Buddhist filial piety story: the abbot forced his mother to beg and prayed for a grain of rice.

The abbot forced his mother to beg and pray for a grain of rice.

Before liberation, there was a master whose father died when he was very young. At that time, he was three or four years old and was taken care of by his mother. In the past, women could not work, had no strength, and had no choice but to take their children to beg. Later, I lived in the countryside and my neighbors killed pigs. Children watch it every day. After reading it, he went back to school to see how to kill pigs. One day, he got a piece of mud, made a pig, took a small wooden stick as a knife, put it on the bench and killed the pig. Mom looked at it: "Oh dear! Who did you learn this from? " He said, "I learned it by watching my neighbors do it every day. When I grow up, I want to kill pigs! " Mom listened, it was amazing! Children in a family have a direct relationship with their parents. This is a responsible and good mother. When she saw her child do such a thing, she learned it at once. She is only three or four years old. She thought: If we are neighbors with bandits this time, he will know when he grows up. This kind of killing is not a good thing, just move! Where can a child learn well by moving? He thought about it and simply moved to live near the temple. The temple is good at practice and has a good master. When he sees the master's accomplishment, he will certainly learn. If he learns to cultivate kindness, he will have a bright future. In this way, she took her children and lived next to a temple.

There are only three or two masters in this temple, and the temple is not big. They go to the temple every morning and evening. Children are used to it. They follow the school every day and learn to meditate every day. Later, he helped burn incense, change water supply and clean temples. He is very diligent and has worked hard for two or three years. During the period, I read the classics with the masters and learned a lot. Meditation is the same thing. The mother is glad to see her children do good deeds. One day, the child said to the master, "master, I want to become a monk with your old man and be a young monk here to wait on you." Do you think so? " The old monk was very happy and said, "ok, but you have to tell your mother." If your mother agrees, I have no problem and I am willing to accept you. " The child said, "OK, I'll talk to my mother." When the child made this request to his mother, her mother cried and said, "Your father died early, and you are an only child. If you become a monk, who will inherit our family? Besides, I can't become a monk. Anyway, I don't agree. " As soon as he listened, his mother would not let him become a monk.

When the old monk learned about this, he said, "Well, your mother doesn't want you to become a monk, so you should practice as a layman." The child said, "No, I must be the master." As a result, the child ran to the kitchen and stood in front of his mother with a kitchen knife and said, "You won't die if you promise to become a monk here. If you don't promise me, you will chop yourself to death. " When his mother saw it, she thought the child was just scaring me. He is only a few years old: "that won't do. Even if you die, I won't promise you." This kid is really amazing. He cut his head with a knife, and there was blood everywhere. Mother panicked and hurried to find Master: "Master, please help me quickly, say that you have saved me well, and let him become a monk and be your little apprentice." The teacher's father is very kind. He stepped forward and took down the knife, grabbed a handful of incense ashes and put them on his head, which stopped the bleeding and the child became a monk. His mother can't live here and beg for food by herself.

From then on, the young monk and the old monk practiced in the temple, which was really brave and diligent. Sometimes, because the life in the small temple is not very rich, you can also open up some life paths for others by chanting Buddha and doing practical things, and carry forward Buddhism well. Once I did something, I left my instrument far away, and when Master came back, I remembered, "Oh, I can't get it back because there is a dharma meeting tomorrow. What shall I do tomorrow? " A martial uncle and a brother are there to discuss. Hearing this, the young monk said to the master, "master, aren't you going to get the instrument?" I have an idea and decided not to delay tomorrow's work, but you have to promise me one thing. " Hearing this, his uncle made the child naughty: "What can you do? Tell me what I promised you. " The young monk said, "Look, I don't even have a robe now. It seems disrespectful to go to the temple to worship Buddha. I have no other requirements, just make me a gown. " His master said, "If you can get the instrument back, I will promise you." The young monk said, "Master, your words are empty." Later, the old monk took a piece of silver and gave it to his uncle: "Keep it. If he can get it back, take this money to make him a coat."

The young monk was so happy that he ran to the Buddhist temple, lit wax and incense, moved a futon, and meditated when he closed the door alone. During this meditation, a piece of incense was only half lit, and several instruments came back automatically. Master saw at a glance that this disciple was not an ordinary person, but had become a saint, so he respectfully offered him the post of abbot, because he was wise and miraculous, and he could afford it regardless of his size. The abbot often opened an altar to give lectures, attracting ten believers, and the small temple quickly developed, and the number of master lay people also increased.

A few years later, my mother was too old to beg. Far away, she knew that her son is now the abbot of the temple, and the temple is also very rich. She thought to herself, with so many people alive, I don't lack food. Go back to her son. He is merciful. When the old lady came back, she saw that the temple was different and bigger. The temple gate was open, but a master wanted to go in. The master asked, "Old benefactor, where are you from?"? Do what? " The old lady said, "Looking for my son. He will be the abbot inside. " He also called his son's birth name. The little master at the door didn't know the abbot's previous nickname and said to the old lady, "Wait a minute, I'll ask the abbot." The little master bowed to the abbot and told him what had happened. Hearing this, the abbot called in. As soon as the old lady came in, she called him by his nickname: "son, you are fine now, but your mother has no food now." I really have no choice. I can't even walk to beg. " I have no other requirements for coming here. You can give me something to eat and a place to sleep every day. "

Hearing this, the abbot said, "I am your son and you are my mother. It's true. You know, the place where I live now is a temple, which is the Dojo where ten people practice. The rice I eat now is not my own, nor do I farm or do business. This meal is supported by the public. I can eat this kind of food, why can I eat it? I recite the scriptures and Buddha every day and pray for all beings to eliminate disasters. In order to promote Buddhism and educate all beings, I can eat this bowl of rice for all beings by doing these jobs. You said that if you eat and live here, you won't read Buddhism, promote Buddhism, recite scriptures and help others eliminate disasters. I dare not keep you, this is a wrong cause and effect! "

When the old lady heard that her son was so heartless and rude, there were hundreds of people living in this temple, and I couldn't finish eating leftovers all day. How do you say this? Somehow, she said angrily, "Anyway, I gave birth to you and raised you to several years old. Before, when you asked for food, I carried you behind my back and let you eat well. Now that you are promising, when you become an abbot, I dare not beg you now, and I don't even want to beg you! " The old lady scolds and gets angry. The abbot remained unmoved and said, "Mother, you don't know that my son is not unfilial, but afraid of your career." I really can't help it. You have been poor all your life because you didn't cultivate happiness in your last life, so you have to eat for a lifetime. This cause and effect is not bad at all, I hope my mother understands. "A mother always says this when she sees her son. She is not very clear about causality. The world only knows that good is rewarded with good and evil with evil. She doesn't understand this detail, and there is no such thing as a son not feeding his mother.

Later, the mother slowly discussed with her son: "What do you say? I can't walk. I can't freeze to death, starve to death or be exhausted! " You have to do something for me! As soon as the mother finished speaking, the son spoke: "There is no road, there is only such a narrow path. I'm afraid you won't agree. You can agree, but you can't agree. " Mom said, "you said that as long as you could give me a bite to eat, as long as I could do it, I would do as I was told." "The son said," If you decide to do it, it depends on whether you can do it. You insist on chanting Amitabha every day, and there is only one thought in your heart, chanting Amitabha and surviving in the pure land of the West. That's all. You say amitabha, I'll give you a grain of rice. You only say this one sentence a day, eat this grain of rice. You read ten thousand sentences and give you ten thousand pills. Do you agree? "His mother a listen to this call chanting, he said, and gave a grain. If she can have a full day, she will agree.

So the abbot sent a young monk there to distribute rice and supervise his mother. Mother read a sentence and gave a pill. At first, she was not used to it, because without this confidence, she was exhausted, and in a few days, she was skinny. A few days later, the wind spread all over the temple. Master and lay people, old and young, scolded the monk: This abbot is outrageous and has no human feelings at all. How can he treat his mother like this? It's harmful to her! Is to make her die faster! In this way, she will die before she is free! The little monk who supervised the old lady's chanting also felt that the big monk was unreasonable and had no kindness and compassion at all. I think I can't ignore this. I have to look after the old lady. The young monk secretly grabbed a handful of rice and put it in the old lady's bowl. This was just put down. Well, the big monk over there sent a waiter to call the little monk. "What did you just do?" "Master, I didn't do anything." "Did you grab a handful of rice and put it in the old lady's bowl?" He couldn't hide it at first sight, and honestly confessed, "Yes, I feel sorry for the old lady, so I grabbed a handful of rice and secretly put it in a bowl. I hope the big monk will be merciful!" "good! I am not kind, you leave this temple now! " The little monk was moved. "You can't follow my rules, and the work I assigned to you won't be finished. As a result, you are hypocritical and cut me off. "

When the big monk moves the little monk, the whole temple scolds the big monk in public. The big monk knows, but he is an enlightened person! He also sent a young monk to supervise his mother. Read like this every day, and it will be smooth after a long time, for three years. One day, the old lady and the little monk who supervised her said, "Little master, please call the big monk. I have something to talk to him about. " At this time, she no longer called her son's nickname. Seeing that the old lady was full of energy today, the little master ran to the bow of the big monk and said, "Master, the old lady wants to talk to you." Hearing this, the monk respectfully knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times: "Thank you, monk, for your kindness and thorough kindness. I bid farewell to the monk today, and Amitabha has informed me that I will leave today and go to the west! " Daiwa Shang smiled and said, "I see." After that, the young monk was still in a daze by the bed, and the old lady folded her legs and palms together, read Amitabha twice and died.

As soon as the old lady left, the whole temple spread, and many people came to the monk for mercy: "We scolded you for several years, saying that you are not an abbot or a human being. I really understand that our abbot is a great compassion, not a general little compassion, but a real great compassion. " The abbot smiled and said, "No wonder, as long as you can practice well in the future, how can I care?" As long as you practice hard, you will be relieved in this life. " Before liberation, monks didn't know where to go.

This case-solving has been passed down to this day, telling us that people who study Buddhism:

No matter who you are, as long as you practice according to Buddhism, you can be free. Just like this great monk's mother, she never believed in Buddhism, and she only told her one direction of belief. Faith means believing in Amitabha, and faith means going to the west, concentrating on Buddha, and finally becoming true. Therefore, we should carry forward Buddhism, treat Buddhism with true compassion and practice according to Buddhism!