Buddha crossing a predestined person: Dharma and wisdom in life

Chapter 5 Convenience Method - Directly pointing at people's hearts, enlightenment and Buddhahood (5)
After being recognized and encouraged, the little monk finally calmed down, pondered Master's enlightenment, and practiced over and over again, day by day.Half a year later, the little monk found his master again.This time I only brought the word "I", but this word "I" is not written in general and copied, each stroke is a new way of writing.

Apparently, the young monk practiced and created a new style of calligraphy.

The old monk finally smiled with satisfaction, and he said meaningfully to the young monk: You have finally written your own "I" and found your "self".

■Sentiment——

Regardless of writing or being a human being, only one word "I" is the most difficult to grasp and create new ones.Therefore, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said: "Knowing yourself is the highest task of philosophy."

Being a human being is the same as practicing calligraphy. At the beginning, we can only "copy" and learn from others.In the process of learning from others, many people gradually forget themselves, lose their independence, and become the same as everyone else; only a few people can stand out after "copying" others, surpass their predecessors, and become their true selves.

whole body is eyes
Chan Master Daowu and Chan Master Yunyan are brothers, and they often meditate and enlighten Tao together.

One day, my younger brother Daowu asked, "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has thousands of hands and eyes. May I ask, brother, which eye is the right one?"

Yun Yan asked back: "When you were sleeping at night, the pillow fell to the ground, and you didn't open your eyes, but grabbed the pillow with your hand and continued to sleep. Excuse me, what kind of eyes did you use to catch it? "

After hearing this, Zen Master Daowu thought about it for a while and said happily, "Oh! Brother, I understand."

"What do you know?"

"The question I asked, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has eyes all over his body."

Zen Master Yunyan smiled and said, "You only understand [-]% of it!"

Daowu asked suspiciously, "Then what should I say?"

Zen Master Yunyan said succinctly: "The whole body is the eyes!"

■Sentiment——

All over the body is the eye, which mainly refers to the body surface, including various human sensations; the whole body is the eye, including the inner body, the key is that there is also a "mind" eye, which is the Zen mind of a Zen practitioner and the Dharma eye of Buddhism.We have a true heart that is the whole body and the eyes, why not use it to observe and see everything thoroughly?
is there a ghost
Zen Master Yunju went to the cave on the deserted island to meditate every night.There are a few troublesome young people hiding on his only way.When the Zen master came over, a man hung down his hand from the tree and put it on the Zen master's head.The young man thought that the Zen master must be scared out of his wits, but the Zen master let the young man hold his head and stood still.The young man was startled, and quickly withdrew his hand. At this time, the Zen master left as if nothing had happened.

The next day, a few of them went to Zen Master Yunju together, and they asked the Zen master, "Master, I heard that there are often ghosts nearby. Is this true?"

Zen Master Yunju said: "There is nothing!"

"Is that so? We've heard of people who had their heads held down by the devil while walking at night."

"That's not some devil, but a young man from the village!"

"why would you said this?"

The Zen master replied: "Because the devil does not have such a generous and warm hand!"

He went on to say: "Being in battle without fear of life and death is the courage of a general; going into the mountains without fear of tigers and wolves is the courage of a hunter; entering the water without fear of dragons is the courage of a fisherman; what is the courage of a monk? It's just one word—" Enlightenment'. Even life and death have been detached, how can there be a sense of fear?"

■Sentiment——

The monk's courage is "enlightenment".In fact, the courage of each of us lies in the word "enlightenment".Enlightenment can make us detach from life and death, "If we have already detached from life and death, how can we still have a sense of fear?" Yunju said so well.

Why are we afraid of tigers and wolves in our lives, and live in fear?Why do we always wear masks to be human?Because we haven't fully understood life and death, because we still have "ghosts" in our hearts!Because we want to get an official position, a good salary, a reputation, and... So, we have to ask others for everything, so what "courage" is there for us!

own treasure
A Zen master named Dazhu Huihai in Zhejiang Province saw Mazu Daoyi, and Mazu asked, "Where are you from?"

Hui Hai replied: "I come from Dayun Temple in Zhejiang."

Mazu: "What's the matter here?"

Hui Hai: "I have admired Zen Master's name for a long time, and I have come to your place to seek Buddhism."

Mazu: "I have nothing here, so how can I seek the Dharma? You have treasure in yourself, so why run around blindly?"

Hui Hai said in amazement: "Is there any treasure on me? Why do I know nothing about it? What is it?"

Mazu: "It's far away in the sky, but close in front of me. The person who stands in front of me and asks the question is your own treasure. What you want is in yourself. You have everything you need, and you don't need anything. You can use it freely, so why go around looking for?"

Hui Hai suddenly became enlightened, bid farewell to Mazu and returned to Zhejiang, and devoted himself to writing "On the Keys of Enlightenment and Entrance to Taoism".The manuscript was passed to Mazu, who appreciated it very much.

■Sentiment——

Zen believes that everyone has the same ability to practice Zen and become a Buddha, that is, Buddha-nature.And Zen practice can only seek from oneself, relying on one's own comprehension to obtain the true meaning, because Zen comprehension itself is a feeling from the bottom of the heart and rises to a certain level.External objects or others can only inspire and induce. The true "Buddhism" is still rooted in the heart, and cannot be "seeked" from outside the body.

Big bird and little sparrow
There was a student monk named Daoxiu who practiced Zen very hard, but he still couldn’t understand the principles of Zen. Seeing that his classmates who came to study Zen later than him had enlightened one after another, he himself was no different from when he came here, he was still a layman.

He thought: I am neither as humorous as some students, nor as dexterous as some students, and I still can't get started.Alas! I am really not qualified to learn Zen, I should just be a wandering ascetic!
So Daoxiu packed up his luggage and planned to travel far.Before leaving, he went to the Dharma Hall to bid farewell to Zen Master Guangyu.

Daoxiu reported: "Teacher! The student monk has failed your mercy. It has been 10 years since I took refuge in studying under your seat, and I still have no feeling for Zen. I am really not the root of Zen. You are farewell, I will travel around."

Zen Master Guangyu was very surprised and asked: "Oh! Why did you leave without enlightenment? Could you be enlightened elsewhere?"

Daoxiu sincerely reported again: "In addition to eating and sleeping, I get up early and go to bed early every day, discard distracting thoughts, and meditate seriously. I still can't get enlightened after working so hard. I think I may not be married to Zen. All the students have enlightened , I’m so tired! I’m going to be a wandering ascetic, maybe I can reduce the sense of burnout in my heart.”

Zen Master Guangyu listened carefully to Daoxiu's words, and then said: "Enlightenment, just like fish swimming in the bottom of the sea and birds living on the branches, it is a natural expression of inner nature, which cannot be described at all, nor can it be passed on to others. What’s more, you can’t learn it and don’t rush it. Others are in other people’s realm, and you practice your Zen way, these are two different things, why should they be confused?”

Daoxiu defended frustratedly: "Teacher! You don't know. Compared with my classmates, I feel ashamed as a little sparrow seeing a roc."

Zen Master Guangyu pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Really? How big is a roc? How small is a sparrow?"

Daoxiu replied: "The roc can fly hundreds of miles with just a light spread of its wings, but no matter how hard I try, I can only fly a few feet away from the grass."

Zen Master Guangyu asked meaningfully: "The roc can fly hundreds of miles with one spread of its wings. Can it fly beyond life and death?"

Zen Monk Daoxiu remained silent, as if he had realized something in his heart.

■Sentiment——

For Zen practice, there is only enlightenment and non-enlightenment, there is no distinction between high and low.Because the Buddha-nature of all people is the same, one is a Buddha if one is enlightened, and one is an ordinary person if one is not.It cannot be said that if you are enlightened, you are a great roc, and if you are not enlightened, you are a sparrow.Although a roc can fly hundreds of miles, if it is not enlightened, it is just an ordinary person; although a sparrow cannot fly high, if it is enlightened, it is a Buddha.Before the Buddha, all living beings are equal, and there is no difference between the "wise" and "fools" in terms of Buddha-nature.

zhaozhou piss
A Buddhist believer asked Chan Master Zhaozhou: "Excuse me, Chan Master, how can one gain enlightenment by practicing Zen?"

When Chan Master Zhaozhou was asked, he immediately stood up from his seat and said, "I'm going to pee!"

After speaking, he walked a few steps, and then turned back to the believer and said, "Look at such trivial things as urinating, I still have to do it myself, and no one else can replace it."

■Sentiment——

"Zhaozhou urinating" is the same as "wanting eyeballs" above. It is about practicing Zen and enlightening the Tao. It is everyone's own business and has nothing to do with others.But people always want to take shortcuts, and are unwilling to work hard on their own to practice, hoping that "masters" will take them across the river directly.Hui Neng said: "Buddha is created by its own nature, don't seek it from outside the body."If you want to become a Buddha, you must save yourself.

Practicing Zen and enlightenment is one's own business

Under the sect of Dahui Zonggao, the great Zen master of the Song Dynasty, there was a monk named Daoqian.He has studied Zen for many years, but he has not discovered the mystery of Zen.He was disappointed when his master sent him on an errand.He felt that the half-year long journey would be harmful to his meditation work.His fellow monk Shang Zongyuan sympathized with him and said to him, "I will go with you and help you as much as I can. There is no reason why you cannot continue to practice Zen on the way." So they got up together.

One night, with a disappointed expression, Daoqian asked his friend to help him solve the mystery of life.Zong Yuan said to him: "I will help you as much as I can, but there are five things that I cannot help you with. You must do these five things yourself."

Dao Qian asked, "Which five things?"

Zong Yuan replied: "When you are hungry and thirsty, my diet can't fill your stomach, you have to eat by yourself; when you want to defecate, you have to take care of yourself, I can't help you at all; finally, No one can hunch over you on the road except yourself."

These words immediately opened the heart of the seeking monk, at this moment, he felt extremely happy.

Now, Zong Yuan told him that his job was over, and it would be meaningless to keep him company.So they broke up and Daoqian continued his journey.Half a year later, Daoqian returned to the original temple.

■Sentiment——

This story still tells us that it is our own business to practice Zen and enlightenment, and no one else can replace it.

Umbrella self-degree
A believer was sheltering from the rain under the eaves, and saw a Zen master passing by with an umbrella, so he shouted: "Zen master! Please save all sentient beings! Can you take me for a ride?"

The Zen master said: "I am in the rain, you are under the eaves, but there is no rain under the eaves, you don't need me to save you."

The believer immediately stepped out of the eaves, stood in the rain, and said: "I am also in the rain now, you should save me!"

The Zen master said: "I am also in the rain, and you are also in the rain. I am not in the rain because I have an umbrella; you are in the rain because I don't have an umbrella. So it is not me who saves you, but the umbrella who saves me. You have to be saved. Don't look for me, please find an umbrella yourself!"

The Zen master left without looking back.

■Sentiment——

If you have an umbrella, you can avoid being drenched in the rain; if you have true Zen, you can avoid being deceived by demons.I don’t bring an umbrella on a rainy day and I want others to help me. I don’t work hard to understand my own nature, but I want others to save me.It's like not using one's own treasures, but thinking about other people's treasures, how can one be satisfied?Take care of yourself, and you should ask yourself in everything.The Zen master refused to borrow the umbrella, but it was actually the great compassion of the Zen master.

pick up the fallen leaves
Zen master Dingzhou and the monk were reading scriptures in the courtyard, when a gust of wind suddenly blew up, and many leaves fell from the tree. The Zen master bent down, picked up the leaves one by one, and put them in his pocket.

The monk next to him said: "Zen Master! Don't pick it up, anyway, we will clean it early tomorrow morning."

Zen Master Dingzhou said disapprovingly: "You can't say it like this. If I pick up one more piece, it will make the ground cleaner!"

The monk said again: "Zen Master, there are so many fallen leaves, you pick them up in front of them, and they fall behind them, how can you finish picking them up?"

Zen Master Dingzhou said while picking up: "The fallen leaves are not only on the ground, but also on the ground of our hearts. I pick up the fallen leaves on the ground of my heart, and there will be a time when I finish picking them up."

After listening to this, the monk finally understood what the real life of a Zen master is.

■Sentiment——

Zen Master Dingzhou used "picking up fallen leaves" to enlighten the young monk: There are fallen leaves in the yard. Of course, there are inexhaustible fallen leaves. If you pick them up in front, they will fall after they are picked up. But if you pick up a piece of ground, it will be clean. Don't expect it to be done once and for all; There will often be "fallen leaves" to pollute, but as long as we persist in picking them up, there will always be a pure day.The "fallen leaves" in the mind refer to all kinds of delusional thoughts, and to pick them up depends on practicing Zen.

love is heart to heart
At a Fa conference, Sakyamuni told a vivid story.

A wealthy businessman had four wives in total: the first wife was smart and lovely, and she stayed with him all day long, never leaving him; the second wife was snatched, and she was a great beauty; He lived a stable life; the fourth wife worked hard and was so busy that the husband simply forgot about her existence.

The businessman was going on a long trip, so he decided to choose one of the four wives to accompany him on the trip in order to avoid the loneliness of the long-distance trip, so he told the four wives what he thought.

The first wife said: "Go by yourself, I won't accompany you!"

The second wife said: "I was snatched by you. I didn't want to be your wife willingly, so I won't go!"

The third wife said: "Although I am your wife, I don't want to suffer from the wind, food and dew. I will send you to the outskirts of the city at most!"

The fourth wife said: "Since I am your wife, I will follow you wherever you go."

So the merchant took his fourth wife and set out on a journey.

Finally, Sakyamuni said: "Everyone, who is this businessman? It is yourselves!"

In this story, the first wife refers to the body, which must be separated from oneself after death; The wives, the two depend on each other during life, but they still part ways after death; the fourth wife refers to the self-nature, people often forget its existence, but it is always with them.

■Sentiment——

Money and wives are "external possessions". Once we die, we will have nothing.

So, is our body an "external thing"?Of course, we can't take it with us after we die, and it turns into a pile of ashes after being burned.

What exactly is a "thing in the body"?

Our "true body", our real self, is also our own nature and Buddha nature!
Only it will follow you forever, and it will not abandon you after you die.And we always forget its existence easily, that is, we always forget our own existence, but we remember the "things outside our body" very firmly!

Born with "stinky skin"

Zen Master Wugen entered meditation for three days, but people mistakenly thought he had passed away, so they cremated his body.A few days later, Zen Master Wugen came out of concentration, but he couldn't find his body. He cried out miserably: "Me? Where am I?" So all the monks called for Zen Master Miaokong.

It was late at night, and Zen Master Wugen, who was looking for his body, came again and said sadly, "What about me? Where have I been?"

Zen Master Miaokong replied peacefully: "You are in the soil." Zen Master Wugen got into the soil and searched here and there for a long time, but he couldn't find it. He said sadly, "There is no me in the soil!"

(End of this chapter)