Early the next morning.

The large and small temples of the Twin Peaks SD Zen Temple are all shrouded in a vast morning fog and haze, and everything seems misty and difficult to distinguish the true face.

Since Shenxiu quietly wrote the verses that tortured him for several days and nights with a pen in the south corridor late at night, Hong De and the others let out their voices, saying that something big had happened in Dongchan Temple today. The monks didn't know what was going on, they inquired about each other, and later heard that it was late last night, someone wrote an extraordinary verse on the snow-white powder wall of the south corridor, which caused a sensation, and the monks of the whole temple heard the sound, and flocked to it, competing to read it, and discussing it one after another.

Hui Ming was a reckless monk who didn't read much, blinked his big murderous eyes, and asked Lu Xianfeng beside him, "What does this poem mean?"

According to the schedule, Lu Xianfeng came to work this morning. He had already brought all his paintbrushes and various paints, and was ready to paint "Lenga in Disguise" and "Five Ancestors Blood Map" on the wall of the south corridor.

Unexpectedly, someone had already taken the lead and wrote such a poem on the wall. After reading it, Lu felt that this verse was generally good, but it still seemed that something was missing in it. Moreover, this is within the Buddhist gate, he has heard that the monks in the Dongchan Temple are divided into gangs, and it is inconvenient for him to make any comments at will, so as not to cause trouble, so he pushed back and said: "You also know, I am just a painter, I don't have a deep understanding of poetry and songs, and I don't know what to say about the verses and Buddhism in Buddhism. You might as well ask this master. He casually pointed to an old monk beside him.

The old monk was called Huayu Zen Master, and he was a knowledgeable jinshi before he became a monk, and he was one of the most literate monks in the monastery. He came to Dongchan Temple to join the five ancestors for nearly 20 years, ranking fourth among the ten disciples of the five ancestors.

So, Hui Ming came to Zen Master Huayu and said, "Senior Brother Huayu, you can explain it to us." ”

Zen Master Huayu pointed to the verses on the wall and gave the most simple explanation: "The body is like a tree with enlightenment, and the heart is like a pure and beautiful mirror, so you should wipe it frequently so that the dust of your troubles does not stay on the mirror." ”

Hongde enlarged his throat and exclaimed, "Ouch, this verse is so well written!" He was meant to add fuel to the fire.

Hui Ming's eyes were burning and compelling: "Senior Brother Huayu, do you say that this verse is well written?"

"Good! Okay!" Zen Master Huayu nodded appreciatively, "In just four sentences, the importance of practice and the spirit of participating in Zen are vividly expressed." I have read hundreds of Buddhist scriptures, but I have never seen a Zen machine that can be explained so incisively and thoroughly in such a few words. ”

Huayu Zen Master is good at writing, which is recognized in the Dongchan Temple. Now, listening to his explanation, many people have also been enlightened and amazed. Some people are applauding loudly. Some of the juniors and disciples who had already written the verses had already hidden their verses in their arms, and wanted to wait for the opportunity to stick them to the south corridor. Now, compared with this verse, it feels like a pheasant seeing a phoenix, not on the same level at all. The restless heart calmed down, and no longer dared to take out his own words.

A young monk couldn't stop his curiosity and said, "This poem is not signed, guess who will make it?"

A rough monk named Tianhong patted the little monk's smooth and blue bald head with the palm of his hand, and said, "Of course it was written by a learned person in the temple, could you think of such a high level of idiosyncrasy with such a high level of brains?"

"This is also, this is also," the little monk grinned, and after laughing innocently, he laughed at the reckless monk, "Senior brother, don't just laugh at me, you are so big, you can just ask you to carry water and carry wood, if you are asked to write such verses, can you write them?"

Monk Tianhong patted his chest and said, "I'm a rough man, I dare to agree to ask me to pick up four buckets of water by myself." But asking me to write such a verse is even more difficult than going to the sky!"

The conversation between the two caused everyone to laugh.

The five ancestors heard the crowd outside in the meditation room, followed by bursts of cheers, and felt strange: although this south corridor is a passage, but because it is close to the abbot's room, it adds a little solemnity and sacredness, so it seems to be doubly quiet because few people come on weekdays. Why are people so noisy today?

The fifth ancestor opened the door of the abbot's room, walked out with a Zen cane, and walked out with staggering steps.

Fifth Ancestor: "Fellow disciples, what happened?"

When the disciples saw that it was the Five Ancestors who had arrived, they immediately moved out of the way and let the Five Ancestors come to them.

The five ancestors looked up and saw that there were verses written on the powder wall, the font was strong and powerful, and in the cursive dragon flying phoenix dance, there was a slight element of calligraphy. Although the author's name is not written on this verse, but after savoring the content of this verse and looking closely at these handwritings, the five ancestors judged that this verse was written by Shenxiu.

The Five Ancestors' gaze moved away from the powder wall and searched around. On weekdays, no matter what happens, as long as the Five Ancestors appear in front of everyone, Shenxiu will definitely arrive in time and will definitely stand by his side. This is the responsibility of the first disciple and the Theravada professor, and it is also a great opportunity for Shenxiu to express himself in front of the monks. But this time. Shenxiu didn't show up at his side. "Where has he gone? Could it be that such a sensational thing happened in the temple, and he would be indifferent?"

At this time, the fifth ancestor, although he was over the age of six, was still as sharp as an eagle, and suddenly, he found an extremely familiar figure from the gap between the people, yes, he was Shenxiu. At this time, Shenxiu's expression was haggard, and his eyes had lost their aggressive luster in the past, which was obviously caused by his recent efforts and overthinking. In addition, today did not show up as in the past, but hid not far away to do, poking his head out from time to time, obviously, he was observing the movements here and determining the next steps to take, leaving a way back for what he had done.

This time, when Shenxiu's gaze met the eyes of the Five Ancestors, he did not meet them bravely as usual, but hurriedly moved away in fear.

"Yes, this verse must have been written by Shenxiu!" The Fifth Ancestor speculated from Shenxiu's perverted and anxious demeanor, and confirmed his own opinion.

The analysis of the five ancestors is penetrating and pointing directly to the hearts of the people.

But the Fifth Ancestor did not express his state of mind in front of everyone, but shouted repeatedly: "Good! It's a rare good thing. Although it is not signed, there is no doubt that it was written by a monk of my Dongzen Temple. ”

Lu Xianfeng pointed to the verse and asked, "Fifth Ancestor, do I erase this verse today and continue to paint, or ......?"

The Fifth Ancestor waved his hand: "Lu Xianfeng, you don't have to paint that painting anymore." But I will pay you the wages. ”

Lu enshrined: "In order to paint these paintings, I put down my hand and worked, and made a special trip to your Dongchan Temple, and it took a lot of effort!"

The Fifth Ancestor said to him with an apologetic expression: "I'm really sorry that you came from such a far away. The Buddhist scriptures say that all shapes and appearances are false. And leave this warning verse for people to read and learn, and practice according to this verse, so as to avoid falling into the evil path. This verse is much more useful than a painting. ”

After hearing this, Lu Xianfeng did not say anything more.

Fifth Ancestor: "Rudan, quickly bring incense and candles." ”

After a little novice who served the five ancestors answered, he quickly brought incense and candles.

The Fifth Patriarch personally filled the verse with three long incense sticks, lit a candle, and led the recitation of the verse with a solemn expression:

"The body is a Bodhi tree, and the heart is like a mirror. Always wipe diligently, don't make dust. ”

The monks also chanted along with the words of the five ancestors.

Although Shenxiu was also mixed with the monks and followed the chanting, he was not a fool, but felt that the five ancestors today expressed their stance on this side so quickly, and his actions were too grand, which was contrary to common sense. There seemed to be layers of fog in front of him.

That night, the Five Patriarchs sent someone to quietly send the gods to his meditation room.

As Shenxiu walked, there seemed to be fifteen buckets in his heart, and when he passed through the south corridor, he was dripping with cold sweat, pouring from the corner of his forehead to his eyelids, and then to his chin. He came to the abbot's room of the Fifth Patriarch and vigorously wiped the sweat from his cheeks with the sleeves of his robe.

As soon as he pushed open the door of the abbot's room of the five ancestors, the already trembling feet could no longer support it, and he fell forward, he lay on the ground and said, "Master is polite." ”

At night, the surroundings are quiet.

The fifth ancestor sat on the futon, and had already heard the extremely slight footsteps in front of his abbot's room, and now he saw Shenxiu's face flushed, and the sleeves of his robe were wet. ”

If it was usual, Shenxiu would definitely stand up immediately, and talk eloquently with his eyebrows, but this time, he knew that the stakes were very high, and his feet were still weak, so he was still prostrate on the ground, and the excitement in his heart made his body tremble slightly: "The disciple should kneel on the ground when he listens to the teacher's teachings." ”

The Fifth Ancestor didn't say anything immediately, just looked at the big disciple who was lying on the ground, at this moment, he really couldn't bear it! The fifth ancestor knew that Shenxiu had misunderstood what he meant, and thought that he was invited to come alone tonight to pass on the mantle to him. To tell the truth, the five ancestors are well aware of Shenxiu's incomparable belief and reverence for Zen Buddhism, and devote their whole lives to meditation and practice, study and practice hard, and respect the ancestors on weekdays. From a personal point of view, the Fifth Ancestor was extremely reluctant to expose this mystery, which would hurt his self-esteem. However, the five ancestors understand more that as the leader of today's Zen forest, they must have a unique vision and select talents to continue the Buddha's heart lamp, teach the mantle, and Shaolong's ancestral industry, which is related to the great cause of Zen Buddhism, and cannot be replaced by personal feelings.

The Fifth Ancestor whispered: "You better get up and talk to you slowly for the teacher." ”

Shenxiu supported the ground with her hands, stood up tremblingly, and stood with her hands down.

The Fifth Ancestor motioned for Shenxiu to sit down on his left, and asked slowly, "Shenxiu, did you write that verse on the wall of the south corridor?"

"This ...... This ......" Shenxiu couldn't deny it, and said humbly, "The disciple is dull, please ask the master to add it." ”

The fifth ancestor stroked his white hair: "Your language is flying, and the metaphor is appropriate." If you go to the capital to take the exam, you will definitely be able to press thousands of people, and enter the top three with your head held high, even if you are interviewing in the Jinluan Hall against the saint, it is also flawless. ”

When Shenxiu heard the praise of the five ancestors, the big stone hanging high in his heart suddenly put it down, and replaced it with a burst of surprise: "Thank you for the praise of the ancestors." ”

The Fifth Patriarch continued: "The connotation of this verse is quite profound, and a drop of water can see the sunlight, and this verse reflects that your comprehension of meditation has reached a very high level. ”

Shenxiu is still so modest: "The ancestors of the past generations have taught us to meditate diligently and practice. ”

The fifth ancestor threw the white hair to his shoulders and dragged out his voice: "But ......"

Shenxiu's heart twitched for a while: "But what?"

In the words of the Five Patriarchs: "But your verses have not yet understood the Zen machine from the nature of the Buddha. Shenxiu's mind roared, his ears whined, and cold sweat suddenly poured out: "The disciple is foolish, I hope the master will teach." ”

The Five Patriarchs solemnly said: "Slowly wipe away the confusion in order to achieve the original desired comprehension, your method of meditation cultivation is just because of the 'gradual enlightenment' of the predecessors, without any intention of innovation, only reaching a small peak, but not yet reaching the supreme peak of Zen theory." Besides, you've been to my abbot's room more than a dozen times since you wrote the verses, haven't you?"

Shenxiu's cheeks flushed: "Yes." ”

The Fifth Ancestor asked with a slight reproach: "Since you have already written a verse and expressed your heart, why don't you dare to present it to the old man immediately?"

Shenxiu was terrified: "I'm afraid that this verse will be written in a bad way." Just ......"

"There's just a retreat to keep going right and maneuvering, isn't it?" The eyes of the Fifth Ancestor pointed at him like arrows.

Shenxiu's gaze met with the five ancestors, and then he flashed away in a panic, and muttered: "Yes...... It's ......"

The Fifth Ancestor bluntly said: "This shows that your heart is not clear, you have no self-confidence, and you dare not speak out about your feelings, and you are straight to your heart." This kind of tricky and tentative practice is actually suffering from gains and losses, indecision, and unclear mindfulness, and there is still a long way to go to attain the realm of selflessness in the four emptiness of Zen Buddhism. ”

"I ......" Shenxiu's cheeks turned red and blue, and his ears buzzed.

The Fifth Patriarch solemnly said, "Let me ask you, what do you think about the 'precepts', 'wisdom', and 'concentration' among the six paramitas?"

Shenxiu solemnly replied: "All evils are not regarded as 'precepts', all good practices are called 'wisdom', and self-purification is called 'determination'. ”

The Fifth Patriarch inquired inquiringly, "What would you do if you were to take charge of the Dongchan Temple in the future?"

Shenxiu solemnly: "If I am in charge of the Dongchan Temple, I will definitely clean up the mountain gate, strictly abide by the temple rules, and ask the monks to recite the Buddha in the morning, practice Zen at night, discuss the scriptures and teachings, and practice diligently." Looking for the opportunity to become enlightened in meditation, from the outside to the inside, from the shallow to the deep, so that the East Chan Temple has become the first temple in the world. ”

The Fifth Patriarch asked, "How do you say we should practice meditation?"

Shenxiu replied according to the traditional Zen study of Master Shujia: "It is to understand the convenience of the Zen realm of interesting people." Stay away from the hustle and bustle and live in a quiet place; Regulate your body and pranayama. Meditation is the only way to enlighten wisdom. ”

The Fifth Patriarch shook his head and said frankly: "You have not yet understood the nature of the Buddha at the point where you have practiced meditation now, and you are still watching the fire from the other side, and you have not achieved transcendence. Or to use plain language as an analogy, but only outside the door, not into the door. To be the supreme Buddha, you must know your own mind and see your true nature in the present moment. There is no life, no death, and this can be recognized at all times and in every thought. All kinds of laws are interconnected, unhindered, and if they are true, everything is true. All the realms are the same. The essence of being the same is true. If there is such an understanding, then it is the supreme nature of the Buddha. ”

Shenxiu asked in a trembling voice, "How can I enter the door when I pray for Master to enlighten?"

The Fifth Patriarch sighed and said, "In the world, it is easy to learn Buddhism, but it is difficult to participate in Zen; It's easy to participate in Zen, but it's hard to see sex! It is important to know that the highest state of meditation depends on one's own understanding, not on human beings. Well, go back and think about it for a day or two, and then come up with a new verse and show it to me. If your new verses can truly understand the nature of the Buddha, I will hand over the mantle to you. ”

"Hmm." When Shenxiu nodded in agreement, he was already injured, his skeleton was about to disperse, and his eyes were full of tears.

Shenxiu gritted his teeth, and finally supported his feet, when he walked out of the abbot's room of the five ancestors, his feet could no longer support, so he had to touch the wall of the south corridor with his hands, and walked back towards his monk's room step by step.

The fifth ancestor stood on the threshold of the abbot's room and looked at it, his heart was like a knife, and he could only sigh and shake his head helplessly.

I don't know how long I walked, and I don't know how Shenxiu got back to his monk's room.

This night, Shenxiu's heart was dripping with blood, thoughts were surging, and the bamboo mat lying on the bed was like lying on a red-hot iron plate.

"That verse doesn't work, so let's make another one. Horizontally and vertically for a day or two. For two days in a row, Shenxiu racked his brains, and he lost a lot of weight, but he couldn't come up with new verses.

This is not surprising, because the verses made on the south corridor are already the sublimation of his heart and the supreme expression of understanding.