After a while, the shaving was completed, and the old monk asked again: "Donor, you are now officially my Buddhist disciple, what do you want to say?"

Li Jidao: "Thanks to the kindness of my father, I am grateful. I wish to carry forward my Buddha's grand wish and help all sentient beings. ”

The old monk said: "Good, good, good, Amitabha, may the Buddha bless you." ”

Li Jidao: "Amitabha, what Dharma name and disciple dare to be given by the master?"

The old monk said: "Exactly, exactly." Now that you've reached the age of 'dream', as you say, and you have empty eyes, it's called 'dream empty', right?"

Li Ji said happily: "Disciple Mengkong remembers the master's gift. ”

After that, the little monk on the side of the old monk led Li Ji to the monk's room, divided the luggage, and arranged a place to stay. He also took him to familiarize himself with the environment of the temple, and at the same time explained the temple rules so that he could remember them.

Since then, Li Ji has officially become a monk of Lingyuan Temple, with the law name Mengkong.

Coming to the temple is a completely different life, and he knows it very well. Compared with the outside life, it is more single, even boring. Especially for monks who have just arrived, they have to start from the most basic life, exercise and study.

This Li Ji swept the floor and cleaned the courtyard every day, hit the bell with water, and was able to learn some etiquette during the period. When I have a little leisure, I crouch in front of the verandah of the hall, listen to others chanting and chanting Buddha, and understand one or two. But they can't go to the temple to study. Just because the master did not allow the arrangement, he could not enter the temple without permission.

Although the life of hitting the clock is simple, not asking about the world, away from the hustle and bustle of the world, and not worrying, it has a lot more peace, and it can be regarded as leisurely.

But after a long time, he kept repeating this kind of life, and he couldn't chant the Buddha, and he couldn't learn the Dharma, but it made him distressed. And because the junior brother who came late was also like this, but he entered the temple to study earlier than him, which aroused his doubts. It can't help but make him feel guilty. But after all, I don't know where to start, and I am limited to being here, but it is inconvenient to ask my master for advice.

just maintained the status quo and responded to the sentence: when a monk hits a bell for a day, live a life of hitting the bell.

One day, Li Ji fetched water from the old well outside the mountain gate, and a monk also came to fetch water. This monk is none other than Li Ji's junior brother, who arrived at the temple late, but entered the temple earlier than him. Eight years younger than Li Ji, his legal name is Mengfan. Today, it is not his turn to come out to fetch water, but I don't know why he came.

This Mengfan saw that Li Jigang was filled with two buckets of water, so he took the bucket and asked, "Senior Brother Mengkong, how long have you been coming to the temple? ”

Li Ji smiled and said, "Well, I've been here for almost three years now. ”

Meng Fan said: "Three years? ”

Li Jidao: "Exactly, what about you?"

Meng Fan said: "I've only been here for a year. ”

Li Ji asked again: "What have you been doing in the past year?"

Mengfan said happily: "Eating fasting and chanting Buddha, chanting sutras, and then helping other brothers and sisters do a job." ”

He asked again, "Senior brother, what about you?"

Li Ji sighed: "I spend most of my time sweeping the courtyard, fetching water, and hitting the bell. ”

Meng Fan exclaimed: "It's been like this for three years?"

Li Ji said affirmatively: "It's not true." ”

Meng Fan asked again: "Don't you feel bored and bored all the time living like this?"

Li Ji shook his head and said, "Boring, boring, what's the solution." After a long time, you will get used to it, so take your time. ”

Mengfan said: "Then why don't you go to Zen meditation, chant sutras and chant Buddha, or practice martial arts and writing." It can not only survive the boring time, but also eliminate the useless disaster. It is also to learn skills, and over time, even if you go down the mountain, you can use one or two, and there are no good places to go. I don't know what my brother said, is it reasonable?"

Li Ji happily replied: "The words of the junior brother are not unreasonable. The facts you said, Senior Brother didn't think about it, but he just ......"

Meng Fan said: "It's just what, what is the unspeakable hidden of the senior brother, you might as well say it to the junior brother, and see if the junior brother can help the senior brother come up with a countermeasure and share one or two." ”

Li Ji sighed: "When I came to the temple, I was already determined to take refuge in Buddhism, and my heart was to my Buddha. Being able to chant sutras and chanting Buddha is already the best policy, and practicing martial arts and writing is even more edifying, especially if you don't want to participate in meditation. I once thought that I would sweep the floor and sweep the yard all day long, hit the water and hit the bell, and nothing changed. Only in the occasional leisure time, in front of the hall porch to listen carefully, but can not get the whole thing. All this is just because the master does not arrange it. The master doesn't allow it, the disciple is always here, so dare to ask. So until now, it's still like this. ”

Meng Fan said: "Since it is said, the senior brother does not let go, and the senior brother does not dare to take the liberty of asking yes." It's okay, if the senior brother believes it, you might as well let the senior brother tell the senior brother about the predicament of the senior brother. I think that after hearing about my brother's situation, I will definitely be merciful and relieve your predicament. ”

Li Ji hurriedly said: "Don't. If this is the case, there must be a reason for this. The old master must have his own considerations, and he will not say it, and it is inconvenient for us to speculate or mention it. ”

Meng Fan said: "What are the concerns of Senior Brother, what are you worried about?"

Li Jidao: "I don't have any concerns, it's just that it's inconvenient to add incidents." ”

Meng Fanfan: "Since the senior brother is afraid of adding incidents, the junior brother is not easy to ask. It's up to you to do good or bad things. ”

Li Jidao: "I will never dare to bother my junior brother." ”

Meng Fan said: "Where to say something bothering not to bother, they are both senior brothers, what bothering to talk about, but it is not a joke." ”

Li Ji said: "What you say to your junior brother today, you must not say it to others. I'm afraid of trouble, junior and junior should remember. ”

Meng Fan said: "Senior brother has said so, why does the junior brother disobey." ”

Li Jidao: "Can you agree?"

Meng Fan said: "Senior brother, let's put 10,000 hearts." No word loss guaranteed. ”

Li Ji said with a smile: "Senior brother has believed it, and he has believed it." ”

After speaking, the two of them each carried a load of water and returned to the temple.

The real one is that the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional.

This Mengfan junior brother returned to the temple, but he was also honest. He also recalled Li Ji's instructions from time to time, and did not mention it to the other disciples. A posture that has nothing to do with himself and hangs high.

I thought, it's not that I don't say it, the time has not yet come. And the object of the statement is not the disciples, but the master.

It turned out that on this day, after chanting the scriptures with the monks in the treasure hall, they returned to their own place. This Mengfan took the opportunity to follow the master back to the wing.

The old master was immediately taken aback, because he asked, "Mengfan, why do you come with me?"

Meng Fan said carefully: "It's not very important, it's just that in the past few days, I have heard the master's lectures and teachings, and I am very grateful, and I have come to thank the master." ”

The master said: "Even if you are a disciple of Buddhism, it is a blessing for Buddhism to listen to the Dharma, so what words are grateful or not." ”

Meng Fan said: "The disciple is fortunate to listen to the master's speech, but in fact, he is fortunate to have three lives, so his gratitude is beyond words. Even if the Master allows the disciples to go out of the hall and suffer other training and labor, they will never forget the grace of the Master's teachings. It's a pity that I'm afraid that other disciples don't think so, and they can't understand the hardships of Master's intentions. ”