The statement of the sixth ancestor Huineng in the Dafan Temple was recorded by his personal disciple Fahai Zen Master. After development, it has become a treasure in the Buddhist world, "The Altar Sutra of the Six Ancestors".

Fahai Zen Master (650-730), whose surname is Zhang, is Wenyun. A native of Qujiang County, Shaozhou. When he was a teenager, he was a Confucian student, full of talent, studied Buddhist scriptures for a long time, and was originally a monk in Helin Temple. When he visited the Sixth Patriarch Huineng for the first time, he modestly asked, "I have a question that I am very confused about, what is the meaning of the mind that is the Buddha?"

The Sixth Patriarch Huineng replied: "If there is no thought before the generation of righteous thoughts, it is called sincerity; Mindfulness arises and then keeps extinguishing, and this is the Buddha. He who can become all the aspects of all laws. It's sincere; Those who can stay away from all the appearances of the Ten Thousand Dharmas are Buddhas. If I were to say it all, it wouldn't take me as much time as I could. ”

When Sixth Ancestor Huineng said this, he paused for a moment and said, "You should still listen to my verses." ”

"Okay." Fahai looked respectfully at the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, and saw the verse coming out of the mouth of the Sixth Ancestor:

That is, the name of the heart,

That is, the Buddha is fixed.

Dinghui and so on.

Tranquility in the mind.

Enlighten this method,

by habitual change.

With this there is no life,

Double cultivation is positive.

After listening to the teachings of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, Zen Master Fahai's eyes showed the brilliance of hope, and the layers of fog in front of him were brushed away by an invisible hand, revealing a piece of light.

Zen Master Fahai seemed to have stepped into a state of enlightenment, and after that, he wrote a poem expressing his deep feelings about this visit:

That is, the mind is originally a Buddha,

Unenlightened and self-relenting.

I know the cause of wisdom,

Double cultivation and detachment from all things.

Fahai Zen Master has read a lot of books before the fall, after entering the empty door diligent and studious, there is a certain writing foundation, the words written are beautiful and powerful, every time the six ancestors Huineng told the believers about the Buddhist scriptures and Zen law, are Fahai Zen Master as a recorder.

This time, Zen Master Fahai recorded the Buddhism preached by the Six Patriarchs Hui Neng in Dafan Temple, which became the "Quotations of the Six Ancestors" that began to take shape.

Shaozhou Wei Thorn Shi is full of talent, and he took the "Quotations of the Six Ancestors" recorded by Fahai. After reading it carefully, my heart was surging and I was so excited that I was full of danger: "Master Fahai, the self-nature that the Sixth Patriarch talked about is pure in itself, and he strives to promote the clear insight, and actually blends Tianzhu's Zen with our teachings. This view of the unification and naturalization of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism is unprecedented. And the Zen method described in it is simple to understand, and the wonderful explanation of the story is like an enlightenment, and the mouth is suddenly opened. But from the point of view of the lower officials, your record of counting bowls as bowls and plates as plates seems to be a bit monotonous. ”

Zen Master Fahai blinked his eyes and asked, "Wei Tingshi, what do you mean?"

Wei Tingshi: "The achievements of the master are comparable to the majestic Mount Tai, and what an ordinary person he is." His life is as tortuous as a long river, and it is very philosophical, and you will sort it out and leave it to the world, which must have a lot of warning effects. ”

Zen Master Fahai spread his hands and looked helpless: "What Wei Tingshi said is extremely true,

It's just that the poor monk has done his best, and it can be said that Jiang Lang has done his best. ”

Wei Tingshi: "Since you think that you have exhausted your talents, you can see the talented people again, and complement and enrich you."

"Although there are many monks in Baoling Temple, they all agree that my talent is the best, and I just ask myself." Zen Master Fahai's face was embarrassed, "Who did you tell me to find in the temple?"

Wei Tingshi smiled on his face: "It's not good in the temple, just look for it outside the temple!"

Zen Master Fahai: "Outside the temple? Even if the people outside the temple have the literary talent of the champion, they don't understand Buddhism and Zen machines, and the things they write are not playing the piano to the cow?"

Wei Tingshi: "That's not necessarily, so let's do it, I'll recommend someone to you."

Zen Master Fahai: "Who?"

Wei Tingshi pointed to his heart with a finger: "I."

"You?" Zen Master Fahai stared at Wei Tingshi with a stunned gaze for a long time before shaking his head, "No, no." ”

Wei Tingshi: "Why not, do you dislike that Xia Guan has no literary talent, and second, he doesn't understand Buddhism and Zen machines?"

Zen Master Fahai: "Definitely."

Wei Tingshi: "So, which one is it for?"

Zen Master Fahai: "As the assassin of Shaozhou, you are the highest governor of a state, and there are many state affairs. Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, everything has to be managed, how can there be any time to do these Buddhist things? Aren't you afraid that people will ridicule you for not doing your job?"

Wei Tingshi replied with a smile: "This is not a lack of business, but a great cause of doing uprightness."

At this moment, it was the turn of Zen Master Fahai to be puzzled, and he blinked his confused eyes: "The more you talk, the more confused the poor monk becomes." You might as well tell me the truth in detail. ”

"Okay." "Buddhism advocates punishing evil and promoting good, which is in line with our purpose of being a human being, abandoning violence, promoting righteousness, simple folk customs, and gradually improving social order, which is beneficial to the society and the people." ”

“.....”

After Wei Tingshi brought the "Quotations of the Six Ancestors" back to the house, while governing the state capital, he fought at night, and spent a lot of time combing the "Quotations of the Six Ancestors" from the text and sentences, enriching and enriching the content, and reviewed it repeatedly by himself, and thought that he was satisfied, and then returned it to Zen Master Fahai.

Fahai Zen Master received the revised draft of Wei Thorn History, and in the days that followed, he added the life of the six ancestors and the front and back of entering the Dongchan Temple to learn Zen Buddhism, and also added a lot of French, in the solemn law, full of wit and humor, several revisions, and finally finalized, called "Dharma Treasure Altar Sutra", also known as "Six Patriarch Altar Sutra".

……

Besides, Hui Zhan, who has always been inseparable from his master, made an exception this time and did not follow his master's six ancestors to Shaozhou Dafan Temple.

Because, he was going to a farther place - Xijing Chang'an to be ordained.

As the years passed, he had grown from a naughty little novice to a personable young monk.

After he went north to Xijing to receive full ordination, on the way back to Caoxi, he came to the Qingyuan Mountain Jingju Temple in Jizhou, Jiangxi Province, where the elder brother Xingsi was abbot.

At this time, Qingyuan Xingsi's "rice price" public case had already caused a sensation in the Zen forest, and countless monks were vying to investigate. In the history of Zen Buddhism, this public case had a great influence, and it is still often studied by Zen scholars today.

With his profound understanding and exquisite Zen method, Xingsi eventually became a great master.

Back then, when Xiao Huizhan arrived in Caoxi, Xingsi had already left, so he didn't know him. Xing Si asked, "Where are you from?" ”

Hui Zhan replied proudly, "I'm from Caoxi." ”

Cao Xi is the place where Xingsi became holy and enlightened under the tempering of the six ancestors of the master;

Caoxi is a holy place in the hearts of Zen monks all over the world!

Xingsi couldn't help but raise his head and glance at the young monk.

Cao Xi is the hometown of Zen. The Zen monks who came from there must have been soaked in the nourishment of Zen, right?

Therefore, Xingsi asked, "What did you bring with you?" ”

Of course, Hui Zhan knew that the senior brother was not asking for a gift, but just like the Sixth Ancestor asked him at the beginning. Like seeing your own nature? The original comes from nature, and there is no form and no phase, how to express it? So, Hui Zhan stood up and shook his body, indicating that there was nothing.

However, Xingsi did not approve and said with a smile: "Still with bricks and rubble!" ”

It comes from sex, and there is nothing. The reason why Hui Zhan shook his body was because he also thought that there was a self-nature.

And this, in Xingsi's view, is rags, garbage, bricks and tiles!

Hui Zhan Bingxue was smart, and immediately understood that he was a spirit turtle pulling its tail - although it covered up the crawling tracks, it left the marks of the tail sweeping back and forth. After all, he is young and temperamental, and he never forgets to be competitive.

So, he immediately asked, "Could it be that the great monk has real gold here for people to give here?" ”

Hui Zhan is using real gold as a metaphor for the Dharma.

However, it would be a mistake to think of the Dharma as a fixed, concrete, tangible thing.

Because the teachings of the Buddha are spiritual, lively, and random—they are convenient to teach according to the root of sentient beings, so there are infinite methods.

The Buddha is a great physician and will prescribe different medicines according to the different conditions and constitutions of each patient.

At the same time, there is no distinction between the Dharma and the Dharma, let alone the noble and the lowly. Buddhism is to administer medicine according to illness, as long as the symptoms are right, a piece of grass is the best medicine.

Therefore, Xing Si lifted his weight lightly and said softly: "If there is, where do you want to put it?" ”

Yes, although the gold dust is expensive, it is eye-catching; Although the Dharma is wonderful, persistence becomes a disease.

From this, Hui Zhan knew the depth and mystery of the Zen Sea, and the waves were magnificent.

After he returned to Cao Xi, he carefully read the Tripitaka and asked Master for advice on six major questions. Under the ignition of the Sixth Ancestor Huineng, he finally understood it and became completely enlightened.