To save oneself, what is important is to first become a Buddha yourself, and then to save all sentient beings. To save others, one needs to save all sentient beings, and then to accumulate merit, so that one can become a Buddha.
Hang Tianyi really can't tell who is right and who is wrong between these two paths, but one thing is that saving all sentient beings is obviously the most critical.
But at this time, whether it was the monks from Lingzhen Temple or the monks from Daimi Temple, their arguments were based on their own practice.
In this way, this means having an obsession and being attached to something. For Buddhist practitioners, this is absolutely undesirable.
But Buddhist monks are also human beings. As long as they are human beings, they cannot stop their seven emotions and six desires. Maintaining the so-called clarity is obviously not an easy task.
We debated for a long time about saving others and saving ourselves, but in the end there was no result, and then we moved up to the path of cultivating Buddhism.
In this process, the debate is divided into two directions: legal and illegal.
The monks of Daimi Temple believe that the Dharma is the basis for practice. Only by practicing on the basis of the Dharma, using it as a reference, and being alert at all times, can we not go astray and achieve Buddhahood on the right path.
The monk who spoke also gave an example. There was a lot of incense in the main hall, but it needed to be cleaned from time to time to remove the dust and make the main hall dust-free.
People who practice Buddhism should do the same and need to whisk the dust from time to time.
Such words reminded Hang Tianyi of Zen Master Shenxiu's verse: The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror stand, which should be wiped diligently at all times to prevent dust.
It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment and became a Buddha under the bodhi tree, thereby opening up a path to Buddhism. From these verses, we can see the extraordinary insights of Zen Master Shenxiu.
It is also because of this that Shenxiu became the founder of the Northern School of Zen.
But at that time, there was another monk who was more powerful than Shenxiu, and that was Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
Hearing Shenxiu's verses, he suddenly understood, so he also composed four verses: Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the beginning, so how can it cause dust.
The general meaning is that all dharma is like a dream and a bubble. There is not even a bodhi tree, so where does the dust come from?
From Hang Tianyi's point of view, these four verses are just bragging. You can brag as much as you want about invisible things, but in fact, they still need to be wiped clean from time to time.
Hang Tianyi felt that the Shenxiu Northern School's gradual enlightenment was more suitable for ordinary people, while Huineng's sudden enlightenment valued talent.
Hang Tianyi felt that this actually depends on the situation. However, at that time, the fifth ancestor Hongren thought that Huineng was more powerful, so he let Huineng inherit the mantle, and Huineng became the sixth ancestor of Zen.
Seeing that the monks of Lingzhen Temple were speechless for a moment, Hang Tianyi suddenly said: Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, so where can there be dust?
No matter what, Hang Tianyi is from the East, and Lingzhen Temple and he are on the same page, so he will naturally do something that is over the top.
"What does this mean?" The monks in Dami Temple couldn't help but raise their heads when they heard these four verses. Their intuition told him that Hang Tianyi's verses were at a very high level, but they couldn't understand them.
At this moment, Hang Tianyi naturally wanted to show off his strength. He smiled calmly: "It's very simple. Everything that has laws is just a dream. You can only do things according to your own heart, no matter how hard you do it.
No matter how you save people, only then can you suddenly achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha, and only then can you see the clear nature of your mind!"
"It's ridiculous. If all the Dharma is a dream, then why doesn't anyone who doesn't practice Buddhism become a Buddha?" The monk of Daimi Temple retorted.
Hang Tianyi chuckled: "According to the master's words, if you practice diligently on the basis of the Dharma, you can become a Buddha. Could it be that all the monks in Dami Temple have become Buddhas? So, the master has also become a Buddha?"
"This..." The monk from Daimi Temple was speechless for a moment. For nearly a thousand years, neither Pudu Temple nor Daimi Temple had achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha.
"You are using strong words!" one of the monks said angrily.
Hang Tianyi said: "Aren't you talking about Buddha in this way just trying to make excuses?"
Yes, we have been debating for so long. If we don’t use forceful arguments, how can we defeat the other party?
When it comes to Buddhism, the people sitting here are all eminent monks. If we don’t take advantage of loopholes, how can we confuse others?
When it comes to Buddhism, everyone used to express their opinions, summarize them, and use them in practice. I don’t know when this started, but there were always wins and losses mixed in.
In this way, it becomes sophistry and strong rhetoric.
"The bodhi tree has no tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the beginning. How can it cause dust? Amitabha, the poor monk has learned!"
Just now, the monk from Daimi Temple stood up. He clasped his hands together, looked peaceful, and had the aura of Buddha nature flowing around him. His whole person suddenly became dignified and sacred.
Although it is a bit exaggerated to become a Buddha by seeing one's nature, it is obvious that the monk gained enlightenment from Hang Tianyi's verses.
Hang Tianyi secretly lamented that such a person has a much broader mind than he imagined. Therefore, he can always make breakthroughs based on Buddhism. This is an eminent monk.
Thinking of this, he wanted to fight to win or lose. In this way, he seemed a little shorter.
However, Hang Tianyi has always regarded himself as a mortal, and has never thought about shaving off all three thousand worries.
"Master's words are serious!" Hang Tianyi replied.
The monk said nothing, clasped his hands together, bowed to the abbot, Master Hongqing, then turned and left the Main Hall.
The same goes for the other monks.
For a time, all the people watching the discussion on Buddhism in the Main Hall dispersed.
No one thought that this discussion about Buddhism would end like this.
The person who presided over this discussion about Buddhism was an elder from Lingzhen Temple, whose name was Hongzheng. He stood up and looked at Hang Tianyi: "Thank you very much for the benefactor's rescue. I don't know what to call the benefactor?"
"Master, you're welcome, I'm Hang Tianyi!" Hang Tianyi agreed, and at the same time thought in his heart, fortunately, there are no fifth or sixth ancestors of Zen in this world. If not, there would be some who are just doing their own thing today.
"Donor Hang knows Buddhism very well!" Hongzheng said this with a hint of helplessness.
Of course, Hang Tianyi could tell that Master Hongzheng seemed to be a little depressed. This man must have been an extremely powerful debater in his previous life on earth.
It's just that this master's desire to win is actually a bit stronger, and he is not a real master. Hang Tianyi secretly complained.
"I don't really understand it, I just heard it a few times. Master, you are all great wise men who study Buddhism. There is no way to jump out of the outside world. As an outsider, you are a bystander. This is the key to frightening the monks of Daimi Temple.
!" Hang Tianyi said this more modestly.
But it was indeed very comfortable to listen to Hong Zheng's ears. At that moment, he clasped his hands together, bowed to Hang Tianyi, turned around and left the Main Hall.