The predecessor of Yuelin Temple was the Chongfuyuan founded in the second year of Datong (536 AD) of Emperor Wu of Liang during the Northern and Southern Dynasties three hundred years ago. After entering the Tang Dynasty, the sixth patriarch Huineng roared out and was born, raising the banner of enlightenment and becoming a Buddha, creating a new situation of Zen Buddhism's rapid advance, and becoming a great wonder in the history of Chinese thought. In the late Tang Dynasty, it was precisely the heyday of the development of Zen Buddhism, and the world's monasteries, nine out of ten returned to Zen, so Chongfuyuan naturally became a Zen monk temple.

One day, a visitor with extraordinary bearing came to Chongfuyuan. He was the famous poet Li Kun (772-846 AD), the prime minister of the dynasty. Li Kun has a close relationship with his friends Yuan Zhi and Bai Juyi, so he is not only an active participant in the Xin Yuefu movement, but also wrote "On the afternoon of hoeing day, sweat drops are on the soil, who knows that the Chinese food on the plate is hard work." and other poems that have been passed down through the ages, and under the influence of them, they also believe in Buddhism and become close friends with some famous Zen masters. This year, after he returned to his hometown (Wuxi) to save the province, he visited the mountains and rivers in the south of the Yangtze River by the way, looking for friends to visit Zen. In Chongfu Temple, he had a very happy conversation with several Zen monks, and Yaxing caused him to write a plaque of a dragon flying and phoenix dancing.

However, a few years later, in the fifth year of Huichang (845 AD), Tang Wuzong began a large-scale campaign to exterminate Buddhism. Chongfuyuan was demolished and in a mess. Li Kun's Mobao naturally turned into ashes - isn't it, even its owner, Li Kun, was kicked out of the capital by Tang Wuzong a year ago and served as the envoy of Huainan (headquarters Yangzhou).

Just over a year later, Tang Wuzong finished the final madness, and died of poisoning due to taking the "elixir" of Taoist priests.

In the second year of Dazhong (848 AD), the idle Zen master traveled to Fenghua and saw the ruins of Chongfu Temple, not only sighed sadly, but also burst into tears. His grief sprung up, he put down his bowl, hung up his bags, and set out to rebuild this ancient temple. Xian Kuang is a great Zen master with a clear mind, profound enlightenment, and a discerning eye. That night, he stumbled and sat in the ruins of Chongfuyuan Temple, and entered a state of spiritual and wonderful meditation, so he keenly felt that on the east bank of the county river across the water, the Buddha's light was shining and shining through the sky-building a temple and monks in the place where the Buddha's light appeared, and there would be a sage born and a bodhisattva would be transformed. Therefore, the idle Zen master moved the new temple to the east of the county river and renamed it "Yuelin Zen Temple". Because it was built in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, it was called "Dazhong Yue Lin Temple" in later generations.

In the early morning of this day, the presiding Zen master of Yuelin Temple was meditating on the meditation bed among the abbots, when he suddenly heard a muffled sound somewhere in front of the temple, as if a heavy object had fallen to the ground. He slowly opened his eyes and summoned the attendant to inspect the Heavenly King's Palace. After a while, the waiter ran back in a panic, and before he could enter the door, he shouted, "Great monk, woe is wrong!" Great monk, woe to you! ”

The Zen Master stood up from the meditation bed and asked; "If there is any trouble, you can tell it slowly."

The attendant said, "Maitreya, the crown of heaven in the palace of the heavenly king, fell from the lotus seat, fell off the crown, and broke his head. ”

The idle Zen master smiled and said lightly: "A clay sculpture of a bodhisattva, falling from a high place, will naturally be broken." ”

The waiter was stunned for a moment, and asked with a puzzled face, "How could the Bodhisattva statue fall on its own?" Is it a sign of some disaster in the temple? ”

"When it's time to pour, it falls. It can't even save itself, what kind of disaster can it portend! ”

The words of the idle Zen master contain infinite Zen opportunities, but it is a pity that the waiter is ignorant and has not yet penetrated the Zen level, so he cannot comprehend the mystery. At this time, there was a faint sound of words from the direction of the Heavenly King Palace. It must have been the Zen monks who heard the sound and saw the Bodhisattva statue fall to the ground inexplicably, and they were talking about it. The idle Zen master picked up the Zen staff and walked out.

In the Hall of the Heavenly King, a statue of Maitreya with a crown of heavenly crowns, which was popular a few years ago, should be a statue of Wu Zetian wearing a crown, fell down with a bang, his forehead was deflated, and the crown rolled off far away. The monks, who were at a loss, saw the arrival of the great monk, and they automatically flashed to both sides. The Zen Master looked at the statue of Maitreya, which had been seriously damaged, and said to his disciples: "The golden Buddha does not save the furnace, the wooden Buddha does not save the fire, the mud Buddha does not save the water, and the true Buddha sits in his heart." As the saying goes, when the mud bodhisattva crosses the river, it is difficult to protect himself. Guys, have you all seen it? There will always be a day when the external Buddha statues will be damaged, so you should worship your own true Buddha, see your own nature, see your nature, become a Buddha with an epiphany, and never be corrupted. ”

The superintendent of the temple expressed everyone's doubts: "But, Master, there was no wind, no rain, and no earthquake at that time, how could this Buddha statue with respect of hundreds of catties fall down for no reason?" ”

The idle Zen master said inexplicably: "The true Bodhisattva is coming, and the mud bodhisattva is naturally going to give way." The prison master asked, "Master, what should we do with this Buddha statue?" Is it possible to put it back in place and then tinker and repaint? ”

The idle Zen master pointed to the statue of Maitreya who fell to the ground with a Zen staff and said:

Dust to dust, dust to earth, where to come from, where to go.

Maitreya Bodhisattva left the Tu rate, and the crazy monk carried a cloth bag.

After speaking, the idle Zen master walked away.

Although the prison did not understand the last two sentences of the master, he understood what it meant to return dust to dust and earth to earth, so he instructed everyone to carry the clay statue out, dig a deep pit, and bury it—

What is made of clay is returned to clay.