One day, Huineng went to the Buddhist hall to listen to the lectures of the five ancestors.

Hundreds of monks in the Buddhist hall sat quietly on the ground, listening attentively.

The five patriarchs meditated cross-legged on the pulpit and recounted the Diamond Sutra: "'The mind should be born without dwelling', this sentence in the Diamond Sutra means to do everything with an unrestrained heart. That is, when you are happy, you are not bound by your happiness; When we mourn, we are not limited by sorrow. In the Diamond Sutra, it is also said that 'should be born without dwelling mind', and the word 'dwelling' means that the mind stops somewhere and is attracted by something, and dwelling is the root cause of confusion......"

Huineng listened quietly, and the dry heart was moistened like a rainstorm. This principle of "seeing nature and becoming a Buddha is inseparable from the mind" that "everything that exists is inseparable from the mind" has become the golden rule for Huineng to vigorously propagate the Dharma in the Zen forest in the future.

When Huineng finished listening to the Buddhist scriptures and walked out of the Buddhist hall, he met a new monk.

This monk has a tiger's back and a bear's waist, a wide mouth and a big face, and a long-haired black mole on his left cheek. Ah, this man is both strange and familiar.

Huineng frowned and thought for a while, and finally came up with it, so he stepped forward and gave a salute: "May I ask Senior Brother, are you Chen Lie from Cangzhou, Hebei?"

The monk blinked his eyes like copper bells: "My common surname is Chen Zhaolie, I am new to the city, how do you know me?"

"We met in Nanyue Xinzhou many years ago." Huineng then talked about the "martial arts competition" that year.

When Chen Lie heard this, he suddenly realized, patted his bare head with his hand, and grinned: "Cough, look at me as a reckless man, even you can't recognize me." ”

"You can't be blamed for that. The world is like passing water, and life is a few months. You and I have changed a lot in every way over the years. Hui Neng said to him.

Chen Lie patted Huineng on the shoulder with his hand: "I didn't expect to meet you in Dongchan Temple." ”

"It's called 'meeting with a thousand miles of fate'!" Huineng then asked him about his situation after the breakup in NSW.

"It's like a dream!" Chen Lie sighed first, and then talked about his life journey after parting.

After Chen Lie's "competition" in Xinzhou, he went north to join the army. He was a superior martial artist, always leading the charge, and whenever Ming Jin withdrew his troops, his Daguan sword was curled up and stained with the blood of his enemies. Once he had a meritorious rescue, he was promoted to the rank of four-rank general. But Chen Lie was bold and fierce, and soon he was squeezed out and beaten by his colleagues, he felt that the officialdom was not a place to stay for a long time, and he felt that he was too heavy to kill, so he became a monk in the north, cut his hair and became a monk, and his legal name was Huiming. After hearing that the five ancestors of Qizhou Dongchan Temple were profound, he went south alone and came to Dongchan Temple, hoping to get the true inheritance of the five ancestors.

Huineng heard the story of Chen Lie in the past - Huiming today, and lamented the sinister world and the hardships of life.

After talking freely, the two went back to their own lodgings.

As soon as this Huiming arrived at Dongchan Temple, the senior brother Shenxiu saw his appearance of not being angry and threatening, and his speech was very arrogant. After a little investigation, I knew that he had peerless martial arts.

Shenxiu, who is familiar with the world and scheming, knows that if he wants to ascend the throne of the Buddha one day, he must recruit a group of wings, and this martial artist with strong martial arts and a simple mind is one of the best candidates.

According to the temple rules of Dongchan Temple, new monks who enter the temple must first do work such as carrying water, collecting firewood, scooping rice, and grinding powder.

And as soon as this Huiming entered the temple, Shenxiu said to the five ancestors: "Now the mountains and rivers are swinging, and thieves are swarming. It is important to protect the monastery from being looted by bandits. This Hui Ming, who was originally a four-grade general, had galloped across the sword bushes and sword trees, and the smoke of gunpowder, if he was asked to do some miscellaneous work, it would be a secret investment and a waste of talents. It is better to let him act as the foreman of the warrior monks of the temple, and it will be more beneficial to Yu Dongchan Temple. ”

The fifth ancestor listened to Shenxiu's words, and nodded in agreement.

Shenxiu immediately found Hui Ming, with a smile on his face: "All newcomers to the temple have to do three years of hard work according to the temple rules. You're certainly no exception. ”

Hui Ming rolled up the sleeves of the monk's robe and said boldly: "Then I'll do it." ”

Shenxiu waved his hand: "No, no." ”

Hui Ming blinked in puzzled eyes: "What's wrong?"

Shenxiu smiled: "In the past, Bole got along with each other. I, Shenxiu, am a person of knowledge, and I will not let you have empty skills and succumb to a low position. I have already given the master, and in the future, you will be the foreman of the warrior monks of the temple!"

"Thank you, senior brother, for your support." Hui Ming clenched his fists with both hands and bent over to fight, although he escaped from the empty door, he still retained the pride and chivalry of the rivers and lakes.

Shenxiu patted him on the shoulder: "I am a discerning talent, I hope you will not live up to my kindness." “

Hui Ming slapped his chest with his hand and swore a vow: "Receiving the grace of dripping water, I will repay him as a spring." Even if he gets a grass ring in the future, I will repay you, senior brother. ”

Cast it with a peach, repay it with a plum. This Hui Ming later became Shenxiu's right-hand man.

The dandelions in the mountains bloom several times. The camellia by the stream bloomed and thanked.

Outside the window of the abbot's room of the five ancestors, a few old bumps were added to the thick trunk of the Bodhi tree, making it even more pale.

It has been decades since Master Hongren came to this Dongchan Temple, and he gradually felt that he was too old to do anything. In order for the Zen forest to have a long history and for Buddhism to flourish, it is necessary to select a disciple from among the disciples and give him the mantle and become the sixth generation of Zen Buddhism. And this disciple must be pure and virtuous, and be proficient in Buddhism and Zen. Therefore, the Five Patriarchs often went deep into the monks' houses on weekdays, talked with their disciples, secretly observed their conduct and morality, and used some difficult questions to assess.

The sun shot countless hot arrows from high in the sky, and the earth was like a big brazier.

The heat in the low-slung tiled-roof monk's house was even more scorching.

In the monk's room, the monks shook the pu fan vigorously, but they couldn't add coolness to the hot body.

Huineng, Shenqing and others who were grinding in the mill were even more uncomfortable.

The monastery is a unified monk and a male layman, and there is not a single woman. At this time, Hui Neng, who was stuffy and uncomfortable, took off the black clothes and the gray monk's robe with the senior brothers one by one.

Huineng was naked, and beads of sweat flowed down her smooth back like a trickling stream. The dust raised during grinding sticks to the skin of the face and neck, clogging the pores and making it uncomfortable.

Shen Qing was already overworked, coupled with the scorching heat, drying, drying, and fainting next to the stone.

Huineng hurriedly ran over and rubbed the "Renzhong" acupuncture points under his nostrils for him, and after a while, he slowly woke up.

At this moment, "It's time to divide the pears!" Divide the pears!" The monks on duty shouted loudly outside the mill, and they walked around all corners of the monastery.

Huineng and Shenqing and the others put on their clothes and came to a lawn in front of the main hall.

On one side of the lawn, there are large and small baskets, which are full of green pears.

After a while, nearly 1,000 monks from the whole temple arrived, and an old monk with a silver beard came out of the main hall.

"Ah, Fifth Ancestor!" Huineng's heartstrings were plucked by an invisible big hand: what to eat and use in the temple in the past, only the senior brother Shenxiu and the monk on duty were present. Why did the five ancestors come to preside over it in person today? This is a sign of an anomaly.

On the mountain behind Dongchan Temple, after the White Lotus Pond, there is a dense pear forest on the top of the mountain, almost half a mountain. Every year in the hot season, the green pears hang all over the branches, and the five ancestors will arrange for the monks to go up the back mountain to pick the pears, and then distribute them to everyone to taste.

After the fifth ancestor came to the lawn, he turned his head sideways and asked Shenxiu, "Have you all arrived in the temple?"

"It's all there." Shenxiu replied. He had already learned the number of people from the foremen of the various formations.

The fifth ancestor waved his hand: "Since everyone has arrived, let's start dividing the pears." ”

Shenxiu consulted: "How many are there per person?"

Fifth Ancestor: "Six." ”

"Okay." Shenxiu turned around and loudly ordered the monk on duty, "Six for each person." ”

So, the monk on duty carried a basket and came to the monks who lined up and gave each of them six pears.

The pears in the back mountain are more attractive, the green skin is like a thin layer of jade, a bite down, the pear juice is as sweet as honey, swallowed along the throat, it makes people resonate with the intestines, and the sweetness is endless.

Today is another hot day, and the cicadas climbing on the trees can't stand the ravages of heat demons, and they are making loud noises.