence? God's will? At least it's intriguing...
