In the summer of July, the sun is shining and the cicadas are chirping.

At dusk, the Jinshan Temple Zen Monastery located by the river is still very hot, Jiang Liu'er shouted to sleep with Master Fa Ming, Elder Fa Ming saw that the house was a little stuffy, so he simply called a few monks to move the bed in the house outside, and spread a cool bamboo mat, and Jiang Liu'er in the courtyard to enjoy the cool.

Jiang Liu'er finished taking a bath by herself, climbed onto the bed covered with bamboo mats, and played by herself for a while. At this time, Elder Fa Ming came to the bed and sat down, holding a big pu fan for Jiang Liu'er and the two of them to cool off together, feeling the cool breeze brought by the big pu fan, Jiang Liu'er felt very comfortable.

The sky has gradually darkened, the night has fallen, the starry sky of the summer night is dotted with stars, many stars in the night sky are blinking their eyes flickering brightly and dimly, Jiang Liu'er has a pink face and red lips, her hands are holding her cheeks, and her big eyes are flickering looking up at the starlight in the night sky, and she doesn't know what she is thinking about for a while.

"Elder, you talk about the Buddha every day, recite the Buddha, and respect the Buddha, what is the Buddha?" Jiang Liu'er asked curiously, blinking her big eyes.

"Jiang Liu'er, do you want to hear a little story?" Elder Fa Ming didn't answer, but asked with a smile.

"Okay, okay, I like to listen to stories the most, Elder, say it quickly!" Jiang Liu'er replied, clapping her little hands.

"Jiang Liu'er, listen well, in the past, there was a person named Lingzhen Zen Master who visited Guizong Zen Master and asked him, "How is a Buddha?" The Guizong Zen Master beckoned to him and said, "Don't tell you, you naturally don't believe it, if you believe me, I will tell you when you come over." When Lingzhen Zen Master was stunned, Guizong Zen Master pressed his ear and whispered to him: "You are!"

"Giggles. ”

"Hehehehe. ”

As he spoke, Elder Fa Ming and Jiang Liu'er laughed in unison.

Elder Fa Ming stroked Jiang Liu'er's head with a big hand, and smiled: "Actually, the Buddha is your every move, every word and deed, every thought and thought, to put it simply, the Buddha is yourself!"

"Oh, so I'm the Buddha, and the Buddha is me. Jiang Liu'er still blinked her big eyes, as if she didn't understand.

"Jiang Liu'er, your breath is Sanskrit, your pulse is the bell and drum, your body is the temple, and your ears are Bodhi. Elder Faming spoke earnestly.

"Whoever is able to put aside distracting thoughts can see the clear world, and whoever has no desires or desires can truly appreciate the meaning of Zen. This is called Buddha-nature purity. Elder Fa Ming said earnestly.

Then, he took the trouble to answer every question Jiang Liu'er, until Jiang Liu'er was tired and lay down on the bamboo mat and fell asleep, and Elder Fa Ming rested in bed.

The year passed quickly, and another autumn went to winter.

On a cold winter night, the goose-feather-like snow fell one after another, covering Jinshan Temple with a layer of silver-white in an instant......

The next day, Elder Fa Ming put on his coat and came out of the meditation room, and saw that it was covered in silver and snow, the river was frozen for thousands of miles, and the heaven and earth were bleak and pure white.

"Bell------ bell------ bell------" a melodious bell came over, in a snow-white silence is still loud and mellow, the smell of the awe-inspiring awe!

"Hmm......" Elder Fa Ming pricked up his ears and listened attentively, "Good bell!" After listening to several bells, Elder Fa Ming stroked his beard and praised.

As soon as the bell stopped, Elder Fa Ming stopped a monk who was about to clear the snow and asked, "Who is the person who gave the bell this morning?"

The snow-sweeping monk put down his broom and replied, "It's the novice river who has just recently enrolled in the monk's class." ”

"Oh, it's Jiang Liu'er! You go and call him. ”

"Yes!" the disciple will shout. The snow-sweeping monk replied.

Soon, Jiang Liu'er, a young man wearing a trumpet monk's robe, came to Elder Fa Ming, only to see that he was thinly dressed, and he was still wearing a pair of round cloth shoes, and he looked a little cowering on the cold ice and snow.

"Jiang Liu'er, are you Si Zhong this morning?" Elder Fa Ming asked indifferently.

"Master, it's the apprentice Si Zhong. Jiang Liuer clasped his hands and said.

"Let's tell the teacher about the mood of Si Zhong this morning. Elder Faming asked.

Jiang Liu'er was a little puzzled, and didn't know why the elder asked him this, so he replied truthfully: "Master, the apprentice is not in a special mood, he just rings the clock." ”

"Isn't it?" Elder Fa Ming smiled, "You must have something in mind when you rang the clock. ”

"Because the bell that the teacher hears today is very heavy, loud, and noble, and this is the voice that only sincere people can make!"

Jiang Liu'er thought for a while and said: "Back to the master, in fact, the apprentice didn't deliberately read anything, but when I was not yet a monk to study, the master and Uncle Budai often warned the apprentice: When the bell is called, you should think that the bell is the Buddha, the Buddha is the bell, you must be pious, fasting, respect the bell like the Buddha, and use the Zen heart as if you are in the meditation to the bell." ”

Elder Fa Ming was very satisfied when he heard this, and he couldn't stop nodding his head and saying yes! After thinking about it, he reminded again: "When dealing with anything in the future, you must maintain the same Zen heart as you did today, and you must maintain the Zen heart of Si Zhong this morning. Jiang Liu'er, have you remembered?"

"Master Xie, the apprentice has written it down!" replied the young Jiang Liu'er.

Since then, Jiang Liuer has kept in mind Master Faming's admonitions, doing everything and moving any thoughts, always remembering Master Faming's teachings, and trying her best to maintain a Zen heart when Si Zhong.

"Jiang Liu'er, come here!" Elder Fa Ming beckoned to Jiang Liu'er again.

"It's cold, and it snowed heavily last night, so put on this dress for your teacher!" As he spoke, Elder Fa Ming took off his outer clothes and put them on Jiang Liu'er's emaciated and slender body with his own hands.

A warm current of heat slid through Jiang Liu'er's heart, and the young Jiang Liu'er looked at the master with kind eyebrows and white hair, and his eyes were full of crystal tears.

Watching Jiang Liu'er walk through the snow with Master Faming's clothes, and then looking at Elder Faming, who was already thinly dressed and standing in the cold wind, a sigh sounded from behind him: "Nan Wu Amitabha, good, good!"

It turned out that Budai Monk unknowingly came to Elder Fa Ming's side, and witnessed the conversation between the master and apprentice, Budai Monk sighed from the side: "Senior brother, Jiang Liu'er, this child is kind-hearted, has a high understanding, and has deep wisdom!

Monk Budai paused for a moment, and then said, "If time passes, the future of this child is limitless! If he grows up and can officially take the ordination, receive the full ordination, and firmly cultivate the Tao, he should be the successor of your mantle in a hundred years, senior brother!"

Elder Fa Ming didn't answer, but just looked at the frozen river, smiling slightly with his left hand, and quickly flicking the Buddha beads in his hand with his right hand.