At this time, the fat monk said: Little novice, the weather is so hot, why not go to the watermelon garden on the roadside down the slope to beg alms and get some watermelons to quench your thirst. Liu Mei was about to pass by the three monks. After hearing this, she looked down the slope to the roadside. Hey, there was really a watermelon garden. The garden was covered with green melon vines and leaves. The green watermelons were like each other. Scattered in the garden, looking at them, I really want to pick a few to quench my thirst.
Liu Mei thought: Although these monks all looked honest and peaceful, their eyes were quite on the lookout. Even me, a layman with wild thoughts, didn't notice the melon garden, but they did. I came up with the idea of alms to quench my thirst. By the way, after asking them to get watermelons, I will also get one or two to give to my husband who is working by the lake to quench his thirst. Wouldn’t it be nice? Liu Mei walked a few steps and got out of the shadow of a tree, only to see a simple shed at the east end of the melon garden. The shed was surrounded by neat bamboo poles tied side by side, and the top was covered with withered batata. The melon keeper was sitting in the shed.
At this moment, the little novice monk had started walking towards the melon garden. He was careful not to lose track because of his longing for watermelons. He was still worried about trampling on the ants on the ground, so he didn't walk fast. When he arrived at the watermelon garden, he saw huge watermelons hidden by green vines and green leaves, which were very tempting, but he could control himself and not pick one easily. He had to ask for alms from the owner.
There was a young girl taking a nap in the melon shed and did not notice anyone walking into the melon garden. If the little novice was crawling on his knees and quietly picking a few watermelons, the girl wouldn't be able to notice it at all. Because the weather was hot and the breeze was blowing, it invaded people's sleepiness like a silent lullaby. Although the girl was leaning forward on the wicker chair in the melon shed and sleeping lightly, she did not turn over easily, and she was still snoring softly from her nostrils. .
When the little novice saw her, he felt that it was inappropriate to wake her up, and it was also inappropriate not to wake up. The master and the others were waiting for him to get a watermelon to quench his thirst. He touched his bald head anxiously and came up with a solution.
He deliberately coughed dryly, but the girl didn't wake up. He coughed again and still didn't wake up. He secretly scolded the girl for sleeping deeply, not to mention people stealing your watermelons, even your people could be stolen. Just as he was about to cough heavily again, the girl turned over, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the melon garden outside the shed. I just happened to see the young novice. The young novice approached the entrance of the melon shed and said kindly: Female donor, Master and I and three other people were passing through here. The weather is hot and I want to beg for a watermelon to quench my thirst. I hope the female donor will be merciful. Amitabha!
go! go! go! I don’t owe you watermelon. You bald heads don’t know how to grow watermelons, so why should I give you alms?
The little novice was scolded inexplicably, and he left the melon garden with his head drooped with sweat. He returned to the hot road where the master and the others were standing. He returned empty-handed. He was very embarrassed and even said that the alms were fruitless. The reason was that the female donor was too cold towards the monks. The fat monk was the master. He was silent for a long time, looked at the old thin monk and said: Go to the melon garden to beg for alms.
The thin monk looked troubled. He thought: Young and handsome monks can't get watermelon for alms, and I, an ugly old monk, can't help it. If I go, it will be in vain. The female donor will not buy it at all. Now that the master had spoken, he had to go, so he gritted his teeth, wiped a handful of hot sweat on his face and walked slowly towards the melon garden.
The female donor saw an old monk coming from a distance in the melon shed. She quickly stood up and greeted him very enthusiastically: Master, please sit down and you can pick the biggest watermelons in the garden. The thin monk never expected that the female donor not only did not make things difficult for the monk as the young novice said, but she also respected him as an old monk as a guest.
He walked into the melon shed with fear. The female benefactor cut open a watermelon with attractive pulp and allowed him to eat it to his heart's content. The red pulp covered his lips in bits and pieces, and a trace of loofah floated in the air. The fragrance of flesh. The thin monk quenched his thirst. He did not forget that the master and the young novice were very thirsty along the way. Then he said: Donor, thank you, can you take one to quench my master's thirst? The female donor smiled and said: As long as you are willing to pick, pick the big ones and take away as many as you can.
Amitabha, the benefactor is so generous, the poor monk cannot thank you enough! The thin monk said with his hands clasped together, then turned around and exited the melon shed and walked into the melon garden. He inspected the countless huge watermelons half hidden among the green melon leaves. Sure enough, he picked two of the big ones. He could still have picked them, but he remembered Master's teachings: Monks should not give up just because they are greedy. When he walked out of the melon garden, the female donor politely praised him: "Master, it's easy to go."
The thin monk who left the melon garden never understood why he, being so old and ugly, was favored by the female benefactor, while the little novice, who was so young and handsome and had never offended the female benefactor, was not popular. He couldn't figure out the reason behind it, but he found it very interesting, so much so that he was covered in sweat while walking without feeling hot.
Standing under the shade of the tree with the master, the little novice monk thought in his heart: It would be in vain for the thin monk to go, because the female donor was too stingy. He also thought that the master was trying to make things difficult for the thin monk. When I was distracted, I saw the thin monk returning holding two huge watermelons. He didn't believe his eyes. Wasn't this a dream? Looking closely, it turned out to be a thin monk with a smile on his face. The little novice thought: Isn't this stolen? Impossible, that female benefactor is a thief, and it is impossible for people to take advantage of her under her nose.
Of course, it’s hard to say. What if the female donor suddenly became kind? right! The thin monk came to the shade of the tree and placed two watermelons in front of the master. He said that the female donor was very good, and asked him to eat enough watermelons in the melon shed, and then asked him to pick the biggest melon in the melon garden. The little novice monk standing aside said nothing, looking at the sky in silence with a guilty look on his face. When the master saw his demeanor, he told him not to feel bad and said there was a reason for it——
In a past life, an eminent monk went to southern India for alms. He took two monks, one old and one young, to a village for alms. Monks go out on a journey, which is different from ordinary people. Most people go out in groups without restraints. Most of them talk while walking, sometimes in front and now behind, now left and now right, and the distance between front and back is no more than a meter. Monks rarely talk when walking together, and they do not walk side by side. Most of them walk in tandem. Those who walk in front usually do not look back. Some recite the names of Amitabha and other Buddhas silently in their hearts, and some make devout visualizations of Amitabha and other Buddhas. …
At this time, the old monk was walking in front and saw a dead cat lying on the roadside, emitting an unpleasant smell. He covered his nose, frowned, and walked quickly in disgust as if he were avoiding the plague. past. The young monk walked behind and when he saw the dead cat, not only did he not feel disgust, but he felt pity.
I think it’s better to dig a hole for the dead cat to bury the dead cat. It’s hygienic for people, and it also comforts the soul of the dead cat. But at this time, where is the hoe to dig a hole? The young monk looked around and saw an old farmer with a hoe. He borrowed a hoe from the old farmer, dug a hole in the corner of the field on the left side of the road, and buried the dead cat.
