Chapter 38 first quarter

The clear moon illuminates the courtyard. This is the garden where autumn colors are coming to an end.Red leaves fell on the dying grass. Every morning, there should be frost on the grass, creating a landscape that looks like a thin layer of snow.At this time, it is the season change period when autumn is just about to enter winter.In another ten days, the courtyard should turn into a winter scene. The night air was clear, and the cold air above fell directly to the ground. "Autumn goes to winter, time flies so fast." Yuan Boya murmured emotionally, "A few days ago, I felt that summer was just over, and winter is coming again."

Boya is drinking.On the narrow slatted corridor of Abe Seimei's mansion. Only one lamp was lit in the narrow corridor, and Qingming and Boya poured wine into their cups leisurely and contentedly, and then brought them to their lips. "It may be the same for people. No matter how prosperous they are for a while, their bodies will weaken unconsciously, and then one day when they come back to their senses, they find that they have left their bones, lying in the wild grass." "Hmm." Qingming casually nodded and raised his glass to drink. Seimei seems to have something on his mind.

"Sometimes, people may be like the skeletons that Chan Master Yongxing saw in the past, disgusted with this world, and want to ask Sakyamuni for help." Boya said. Hearing Boya's words, Seimei seemed to be moved and looked at Boya. "Do you know the story of Chan Master Yongxing?" Seimei was wearing a white safari suit and leaning against a pillar. He seemed to be deeply interested in Boya's topic, his eyes sparkling. "He is Nan Bodhisattva... When the capital was still in Nara, he was a disciple of the Ryobeen monk of Todaiji Temple." Boya said as he brought the wine glass to his lips.

Zen Master Yongxing—— About 200 years ago from Seimei and Boya, that is, the time when the empress became Emperor Tokuro, Zen Master Eiko lived in Kumano Village, Benlow County, Kinokuni.Because it is located in the south of the imperial city, it is commonly known as South Bodhisattva. "I know. But, Seimei, to be honest, that story is kind of scary." "Well, it's a bit scary." Qingming nodded. The story is as follows: One day, a monk came to see Master Yongxing.The monk only carried a copy of the Lotus Sutra, a cupronickel pot and a Zen chair for meditation. "The poor monk really wants to practice with Lord Nan Bodhisattva, please let me stay."

After hearing what the other party said, Chan Master Yongxing asked him to stay. The practice of this monk is to recite the Lotus Sutra.In the morning, at noon, and at night, he continued to chant the Lotus Sutra blindly every day.Occasionally eat something, occasionally take a nap, and spend the rest of the time chanting. About a year later, the monk said to Chan Master Yongxing: "So far, I am grateful for the care of my lord. The poor monk wants to leave this place and cross the Ise country to practice in the mountains." After finishing speaking, he donated his Zen chair to Yongxing and left the place.

Yongxing presented two buckets of glutinous rice powder to the monks, and sent two believers to accompany him to see him off. After walking for about a day, the monk said to the believers, "Just send it here." After speaking, he gave two buckets of glutinous rice flour, the "Lotus Sutra" and the alms bowl to the two believers for them to go back. The monk himself left only a rope about twenty fathoms long and a cupronickel kettle. Two years passed after that.One day, several villagers from Kumano Village went to the upper reaches of the Kumano River to cut wood together. They planned to make rafts and release the wood from the upper reaches to the village.

When the villagers were logging in the deep mountains, there were voices from afar, as if someone was chanting scriptures somewhere deep in the mountains.After listening quietly, the voice recited the "Lotus Sutra". "It must be a certain master practicing in the mountains." Ten days passed, a month passed, and three months passed, and the voice never stopped. The villagers moved their faith and wanted to send food to the owner of the voice, but they could not find the source of the voice. Another half year passed.In order to pull the raft out, the villagers entered the deep mountain again, but the sound continued day and night.

Everyone felt that something was a little strange, so they reported it to Chan Master Yongxing. "Because of such and such things, that voice is still reciting the Lotus Sutra to this day." Yongxing personally visited the deep mountains, and he heard the voice of reciting the "Lotus Sutra". Following the sound into the mountains, Yongxing found a cliff rising in the forest, and a corpse was hanging on the way of the cliff.The corpse's feet were tied with hemp rope, which shows that the deceased seemed to have made up his mind before he was alive and jumped off the cliff by himself.One end of the twine happened to be hooked on a rock on the way.

The corpse has been turned into bones, but there is a familiar white copper kettle under the cliff. "Oh, isn't that the monk who said two and a half years ago that he would go to the mountain to cultivate?" It turned out that the monk was still reciting the Lotus Sutra after his death. Since ancient times, Mount Kumano has been one of the sacred mountains, and it is believed that Mount Kumano is the closest to the Land of Elysium.The monk probably sacrificed his life for the Dharma. The cliff was so steep that there was no way to climb it, Yongxing had no choice but to bear the pain and abandon his body.

Another three years.The villagers of Kumano Village came to report to Yongxing again: "A few days ago we entered the mountain again, but we heard the sound of chanting again." When Yongxing went to that place again, he saw that the rope had rotted and the monk's body fell down the cliff. He took a closer look and found that the tongue in the skull's mouth was not only not rotten, but also bright in color, wriggling non-stop, reciting the "Lotus Sutra". "Probably due to the continuous reciting of the Lotus Sutra, which has immeasurable merits and virtues. This person is extraordinary and a true venerable."

After Yongxing finished speaking, he put his palms together to show respect to the corpse.