Chapter 243: The shadow of the monk is like a mountain
As soon as the clouds and mist descend to the sky, the sky is gone and the sky is clear.
Who can pity the thin bones today? The sunset on the beach is like a mountain.
——"Slender Horse Picture" Gong Kai (Song Dynasty)
…
Early the next morning, Xu Taibo respectfully sent off the eunuch and his entourage. After the holy guard of honor left, Taifu took the opportunity to stay in Shaolin Temple for a few days. Taifu and Abbot Kongjian were good friends who had known each other for many years. They talked and laughed a lot during this meeting.
joyous.
Although Abbot Kongjian had already met Bai Fu, Xu Taibo formally introduced Bai Fu to Abbot Kongjian.
Taifu Xu replied to Bai Bai: "Fu'er, why don't you thank Abbot Kongjian quickly! On New Year's Eve that year, you offended Prime Minister Li because of Li Musheng's incident. Li Linfu's original intention was to imprison you for your crime. If the abbot hadn't told His Majesty on your behalf,
Please forgive me, even if you escaped from prison, you would have been expelled back to Qingcheng long ago. Without the abbot, how would you have had the opportunity you have today!"
Bai Fu was stunned. He didn't know that he had such a fate with Abbot Kongjian back then. It seemed that the abbot had known about him for a long time. Bai Fu quickly knelt down and knelt down, and the bluestone tiles on the ground made a "dong dong dong" sound.
Bai Fu felt extremely ashamed and said: "You are reckless and reckless. This time you came to Shaolin and caused so many troubles and caused great trouble. Please ask Master Abbot to punish you. No matter how you deal with it, I am willing to be punished!"
Abbot Kong Jian laughed loudly, lifted Bai Fu up, and said, "That's true. The first time you came to Shaolin, you caused so many troubles and turned Shaolin upside down. It shows that you have a close relationship with Shaolin."
However, in my opinion, these troubles are a good one! If you want to punish me, I have to punish the Taifu for arranging for me a candidate who will cause trouble in the palace!"
After saying that, Taifu Xu and Abbot Kongjian looked at each other, understood and laughed.
Taifu Xu said to Bai Fu: "Zen Taoism is mysterious and sublime. You can stay with me for a few more days this time and seek more advice from the abbot master. The abbot master is profound in Buddhism. Maybe he will pass on the mantle to you when he is happy!"
The abbot Kong Jian laughed loudly, stroked his beard and said, "Of course! My mantle was passed on to him a few days ago! It's nailed and hung. I'm afraid this kid himself doesn't know it yet."
Only then did Bai Fu realize that he had peeped at Abbot Kongjian to teach Hu Changgang that night. Abbot Kongjian should have known about it at that time, but he just didn't tell him. He thought that God didn't know it and that ghosts didn't realize it. Thinking of this, Bai Fu was extremely ashamed.
Immediately stop being arrogant and dismissive.
Taifu Xu and Abbot Kongjian talked about what happened in the past few days, and the two of them were quite emotional. Bai Fu was also very confused about this. Under the loving eyes of Abbot Kongjian, Bai Fu mustered up the courage to ask:
"To be honest, Master Abbot, Shaolin Temple has always been the temple of martial arts in my heart. It is the place that I have been dreaming about since I was a child.
Although I am far away in Bashu, the touching stories of Shaolin disciples' heroic deeds have inspired me countless times to dance when I hear the chicken and move forward. But this time, after what I saw and heard, it would be a lie to say that I was not disappointed.
I don’t understand why the great Shaolin still has many good and bad disciples?”
Abbot Kong Jian listened and nodded frequently. He did not answer directly, but smiled and told a fable for Bai Fu to understand:
"At the northern foot of our Songshan Mountain, there is a mountain with the most luxuriant forests. This forest is rich in forest trees. The trunks are so thick and strong that it takes several people to hug them. They are most suitable as the main beam of the Mahavira Palace.
In this forest, every sixty years, a pest that rots the heart of the tree will grow on the trees.
At the beginning, just cutting down the infected trees could prevent the pest from spreading. But after a few years, more and more infected trees became more and more difficult to cut down. The pest would spread to other mountains and destroy the trees. The whole Songshan Mountain.
Every time when life and death are at stake, a mountain fire will fall from the sky and burn all the woods on the mountain peak. All pests will also be burned away in this fire.
After the forest is burned, the pests and trees are reduced to ashes, combined together, and mixed into the soil to become the most nutritious fertilizer for the entire forest.
Under the nourishment of this kind of fertilizer, within ten years, this forest will be revitalized and become more lush and rich than before."
…
Speaking of asking for advice on Buddhism, Bai Fu thought of a past incident and asked: "Master Abbot, there once was a monk from Lingyun Temple in Jiazhou who recited a verse to me: 'Ordinary people are Buddhas, and worries are Bodhisattvas.' I thought before. That is to say, ordinary people, and the later enlightenment is the Buddha. The former thought is the affliction, and the later thought is the Bodhi...'
I listened to it at that time, but now that I think about it, I feel it has a profound meaning. How should I understand this verse?"
The old monk said: "Trouble means dissatisfaction. People in the world can become Buddhas precisely by having troubles in their minds. If you don't suffer, your wisdom will not increase."
People in the world have two naive ideas when doing things: first, there are no enemies; second, everything is smooth sailing. Who knows, difficulties are benefactors, and enemies are mentors.
People with small roots always pay the price of pain to understand Buddhism. You can't do it without pain, and you must have pain before you can realize it. When your heart is like a knife and all your thoughts are burned, if you are blessed, you meet the founder of Zen Buddhism, and you are given a warning and enlightenment. Help them understand life through 'pick-up'.
Or in times of great pain, reciting Zen scriptures can lead to sudden enlightenment and enlightenment of Prajna. Therefore, great pain is a great opportunity. Times of great pain are also the best time to practice!"
Bai Fu seemed to understand and kept nodding, but Abbot Kongjian didn't take it seriously. He looked at Bai Fu thoughtfully and spoke solemnly.
…
After asking for Buddhist teachings, Bai Fu told Abbot Kong Jian about his adventure in Bodhidharma Cave. The abbot smiled and said: "We are not wrong, Fu'er is indeed a person with deep connections with Buddhism. I am so happy and congratulated for this great opportunity!"
As Taifu Xu said, 'Our world is the shadow of another world.' 'The shadow is the only two-dimensional object in our world.'
Patriarch Bodhidharma learned this secret by chance, and he meditated in a stone cave for nine years. Through vipassana, he passed through the shadow door and communicated with other dimensions of time and space. In the sea of wisdom in another time and space, in the Mount Sumeru, he gained insight into the universe. Mysteries, access to the wisdom of heaven and earth, and create Zen mental methods and Shaolin martial arts.
As the saying goes: "My heart is the universe, and the mysteries of heaven and earth are no need to seek outside." The original mind is the bridge that connects heaven and earth and obtains wisdom.
Shaolin eminent monks of all ages have been able to reach the Sea of Wisdom and Mount Sumeru from far or near through Zen practice and insight into their original minds. They can draw nutrients from the treasure house of Buddhism and water the Bodhi Tree bit by bit.
For these eminent monks, Buddhism and Taoism are the joy of the Dharma. Martial arts do not need to be done deliberately, but can be achieved by chance.
However, I don’t know since when, the ‘Dharma Wall Shadow Stone’ lost this function. My master was the last eminent monk to cultivate the ‘destiny power’ from the ‘Dharma Wall Shadow Stone’.
When I was young, I briefly entered the Shadow Gate with Master's blessing and care. Except for me, no Shaolin disciple has been able to pass through this gate for decades."
Taifu Xu replied to Bai Bai: "This is also the reason why Abbot Kongjian asked me to recommend people to Shaolin. Abbot Kongjian has a broad mind and a high level of intelligence, which is admirable."
Kong Jian saw the abbot reciprocating the gift humbly. He looked at Bai Fu with piercing eyes and said, "Fu'er, Patriarch Bodhidharma traveled through time and space and sealed his seal with you. There must be deep meaning in it. I hope you can do it well."
Bai Fu was so moved that he knelt down and kowtowed again, thanking Abbot Kongjian and Taifu Xu for their care.
…
Taifu Xu asked Abbot Kongjian: "The reason why the Holy One sent Elder Kongjing of the Supervisory Temple to monitor Shaolin is to force you to reveal this secret, right?"
Master Kongjian put his hands together and recited the Buddha's name, saying: "Amitabha, how good it is, how good it is. If kings in this world try to become emperors in the hearts of all living beings, I am afraid that the common people in the world will not be far behind."