The next day, dawn had just dawned.

The monks who were doing the errands were already busy.

The five ancestors carried the Zen staff and walked around the Dongchan Temple as usual.

When the fifth ancestor quietly came to the rice room in the north courtyard alone, he saw that Huineng had a waist stone tied around his waist, and his body was up and down, and he was stepping on the stone pestle vigorously, scooping the rice, and the sweat beads on his cheeks at this time were as big as soybeans, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Other monks were also busy, some scooping rice, some shaking sifting.

The monks greeted the five ancestors, and the five ancestors nodded and returned the salute, and went straight to Huineng's front and asked, "Huineng, is Mi Chung okay?"

In the past, the five ancestors came to inspect, followed by a group of big disciples, but now, he came alone, and Huineng had a premonition that something would happen. Now when he heard the Fifth Patriarch ask him like this, he had realized something, and replied without thinking: "The rice has been cooked, but it is still missing the sieve (division)." ”

"Sieve (division) is here, but it can also be sifted." After the fifth ancestor finished saying this, he saw that Hui Neng nodded slightly, that is, he gently knocked three times on the back of the stone head with a Zen staff, said no more, and walked away quickly with a Zen staff.

The heart is clear.

The brilliant Hui Neng immediately understood: the fifth ancestor asked himself to meet him for the third time.

The heat wave immediately surged in Huineng's heart. But he bit his lip with his teeth, not letting his excitement leak out.

Shenqing walked over and asked Huineng, "What do you mean by what Master said?"

"Didn't say anything." Huineng replied casually, pretending to have nothing to do, and still worked with other monks in the rice room, so busy that everyone didn't finish work until the evening......

At night, huge black wings spread out to cover Tozenji Temple.

The moon, stretching out half of its face in the night sky, peeps at everything that happens in the world. A few sparse stars, flashing a faint cold light in the confused Milky Way.

Throughout the day, Huineng did the same thing as usual, no matter how big or small, and after taking a bath, he put down the mosquito net, lay on the bed, and waited for the time to pass silently in the night.

On the monk's bed on the other side, Shenqing, who had been tired all day, was sleeping soundly, and the snoring sound was weak and strong.

Outside the window, the sound of crickets under the stone steps and the shallow chanting of insects in the distance are mixed together, forming a beautiful and beautiful mountain serenade.

Hui Neng was in bed, watching the moon move westward from time to time, thinking that time passed too slowly.

"De, de, de" The night patrol monk sounded the three watches.

"Ah, the hour has finally come!" Huineng felt hot in his heart, immediately lifted the quilt, got up from the bed, put on monk shoes, gently opened the door, and walked out.

In the long corridor, silver-gray moonlight shines through the mullioned windows, casting dappled light and shadows on the ground.

Huineng tiptoed across the promenade and turned the semicircular arch.

"There seem to be two figures in front of you? Ah, it's worth a monk. Huineng dodged and hid in the chrysanthemums.

The two monks on duty walked over with lanterns and bangs.

"Amu, I seem to have seen a figure shaking just now." The tall watchman whispered to his companion.

The value monk who was called Amu was waving his hand: "No." At this time, everyone is asleep, how can there be any figure? You're dazzled. ”

The tall monk: "Let's go and check." I'm most afraid of any mistakes, you and I can't take responsibility. ”

Amu, the duty monk, looked helpless: "Since you called to investigate, brother, let's check." ”

Thereupon. The two duty monks carried lanterns to inspect the vicinity of the chrysanthemum bushes.

Huineng, who was hiding in the chrysanthemums, didn't dare to move, holding his breath tightly, for fear that they would hear the sound of breathing.

The two monks searched at random, but found nothing.

Standing only three feet away from Huineng's hideout, Amu complained about the tall monk: "Brother, I just said, how can there be a figure at this time, you must have stepped on the taro as a snake." If you think about it, the people who live in the north courtyard are the hardest and poorest people in the whole temple, and thieves will not patronize these poor places. ”

The high-value monk was said by the other party's face was hot: "Even if I was dazzled and mistaken just now, okay?" Do you want me to apologize to you?"

The two watchmen left the chrysanthemum bush with lanterns and walked towards the hall, and soon the two figures disappeared into the darkness over there.

Hearing the silence all around, Hui Neng flashed out of the chrysanthemum bushes, and walked through the south corridor with light and fast steps, and came to the abbot's room of the five ancestors. He doesn't go in through the front door, but walks to the back door.

The crimson door at the back door of the abbot's room was closed.

Huineng walked to the door, flexed his index finger, and was about to knock down, but suddenly thought of something, and the outstretched hand stopped abruptly, and turned to the door with his hand, and gently pushed it.

It turned out that the back door of the abbot's room was just a false cover and was not chained, Huineng gently pushed the door open, turned around and closed the door.

Two soybean oil lamps on the wall are "creaking, creaking" and ignishing.

Under the swaying and dancing light, Hui Neng saw that the five ancestors were sitting upright, lowered his eyes, and hurriedly gave a salute to the five ancestors.

The five ancestors' eyelids lifted slightly, and they saw Huineng's move. I already understood a little in my heart, but I deliberately sank my face: "You are a lay disciple, do you understand the strict rules of the temple, this south corridor is not where you came. Besides, you dare to trespass into my abbot's room late at night?"

Huineng: "Master asked me to come." ”

The Fifth Ancestor pretended not to understand: "When will I ask you out?"

Huineng replied in a small but firm voice: "During the day, Master, you go to the rice room. I knocked three times on the stone with a Zen stick, and I came to the third watch. ”

Fifth Ancestor Shou raised his eyebrows slightly, and then asked: "Even if I asked you out, why didn't you go through the front door, but enter from behind?"

Huineng explained, "Your Zen staff is not knocked on the front of the stone, but at the back. ”

"You really understood what I meant, and you came as promised." Only then did the Fifth Ancestor raise his eyebrows and smile. It is true that the world's Brahmans are like forests, and the monks in the world are like the sea, but how many people are there who really see nature?

Huineng respectfully asked, "Which direction should I sit?"

"Sit here." The Fifth Patriarch made a gesture for Hui Neng to sit on another futon in front of him.

Huineng sat down on the futon respectfully, facing the five ancestors, and he asked knowingly, "What advice does the master have for the third watch of his disciples?"

The Five Patriarchs got straight to the point: "Let me ask you, what is your opinion on the 'precepts', 'wisdom', and 'concentration' in the six paramitas?"

Huineng replied: "The heart is nothing more than the self-nature 'precept', the heart is free of foolishness and self-nature 'wisdom', and the heart is free from chaos and self-nature 'determination'. ”

Fifth Ancestor: "If one day, you are in charge of Dongchan Temple, what will you do?"

Huineng said humbly: "How can a disciple be in charge of Dongchan Temple without virtue and talent?"

The Fifth Ancestor had clear eyes and stared at Huineng: "I am an assumption, what you think in your heart, you can answer it, there is no need to hide it." ”

Only then did Huineng express his chest directly: "With the emptiness, that is, the heart is sex, and the head shows the Buddha." Everything is Zen, pointing directly to the hearts of the people, or saying that the heart is straight to the source, and the epiphany becomes a Buddha. ”

The Fifth Patriarch pointed out: "This is the method of Dunzen meditation. ”

Huineng: "Zen is a natural life and a human spirit. It is a kind of practice method that directly enters into the human thing itself and transcends the self of the object. In order to grasp the truth and totality of life and life, in a word, it is a kind of spiritual realm of enlightenment. ”

"Good! Although Huineng is inferior to Shenxiu in terms of knowledge of the Buddha's righteousness, he is superior to Shenxiu in terms of wisdom and self-realization. Huineng's quest for liberation from the root of the soul is what the old man wants!" The five ancestors felt a burst of joy in their hearts, "I have the Dharma Eye to hide, the Nirvana Wonderful Heart, and the reality has no appearance, so I instruct you." ”

Huineng reverently said: "I hope that the master will enlighten." ”

The fifth ancestor was solemn: "Wait for the teacher to send you a pair of words." ”

Huineng bowed his head and said, "Listen to the disciples." ”

The fifth ancestor said: "If there is affection to plant, the cause and effect will be born." Ruthlessness has neither seed, nor sex. ”

Huineng: "I understand, I should take it to heart." ”

The fifth ancestor then stood up, opened the gold-red robe inlaid with gold thread, surrounded Huineng to prevent others from peeping, and then sat back on the futon, his face was very solemn and serious: "Disciple, I have chosen you to be the inheritor of my Dharma Lantern Heart Seal." ”

Huineng was stunned, waved his hand, and said humbly: "Huineng is a person from the grass, and there are nearly 1,000 monks in Dongchan Temple, among which there are great talents of dragons and elephants. How can I bear this Dharma lamp heart seal? ”

Hongren sighed: "There are indeed many dragon elephant talents here, but I know all about the depth and bluntness. The burden of the Dharma can only be paid to the talent of the elephant king. I have examined you many times and confirmed that you are endowed with natural gifts and have excellent understanding, and I made this decision after repeated comparisons. Don't shirk it anymore, lest you break my heart. ”

Huineng: "Thank you Master for your cultivation." ”

"Don't thank me, this is the result of your penance, and it is also the destiny of the days. However, before I teach the Dharma, I have to tell you a story about 'smiling flowers'. ”

"Smile at the flowers?"

"Hmm." The five patriarchs put the first point and then spoke: "One day, the Buddha Shakyamuni was talking about the Dharma to his 'ten disciples' on Vulture Mountain, and someone sent a flower, and Shakyamuni showed the flower to everyone without saying a word.

What does this mean? Subodhi, who is the strongest in enlightenment, Sariputta, who is superior in wisdom, Fu Louna, who can speak well, Mulian, who has great powers, and Ananda, who is on the left and right of Shakya, can't understand either, so everyone has to look at each other blankly, only Mahakala is smiling.

"When Shakyamuni saw this, he said, 'I have the Dharma-Hidden Eye, the Nirvana Wonderful Mind, and the subtle method of Reality and Appearance, which has now been passed down to Kasya.' ”

Speaking of this, the Fifth Patriarch inquired and asked Huineng, "Do you know how Shakya taught the Dharma?"

Huineng's eyes shone with wisdom, and he replied, "The true meaning of life will be transmitted from Shakya's heart to Kasya's heart, so why should there be a burden of words?"

"Good! Good!" The Fifth Patriarch was deeply pleased that Huineng had such a high level of understanding, and he immediately explained the Diamond Sutra to Huineng. When he talked about "giving birth to one's mind without dwelling", Huineng immediately thoroughly understood that any Buddhism is inseparable from one's own nature, so he asked the five ancestors: "I didn't expect that my own nature was originally unstained and pure; It didn't occur to me that my nature was lifeless and deadless; It did not occur to me that my nature was originally self-sufficient and complete, unincreasing and undiminished; It didn't occur to me that my nature was to be immovable and unshakable, equal and indifferent; It didn't occur to me that all kinds of Dharma come out of human nature. ”

"Ah, you really know the nature of the Dharma. There is no benefit in studying the Dharma without recognizing the essential issues. If you know your own essence and realize your true nature, you will be called a great husband, a heavenly teacher, a human teacher, that is, a Buddha. Subsequently, the five ancestors taught the secrets of the Dun Sect and the five sects of the land - Yunmen, Weiyang, Linji, Caodong, and Dharma Eye to Huineng.

Hui Neng listened, listened, and seemed to be floating all over, wandering to a realm of Buddhism with golden wheels and thousands of paths, red light, and all chaos and foolishness were swept away......

"Three more teachings, people don't know, then spread the teachings", since then it has become a popular story in the Buddhist Zen sect.

After the fifth ancestor taught the secret to Huineng, he took out the golden bowl of the robe and handed it to Huineng: "You came to Dongchan Temple in order to purify the body and mind, to verify Bodhi, in just eight months of investigation, although you have not yet issued a full vows, not in the Buddha Gate, but all kinds of signs have shown that your Dharma fate has been combined, the results are complete, and you have landed on the other side." In the past, Bodhidharma came from Tianzhu at the beginning, and people did not believe him, so they taught the holy relics such as robes and golden bowls as evidence tokens of my Buddha's true transmission. It has been passed on through Hui Ke, Seng Can, Daoxin, and then to my Hongren, which has lasted for five generations. The method of the Dun religion is to communicate with the heart, and let them know and understand, since ancient times, the Buddhas have taught only the nature, and the secret of each generation of patriarchs is the original mind. Tonight, the teacher will teach you this holy relic. In the future, you will be the sixth generation of our Buddhist Zen Forest. ”

Huineng took the robe and the golden bowl, and said gratefully, "Thank you, Master." ”

The Fifth Patriarch said earnestly: "You have to understand your current identity, you are no longer an ordinary Buddhist disciple, and you are shouldering the heavy responsibility of carrying forward the past and opening up the future. You have to protect the mantle and spread the breadth of all sentient beings, so that the Dharma can be passed on to future generations, and not let it be interrupted and lost. ”

Huineng: "Master will explain the scriptures tonight, and I should keep it in mind. ”

The fifth ancestor held his long hair: "Shenxiu holds the power of Dongchan Temple, and his entourage is very large, coupled with his jealousy and hatred, your status is low, and it is difficult to serve the public for the time being." Therefore, if you stay here, I am afraid that there will be a bloody disaster. ”

Huineng speculated: "Listening to Master's words, I'm going to escape from Dongchan Temple?"

The Fifth Ancestor nodded: "Hmm." ”

"Where do you flee? I look forward to Master's guidance. Huineng knelt in front of the Five Ancestors.

"You'd better go south at night!"

"Nangui?" Huineng was a little dazed." Where will I go back to the south?"

When the fifth ancestor was young, he had been to Lingnan many times, and he was familiar with the mountains and rivers there, that is, he took a piece of yellow silk, dipped it in ink, and wrote on it, saying: "This is my pre-departure message to you. ”

Huineng stretched out his head to look, and the five ancestors wrote on the yellow silk the eight words "stop when you meet, and hide when you meet".

Huineng was a little puzzled: "Master, what does this mean?"

"Heaven must not be divulged. The time has not yet come, but when the time comes, you will know. The fifth ancestor said, took out a piece of large green cloth, and together with Huineng, wrapped the robe and gold bowl.

Thinking that tonight and the Fifth Ancestor would be life and death, Huineng's heart was sour, tears flowed down, and he knelt in front of the Fifth Ancestor again, and his voice was choked: "Forgive the disciple for not being able to serve left and right, I hope the master will take care of himself." ”

"Clothes are disputes, but you don't have to pass them down. Inherit the law from generation to generation, pass on the heart from the heart, and self-understanding and self-understanding. The fifth ancestor said as he helped Huineng. Usually, the Five Ancestors did not show special enthusiasm for this apprentice on the surface, but in their hearts, they paid special attention to and loved Huineng.

The fifth ancestor found the tears in Huineng's eyes, and said: "I will pass on the robes and golden bowl to you, you will be the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism in the future, you should be happy, how can there be tears?"

Huineng knows that if he says goodbye tonight, there will be no future with the five ancestors. Although it is said that the cultivation of the monk is like stopping water, this is the secret of life after all!

The Fifth Ancestor put his bag around Huineng's neck and urged: "It's almost dawn, you should leave as soon as possible!"

Huineng endured the sadness, knelt on the ground, and thanked the five ancestors again and again, before carrying the bag containing the robe and gold bowl, and opened the door of the five ancestors' abbot's room. Standing in the doorway, he seemed a little hesitant.

Fifth Ancestor: "Huineng, do you still have anything on your mind?"

Huineng: "I came to Huangmei from Lingnan, and it was dark tonight, I was not familiar with the nearby terrain, and I was afraid that I would not be able to recognize the mountain road back at once, after going down the mountain." Should I go left or right?"

The fifth ancestor stood up from the futon: "I'll give you a ride." ”

Huineng waved his hand and pushed: "No, no, the master is old, how inconvenient it is to send me at night." ”

The five ancestors sincerely: "I have devoted my whole life to practicing Zen to the Buddha, and my only wish is to find a suitable heir and be the six ancestors of Zen Buddhism, so that I can have successors to Zen Buddhism and carry forward Zen science and transform China." Now, I've got what I wanted. The only thing left is for the six Zen ancestors to leave this dangerous place safe and sound, and find a suitable place to hide first. In this way, I have no regrets when I am destroyed. Stop pushing back, let's go. ”

The master and apprentice went out of the temple gate, only to see the bright moon in the sky, walking on the rugged mountain road by the moonlight, and soon arrived at the mouth of the river, when an empty boat was parked by the river. Hongnin asked Huineng to get on the boat and sit down, and he was ready to rock the boat and said, "Let me cross you." Huineng replied: "There is no need to bother Master, Master is old, I am lost in time, I have come to seek the Dharma, thank you Master for enlightening and teaching the mantle, now that I am enlightened, I should cross by myself." ”

Hongren said: "You are right, I am relieved, in the future, Zen Buddhism will depend on you to spread it." When the boat arrived at the river, Huineng went ashore and reluctantly watched the master rocking the boat back to the river before finding a way back to Lingnan.

After years of refuge and hiding experience, and with his superhuman wisdom, Huineng Sinicized, popularized, and modernized Buddhism introduced from India, created Zen Buddhism with Chinese characteristics, and made major reforms and innovations to traditional Buddhism. Huineng's disciples compiled the "Sutra of the Altar of the Six Patriarchs" according to his thoughts, which is the only Buddhist classic in the history of Chinese Buddhism that is revered as a "scripture".

After Liang Shirong finished telling the story of the test of comprehension, he couldn't help but sigh: "It can be seen that whether the comprehension is high or not is different!" ”