The prose of Iron-Skeleton Yizhimei

The edge of a sword comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.

She is a sickly monk who does not covet the comfort of a famous temple or a vain and prominent position. She is willing to be an ordinary, even poor, monk; She did not perform any earth-shattering feats, but with her unwavering kindness and perseverance of patriotism and love for religion, she did some ordinary good deeds in a still dilapidated temple, but won the support of people in eight villages ten miles away. Compliments.

In the ordinary and ordinary, she wrote about the extraordinary life of a monk who promoted Buddhism and pursued the truth of the universe and life.

——Inscription

I have always liked the rich traditional culture, and over time I have become a frequent visitor to the ancient temples in my hometown. During an accidental tour, I came to the Reclining Buddha Temple in Meihua Village, Wugong County, and saw a nun in his 40s, dressed in coarse cloth monk robes, harvesting the rapeseed grown by the temple. He was sweating profusely from exhaustion. When she saw someone visiting, she stopped, put her hands together, said "Amitabha", and received us politely. Her sincere and kind attitude and charitable and amiable demeanor left a deep impression on me. The lay people told me that she was Master Shi Huiyun, the abbot of the temple.

Most of the abbots of Buddhist temples are senior and respected monks. Female nuns are rare, and young monks are extremely rare. Why did this young man in front of me, who was dignified and comely, spoke politely and behaved politely, and was thin and slightly tired, abandon the mortal world and become a nun in the prime of his life? Why did she come to this shabby-looking temple, and what ability did she rely on to become the abbot of the temple? What power inspired her to worship the Buddha, chant sutras and carry forward traditional culture for twenty-four years amidst the sounds of bells and drums in the morning and evening? With these many questions, and with great doubts and admiration, I walked into the Temple of the Reclining Buddha many times and got close to the rough and arduous life of Master Shi Huiyun.

Unfortunate destiny and rough childhood

Master Shi Huiyun, whose common surname is Hu and given name is Huiyun, was born in 1970 in an ordinary farm family on the plains of Guanzhong, a land of outstanding people. When he was 8 years old, his father died young, and it was his mother, Gu, who raised his three brothers and three sisters. She is the youngest daughter in the family. She has been shrewd and studious since she was a child, extremely intelligent, and has a photographic memory. She is regarded as the apple of her eye by her parents. She is loving, pampered, and naughty.

In the 1998 high school entrance examination, she failed by a few points. By chance, she read the book "How to Learn Buddhism" which a monk in Wutai Mountain gave to her brother's classmates, and she suddenly developed a strong interest in Buddhism. This book inspired her to realize that Buddhism is not superstition, but a key to enlightening wisdom. When she first heard about Buddhism, she was very sincere. She changed her bad habit of opening her mouth before eating and reaching out for clothes. She consciously regulated her speech and behavior in accordance with Buddhism. During the day, she ran around busy with her career. At night, she insisted on doing exercises, meditating and cultivating her mind. Whenever she was free, she tidied up the house. I have to be organized, as if I have become a different person. When she was 20 years old, she took refuge in front of Master Shangyinxiayue at the Bodhi Temple in Huangpu Village, Wugong County, and became a lay Buddhist disciple. Huiyun had a special liking for Buddhism, devoted himself to practice, read many scriptures, bought a tape recorder and read the scriptures painstakingly, and became a very devout Buddhist.

She is a kind-hearted and very filial girl. When she was a child, she often asked her mother: Where do I come from? Where do people go after they die? As I grew older, I often wondered where my father went after his death. So I often ask the gods flying in the sky in my dreams, have you seen my father? But the gods shook their heads and didn't know. After seeing my father pass away, my mother endured all the hardships, frowned all day long, and often shed tears. So he bought Buddhist beads for his mother and took her to worship at famous mountains and visit Famen Temple. From then on, a long-lost smile appeared on my mother’s face. Her mother, Gu, was a lady from a scholarly family. Seeing her daughter's great changes, she believed that Buddhism was boundless. She often said, "Reciting the Buddha's name has changed my life as a young woman; I am older now, otherwise I would have become a monk long ago." Buddhism believes that there are three types of filial piety: one is to provide all the material needs of parents; the other is to honor one's ancestors and have a successful career; the third is to become a monk and practice Taoism so that parents can survive the suffering of reincarnation in the six realms of life and death.

Huiyun is intelligent by nature and has a strong sense of perception. He often has prophetic inspirations that often come true. When she was visiting her uncle's family in Ningxia, it was a dry place with no rain for three months. In the afternoon of that day, she fell into a trance and fell asleep. She saw Manjushri Bodhisattva riding in the sky chasing the Dragon King to pray for rain. Half an hour later, it rained heavily in the area.

She is a Buddhist but does not believe in it, but she dreamed of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magical powers. A few days later, Murakami staged the movie "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea." She met a Shaolin monk who had attained Taoism nearly a hundred years ago and said in a Zen meditation: You are the daughter of a great general of the Song Dynasty. You led the troops in the war and killed countless people, and blood flowed like rivers. The injustices you caused in your previous life should be repaid in several lives. You are destined to be like this in this life. A monk. At this time, she woke up from a dream and believed that it was her destiny to become a monk, and she firmly believed in this.

In addition, she has been weak and sick since she was a child. She can't see fishy meat, onions, garlic, or blood. She keeps vomiting when she smells it, so she can only eat vegetarian food. After she was born, everything went wrong in the family. The fruit trees in the yard did not bear fruit, the chickens and ducks at home did not lay eggs, the pigs and sheep did not grow taller, and her father died young. Everyone thought she was their nemesis, and she was responsible for all of this. After reciting the Buddha's name and doing the exercises, she persisted in meditating and practiced hard. She miraculously recovered from the severe stomach problem she had suffered for many years.

She sacrificed herself to be a filial mother and resolutely became a monk

After entering the society, after six or seven years of hard work, she opened an embroidery and tailoring training class in her hometown, and worked with her relatives in the provincial capital Xi'an. He ran a small business and had some success in his career. In life, she was very disgusted by the impetuous people, intrigues, and competition for fame and wealth in the world. Faced with the chaotic world, she forgot about the love between her children and refused marriage proposals from relatives and friends many times, focusing on her dream of being alone.

During this period, after years of chanting sutras and practicing Buddhism, her thoughts changed fundamentally. In order to save her family from suffering, to fulfill her wish to become a monk for her mother, and to promote Buddhism and save all living beings, she At the age of 24, he resolutely escaped into Buddhism and left the world of mortals.

It is incredible to say that after becoming a monk, everything in her family went smoothly, all her wishes came true, her family business prospered, and her life became more prosperous day by day, which strengthened her belief in adhering to Buddhism. . This is something for later, let’s not mention it for now.

In August 1993, Hu Huiyun, who was full of desire to become a monk, heard that Master Shangyin Xiayue was going to Shanxi to practice practice, so he followed his teacher to Pushou Temple in Mount Wutai. The place of residence was tight at that time, so she was introduced by Master Rurui to stay temporarily at Jifu Temple. Jifu Temple is a Taoist temple where nuns gather for meditation. It is a famous temple where Yang Wulang, a good general of the Song Dynasty, lived as a monk in Yande. Huiyun met the monk for the first time here, and it was like a long-lost friend. They were destined to be together thousands of miles apart! She is like a bird coming out of its cage, facing a long drought and rain, like a poor man getting gold, a sick person receiving a doctor, a wanderer returning home, regretting the lost time in the past, tasting the nectar of the Dharma with hunger and thirst, reciting the treasures of classics desperately, and everything in the world. Doubts are solved.

Here, she participated in practice and study with Master Shangyinxiayue for more than half a year. After the guidance of famous teachers and eminent monks, she further strengthened her belief in becoming a monk. On the eighth day of the third month in the ancient calendar of 1994, Hu Huiyun came to Pushou Temple in Wutai Mountain. Master Shangyin Xiayue presided over this young woman. She cut off her black hair, took off her red makeup, and was officially ordained as a nun. The master gave her the name Huiyun.

Praying for Buddhist teachings and traveling around the world

When the conditions for losing his hair matured, Huiyun had already memorized several Mahayana classics, and successfully passed the entrance examination for the universal life that monks at home and abroad had longed for. Temple Discipline College and Chongqing Buddhist College. The Wutaishan Nun School of Law is located in Pushou Temple in Mount Wutai and was founded by two masters, Rurui and Miaoyin. The Chongqing Buddhist College is located in Huayan Temple, the first famous temple in eastern Sichuan, with Masters Weixian and Xinyue serving as the principal and deputy deans. Both schools are domestically renowned Buddhist nun schools that integrate practice and Buddhist education. It aims to improve the quality of nuns and cultivate Buddhist research and management talents who are patriotic and religious and pay equal attention to interpretation and practice.

"A circle of red walls separates the outside world from the noise; the temple door is slightly closed, and you can concentrate on practicing." Huiyun started as a novice (novice) in school, taking morning classes at 3 a.m. and evening classes at 7 p.m., eating two meals a day, not eating after lunch, and turning off the lights after 10:30 p.m. Take the precepts as your teacher and open the door to wisdom; chant bells and drums in the morning and evening, chant sutras and recite Buddha's name, practice and study, and persevere. For novice monks, they not only need to learn Buddhist knowledge such as Buddhist history, world history, university, Doctrine of the Mean, calligraphy, English, Sanskrit, etc., but also learn basic subjects such as Chinese and mathematics. Huiyun has been competitive since she was a child and never admits defeat. She often continues to study at night after others have rested. She often only has three or four hours of rest a day, and she always ranks first in exam homework. After becoming a monk, she never received any support from her family. She only relied on helping the temple sell some incense on Sundays to earn a few yuan of hard-earned money, barely making ends meet. Both times she went to school were due to excessive study and severe overdraft. Her weak constitution forced her to drop out of school midway and lost the opportunity for further study. The master said, this is fate, you must accept it and cannot violate it.

It was at these two highest schools of Buddhism that she received the teachings of famous teachers and eminent monks, laying a solid foundation in Buddhism and establishing a firm belief in doing good and saving all sentient beings.

After her body basically recovered, she was recommended by Master Shangyinxiayue. In August 1995, she was fortunate enough to come to Yunju Temple in Xiwutai, Xi'an, where she followed the vice president of the Shaanxi Buddhist Association and the director of the Dharma Propagation and Benefiting Committee. Master Shangjixiaxiang, the abbot of Yunju Temple in Xiwutai, participated in the study. Serving as the Master's personal secretary, welcoming people to and from him, which opened my eyes, practiced Buddhism, and made many good connections; served as the editor of "Propagate the Dharma and Benefit Living Beings", and worked hard for three years. The Buddhist theory has been put into practice, and I have accumulated rich management experience. .

In May 1999, she was ordained by Master Tongxian at Huilong Temple in Guizhou Province. She became a bhikshuni, received Bodhisattva robes, held a tin staff, and had an ordination certificate. (The ordination certificate is a certificate issued by the monastic organization and the ordination master to the ordained monks and nuns to prove their qualifications.) With the ordination certificate, the monks and nuns have obtained a legal status. They will not be embarrassed to stay in the temple or travel around the world. They are exempted from taxes, labor, military service and other obligations, and receive protection from the government. Through taking ordination, we can better promote the Buddha's teachings, purify our souls, increase compassion and wisdom, improve our right knowledge and ideological quality, resist the infiltration and invasion of evil cults, inherit the fine tradition of patriotism and love of religion, fully implement the party's religious policies, and learn Buddhist culture , serving the purpose of building a harmonious society.

In the following years, Master Shi Huiyun held the ordination in hand and traveled around the world, visiting all the mountains and rivers of the motherland. He has visited and studied in famous mountain temples such as Lingshan Zen Temple in Fujian, Kongtong Mountain in Gansu, Huayan Temple in Chongqing, Wutai Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Emei Mountain, and Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang, where he learned Buddhist scriptures, practiced, and accumulated Buddhist teachings. Out of his sincere love for Buddhist culture, the young Master Huiyun regarded Buddhism as knowledge. He worked diligently and was fascinated by Buddhism and entered the transcendent realm of Buddhism. During the interview, when talking about today's achievements, Master Huiyun missed the teachings she received during her years of following Masters Shangyinxiayue and Shangjixiaxiang and visiting masters all over the country. She was moved and said: "It was the teachers who pointed out They helped me explore Buddhism and seek the truth, strengthened my belief in Dharmakaya, Wisdom and Life, and strengthened my courage to do good and love my country and religion. I will never forget them."

Leave the famous temple and preside over it! Poor Temple

There is a Reclining Buddha Temple in Meihua Village, Southeast Township, Wugong County. It is said that it was built in the Tang Dynasty and is located in the southwest corner of the village. In the temple, there are five reclining Buddha halls, five Dharma protector halls, and five east and west monk rooms. The bells and drums are ringing, the ancient locust trees are towering, and the incense is strong. They have been together for generations. It is said that the plum blossoms in the temple are famous far and wide, and the temple is famous for its plum blossoms. People nearby also call Wat Pho Temple Plum Blossom Temple, so Plum Blossom Village is named after the temple.

Time has passed and the world has gone through many vicissitudes of life. Later, due to the wars of the past dynasties, the temple fell into decline. In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was forcibly demolished on the grounds of eliminating feudal superstition, leaving only two ridges and one pillar capstone.

After the reform and opening up, the party's religious policy was further implemented, conforming to history and satisfying people's hearts. In 2003, believers in Shiliba Village cheered and raised funds from various sources to rebuild the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in the northwest corner of the village, and built the Main Hall and squatter rooms. In the following three years, the Buddhist temple was empty, disorganized and neglected, with no host and only a false reputation. This caused panic among believers from all over the world. In 2006, nearby believers heard for a long time that Master Huiyun was knowledgeable and proficient in Taoism. They invited the master three times to be the abbot of the Reclining Buddha Temple. In ancient times, Liu Guan and Zhang visited the thatched cottage three times and moved Zhuge Liang to go out and achieve great achievements. Nowadays, on the one hand, the extremely pious actions of the lay people have influenced Master Huiyun. On the other hand, Master Huiyun also hates the debauchery and feasting in the busy city. In addition, due to hard work, his eyesight has declined sharply and his body is extremely weak. After careful consideration, he She resolutely left a famous ancient temple with elegant, comfortable environment and very favorable conditions, and came to Wat Pho in Plum Blossom Village.

The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is built on an abandoned brick and tile factory. The site is uneven and overgrown with weeds. There is no wall outside and it is in a mess. The Buddhist hall is empty and desolate. Due to the loss of traditional culture, the people here were not as old as they used to be, morals were increasingly low, and village customs were becoming increasingly low. All kinds of conflicts emerged in an endless stream, including murders and fights. Indifference between good and evil was prevalent and was commonplace, seriously restricting the construction of a harmonious society. It also affects local economic development.

She had imagined the hardships of rural temples, but she never imagined that the conditions of Wat Pho were so poor and the external environment was so severe. At this time, she hesitated, hesitated, and backed down. However, there is no turning back when the bow is drawn.

Master Huiyun, who is naturally competitive, has a very challenging spirit and never admits defeat, is determined to use his diligence and wisdom, and his weak shoulders to bravely rebuild the temple, revitalize Buddhism, be patriotic and religious, spread spiritual civilization, and benefit A heavy burden for one party.

With his target and direction in mind, Master Huiyun straightened up his back, rolled up his sleeves, and led the believers on the difficult and bumpy road of preaching.

Change the face and rebuild the monastery

Temples are places where monks promote Buddhism and Buddhist culture. They are a link for monks to serve the society and connect and unite Buddhists. When he first entered the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Master Huiyun first led the lay people from all over the world to level the land. After all the hardships, he filled up the deep pit. He raised funds from all directions to build a wall, built the temple gate, added two monks' rooms, and paved the hall. The floor tiles were installed, skilled craftsmen were invited to reshape the golden body of the Bodhisattva (Reclining Buddha), and a grand consecration ceremony was held. Immediately afterwards, she led the temple management committee to formulate and improve the rules and regulations, proactively invited relevant government departments to supervise and guide, and promptly completed the "religious activity site" certification procedures. Every sweat, every gain. Soon the temple took on a new look and had a good venue for activities.

During the construction of the temple, Master Huiyun took the lead in labor and was busy all day long. On weekdays, he insisted on paying equal attention to agriculture and Zen, planting wheat, sweet potatoes, and rapeseed vegetables in the temple grounds to support himself; Trees and flowers were planted in the temple to beautify the environment and strive to maintain the temple with the temple. However, the master lives in poverty, never spends a penny, eats two meals a day, adheres to a vegetarian diet, does not eat after lunch, and does not add burden to society. The master's lofty spiritual realm and charisma of being devoted to good things conquered people from all over the world. The temple became famous and more and more people participated in the practice.

Preaching and chanting scriptures, purifying the soul

Religious culture is the key to purifying the soul, can unlock people's wisdom and happiness, and is the lubricant that promotes social harmony! Master Huiyun believes that Buddhist culture is extensive and profound. Buddhism is not only a belief, but also a culture. It is in line with traditional Chinese culture and should be carried forward. Master Huiyun converted to Buddhism in her prime and is a new generation of Buddhist insight. She has devout faith, diligent meditation, and constantly pursues the true meaning of Buddhism. She follows the trend, advances with the times, keeps up with the pace of the times, promotes justice everywhere, never forgets social responsibilities, turns the teaching venue into a dojo to promote Buddhism and traditional culture, cooperates with the construction of national spiritual civilization, and saves the loss of people's spiritual civilization. After serving as the abbot of the temple, Wat Pho became more and more famous, and more and more people converted to study and teach, spreading to several surrounding towns and villages, with hundreds of people. Most of the lay people who often attend Buddhist recitations are left-behind elderly people who are older and uneducated. The young Master Huiyun, with his superb management level and organizational skills, insists on doing morning and evening homework, studying scriptures, practicing meditation and chanting Buddhist scriptures, and takes the lead in spiritual practice. In addition, it combines the promotion of Buddhist culture with the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture, regularly lectures on scriptures on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, puts the education of citizens' moral quality first, integrates the Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces into lectures, and often explains the twenty-four filial piety to the people who enter the temple. We hold "Disciple Rules" study classes from time to time, lead believers to release animals frequently, promote environmental protection and burn incense in temples to prevent environmental pollution, and guide believers through WeChat Moments to learn Buddhism and be a good person first, be filial to their parents at home, and respect the world when they go out. Inspire believers to love their country, love their people, love their hometown, actively participate in economic construction, work hard to get rich, actively integrate into a harmonious society, and participate in the construction of spiritual civilization.