Chapter 4 Chapter Four

Under the bell tower, a group of monks lined up neatly, chanting while walking to the "Wanshan Hall" to listen to scriptures. A few tall ancient cypresses were planted in front of the court of Wanshantang, surrounded by green shades, adding to the solemnity. After the monks recited the six-stick incense "Nanmo Amitabha", they all sat in lotus position and listened quietly to the abbot's lecture. This hall enshrines the golden statues of the three saints of the West and is filled with flowers - according to the meaning of the abbot, these are prohibited: those with too strong fragrance will disturb the mood; those with too gorgeous colors will destroy the emptiness of the chanting hall; Indecent; the name is too vulgar and not nice.

Even the flowers that can be inserted are also very strict. Master Deyuan began to ask questions: "Last day, when you understood the word 'no', did you understand the truth?" With a sweep of dignity in the eyes: "Yancheng, how is it?" A forty-year-old monk humbly shook his head: "Please give the disciple another seven days." "Qingquan, what about you?" A fifty-year-old monk also humbly shook his head: "I have tried my best to explore this truth, but my heart is still dusty. Please give me another seven days." The abbot only solemnly said:

"The so-called 'nothing' is not a simple negation, not nothing, but a 'vacuum' detached from 'being' and 'nothingness', that is, 'a vacuum is not empty, wonderful existence is not existence'..." The monks thought hard and couldn't understand.I dare not ask questions.Only promises. It's too difficult.So profound and wise. "Xiao Ke," the abbot nodded to his lover, "Please explain in plain words." Xiao Ke has listened to these things and realized them since she was sensible.He may not seek to understand, but what occupies this childish mind is:

"It's exactly: 'All conditioned dharmas are like dreams and bubbles, like dew and electricity, and should be viewed as such.'Reality is empty, and purity is nothing.'There is nothing in the first place, where can dust be generated'?" ——The memorized explanation is more mysterious than the abbot.But he nodded approvingly. The new monks were "punished" by listening to the scriptures every day, and felt very sleepy. The abbot is about to find out.Shi Yansheng was busy coughing and reminded: "cough!" Two woke up with a start, one was still drowsy.Shi Yansheng flicked Guo Dun's acupoint secretly with his finger, he got up in surprise, raised his hand up as if asking a question.

"What do you want to ask?" In desperation, Guo Dun hurriedly found some topics.His martial arts foundation is not bad, but his brain is a bit dead: "I... I have a question in my mind, and I have been... afraid to ask it." "Just ask." "I'm afraid people will laugh at me as childish." "Just ask." He took courage: "Didn't you say 'put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately'? I put down everything, when will I become a Buddha?" Everyone looked at the impatient short man.Really childish.He blushed in embarrassment.

The abbot had no choice but to be patient, and said to the monks: "In the west of us, there is a Land of Ultimate Bliss beyond ten billion Buddha lands. We aim to recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and make a vow to be reborn in the Pure Land. As long as we go to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the environment is beautiful, safe and clean, and we can devote ourselves to studying Buddhism... ..." Guo Dun lazily scratched his scalp: "I have already arrived in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I still want to study?" The abbot blamed him for being lazy, and handed the incense board to Xiao Ke.He glared at him, not angry but mighty.

——As a result, it was the seven people who came together who stared at Guo Dun. Late at night. Everyone else can rest and leave. In addition to the screaming bugs, there is also Xiao Ke's authoritative instruction: "The head should be upright, the back should be straight, not moving, not shaking, not swaying, and sitting still! Study hard." He was ordered by his teacher to be responsible for supervising the study. Piously and earnestly, in front of the teacher: "Don't fall asleep while meditating!" Those who obeyed the orders were distracted, with their right foot pressing on their left leg, and their left foot pressing on their right leg, feeling bitter and tired.It is exactly: first come first, first come first, the winner is the king and the loser.

Try to eliminate distracting thoughts in your mind and think about "nothing".However, in the silence, mosquitoes buzzed past.rest on someone's cheek.When Shi Yansheng slapped him, his hands were covered with blood. Xiao Ke sighed softly: "Amitabha!" Oh, it's too sudden to kill.He had no choice but to read: "Amitabha!" In distress, Zhao Yihu complained quietly: "Damn it, I meditate every day. I wonder if I will get hemorrhoids after a long time?" After hearing this, Xiao Ke couldn't understand it. Frown, think again. Finally couldn't help it:

"Hey, what are 'hemorrhoids'?" "Aha!" Zhao Yihu smiled slyly with a smug face—it turns out that Xiao Ke also didn't understand!His profound principles made us stunned for a while.Immediately close your eyes and ignore: "I'll give you seven days to comprehend." Xiao Ke thought hard. Everything was silent. I don't know who it is, I am hungry and make a "cuckoo" sound.It doesn't take a moment, one rises and the other falls.In the quiet night, I am more hungry. This "cuckoo" sound, after two months, still can't stop.

The eight wanted fugitives who had no family, no job, barely adapted to the monastery life, and what they were most unaccustomed to was being hungry. The hair that has been shaved, began to grow short branches.They take turns reshaving their colleagues.Separated from the turmoil of struggle in the outside world, this is nothing less than a safe place where all four elements are empty. Morning class is over. The air is clear and the clouds are high, walking slowly in the blue sky, overlooking the bald heads under the trees. Shi Yansheng let his capable subordinates shave his head, unexpectedly they did it perfectly.After shaving, wrap it in a hot towel and wipe it clean.

As soon as the towel was removed, a puff of smoke appeared from his head from a distance. Guo Dun, Zhao Yihu, Wan Lecheng and others, some were lazy under the shade of the tree, some were exercising in the open space, and punched the trunk with their fists. A distant view: "Ah! It looks like steamed steamed buns!" Hastily approached, mouth full of sap: "I said it looks like vegetable and meat buns. At that time, I didn't like it very much, and I thought it was cheap. Now if I can eat three or five every day, it is already very satisfying!" "Hmm - bite down, the gravy splashes out with a 'squeak', and the mouthful is fragrant -" Shi Yansheng laughed: "I told you that I lived." Thinking that I am the leader, I have to lead by example. Wan Lecheng is the most greedy of everyone: "Do you know what I want to eat the most?" He said, "Catch a fish from the release pond, burn it and eat it." "Okay, don't lie, don't lie!" But the sound of "cuckoo" intestines wriggling, sang with the salivation. They are all dreaming of folk homemade fish and meat Spring and Autumn... Didn't notice a scholar passing by. The man had been there and recognized them. He approached as if nothing had happened, carrying a bookcase with scriptures on his back. Under the tree, pick a clean stone and sit down.Wiping sweat. He looked at the few muscular monks who had relaxed.They are defenseless and thoughtful. There is still time for lunch. Unprepared, he took out a box from the bookcase, and then opened the box violently—— I saw it was a boiled chicken! "Yeah, it's the princess." I can see everything clearly.The visitor turned out to be Princess Hongca who never let him go. The more he hides, the more ambitious she is to find him out. Everyone agrees: "See Princess Nineteen." "Must." She looked at no one, and only said to Shi Yansheng, "We are destined to meet again." Shi Yansheng stroked his head and smiled awkwardly. Red calyx is very proud.Take a look. "That's right. The head is round—too 'square', though." making fun of.The few people were afraid that she would forget, so they hurriedly reminded: "Princess, this chicken—?" "Look at you so greedy, give everyone a food precept." This chicken, with buttery white meat, can be cooked casually in the world, and it has become the top delicacy in the temple.The eyeballs glowed, as if strange hands stretched out one after another, breaking it off... Shi Yansheng's heart is like everyone else's, being tempted.In addition to chickens, there are also women who send chickens to treat themselves. "No—monastics refrain from killing and eating meat." "Oh, have you heard of 'three clean meat'?" Without waiting for Shi Yansheng to argue, Hong E talked eloquently: "The earliest and earliest monks, what the benefactors gave, they ate what they didn't see, killed for me, didn't hear, killed for me, did it work? General Shi, oh no, Monk Shi, the rules are all human It's determined. Whoever has the loudest voice will set the rules!" Coming from the imperial palace, I naturally understand the samadhi. However, to tease him to eat meat is also a fallacy. Shi Yansheng is a person who abides by the rules. If he obeys the rules too much, he just takes everything for granted.It is a fresh experience to suddenly see a woman who is doing everything possible to get rid of the shackles. He looked at her, not concentrating. Colleagues are ready to move. Hong E smiled slyly, but stepped down for their sake: "You didn't kill this life, and it's not meat—it's 'medicine', and you can take medicine to cure you if you're sick. Don't you have something wrong with your stomach?" Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Wan Lecheng immediately made a proposition: "Let's divide the 'drug', shall we?" I couldn't wait for Shi Yansheng's order, so I tore it apart and ate it.In the face of hunger and temptation, people have no class. Guo Dun handed Shi Yansheng a piece of meat: "Come on, let's stop pretending!" He was embarrassed to gobble it up.But she said seriously: "Eat quickly, this is an order!" here we go again.Her lovely order. Less meat, more people, an extremely precious meal. Started eating precepts at the beginning.Take a bite, chew carefully, and can't bear to swallow it all at once.Chew carefully again, slowly, let it pass through the tongue and throat, it's not good, swallow it.I enjoyed it so much that I almost ate my fingers and then sucked it clean... Boiled meat is so boring, but hunger is the best seasoning. Good day, beautiful scenery, happy life. It's a pity that soon, the chicken has been killed, and the thick juice in the bones is gone, and it is completely useless. Everyone hurriedly dug a hole and buried the bones. The noon clock rang now.It's meal time. Xiao Ke is here.When everyone saw it, they pretended nothing had happened, and took advantage of the situation to block the pit where the bones were buried.Xiao Ke looked at everyone: "Hey, your mouth is very greasy." Shi Yansheng stood up to defend Zhao Yihu who was stealthy and didn't know how to wipe his mouth: "No, he's naturally glib." Hong E only thinks this straightforward guy is very interesting.Because, he himself is also a glib.Shi Yansheng smiled knowingly with her. But the crowd had a taste of it, broke the precept, and couldn't bear it anymore.One by one: "I can't stand it, stop pretending!" "I can't stand it, I can't stand it! Go down the mountain, go down the mountain!" "Yes, go down the mountain!" "Perhaps the world has already pardoned us. Isn't it for nothing that we stay here? Why don't we go down the mountain to see what's going on?" For a while, the crowd was boiling, and their hearts were like a trapped animal. Xiao Ke is unknown, so: "Going down the mountain? Where are you going?" Shi Yansheng said: "To-'Elysium'!" Xiao Ke is delighted: "I'm going too! Take me to the 'Elysium'! It's said to be the highest state!" Chang'an, Qujiang Pond. This is the busiest place in town. In the Qin Dynasty, Yichun Garden was built here, and in the Han Dynasty, there was an amusement garden. In the Sui Dynasty, after construction, the river water was introduced into the pool.In the current dynasty, when the country was established in the early Tang Dynasty, Qujiang Pond had been vigorously excavated and dredged, covering an area of ​​twelve hectares with rippling blue waves.The waterside area has become a playground for poets, poets, scholars and beauties. This group of runaway horses, restrained for a long time, is excited like a river tide.mighty. It turns out that one year is easy, and it is almost the Mid-Autumn Festival in August. The stalls by the water not only have goldfish, but also grasshoppers confined in golden cages, making crisp sounds. The dwarves perform funny wrestling on the stage surrounded by patterned railings and rope nets to entertain tourists. The frivolous teenagers are playing Cuju, the colorful inflatable balls go up and down. This is a colorful world. Xiao Ke's eyes are fascinated, his mouth is open, and he doesn't know that there is such a paradise in the world.There are too many colors, and I can’t accept them all at once—it’s been ten years since I was born, and I’ve seen them all overnight. Suddenly I heard the crowing of a chicken. The gamble begins.Both heads are full of bright chickens, as if they are angry, their hairs stand up, and their beaks are pecking fiercely, fighting like they want to put their opponents to death. The crowd is betting, each shouting and shouting for their own side.very nervous.The strong wins the weak, the weak loses, scarred... Xiao Ke was surprised.With tears in his eyes, he stood still, holding the plain sleeve of the "scholar" with one small hand, and Shi Yansheng's monk robe with the other.Shi Yansheng looked down and saw that he was as innocent as a baby.A heart of compassion arises spontaneously. Hong E looked at it, shrugged, and gave him a piece of silver with mutual understanding.Shi Yansheng weighed it, it was quite heavy. He pushed through the crowd and handed over the silver to the dealer. The dealer was pleasantly surprised. Shi Yansheng lifted the two chickens and put them in the grass.Xiao Ke cheerfully drove them away together.He smiled gratefully "with little consolation".This was the first time Shi Yansheng was released automatically. Looking up and looking around, the seven people who were traveling with him were gone. It turned out that he had already sat slumped at the stall, bought crispy and fragrant mustard cakes, grilled meat on skewers, pilaf and wine, and was eating and drinking with the barbarians in cloaks. The playground is noisy.Shi Yansheng took special care of Xiao Ke because of his affinity.Only give him cake bait, not meat, for fear of harming him. After a full meal, the group wandered around in a daze, accidentally bumping into three people. The other party said something they couldn't understand, half sober.Red Calyx tilted her head and listened carefully. —It’s Japanese.One monk, two foreign students.He thought he had met a fellow of the same kind, Heshi, speaking Japanese: "It's a pleasure to meet you, may I ask which monastery you practice in?" Shi Yansheng didn't know what to do.Xiao Ke immediately stepped forward and spoke fluent Japanese: "The poor monk is Xiao Ke from Tianning Temple, and they are my younger brothers. If you pass by, please come to our temple." After the Japanese left, Hong E praised Xiao Ke: "Xiao Ke, I didn't expect you to be very capable!" As long as it is related to Buddha, he has experience, as if he is superior to others.Xiao Ke didn't take it seriously, and didn't even know how to be proud: "There are often Japanese monks sent to Tang Dynasty to visit the dojo. I have learned a little Japanese since elementary school, and I am used to it. Amitabha." Seeing that he was mature and prudent, Hong E had an idea and mysteriously: "Let's lead Xiao Ke to a place!" Without any explanation, he held his head up and led the way.