Neng'er replied casually: "These scriptures are easy to remember, but I don't understand them very well. ”

"Scripture is easy to remember?" Zen Master Shankong frowned, he couldn't imagine that this firewood boy looked like a dignified person, but he was so arrogant when he spoke, and said, "This "Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra" was brought by the ancestor of Bodhidharma from Tianzhu. It is not easy for our monks in the East to recite at first, let alone memorize. How do you say that the scriptures are easy to remember?"

Neng'er replied frankly: "I do remember it." ”

Zen Master Silent Sky is still suspicious: "Buddhism has no jokes. Can you really carry it?"

"Hmm." Neng'er nodded and said loudly, "I never lie. ”

The Zen Master asked tentatively, "How many passages can you recite?"

The simple Neng'er replied bluntly: "You can recite everything." ”

"Wow, what a big breath of garlic!" The Zen Master and the monks were all taken aback by his answer.

Zen Master's eyes widened, staring at him: "What? Can you recite all the verses of the Diamond Sutra?"

Hearing that the tone of this firewood boy was so big, an older monk put up his mouth: "Beat firewood, the over-the-top meal is delicious, and the over-the-top words are not easy to say!"

A little monk even said in a sarcastic tone: "During the day, the master teaches in person, and at night we memorize it ourselves, racking our brains so hard that I can recite such a short passage with difficulty." ”

Some monks wanted to trick the man in front of him and let him taste some bitterness, so they encouraged the Zen Master of Shankong: "Master, since he keeps saying that the scriptures are easy to memorize and can recite all the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutras, then let him recite it to us on the spot." ”

Zen Master Shankong's heart seemed to be scratched by something, and he said to Neng'er: "People are most afraid of speaking in the vernacular. Beat the firewood, you can recite the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra to us. ”

"Good!" Neng'er cleared her throat, her hands were cut behind her back, her head was slightly raised to the sky, her eyes were half-squinted, her mouth was open, and the scriptures flowed out of the chatterbox, like the mountain stream next to the temple: "I smell it." At one time, the Buddha was defending the country, and the tree was given to the garden of solitude, and the great monks were all 1,250 people. At that time, the world was honored, and when he ate, he wore clothes and held a bowl, and went to the city to beg for food. and begged in his city, and returned to this place. After eating, the mantle is collected, the feet are washed, and the seat is sitting. The old man Su Bodhi ...... among the public"

At first, the monks of Jintai Temple did not look at this dark-skinned firewood boy at all, but when they could recite the first paragraph fluently, they were impressed, and some even took out the scriptures to compare them to see if he had made any mistakes.

The Zen Master of Silence has a deep path of meditation, and naturally remembers the "Diamond Sutra" in his heart, and listens and listens quietly.

Neng'er recited: "...... What is a human speech? Do not take the phase, such as not moving. Why? Everything has a way, like a dream bubble. If dew is like electricity, it should be viewed as such. ”

Zen Master Silent Sky: "What about the last paragraph?"

Neng'er swallowed his saliva and continued to read: "The Buddha said that it is a scripture. Elder Subodhi, and all the bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasaks, upasaks, and all the worldly beings and asuras, when they heard what the Buddha said, they were all overjoyed and believed in it. ”

It wasn't until Neng'er memorized all the verses of the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra that the Zen Master and the monks were so shocked that their mouths opened wide.

The monks who listened to Neng'er's recitation and compared the scriptures exclaimed in unison: "Ah, not a word is missing!"

A naughty little monk gave Neng'er another problem: "Beat the firewood, can you recite that scripture from the back to the front, upside down?"

Zen Master Lonely Sky glanced at the little monk: "Can you ask people to recite it upside down like this?"

The little monk stuck his tongue out and retracted it again.

"You want me to recite it upside down?" Neng Er's happy yes, okay!"

Zen Master Silence: "Can you really recite it backwards?"

"Absolutely! You listen, practice and receive faith, like Daji, say that the Buddha hears ......" So, Neng'er really recited the "Diamond Sutra" from behind, and recited it fluently and smoothly, which made the monks of Jintai Temple from the old at least all their mouths closed, and they were all happy and convinced by this firewood boy.

The Zen Master of Silence stroked the short beard of his chin with his right hand, and looked at the firewood boy in front of him with his eyes stunned, and couldn't help but think a lot of emotions: The ordinary monks of Jintai Temple have to read these scriptures dozens of times before they can memorize them. I had the guidance of the five ancestors in Dongchan Temple, and my practice was not shallow, but it took more than ten times for a scripture to be memorized and recited. And this firewood boy can memorize so well after only a few audits when he has no Buddhist scriptures to read and no famous teacher to enlighten.

NSW, how ordinary the trees are; The stream, how ordinary; The many beings who come and go are so ordinary. But the firewood boy in front of him was a genius, a genius of the world, and a wave of enthusiasm hit the heart of the Silent Sky Zen Master, and a dark perception grabbed him tightly.

After pondering for a long time, Zen Master Silent Sky said to Neng'er: "Don't stand outside the broken wall all the time, let's come into the temple." ”

"Okay." Neng'er kicked his feet slightly, and his sturdy body jumped in like a tanuki. Zen Master Shankong raised the sutra in his hand and asked, "You can recite this scripture, it's really not simple, can you educate people in your family to recite the scriptures?"

Neng'er replied truthfully: "My mother often recites scriptures at home. ”

Zen Master Lonely Sky: "Your mother also recites scriptures?"

Neng'er recounted: "She also recited some scriptures at home since she was a child. But compared to Master, it can be said that it is 108,000 miles away. Even though I read the scriptures, I didn't understand the meaning of them. I hope that Master will give me some guidance. ”

Seeing that Neng'er's attitude was sincere, Master Shankong gave a slight explanation: "'Vajra' is the metaphor of not being bad, and 'Prajna' is the finger of wisdom, 'Paramita' is the meaning of reaching, and 'Sutra' is the meaning of the Tao, and the meaning of doing is also." ”

"Ah, that's what the Diamond Sutra refers to." Neng'er seemed to understand a lot, and he pulled the sleeve of the Silent Sky Zen Master's robe and pleaded, "Master, your Taoism is really high. ”

Zen Master Silent Sky waved his hand humbly: "Lao Gao's Taoism is not high, my master is the grandmaster." ”

Neng'er: "Who is your master?"

"Master Hongren, he is the five ancestors of Zen Buddhism." Originally born in Dongchan Temple, he was a disciple of the Five Patriarchs Hongren Master, and his speech was full of pious admiration, "The previous Buddhas all strongly admired the "Ranga Sutra", but the Five Patriarchs Hongren Master advocated us to read the "Diamond Sutra". ”

Neng'er asked, "What is the difference between the two scriptures?"

Zen Master Shankong: "The theory of 'clear mind and insight' of the Ranga sect is embodied in the "Ranga Sutra", which believes that it is necessary to live a life of goodness and penance to become a Buddha; The Haipai Nirvana sect's theory of 'epiphany and gradual enlightenment' is condensed in the Diamond Sutra, which believes that everything in the world is illusory and uncertain, and that we should not be too attached to everything in the world. ”

Huineng's heartstrings moved: "Where are the five ancestors of Zen Buddhism now?"

Zen Master Silent Sky pointed to the north: "Dongchan Temple, Huangmei County, Qizhou." ”

Neng'er: "Isn't Dongchan Temple very big?"

"Meet," Zen Master Lonely Sky nodded, "There are more than eight hundred monks in the temple. ”

Neng'er was surprised: "Ah, there are more than 800 people in one temple, which is more than the people in our entire Xialu Village!" There must be a lot of monks inside, right? ”

Zen Master Shankong replied in a tone of admiration: "There are indeed a lot. Their understanding of the various classics is much deeper than that of the old man. ”

Neng'er: "Master, please explain to me the meaning of the Vajra Prajna Sutra. ”

"Okay." Master Shankong briefly explained the meaning of the Diamond Sutra.

Listen, listen, Neng'er seems to be led into the hall of the Buddha by the Zen Master of the Silent Sky, and there is a brilliant light and colorful auspicious clouds in front of him.

After listening to the explanation of the Zen Master of Silence, Neng'er said with a lot of emotion: "Ah, if I can go to Dongchan Temple and listen to the teachings of the five ancestors with my own ears, it would be great!"

Zen Master Shankong said sincerely: "I see that you have extraordinary Buddha roots, and if you are committed to Buddha, you will achieve positive results in the future." ”

Neng'er led his neck and asked, "Is Master blind?"

Zen Master Lonely Sky said sincerely: "The old man believes that his old eyes are not dim. Your prospects, I just come up with my own feelings. As the meaning of the Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra says, everything in the world has no self-nature, and it is empty and unreal, so one should have no attachment to the real world. If you really have the ambition to Buddhism and go north to participate in Zen, our Jintai Temple can sponsor you Panchuan. ”

"Thank you, Master." Neng'er was overjoyed.

Zen Master Silent Sky took a step forward and looked at Neng'er with a solemn face: "The monks must see through the red dust, quit drinking and quitting sex; It is also necessary to be unswerving and devote oneself to penance, so that it is possible to achieve positive results. ”

"Although the stone is hard, it can be worn by dripping water!" Neng'er's attitude is very resolute.

Zen Master Shankong thought for a moment: "However, if you become a monk and become a monk, once you enter the empty door, you will return for life." The consent of the family must be obtained. Do you have a wife?"

"Nope."

"Who else is in the family?"

"Only the mother is in the church."

"In this way, you are the only root, and you depend on your mother. Will she let you go north?"

"It's man-made. I'll convince her. ”

Neng'er said goodbye to Zen Master Silent Sky and hurried home.