Xilin Zen Monastery is located in Xiaokun Mountain, Xiwuli, Huating County.
Although Zen monasteries are also Buddhist places, they are different from temples. Regardless of their size, temples all have Buddhist halls that accept incense from believers from all over the world. However, unless Zen monasteries are large in scale and have a long history, they usually only have courts for monks to study and preach the Dharma. .
In later generations, the culture of Zen monasteries in mainland China declined, but it developed in Hong Kong. The number of monks in Hong Kong was limited, but the number of lay people was quite large. When Shen Rui was a boy, he followed his elders to Qingshan Zen Temple many times to listen to Zen, so he did not care about Zen monasteries. strangeness.
What he saw in front of him could not be said to be completely different from the Zen monastery in his impression, but it was also very different.
Xiaokun Mountain is only twenty or thirty feet high. Bluestone steps extend from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. There are several wheat fields and vegetable fields scattered at the foot of the mountain, and the people cultivating them are not tenants, but monks in gray robes.
It seems that the lives of the monks and believers in the Zen monastery are self-sufficient and do not allow people to go out and chat with others.
Shen Li said a few words to his wife and asked Mr. Xie to wait in the carriage. All the entourage stayed behind, except for Shen Rui. The two brothers went up the steps.
After walking hundreds of steps, the two of them reached the top of the mountain. The terrain on the top of the mountain was very gentle, and the first thing they saw was a group of buildings with white walls and gray tiles. If it weren't for the plaque hanging on the door with the four words "Xilin Chanyuan" written on it, it would be so deep. Rui almost thought he was in the wrong place.
Is this a Zen monastery? It doesn’t even have a mountain gate. It looks like an ordinary house.
Shen Li said: "This is originally a special property of the Lu family. Duke Deheng studied Buddhism here in his later years, and later set up a Zen monastery to receive monks from all over the world."
The Lu family of Songjiang is also a large family in Songjiang. This Lu family does not come from the well-known Lu family of Wu County. The history that can be traced in the genealogy is only more than a hundred years. The first ancestor was Deheng Gong, who settled in Songjiang from the founding of the Kingdom, and has been passed down for only a few generations to this day. people.
In the Songjiang area, the Shen family and the He family are considered first-class families, while the Lu family, Zhang family, Shao family, Gu family, Xu family, Guo family, etc. are considered second-class families. Among them, the Lu family is not as prestigious as the Shen family, and the He family is just a descendant of the family. Only then did they become second-rate. In fact, the strength of the Lu family was no less than that of the Shen family and the He family, because the Lu family and the Zhang family relied on each other.
At that time, Lu Deheng had joined the Zhang family, and although he later returned to his surname to establish a family, the person who could inherit the Zhang family's legacy was Zheng Deheng's second son. Although the Lu family and the Zhang family have two surnames, they are from the same origin and are closely related by blood.
This Lu Deheng can also be regarded as a legendary figure in Songjiang. He was a refugee at first and a son-in-law later. He resumed his business as a merchant. After accumulating a fortune of ten thousand yuan, he began to study. His descendants were engaged in agriculture, industry and commerce, and the Lu and Zhang families subsequently became a wealthy family. Thinking of such a legendary figure, I started to study Buddhism again in my later years.
Although Shen Rui was curious about "Gong Deheng", he couldn't care about it at the moment. He was about to meet Wang Shouren.
The door of the monastery was open, and occasionally gray figures flashed by. They were all wearing monk's robes, some had their heads shaved, and some had not. They should be lay Buddhists studying Buddhism in the monastery.
When Shen Rui followed Shen Li through the door, a monk came to greet him and asked. When he heard that he was coming to see layman Wang, the monk sang a promise and called a young novice to lead them over.
Wang Shouren temporarily lived in a courtyard in the northwest of the Zen Yuan. As soon as he saw it, he saw a clump of green bamboo and several houses looming.
Hearing the movement outside, a boy in gray clothes flashed out from behind the bamboo forest. When he saw everyone, he said with surprise: "Scholar Shen is here, Scholar Shen is here!"
After seeing the guests off, the young novice gave Shen Li a namaste and turned around.
Shen Li teased the boy: "I've been here before, so why don't I see you so happy?"
The boy smiled bitterly and said: "Scholar Shen, my eldest brother is so stupid. He has been looking at the bamboo in a daze since seven days ago!"
Shen Li responded, but Shen Rui knew this allusion. Could it be that "Shouren's Bamboo" happened at this time? Regarding the allusion of "Shouren's Bamboo", later generations did not verify the specific time. One theory is that Wang Shouren It happened when he first read Zhu Xi's theory at the age of eighteen; one theory is that after he passed the Jinshi examination, he saw bamboo in the government office.
While they were talking, the three of them had already walked to the house.
The child picked up the curtain and invited Shen and Li to go in.
There were three rooms in the house, one light and two dark. The boy led the two of them into the west room.
The south window of the west room is a desk with pens, inks, paper, inkstones and other items on it; the north window is half open and half covered, and there is an Arhat couch under the bed. A young man is sitting cross-legged on the couch, looking at the bamboo forest outside the window, speaking eloquently.
Is this Wang Shouren?
Shen Rui stood behind Shen Li and looked carefully. It seemed that Wang Shouren was doing as the Romans did. Not only was the scholar wearing a monk's robe, he was also wearing a monk's robe, looking like a layman.
Wang Shouren was born in the eighth year of Chenghua. Calculating his age, he should be twenty-six years old now. However, the young man in front of him has not yet grown a beard and looks like he is in his early twenties. He has a long face and his eyebrows are not the sword eyebrows often described by the ancients. Silkworm eyebrows are distant mountain eyebrows, with a pair of red and phoenix eyes underneath, Xia Fei's cheeks, red lips and white teeth, making her face extremely handsome.
The famous Yang Mingzi actually looks like this?!
Shen Rui almost dropped his jaw in shock. No wonder he always felt something was wrong when he saw Wang Shouren's deeds in his previous life.
Although Wang Shouren's father was born in the imperial examination and was the teacher of Emperor Hongzhi, he was only a nobleman and had not entered the cabinet. As the son of a court official, Wang Shouren traveled to high schools and showed his talent to others, so he was known as the "Number One Scholar". However, in the spring boudoir, Wang Shouren failed one after another, not even entering the top three. Later generations recorded only a vague sentence: "I failed to pass the Jinshi test at the age of twenty-two, and was suppressed by the taboos in the second test." A young man who can lift people, can What is there that the elders in the court are afraid of?
Maybe it was because of her appearance that Emperor Hongzhi only had Empress Zhang in his harem. Folks occasionally heard that the emperor loved men.
This appearance, a few hundred years from now, will definitely be hailed as a star, but it does not fit the aesthetics of the Ming Dynasty. It is estimated that in the eyes of the ministers of the court, he is suspected of being a "male trouble". Fortunately, he is tall and has both eyes. Like electricity, the temperament is masculine, which makes the face not appear feminine.
"Brother, Scholar Shen is here!" the boy reported.
Wang Shouren said "Ah" and then woke up. He raised his head and looked at the door mistily. He first looked at Shen Rui, then he looked at Shen Rui for a moment, then stood up and said: "Brother Shen is here. "
As soon as the words came out, his voice was hoarse and harsh.
When Shen Li saw this, he couldn't help but look at him carefully. Seeing that his cheeks were flushed, he frowned and said, "You were fine last time I saw you. Why are you sick? Did you call a doctor?"
Wang Shouren said "haha" twice: "I just caught a cold, how can I call a doctor?" After that, he ordered the boy: "Go and cook a few bowls of ginger soup, and give it to Bachelor Shen and little Shen as well." Brother, keep the cold away."
The little boy responded and didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stepped forward and closed the north window, muttering: "Brother, I've been looking at this for seven days. It's time to take a rest." After that, he closed the window tightly. Just went out.
Shen Li shook his head in disapproval and said, "It's the coldest month of winter. It's strange that you don't catch cold while sitting in the hospital!" At this point, he couldn't help but curiously said: "This bamboo is just an ordinary green bamboo, and it has no different length. After all, What’s there to see?”
Wang Shouren spread his hands and said, "Zhu Ziyun said, 'Studying things leads to knowledge.' I looked at the bamboo for seven days and tried to understand its principles. Not only did I not know, but I became more and more confused. Isn't it strange? My brain is turning to mush. Could it be that I am? Stubborn?"
Shen Li laughed and said, "You're not crazy! Zhu Xi mentions 'the study of things' and 'zhizhi' together, not just 'the study of things'. In the final analysis, Zhu Xi's theory is just a branch of Confucianism, and his theory may not be recognized by everyone. .Why is it strange that you question him? Maybe many years later, it will be proven that you are right and he is wrong, so why should you belittle yourself?"
"I'm shallow." Wang Shouren nodded.
The guests and hosts were seated. Shen Li pointed at Shen Rui and said: "This is the cousin Shen Rui I mentioned to Bo'an before. He is nine years old this year. He has the heart to learn, but his enlightenment has been delayed... From now on, I will ask Bo'an to teach me. ..." At this point, he said to Shen Rui: "Come up and see me, Bo'an is both civil and military, and has great talents. I don't ask you to be in the hall, as long as you can learn a thing or two, it will be useful for life."
Shen Rui took two steps forward, bowed and said: "My dear Shen Rui, I have met Mr. Wang."
Wang Shouren stood up and circled around Shen Rui. Seeing that he was neither humble nor overbearing, calm and composed, Fang supported his arm and said: "Get up, I heard Brother Shen mentioned something about you... I don't dare to say anything else. I can still be a worthy master." After saying that, he turned around and sat down.
After a while, the child had already returned with ginger soup.
Shen Rui drank soup instead of tea and performed the apprenticeship ceremony, which was regarded as a formal worship of the master.
Wang Shouren drank more than half of the bowl of tea soup, then put it down and said to Shen Rui: "If Shou Wen were here, I could be a senior brother with you. He was the one who initiated me. He was still stumbling back then, but now that I have encountered him for the second time, he is no longer so unfamiliar." "
Listen to this name, is he Wang Shouren's younger brother?
Shen Rui knew very little about this sage and didn't know how to answer the question, so he had to look at Shen Li.
"Is Shouwen in Beijing or in Yuyao?" Shen Li said: "He is also fourteen or five years old. Isn't it time for him to try?"
Wang Shouren added a bit of warmth to his face and said: "If I were in Beijing, how could I be so at ease and at ease? It's Yuyao, living with my grandmother. My father wanted to take him to Beijing, but I thought it would be better to wait until he passed the boy test. "
Shen Li thought for a while and said: "It's already passed the Laba Festival. Are you really going out to celebrate the New Year this year? How about it at your father's place, or at my wife's place?"
Wang Shouren smiled nonchalantly and said: "Everyone thinks that I am sad and defeated. Even my close relatives are more careful in front of me and make me feel uncomfortable. Just let them think that I am concentrating on studying outside. It is rare for me to get it." It’s been a leisurely few years.”
Shen Rui was standing by, looking at Wang Shouren, almost unable to take his eyes away. The man in front of him was not only handsome in appearance, but also free and uninhibited in his words and deeds, and his open and cheerful temperament, which was really eye-catching. This was the first time he had met him, and he was not serious about it. Dealing with each other, I have no freedom and my heart is so high.
With such a character, anyone who entered the dynasty as an official would have been criticized in all dynasties. However, Wang Shouren was a sage with his almighty talents and outstanding virtues and talents. There is not a single bad comment in the history books.