The heavens begin with Hongquan

A young man in a monk's robe brought tea and then stood beside Zen Master Xingxiu.

"This is the young disciple of a poor monk. His dharma name is Zhanran. My dear prince, can you allow him to listen to the teachings?"

"As the guest does, the host does as he pleases." Wanyankang glanced at the young monk.

He took a sip of tea and praised it.

then.

Wanyankang asked: "May I ask Zen Master, what is the true scripture?"

Zen Master Xingxiu thought about it and said: "When you understand the Tao, don't talk about destiny, and when you practice, don't take the true scriptures."

Wanyankang smiled: "Don't talk about destiny when you understand the Tao. What kind of Tao do you understand? If you don't take the true scriptures to practice, what kind of practice do you cultivate?"

Which eminent monk is on the right path, but doesn’t seek enlightenment and attain perfection by studying scriptures?

Especially after you have understood the real thing.

Buddha has no form and can only be felt. It is inconceivable and non-cultural. If you are obsessed with understanding destiny and seeking the true scriptures to achieve perfection, you have become obsessed with seeking, obsessed with appearances, and have strayed away from the original meaning of Buddhism.

Zen Master Xingxiu lost his usual composure after knowing that he saw Wanyan Kang.

It's not his fault.

Who is not confused when he sees the true Buddha and the true saint?

"It is reasonable for the prince to question the poor monk, but the poor monk made false claims."

"The so-called True Sutra is the ultimate method that can achieve Nirvana. It can be understood but not practiced. To become a Buddha is to seek. To understand is to know one's nature. To practice is to control one's nature, to understand the Tao is to implement one's nature, and the enlightened one is The heart generates laws, and those who cultivate them control the mind with laws. Those who do not suffer negative consequences have faith and no evidence. There is no such thing as nirvana.”

Wanyankang smiled and nodded, as if the Buddha was holding flowers.

He glanced at the young man beside him.

"Master Zhanran, do you know what Zen Master Xingxiu means?"

Zhanran glanced at the Zen Master and received permission.

"Since it's the prince's examination, Zhanran, you can do whatever you want."

Zhan Ran put his hands together and saluted, and then said: "Master means that to achieve the perfection of silence and emptiness, you can only achieve enlightenment, not practice. To become a Buddha is a purposeful pursuit. Enlightenment lies in knowing one's mind and seeing one's nature, and in awakening." Cultivation is to curb one's nature through actions, and enlightenment is to act according to one's nature; an awakened person's discipline comes from the heart, and doing good is natural, and a person who practices self-cultivation uses rules to curb delusions and seek good results."

Wanyankang asked again: "No desire, no undesirable desire, no discipline, no discipline, such is nirvana. Then what is the interpretation of this sentence?"

Zhanran frowned: "This... little monk doesn't know."

Wanyan Kanghu said: "No matter Buddhism, there are many precepts. For example, abstain from sex. Why do we need to abstain from sex?"

Zhan Ran said matter-of-factly: "Because beauty harms people, and beauty is a devil."

Wanyankang and Zen Master Xingxiu looked at each other and laughed for a moment.

Zhanran didn't know why both of them were laughing, and they were laughing a little weirdly.

Wanyankang then asked: "Then what is beauty?"

Zhanran's face suddenly turned red.

Although the other person was obviously younger than him, he felt like he had been caught for doing something bad.

"Master..."

Zhanran's voice was a little panicked.

"It's okay, just answer the Crown Prince's question according to your understanding."

With Zen Master Xingxiu's permission, Zhanran began to think about this usually taboo thing.

"A beauty...a beauty is a woman who is young, beautiful, and has a...graceful figure."

Zhanran blushed and stammered.

Wanyan Kang did not tease him: "Well, this is the common understanding, but it is incomplete and generalizes. You can say that Baoen Temple is a temple of the Jin Dynasty, but can you say that the temple of the Jin Dynasty is Baoen Temple?"

Of course this won't work.

Baoen Temple is not the only temple in the Kingdom of Jin.

"Then I dare to ask the prince, how do you understand beauty?" Zhan Ran mustered up the courage to ask.

"When people look at their mothers and daughters, no matter how beautiful or charming they are, they will not have the perception of beauty." Wan Yankang did not give a direct answer.

Zhanran was thoughtful. After a while.

"But heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang. As the saying goes, if the yang does not grow alone, the yin will not be born. If a man in the world cannot be moved by a beautiful woman, wouldn't he be ill?"

This is not what a monk would say.

Wanyankang looked at Zhanran's head. It really didn't look like a monk. Although he wore monk's robes, he had never been ordained.

"Do you think that once you have a heart and think about it, you will be free from illness?"

"Just like your hands, if you can only clench a fist, you will have problems. If you can only extend your palms, you will have problems. It is normal if you can do it freely. Talking about demons is not to discuss right and wrong with anyone, but to point out the causes of troubles. It’s true that you can’t bear the pain.”

Zhanran began to find examples to argue.

"What about Liu Xiahui in ancient times? If he could sit calmly with a beautiful woman in his arms, then he must not have had any thoughts."

Wanyankang smiled and said: "Then there is one more thought, one more thought that cannot be moved by the heart. It is not one less worry but one more worry. This is called quitting. Isn't quitting bitter?"

Zhan Ran lowered his head, speechless.

After they were all young, Wanyankang looked at Zen Master Xingxiu.

"Zen Master, you said that the true scriptures can be understood but not cultivated, and cultivation is the way to become a Buddha. If it is not to become a Buddha, then what is Buddhism?"

Zen Master Xingxiu said: "Buddha is awakened, not human. Everyone has awakened, which does not mean that awakened is a human being. The appearance of human beings can be corrupted, and the awakened nature has no birth or death. That is, awakening is revealed, and that is, obstacles are covered by dust. There is no obstacle, no obstacle, and nirvana. The Buddha with perfect enlightenment is the Buddha of Buddhist human form. If the Buddha is perfect, he is not infinite."

Wanyankang stroked his palm and praised: "Zen Master is a true practitioner."

…………

When Wan Yankang left the monastery, he was followed by a young man wearing monk's robes, it was Zhan Ran.

"Qing Jin, I said I haven't seen you in the past few years, but it turns out you are following Zen Master Xingxiu."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Apparently, the two were old acquaintances.

Zhanran is the young man's Buddhist name, and he is practicing as a disciple.

The boy's original name was Yelu Chucai, also given the courtesy name Jin Qing. He was born into a Khitan aristocratic family. He was the ninth-generation grandson of Yelu Abaoji, Taizu of the Liao Dynasty. He is now the son of Yelu Lu, the Minister of the Jin Dynasty, Youcheng.

His name and character are both taken from the allusion in "The Biography of the Zuo Family in the Spring and Autumn Period" that "Although Chu has talents, Jin can use them".

Starting from Yelu Chucai's grandfather, his family had served as officials in the Jin Dynasty for generations. Yelu Chucai himself also inherited the family tradition. He studied Chinese books since he was a child and was proficient in Chinese. He was well-read in many books at a young age.

Perhaps it was the mutual attraction between child prodigies. He and Wan Yankang had known each other since childhood and hit it off immediately.

"How is it? What have you learned from Zen Master Xingxiu in the past few years?"

"Rule the world with my Master's teachings, and govern one mind with my Buddha's teachings, and all the world can do will be completed." The young man's voice was sonorous and his spirit was high. .

"Rule the country with Confucianism, cultivate the mind with Buddhism..." Wan Yankang concluded.

"In today's world, all the countries stand side by side, including Jin, Song, Xixia, Tubo, Xiliao, and Mongolia. The current situation is endlessly chaotic and the people are suffering. I want to carry a three-foot sword to make a lasting contribution and restore the world to a bright future. ”

"So, Jin Qing, come and help me."

"Your ideal requires a strong king."

Hearing Wanyankang suddenly express his ambition.

Yelu Chucai was startled at first, and then quickly calmed down.

King Zhao Wanyan Honglie's power in the court was very weak, and normally he would not be a worthy bet.

However, looking at the ten-year-old Wan Yankang, walking like a tiger and a dragon, majestic and graceful, Yelu Chucai thought of what his master, Zen Master Xingxiu, told him before he left...

After thinking for a while, I finally made a decision.

He took a few steps back and straightened his robes.

He bowed slightly towards Wanyankang.

"The prince will not give up, and Yelu Chucai is willing to serve the prince."

Wanyankang's face was filled with joy.

He returned the favor solemnly.

From then on, the two decided to be kings and ministers. (End of chapter)