Appreciation of Qi Yuqin's Prose Zen Lamp

Speaking of Zen, it seems that a sense of mystery and mystery immediately filled my heart.

Speaking of Zen, I immediately thought of Zen, and then Yang Qi appeared, and a temple with ordinary taste appeared on Yang Qi Mountain. Even the name of this temple has a homely and casual flavor, called ordinary temple. However, this ordinary temple is one of the ancestral halls of Zen, where Yang Qizong, an important Sect in the history of Zen, was named and spread.

In the first year of Song Ganxing (1022), a 30-year-old monk came to Yangqi Mountain Scenic Area in the west of Jiangxi to preach. He renamed Guangli Temple, which originated in the Tang Dynasty on Yang Qi Mountain, as an ordinary temple, and thus promoted the family style and founded Yangqizong, which is famous all over the world. Therefore, Fang Hui is called "Yang Hui".

As we already know, Dharma's eastward journey combined Buddhism with the cultural spirit of China, while Huineng, the sixth ancestor, initiated "Pure China Buddhism". With the prosperity of Zen, which meets the psychological needs of southern literati, the practice of chanting, penance, birth and meditation in the past still further satisfies the gentry's psychology of seeking simplicity. Now, they can easily enter a certain realm in an epiphany with a brainwave and ideas. In this way, Zen has a certain literariness and interest, plus all its own mysteries and mysteries, forming an external presentation of wisdom and speculation.

When more scholars participate in it, the internal communication of Zen also has the shadow of scholars. They use drinking sticks, argots, actions, gestures and other ways to debate and understand, becoming a free and lively Zen style. The record and inheritance of the history and details of Zen also appeared in the form of so-called case-solving.

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Zen masters often expressed their exquisiteness with strange words and deeds similar to sophistry and binge drinking, while Fang Hui's performance was plain and unpretentious. He did not stick to language, but emphasized the intuitive cultivation of Zen Buddhism, and advocated "melting with Fiona Fang", "riding a horse without a horse" and "cultivating qi without a purpose, farming for food". Once, someone asked Fang Hui: "The snowy road is long, how to guide it?" Fang Hui will answer: "Fog Lock Qian Shan Show, Walking." In other words, you don't have to stick to the rules, you can use it flexibly according to the specific situation.

In Fang Hui's view, Zen mainly depends on since the enlightenment. He said, "Standing is true, enlightenment lies in people, happening in the ground, and there is nowhere to get rid of it." Because "all Buddhism is Buddhism, the Buddhist hall is facing the three doors, and the monk hall is facing the kitchen." If you can get it, you can run wild all over the world with bowls and sticks. If you don't do this, you will face the wall. "

However, this party is not very flexible in its own practical principles. During his management of the temple warehouse, he lit the lights in the temple at work and lit his own oil lamp when chanting and meditating at night, for fear of encroaching on the interests of the public. For the management of the temple, this young monk is also meticulous and reasonable. Management details are specific to the lighting and installation of temple lights. For example, the ever-burning lamps in front of the Buddha are carefully kept by incense burners, and the lamps used in squatters are required to be lit and extinguished on time to achieve sharing and saving. His kindness in caring for temple property and distinguishing between public and private interests was passed down as a much-told story. From this, a famous couplet in Buddhism has been derived: Yang Qi's lights are brightly lit through the ages, and Baoshou Ginger is spicy for thousands of years.

As a skeptic, I still want to believe that this story must have its factual basis. Its simplicity is quite different from many other "public cases".

Most of the stories we see now are full of mystery, awakened by the seemingly unrelated words and deeds of Zen master, which undoubtedly perfectly embodies the various outlets and interpretations of philosophy and language, and also perfectly embodies the elegant wisdom of Zen. However, please forgive my stupidity and impudence. When I read the yellowed Zen case-solving, I sometimes unconsciously come up with some counterintuitive idea: several case-solving experts in Zen literature are probably hooligans. In the face of problems that are difficult to answer or can't be solved in a few words, everyone is smart and knows how to choose the smartest way. Wang Gu said that he still laughed. As for whether this kind of speech and behavior that has nothing to do with the problem itself is interpreted by the questioner or bystander as a profound enlightenment that makes people realize, it is not necessary to care so much.

Of course, perhaps, in another context, letting go of laughter is itself an expression of Zen?

Yang Qi's style of solving crimes is completely different from those similar to brain teasers. It expresses a monk's moral standard and management ability with the simplest and clumsy story. Perhaps it is precisely because of the founder's moral level and management ability that Yang Qizong achieved the advantages of a fully mechanized family from the beginning and finally stood out among many schools of Zen.

After the development of Tang and Song Dynasties, Zen Buddhism, as a religious sect permeated with China Thought and China culture, has developed to include five sects and seven sects. These five schools are Lin Ji School, Luyang School, Yunmen School, Fayan School and Cao Dongzong School. From Linjizong to Song Dynasty, there were two schools of thought, Huanglong and Yang Qi. These two schools and five schools were collectively called Seven Schools. However, the history of Buddhism in China records that in the Song Dynasty, only one school of Zen spread to prosperity, and all others died out or declined. Cao Dong's family suddenly flourished until the end of the Song Dynasty, while Huanglong School gradually died out with the support of Buddhism, while Yangqi School was the old name of Zen family. -Lin Jizong Huanglong School has been passed down for several generations, and Yang Qizong is equivalent to Lin Jizong. The history of Lin Jizong became the history of Yang Qizong's development.

Starting from ordinary temples, Yang Qi's teachings spread, and the teachings flowed and multiplied everywhere. Only in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang, Gaoyun Temple in Yangzhou, Tianning Temple in Changzhou, Tianmu Temple in Ningbo, Tiantong Temple in Hangzhou and Huqiu Temple in Suzhou all belong to the Yang Qi legal system. According to the continued catalogue, from the Southern Song Dynasty to the early years of Qing Emperor Kangxi, there were 7 10 monks, including 470 disciples of Yang Qizong. Among the top ten Buddhist sects in China recorded in China Dictionary of Buddhist Celebrities, Yang Qizong occupies the largest space. Yang Qi's legal descendants include famous ministers such as Zen Master, Yao, and Lin Zexu, as well as cultural celebrities such as Zhao Mengfu, Shi Tao, Badashanren, etc.

Also from ordinary temples, Yang Qi's patriarchal clan system is still flourishing abroad. It is said that since the Tang and Song Dynasties, Japanese monks came to participate in meditation one after another, which made Yang Qizong flourish in Japan. At that time, there were 24 schools of Zen in Japan, and Yang Qizong monopolized 20 schools. The first Japanese monk who came to China to seek Yang Qi's Buddhism was Zhu Guang, who came to China to preach Buddhism decades earlier than the two Zen monks Jun Zhi and Yuan Bianyuan mentioned in Ci Hai.

As you can imagine, "Tang Shi" set sail from the coast of Japan again and again and returned to Japan from China again and again. In addition to the invisible box, there are unheard of stories. China, the birthplace of those objects and stories, has made countless Japanese heartache. As a monk, Zhu Guang decided to study Buddhism in China!

After many difficulties and obstacles, Zhuguang finally arrived in China. Looking around, both pious and respectful, I finally got the fourth generation of Yang Qizong's teacher, Foguo Zen Master. Inspired by religious culture, Zhuguang overcame many difficulties in language, life, study and so on, and became more and more perfect, and finally gained the seal of the Buddhist monks.

After finishing his studies, Zhu Guang returned to China by boat with great joy, taking the Zen meaning of Buddhist Zen master's calligraphy and the calligraphy banner of "Tea Zen Blindly". It is conceivable that along the way, he imagined several times how to carry forward Yang Qi's Zen after returning to Japan. Unfortunately, just as his ship was about to dock, the hurricane capsized and no one on board survived. This intention passed Yang Qi's lamp to Zhuguang, and eventually he became a martyr.

Cultural exchange has always been interactive. In addition to Japanese monks who took the initiative to participate in meditation, many descendants of Yang Qizong went to Japan to preach during the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, among which the main representative was the Buddhist master of Lanxi Daolong in the Southern Song Dynasty, who was honored as the "Master of One Mountain" by the Japanese court. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a Zen master named Qi Long, who built the Huangbai wanfu temple in Japan, and the Japanese court honored him as "the great light shines like a Buddha".

By the time Yang Qizong was radiant and ordinary temples became unusual, Yang Qifang had already passed away. At the beginning of Lu Lan's arrival at Yang Qi, Fang Hui probably didn't expect that this sect he founded would become a splendid river of culture and keep Yang Qi's lights on for a long time.

In fact, it was not the founder of Yang Qi's religious culture who made his name flourish. Prior to this, Yang Qi's Buddhist inheritance began in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, two Zen masters, Cheng Guang and Shu Zhen, built a temple here and passed it down.

In the 14th year of Tang Zhenyuan (798), Cheng Guang died here after more than 40 years of painstaking management by Yang Qi. His disciples built the Chengguang Zen Master Tower with stones on the right side of the temple. Nine years after the stone pagoda was built, a disciple named Liu Yuxi, a famous poet and friend of Kwong Chan Master, asked him to inscribe a thousand words. This "Inscription on Yang Qi Mountain Scenic Area of Guanggong Zen Master in Pingxiang County, Yuanzhou, Tang Dynasty" was written by Liu Yuxi personally and sealed by his brother Liu Xiaoxin. In May of the second year of Tang Yuanhe (807), it was erected under the Chengguang Zen Master Tower.

At the time of writing the inscription, Liu Yuxi was relegating to Sima Lang, thousands of miles away from Yang Qi Scenic Area. Returning to the source, the monk went over mountains and traveled all over the state, and finally found Liu Yuxi. Looking at the descendants of this monk's good friend, Liu Yuxi was deeply moved. In regret, he once again remembered the dribs and drabs of his association with Zen master Cheng Guang, and finally wrote these.

In fact, the friendship between Liu Yuxi and Zen master Cheng Guang is not uncommon. Looking through the literature, we can see that countless literati have maintained friendly relations with monks, and many literati have left their poems or inscriptions to monks.

This is really a strange thing. How can a scholar be an official and a monk participate in his meditation so frequently and often? Why are there many famous monks in the world, and many celebrities in the world are friendly with monks? Perhaps, this is because literati like to seek mountains and ask water, and it is easy to enter temples with cultural heritage, humanistic atmosphere and historical years. Many monks living in temples often have amazing words of wisdom, which make the literati gain a lot from their contact. This situation, especially after the rise of Zen. Perhaps, this is because most of the literati in history are frustrated, and it is natural to seek relief and accommodation from Buddhism at this time. The detachment of monks makes literati feel yearning and envious, but they can't get it, so they often communicate. Perhaps it is because monks have fewer interests disputes, which makes the literati who are caught in the interpersonal disputes between officials feel relaxed and carefree in their communication.

-I forgot the important point. Monks used to be literati. At that time, there were many monks who were good at poetry and prose.

As a result, scholars and monks gradually evolved from visitors and receptionists to scholars and poets, and then became close friends. The friendship between the two people was finally continued with the help of temple buildings and poems that can be preserved for a long time.

Strange to say, Pingxiang, a small place in western Jiangxi, has a lot of connections with religion. Here, the origin of Taoist culture can be traced back to nearly 2000 years ago. Many true or false documents say that Ge Xuan and Ge Hong, the founders of Dante School, practiced alchemy in Wugong Mountain in Pingxiang during the Three Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Up to now, there are still four granite ancient altars in Jinding, Wugong Mountain, which were built in the early years of Soochow in the Three Kingdoms. Ge Xuan himself wrote "Ode to Dan Cheng", describing the hardships of an alchemist: "Flow beads, serve me. Mercedes-Benz travels around the world, reading books. If you don't understand for a long time, you will think about it. Burn the stone and the mercury beads. " Hao Yuan in the Tang Dynasty also wrote a poem to describe this story: "One hole and two immortals * * * refine the truth, and all gods make nine."

Not to mention the origin of Zen. When Zu Huineng came down to earth, Zen spread to Huaiyang and Qingyuan Star Temple in Nanyue, which were called "Nanyue School" and "Qingyuan School" respectively. Nanyue is a descendant of Mazu Yi Dao, the founder of Jiangxi. Qingyuan made handed down stone, looking forward to moving to Hunan. Disciples from both sides exchanged views on Buddhism, which became a grand occasion for a while. The history of Zen is called "Wandering in Jianghu". During the Tang and Song Dynasties, there were countless wandering monks traveling between Hunan and Jiangxi.

In addition to Yang Qi's Zen Buddhism, there is also a monk named Shi in Pingxiang, who shines brilliantly in religious culture. Tian Ru, a monk of the Yuan Dynasty, advocated meditation and purity. In his later years, with the support of his disciples, he founded the Lion Forest in Suzhou. He had a close relationship with Yuan Dynasty composers Guan Yunshi and Aris, and once sang in Hangzhou. After the completion of the Lion Forest, they met with Ni Zan, Gao Qi and other scholars and celebrities in the garden, and recited poems. Not only that, he is also good at poetry and prose, including Teacher Lin's Notes, Tianruji, Monks' Summary and so on.

During the heyday of Yang Qi Zen in Song Dynasty, there was an endless stream of believers from all directions, which was once the Marek teaching pool. Because Yang Qi Scenic Area is dozens of miles away from the county seat, it is inconvenient to go back and forth in one day. Xizhai Temple, located in the urban area, has naturally become a place where monks and customs at home and abroad offer sacrifices to Yang Qi's Zen founder.

In the first year of Chongning in the Northern Song Dynasty (1 102), Huang Tingjian, a pioneer of Jiangxi Poetry School, came to Pingxiang to visit his brother Huang Dalin, who was the magistrate here. After visiting relatives, it is inevitable to find a Range Rover. When he came to a place called Hoshakuji, he hit it off with the abbot of the temple, and the literati and monks had a good talk for a while. After the talk, Huang Tingjian happily carried a pen, inscribed the plaques of "Wei Dechu" and "Ba Tang Huan", and cheerfully planted a arhat pine in front of the main hall of the temple. Still wanting more, the following winter, Huang Tingjian wrote "The Story of the Star Temple", which greatly praised the temple and spoke highly of the abbot who made friendship after only one visit.

Huang Tingjian has more than one monk friend in Pingxiang. He once wrote poems to send his good friend, Master Mi Lao, from Chongsheng Temple in Yichun to Wufeng Mountain in Pingxiang as the abbot of a temple. This poem, entitled "Sending Rice to the Five Peak Mountains", says: I have passed Pingxiang in Gaoan and seventy-two years. Under the Woods by the water, there are trees and ancient roads from north to south. The five peaks are beautiful in the clouds, and there is a treasure house like a palm. Go and be a master with Qingshan, and live up to the old Zen master. Planting pine and bamboo is a family style. Don't be afraid of fighting and never go back and forth. But the snail swallows the elephant, and the wine has no deep lane.

The friendship between Shi and literati, Liu Yuxi and monks, and Huang Tingjian and monks is not an isolated case. If we like, we can list a long list of names: Li Bai, Su Shi, Zheng Banqiao, Liu Changqing ... No matter whether the literati whose official career is not smooth reached the voice of * * with the silence of the monks, or the literati who are proud of the spring breeze interacted with the monks frankly with leisure, this friendship will eventually be sung in poetry.

The simple communication between these scholars and monks adds more bright colors to Zen culture, and also adds warmth and textual evidence to the inheritance of Zen from generation to generation.