Notes on Zen Meditation at Wenshu Monastery | The years in the mountains are quiet and peaceful, and I can steal half a day of leisure in my life.

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This year is probably the rainiest year in Beijing. It rains regardless of the day or month. The coolness of autumn in early October is fully reflected, and this coolness makes people more or less nostalgic. I can't help but recall where I was, what I was doing, and what my mood was like at this time of year. Thinking about it this way, it seems that most of the joy, expectations, and reunions happened in October. There are too many things at this time that are unforgettable.

The decision to go to Wenshu Monastery on November 1 this time seems not to be an accidental decision. The life I spent at the Donghua Ancient Temple in Huizhou, Guangdong last year gave me a preliminary understanding of the life in the temple, and also planted a deep love for the so-called tranquility in my heart. The longing for a far-reaching life. Thinking of staying in Beijing during the long vacation and staying at home is really a waste of time. It is better to hide in the mountains and forests, seek peace and quiet, and steal half a day of leisure.

I found that most of the people around me had some misunderstandings about temple life, thinking that people who enter temples to practice are mostly disillusioned with the mortal world and want to escape into Buddhism. In fact, this is not the case. Most of the people who go there want to get close to nature and temporarily forget the troubles in life. How can a mere few days in a temple have such a magical effect, making people suddenly enlightened and enlightened? . There are only a few people who live in the temple. The most respected ones are the monks, followed by some lay people who lead Buddhist practices. Those of us who come here because of its reputation can only be said to be passers-by.

Some people feel satisfied after experiencing it. After just a few days, they are very fresh and know that this is not the life they want. Some people feel that it is very good and can come often during holidays to gain more insights. Some people feel that they want to have a relationship with the Buddha and are determined to do so in the future. He devoted himself to studying Buddhism and lived a simple and quiet life for a long time. Among them, the last type of people is the rarest. I probably belong to the second type of people, while the first type of people is the most common. Just think about it, if most people became enlightened so easily, the temples would probably be overcrowded, and the world would be empty.

Most people actually practice in the secular world, experiencing the repeated ups and downs of desires in the hustle and bustle. Although many people are not aware of this matter, don't they think that they are just living a normal life? But in my opinion, everything we do in this world is essentially practice. It’s just that what everyone practices in each life and time and space is mostly different, and it is not mainly through meditation and meditation. As the saying goes, "Great Hermitage" "Yu Shi" should be like this.

Perhaps everyone’s growth path of cognition is different and the time it takes is also different. For most people, it is a long process from being obsessed with life to realizing the practice, then practicing with heart, and finally enlightenment. , some people even spend their entire lives without realizing the purpose and meaning of life. Although I talk so eloquently about meaning and value, I also know that there is a long way to go. After all, I am just an ordinary person, and there is no less step on the road to take.

Returning to Wenshu Monastery, my colleagues and I got up in the middle of the night to take a flight from Beijing to Quzhou. It was very difficult. After arriving in Quzhou, we took a bus to the passenger transfer station in the city and planned to take a bus to Kaihua County. On the way, we met a rural teacher. Fan Fan then went together. Fan Fan is from Guangxi, born in 1995. He is thin and speaks difficult Mandarin. He had just started a new job before coming to Quzhou. He was a public kindergarten in Guangxi. He was responsible for leading classes at first, and was later assigned to work as a teacher. Finance and logistics, I don’t even know my salary at the moment. Although he didn't have much savings, it didn't stop him from taking a hard seat from Guangxi to Quzhou. Although he was not rich two years after graduation, he was still a very optimistic person. Together we came to Kaihua County.

It's embarrassing to say that we decided to have one last meat meal together before taking the bus into the temple, so we found a fly restaurant and ordered Kaihua's most famous clear water fish. It is also a great blessing in life that we can have such a happy conversation even when we meet by chance.

Wenshu Monastery was originally called Lingshan Temple, but was later renamed Wenshu Monastery because it had the same name as another temple. The temple is surrounded by mountains, forming a lotus embrace, making it the best place for feng shui.

The water used in the temple is sourced from nearby mountain springs. The master here said that if used to make tea, the sweetness of the tea can be brought out to the extreme. Tea and Zen often blend with each other, telling the true meaning of dealing with people, so it also attracts many tea art practitioners. The master came to visit here, hoping to improve his tea skills.

Teacher Xu of Wenshu Monastery once wrote a poem: "A bowl of good tea quenches thirst, and half a pot of qiong liquid increases spirit." People like us who come here during the holidays are mostly individual travelers from all over the world, not so much for Zen enlightenment. , it is better to say that it is a preliminary understanding of Buddhism.

After taking two trains and a journey of nearly three hours, we finally arrived at Wenshu Monastery. The lay people of the temple received us warmly, helped us arrange corresponding dormitories, and took us around the temple to learn more about it. surrounding environment. The area of ​​the temple is not as large as Donghua Ancient Temple, but it can well meet all our basic daily needs. Due to strict rules and regulations, the living and dining areas of men and women are separated, and men and women must keep a certain distance when talking, so most activities have their own arrangements.

We have fixed times for food, clothing, and daily life every day. Generally, we get up at 4:30 in the morning and start chanting, breakfast at 6:40, lunch at 10:50, lunch break at 12:10, get up at 14:10 and start studying Buddhism, and start studying Buddhism at 20:00. :30 break. Of course, there are many other activities scheduled during the period, which I will not go into details here. The regular schedule of the temple almost maximizes the use of time, but it is difficult for those of us from cities to adjust our biological clocks at once. Most of us will be a little uncomfortable and resistant to getting up early at first, but over time we will naturally get used to it. .

chanting sutras

Chanting sutras is something that must be done every day. There are so many Buddhist sutras that it is difficult to learn them all in a lifetime. Therefore, for beginners like us who come to stay for a while, the temple will usually select a few commonly used sutras for us to chant. Recite, such as "Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathagata's Original Vow Merit Sutra", "Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra", "Metta Sutra", "Auspicious Sutra", etc.

From a Buddhist perspective, Buddhist scriptures come from the teachings of the Buddha, which contain the mysteries of life and the universe. Chanting sutras not only allows us to understand some more profound philosophies and pray for our families, but also allows us to concentrate more on grasping them. present. In fact, it is easy for us to have many one-sided evaluations of Buddhist scriptures without understanding them, and even think that Buddhist scriptures and Buddhism are some feudal superstitions. In fact, Buddhist scriptures can reach the highest wisdom of the universe, and they can combine the worldly laws to give us a lot of guidance in life. Many things in life can be witnessed by oneself, and of course there are many things that require a certain level of wisdom to achieve.

Chanting sutras is actually quite painful for young people who have just begun to understand Buddhism. On the one hand, they do not understand the content, and on the other hand, many sutras are very long and require a long time to be recited. A week of meditation can only be said to be okay. Let us have a preliminary understanding. If we want to have a deeper understanding, we still need to take the initiative to learn more and keep reading. In short, we should not think that this is a ridiculous thing, and take the initiative to understand it before evaluating.

Yongzhai

Buddhism is also very particular about eating. On the first day when you come to the temple's dining hall, each person will receive three bowls and a dishcloth. In the next few days, they will eat from their own bowls. After eating, they need to wash the bowls themselves. Good to put on the table. The food in the temple comes from all over the world and is provided free of charge to the faithful men and women who come here. Although they are vegetarians, the dishes every day are very plentiful and very delicious. They are not the clear soups and watery dishes we imagined, and you can eat as much as you want. , but it cannot be wasted. Most people can eat very satisfactorily every day during the few days in the temple. I think it is probably based on what is said in the scriptures: "I should first satisfy my body with the wonderful food and drink, and then establish it with the ultimate peace and happiness of the Dharma."

Before eating, we all need to recite the "Bai Zhai Gao" to make offerings to the Buddhas to show our respect. After eating, we also need to recite the "Jie Zhai Gao" to thank all the donors, because our daily meals are voluntarily given by someone. To do it, especially breakfast, you need to start preparing it at 3 a.m. During the meal, there are also volunteers who patrol the hall to help with the food. The fasting recipients who receive the offerings only need to sit in their seats and wait. What impressed me most was the sentence in "The Jie Zhai Gao": "Those who give alms will surely reap their benefits. If you give for happiness, you will surely find peace and happiness." Every time I sing this, I will be particularly moved and grateful. All these people who are determined to give, I think they are particularly worthy of our respect.

During the meditation period, I also signed up to visit the temple, thinking that at least I could do something within my ability to help the operation of the temple. I believe that the giver is more blessed than the recipient. The people who patrol the hall need to help put the food into the bowls of each faster. Before the end of the Iftar verse, there must be three kinds of food in each person's bowl. Generally speaking, the volunteers who patrol the hall and the pickets in charge of discipline are The last one to eat, even though he was the last to eat, he was still very happy that he had done something and made some contributions to others.

Iron Buddha Temple

Sometimes before chanting sutras or listening to Dharma, we will divide into groups and enter the room to discuss some issues about life and Buddhism. We can raise any problems in life or questions that we do not understand in Buddhism, and we can discuss them together. When discussing issues, the pickets or other monks in the temple will make tea and prepare some nut-based food. Everyone can drink tea and eat nuts to make the atmosphere less serious. The most impressive discussion was the discussion in the mountains of Tiefo Temple. The content of the discussion was no longer important. The most important thing was the trace of emotion left behind by the temple.

Tiefo Temple is a temple halfway up the mountain in Kaihua County. Like Wenshu Monastery, it is also surrounded by mountains and rivers. However, if you want to get from Wenshu Monastery to Tiefo Temple, you still need to take a bus there. When you reach the foot of the mountain, you still need to walk a long flight of stairs. Arrive at the temple. I heard that many lay practitioners from Wenshu Monastery will go to Iron Buddha Temple to practice for a period of time, and most of them can keep their practice schedule full. The environment of Tiefo Temple is really good, surrounded by lush woods, and there are pavilions and bamboo forests in the back mountain. You can reach another village along the trail in the back mountain, full of the poetry and painting of the ancients.

I heard that this place was a must-pass for ancient post roads. Before the liberation of New China (around 1954), someone sold tea here. The tea seller’s surname was Ye, a villager from Kaihua Misai, a family of five and three sons. , the way they sell tea is quite unique. There is no fixed price for tea, they are all given randomly, which is very interesting. A few years ago, the ancient tea pavilion under the camphor tree that was more than 600 years old had just been restored. The son of the tea seller came to Tiefo Temple to tell Mr. Xu that his child Ye Xiaoping had been admitted to Tsinghua University. In the past, most travelers would sit down here and have a sip of tea before leaving, and we were lucky enough to get a sip of free tea here.

At Tiefo Temple, I also met a layman who used to work at Donghua Ancient Temple. He came here to practice and I felt very friendly when we met. Although we didn’t know each other for a long time, I still felt like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. I also asked him to pray to Shi on my behalf. Say hello to Master Xin and hope to see you again someday. In ancient times, when there was no communication equipment, this was probably the case. People could only gather and disperse in the world by letters and fate. Li Yu, a famous playwright of the Qing Dynasty, visited Bodhi Temple (the predecessor of Tiefo Temple) and left a five-character poem here:

release

Buddhism values ​​life the most. All things in the world are equal, and there is compassion even for ants. There is a river in front of the temple called Maya River. There is a Qibao Tathagata Pillar on the side of the stream, which is one mile long from front to back. It was the freeing river section of Xiagang in the Qing Dynasty. Because it is at the bend of the river, there are many fish. Villagers used to love fishing in the river, but one person would drown in the river every year. It was even said that a county magistrate once secretly came to a hole in the river to fry fish, but when he threw them into the hole in the river, the bomb did not go off. So he picked it up for inspection and injured his hand. The county magistrate was furious and ordered someone to push a stone Buddha statue sitting cross-legged on the Seven Treasures Tathagata Pillar into the river. No one has found the Buddha statue so far.

Since the completion of Wenshu Monastery, it was said that this place was protected by the Seven Treasures Tathagata Pillar, so I proposed to the county not to fish here, but to protect this area, and chant sutras to pray for the fish in the river. The county also formulated regulations from then on. , anyone fishing in this area will be fined 20,000 yuan. Perhaps because the cost was too high, coupled with the fear of Buddha, no villagers fished in this area anymore. There have been no more accidents here.

In order to cultivate everyone's compassion, we were also arranged to go on an excursion to the nearby town of Xiayu (formerly known as Xiazhou) to release animals. We usually enjoy a lot of food and drink, and through the release of animals we hope that we can also experience the pleasure brought by compassion. The hiking route was muddy, but the mountains were green, the water was clear, and the scenery was very beautiful. Fan Fan and I and my colleagues who came with us talked and laughed all the way, feeling the short-lived joy of returning to nature.

When we came to Xiayu, we released the small fish and snails we bought into the river together. Before releasing them, we have to recite sutras for them. It is said that after reciting sutras, the fish will be blessed by the protector and will be less likely to be hooked later. Some of the released fish are still on the shore looking at us, as if they are thanking us and saying goodbye to us. In fact, everything has spirituality, and I think what connects each other is probably love!

provide light

There are many merits and virtues in Buddhism, among which the merits of offering lamps are also very great. The Sutra of the Merits of Offering Lamps says: Shariputra! If there are sentient beings who put up lamps in pagodas and temples, they will obtain the four joyful methods. What is four? The first is body; the second is wealth; the third is great goodness; the fourth is wisdom. Shariputra! If there are sentient beings who use the Buddha's support to give light, they will obtain such a pleasant method. ’ Lamp is a symbol of wisdom and light, and burning lanterns for Buddha is one of the important offerings in Buddhism. Lighting a lamp in front of the Buddha brings immeasurable merit. Drive away the darkness, your mind will be bright and your eyes will be bright, and your wisdom will appear.

While I was at the temple, Fan Fan and I signed up to keep the lights on. He was in charge of the dining hall and I was in charge of the Buddhist hall. We needed to keep the lights on in these two places from 8:30 to 10:00. Although keeping the lantern is lonely, it can calm one's mind and focus on respecting the Buddha. When the Buddha was in the world, he saved all sentient beings and made great merits. Nowadays, tens of millions of Buddha's disciples and good men and women are lucky enough to offer lamps to the Buddhas, which can be regarded as accumulating a lot of blessings for themselves. Looking at the bright lights illuminating the entire Buddhist hall, I can't help but feel awe in my heart.

The day before we left, all the believers who lived here or stayed here offered their own lanterns together at the Buddhist hall. Looking at the long line of people offering lanterns, I felt countless emotions in my heart. This faint light seemed to shine on us. A pious heart fills us with light. During the lamp offering, there was also a piece of Buddhist music that I particularly liked, and I would like to share a lyric for everyone to understand: "Light a bright lamp, burn the fire of hope, illuminate every corner of darkness, stay away from confusion, and unravel Doubts, the sea and the sky are free to roam" This song must have been written by someone who is extremely devoted to Buddha, and the lyrics contain a deep sense of awe. I hope that we, the lost lambs, can also get rid of our confusion and gain enlightenment of wisdom as soon as possible.

Destiny and Destiny

The seeds planted in the Donghua Ancient Temple seem to be taking root and sprouting, and a new round of causal convergence is quietly taking place. The complex causal changes affected by everything in the world have no beginning and no end, and they are constantly flowing in the three thousand worlds of the ten directions. . Although this is a world full of suffering, "love" constantly affects each other's hearts, making us willing to suffer and reincarnate in this world. Even if we cannot see through the mysteries of the universe at a glance, at least we can still find happiness and beauty in the present.

Of course, some of the experiences mentioned above are not all. There are still many details and emotions that need to be experienced in person. The life in the temple was originally pure, but the foolish people brought the dust of the world. It is necessary to use this precious place to clean it frequently so that it can not be stained by the dust and remain pure.

Finally, I would like to thank my new acquaintances and old friends in the past few days. It is you who made this experience more complete. Happiness and tranquility can really be very simple. One flower, one world, one leaf, one bodhi. I hope everyone is well. We will meet again next time when the karma and fate are sufficient.