Zhang Tianshi tried Zhao Sheng seven times and finally passed this road.

Since ancient times, there has been a saying of practitioners: the Dharma is hard to meet, and the master is hard to find. As the saying goes, "Rao Juncong Biya Min is clever, but he is not satisfied with the master Mo Qiang's guess". Some people are looking for "famous teachers" instead of "masters". As a result, one step away, lifelong regret, looking back is a hundred years old.

There is a story of cultivation, from which we can see how the selected disciples were tested in ancient times. Zhang Zhenren in the story is well connected. Obviously, Zhao Sheng will become a heavy weapon in the future. Why not accept him quickly? But when he was the master, he deliberately instructed his master to make things difficult for him. Even after getting started, he tried many times. Think about why? In fact, this is a jade article that Zhang Zhenren painstakingly made for him. As the saying goes, "A jade is unfinished." People who give up after some humiliating setbacks can't be great. How did Master Wuzu make things difficult for Huineng when he first went to Huangmei Temple? Don't preach Buddhism at all, let him do rough work, and it is heavy physical work-mortar rice. Let's see how Lv Dongbin's master Zhong Liquan tested him ten times before he learned from his master. In those days, when Wang Zhongyang was lecturing, Qiu Chuji came to the teacher and was severely tortured by Wang Zhongyang. He just keeps carrying water and watering it all day. How did the old man Huangshi make things difficult for Sean, a famous Han Dynasty star, when he was down and begging? Later, he taught Taoism. Aren't Master Huineng, Lv Dongbin and Qiu Chuji bad in character and low in qualifications? Of course not. Can't their master work miracles and find out if they are real monks? Of course not. But why are they ten or even a hundred times more difficult to find Buddhism than others? In fact, it is precisely because they know that they are real monks that their master deliberately honed them in all aspects. Because master knows that even if you can carve beautiful jade, it depends on whether you have indestructible determination. If you are cut by a knife while carving, can you accept it gladly? If you weren't the material, he wouldn't bother to worry about you so much. If you look at the ancestors in Tongguang Lu, they will be extremely oppressed and insulted when they learn from them. Those who are difficult to fight, scold and drive are great talents, and they know the preciousness of the true mage. Liu Bei needs three more invitations to invite Zhuge, not to mention the teacher to practice the avenue. But how many people will suffer when they enter our old school and get scolded, slapped and kicked out several times? Most people simply can't accept this kind of spite, and most of them will resent it. Therefore, there is no need to carve these people and let them go. This kind of waste of blunt roots can't realize the real avenue.

There are many dharma seekers. Everyone feels that their qualifications are very high and their sincerity is enough. This is a common problem of eschatological dharma seekers. Everyone thinks they are great and big roots. It can be said that I am slower than the sky. Master's difficulty is precisely to eliminate the laziness of his disciples, but also to prevent them from thinking that Buddhism is too easy to cherish. In fact, if you think about it, how can you judge your qualifications? Even if it is good, can it be better than Master Huineng, Lv Dongbin and Qiu Chuji? They are all people who will become buddhas and ancestors in the future! Later generations addressed them as Master of Six Ancestors, Lv Zu and Qiu Zu. Liu Zushi popularized Zen Buddhism to the world, Lv Zu was the ancestor of Quanzhen Sect, and Qiu Zu started the present Longmen Sect. They are all great people, but even they have honestly experienced all kinds of pains and tribulations to sharpen their minds, let alone ordinary people.

All those who seek the Dharma have experienced hardships. The law is to "seek". What is the performance of sincerity? Is it just a few frivolous words? Does the act of patting your chest and swearing count? Whether there is real sincerity or not must stand all kinds of tests. Let's see how Zhang Zhenren made things difficult for Zhao Sheng and how Zhao Sheng passed the test. I hope those who seek dharma can put down my insistence and seek dharma honestly. Only in this way, there may be something to do, otherwise, even if you pursue it all your life, it will only be a waste of time and still miss the way. Once you meet a confused master, it's even harder to say where to go.

Zhang Daoling, also known as Zhang Tianshi and Seven Examinations of Zhao Sheng, tells the story of how the real Zhang Daoling tested his disciple Zhao Sheng. These seven tests are: the first test, don't insult. The second attempt, the beauty is not tempted. The third attempt, see gold don't take. The fourth try is not afraid to see the tiger. The fifth test, pay silks, is falsely accused. The sixth attempt is to help things. The seventh attempt, lay down one's life to learn from the teacher. Through this story, we can understand the sincerity of the ancients in seeking Tao from one side, and it is not easy to believe in Master.

Zhang Daoling seven tests Zhao Sheng.

The first attempt: I can't abuse it.

Zhang Daoling is a miraculous person, but Wang Chang is the only one of his disciples who has been taught the most. The rest of the disciples talked about it one after another, and they all thought that the real person was biased and stingy with the law. The real person said, "You have a shallow foundation. It will only harm you to preach the fundamental law. At noon on the seventh day of the first month of next year, a short man came from the east, wearing a mink brocade coat. This man is a true Taoist, not weaker than Wang Chang. " On the seventh day of the first month of next year, at noon, the real person said to Wang Chang, "Your brother is here, and he can make people like this." Teach him how to torture and humiliate others in private. Wang Chang said to his disciples privately, "My teacher will teach this man Buddhism. If you come, don't talk to him. " What's more insulting is that if he is not allowed in, he will leave automatically. "The disciples take care of each other and think it's a good idea. The man came to the door, claiming to be Zhao, Mingsheng, from Wuxian. He longed for the wisdom of real people and came to pay his respects. The disciple replied, "My teacher has gone on a trip, so I dare not stay here." Zhao Sheng archway to wait on, the crowd dispersed. At night, close the door. Zhao Sheng had to sleep outside the door.

The next day, everyone opened the door, and Zhao Sheng leaned over to find the teacher. Everyone persuaded: "Our host is very stingy. We have served him for decades without teaching him any secrets. What can we do when you come? " Zhao replied, "It's up to the teacher to pass it on or not. But pity me for coming all the way, I just want to see it to comfort my ears that I have admired all my life. " Disciple added, "If you insist on meeting, suit yourself. Only the owner is really not here. How do we know when he will return to the mountain? Don't wait any longer, you will have a wrong future. " Zhao Sheng said, "I really came out of sincerity. If a real person doesn't come back for ten days, he is willing to wait for ten days; If you don't come for a hundred days, you are willing to wait for a hundred days. "

They became more and more disgusted when they saw Zhao Sheng stay for a few days without turning around. Gradually, he made insulting remarks, and later treated Zhao Sheng as a beggar and insulted him. Zhao Sheng became more and more amiable, and he didn't care at all. Every afternoon, I only go to the village to buy a meal, and then come to the door to serve after eating. No one is allowed to enter the house at night, so we have to camp out in front of the steps for more than forty days. Disciples privately said, "Although he was driven away, it was better to keep it from Master. I don't know about it yet. " I saw a real person ringing the bell in the temple and said, "Zhao's youngest son has been here for more than forty days, which is embarrassing enough." He can be called to see him today. " The disciples were frightened and realized that Master had a spirit of knowing before. The teacher ordered Wang Chang to call Zhao Sheng in. When Zhao Sheng saw the real person, he sobbed and kowtowed as a disciple. Real people know that he sincerely seeks Tao, but it still needs to be tested. A few days later, he was sent to Tian She to watch the millet seedlings.

The second attempt: the beauty is not tempted.

Zhao Sheng was ordered to come to the field with only a small hut. One night, Zhao Sheng sat alone in the hut and saw a beautiful woman come in and said, "My aunt is the daughter of a farmer in the West Village. I went out with her to play with the moon, so I got lost here. My feet hurt so much that I can't move at all. Please have pity on me and let me spend the night here. "

Zhao Shenggang was about to push it back when the woman went straight to his bed and fell asleep. Yingying sang softly, saying that her feet hurt. Zhao Sheng thought she was really like this, so she had no choice but to let her sleep. I spread some grass and clothes on the floor and slept all night. The next day, the woman complained that her feet hurt, and deliberately refused to leave, coquetry for tea and begging. Zhao Sheng had to take care of her. In the evening, she undressed first, made the bed by herself, and lured Zhao Sheng to sleep with her. Zhao Shengru is as hard as stone and won't even enter the hut. He just sat on the edge of the field until dawn. On the fourth day, the woman disappeared, only to find four poems engraved on the earth wall, saying, "All beauties are good, like a gentleman with a heart of stone." Teenagers don't enjoy themselves and live up to good times. "Zhao saw it and laughed." How long can teenagers play? "He took off his sole and began to scribble.

The third test: don't take it when you see gold.

Zhao was ordered by a real person to carry a firewood axe and go to the back hill to cut firewood. Accidentally cut down a dead pine tree and its roots burst out. Zhao Sheng pulled up his hands to loosen the roots, and when he saw it, a cellar of gold in Huang Cancan was revealed below. Suddenly I heard a cloud in the air: "God sent Zhao Sheng." Zhao Sheng thought, "I am a monk. What is the use of this gold? Besides, if there is no job, how can we be greedy for the gift of heaven? " Then cover the mountain soil. Pack up the firewood and go.

Try 4: Don't be afraid to see tigers.

Zhao is cutting firewood on the mountain. He is sleepy and seldom has a rest. Suddenly, three tigers jumped out of the ravine. Zhao Shengan can't sit still. Sanhu saved Zhao Sheng and bit his clothes, but he didn't hurt himself. Zhao Sheng was fearless and said to the tiger, "I have never done anything ambiguous in my life. Nowadays, I have abandoned my family and entered the Taoist temple, and I have traveled thousands of miles to find a wise teacher and seek the road to longevity. If I owe you a debt in my last life, I should be chewed up by you in my life and dare not avoid it; If not, you should go quickly, it's very annoying to stay here. " Hearing this, Sanhu bowed their heads and left. Zhao Sheng said, "This was sent by the mountain gods to test us. Life is life, why should I be afraid! " When I came home with firewood that day, I didn't tell my other disciples about knowing the tiger.

The fifth test: pay for silk, falsely accuse without arguing.

The real person paid Zhao Sheng to buy ten silks in the market. After Zhao Sheng bought it, he took the silk back to the mountain. Halfway through, I suddenly heard someone shouting behind me: "Go slowly, diaosi thief!" " "Zhao Sheng looking back, is the shopkeeper selling silk. He rushed in and grabbed Zhao Sheng and said, "You won't give me money to buy silk. Give me back the silk quickly, and everything will be over! Zhao Sheng didn't argue, but read: "This silk is an item that my teacher needs." If I give it back to him, how should I reply to Master? "He took off his mink and gave it to him to offset the price of silk. The silk seller thought it was too little, so he took off his brocade coat and left. Zhao Sheng presented a real person with a silk. The real person asked, "Where are your clothes? Zhao replied, "I get sick and hot occasionally. I never wear it." The real person sighed, "It's really hard to be generous with your wealth without talking about others. "

The sixth test: things that deliberately help.

Zhao Sheng and his colleagues were harvesting grain in the field when they suddenly saw a man on the roadside, kowtowing and begging, dressed in rags, with rotten feet and unable to walk. His contemporaries covered their noses and scolded him. Zhao Sheng couldn't bear to help him sit in the hut and ask about his sufferings. Eat your own food on an empty stomach and save it for him. Burn another bucket of hot water to wash his stink. Zhao Sheng unbuttoned his robe and took off a pair of underwear to keep him out of the cold. In the evening, I was worried that he would be alone, so I kept him company in person. Who would have thought that the man's sore was getting better and better and suddenly left without saying goodbye? Zhao Sheng has no resentment.

The seventh test: lay down your life to learn from the teacher

Real people will one day gather all their disciples and climb the top of Tianzhu Peak together. The real person asked his disciples to look down at the peak. There was a peach tree with a stone wall next to it, facing the abyss. There are many peaches on that peach tree. The red one is lovely. The real person said to everyone, "If anyone can pick peaches, I will tell him the secret of monasticism."

The cliff is bottomless. When I look down at the edge of the cliff, I feel dizzy. At that time, all the disciples except Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng stood on the edge of the cliff sweating like a pig, unable to stand on their feet. Zhao Sheng was the only one who stood up, found the peach tree and jumped down. Who would have thought that this jump would just cross the peach tree and pick peaches at will? Look at this mirror-smooth stone wall. I couldn't climb up, so I picked peaches and threw them up. Real people pick them up one by one by hand. The real person picked up a peach and ate one. Wang Chang ate one and left one for Zhao Sheng, leaving just 234. Give one to each disciple, no more, no less.

The real person asked, "Which disciple has the ability to lead Zhao Sheng up?" The disciples looked at each other. The real person stretched out an arm from the rock, Zhao Sheng. The arm suddenly grew two or three zhangs, until Zhao Sheng side. Zhao Sheng followed his arm, and all the disciples were frightened. The real person smiled and said, "I want to jump down today and see if I can pick a big peach." All the disciples advised not to go. Only Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng were silent. Real people don't listen to everyone's advice and jump.

Everyone is anxious to see the peach trees below, but there is no trace of real people; Look at the bottom, there is no bottom, and when you see a real person falling into a deep valley, you run. Zhao said to Wang Chang, "Master is like our father. Now that Master has jumped off a cliff, I don't know whether to live or die. How can I feel at ease? Let's jump together and see where Master is. " So they threw themselves off the cliff, but they fell in front of real people. I saw real people sitting on the rocks and seeing them fall. I smiled and said, "I knew you two would come." So I passed on the secret of the avenue.