Two-day tour of Yaoshan Temple in Changde, Hunan Province

Yaoshan Temple in Changde, Hunan Province is the ancestral home of Zen in China, an important branch of Zen, and a famous Buddhist resort. It has unparalleled cultural exploration value and ornamental value. Here I would like to share with you the two-day tour guide of Yaoshan Temple in Changde, Hunan.

It's a three-hour drive from Changsha, and we arrive at Chikurinji, Yaoshan Town, Changde at 6 pm. About 50 people, male and female, entered, registered and moved into the squatters respectively. Eight roommates: Dao Yong, the team leader lawyer, Qiao Wei and Zhu Xianchun, students of Physics Department of Normal University, arrived in the same car. Pianists Xixi, Chenxi, college teacher Gao and training principal Xiaojun arrived first by car.

We make our beds separately and arrive at the lecture hall at seven. The lead singer first talked about the rules of two-day meditation classes, eating in the main hall and working and sleeping in the temple, and then recited the Diamond Sutra. The mage's language is extremely fast and fluent, and many people struggle to recite it. It's difficult, but they dare not ignore it. Go back to the cabin at eight o'clock to exchange snacks and gossip with roommates. Or listen to Xixi sit quietly and fondle the guqin, or look for the internet to read books. Around nine o'clock, bells and drums sounded in the cold, and one, two, and three were already bedtime. Roommates talk about piano theory, Buddhism, Chinese and western medicine, ghost stories, diet and so on. And after turning off the lights, I still want to finish. Can we get up at 4: 30 tomorrow morning?

The next day, the alarm clock was set at four o'clock. After twenty minutes, I finally got up and washed with my roommate. As the bell was about to ring, I hurried out to meet one or two monks in gray wool cloaks. By this time, it was already the sound of drums, for example, Wei Boxiao was warned by an assassin who was banned in the street in Assassin Nie Yinniang.

When the bell rings, the drum is in a hurry.

From five o'clock to the meditation room, men and women sit separately. Master Ming Ying should concentrate on Zen, practice Zen and meditate. Sit cross-legged, cover with a blanket, close your eyes, including your chin, and hold your breath before crossing your lower abdomen, like a mage. I meditated for less than an hour and my legs were numb. I kept adjusting my back and leaning forward slightly, trying to meditate, but I couldn't. The same is true for the second and a half hours of meditation to examine "Who am I".

Morning color of Zen temple

From 6 o'clock to 5 o'clock, go to church for breakfast. Five views before fasting: how much work is counted and where it comes from; I think my virtue should be eaten; Anti-alienation, greed is like this; Good medicine is for business, and it is for treating dryness; In order to become a Taoist, I was eaten by this food. Eating fast is also respect. The question of ceremony and Buddha, the order and humility, without noisy words, focus on one kind of food, only feel that the dietary needs are limited and scarce, which is a beneficial food to replenish deficiency and benefit the body, not only to reconcile the thirst of the stomach, but also to reconcile the spleen, heart and morality. I am extremely grateful and extremely happy. How to eat a good meal and drink a ladle of water is also a good understanding of Zen.

Overlooking the monastery

gate

At eight o'clock, stop looking at the temple and listen to Master Mingying's lecture on Buddhism. Four noble truths: bitter truths, gathering truths, destroying truths and Tao truths. Bitter truth, everything in the world is simply bitter, only suffering can perceive happiness, such as Camus' life metaphor of "Sisyphus pushes stones up the mountain"; The reason of "bitterness" in gathering truth is "self-persistence", "ignorance" and "desire"; Truth, breaking the convention of "I hold"; A state of innocence. Eight Righteousness, Mindfulness, Righteousness, Righteousness, Righteousness, etc. They are all methods of working hard from three aspects: body, mind and mind. Hearing this melancholy, I only got part of a claw. I read the scripture again, unfolded it with folded pages in my hand, and it took me a long time to find the position where I led the master to read it. I mumbled something, crustily skin of head calmly and deliberately recited it again, just like Chemical Celebration calmly interpreted "Persuade into Account" in front of Anzhaiguan Shoujiang.

In front of the "Five Views Hall" in Zhaitang

Lunch is very rich, although it is plain and delicious. In the afternoon, I listened to Master Ming Ying's meditation and case-solving. Zen flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Up to now, more than 900 Zen masters have had epiphany, and even fewer have really realized it. From the founder of Dharma in Nanliang to Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Tang Dynasty, there are five schools and seven schools of southern Zen, with Mazu Zen Master in Jiangxi, Stone Zen Master in Nanyue and Wei Yan Zen Master in Yaoshan, Changde as the representatives, who teach, learn, realize and preach Zen. They once flourished, but now they have declined. I also learned that Jack Kerouac, Ginsburg and other "Beat Generation", Leonardo Cohen, Jobs, etc. have recently joined many tea people, celebrities, princes, contemporary political and business circles in Europe and America, and celebrities in Japanese and Korean literary and art circles. Looking back at China and seeing the development of southern Zen such as Yaoshan Zen, I can't help feeling.

Near noon

noon

Bamboo forest next to Buddhist temple

According to Zen, it is difficult to get rid of "self-obsession" and "observing the heart because of living without a fixed place" However, as the medical guide of life, all wonderful theories and wisdom systems may not inspire people to become saints and buddhas, but they can realize enlightenment and connection, and guide personality to be humble and harmonious in the practice and understanding of daily secular things, and become very powerful. The so-called self-finding, self-returning, and finally real freedom. Therefore, Elder Jinghui initiated the "Zen of Life", and Master Mingying made great efforts to organize and promote Yaoshan Buddhism and "Zen of Life". Although I have heard a little about the essence of practicing "meditation in life", for example, Bodhisattva's six-degree personality is "benevolent feelings, pure and restrained words and deeds, gentle and patient attitude", which has very practical reference significance. Others, such as "no matter how big the past crimes are, the future crimes will not be too big" and "if you work hard, you will ask less of others", referring to the meaning of "turning goodness into goodness" and "accumulating goodness" mentioned by Teacher Fan, are also thinking deeply.

The mage speaks Zen

dusk

In addition to chanting at night, the most important experience is to participate in the "Lantern Relay" for the first time. I don't know much about the relationship between burning ancient Buddha, Tathagata and Sakyamuni. I just bent over Sakyamuni Buddha and respectfully took a small lamp, and followed the people who served it in a single file and went out. Walking down the wooden stairs and corridor leading to Kannonji, I couldn't help worrying that the lights would be blown out by the wind, and I covered them carefully with my left hand, as if I were treating my precious and precarious life. If you look at it from your own perspective for a while, this long and winding procession of lanterns is also extremely pious and beautiful.

After passing the lamp

After a day of meditation and "hard work", back to the cabin, roommates began to enjoy Xixi's guqin practice time.

The moon rises from the mountain of heaven, and the sea.

_ _ _ _, blow jade _ _.

Qinghai province, under the road.

By _ _, not _ someone _.

It's hard to imagine how difficult it is to see the city.

This night, I was in high spirits and didn't rest.

Xixi's calm and deep singing voice should be in tune with the dazzling piano sound, which is very simple and generous, and you will be fascinated if you listen to it. Several other famous poems by Li Bai, Phoenix Begging for Phoenix and Guangling San, were heard by several people and then urged to play another one. Probably, we also heard a little Zen. Xixi came here this time to listen to Zen and classics, also to understand the principle of the piano and practice it. For us, Xixi is really a wonderful and slightly strange man. No matter Xixi, or everyone in our roommates, apart from the short chance of friendship with roommates like reading, there is also a clear understanding and silent acceptance of this vast universe, this world and our "this life or this only sight"

At nine o'clock, Xixi has gone outside to practice the piano in the bamboo forest, and the last drums have stopped. It's time to rest. Qiao Wei looked out of the window, marveling at the starry sky at night, and said that he would go out to have a look, which provoked three or four people to go together. One is to watch the stars and the moon tonight, and the other is to look for Xixi. Looking up at these nameless stars and galaxies in the square in front of the Buddhist temple and on the lawn by the lake, it suddenly occurred to me that stargazing is also a kind of meditation.

three

The third day. After meditation and breakfast, roommates began to clean all parts of the Buddhist temple, including the Guanyin Hall, which was lit up last night. Although I don't remember the fate, I still don't remember the heart sutra, and I know a little about the scriptures and answers that Brother Yong asked last night, such as "Yesterday's heart can't be obtained, today's heart can't be obtained, and the future heart can't be obtained", but I think this is a Buddhist practice, and my man's heart is naturally respectful. I also think that when we start to adapt to the life in the Buddhist temple, we will leave soon.

The color of the morning

Yuankansi

At half past eight, we gathered in the square in front of the Buddhist temple and marched in a single line. Men and women went to worship on the mountain 3.5 kilometers away. Visit Yaoshan Ancient Temple and Wei Yan Zen Master Incarnation Tower. Master warned that you should concentrate on walking, don't talk, and don't look around and enjoy the scenery with the mentality of tourists. The houses and fields on both sides look like beautiful green hills, one yellow, one white and one black, with three companions of Wang. There is nothing to say all the way, turn on the path, pass a building recorded and played by Elder Jinghui, and walk to the foot of the mountain where the avatar tower is located. The number of steps should be around 100, and you should follow the monk master to the third step, and then knock it down, even though there is a lot of dirt attached to the stone steps. When I reached the top of the mountain, I saw the surrounding peaks, and the air was good. In the center of this flat yellow mud land of dozens of square meters, it is the incarnation tower of Zen master Wei Yan. Only six or seven meters high, the tower is broken and slightly collapsed, which is not as good as the Huangxing monument seen in Yuelu Mountain, equivalent to the Sui Buddha Pagoda. Men and women followed the Zen master to pay homage, recite scriptures and hold ceremonies, thanking him for his kindness and great wishes. Fortunately, the transformation of the avatar tower will be completed in May next year. The new tower will be about18m high and magnificent, including the establishment and expansion of Chikurinji to build an international Zen exchange center. This is also the joint efforts of Master Ming Ying's initiative, leadership and local government support. This is indeed a great achievement worthy of admiration.

future

Baishan

A few minutes later, a group of people came down to the nearby Yaoshan old temple. On the front is the "Yaoshan Ciyun Lecture Hall" with a wood and stone structure different from that in tang style, Chikurinji, next to a towering old tree and some pomelo trees. We finished taking photos in front of the lecture hall. The front of the lecture hall is open, with no doors, only elegant blue-gray colonnades and plaques. There are no walls on the other three sides, only half-height screens are used to cover them. There is nothing in the lecture hall except some benches and chairs. In the middle of the background is a picture of Jing Hui, an elder of Bailin Temple in Zhao County, Hebei Province, talking about Zen.

Make good use of his heart and be kind to everything.

Jiangtangqian

In the lecture hall

Ancient trees beside the temple

We have tea and chat in another room on the side of the lecture hall. Tea is delicious, and there are cakes and fruits. And Qiao Wei took a cake-like snack, only to find that it was sesame sugar (maltose) and smiled at each other. It's really sticky and delicious. Xixi is helping some women play grapefruit in the tree. Then there is the Buddha statue in the Daxiong Hall of Yaoshan Temple. Come back around eleven o'clock, the first half is basically the same as the original road, and the second half is along the reservoir and between bamboo forests. I felt that I had just finished walking on the road. I worshipped the mountain, rested and worshipped the Buddha, and completed a long Zhuang Jingyi style. Apart from sincerity, sincerity and gratitude, it is a slight and solid joy and a relaxed mood.

Return trip-reservoir

Return trip-bamboo forest

I was a little tired when I came back, so I had a rest in the old room with Miss Gao and Qiao Wei. I can't make it to the ceremony before breakfast in the morning. I thought, it doesn't matter, because the Buddha ceremony is convenient and the requirements for us are not so high. After lunch, at 1 p 15, it was the conversion ceremony of this life meditation trip, which was held in Guanyin Hall. Twelve people converted. To witness Zhu Xianchun's conversion and related ceremonies, Teacher Gao, Xixi and Xiaojun went to the temple to watch and also attended the Buddha ceremony. Believers who convert should abide by the five precepts: no killing, no swearing, no stealing, no lewdness and no drinking.

Everyone abides by the Five Commandments or some of them according to their own intentions and abilities. Although they are strict, they are also flexible. After reading it, I don't have enough motivation to convert.

If you really want to, it is ready, you have the consciousness and determination to give up, and the same is true. When he came back, he asked Zhu Xianchun's law number, which was called "Yaoyi". He showed a bright heart, honest and firm. This is really a good name.

Finally, it's time to prepare tea at half past two in the afternoon. We brought cushions from Kannonji, set them up, and a master prepared tea, incense and snacks. Master Ming Ying and Master Monk are seated, and men and women are divided into two sides. Starting with the music of Xixi, we summarized and asked questions about this meditation. Sickness, selflessness, six divisions in the wheel of karma, family relations, inner balance, reading classics, and understanding traditional wisdom such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Buddhism and Western philosophy. , extended to the forefront of contemporary thought, and took pains to answer questions one by one with a broad and harmonious cognitive system and a sincere and patient attitude. From the complexity of life, the ultimate goal of life, to daily practice, and then to the response to common trivial matters, in short, cherish this life, cherish rare people, cultivate their own personality, and obtain the ultimate harmony and freedom.

Tea party preparation

At five o'clock, I got on the bus and began to return. I bid farewell to Master Ming Ying and Master Monk, and to mountains and lakes, monasteries and huts, meditation rooms, fasting halls and bells and drums. One day, roommates, some of us may come back when we want.