After Ying Xing's personal experience and witness of the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng enlightening Chen Yaxian, he suddenly found that he seemed to have suddenly grown up and become sensible, and began to read the scriptures seriously, practice meditation, and worship the Buddha sincerely.

This morning, Liu Zhiluo and Cao Shanren came to visit Huineng and brought a box of snacks. Hui Neng casually gave it to the baby and a group of novices.

The baby was greedy, salivating when he watched the master divide the snacks, and he was so anxious that he swallowed his saliva. However, when he really got the snack and put it to his mouth, he seemed to suddenly think of something and ran out in a hurry.

He first offered the dim sum to the Buddha and Bodhisattva. If there is something good, first of all, it is dedicated to the Buddha and Bodhisattva, which is his piety; Anyway, those statues won't really eat the snacks, and they will end up in their stomachs! In this way, one has the merit of offering to the Buddha, and the other does not delay his own hunger, which is really a double win! This is the unique shrewdness of the baby.

There are statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas everywhere in the temple. There are Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Fuxian Bodhisattva, Dashi Zhi Bodhisattva, Jizo King Bodhisattva...... There are also three Buddhas of the past, present and future, Buddhas of the east, west, south and north, but there is only one piece of dim sum, where should it be offered? After thinking about it for a long time, he finally decided to make offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha. Because he is the present Buddha and the teacher of all the monks.

The infant came to the Daxiong Treasure Hall, respectfully put the dim sum on the offering table, and bowed three times. However, when he stood up and bowed, he seemed to notice that the statue of Ananda, which was about the same size as himself, standing on the right side of the Buddha Shakyamuni, was secretly snickering.

Hmph, my dim sum is for the Buddha of the Buddha, but you are not allowed to eat it!

The infant climbed onto the lotus seat and put the snack directly into the palm of Shakyamuni's meditation mudra. He grimaced at the statue of Ananda and ran away.

In the afternoon, Ying Xing came to the Mahavira Hall to pick up the dim sum, and he was surprised to find that the piece of dim sum placed on the palm of Shakyamuni's hand was gone, gone!

Oh my God, the Buddha enjoyed the dim sum I offered! Shakyamuni Buddha! Thankfully, the Buddha appeared......

The infant threw himself on the ground, knelt down in front of the Buddha statue, and kept kowtowing like a chicken eating rice. I don't know how long it took to stumble, but his pounding heart finally calmed down. The child's curiosity finally made him overcome his fear and piety, and climbed the lotus seat again to see what was going on.

It doesn't matter if you look at it, it makes the baby angry. In the palm of the Buddha statue, he found some crumbs of snack, among which there were a few black mouse droppings!

The baby's anger skyrocketed: he offered the Buddha's snacks himself, but he was stolen and eaten by the hateful rats! The food you salivate for yourself is stolen by a damn mouse! The baby couldn't help but scold. Fortunately, the eighteenth generation of the rat's ancestors had already rotted into ashes, otherwise, their bones would have been scolded by the infant to the rest.

The scolding of the infant naturally couldn't attract mice, but it attracted Master Huineng and Xingsi, Fahai, and Fada. After listening to the baby's story, they couldn't help but laugh. The baby was annoyed by their laughter and said, "The rats have stolen my snacks, but you are happy to be like this." It seems that the rat who stole must be your relatives and friends! ”

Fahai said: "Rats are also sentient beings, and of course they live with us. ”

As if inspired by this, Ying Xing turned to ask Huineng, "Do rats have Buddha nature?" ”

"All sentient beings do not lack Buddha nature, and of course rats have Buddha nature!"

"Since it has Buddha nature, why does it steal the offerings of the Buddha? And to in the hands of the Buddha, isn't it sacred? "The baby pedestrian is a big ghost, and he suddenly showed his killer weapon, trying to stump Huineng with this.

In the face of the baby's smug smile, Huineng was confident and asked with great humor: "Why don't the mice go to the cat's nest to steal something to eat?" Why doesn't he poop on the cat's paws? ”

"Nonsense, if it dares to provoke the cat, it will be eaten by the cat as a snack!" Infant Xing said.

Huineng Zhengse said: "You must know that the mouse does not go to the cat's nest to steal food, does not poop on the cat's paws, and knows to avoid danger, which is the proof that it has Buddha nature." It has the same physical and spiritual troubles as human beings, and it wants to get rid of them. This kind of mindfulness of avoiding suffering and seeking happiness, seeking liberation, and yearning for peace is the manifestation of the Buddha-nature of all beings. In other words, rats originally have Buddha nature. ”

Huineng asked Ying Xing again: "Why did you put the dim sum in the palm of the Buddha statue?" ”

"This ......" the baby was reluctant to explain.

Hui Neng's heart was like a mirror, and he immediately said: "Baby, are you afraid that other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will share dim sum?" ”

"How did you guess my mind?"

"You, you, you're not big, and you have a lot of ghosts!" Huineng said: "You have to understand that Buddhas and Buddhas are equal, and there is no difference; Everything is one, and one is everything. Therefore, if you worship one Buddha and Bodhisattva, you are offering all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The key is that we must have an equal and broad heart! The bigger your heart, the greater the merit of offering to the Buddha. ”

"What you do is called 'living the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain'." Fahai said, "You think that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are as careful as you!" ”

Ying Xing understands this truth, but he can't worship the Buddha's dim sum and the mouse in the palm of the Buddha's hand no matter what, and treat them as equals.

Huineng said: "When the rat is eating a snack, it only knows how to smell the fragrance, so it doesn't matter where you put it!" It pooped on the hands of the Buddha statue, and it just thought it was a safe place! Therefore, its behavior is completely natural and unintentional, not malicious. It's indecent, but it's the same as our human values. Although its unintentional act stains the Buddha statue, it is also better than putting the dim sum on the palm of the Buddha's hand! ”

The infant trembled and lowered his head in shame.

That night, the baby had a dream. In the dream, his monk's robes, his shoes, and even the bowl he used to eat were stolen by mice. He went to the sky and the earth, turned over the rivers and the sea, but he couldn't find any trace of the mouse, and he couldn't help crying.

When Huineng woke him up from his dream, his tears were already wet on his pillow.

When he woke up the next day, he was sullen. Fahai, who also lived with the abbot, asked him what was the matter. He recounted the dream.

Fahai laughed: "Life is like a dream, and the things in your dreams are even more ethereal, like water reflecting the wind and clouds, and smoke in the mirror, why should you take it seriously?" ”

Ying Xing said: "The water reflects the wind and clouds, and the mirror shows smoke, although it is illusory and unreal, but after all, there is still wind and clouds in the sky, and there is still smoke on the other side!" ”

Fahai knew that he was entangled with him, so he laughed and said, "The images that appear in the mirror in the water are all reversed, left is right, right is left, therefore, things in the dream are also opposite." You cry in your dreams and laugh during the day. ”

Ying Xing was extremely smart and alert, and immediately asked: "If this is the case, then, if I am crying in my dreams at night, won't I laugh without me during the day?" ”

Huineng, who had been listening, suddenly shouted: "Where are you without you?" ”

yes, where am I without me? If our nature is immortal, impure, and impure, then where are we before our parents are born? At that time, what kind of form were we? The baby's heart was greatly shocked, his backbone was numb for a while, and a big mystery sprouted in his heart......

The Zen patriarch said: Small doubts and small realizations, big doubts and big realizations, and no doubts and no understandings. Suspicion is the premise of comprehending Zen Buddhism.

When—dang—dang—the big bell of Baoling Temple, roaring over Cao Xi, seemed to tell everyone that something important was happening at night. In the Daxiong Treasure Hall, Huineng wore the kapok robe passed down from generation to generation and sat on the altar. Xingsi, Huairang, Fahai, Xuan Ce and other disciples stood on both sides. Hui Neng pondered for a long time on the Dharma throne for a long time before he opened his mouth and shouted, "Do your thoughts." ”

Xingsi stepped forward: "The disciple is here." ”

"Huairang." Huai Rang also hurriedly stood beside the senior brother.

Huineng's kind eyes caressed the two disciples over and over again, and a pleased smile appeared on his face: "Xingsi, Huairang, you two have already understood the Zen pass, and you have been sharpening by my side for a long time, it can be said that the kung fu has reached home, and the Buddha fruit has been achieved." Now, you should divide one side, set up your own door, and promote our Zen path. ”

Xingsi wept and said, "The disciple is still shallow, and I want to continue to stay by the master's side to study day and night." ”

Huai Rang was even more reluctant to leave the master.

Huineng said earnestly: "I have nothing to teach you anymore. Besides, the most important thing is that there are no shackles. My knowledge is only the foundation of your cultivation, not the apex. You must dare to surpass the Buddha and the ancestors, and have the courage to go further. And if you want to make progress again, you must give up this rod! ”

Huineng pointed to the robe on his body and said in a solemn tone: "Back then, my master and five ancestors entrusted me with the great task of revitalizing Zen Buddhism. Over the years, I have never dared to slack off a little, which is why Cao Xi has this situation. However, this is only a corner of Lingnan after all. Therefore, I hope that you will leap out of the sect as soon as possible, go to a wider world to promote the world, and carry forward my enlightenment method. ”

Since Master said this, Xingsi and Huairang felt a great responsibility, knelt down in front of Master together, and said, "Master has ordered, we must do our best, show our talents, use our strengths, reflect each other, cooperate with each other, quickly spread the Enlightenment Zen Method, and jointly complete the glorious deeds handed down by the ancestors of Zen Buddhism." Please make it clear to Master, where is the opportunity that is more suitable for us? ”

Huineng said: "Xingsi, you are originally from Luling, Jizhou, so go back to Qingyuan Mountain in Jizhou." As the saying goes, the time is not as good as the location, and the location is not as good as the people. You have a clear mind and a good influence in your hometown, where you can take advantage of the three favorable conditions of time, place, and people, and you will definitely be able to create a brilliant career. ”

Xingsi nodded.

Huai Rang said, "Then, Master, I will also go back to my hometown in Jinzhou." ”

Huineng smiled and shook his head: "There is no definite law. Huairang, your fate is not in your hometown, but in Nanyue Hengshan. In that place, adventures will await you. Before leaving, I'll tell you another secret.

The two disciples silently retreated to the monk's column.

Sixth Ancestor Hui Neng named another person's name: "Xuan Ce!" ”