Chapter 120 4. On a moonlit night in Mount Lu, Yang Du finally comprehended the highest realm of Buddhism

"It's right on the Xianglu Peak, that's great!" Yang Du couldn't help saying. "Xianglu Peak is not far from here, and it takes half a day to arrive. However, it takes half a day to walk from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside." The middle-aged man introduced enthusiastically, "Zehui Temple was built in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. It is said that it was a businessman. Come to visit Donglin Temple in Lushan Mountain, and make a wish in front of the Bodhisattva, saying that if you make a fortune, you will build a temple on Xianglu Peak. Later, this person really made a fortune, so he also made a wish to build a temple, named Zehui Thanks to Bodhisattva for his kindness to him. It used to be quite large and fell into disrepair for a long time, but now it is dilapidated. There are two monks, one old and one young, living in the temple. The old monk also went through the rivers and lakes in his early years, and his hair shaved after middle age. Go, they will be glad to receive you."

Yang Du was very grateful to this well-informed man.I slept in Guling overnight, and the next morning, I brought some dry food and walked towards Xianglu Peak on the thatched path. This area is more lonely.During the entire journey to the foot of the mountain, Yang Du did not meet a single person, not even the back of a woodcutter in the distance.Walking along the way, he often felt a sense of independence from the world.After some difficult climbing, in the evening, we came to a small old temple.Looking up, there are three words written in faded ink on the mossy black brick wall: Zehui Temple.Yang Du was surprised and delighted, there really is such a monastery, if only he could meet Jing Zhu here tonight.

The gate of the temple is ajar.Just as he was about to open the door, a bald-headed little boy of thirteen or fourteen came out. When he saw him, he jumped with joy as if seeing a visitor from outside the universe. He enthusiastically invited him in, and shouted inside: "Master, there is The benefactor is here!" As soon as the shout came to an end, a thin old monk came out from the back room and said to Yang Du with a smile on his face: "The benefactor is here, please sit down, please sit down!" "Thank you!" Yang Du looked around slightly while speaking. This is a small Buddhist temple.Right in front of it is a clay sculpture of Amitabha Buddha blackened by cigarette smoke. On the base of the statue there is a horizontal line of characters: Namo Amitabha Buddha.Yang Du thought: After all, it is the ancestral home of the Pure Land Sect, and now the incense of the Pure Land Sect continues.Apart from this clay statue of Bodhisattva and a few incense burners, candlesticks and cushions, there is almost nothing else in the Buddhist hall.

The empty, clean and spotless Buddhist temple, the smiling and kind-hearted monk.Compared with the mundane world, there is indeed another realm here. "The benefactor is here to visit Mount Lu?" The old monk asked softly. "No." Yang Du replied. "Then come to burn incense?" The old monk felt a little strange and asked again.In fact, from the moment Yang Du entered the door, he could tell that he was not a pilgrim. "No." "Oh!" The drunk old monk was taken aback in bewilderment. While talking, the little monk brought a rough clay bowl, which contained large and thick tea leaves floating on the freshly boiled tea.Yang Du took a sip, the taste was mellow and fragrant.

"Master, I will use the treasure to stop for a few days, okay?" "Okay!" The old monk agreed. "It's just that I don't have anything to entertain here. I eat sweet potatoes and eat sauerkraut. The benefactor is from Fuguichang, so I'm afraid I won't be used to it." "I'm not a rich man. I'm used to living here. I'll eat whatever you eat." The little monk brought some sweet potatoes that had just been stewed in a clay pot, and some pickled radish slices from the salt water tank.The old monk said: "My apprentice and I have already eaten. You must be very hungry after walking for a day. Let's eat some."

I am indeed hungry.Yang Du was not polite, and started to eat in big mouthfuls.It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten this kind of stewed sweet potato. It’s delicious and sweet. After the meal, it was completely dark, and the old monk lit a pine branch, and the Buddha Hall was illuminated by the flickering fire, adding a bit of illusory color.After chatting for a while, Yang Du fell asleep on the little monk's bed.The little monk sleeps in the same bed next door with his master. Maybe it was because he was too tired yesterday, when Yang Du woke up at dawn, he found that he had slept deeply and dead last night, and he hadn't dreamed anything.He is a little sorry.

Yang Du got up in his clothes and walked out of the temple gate, only to see the incense burner peak surrounded by milky white Xiaolan, which looked both beautiful and mysterious.The green leaves of thatch are as if they have just been fished out of a mountain spring. They are green and bright, and water drops are about to drip.The air is refreshingly fresh.Yang Du sighed in his heart: such a good place, except for two monks, no one came to live and enjoy it, and the good luck gave this kind of affection to human beings.I also thought: If a person lives in this kind of place for a long time, the worldly desires will naturally be completely eliminated.Most of the temples are built on the mountains, and it seems that this is the reason. When eating breakfast, the little monk brought out a crock pot of rice, bamboo shoots, wild mushrooms and other dishes.Yang Du knew that preparing such a meal was not easy for the master and apprentice.The simplicity and hospitality of the outsiders in the deep mountains moved the frustrated guests in the world arena: we should treat sincerity with sincerity! After the meal, the old monk didn't ask him any more about the purpose of coming here, but Yang Du took the initiative to tell the monk.He didn't say Jingzhu's name, but only used the word "deceased wife" instead, because it can save many unnecessary expressions.Jing Zhu never enjoyed this kind of status when she was alive, and after her death, Yang Du always felt that her real wife should be her. "Benefactor, you are a rare husband in this world!" Just because of a dream of his dead wife, this man came all the way from Beijing to Mount Lushan. He was not afraid of fatigue or desertion. He found this dilapidated temple and courtyard that almost no one cares about all year round. Everyone said that this world has no "" "Friendship" is the word, it seems not all.The old monk respected the benefactor in front of him from the bottom of his heart.But he quickly shook his head again and said: "Although the sincerity of the benefactor is appreciable, it is all in vain." "I also know it's empty." Yang Du smirked sheepishly and said, "I think my late wife probably wanted me to come to Lushan to seek some kind of enlightenment." After hearing this, the old monk looked at Yang Du intently, nodded and said, "Mount Lu is a spiritual mountain. Famous scholars of all ages, such as Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, Qian Qi, and Su Dongpo, have come here to seek spiritual energy, but what they seek is the secular world. Lushan Mountain is another Buddhist mountain, and eminent monks and lay Buddhists of all ages have come here to seek the Buddha nature. I don’t know if the benefactor came here to seek the world’s aura, or the Buddha nature of the ancestral court?” "I'm here to seek Buddha nature." Yang Du replied immediately. "Oh!" The old monk asked again with a smile on his face, "Has the layman also read Buddhist scriptures at home?" "To tell you the truth, Master, I have been exposed to inner scriptures in Miyin Temple in Weishan Mountain and Fayuan Temple in Beijing for many years; I have read dozens of Pai's classics. Of course, in front of the mage, this is a classmate's ax." "Where, where!" said the old monk very happily, "The layman turned out to be a master with extensive knowledge of Buddhism, good, good! The old monk is ashamed to say that he has actually read very few Buddhist scriptures. The layman has many connections with my Buddhist sect over the years. You must know Master Bazhitou Tuojichan?" "I know, I know, he is my dear friend from my hometown." Yang Du briefly talked about his relationship with Jichan. "The layman's merit is immeasurable, the merit is immeasurable." Hearing that Yang Du had compiled a collection of poems for Jichan, the monk joined hands and said, "The layman is not only a close friend of Master Jichan, but also has made great merit for my Buddhist school. The old monk It should be respected as a distinguished guest, but Zehui Temple is very poor, and it would be humiliating for a layman to visit." "The mage is polite." Yang Du thought, this old monk was also a wanderer in the past, he must have experienced the riches, prosperity, bitterness and bitterness of the world, and now he can guard this deserted temple in the mountains, feeling ashamed, it is really extraordinary, presumably he can enlighten me. "Master, I came to Lushan because I sincerely want to gain the enlightenment of Buddha nature. It is also fate to meet you in Zehui Temple. Can Master give me some advice?" "Amitabha." The old monk said solemnly, "What advice do laymen have?" "Master, I have been studying the books of Confucius and Mencius since I was young, and when I grow up, I want to study the career of king and hegemony. I want to achieve great things, but I have been frustrated repeatedly, and there is no merit to speak of. I step back and reflect, deeply lamenting the inadequacy of today's society. Freedom is not equal, all evils are nothing but my own opinion, and when I ask myself, there is nothing that is not out of my own opinion. My disciples think that the greatest event in the world is to save others, and to save others, you must first save yourself, and self-salvation is the first priority. I. Let’s examine Confucianism from this point. Confucius advocated that if you want to establish yourself, you will establish others, and if you want to achieve yourself, you will achieve others. Life and death, one can only wait and see things outside, have no choice, no fight, between talent and inadequacy, preserve one's ego, still not selfless righteousness. Lao Tzu uses inaction as action, standing and using but not three-dimensional, pure It has nothing to do with the mind and body. I have heard people say that Buddhism advocates no-self, so my disciples turned from Confucius to Zhuang, and from Zhuang to Buddhism. However, they have studied Buddhism for a long time, but they have not obtained the method of no-self. Please ask the master , how to enter the door of no-self method?" The old monk stared at Yang Du, listened to his long speech quietly, pondered for a long time, and said: "The layman's difficulties, the old monk can know. The old monk also had the heart of the world when he was young. After he converted to Buddhism, he knew everything in the world. Kong, there is no need to pay attention, so I made up my mind to cut off the root of life with one knife. From then on, all ties will be gone, and all thoughts will cease." Yang Du's heart moved, and he said: "The master said it just now, cutting off the root of life with one knife. If we can do this, we will cut off all worldly relationships, including self at the same time, but how to use this knife?" "Mingkong." The old monk said, "that is to understand the truth that everything in the world is empty." Seeing that Yang Du hadn't come to his senses, the old monk said, "We'll stop here today. You go and think about the words that everything is empty and that you cut off the root of life. We'll talk about it in the middle of the night." Yang Du thought to himself, why wait until midnight to talk about it?He remembered the story of Zhongsun Houzi's master preaching in the middle of the night, and found it interesting, so he nodded in agreement. In the afternoon, the old monk and the young monk either meditate and visit the Buddha, or carry water and chop firewood, each doing his own thing.Yang Du sat alone on the stone outside the temple, staring blankly at the vast Kuanglu peaks, repeating the words "everything is empty" and "cutting off the root of life" in his heart.He didn't know how many times he read it, and when he went to bed at night, he seemed to have a sense of comprehension. "Layman, please wake up!" At some point, Yang Du was woken up by the old monk, so he hurriedly dressed and got up. The old monk said, "Let's go outside for a walk!" Yang Du followed the old monk out of Zehui Temple. what!Where is this?Yang Du was confused by the scene in front of him.Nearby, ancient trees, old vines, green grass and miscellaneous flowers are all vaguely visible; in the distance, the Guling Tianchi, which can be seen during the day, is covered by a layer of blue-gray silk.Looking up, a full moon is slowly moving out of the clouds, and the stars in the sky seem to be within reach.The brilliance of the bright moon sprinkled every corner of Lushan Mountain.Taking a closer look, it seems that Guling and Tianchi are faintly visible.There is no sound in the surrounding fields, and everything is silent. Yang Du seems to feel that his heart is tightly attached to the world, Xingyue, mountains, rocks and trees, and feels that they also have a heart, beating with his heart.Slowly, he seemed to feel the brilliance of the bright moon covering him, the twinkling stars surrounding him, Xianghu Peak and even the entire Lushan Mountain stretching out tens of thousands of arms to embrace him.The sky and the earth are gradually approaching, and I am gradually merging with them—Xingyue Mountain, stones, trees, heaven and earth.Yang Du suddenly felt that his soul was leaping, sublimating, and soaring, like a sinner getting out of prison, like a wanderer returning home, like recovering from a long illness, like awakening from a big dream... "Layman, you have to understand carefully. This is the world, this is the universe, this is time, and this is all that people can feel. It is form and emptiness; it is neither form nor emptiness; it is mind energy. What is grasped is not what the heart can grasp; it is everything, but not everything..." "Master!" Yang Du's mind of more than forty years suddenly opened up, his heart was suddenly brightened, and his chest was like a thousand bright candles lit, shining a thousand rays of light.In an instant, he understood everything and understood everything. "I understand, the Buddha has enlightened me. Master, listen to me!" Lingying, Linghui, spirituality, and aura all gathered in his mind.Facing the bright night sky and the vast Lushan Mountain, he recited aloud: "Without mind for things, with nothing in mind, with mindless mind to do nothing with mind. There is nothing to do, nothing to stop, nothing to do, nothing to rest. There is no place to come, no place to go, nothing to be born, nothing to be destroyed, nothing to do with the heart, nothing to do. One straight knife cuts off the root of life, the front is over, and the future troubles will not arise. There is nothing in the realm, the bright moon is in the sky, and I am completely enlightened." The old monk clapped his palms and laughed loudly: "Layman, from now on, your lifeline has been severed by you. You have cast off your mortal womb and become a Buddha immediately!" "Yes, yes, I have become a Buddha, I have become a Buddha!" ​​Yang Du also clasped his palms and laughed loudly, and shouted to the night sky, "Jingzhu, rest in peace, I have become a Buddha in Lushan Mountain, I am here for you!" Sing a song!" After a while, Yang Du's cold singing echoed around Xianglu Peak: The old monk was very happy after listening to this song, and said: "The layman is a very smart person. Many eminent monks who worship the Buddha have not been able to understand the mystery in their lifetime. The layman can see the bright heart of the moon because of the empty understanding. The old monk also gave the layman a thirst: the six senses and the six dusts are pure and bright. That is, the mind is the state, and there is no state and no mind. The so-called Buddhahood is to see the original mind. Once you see the mind, you will become a Buddha." Yang Duxi said: "Master, have I really become a Buddha?" "I have really become a Buddha." The old monk said seriously: "A Buddha is wisdom, and a Buddha is enlightenment. A layman with wisdom and mind has already become a Buddha immediately." The two walked side by side on the mountainside of Xianglu Peak under the moonlight.The old monk explained to Yang Du the great principles of Buddhism that emptiness breaks existence, and existence is emptiness.Yang Du's dream of more than 40 years seemed to be completely awakened. In order to study the largest and highest knowledge in the world, Yang Du decided to live in Lushan Mountain for a period of time.From the next day, the old monk stayed with him in Donglin Temple.He has never dreamed of Jingzhu once, but since everything is empty, so is Jingzhu and the love with Jingzhu, it doesn't matter to him whether he dreams or not.He discussed the essence of ancient and modern Buddhism with the old monk and the eminent monks of Donglin Temple every day. It didn't take long for him to feel that he knew everything, not only completely detached from the world, but also made a new breakthrough in the study of traditional Buddhism.He believes that he has the conditions to create a new Buddhism that surpasses his predecessors.Just as he had just stepped into the political world twenty years ago and determined to be a talented person like Wang Zuozhi, Yang Du, who had just stepped into the palace of Buddhism, was determined to sweep away the Buddhas of all dynasties and become the number one person in the Buddhist circle of China. When the autumn wind blew the welcome pine on Lushan Mountain, Yang Du bid farewell to Zehui Temple and Donglin Temple and set off for Beijing.When he was leaving, he recited a verse for the monks: I am the Buddha, and there is no Buddha outside me.There is no mind outside the body, nothing outside the mind.Sound, color, fragrance, and harmony into the world.Time has no precedence, and earth has no inside or outside.At the time of the third generation, the locality of ten directions.Time and space, at the moment of thought.The difference is the same, which is called heart prisoner.Everything is wiped out, equal and free.This heart does nothing, but does nothing.A natural Buddha, beyond words. Yang Du sorted out his experience in the past 20 years. He felt ridiculous for his obsession back then, so he wrote two poems and presented them to the old monk of Zehui Temple and the abbot of Donglin Temple. The affairs of the world cannot be calculated by people, and my heart should not be attached to things. It doesn't matter if you are poor and govern chaos, let me be free and easy. As a result, the king of the Hou defeated the poor, and in the end he returned to Zongqiuxu. The emperor and teacher Wang Zuo all gave up, in exchange for leisurely fishing in the five lakes. The two mages were very satisfied with his gatha, but after reading these two poems, they shook their heads in their hearts: they are still thinking about Qiongtong Zhichao, Emperor Master Wang Zuo, it seems that his heart is still not reborn! Just when Yang Du in Lushan thought he had proved the truth, in Huai'an Hutong in the capital, his two like-minded people were caught in emotional torment.