Zhu Bajie swept away the thorns, Tang Seng was overjoyed when he saw it, and rode his horse to follow closely.

Monk Sha carried the luggage in the back, and Sun Wukong was behind Zhu Bajie, using a golden hoop stick to remove the broken branches and vines to make the road easier to walk.

On this day, Zhu Bajie did not stop, swept away the thorns for a day, and walked out of more than 100 miles.

At dusk, when I came to an open place, I saw a stone pillar on the road, with three big characters on it, which read: "Thorn Ridge", and two lines of 14 small characters below, which read: "Thorns climb 800 miles, and there are few people on the road in ancient times".

Zhu Bajie saw it and said with a smile: "Let my old pig add two sentences to him: From now on, Bajie can be broken and go straight to the west!"

Zhu Bajie has been sweeping for a day, and he is still so excited and in good spirits.

Tang Seng praised in his heart, happily dismounted, and said to Zhu Bajie: "Apprentice, I'm tired of you! We have stayed here for tonight, and we will leave tomorrow in the light of day." ”

Zhu Bajie knew that Tang Seng was considerate of him, and he didn't feel tired, so he smiled and said: "Master, don't stop, you see the full moon hanging high, it seems that even at night, there is a moonlight shining, let's take advantage of the interest, sweep the road overnight, and go!"

Tang Seng was relieved in his heart, and saw that Zhu Bajie worked tirelessly, so he had to follow him.

Zhu Bajie rose up and continued to work hard.

Sun Wukong didn't stop, Tang Seng didn't stop walking, Monk Sha didn't stop, the four masters and apprentices, people didn't stop, they didn't stop, they walked for another day and night, and it was night.

There is a vacant land in front, there is an ancient temple in the middle, the pine and cypress outside the temple gate are green, the peach plum is gorgeous, the wind dances and the green bamboo, and the pine waves are bursting.

When Tang Seng saw the temple, he was overjoyed, climbed off the horse, and called the three apprentices to see it together, preparing to spend the night here.

This ancient temple is barren, dusty everywhere, vines are everywhere, bamboo shadows are shaking, and the sound is like human language, but it is obvious that no one has been here for thousands of years.

Sun Wukong looked at it: "There are many auspicious places here, and it is not suitable to sit for a long time." ”

Monk Sha didn't believe it: "Senior brother is suspicious, like this uninhabited place, and there are no monsters and monsters, what are you afraid of him?"

Before the words fell, a gust of wind blew suddenly, and an old man came out from behind the temple gate, wearing a horn scarf, wearing light clothes, stepping on mango shoes, and holding a cane in his hand.

He was followed by a blue-faced, fanged, red-bearded, shirtless envoy with a plate of bread on his head.

The two came forward, knelt down and said: "Great Sage, the little god is the land of Thorn Ridge, the Great Sage is here, there is no way to receive it, specially prepare a plate of steamed cakes, serve the master, please have a meal." There is no one here for 800 miles, a few coarse cakes, and eat some to satisfy hunger. ”

Zhu Bajie was busy for two nights and a day, and when he saw that there was something to eat, his heart was happy, and he came forward to reach out to take bread to eat.

"Wait! This guy is not a good person!"

Sun Wukong stopped loudly and shouted to the old man: "What kind of land are you, dare to come and deceive Lao Sun!

When the old man saw him hit with a stick, he turned around, turned into a gust of wind, and with a snort, he took Tang Seng away, fluttering, and didn't know where he went.

The three of Sun Wukong looked at each other and hurriedly looked around.

The old man and the ghost envoy carried Tang Seng to a smoky stone house, put it down gently, took Tang Seng's hand with a pleasant face, and said:

"Holy monk, don't be afraid, we are not bad people, I am the Eighteenth Duke of Thorn Ridge. Tonight, the wind is clear and the moon is clear, and the holy monks and distinguished guests are coming from afar, so I invite you to come to meet friends to talk about poetry and entertain feelings. The disciples thought that we were not good people, so they had to make this decision and force the holy monk to come over and hope for forgiveness!"

When these two people carried Tang Seng to take the wind, they were also lightly moved, for fear of hurting Tang Seng.

Now that he is talking like this again, Tang Seng's heart is a little calmer. Although I know that these two people are goblins, there are good people and bad people, and presumably goblins are also good and bad goblins, so I am not particularly afraid.

He opened his eyes and looked carefully, only to find that it was a quiet and good place to go, with smoke and clouds, swaying pine shadows, frogs chirping and insects chirping, and the moon shining all over the ground.

While he was looking at the scene, he suddenly heard another sound of footsteps, and someone said happily:

"The Eighteenth Duke has invited the holy monk to come!"

Tang Seng looked up and saw that there were three old men: the former one was frosty and rich, the second had green hair and green beard, and the third had a modest face, all of them had different faces and clothes, but they all looked like fairies, and they all seemed to be hermit immortals in the deep mountains.

All three of them came to salute Tang Seng.

Tang Seng also saluted: "What virtue does the disciple have, dare to work under the love of the immortals?"

Eighteen Gong said with a smile: "I heard that the holy monk has a way for a long time, and I have been waiting for a long time, and I am fortunate to meet it today." If you don't hesitate to sit down and chat, let us also see the real style of Zen Buddhism, and we will be grateful for the comfort!"

Tang Seng bowed down and asked, "Dare to ask the Immortal Weng Zun?"

Eighteen fairs: "The frosty one is lonely and straight, the green-haired one is volleying, the modest one is blowing the clouds, and the old clumsy is strong." ”

Tang Seng asked again: "What is the longevity of the four Wengs?"

Lonely Straight Gong chanted:

"I am a thousand years old, and I support the sky and leaves in the spring.

The incense branches are lush and snake-like, and the broken shadows are heavy with frost and snow.

Since childhood, he has been strong and able to endure old age, and from now on he is honest and likes to cultivate the truth.

Wuqi Fengsu is extraordinary, and it falls into the forest and far away. ”

This poem not only says that the lonely and straight man is more than 1,000 years old, but also says that he has a refined temperament and has cultivated truth since he was a child.

After the lonely straight man finished groaning, he heard Ling Kongzi smile again:

"I have been proud for thousands of years, and the high cadres are strong.

The night is quiet and the sound is like raindrops, and the autumn is clear and the shadows are like clouds.

The roots have obtained the secret of longevity, and it is especially appropriate to be immortal.

Staying in the crane and turning the dragon into a non-layman, the cangshuang is refreshing and close to the fairy town. ”

This poem says that Ling Kongzi is a thousand years old, has the art of immortality, and is a person with a high personality.

Fu Yunsu went on to say:

"The cold years have a thousand years, and the old scenery is more quiet.

It is not noisy and cold, and it is full of frost and snow.

The seven sages talked together, and the six Yi sang together for their friends.

It is not trivial to knock gold on the jade, and it is natural and immortal. ”

There are also more than 1,000 years old.

The Seven Sages refer to the Jin Dynasty Ruan, Ji Kang, Shantao, Liu Ling, Xiang Xiu, Wang Rong, and Ruan Xian, who often met to play in the bamboo forest, and were called the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest at that time.

Liuyi is talking about Li Qinglian often drinking with Kong Chaofu, Han Zhun, Pei Zheng, Zhang Shuming, and Tao Wei by renting a mountain bamboo stream, because these six people are not officials and hide in the red dust, so they are called Liuyi.

Fu Yunsu said that the Seven Sages and the Six Eases were friends with him, and that the Seven Sages and the Six Masters were often together in the bamboo forest.

Tang Seng is very knowledgeable, and he has long known that these three people are goblins, listening to this poem, he thought: Could it be that he is a thousand-year-old green bamboo essence?

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the eighteenth prince of Jinjie singing with a smile:

"I have been more than a thousand years old, and I am as beautiful as ever.

It is pitiful that the rain and dew generate power, and borrow the Qiankun chemical machine.

Ten thousand wind and smoke are only strong for me, and I am sparse at four o'clock.

Cover Zhang Cuiying to stay cyclamen, game piano preaching book. ”

Tang Seng listened to the four of them all speak out of the chapters, the poems are elegant, and the age and ambition of each of them are revealed, and he can't help but praise: "The four immortals all enjoy a long life, and the Jinjie Weng is more than a thousand years old." Attained Taoism in high years, rich and clear, isn't it Shangshan Sihao?"

At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the four Hao people were talking about the Dongyuan Gong, Mr. Luli, Qili Ji, and Xia Huanggong in the late Qin and early Han Dynasty, all of whom lived in seclusion in Shangshan, and were over eighty years old and did not become officials.

Tang Seng said this, of course, it was a compliment to the four people.

When the four elders heard Tang Seng praise him so much, they all said: "Win the prize! Where can we compare with Si Hao, it's just four exercises in the deep mountains." Dare to ask the holy monk, how old is it?"

Tang Seng clasped his palms together, bowed down and replied, and also chanted a poem:

"Forty years ago, I was born in my mother's womb, and my life was catastrophic before I gave birth.

Escaped and fell into the water and rolled with the waves, and fortunately encountered Jinshan to escape the remains.

Cultivate the nature of the scriptures without slackness, sincerely worship the Buddha and dare to fight?

Today, the emperor sent to the west, and the road met the immortals and fell in love. ”

The four elders also praised him: "The holy monk has been born since his mother's womb, that is, from Buddhism, and he has really practiced since he was a child, and he is really a righteous and Taoist monk." We are fortunate to meet Taiyan, take the liberty to seek advice, and hope to teach one or two with Zen teachings, which is enough to comfort our lives!"

When Tang Seng heard this, he knew that the four elders had brought him here to talk to him about Zen and Taoism. From the poems of the four people, there is no intention to hurt people, but they just want to discuss Zen with Tang Seng.

When it comes to Zen Taoism, where will Tang Seng be afraid?

Tang Seng did not shirk either, and said: "The Zen is quiet, and the Dharma is also du." The degree of tranquility cannot be realized unless it is realized. The enlightened one, cleansing the heart, and getting rid of the dust is also.

"It's rare for a lady to be alive, it's hard to live in Middle Earth, and it's hard to meet the Fa-rectification: all three of them are very fortunate. To the virtue of the wonderful way, the indifference Xiyi, the six roots and six senses, can be swept away.

"The Bodhi one, immortal and immortal, has no surplus and no debt, is all-encompassing, and all saints are sent. Visited the real Yuan Shi clamp hammer, and realized the means of Muni. Play like a reckless and crush nirvana.

"You must be awake in the consciousness and realize in the enlightenment, and a little spiritual light will be fully protected. Let go of the flames, and the Dharma Realm will be revealed. To the subtle, more stubborn, the entrance said who spends it? I am the original cultivator of the great awakening Zen, and I have the fate to have the ambition to remember. ”

When the four elders heard this, they praised in unison: "The holy monk really understands the root of the Zen machine!"

This is the one who raises the debate first, and then he makes his own moves.

Sure enough, Fu Yunsuo continued: "Although Zen is quiet, although the Dharma is moderate, it is just to be sincere in nature, practice silence, nirvana one's own body, even if it is to cultivate to the realm of great enlightenment, it is also to get rid of the original body, and finally return to the path of lifelessness." Our ways are very different again. ”

Tang Seng asked: "The Taoist way is very Taoist, the unity of body and use, what is the difference?"

Fu Yunsu smiled: "We were born solid, and our physical use is different from yours. We are inspired by heaven and earth, and we are colored by rain and dew. Laugh proudly, kill the sun and the moon. A leaf does not wither, and a thousand branches are exercised.

"In this way, practice from your own body, and don't restrain yourself from being vain.

"The holy monk also said: 'The human body is rare, the Middle Earth is difficult to live, and the Dharma is rare: all three of these are very fortunate. 'The holy monk was born in Middle-earth, but why did he abandon the Dharma path and go to the west to seek it?

"You don't seek your own body, but you cling to Sanskrit, and you go to the West to learn the scriptures. Western Buddhist scriptures are written in Sanskrit, and the forced translation into the text has long deviated from the original meaning.

"What's more, the right way in the world is originally in China, why do you go to the West to seek verification?

"The stone lion gouged out his heart and liver, forgot his roots and went to Zen, and vainly sought the Buddha fruit, just like the vines of my thorn ridge entangled and talking nonsense.

"How can such a person be guided? How can he be imprinted if he does this? He must examine himself and recognize his true colors in order to attain enlightenment. Otherwise, there is no bottom bamboo basket to fetch water, and the rootless iron tree wants to bloom.

"We are deep in the mountains, quiet and elegant, it is a treasure land of cultivation, if the holy monk does not give up, he will be happy and innocent here, and he will be the same as Longhua in the future, which is a beautiful thing!"

This is a bit heavy.

said that the Tang monk ignored the Dharma of the Middle Earth Avenue, but wasted straw sandals and went to the West to learn scriptures, and asked him to "recognize his true face in order to attain the Tao". I want Tang Seng to stay here and not go west.

Tang Seng was a little shocked by his words.

I am afraid that when the two sides are debating, they will not conspire with each other, and the other party will be angry for a while, and if they are hurt, their lives will be in danger.

If you are alone here, do not anger them.

Hearing that he said "recognize his true face", Tang Seng was a little secretly surprised. He already knew that he was the reincarnation of the disciple Jin Chanzi, but why did he despise the Dharma back then, so that he was belittled by the Buddha? and he didn't know anything about what he was like before entering the Buddha's door.

So Tang Seng followed this step, changed the topic, no longer entangled in Zen, but got up with his palms on his chest, bowed down, and asked: "The poor monk is dull, and I also ask the immortal Weng to teach: What is the original face?"