Zhao patent

Zen master Zhao Zhou, whose dharma name comes from imperial edict, is a master in the history of Zen. He became a monk as a child and later became a monk in Nanquan. He is the fourth generation descendant after Master Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism.

In the 11th year of Emperor Taizong's reign, at the age of 80, he moved from Master Chen to the ancient city of Zhaozhou, and was persuaded by believers to stay in Xiguan Kannonji. He has been preaching Buddhism and Zen Buddhism for 40 years and has become a model of the jungle, known as the "ancient Buddha of Zhaozhou".

Zhao Zhou Zen master is famous for his profound understanding and times. At that time, when people talked about the monks in the Zen forest in China, they all said that "there are snow peaks in the south and Zhaozhou in the north", and they also had the reputation that "Zhaozhou's vision has broken the four boundaries".

In the far south, there is a "Zhaozhou Pass" at the entrance of Huiji Mountain in Xinyang, Jiangxi, and a "Zhou Wang Pavilion" at the Zen Dojo in Xuefeng Village, Fujian. This shows the position of Zen master Zhao Zhou in Zen.

Although the Zen master is famous for Taoism and supported by the two kings of Yan and Zhao, his life is very simple and poor. His "rope bed is broken and tied with rope to burn his salary." He is often "pants without waist, jacket without mouth, head blue and gray." Tukuqi bed, broken reed mat and old elm pillow are all naked. "

It is in this difficult living environment that the Zen master spread the impression of his grandfathers and attracted scholars from all over the world. Well-known cases such as "tea removal", "washing dishes", "cypress seeds in front of the court" and "dogs have no Buddha nature" not only enlightened many Zen monks at that time, but also spread to future generations and lasted forever.

Since the Song Dynasty, Zen, which is convenient for "saying", has prevailed in China, and the quotations of Zhao Zhou, a Zen master, have been studied the most, and many people are inspired by Zhao Zhou's quotations. Among them, "dogs have no Buddha's nature" is more concise and "there is no way to pass", which has become a major proposition of Zen Buddhism and is still the most popular case-solving in China, Japan, Europe and America.

Zen master Zhao Zhou lives in 120. After his death, a tower was built in the temple to offer clothes and relics, and posthumous title was called the "true Zen master". During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Gufo Hall and Daci Hall were built successively, and the top of the stone carving was dedicated to Zen master Zhen Ji. The existing Zhaozhou Tower in the temple was built in the Yuan Dynasty for three years, and its full name is "Dayuan Zhaozhou Ancient Buddha True Light Pagoda for Serving the Country", with a height of 33 meters and seven floors.

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There is a Berlin Zen Temple in Zhao County, Hebei Province. In the Tang Dynasty, it was called Kannonji, and a Zen master who was later called the ancient Buddha of Zhaozhou was stationed here. The first time I went to the Zen Temple in Berlin, I saw those ancient cypresses, historic sites, ancient pagodas and pagodas for the first time, and I felt a kind of familiar feeling, as if there was a fate related to tea here.

In fact, the old monk in Zhaozhou is famous all over the world for the case of "going to have tea".

That autumn, somehow, it was stuffy and hot during the day, comparable to summer.

There are no pedestrians on the path to Luancheng, and even a few vendors can't be seen. The sun shines on the loess road, dimly discernible with heat wave-like light and shadow.

A bony monk was in a hurry. He took off the towel around his neck, wiped the sweat from his face and looked ahead. I saw a big tree not far away, and cicadas called in the tree. There was a melon stall and a tea stall under the tree.

He slowed down, took off the basket on his shoulder and sat on the bench in the compartment. The peddler came up and said, "Do you want a melon? The sand is sweet! " The monk looked at the neatly packed red melon on the table, swallowed water and asked, "How much is this tea?"

After waiting for a long time, the peddler thought he had a big customer. Unexpectedly, the newcomer just drank tea, and his enthusiasm suddenly faded a lot: "Tea is enough." The monk spat out a sigh: "Let's have a bowl of tea first!"

The peddler picked up a big broken tea bowl and scooped a bowl of tea from a big wooden bucket with a ladle made of half a gourd. Tea, in fact, is just a few pieces of soup cooked by wild plum leaves in water, but the monk drank it all at once like nectar and said to the vendor, "Another bowl!" " "

The peddler filled the tea bowl and saw the monk dig out a hard bun from the basket and eat it sweetly with tea.

While driving away flies and insects around the melon with rattan, the vendor said to the monk, "Eat a melon, sweet sand, as big as three pence!" " "The monk looked at the melon, then at the steamed bread in his hand and shook his head.

The peddler sighed and asked, "Where do you always go?" The monk put down his bun, folded his hands and said, "Go to Kannonji to meet the master. Excuse me, benefactor, how far is it from Kannonji? "

The vendor said, "Ah, I'm going to worship the old monk in Zhaozhou. Then you have to have a rest and leave quickly, or you won't arrive before dark. " "Well," said the monk, "I think the poor monk came with my teacher when he was young. Why is the road getting farther and farther now? "

The peddler said, "Seek Tao, seek Tao, and the road is naturally long if you have desires in your heart." The monk nodded and said, "What the benefactor said is very reasonable. If you take part in the research, you may be inspired. "

The peddler said with a smile, "If you get the word, you get the word. I usually sell melons and tea here. I saw someone enter Zhaozhoumen, but I didn't see many Taoist priests. " The monk nodded and said nothing. After eating for a while, I filled the bamboo bucket on my back with tea and set off on my way.

It's already dark. Seeing the outline of a house looming ahead, the monk quickened his pace. I saw two closed mountain gates with a plaque with the word "Guanyin Temple" hanging on it. Paint has fallen off in many places, but the handwriting is Tang calligraphy, and the center is full of vitality.

The footman was overjoyed and knocked at the gate. After a while, an old monk with hunchback and hair came out to open the door.

The footman quickly folded his hands and saluted, "I know this dust. I have come from Jiao Ting County to pay my respects to the Zen master. Can I sign the bill? "

The old monk looked at him and turned and said, "Come with me."

Chen Zhi quickly followed: "I want to pay tribute to the old monk first."

The old monk said nothing but walked forward. Chen Zhi followed the old monk through several cypress trees and came to the abbot's room in the backyard. The old monk pointed inward and left.

Chen Zhi stood at the door for a while. Suddenly he heard someone shouting behind him: "Master, master!" " Turning around, I saw a black-faced monk calling a middle-aged monk and saying, "There is no rice in the temple again, so we can't cook tomorrow. I can't even cook porridge for breakfast, I can only cook rice soup. If I go on like this, I will never keep this throne. "

The hospital owner shook his head and said, "Alas, don't talk about your throne, even I can't be the hospital owner anymore." You see, this month, no matter who comes to seek dharma, monks teach people to have tea. Not only is it expensive to buy tea, but the bamboo shoots in the backyard are almost finished. We don't have any big donors, and we don't know how to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival ... "

The throne sighed and waved. "Go ahead, I'm still waiting for the meal."

The boss of the hospital turned around and was about to go in, but he saw Chen Zhi standing at the door and said strangely, "Hey? Why are you standing at the door? "

"I'm here to pay tribute to the abbot," Chen Zhi said. "An old mage brought me here. I wonder if it is too presumptuous to go in like this. " The director of the hospital said, "Come with me."

Know dust followed the hospital owner into the abbot liao. The abbot's hut is just a shabby hut with only one light, which is a little dark.

There is no decoration in the room except a few old chairs, a carved Buddha statue and a pair of straw sandals hanging on the partition. There is a broken bed in the corner, one leg is broken, and some cypress branches are barely supported by ropes.

I saw a short, gaunt, black-faced old monk sitting on the seat, without a shirt, and a worn-out short coat, which was rotten in several places-this was Zhao Zhou's resignation from the Zen master. There is a tall and thin monk sitting next to the seat, and there are sachets and other things next to the chair. Presumably, he also came to visit the abbot.

The host asked Chen Zhi to sit down and shouted, "Monk." The old monk on the stone bench slowly raised his eyelids, glanced at them, pointed to the first monk and asked, "Have you been to our Kannonji?"

The monk stood up and replied respectfully, "I have never been here." The old monk said, "Oh … have tea."

The monk was quite puzzled and had to stand up and go out.

The old monk turned to dust again. Know dust in the mind a thrill, although see old monk zhao this look a little disappointed, but after all, he is a master of enlightenment Zen. The Zen case-solving that has been brewing for a long time at home and on the road is almost blurted out. He secretly worried and fought these fronts. Perhaps, like the old monk in those days, he was used as a utensil and put in the abbot's room as a waiter, which is unknown. At that time, I was with the old monk every day, and maybe I will be enlightened soon. In addition, I informed all the people in the world to pay homage to the old monk. Look, it's beautiful Hey, wait, this Kannonji in Zhaozhou is so poor that I just heard that he can't even eat. If I stay here, ...

The old monk asked, "Have you been to our Kannonji?" Know dust one leng, isn't this the question I just asked the monk? Not in this Zen case-solving. He stood up and replied respectfully, "When I was young, I followed my family teacher here to pay my respects. This is farewell. Please ask the old master to warn me ... "

The old monk said, "Oh … have tea." Until the dust freezes now.

"Monk, let the people who didn't come just now have tea," said the owner puzzled. Why is this one taught to drink tea? "

The old monk shouted, "Master!" The dean quickly replied, "Here." The old monk said, "You have tea, too!" The master was dazed, then laughed, as if he had put something down, so he took Chen Zhi out of the abbot's room and went to Chaliao.

When I left, Chen Zhi couldn't help looking at the old monk. The old monk is as thin and untidy as before, but there seems to be a kind of power in this emaciation and untidiness. The old monk suddenly looked up at Chen Zhi, but Chen Zhi bowed his head in fear, afraid to look at the old monk.

Chen Zhi and the owner of the hospital came to Chaliao and saw that the tall and thin monk who came first had come in and was waiting for tea. The tea head served three bowls of tea soup to three people. "Well, I came later with the master of the hospital," said Chi Chenqi. "How do you know it's three bowls of tea?" As soon as the monk Chatou laughed, "I just passed by Zhang Liao and saw three people coming in, so I came back to boil water and order some tea."

Knowing the dust still doesn't understand, but it's hard to ask. Besides, I'm thirsty and hungry after a long journey, and I can't care so much. I quickly took the tea before me and drank it. Tea is cooked with dried bamboo shoots, beans, ginger slices and green salt. It tastes sweet, but most of the tea bowls are broken, and some are still broken together.

Hungry, they finished their tea in three bites and licked their mouths. The owner also slowly finished eating a bowl of tea, and the water in the teapot boiled again. The tea head pours a bowl of tea soup scooped out earlier into the pot to "boil", divides the tea cake into two bowls to "nourish China", and then presents two bowls of newly boiled steaming tea soup to the two.

Chen Zhi held the bowl and said, "The abbot invited the three of us to have tea together. Why didn't Master come?" Tea head smiled and said, "Tea Zen is fate, and each has its own fate."

The master stood up from his seat, wiped his mouth and said, "I won't talk to you." You can take them to stay after tea. " Went out.

They had another cup of tea before they felt well fed and clothed. The tea head cleaned up the bowls and tea sets used by several people, and then got up and said, "I'll take you to stay."

Out of the door, a cold wind swept, Chen Zhi shivering. Tea head smiled and said, "This place in Zhaozhou is extremely hot during the day and extremely cold at night."

Fortunately, there are three bowls of tea in my stomach, otherwise I wouldn't die of cold. Just thinking, I have arrived in the guest room and the guest teacher has fallen asleep. The tea head woke up the host, gave him a few words and left.

At this time, Chen Zhi asked the tall and thin monk who came first to have a good reputation and virtue, and they were arranged to live in a hut. There is only one heatable adobe sleeping platform in the hut. There is air leakage everywhere in the room, and the thatch is stuffed indiscriminately. There is no mattress on the bed, only an old reed mat covers it. By candlelight, I don't know how many people are soaked in oil and sweat.

Two people wry smile at one another, also had to sleep at random, his head to his chest. After a long time, Yide said, "Brother Chen Zhi, are you asleep?" "I can't sleep," Chen Zhi said.

A German said, "I don't know what the quilt smells like, but I can't stand it."

Chen Zhi sighed and said, "Just sleep for one night and make plans tomorrow."

A German humanitarian: "Tomorrow? You will still be here tomorrow, but I have to go. "

"I have followed my master since I was a child," Chen Zhi said. "The person he respects most is Chen Cong Jackson of Zhaozhou. He said that Zen master Chen Cong was the most enlightened Zen master. I told master before I came out, and I will never go back until I am enlightened! "

Yi De said, "Enlightenment, enlightenment, it's not that easy! Besides, what if you are enlightened? Zen master Chen Cong is not broke, but he invited everyone to have tea here. I don't know if he is enlightened. "

Chen Zhi said, "I think the phrase" drinking tea "is very simple, but it is very powerful. Although it seems that nothing is said, there is nothing in it that can't be hidden. At home, Master often teaches teachers: "All laws should be unified, and where should they go?"? I think this "one" is in the sentence "Go for tea". "

"Whatever he has, I'm from Beijing," said Francois. "I can't stand this kind of suffering. I must go back tomorrow. " Know dust sighed, also not strongly advised.

Early porridge the next day, if the fruit is clear soup and thin rice, you can get your figure directly from what you said the day before. Knowing that Chen and Yide had eaten porridge, Yide would go back to his hometown to clean up. Chen Huixing advised, "Zhaozhou is an ancient Buddha in Zen forest. Now that you're here, you'll regret leaving without telling him the real meaning. It's better to say goodbye to the monk before going, and don't be late. "

Adebayor also wanted to think, followed Chen Zhi out of the lent. I learned that Master Chen was growing vegetables in the backyard, so I went to the backyard and saw that several monks were harvesting sweet potatoes, but the old monk Zhao Zhou was hoeing the ground in the center.

A young monk is obviously new here. He stood on the ground, carrying his mantle and saluting Master Chen. He said, "Scholars have come a long way and are confused. Please ask the teacher for instructions."

The old monk kept asking with a hoe in his hand, "Did you eat porridge earlier?" The monk replied, "I have eaten." The old monk said, "Go and wash the dishes."

Chen Zhi and Yide looked at each other, and Yide whispered to Chen Zhi, "Do you understand?" Chen Zhi shook his head and asked, "Do you understand?"

Yide also shook his head and said, "Alas, you always said that monk Zhao Zhou was a Zen master with great insight and was famous. We came to Enlightenment to listen to his warning. Who knows that he only said these trivial things, but this is not a misunderstanding? This time I will leave everything I said, not a moment. " Say high-handed pull know dust back to the room.

Adi packed her bags and urged Chen Zhi to come out with Zhaozhou. "Why don't you come back to Beijing with me? We have a main hall half the size of Guanyin Courtyard, all of which are lent to the Lord. For Chinese New Year's Day, it costs 1,000 yuan to attend an amphibious law meeting casually. Needless to say, the emperor personally came to our temple to burn incense, and ordinary officials were in awe of us. "

Chen Zhi asked, "Then why did you come to Kannonji?" Yide choked up, thought for a moment and said, "I'm here to be enlightened ..."

Knowing the dust didn't ask much, so he went with him. He was anxious for Buddhism, and he didn't want to go back like this, and he wouldn't go to any big temples in Beijing with him. Just say stay a few more days.

Knowing dust helped Adi carry the sachet and sent him out of the city gate. When I arrived at the main hall, I saw an old monk from Zhaozhou talking to a scholar. "Let's go and listen," said Chen Zhi.

A German pursed his lips: "It means nothing more than' drinking tea' and' washing dishes'. What's good to hear? " But I was dragged to the back of the hall by the dust.

Just listen to the scholar's way: "ask the mage, Buddha obeys all sentient beings and doesn't take what all sentient beings want, is that right?" The old monk replied, "Yes."

The scholar smiled and said, "The old mage has a statue with crutches in his hand. Can you give it to me? " The old monk in Zhaozhou looked at him and said, "A gentleman doesn't take away the kindness of others."

The scholar said, "I am not a gentleman." The old monk said, "The old monk is not a Buddha either."

Chen Zhi hid behind the temple and couldn't help laughing and saying to Yide, "Are you still going?" "He doesn't even want to be a Buddha," said Yide. What else can I learn from him? If you don't go home and read the Bible, forget it. " So he went out of the gate and left.

Although Chen Zhi could not understand that the old monk was fighting with others, he was the most practical and diligent. When he was in Kannonji, besides chanting, attending classes in the morning and evening, and going out of the slope, he spent the rest of his time in the teahouse helping Master Chatou wash tea sets and clean the house dust.

Master Chatou didn't ask him why he came here to help. He let him do whatever he wanted. It's just that a large number of people come to eat tea every day, or there is no one for several days. Most people who come to drink tea talk about the old monk's initiative while drinking tea.

A few years later, Chen Zhi saved money and listened to many cases. I gradually learned the frying method and the ceremony of serving tea because I paid attention to the daily cooking and serving tea before Buddha.

Master Teahead is very white. I often wonder how Master Teahead can remain spotless and untidy in a place like Zhaozhou where the wind and sand are very heavy and it is inconvenient to wash.

The temple is often short of food, and sometimes people are asked to go to the people's homes for alms. At this time, Chen Zhi was actually very depressed, but the master who looked at the tea head was always calm and easy, and the leftovers were mixed with lettuce sauce and ate with relish-everything he ate was as sweet as tea.

One morning, Chen Zhi came to the teahouse early. It was originally the Christmas of Guanyin Bodhisattva, but in the morning, she wanted to make tea for the Buddha. Master Teahead came to the teahouse with his hands in his sleeves, but he didn't make tea.

Chen Zhi looked at Master Chatou in surprise and was about to ask a question. Master Chatou first asked, "Why did you come to Guanyin Temple?" Answer: "Please ask Zen Master Chen to meditate."

Master Chatou asked again, "What do you want?" Chen Zhi replied: "Seeking Zen."

The tea head asked, "Where is Zen?" Knowing that the dust has been confused for a while, I have a big mystery in my heart. Master Chatou has been sitting on the futon, closing his eyes and saying, "Ask if you don't understand."

I came to Zhang's room blankly and met an old monk from Zhaozhou who yawned. When he saw Chen Zhi, he asked, "What are you doing here?" Chen Zhi said, "Ask Zen."

Monk Zhao Zhou asked again, "Where are you from?" Chen Zhi said, "Tea room."

The old monk said, "Let's have tea." Knowing the dust is enlightened by words, and it suddenly becomes clear.

Chen Cong Zen master

No matter at that time or later, he was a great master of Zen, but during his stay in Guanyin Temple, his life was very poor.

It was not until Zen Master Chen 1 18 years old that he was supported by the two kings of Yan and Zhao two years before his death. During the two-year mentoring relationship between Zhao Yan and Zhaozhou, many cases and anecdotes were left for later generations. Among them, the poem written by Wang Zhao for Zen master Chen Cong was also engraved in the inscription of Zen master Chen Cong, saying: Bixi Moon Mirror. I teach myself, and I live in Zhaozhou.

The original Kannonji has changed its name several times in two thousand years, but now it is called "Zhaozhou Bailin Temple". Jing Hui, an old monk who retired from Berlin to restore this ancient Zen road, once showed the case of Zhao Zhou's "going to drink tea": for more than a thousand years, countless Zen practitioners have various explanations and experiences on this case. This story reveals a very profound Buddhist truth to us. Learning Buddhism is not an intellectual problem, but a practical problem. The experience of Zen is the same, just like to know the taste of tea, you have to drink it yourself to know whether it is scented tea, oolong tea or Longjing tea, cold or hot.

On one occasion, Ming Hai Zen Master, the current abbot of Bailin Temple, made a similar revelation when he came to Beijing Laoshe Teahouse for tea. At that time, he pointed to a coffee table and said, "Zen has a very important spirit-to contact." For example, this coffee table, we should know it, touch it, touch it directly, and do it! Do it! Go shirtless! Do it, touch it, and you will know. So Zen attaches great importance to experience. What is Zen from the book? You experience it. Speaking of tea,' eat tea', you should drink it directly. Life is the same, you have to contact directly. You love something directly, you pay for it, you suffer for it, and you will know. "

There are rubbings of the statue of Zen master in Zhaozhou at home, and a glass of clear water will be offered in front of the Buddha when making tea. It doesn't matter if you get burned by a cup when you drink tea, just let it burn; Or smell the tea. Never mind, just let it smell. I just hid my heart in this little cup of tea, put it away and put it now. A friend was too hot to stand when making tea and asked me, don't you feel hot? I held out my hand to show her: Look, I can't feel the cocoon burning.

Zen and tea bring us face-to-face and tranquility, with a clear conscience. After searching for many poems, I still feel that a simple poem written by Mr. Zhao Puchu, the former president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, is the most suitable for the end of this article:

Seven bowls are delicious, and one pot is really interesting.

Tea is better than holding 100 thousand empty.

Drink tea!