On this day, a monk came to the guest hall of Guoqing Temple. He had a big belly and poop, and he didn't see his waist bag, but he was carrying a dirty cloth bag on the head of the Zen cane. Needless to say, he is a cloth bag monk.

However, the head of Guoqing Temple did not know who he was, and asked as usual, "Where did you come from?" ”

"Intersection." The answer of the cloth bag monk seems to be ordinary, but it is a divine answer, which is not only seamless, but also contains infinite Zen.

However, the old master of Guoqing Temple didn't seem to understand Zen machines, so he missed it in front of him and asked, "Where are you going?" ”

A scorching flower of wisdom bloomed in the heart of the Budai monk, like a wordless sigh, drifting away with the wind. He replied listlessly, "Just come here." ”

The old master asked, "Do you know how to preach the scriptures?" ”

Bu Bag shook his head.

"So, do you know how to recite the sutra?"

Bu Bag shook his head again.

The flower-like smile on the old master's face solidified into a cold frost flower: "Then, why did you come to my country's Qing Temple to place an order?" ”

The cloth bag monk said humbly, "The old master is merciful, although the little monk does not learn and has no skills, but there is one benefit." He patted his big belly and said, "No matter how much grievances and suffering, this place can hold it." So, just leave me to be the fire. ”

"Even if you look sloppy, you can only serve the burning stick!"

So, the Budai monk became an ascetic monk in Guoqing Temple.

The firewood and grass burned in the mountain temple are very complex, including crop straw and pine branch woodwood. When the monk was lighting the fire, he often picked up some rice, beans, pine nuts, and hazelnuts from the firewood and grass, and stuffed them all into his cloth bag. There were also some shriveled mountain fruits, crumpled, and he didn't care about them, they all threw them into the cloth bag, and he didn't know what to do with them.

The north wind rises, and the autumn geese fly in two rows;

The frost flowers are condensed, and the leaves are red on the hills;

Snowflakes fly, the rooftop is wrapped in silver makeup;

On the eighth day of Laba, the Bodhi holy fruit is fragrant......

Laba Day is the day of the enlightenment of Buddha Shakyamuni.

At the beginning, after Shakyamuni became a monk, after six years of asceticism, he came to the bank of the Nilian Zen River.

After bathing in the clear water of the river, he was full of relaxation and joy, walked into the forest on the bank of the river, and sat down on his knees under a Bodhi tree, which was made of auspicious grass to form a vajra seat.

In the early morning of this day, a bright star rose in the eastern sky, the morning star.

It corresponds to Shakyamuni's heart, and as a result, the most brilliant light of wisdom burst out in the universe - Shakyamuni was enlightened!

Since then, on this day, the day of Buddha's enlightenment, the eighth day of the eighth month of Laba, has become one of the most important festivals for Buddhists in the world. The puja held on this day is called the "Enlightenment Meeting."

Devotees from inside and outside the mountain come to Guoqing Temple to participate in the Enlightenment Festival, so the monks of the whole temple are very busy.

The head of the warehouse, who was in charge of the rice grain, only thought about participating in the chanting ceremony in the Daxiong Treasure Hall, and forgot to leave the warehouse for the rice and grain to be used at noon today.

The ceremony is extremely solemn, and it is absolutely not allowed to be disturbed halfway, so the rice waiting for the rice to be put into the pot is in a hurry, but there is nothing to be done - it is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, and a monk cannot make porridge without rice.

Look at the sun is almost noon, and if you don't cook porridge, all the monks and important donors who come to the festival will be hungry!

At this time, the cloth bag monk took out his precious cloth bag and poured all kinds of rice, beans, grains, dried fruits and mountain delicacies that he usually picked up from the firewood; In the hungry pot, the miscellaneous dishes were boiled into a pot of porridge.

At noon, after the puja, hundreds of monks and Tan Yue walked into the hall in turn to eat, only to see the porridge in their bowls, there are yellow rice, white rice, Jiang rice, millet rice, beans, mung beans, white beans, red beans, plus peach kernels, almonds, melon seeds, peanut kernels, hazelnuts, pine nuts, chestnuts, mountain dates, and some unnamed dried and fresh fruits......

Oh my God, is this rice, or is it a dish? Can you eat this hodgepodge? Even if you could eat it, what kind of strange taste would it be?

The temple is fasting, no talking, no picking, no matter whether you like to eat or not, all the food that has been served in the bowl must be eaten, and it must not be wasted.

People have to bite the bullet and taste this porridge that they have never seen before......

It's hard to imagine that the porridge cooked from such a mess is so smooth and sweet, delicious!

People are like autumn winds sweeping away the leaves, and the dining hall is full of the sound of forgetting to drink porridge......

After the meal, the old master brought the head of the meal and asked him what kind of porridge was boiled, so delicious?

The head of the rice couldn't cry and laughed, and said, "Because Kutou participated in the puja, we didn't have any rice to cook, so we had to make do with the grains in the cloth bag and the monk's cloth bag." You have to ask him exactly what the ingredients are. ”

They came to the stove room, where is the cloth bag monk!

However, since then, every year in Laba, the temple began to use cereals and various fruits to make Qibao five-flavor porridge, which is called Laba porridge.

In addition, after the temple offers this porridge to the Buddha, the believers who come to worship the Buddha are invited to enjoy it. Gradually, this custom was introduced to the people, and ordinary people also boiled Laba porridge on this day, which became one of the folk customs in our country.

After leaving Tiantai Mountain, the Budai monk traveled more than 100 miles south and came to Taizhou.

Here, he heard a strange thing: there is a Zen master Shiyan in Ruiyan Temple in Taizhou, this old gentleman does not recite scriptures, and does not worship Buddha, but often sits alone on a rock, and is like a fool all day long. Every time I call: "Hero! ”

Then he himself promised: "Here!" And told himself: "Be sober, don't be bullied in the future." ”

People say that this monk is not stupid or stupid.

When the Budai monk heard this story, he was shocked: this Duanyan Shiyan Zen Master's self-call and self-entrustment have great meaning!

Because it runs through a fundamental spirit of Zen - awakening the self, respecting the self, realizing the self, and transcending the self.

According to legend, the Buddha Shakyamuni had just come to the world, and he walked seven steps, pointing to the sky with one finger and saying with the other: "Heaven and earth, I am the only one." ”

Although this is a myth and legend, it also reflects the importance that Buddhism attaches to "me".

Of course, this me is the real me.

The so-called true self is everyone's protagonist, the self-nature of the spirit.

This protagonist is never ignorant, lonely, and knows that he will not be deceived by any voice.

In other words, the muddled body, the changing state of mind, the habit of selfishness, and everything starting from oneself are definitely not the true self.

Therefore, Zen Master Ruiyan reminded the world: "Protagonist, be sober, don't be deceived in the future!" ”

The Budai monk came to Ruiyan Temple, and sure enough, he saw Zen Master Shiyan sitting on a lying cow stone.

"How is a Buddha?" The cloth bag monk asked suddenly.

Ruiyan replied unhurriedly, "Shi Niu." ”

What, a cow carved in stone, turned out to be a Buddha? Buddha, can it be a stone cow?

The Budai monk smiled knowingly, and asked from a different angle: "How is the Fa?" ”

Zen Master Ruiyan said: "The son of Shi Niu. ”

Shi Niu can actually give birth to a son! Is the son of Shi Niu still Shi Niu? So, Budai continued to inspect him: "In this case, it will be different. ”

Ruiyan said: "You can't mix it. ”

Budai asked, "Why can't it be mixed?" ”

Ruiyan turned around dexterously: "It's the same, what is the mix?" ”

Yes, the Buddha and the Dharma are neither one nor the other, neither the two nor the other, and they cannot be deliberately confused or forcibly separated.

Monk Budai and Zen Master Ruiyan have a heart, sympathize with each other, and laugh at each other.

It turned out that Mizuyan Shihiko was the great disciple of the famous Iwatou Quanyi.

Yantou Quanhuo is a colorful figure in the history of Chinese Zen Buddhism.

He respected the good price of Dongshan very much, and went to Dongshan several times to ask the old man for Zen teachings, but he did not agree with Dongshan; He is a disciple of Deshan and has inherited the lineage of Deshan, but he is not sure of Deshan Xuanjian; He had never met Rinzai before, but he was deeply influenced by it, and his behavior was very Rinzai style......

It can be said that in the Yantou Zen master, it embodies the unique style of Zen people who "have no life to endure under the stick, and do not let the teacher at the opportunity".

"It's a pity that my master has passed away, otherwise, you would have been able to see his Zen style." Ruiyan Shihiko said to the Budai monk.

Budai smiled and said: "A piece of iron for thousands of miles, see his son, know his father." ”

Ruiyan Shiyan shook his head: "I, not as good as the master." However, Uncle Xuefeng Yicun was brought up and enlightened by my master, and you can go to Fuzhou to visit him. ”

Of course, Budai has long known that there is a snowy peak mountain in Fuzhou, southern Fujian, which protrudes from a lone peak in the Zen forest more than 20 years ago, and is proud of the world!

Cuiyan Lingshen, who Budai once interacted with, is a disciple of Xuefeng Yicun, and he is just an ordinary disciple.

For people like him, there are as many as 1,500 people stationed on Xuefeng Mountain all year round! It can be seen from this that the Zen style of Xuefeng Yicun will be what kind of uplifting!

Xuefeng Yicun is a famous master in the history of Zen Buddhism.

In order to achieve enlightenment, he went to the Cave Mountain three times and went to the cave mountain nine times. Once, when he was washing rice in the dining hall, Master Dongshan asked him, "Do you want to buy rice or sand?" ”

Xuefeng Yicun knew that the old man was taking the opportunity to talk about Zen.

Zen monks live and sit and lie down, thinking and not leaving the practice, delusional and miscellaneous thoughts are like sand in the rice, only when it is removed, the heart is pure, wisdom can be revealed.

However, deliberately seeking purity, purity becomes a delusion.

Therefore, Yicun replied: "Rice and sand are eliminated together!" ”

Dong Shan asked, "So, what do the people eat?" ”

Xuefeng Yicun didn't say a word, but actually turned the rice pot into a carp and turned it upside down - the Zen of Xuefeng is so cold!

In this way, Xuefengyi existed all over the country and traveled and experienced for 30 years: on the vast wilderness, on the top of the mountain, the avenue was endless, the mountain path was tortuous and winding, and Xuefengyi existed in the Zen jungle in the north and south of the river running back and forth, and his footprints were printed all over Wu, Chu, Liang, Song, Yan, Zhao, Qin, and Jin.

His body is close to nature, his Taoist heart is connected with heaven and earth, he enjoys the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, bathes in the essence of the sun and the moon, absorbs the aura of plants and trees, and drinks the blue waves of rivers and rivers.

Because it is the culmination of the essence of the world, it can be out of its kind and become one of the best masters of that era.

In the Zen forest, there is a reputation of "snow peaks in the south, and Zhaozhou (from Chen) in the north".

The Budai monk wanted to see and see the remaining Zen methods of the Snow Peak, so he walked towards the mountains.

After he came to Fuzhou along the post road on the east coast, he did not go directly to Xuefeng Mountain in Minhou County, but temporarily lived in Fuzhou City.

……

One day, he was standing at an intersection with a cloth bag on his back.

A monk asked him what he was doing here. He said et al. The monk fought with him and said, "Come, come!" ”

Budai said, "You're not the one I'm waiting for. ”

The monk understood that he was referring to the "real person"—the self-nature, and asked again, "What is that person?" ”

But he pretended to be stupid, stretched out his hand and said, "Give me a penny!" ”

How can you say that a real person is formless and formless? Although it can't be said, it can be expressed - the one who stretches out his hand and opens his mouth is not the role of a "real person"?

Sometimes, he was shy with a big belly, carrying a cloth bag on his head on his Zen stick, and chanted in the streets and alleys:

I have a cloth bag,

The void is unhindered.

Unfold in all directions,

Immerse yourself in the time.

There is an Anguo Zen Monastery in Fuzhou City, and its abbot Hongyun Zen Master is a disciple of Xuefeng.

Zen Master Hongyan has just taken in a very clever little disciple named Bailu Shigui.

Every day, he saw the Budai monk singing on the street, and asked curiously, "What is Budai?" ”

The cloth bag monk did not answer, but put down the cloth bag when he heard the words.

This release, free and easy, free, and full of Zen.

"What's going on under the bag?"

Of course, Master Bailu is asking what is the deeper essence of Zen.

The cloth bag monk didn't say a word, picked up the cloth bag and left-so chic, so neat, and it also contained a chilling Zen machine.

Bailu Shigui is too young, although he felt the indescribable Zen machine from the behavior of the cloth bag monk putting down and picking up the cloth bag, but it is like looking at flowers in the fog, looking at the moon in the water, hazy, ethereal, beautiful, wonderful, but he can't really see it, and he can't understand the true meaning.

He recounted the process to his uncle, the famous captain of Baofu.

Bao Fu said: "You wait, I want to get up and see what kind of fairy this big-bellied cloth bag monk is!" ”

So, Baofu got ...... from the Zhan Zen master "I had to go to the streets of Fuzhou to inspect the cloth bag monks."

He asked, "What is the general meaning of the Dharma?" ”

The cloth bag monk still didn't say a word and put down the cloth bag.

Bao Fu asked, "Is that all there is to it?" Is there something more uplifting? ”

The cloth bag monk picked up the cloth bag, picked it on the Zen staff, and walked away.

Bao Fu Congchang saluted his back and exclaimed: "What a cloth bag monk, you can put it down, you can take it, this is really free and easy!" ”

After Baofu returned from the exhibition, Bailu Shigui hurriedly came to inquire about the situation of the battle between the two.

Fu Congzhan said: "It's not a legal war, but a teachable." The Zen machine of 'seeing through, letting go, and being at ease' that the Budai monk showed in his body is exactly the state of life that we should learn. If we can afford to take and put down everything like his sack, it will be very remarkable. ”

……

That day, the Budai monk saw a wandering Zen monk walking down the street. He found that the Zen monk's bag had the words "Xuefeng Mountain" on it, so he immediately chased after it and slapped him on the back.

The Zen monk is an old practitioner, so he can change things without being surprised, and he turns around and says, "Are you going to ask about the Dharma?" ”

Who knows, the cloth bag monk stretched out his hand and begged unashamedly: "Give me a penny." ”

However, this Zen monk is a writer (an expert in Zen meditation) who has been trained for many years, so he felt the rolling peak of opportunity from this unbearable action.

The Zen monk said: "If you say it well, I'll give you money." ”

He lowered his sack and stood with his hands crossed. Seeing this, the Zen monks bowed deeply. ——Put down the cloth bag, how comfortable!

The cloth bag monk has been wandering in Fuzhou for a long time, and many people know this big-bellied monk who is clothed by the bag, however, the only people who really know his unfathomable Zen understanding are only a few clear-eyed people such as Baofu Congzhan.

In the late spring of one year, he traced the Minjiang River and entered the territory of Minhou County. The Snow Peak Mountain, where Master Yicun is abbot, is not far ahead.

Xuefeng Mountain was formerly known as Elephant Bone Mountain (Elephant Bone Peak), which is a beautiful scenery in Fujian, with snow before winter, and it is still cold in midsummer.

In that year, Zen Master Yicun traveled and practiced for 30 spring and autumn in the north and south of the river, and when he returned to southern Fujian, he passed through this mountain and stayed on the top of the mountain in the face of heavy snow.

Later, the King of Min asked Zen Master Yicun: "You live in Elephant Bone Mountain at night, what's so strange?" ”

Yi Cun replied: "There is still snow on the top of the mountain in the summer moon. ”

King Min then renamed Elephant Bone Mountain as Xuefeng Mountain.

Zen Master Yicun loved its purity, created a garan on the mountain, and established a nunnery to promote the law.

Because of his profound understanding and wisdom in the teachings, the mountain temple was first established, and it was gathered, and the monks exceeded 1,500 people per year.

At this time, Xuefeng Mountain is the largest Zen dojo in the country; And Master Xuefeng Yicun is even more like the sun and the sky, shining all over the world. Many monks, not far away, looking at the mountains and running.

However, the Budai monk passed under the Snow Peak Mountain, but did not go up the mountain!

You must know that at the beginning, the reason why he traveled from eastern Zhejiang to southern Fujian was to meet Xuefeng Yicun! Now why do you go over the mountain gate and not enter?

The so-called Zen people are spontaneous and true.

The Budai monk already knew his Zen style from the disciples of Xuefeng, so why should they meet again? The so-called: come and go.

Monk Budai continued to trace the water of the Min River, gradually leaving the Xuefeng Mountain behind, and a swan song he chanted echoed in the wilderness:

A bowl of a thousand meals,

Travel thousands of miles alone.

Green witnesses few people,

Ask for directions to Baiyuntou.

……

In that year, Shakyamuni Buddha lived in the Garden of Solitude, which was south of the Acropolis.

On this day, the Buddha ascended to the throne and was respectfully surrounded by 1,250 great bhikshus and Manjushri, Guanyin, Dashi Zhizhi, and Maitreya.

At this time, Mahakala stood up in the crowd, walked up to the Buddha, leaned on his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and asked the Buddha to speak the Dharma.

The Buddha was infinitely compassionate and preached the subtle Dharma to the masses.

Finally, the Venerable Mahakalsa said to the Buddha, "World-honored One, the Dharma you speak of is a guiding light for the world, and I hope you will live in this world for a long time and speak the Dharma for us." ”

The Buddha said, "How can there be any human being? The same is true for me. Soon, I became Nirvana. ”

When Venerable Kasa heard this, he was very anxious and hurriedly begged, "World-honored One, how can I do that!" May you live for a lifetime (432 million years, which means that the time is extremely long and incalculable), so that the Fa-rectification will become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. ”

At this time, the Buddha smiled slightly: "Kasya, why do you also say the words of a child?" In the world, life and life are different and extinction, life and death are bad and empty, birth, old age, sickness and death, this is the law of nature. In the next 500 years, there will still be sentient beings with sufficient good roots, and their hearts will be pure, and they will be able to attain the fruits of enlightenment. So, please guard my Dharma. ”

He humbly said, "World-honored One, you know, I am content with few desires, a master of asceticism, a shallow in wisdom, and a lack of eloquence, so it is difficult for me to take on such a heavy responsibility. World-honored one, guarding the Dharma in the years after the Buddha's extinction is extremely difficult, and only a bodhisattva can do it. World-honored one, if you instruct the great Bodhisattva with the Dharma Jewel, you will never disappear and be destroyed, and you will be able to benefit immeasurable and boundless sentient beings, continue to plant Buddhas, and have enough Sangha treasures. ”

Mahakalya's gaze turned to Maitreya and continued, "World-honored one, Maitreya Bodhisattva is here. If you entrust him with the magic weapon, he will surely be able to protect it in the years to come, give speeches widely, and promote the flow of distribution. Why? Maitreya should attain the wisdom of the Buddha in the next life. Just like the king of the world leaves the throne and the crown prince takes the place of ruling the country. World-honored one, Maitreya Bodhisattva is also like this, he should inherit the correct position and protect the Dharma. ”

The Buddha nodded, "Very right, very right, Kasya, as you said." ”

Immediately, the Buddha stretched out his golden right arm, the palm of his hand was like a lotus flower, stroked the top of Maitreya's head, and said slowly: "Maitreya, I instruct you, when the Dharma is extinguished in the next life, you should guard the treasure of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and do not let it be cut off." ”

At this time, the world sent out six kinds of vibrations, and the light shone brightly, and between heaven and earth, countless gods clasped their palms together and said to Maitreya: "If there is a Dharma to pay to the Holy One, I hope that the Holy One, for the sake of benefiting the people and the people, will receive this Dharma." ”

Maitreya stood up from his seat, leaned on his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, put his hands together, and respectfully said to Shakyamuni, "World-honored one, I have suffered immeasurably for the benefit of sentient beings, and if you come to pay me the Dharma, how can you not accept it with joy?" World-honored One, I am receiving the Dharma today and will give a lecture in the future to make it popular. ”

Hearing Maitreya continuing the Dharma, there was a cheer in the void, the heavenly maidens scattered flowers, and the fairy music sang in unison......

The Buddha praised Maitreya and said, "Good, good, Maitreya, now you are a lion's roar before me, and you are being held to protect the Buddha." You must know that in the immeasurable world and immeasurable time in the past, great bodhisattvas like you roared as lions, guarding the Dharma and not breaking it off. ”

Later, Maitreya asked the Buddha to preach on the profound teachings, and he himself went even further, reinterpreting the Buddha's purpose.

While Maitreya was speaking, five hundred bhikshus rose from their seats and left the puja. The Venerable Mahakyāya asked them, "Maitreya's teachings are very subtle, and if you don't listen to them, where are you going?" ”

The monks said, "Maitreya Bodhisattva is saying that the Dharma is very profound and rare, but we don't understand it, and we can't practice it on time. If you can't practice, you will be ashamed of your generosity. Therefore, we would rather be vulgar than pretend to deceive the world and receive offerings from others in vain. ”

At this time, Manjushri came up and praised the bhikshus, saying, "Good, good, monks, you should be like you, and you should rather return to the world than waste your years, perfunctory, and receive alms." ”

Manjushri turned around and asked the Buddha, "World-honored One, what kind of person should be offered by the devotees?" ”

The Buddha said, "Those who practice liberation, I have given them the respect of the people. ”

Manjushri then said to the five hundred bhikshus, "You should go and practice immediately, you know, the Buddha world is hard to value, and the Dharma smells bad." ”

They asked Manjushri, "How should I practice?" ”

Manjushri said, "You should contemplate it this way: there is no dharma combined, no dharma is dispersed, no dharma is born, no dharma is destroyed, no dharma is not accepted, no dharma is abandoned, no dharma is added, no dharma is subtracted. If it is done, there is nothing to gain from the Dharma, there is no way to go, there is no way to go, and there is no way to go. You got it, right? This is non-coming, non-going, non-dwelling, and non-dwelling. ”

When the five hundred bhikshus heard this, their hearts were immediately liberated.

The Buddha then explained the various ways to purify the bodhisattva behavior.

Finally, the Buddha said to Maitreya, "Good man, in the years after my nirvana, when the Dharma is about to be extinguished, there are countless sentient beings who are tired of leaving the world, thirsting for the Buddha, developing bodhicitta or entering a monastery and becoming a monk, or practicing the bodhisattva's original behavior, and attaining the great bodhi without retreating. If it is a sentient being, after the end of its life, it will definitely die in the Heavenly Palace. They are in the inner court of Maitreya, and they see the boundless merit of your true body, and they are taken by your majesty. In the next life, follow you to the Dabao Longhua tree and get a positive fruit. ”

Hearing the Buddha's words, countless new bodhisattvas established a firm faith, and those who were not on the path also initiated bodhicitta and vowed to follow Maitreya and become a Buddha in the future at the Longhua Three Sessions.