The mountain is not high, the four sides are empty, there are not many green bamboos, to the south you can see the blue waves of Taihu Lake, the sand gulls soar and gather, the smoke waves are misty, the vast and mighty; to the north you can see the beautiful scenery of the carved tower, look at each other from afar, there are literati and ink writers, the geese have left traces, write the quatrain of the ages; to the east you can see the rising sun, the red glow is full of sky, the sun is shy red; to the west is lush and green, the mountains are undulating, and the giant dragon lies horizontally.

This place is indeed a good place, and Zhao Min is buried here.

The loess builds a high tomb, and the stone tablet is engraved with the name of the life.

Ziwen half-squatted in front of the tomb, muttering to himself, refusing to leave; yesterday's voice and face are still in front of him, the world is impermanent, and in one day, heaven and man are forever separated.

Asking the world, what is love, it makes people promise life and death.

Ask in the next life, thousands of miles away, where to find a bosom friend?

Yellow paper incense candle,

If you want to talk,

There are only a thousand tears.

Seven days have passed, Ziwen seems to have realized a great enlightenment, and suddenly sat cross-legged, his sadness disappeared, and the whole person entered Zen enlightenment.

There was a faint aura of holiness on his body, which was strong, majestic, and holy and peaceful.

Tang Bai, who was meditating in the distance, suddenly felt something, opened his eyes, and looked towards Ziwen, only to see that Ziwen was surrounded by phantoms, among which there were people chanting poems and singing, there were books and books, there were clothes and ceremonies, there were fishermen and woods plowing and reading, rolling red dust, and the world was full of states, as if it was also unfolding in Ziwen's body.

Tang Bai stood up, and in a moment he came to Ziwen's side and quietly guarded him.

After another three days, Ziwen opened his eyes and saw Tang Bai with his back to him, facing the rising sun, under the skylight, as if he was on a par with the rising sun, he naturally knelt down and kowtowed three times, which was considered Tang Bai's official disciple.

Three kneeling heaven and earth people, nine knocks to pass on the grace.

Tang Bai did not look back, and said: "The great task of heaven is also entrusted to the people, and they must first suffer their minds, strain their muscles and bones, starve their bodies and skins, empty their bodies, and do what they do; This is the words of a sage in my hometown, which means that those who have great ambitions need to bear their burdens, strengthen their will in the midst of tribulations, strengthen their bodies in the midst of calamities, understand the Dharma in the face of adversity, be indomitable and persevering, so that they can reach heights that others cannot reach. ”

Ziwen was a little confused and said: "Min Min once said that if a drop of water falls in the desert, it will only be evaporated by the heat of the desert, and a drop of water will never make the desert an oasis. ”

Tang Bai pondered slightly, then raised his head, pointed to the sparkling Taihu Lake in the distance, and asked, "Ziwen, do you know how many drops of water there are in the Taihu Lake?"

Ziwen shook his head and said, "I don't know!"

Tang Bai said: "I don't know, but I know that this Taihu Lake is formed by the condensation of countless waters. Your wife is right, a drop of water can't save the desert, and one person can't change the world, only countless like-minded friends, like the water of this Taihu Lake, gather together to form a lake, form the sea, and change the world and the world. ”

When Ziwen heard this, he was speechless for a long time.

Tang Bai said again: "Have you ever thought about how to preach to the world?"

Ziwen shook his head and said, "Please also ask the master for advice." ”

Tang Bai shook his head and said: "Ziwen, it's not that I don't want to be your master, but even I don't have the courage and ambition of yours. ”

Ziwen said: "The master teaches the disciple's cultivation method and saves the disciple between life and death, the master does not recognize the disciple, but the disciple cannot disown the master." ”

Tang Bai said helplessly: "I'm just one step ahead, I don't have the virtue to be your master, if you insist on doing so, you might as well call me Mr." After speaking, without waiting for Ziwen to speak, he said: "Back to the topic, how do you preach to the world?"

Ziwen hesitated for a while, bowed, and said, "Please also ask Mr. for advice." ”

Tang Bai pointed to a bamboo tree not far away, and asked, "Then do you know why this bamboo can stand tall in the wind and rain?"

Ziwen blurted out: "Because it has roots, its roots are rooted in the ground." ”

Tang Bai nodded and said: "Roots, its roots are not only rooted in the earth, but also absorb the nutrients of the earth at all times and strengthen itself. Does the Dharma you preach have roots?"

Ziwen thought for a while and shook his head.

Tang Bai sighed, turned around, and said, "Cultivating the Great Dao, there is already a Dafa in the world, and what you preach is just a root of the root of the tree, no matter how strong it is, it is not your root; ”

Ziwen was thoughtful, and was about to open his mouth to ask, but Tang Bai stopped him from opening his mouth and said, "Think about it carefully, why do you want to pass on the cultivation method of the world? Only by looking directly into your own heart can you find your roots, your way, think about it, I will come back tomorrow." After saying that, his body moved, and he disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Tang Bai disappeared, and Chen Jiaguo walked out of the bamboo forest.

Ziwen looked at him very calmly and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Chen Jiaguo knelt in front of Ziwen and said, "I'm here to apprentice." ”

Ziwen said: "I have already taught you the method of cultivation, why do you still want to apprentice?"

Chen Jiaguo said: "It's not the way of cultivation, it's the way of life." ”

When Ziwen heard this, his heart moved, and he groaned slightly, and said, "The way to be a man?"

Chen Jiaguo said: "The way of the immortals is the way of the gods, and what the master understands is the way of the people; the way of the immortals, do not ask about the world, wander away from the mountains, seek longevity, cut off lust, and regard the world as ants; the disciples give birth to the turbid world, and the mud comes out, so there is evil in the heart, there is evil in the deeds, and the world is evil; Mr. Tang Bai leads the disciples into the underworld with illusions, a hundred times, and does not change the instinct of evil, but the master repays grievances with virtue, and the disciples feel in their hearts, knowing that if they go to evil deeds, they still need the master to teach the way of life, cultivate virtue and cultivate the heart, go to evil and promote good. ”

When Ziwen heard this, he suddenly realized and muttered: "Go to evil and promote good, yes, go to evil and promote good." ”

He looked at Chen Jiaguo and said, "When Mr. taught me the method of cultivation, he did not want to accept me as a disciple, but only said that he was also a teacher and a friend; ”

Chen Jiaguo shook his head and said: "Mr. Tang Bai spoke before, and the disciples also heard it; Mr. Tang Bai thought that his thoughts were not as noble as his master, so he didn't dare to be commensurate with his master. If the disciple does not want to take me as an apprentice, I am willing to be a slave of the master and drive him to do so. ”

When Ziwen heard this, he suddenly burst into tears, and said while crying: "Although Min Min is self-defeating, he also died at your hands, if I have no hatred in my heart, then I am deceiving others and deceiving myself; I also wanted to kill you to repay my grievances, but I also knew that Min Min would not be resurrected, grievances and grievances, the cycle of cause and effect, contrary to my wishes; if I accept you as a disciple, I don't know how to face you? I don't know how to face Min Min? Why do you want to persecute me, you go, you go." ”

Chen Jiaguo shook his head and said: "If the master sees me like a snake and scorpion, the hatred in his heart is hard to eliminate, and he asks Mr. to do it, kill me, eliminate the depression in his heart, and go to the devil in his heart." After speaking, he picked out a sharp dagger from his sleeve and handed it to Ziwen.

Ziwen wiped away his tears and said to himself: "Mr. Tang Bai once said that the devil is the stone in the heart, and only by polishing it often can I strengthen my mind; After speaking, he sat down on a rock, and naturally closed his eyes, motionless, and fell into meditation again.

On the second day, Tang Bai saw Chen Jiaguo kneeling in front of Ziwen with a sincere attitude, and when he saw Ziwen meditating, he woke up for a while, so he turned his head and left.

When he came back on the third day, he saw that Chen Jiaguo was still kneeling on the ground, his body was a little shaky because of fatigue and hard work; when he was about to leave, Ziwen opened his eyes, and his eyes became extremely calm and wise; he glanced at Chen Jiaguo and said, "Jiaguo, you go and prepare small wine and dishes, and I will drink two glasses with my husband." ”

Chen Jiaguo was overjoyed when he heard this, looked at Ziwen in disbelief, and muttered, "Master is willing to accept me as an apprentice?"

Ziwen nodded and said, "If the world is full of good people, why do you need me to teach the Fa; ”

Tang Bai sighed and said, "There was once a sage who said: Knowing mistakes can be changed, and good is great. People in the world often say it easily, but do the opposite. He also glanced at Chen Jiaguo and said, "You go, you don't need to prepare a little wine, I'll talk to Ziwen." ”

Chen Jiaguo kowtowed to Ziwen, saluted Tang Bai again, and turned to leave.

Tang Bai waved his hand, and on the stone beside the two of them, two wine jars appeared, one for Ziwen and one for himself.

Ziwen said: "Sir, wait, I'll prepare some game." After saying that, he went to the woods, hunted a hare, and found a stream, plucked the feathers and dirty, burned the fire and roasted, and moved one by one, naturally, as if there were no more worries;

Ziwen said while eating: "Sir, what is a person?"

Tang Bai was slightly stunned, and then smiled: "I don't know?"

Ziwen was also stunned, and said with a relative smile: "Sir, you don't play cards according to the routine." ”

Tang Bai said: "You can tell me and listen to it!"

Ziwen said: "Food is the sky!"

Tang Bai clapped his hands and said 'wonderful', a simple four words, which is both heaven and humanity.

Ziwen said: "The way of cultivation can seek eternal life, but you can open the valley without eating, so you are detached from others; the way you seek is not what Ziwen needs; Ziwen wants to seek humanity, can you teach me?"

Tang Bai thought for a while and said: "The sage is courteous, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and faith, based on etiquette, and morality gives birth to the Tao, the Tao is virtue, and virtue is the Tao. ”

When Ziwen heard this, his heart was surging for a while, and the five words of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith did everything he thought in his heart, which was the avenue he sought.

Ziwen stood up and said, "Master!"

Tang Bai waved his hand and said: "There is no need for this, these are also what the predecessors said and understood, you have great ambitions, if you know and act together, educate all people through heaven and earth, and become the most good person, no different from a saint, it is a great honor to be called a sir." ”

Ziwen opened his mouth, bowed again, sat cross-legged, did not eat or drink, and fell into deep thought.

Tang Bai drank three altars, looked up to the sky, his eyes seemed to travel through infinite time and space, and saw another world;