In the mountain gate hall of Dongchan Temple, a monk in his fifties walked towards the mountain gate from the temple in a dashing manner.

He has a clear face and a high temperament, as if he does not eat the fireworks of the world and does not touch the dust of the world. He walked out of the door and stood on the high steps, as if he was independent, just like the pine in the wind, and the hunting mountain wind blew his monk's robes, fluttering like a fairy.

A young monk with a scar on his face saw him in the courtyard and hurriedly ran to his side, saluted respectfully, and then asked, "Shenxiu, why are you here?" It's windy here, so don't blow you. Please go back to the temple and rest. ”

Shenxiu didn't look back, and said a little absent-mindedly: "It's the Shadow Hidden Master, thank you." You're always so zealous. ”

The monk named Shadow Hidden hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, you're welcome. I'm a confidant in the temple, I should. Moreover, I once heard Master say to a senior master that the method of Dongshan is all in Shenxiu. Zhike Yingyin looked at Shenxiu with his eyes, and said, "You are our professor, senior brother, and you are a ...... worthy of the respect of nearly a thousand monks in the whole temple."

Shenxiu didn't listen to his long list of beautiful words, because at this time, a figure appeared under the 108 steps outside the mountain gate.

The man walked quickly to the temple gate, closer, closer—it was Huineng.

He was like a wanderer who had been away from his hometown for many years and finally returned home, looking a little urgent, a little apprehensive, a little excited, and a little timid. He involuntarily slowed down...... Zhike Yingyin also saw the ragged and grizzled Huineng.

Huineng climbed the last few steps and asked Shenxiu and Yingyin: "Master, may I ask, this is Dongshan Temple, right?" ”

Zhike Yingyin muttered in a low voice: "It's all here, what else are you asking!" ”

Huineng's mood was very excited, and he didn't taste the indifference of Zhike Yingyin, he called out very happily: "You, you are ......"

Shenxiu said: "He is a guest of Dongshan Temple, and his legal name is Yingyin. ”

"Yes, if you come to us to place an order, whether you are allowed or not, whether you stay or not, I have the final say!" Shadow Yin's tone was a little ruthless.

Huineng said "oh" twice and said, "I thought it was ...... Oh, anyway, I've finally made it, I've got! ”

Shenxiu asked, "May I ask Tan Yue, are you here to make incense, or do you want to make a vow?" ”

Huineng shook his head and said, "I'm here to worship Master Hongren as a teacher and learn Buddhism. ”

Zhike Yingyin preemptively said: "Master Hongren is the fifth-generation patriarch of Zen Buddhism, how can he accept apprentices casually?" If he wasn't a well-educated person, how could he enter his old man's door? If you want to learn Buddhism, you should first study with Shenxiu for twenty or thirty years! ”

Shenxiu's face was slightly gloomy, and he shouted majestically: "Yingyin, can you call the shots on behalf of the teacher?" Shadow quickly lowered her head and took another half step back.

Shenxiu turned to Huineng and said, "Come on, I will introduce you to meet Master." Hui Neng followed Shenxiu into the temple gate with great gratitude.

Dongshan Temple is large in scale and magnificent in meteorology. But see:

The Buddha is solemn, and the palace is slightly cool. The ancient trees stand tall in the sky, and the roses are full of fragrance.

Shenxiu led Hui Neng through the halls. Along the way, all the monks and novices respectfully saluted to Shenxiu, and many of the pilgrims kowtowed to him. Shenxiu always returned the salute with a humble demeanor, and when he met the old man kowtowing to him, he always had to hold him first, and refused to let him kneel down.

Huineng couldn't help but glance at this senior brother who was respectfully called "Professor's Teacher" a few times, and saw that he was extraordinary, and admired him.

Finally, they walked into the abbot.

Inside the abbot, on the high throne, Master Hongren sat upright. I don't know when, Zhike Yingyin has already arrived first, standing behind the master. Large and small, high and low, old and young, more than a dozen monks stood solemnly sideways, and the fifth-generation patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Hongren, closed his eyes slightly.

After Huineng gave the salute, he quietly stepped aside.

After a moment, Master Hongren's eyes opened, and his gaze shot at Hui Neng like lightning, examining this strange uninvited guest: this young man with dark skin all over his body had a bulging forehead, two ears and shoulders, and indeed had a Buddha spirit, but the blue-black coarse linen clothes on his body were filthy, and there were dots of white on them. Obviously, this is the salt stain left on the clothes after the sweat on the body has dried during the long journey. His clothes were scratched and tattered by the thorns on the way, and the straw sandals on his feet were worn out, and half of his toes were exposed. At first glance, it is not much different from a wandering beggar.

Seeing his appearance as a native of the mountain village, the Fifth Ancestor frowned and asked, "What's your name?"

"The surname is Lu, and the name is Huineng."

"Huineng? You're a layman, why did you come up with a legal name?"

"I don't know, my parents gave it to me when I was a child."

"Where are you from?"

"Nanyue Xinzhou."

"What are you doing here?"

"Seek Buddha."

The Fifth Ancestor held his long beard and stared at the dark-skinned Huineng with scrutinizing eyes, and after a while, he shook his head: "Nanyue Xinzhou is a desolate and desolate land, how can you Gefang become Buddhas?"

Huineng hurriedly said loudly: "Master's words are wrong. ”

Huineng's words came out, and everyone was shocked!

In the Dongchan Temple, up and down, there are more than 800 disciples in total, and the five ancestors can be said to be full of words here. The disciples spoke to him as if they were in court. No one dared to argue. Now, when this stranger first arrived at Dongchan Temple, he dared to say that the five ancestors were wrong as soon as he opened his mouth in front of all the disciples. "Why don't you surprise the monks?

Shenxiu's face sank, his eyes were as sharp as a sword, and he shouted: "Bold! Did you come here to ask for the Buddha, or to provoke?"

Huineng looked calm: "Of course it's to ask for Buddha." ”

Shenxiu's tone was still so stern: "Since you are asking for Buddha, you have the courage to say that the master is wrong?"

All the monks also rebuked Huineng in unison.

In the face of the rebuke of the monks, Huineng was not in a hurry, and replied: "What the ancestor said just now is indeed wrong. ”

Shenxiu scolded loudly: "Are you still hard-mouthed?"

The warrior monk Hong De next to the Fifth Ancestor was Shenxiu's most loyal supporter, and he rushed forward and slapped Huineng in the face.

"Smack!" Hui Neng's face immediately jumped with five red fingerprints.

After Hong De beat people, he was not willing to give up, and loudly reprimanded Huineng: "In the Dongchan Temple, insulting my patriarch, is this worth it?"

Huineng didn't refute, let alone fight back, and didn't even touch the beaten cheeks with his hands, still standing with his hands down.

"Hongde, don't come nonsense." The fifth ancestor saw that Hong De had gone too far, so he shouted quietly to stop him.

Hong De's anger did not subside, and the green tendons on his neck were exposed, like earthworms curling up, but he didn't do it again, just said to Huineng stupidly: "This is really cheap for you." ”

The Fifth Ancestor looked at Hui Neng sharply and asked, "Why did you say that Lao Kun's words were wrong?"

Huineng raised his head and said bluntly: "Master, you said that our Lingnan people are Ge Fang, obviously with a contemptuous tone. You are arrogant and say that we can't become a Buddha when we wait for Ge Fang! This is indeed a bad statement. ”

"Poor? What's so bad?" The Fifth Patriarch raised his voice and emphatically said, "You Ge Fang are people from the Southern Barbarians, and you have never been civilized, so it will be difficult for you to become a Buddha in the future. ”

When he first saw the five ancestors, in the face of this high and heavy authority like Mount Tai, Huineng dared to express his heart directly: "Born in the world, there is indeed a distinction between north and south in terms of geographical territory; But how can there be a distinction between north and south in the world of Buddhism? It is true that you and I are different in physical form, but the light of the Buddha that shines on us should be the same. Even if you are not civilized, although you are different from your master, what is the difference between the nature of a Buddha?"

The Five Ancestors were shocked. I can't imagine that the rustic southern kudzu would say such a thing, this is the essence of the sutra in the "Nirvana Sutra" that "all living beings have Buddha nature"! The five ancestors faintly felt that today's comer was a Buddhist instrument given to Dongchan Temple by the sky.

Huineng did not wait for the five ancestors to speak, and continued: "The pearl mussel is not good-looking, and because of the conception of the sea, it often has valuable pearls hidden in its belly. Liquan Zhicao has no roots, but it absorbs the aura of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and the moon and becomes a treasure in the world. The disciples are all cultivated by their ancestors. Master, you've probably heard the old saying 'Daze rises from the dragon and snake', right?"

For so many years, in the Dongchan Temple, the Five Patriarchs only heard words of compliment and praise, and never met anyone who had a dissenting opinion about him. Now. This newcomer to the Nanban boy, as soon as he met, spoke extraordinary, which shows that he has a wisdom root, and he has more extraordinary potential at the bottom of the heart lake. After this reflection, the fifth ancestor felt a liking for Hui Neng in his heart, but he was well aware of the weight and consequences of his every expression in front of everyone, so he did not express this opinion.