Du Wei said: "Through the legendary life of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, we can clearly see the life context of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng becoming a generation of Zen masters: Xinzhou, Guangdong is his birthplace and place of death; Huangmei County, Hubei Province is the place of stepping people's method, Guangdong Huaiji and Sihui are the places of cultivation, Guangzhou Guangxiao Temple is the place of shaving, and Guangdong Qujiang Caoxi Nanhua Temple is the place of propagating the Dharma. ”

"Shaoguan Nanhua Temple is the ancestral court of the six ancestors, the couplet of the archway in front of the mountain gate of Nanhua Temple is: Caoxi Pure Domain Law Milk Flow World Zen Wind from here, Baolin Dojo Ciyun Mibu Tube News from the West, Mountain Gate Couplet is: Yuling follows the Dongshan Dharma lineage, Cao Xi opens the Zhusi Zen Gate; The couplets of the mountain gate of Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou are: Wuyang on the ancient temple, the first visit to Kelin, the couplets on both sides of the temple gate are: Gion Hui Baiyue, Guangxiao Yao Yangcheng; Xinzhou Longshan Guoen Temple is the ancestral court of the ancestral garden, the couplet carved in marble on both sides of the temple gate is: the clear chime is a mountain and the moon is white, the wisdom lamp shines on the sea and the sky, the door of the Guoen Temple is: the smoke and water of a hundred cities are unparalleled, and the six generations of wind flags are from one day. Zhang Cambodia relied on his ability to never forget, citing the influence of the six ancestors of the above-mentioned famous temple on the world.

Zhang Cambodia believes that the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is a Buddhist patriarch who is difficult to do, difficult to give up, difficult to endure, difficult to achieve, and rare to obtain. In the halls of Chinese history, the six patriarchs Huineng and Laozi, Zhuangzi, Confucius, and Mencius are all great men of the same rank, although they each occupy different high positions.

The old monk said: "The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng founded the "Epiphany and Buddhahood" meditation method of "Enlightenment and Buddhahood" with no phase as the body, no dwelling as the foundation, and no thought as the sect. Completely break the cumbersome way of practicing zazen asceticism, which is full of persuasion and cautionary sentences and philosophies, its main idea, the essence of Buddhism is mainly reflected in his "Six Patriarchs Altar Sutra", become a classic masterpiece of Zen forest, and is regarded as the inheritance of the ancestral sect by later generations. ”

When Zhang Khan heard the old monk talk about the "Sutra of the Six Ancestors", it was like a dim lamp, and he only felt that his eyes were bright. As early as when he was not degraded, when he was the prime minister of the court, he heard that there was a book called the only "Sutra of the Six Patriarchs", which promoted the epiphany method of "penetrating the heart source" and "seeing nature to become a Buddha". Zhang Cambodia asked urgently: "Master, have you seen the "Six Ancestors Altar Sutra"? ”

The old monk asked and replied: "The Altar of the Six Ancestors is the treasure of the Six Ancestors Memorial Hall, and Lao Na has naturally seen it, but Lao Na is only shallow in learning, and there are many inconveniences. ”

Zhang Cambodia's way: "Can you please come out to read and read to comfort your life's wishes?" ”

"Good! The three benefactors asked Lao Na to move into the inner room. ”

Zhang Cambodia, Du Fu, and Du Wei followed the old monk into the inner room of the back hall, and the old monk took out the "Six Ancestors Altar Sutra" from the drawer of the shrine and respectfully placed it on the shrine.

After Zhang Cambodia's hands were cleaned, three pillars of incense were put on, and after a prayerful three kneeling and nine bowing bows under the god platform, the old monk presented the "Six Ancestors Altar Sutra" to Zhang Cambodia, "Please ask the donor to teach for Lao Na." ”

Zhang Cambodia is worthy of being the prime minister's talent, and once the "Six Ancestors Altar Sutra" was opened, he never forgot it and memorized it by heart......

After Zhang Cambodia finished reading, he said to the old monk, Du Fu and Du Wei, "There are a total of thirteen products in the "Six Ancestors Altar Sutra", and it is allowed to be shared with you. ”

The first line consists of a product

In the spring of the second year of Tang Gaozong Yifeng, the six ancestors came to the Baolin Temple in Nanhuashan in Caoxi from the Dharma Temple in Guangzhou. When the Sixth Patriarch ascended the altar, there were more than 30 people who heard the Dharma, including Wei Tingshi and his subordinates, as well as more than 30 leaders and scholars in the academic circles at that time, and more than 1,000 monks, nuns, Taoists, and laymen.

The Sixth Patriarch said to the people, "Good knowledge! Everyone's bodhi nature is inherently pure; As long as you use this pure bodhichitta, you will be able to become a Buddha right now. Good knowledge! First of all, let's listen to my Huineng reasons and experiences for seeking the Dharma and obtaining the Fa:

My father was originally from Fanyang, but was demoted and exiled to Lingnan, so he became a citizen of Xinzhou. My life was unfortunate because my father died young, leaving my elderly mother and I to live together. Later, he moved to the South China Sea, and only sold firewood to make a living every day, and his life was very difficult and difficult.

One day, a customer bought firewood and asked me to deliver it to the inn. After the guest took the firewood, I got the money and when I exited the door, I saw a guest reading a Buddhist scripture. As soon as I heard the verse that the guest was reciting, my heart suddenly became enlightened, and I asked the guest, 'What verse are you reciting?'

The guest replied, 'Diamond Sutra.' ’

I asked him again: 'Where are you from?' How can we sustain this scripture?'

The guest replied: 'I came from Dongchan Temple, Huangmei County, Qizhou, which is the dojo of the abbot of Master Hongren, and there are more than 1,000 people who follow him to study. I just went to the Dongchan Temple to worship the five ancestors and listened to this scripture. The master often advised the monks and lay people that as long as they recite the Diamond Sutra, they will naturally be able to see the nature of their own mind, and they will be able to become enlightened and become a Buddha at the moment. ’

After listening to the words of the guests, I also wanted to pay homage to the five ancestors. Because of the good karma I had formed in the past, a guest gave me ten taels of silver to teach me to prepare for my mother's living needs, and then I went to Huangmei County to pay homage to the five ancestors. After I settled my mother, I said goodbye to my mother, and in less than 30 days, I went to Huangmei to worship the five ancestors.

When the five patriarchs saw me, they asked, 'Where are you from?' What do you want to ask for here?'

I replied, 'My disciple is a citizen of Lingnan Xinzhou, who has come from afar to worship the master, and only wants to be a Buddha and nothing else. ’

The Fifth Patriarch said, 'You are a Lingnan person, and you are a fang, how can you be a Buddha?'

I said, 'Although there is a difference between north and south, there is no difference between north and south in Buddha nature!' Although the body of a fang is different from that of a monk, what is the difference between the Buddha-nature that comes with it?'

The Fifth Patriarch wanted to talk to me more, but when he saw that the disciples were on his side, he ordered me to follow the people to do business. I asked, 'Monk Huineng Yubai! The disciple's own heart often emerges with wisdom, and does not deviate from his own nature, this is Futian. I wonder what the monk is going to teach me to do?'

The Fifth Ancestor said, 'You are too good at the roots, you don't need to say more, go to the trough factory to work!'

After I quit, I went to the backyard, and a walker told me to chop wood and rice, and I worked like this for more than eight months.

One day, the Fifth Patriarch came to the backyard and saw me and said, 'I think your opinion is useful, but I am afraid that there will be wicked people who will not be good for you, so I will not talk to you more.' Did you know?'

I replied, 'The disciple also knows Master's intentions, so he has never dared to come to the Dharma Hall, so as not to arouse suspicion. ’

One day, the Five Patriarchs gathered all their disciples, saying, 'I say to you: All beings in the world are sinking in the sea of life and death, and how to liberate them from birth and death is a major issue that needs to be solved urgently. You only know about cultivating blessings all day long, and you don't know how to ask for freedom from the sea of life and death. If you are deluded and unaware of your true nature, and you are only cultivating blessings, how can you attain it? Each of you goes back and looks at your own wisdom, looks at the nature of your own mind, and then each of you composes a verse to show me, and if you can understand the gist of the Dharma, I will pass on the Dharma to you as the sixth generation of patriarchs. Hurry up, everyone! No delay stagnation! The Dharma is useless once you think about it! If you are a person who is enlightened of your own nature, you can see it in a word. Such a person, even at the critical moment of fighting with a knife, can immediately see his own nature under his words. ’

After listening to the instructions of the five patriarchs, the people retreated and consulted with each other, saying, 'Actually, all of us don't have to think quietly and painstakingly make a puppet, because even if we present it to the monks, what is the use?' Shenxiu is now our professor, needless to say, he must have been selected. If we take the liberty and rashness to do it, it will be in vain. When they heard these words, they all stopped thinking of being a servant, and they all said, 'We will take our seats in the Shenxiu from now on, so why bother to do more?'

Shenxiu also thought to himself, 'The reason why they don't present it is because I am their teacher, so I have to make a verse and present it to the monks; If I don't make a statement, how can a monk know the depth of my mind? If my intention is to pursue the Dharma, it is good. If it is to seek the ancestral position, it is an evil deed, and how is it different from the ordinary mind of ordinary people who covet the holy throne with all their hearts? If I don't ask the monk to seal it, I won't be able to get the Dharma after all. It's a hard thing to do! It's hard to teach people!'