A few days ago, I had the opportunity to go to Shaolin Temple to meditate for seven days and do volunteer work. At the time of parting, he was instructed by ** to write down what he had heard and felt. However, what I have learned in this crude way, and it is really difficult to write it after tasting the literature and ink. It is far-fetched and undecent. **It's hard to push the enthusiasm, so it's clumsy.
I am a person who loves traditional culture and art, philosophy, architecture, religion, aesthetics, etc. What I have learned in recent years is also somewhat related to these knowledge points. Recently, I happened to have leisure and lived in Zhengzhou, so the idea of going to Shaolin Temple is increasingly fermenting in my heart. When I looked up information on the Internet, I was fortunate to see the information of Shaolin Temple's "Volunteer Recruitment". So, I contacted the ** of the guest hall and happily went to the Shaolin Temple that I had been thinking about for a long time.
On the way to the Shaolin Temple, my heart was excited and apprehensive. Countless times at the traditional culture promotion and promotion meetings at home and abroad, I was fortunate to see Shaolin culture, and I wanted to come to the pilgrimage, but I have been making a pilgrimage in the future to see the true face. Now I am about to come to the Shaolin Temple, a thousand-year-old treasure temple of the "first ancestral court in the world", how can I not be excited? I am ready to volunteer here for a few days, so that I can slow down, look at the ancient walls and tiles here, gently touch the thousand-year-old trees here, visit every hall, admire every exquisite mural, and learn every inscription ......
On the first day of coming to Shaolin Temple, the smoke was hazy and the light rain was dripping, and the green mountains in the distance echoed with the purple of the smoke clouds, lingering endlessly, and for a time it was impossible to distinguish whether it was a cloud or a mountain, a mountain or a sky. I was immersed in it and couldn't extricate myself, looking at the sky and the mountains in a daze. I enjoyed the feeling of being hazy and cloudy. I only feel as if I am wandering in the sky, and I am on a bottomless boat, floating in the nine mountains and eight seas.
The scene I saw when I stood in the Shaolin Temple made me feel and imagine extraordinary. I felt as if I was standing on Mount Meru at the moment, in the midst of these three thousand worlds. The five milk peaks of this Song Mountain are the four major continents of this Sumeru Mountain and Dongsheng Shenzhou, West Niuhe Continent, South Ganbu Continent, North Julu Continent, and southeast and northwest. At this moment, in my eyes, the mountains are still mountains, and the clouds are the sea. I imagined that between the mountains where I was located, the sea of clouds was separated, drifting and flowing, nine mountains and eight seas were in front of my eyes, the sea of bitterness seemed to be still boundless, and I could reach the other shore when I turned around.
The second day of coming to Shaolin Temple. In the morning, the rain was so heavy that it was impossible to walk the shallow distance from the layman's quarters to the monastery. I talked with a few brothers who came early to talk about the beauty of the weather and the impact and helplessness it brought us. I had to practice my body and mind in the dormitory, lie in the clouds and listen to the rain, and read books. I listened to the rain outside the window, ticking, sometimes turbulent, sometimes faint. During the day, I watched the clouds and practiced the scriptures, and felt and cultivated the mind. At noon, you live facing the mountains, taste tea and listen to the rain. It was early afternoon, and the rain was getting heavier, and I was half-leaning in front of the window, listening to the beauty of the rain. Thunder fell from the sky, like the sound of war drums. I just felt that the rain was getting heavier. At this time, the world was in chaos.
Books flipped wildly in the wind. I pressed it, but I couldn't. So I had an idea, in that case, why not go with it. It is also comfortable and comfortable to read which page you blow to which page. The wind blew "The Biography of Master Xuanzang", I savored the story in the book, as if at this moment, I was the attendant of Master Xuanzang in the book, following his footsteps on the road to learn the scriptures, facing the pouring rain and moving forward firmly. It is the superhuman perseverance and determination of the mage, and the ambition of the universal people, that have the endless admiration and praise of this descendant, and the past that has been passed down for thousands of years.
Came to the third day of Shaolin Temple. In the morning, I was woken up by a kind of fresh and fresh breeze, and what was revealed outside the window was the feeling that the weather was late in autumn after the empty mountains and clear rain. It's a stark contrast to the morning traffic in the hustle and bustle of the city. Looking up, the clouds and mist are shrouded, the fairy aura is permeated, the mountains are in the clouds and mist, and I am also in the clouds and mist. In the morning, the dew is thick, the mountains are ethereal, and the sun is flowing from the corner of the fish-bellied sky. The trees and grass are freshly scented, the soil is moist, and the Gesang flowers are gradually blooming on the roadside, as if all sentient beings have been enlightened by the Buddha because they live in the Buddha land, and they appear to be extremely compassionate.
After arriving at the temple, you will start your official volunteer life. On duty in front of the main hall, everything is so peaceful and comfortable. The blue bricks and red walls in the temple make me feel that architectural aesthetics are extremely important in people's lives. The ears can hear the bells and drums, the Sanskrit sounds, the eyes can see the sandalwood curling, the tanyue is endlessly incense, the pigeons in front of the bell and drum tower are circling and flying, everything is so peaceful. In a trance, I realized that the temple was really a place where the Buddha taught the world, so that people could cleanse their minds and foresee the beauty of Elysium.
The fourth day of coming to the Shaolin Temple. Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I am fortunate to meet the law meeting. The festival was solemn and solemn, and I am deeply honored to be a part of it. The sound of wooden fish, chanting and chanting, unconsciously will relax the body and mind. I knelt in front of the Buddha with the crowd, chanting and saluting according to the instructions of the Master, humble and restrained. At this moment, I no longer have the arrogance and impetuosity of the world, I just feel as if there is a huge arm that is picking me up, my soul is so light, and my state of mind is so transparent. The deepest part of my heart also shone with a strong light. I feel like a white jade at this moment, constantly hovering in the air, wandering in the holy land of freedom.
I looked up at the front of me, the statue of the Buddha with a golden body was sitting on a lotus platform with compassion, the refuge master chanting on the throne, and the ushering master guiding me in the prayers. I feel that my heart is no longer empty, and I have something to rely on. The peace of mind that I had been looking for for a long time seemed to have suddenly settled at this moment. At this moment, I finally understood the deep meaning of the phrase "this place of peace is my hometown".
I've always loved the scent of sandalwood. At this moment, I kneel in front of the Buddha, raise my hands above my forehead, hold the real incense in my hands, and bow to the Buddha, I feel that I really feel the meaning of incense for me, it builds a bridge between me and the Buddha, not only in the physical touch is extremely comfortable, but also let my spirit be intoxicated and incense. At this moment, I truly feel that the five aggregates are empty, that there is no suffering, and that the dharmas are empty, that they are not born and do not perish, and that they are not dirty and im......pureFinally, it was ** who gave a refuge certificate and gave a teaching. This wonderful feeling is indescribable in words. The sacredness of the sense of ritual can only be understood by experiencing it firsthand.
Come to Shaolin Temple on the fifth day. The sun started to shine early on, the breeze was not dry, and the sky was just blue. A few people met to climb Songshan Mountain and explore the place where Patriarch Bodhidharma wanted to face the wall for nine years. There are stories and legends that talk about the past and present, and the output and import of culture often collide in such exchanges. The clouds in the sky are constantly changing shapes, butterflies are flying back and forth among the flowers, the mountain flowers are blooming, and the mountain grass is growing vigorously.
When I arrived at the First Ancestral Nunnery, a few people went to worship, but I was at the door looking at the ancient cypress and the green ginkgo. The branches and leaves of wild lilacs and stinky peonies grow thick and large, and I don't know whether they are intentionally planted or unintentionally growing perilla, and the green leaves are growing purple. The pumpkins in front of the door are growing just right, and the yellow flowers are piled up. The big one is already the size of an arm, and the small one is as long as a thumb, a harmonious pastoral scene. They all said that it was dilapidated, and that it did not have the prosperity and solemnity of the great temple. However, I think that this kind of pastoral atmosphere, with warblers flying and grass growing, three meals a day, and green lanterns and ancient Buddhas, even if there are no bells, drums, chimes, and bells, is it another scene of human practice?
Halfway up the mountain, the orange cat is lazily enjoying the warm sun, the magpie and the crow are singing on the branches, knowing that there is a chirp without a sound, and the praying mantis is jumping up and down. Everything was so peaceful and refreshing. After a while, I walked to the top of the mountain, but I saw a stone archway standing resolutely. The stone tablet on the side records the propagation of Patriarch Bodhidharma's "nine years of facing the wall" meditation. From "entering the determination" to "opening the determination", the nine-year period is so long. The bird's nest was built on the shoulder, but he didn't know it, and the spiders on his face were webs, and he didn't have the heart to move. It can be seen that the heart of the patriarch, the mountains, rivers, the sun and the moon, all things in heaven and earth are unshakable. How many people in the world can do it?
The sixth day of coming to Shaolin Temple.
I can't wake up for a long time, and it's rare for me to get up early in the morning. Arrive at the temple, sweep the place in front of the Daxiong Treasure Hall, and clean the incense burner. I saw a girl in her twenties, kneeling in three steps, and bowing in nine steps to worship in all directions. I looked curious, and I stared. When I walked up to me, the girl bowed deeply to me and said, "*May I ask which Bodhisattva can bless people's health?" "Later, I learned that his father was sick and still in a coma, and the doctor said that if he wanted to wake up, he would not have to help the Bodhisattva. The girl came from a far away city and countryside, and began to bow down and go forward from the mountain gate, because she did not know which Bodhisattva could manifest her spirit, so she put a pillar of incense in front of each Bodhisattva, telling her wishes. It is known that this is the main hall of the Daxiong Treasure Hall, which is dedicated to the Buddha of the medicine master in charge of health. The girl knelt down here and wept heartily.
I heard her words clearly, willing to trade ten years of life for my father's well-being. I can't help but be a little moved, how many decades are there in my life? This father was also her backbone, the hope of the whole family, the child of the elderly to be filial piety, and the role model for the children. Now lying on the bed, the child cannot kneel here, and I wish him well. If the Bodhisattva knows, he will definitely appear to help, and I only hope that the next time you come, it will be a wish with a smile, not a new wish. In life, sentient beings will experience eight hardships and seven tribulations due to karma. Life, old age, sickness, death, love and separation, resentment and hatred, unbelievable, the five aggregates are blazing. I am fortunate to hear about the Dharma, and I wish to learn it correctly and save from suffering.
In the afternoon, I fed the pigeons with ** and listened to ** tell me about Buddhism. I just learned that in Buddhism, greed, hatred, and ignorance are summarized into three poisons. The pigeon is used to represent greed, the snake is used to represent anger, and the pig is used to represent stupidity. Pigeons are insatiable and insatiable, no matter how much they eat, they will continue to eat as long as they still have something to eat. So the insatiable character of the pigeon is compared to the greed of mortals. I checked the information and learned that this is actually related to the physiological structure of the pigeon, the pigeon has a short rectum and a developed digestive system, which is conducive to weight loss flight, but it also causes the pigeon to eat all the time to maintain physical strength.
The "greed" of the human world represents the desire for material conditions such as greed for enjoyment, money, fame and fortune, women's sex, and food. Excessive greed will even go unscrupulous, breaking through the boundaries of the law and moral norms to achieve their own goals. Greed is an external need, the lack of the heart leads to the external unrestricted taking, Buddhism believes that just to satisfy greed is not to satisfy greed, only to cut off the heart poison can completely eliminate greed.
I wondered, then why do we feed it anyway? ** Teaching: "The Dharma is compassionate, and all beings have a way. "I seem to have understood, but I don't understand it. Looking at the ** compassionate smile and the constant feeding of the pigeons in my hands, I seemed to feel a little emotional......
The seventh day of coming to Shaolin Temple. The golden light in the sky, the flowers and trees in the world are sparse, the heart is pure and comfortable, and the eyes are full of Zen ......On duty in front of the main hall, ** gave a good-looking bracelet as you like. Some tourists come to offer incense and bow to me, and after I return the salute, I will always return with a warm smile. When the tourist asked me, how do you see everyone smiling, I said, "I am a Buddha with compassion, everyone is out to play, and the natural smile will add color to the mood." You see me laughing, naturally because you are in a wonderful mood. "There are also tourists who say that I look like a Buddha and Bodhisattva, and some tourists describe me with one word - the solemnity of the treasure. I smiled and said "Amitabha", and I said that because you have compassion in your heart, you see that all living beings have Buddha appearances.
Some pilgrims put the incense in the incense burner and then leave in a hurry, and before the incense is lit, I always go to clean it up later, relight it and return it to all beings. There was an uncle in his forties who looked at me for a long time and quipped: "You are different, the Bodhisattva is in charge of Tan Yue's wishes, whether there is any incense lit, but the wishes are not conveyed." You also help to be in charge of after-sales and convey the wishes that have not been conveyed. For a while, everyone laughed. It's really true, in the temple, not only does the heart have a sense of Buddhahood, but the appearance also seems to be compassionate......
Before I knew it, a few days of meditation had come to an end. When it comes, it rains lightly, and when it goes, it rains lightly. It was as if he had come to wash away my filthy soul and reach this pure holy place. When I went, I washed again, hoping that I would return to the hustle and bustle of the world, and still be able to stay quiet and comfortable, and warned me: always wipe diligently, don't stain the dust. The incense is still hot in the temple, and the Zen sound is around the ears. The sound of rain in the pavilion is clear, still ticking. The lotus lamp in front of the Buddha is still bright and shining. The trees are still swaying in the wind. All I could do was follow me with a few wisps of sandalwood.
I faded from the prosperity and looked for a touch of coolness in the world. It's time to get back to where you should be, but in a very different state of mind. I meditate on the difference between glitz and clarity in this world. Perhaps, people need more and more simplicity and tranquility, like this cool wind, bright rain, gently blowing across the faces of all beings, taking away the complexity and pursuit. Elegant and cheerful, plain but delicate, in order to feel the strong vitality and endless beauty from life.
Goodbye, Shaolin Temple!
Author: Ye Qing Jushi).
On the Bodhi road, you and I walk together.