Remember Elder Huiming: from an ascetic life to a generation of eminent monks?

Hui Ming (1860 ~ 1930), the abbot of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, has been mentioned by everyone, especially by Buddhist monks and nuns. He was born in Fujian, and I heard that he is a monk. When I approached him, he was an old man of eighteen or nineteen. He is short, only five feet tall, with bronzed skin, towering head and cheekbones, and his voice is as loud as Hong Zhong's. When he was giving a lecture in the hall, his voice made the bronze bell on the hall buzz, which showed that he was a strange man. Judging from his appearance, he is almost exactly the same as the Lohan in the Lohan Hall, and is quite similar to the shape of the Six Ancestral Masters enshrined in the ancestral hall of Nanhua Temple in Guangdong.

Hui Ming, an old mage, was originally from agriculture in ordinary times and never studied. After becoming a monk, his work was all about the life of an ascetic monk, serving in the jungle, serving as a vegetable head, rice head, water head and net head, and he liked to meditate in his spare time. He is a distressed monk who can't read. Why does he have the title of Arihoshi? This is also a miracle. According to the old-timers in the forest, Master Huiming fasted and fed the dogs every day when he was a "walking pavilion" at Tiantong Temple in Ningbo. This is one of his daily lessons.

He is reluctant to throw away the dog's leftovers. In order to cherish his blessings, he picked them up, washed them with water and ate them himself. So after several years, one day, when he was eating dog food, he burst out laughing. Villagers asked him what he was laughing at. He said: "I often hear people say that dogs have Buddha nature. Today, I understand this truth, so I am funny. " Since then, he seems to have enlightened the knowledge of Buddhism. This is what is called: "The lower level has the wisdom of the upper level."

Later, Tiantong Temple invited the master to speak the Jue Yuan Sutra. Although he is a solo artist, he is very eager to listen to the classics with the public every day. One day, when he heard the master say in the scriptures that "round consciousness is self-nature, non-sexual existence, all kinds of sexuality follow, and there is no basis", he immediately opened his mind and saw the nature at once. After listening to the classics every time, he will have a chat with his classmates, which shows his understanding of the classics. The villagers laughed at him and said, "Look at your face in the mirror. You look so distressed and illiterate. Do you still want to be a missionary? " ? He was so angry that he replied, "You think I can't be a mage? Well, starting today, I'm determined to be a mage to show you. Three years later, I will return to Tiantong to give lectures! You wait and see! 」

The villagers clapped their hands and laughed when they heard him say such a big thing! Someone said, "With your materials, you can be a lecturer, unless Cycas blooms and the Yellow River flows backwards." Without arguing with them, he immediately returned to his room, put away the laundry list, carried his luggage and left the door.

Since he left Tiantong, he has traveled around the world, participated in 53 stories, visited good knowledge and visited four famous mountains in China. Two years later, in the spring of the third year, he heard that there was another lecture in tiantong temple, preaching the Generous Huayan Sutra and Guangfo, so he moved his mind, shouldered the burden and returned to tiantong temple. When he entered the living room and sat down, the guest teacher saw that he was just a broken bag, short and distressed, and regarded him as a "cloud monk". Ask him with a straight face: "What's the advantage of your master living here?" He replied, "I'm here to listen to the scriptures. I'm here to ask for the scriptures." The master was amused and felt that he was as distressed as you. He came to listen to any classics, but jokingly said, "Do you know what classics we are going to talk about here? He looked up and answered, "Why do you ask? Isn't it the Huayan Sutra about the generous and broad Buddha? 」

The guest joked with him again and asked, "Do you know how to say the word" big square and wide "? You told me that if it was right, I would allow you to pass the bill. Seeing Zhike's teacher deliberately asking questions, he immediately put down his face and pointed to Zhike and said, "Hey, you didn't take part in the study! How can you ask the dharma lightly? If you want to ask me for enlightenment, you must respectfully put on your clothes, show off your furniture, bow to me three times, then kneel down and cross your hands in front of me so that I can tell you. Is this a child's game attitude and a way to seek the law? "Branch can be scolded by him. At that time, he thought this man was ugly, but the hall was not small, so he immediately put an "own goal" and said, please sit down for a while. I'll be right there.

The master turned and ran to the abbot's room, giving the abbot and the monk a cheat. It is said that an unusual waiting list master came at the right time. He said that he would come to listen to the scriptures. I asked him what sutra he listened to, and he replied that he wanted to listen to the Huayan Sutra of Dafang Guangfo. I asked how to say the word "Dafangguang". His tone is really not small. He said that if you want to hear the words "generous and generous", you have to let the abbot and monk take clothes and tools and invite him to the abbot's room before he can speak. Hearing this, the abbot and monk were aroused for a while. He really put on Hongzu's clothes and came to the guest room, and invited the monk Huiming to the abbot's room.

When monk Huiming entered the abbot's room, he said, "Monk, if you want to listen to me, you must lend me your throne." . "The abbot in accordance with him, respectfully sent him to the throne. He sat on the throne like a mage, patting a ruler and saying, "Monk, there are four kinds of words, namely,' Brilliant',' Guangzhongguang',' Guangzhongguang' and' Guangzhongguang'. If we say "Guangzhong" in a broad sense, I will never finish reading it all my life. I want to say "Guangzhong" and "Guangzhong", and it will take one and a half years. After listening to his words, the abbot monk felt that the monk was not simple and dared not speak out of turn. Instead, he replied: "Just talk about quantity! 」

Then, he made a big lion roar, how to be "big" and how to name it "Fang" How to name "Guang"? Taking the words "body", "body" and "meaning" as triple metaphysical meanings is like a bucket falling down and pouring for three hours. The abbot and monk became more and more happy. He felt that everything he said flowed from his own nature. He was unique, charming and mysterious. He immediately bowed down and thanked him, saying, "Master is wise! The mage is clever! " Ask him to give a speech for him. This is the reason why monk Huiming was honored as a mage, and it was also the first time that he began to give lectures.

Since then, many places in the jungle have been attracted by Master Mu Huiming's reputation and invited to give lectures. Every time he gives a lecture, he is packed. Although he has a reputation as a missionary, he doesn't read written books carefully, but his interest lies in Zen. He lectures on his own understanding, unlike other lecturers who have to refer to sparse notes. He believes that the above principle of financial sparing is the opinion of predecessors and has nothing to do with himself. No matter how much he knows about financial aid, he is just counting money for others.

Therefore, he never judges the doctrine in his lectures, only excludes the interpretation of the text, and likes to talk about enlightening case-solving laws and regulations, so he is very popular with ordinary Zen monks and lay men and women. As long as I heard that Master Huiming was going to lecture somewhere, Zen He Zi and some laity followed him in droves. That kind of scene has never been seen by ordinary lecturers. Although Hui Lao is a man who doesn't speak words, he speaks French very well. That year, I spent the New Year in Lingyin. On New Year's Eve, he said in class. I remember there are two sentences in French, "Flowers bloom and fall, and plum petals are fragrant". How poetic! Can people who don't drink ink say it? This is his inspiration. (There is a volume of Quotations from Master Huiming, which was recorded by Master Tan Xuan in Hunan. )

During the half year when I was close to the old Master Huiming, I felt that this great virtue had many strange parts. First, he is not vain. There is a fact to prove it. In the tenth year of the Republic of China, Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou was announced to be changed into Shifang Jungle (Lingyin Temple was originally a descendant temple), and elders from various mountains in Hangzhou gathered for discussion and elected the first abbot. Everyone regards Master Huiming as lofty and ambitious, and recommends Hui Lao as the abbot of Lingyin, but Hui Lao refuses. Repeated efforts to persuade, but also rejected. So half a year later, everyone made a plan, and several famous local laymen came forward to invite Hui Lao to Lingyin Temple for dinner.

Hui Lao didn't doubt him, but was invited. When he passed the gate of Lingyin Mountain, he saw rows of monks standing on both sides, all dressed and holding tools, as if welcoming the drivers. Seeing that something was wrong, he knew that he had been cheated, immediately turned his head and strode away. Let's go after him and stop him and let him come back. So he sat underground, crossing his legs and refusing to get up. Everyone had no choice but to carry him back and enter the palace, beating gongs and drums and setting off firecrackers. However, he cried and shouted, and when he was taken to the main hall of the Zhang family, he was still crying! Everyone climbed underground and said in unison, "Congratulations to the monk! He cried and said, "I'm not cut out to be an abbot. You really hurt me by loving me so much! I have no way, no virtue and no action. How can I lead the public? Or choose another talent, please be merciful and leave me alone! " Say and burst into tears. After everyone knelt on the ground and begged, they wouldn't get up if they said no. In this way, Hui Lao reluctantly agreed to take charge of the abbot of Lingyin.

Hui Ming, an old mage, was honored as the first monk in Hangzhou, and his status was so lofty, but his life was still the same, and he was still a Zen master. Eat in the lobby every day, instead of private kitchens, and eat with the public. In his bedroom, there is only a table except a wooden sofa. There is no decoration on the table, only a pottery teapot and a teacup. There is only a broken quilt, two broken clothes and a broken change of clothes on the bed, that is, New Pants, who is provided with new clothes by believers, will be handed over to others if he can't wear them for two days. A group of "Luohan" in Hangzhou, with no clothes or money, all went to Lingyin Temple to have an autumn wind with Hui Lao. Hui Lao is most sympathetic to those who "beat arhats". He always gives what he wants, and he is never stingy.

Master Hui, a pure civilian, does not crave enjoyment. He never enjoyed the offerings, fruits, sweets, cakes and clothes given to him by ordinary believers, and immediately sent waiters to the meditation hall, Buddhist hall and guest room to become attached. When someone gave him a "red envelope", he sent the money to the warehouse to break fast for the public. He has a mantra, "I can't sleep with these kudzu vines in the room." This old liberation can be seen in general.

Although Hui Lao is a preacher and a big monk in the jungle, he is not proud of this one, but approachable, not arrogant and impetuous. Because of his natural and unrestrained manner, as amiable as a spring breeze man, the Qing people are in front of him, and he likes to deal with them. Especially with ascetic monks who travel alone, they often chat with people who are distressed by the head of the vegetable, the head of the garden, the head of the door and the head of the water. From time to time, I will help grow vegetables, dig the ground, dump the manure and do everything I do.

In the seventeenth year of the Republic of China, when Mr. Chiang Kai-shek retreated to other places and visited Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, he specially visited the abbot's room because of the Taoist demeanor of the old mage Mu Hui, but he couldn't find it anywhere. When I arrived at the vegetable garden, I saw Hui Lao, dressed in a blouse and rags, watering vegetables with a dung ladle in his hand. Mr. Jiang loved his liberation and thought that he was frank and natural, so he stood in the vegetable garden and chatted with him for a while.

Hui Lao's manner is always free and easy. One year, Guiyuan Temple in Hubei asked him to talk about Jue Yuan Classics. On the due date, all the monks in the temple took turns to meet the driver at the mountain gate for three consecutive days, but he didn't come. Everyone feels strange! On the fourth day, when the abbot and the monk were eating in the zhaitang, they saw a teacher hanging in the corner, looking like Hui Lao. Looking carefully, it turned out that the old Master Huiming invited him to give a lecture, so he was overjoyed. After dinner, the abbot and the monk announced from their seats that everyone should not go back to their rooms, and they would pick up the master's driver at the Zhaitang. Everyone feels strange! I didn't see master huiming coming. Why do you pick up the driver at Zhaitang? It was the abbot and monk who went down to the guest room. Please come out.

When everyone saw it, they knew that the missionary had come to live for a long time and hid in the living room! It turned out that he came five days ago and pretended to be a pending order. The guest teacher didn't recognize him and was sent to the guest room. The abbot and monk immediately climbed underground and kowtowed to accompany the crime, and asked the master to confess to Hui Lao. Hui Laodao: "You can't be rude. I'm afraid I'll disturb everyone. I am flattered. I want to sign this bill myself. I am very happy to live on it. " "From this point, we can see how comforting the old master Huiming is!

Master Hui ascended the throne in the winter of the 19th year of the Republic of China, and his spiritual bones rose from the pagoda to support him. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 34 years, I ended the work of the monk rescue team, and went down to Lingyin Temple for the second time from Beijing, and asked me to write "Tang Priest and Mentor" for a long time, so I lived in a hut next to Huilao Guling Tower for three years. (Buddhist Culture, Volume I, No.3, 1966)