Master Danxia was a monk of the Tang Dynasty, but he crossed the river with a beautiful woman on his back. Why?

Master Danxia was a famous Zen master in Tang Dynasty. His dharma name is nature. Because he once lived in Danxia Mountain in Nanyang, he is called Danxia Nature. The common surname and native place of Zen master Danxia are still unknown.

Danxia, a Buddhist monk, is one of 2 1 followers of a Buddhist monk who moved to Youshi, Gaoyao, Guangdong. He was also inspired by Shifang Mazu, a Buddhist monk in Yi Dao, Sichuan. These two eminent Buddhist monks are important figures who have a far-reaching influence on Zen after Huineng, the sixth ancestor. Shi Xiqian and Mazu Yi Dao opened Dojo in Hunan and Jiangxi respectively to teach Zen. At that time, Zen monks flocked to the world, which was unprecedented for a time. The two wizards are called "the second great scholars in the world" and are regarded as the "eight ancestors" in the inheritance of Zen.

Danxia's natural Zen, which combines the thoughts of moving stones and Mazu Yi Dao, is both elegant and wild. Danxia naturally emphasizes "protecting a spiritual thing", that is, paying attention to people's natural nature, opposing man-made creation, and advocating "cleverness, convenience, compassion and happiness" from the heart, but not persisting, that is, "not getting from outside, not thinking".

Zen master Danxia was originally a scholar, studying Confucian and Mohist classics since childhood, hoping to win fame through the imperial examination.

On his way to Beijing to catch the exam, he passed by Hannan and stayed in an inn, where he met a monk. He invited the monk to have tea with him. The monk asked him where he was going, and he replied, "Please choose an official." The monk said it was a pity, "Why not choose Buddha?" Naturally, when asked how to choose a Buddha, the monk told him: "Mazu in Jiangxi lives in this world, saying that the awakened one can't beat the trick, and the real place to choose a Buddha is there." Danxia was moved after hearing this, so she dropped her studies and immediately diverted to visit Mazu, Jiangxi.

Danxia didn't say anything after seeing Mazu, but patted her forehead with a headscarf. Mazu looked at him for a long time and understood that he wanted to become a monk and learn Buddhism. Mazu thought for a moment and said to Danxia, "The stone monk in Nanyue Temple is your master. Go find him. "

After seeing Shi Xiwan, Danxia explained her purpose. Shi Xiwan took him in, but instead of shaving him, she asked him to do housework. Danxia didn't complain. She worked hard for three years. Until one day,

Master Shi Zen said to everyone, "shovel the grass in front of the Buddhist temple in the future." Danxia immediately understood the meaning of Shi Zen master.

The next day, everyone took shovels, hoes and other tools to prepare for weeding. Only Danxia is different. He brought a basin of water, washed his head and knelt before the stone. Shi Zen master was very happy to see that he really had wisdom roots, so he cut his hair and regarded him as a monk. Stone monk then said a warning to him, but Danxia thought he was too nagging, covering her ears and saying "too much" while running out the door. In the eyes of others, this is a teacher who doesn't respect his teacher and sticks to his own opinion, but Stone is not angry but pleased. He knew that his disciples were showing him that he had become greedy and ignorant, and the precepts were useless to him. The expression of this kind of mind can't be expressed and described in words, but the stone Zen master can perceive Danxia's heart, which is the Zen machine of "not writing" and "having a heart in mind".

Master Danxia pays attention to the original mind and Buddha nature, and advocates maintaining a normal mind, which is followed by agility and convenience derived from the self-mind. Once, Master Danxia and a fellow teacher went out and passed a small river, and the wooden bridge on the river was washed away by the water. There is a beautiful girl on the shore, cut off by the river, sighing at the water. When Master Danxia saw this, she picked up the girl and waded across the river.

His younger brother was frightened by the behavior of Zen master Danxia and couldn't speak for a while. Two people walked silently on the road for a long time. Finally, my brother couldn't hold back and asked, "Brother, how can you cross the river with that girl on your back?"

Master Danxia said in surprise, "You mean that girl? I put her down a long time ago. Are you still carrying her, junior? " In this case, Master Danxia did something for others with his wisdom and compassion. What he sees in his eyes is only a victim, not a beautiful girl, and his heart is a "out of place" normal heart. But his younger brother obviously hasn't reached this level.

Once, a nun came to see Master Danxia to express her doubts. She asked, "What is the true meaning of Tao?" Master Danxia said nothing and gently pinched Nuni's hip with his hand.

The girl was ashamed and surprised, and angrily said, "So you still have that in your heart!" Master Danxia replied faintly: "I didn't, you did!" " "He added:" People are not far from the road, and people come from afar. " The nun suddenly realized.

A young monk happened to see this scene and said to people, "Our master turned out to be a lecherous, and even molested the little nun who came to ask for Tao in public!"

An old monk immediately reprimanded: "Magway has four legs, and a person is cheap when he opens his mouth." You little monk, what do you know? Stand aside! "

When studying at night, someone reported it to Master Danxia. Upon hearing this, Master Danxia bowed to the young monk. Even shouted: "I am merciful, I am merciful!"

The young monk was terrified out of his wits and cried at once. "You mistook me for someone else, I'm not a Buddha!"

"I didn't mistake one for another, I worship Buddha. It is the flesh and blood of the Buddha, which allows others and yourself. " Master Danxia said.

The young monk suddenly realized: master has appeared! It is absolutely impossible to know the truth of things just by looking at them with the naked eye.

Zen master Danxia used these two things to reveal a Zen principle: the heart has everything, the heart is the Buddha, and the Buddha is equal in essence, and there is no distinction between men and women. It is ordinary people who are obsessed with the separation of men and women, and they can't get rid of their hearts, while practice is to cultivate their hearts, and the purpose of meditation is to break hold.

Buddhism, Dharma and Monks are collectively called the Three Treasures, and worshippers of Buddhism must respect the Three Treasures, which is the method that Buddhist disciples abide by. But after Huineng, the sixth ancestor, "curse Buddha" has become a trend in Zen, and the most famous one is "curse Buddha".

Deshan Xuanjian is the fifth grandson of Huineng, the sixth ancestor. A disciple once asked, "What is a Buddha?"

Deshan replied: "I have neither Buddhism nor Buddhism here. Buddhism is an old beggar, and the Ten Bodhisattvas are dung bearers. When Miao feels that she is an ordinary person who has broken the precepts, Bodhi Nirvana is a donkey, and Shifen teaches a ghost book to wipe the sore paper, and the Buddha is an old shit. "

This means: Buddhism is a stinking Ren Hu, Ten Bodhisattvas are people who bear excrement, Two Righteousness Buddhas are ordinary people who break the precepts, Bodhi Nirvana is the shackles of donkeys, Twelve Righteousness is toilet paper to wipe one's ass, and Buddha is a pile of excrement.

According to Buddhist scriptures, when Buddha Sakyamuni was born, he magnified his wisdom and shone in ten directions on earth. He pointed to the sky and said, "There is only heaven and the world." But Zen master Yan Wen, the founder of Yunmen Sect, said that if I had been there, I would have killed him with a stick and fed him to the dog, seeking peace in the world: "If I had seen it, I would have killed him with a stick and eaten with the dog. Guitu world is peaceful. "

Cloud Gate wants to kill Buddha, so does Lin Ji. Zen master Yi Xuan, the founder of Lin Ji School, used to attract literati by drinking, thus achieving the "Lin Ji drinking" with sharp and fierce drinking.

During meditation, when Yi Xuan saw the monks chanting, he was careless and shouted, "Every time you kill Buddha, every time you kill your ancestors, every time you kill Lohan." All the monks were awed at once, and their minds gathered together.

Lin Jizong, a disciple of the Japanese Kamakura shogunate, heard of the massive invasion of the Yuan Army and shouted, "Drink!" Only in this way can we break the fear and confusion in our hearts and firmly defeat the confidence of the enemy. His master, Zen master Zuyuan from the Central Plains, immediately exclaimed, "What a lion! You can be a lion! "

The words and deeds of Zen masters seem absurd, but in fact they contain Zen machines. They just want practitioners to get rid of their persistence and let them know that worshipping Buddha is also the persistent heart of ordinary people and must be broken.

As a monk at that time, Master Danxia was no exception, famous for his madness and grotesque behavior.