Chapter 62 Phoenix fly

In Washington, bored at night, I bought a newspaper on the street and planned to read it casually when I came back. I didn’t expect to see a column of small news at the bottom of a page in a thick stack of newspapers. There were only a few sentences: "Archaeopteryx is as beautiful as a phoenix. Its fossil was discovered in Germany not long ago. It weighs one pound and is smaller than a pigeon." This news shocked me. Looking at the heavy snow falling outside the window, the blood in my heart surged for no reason.I remember reading the chapter on Archeopteryx in biology textbooks, because it is a kind of pterodactyl among dinosaurs. I always fantasize about its appearance. It should have blue-gray wings, a huge body, and the spread of its wings can cover it. The entire blue sky, flying from the distant hills, makes people unable to see the sun.

Unexpectedly, this most ancient animal was only as big as a pigeon; moreover, it was as beautiful as a phoenix with colorful feathers. But what is "beautiful as a phoenix"?From ancient times to the present, no one has left the real story of seeing the phoenix, but everyone knows the appearance of the phoenix, because it is embroidered on clothes, pillows, shoes, and even on the table. The living phoenix is ​​no longer visible, let alone Archeopteryx. Archeopteryx is as big as a pigeon, which is not a big deal for a young man who likes to think about it. It makes me think that Archeopteryx may be the origin of the legends of the Chinese Phoenix, the Western Firebird, and the Japanese Volcanic God Bird .

Although there is no trace of the Chinese phoenix, you can experience its spirit. It is the most beautiful animal since ancient times. It is described as the love of husband and wife, the loyalty of monarchs and ministers, and even the friendship of friends.Why leave the image of the phoenix?I believe that in the ancient wilderness, someone must have seen the phoenix as if he had seen the archaeopteryx, so although it flew far away, it survived like a legend. Speaking of the beauty of the phoenix, the Kinkaku-ji Temple on the outskirts of Kyoto, Japan, is an ancient building covered with gold leaf, and its top is a phoenix made of gold and copper.The Golden Pavilion Temple was built in 1397, but it was burned down by a young monk in 1950. Later, the young monk was arrested. People asked him why he wanted to burn the Golden Pavilion Temple. I can't miss the beauty of that phoenix.Japanese writer Yukio Mishima once wrote this moving story.A phoenix made of gold and copper, even a monk can't resist its beauty. How beautiful can a real phoenix be?

Another legend in Japan is about the "Volcano God Bird".The volcanic bird is also a beautiful bird. It lives on the crater all year round. Every hundreds of years, it jumps into the volcano and burns itself, and its elves are reborn in the volcano.Because of the immortality of the volcanic divine bird, people believe that drinking its blood can lead to immortality. From ancient times to the present, many people have fallen into the eternal lava in order to drink the blood of the divine bird. In the West, there are also legends similar to the "Volcano God Bird", the only difference is that it set itself on fire from within.

Whether it's a phoenix, a fire bird, or a volcanic bird, they all remind me of the primordial bird. Perhaps in our unknown void, there are such creatures that will survive forever, at least in the hearts of people all over the world. They all have two characteristics, one is their immortality; the other is their beauty and immortality; and this is what people most yearn for and pursue. We see the fossils of Archeopteryx, we know its beauty, we know its weight, but we don't really know it, because those are just its corpse, not its real spirit.Its real spirit lies in its enlightenment. It tells us the finiteness and infinity of human beings, how to lead from finiteness to infinity. It just depends on whether people have the courage to burn themselves to break the past and pursue a new dawn!

I remember that there was a passage about birds in the "Amitabha Sutra": "Shariputra, there are often all kinds of wonderful birds of various colors in that country, such as white cranes, peacocks, parrots, relics, Kalavinka, and birds of common destiny. Birds, day and night, and heaven and earth produce harmonious and elegant sounds. Its sounds can play the five roots, five powers, and seven bodhisattvas. The eight holy paths, such as such." birds, such as white cranes, peacocks, parrots, mandarin ducks, birds with a good voice, and concentric birds.These birds sing very gentle and elegant songs day and night, which makes us feel peaceful and happy when we listen to them; and they can also perform many Buddhist teachings, such as the five roots of faith, progress, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom; The root emits five kinds of vigorous energy.

He also comprehended the seven ways of attaining the Tao, the eight ways of cultivating wisdom, and so on. I like this scripture very much. It lets us understand that birds with good colors and good voices in the world are not born unintentionally. They are originally intended to generate more associations and reflections when we enjoy the sun, and generate strength from them. .It's a pity that the phoenix and firebird are not mentioned in the scriptures, but the phoenix can experience thousands of burning calamities, and it is still as beautiful and youthful as before, which is faintly in line with the original intention of the Buddha.

On a snowy night in Washington, looking at the boundless darkness with white flowers falling, I knew that the phoenix had flown far away, but the revelations and legends it left behind could at least be immortal. —July 14, 1982