My mentor, the old monk Shangmiaoxiazhan, was born on April 9, 1944. His common surname is Ye and his given name is Yuyou. He is a native of Fuling, Lishui, Zhejiang. In the second week after Shi was born, his biological father was unfortunately infected with the plague gas bomb dropped by the Japanese army and passed away on the way to announce the good news. From then on, his family fell into decline and his life was difficult, and he sometimes even had to beg to survive. Later, her mother remarried and two younger sisters were born in the family. Life was still difficult without enough food, and her mother worked hard to bring her up.
The teacher was gifted and intelligent since childhood and had a good nature. He once attended a private school but was weak due to long-term malnutrition. The teacher only entered first grade when he was twelve or thirteen years old. Later, due to family poverty, he had no choice but to drop out of school in the second grade of junior high school.
1. Surrounded by many sufferings, I was lucky enough to encounter Buddhism
The hardships of life and the sufferings of childhood left a deep impression on Master, which made him feel deeply dissatisfied with the Saha world. Although his family situation improved later, the teacher did not retreat from his renunciation. He looked at everything in the world very lightly. This state of mind stayed with his teacher throughout his life.
In order to make a living when he was a young man, Shi relied on book knowledge to teach himself tailoring skills, and later started a business to support his family. During this period, every time a customer orders a piece of clothing, the designer carefully calculates the fabric materials and carefully cuts them, so that the fabric is economical and the price is cheap, making the customer happy. Relying on his exquisite craftsmanship and intelligent mind, the business of the tailor shop became increasingly prosperous. Customers from Wenzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai and other places came here to customize clothes. At that time, the master had more than 20 apprentices.
Because he often suffered from hunger when he was young, the teacher suffered from gastric disease. Coupled with the tired life at home, the gastric disease was quite serious. Every time he swallows hard food or glutinous rice-like food, his stomach becomes blocked and he burps, making it difficult to digest. In severe cases, he will have a strong burning sensation. The food will push up into the throat, causing chest tightness and shortness of breath. The pain of the disease makes the teacher miserable. . Where there is pain in life, there is also pain in illness. Stomach disease caused serious damage to Master's body.
In order to cure the disease, the teacher went around seeking medical advice, but he only saw the symptoms but not the root cause. One day, the teacher went to a Chinese medicine shop in Lishui City to seek medical treatment. The doctor asked him: "Is it treating a real disease or a fake disease?" The teacher was confused and asked what he meant. The doctor said bluntly: "There is no medicine for real diseases. If you go back, you will die." "The teacher asked again: "Is there any good prescription that can save lives?" The doctor took out a piece of paper and copied a volume of the "Heart Sutra" and told him to recite it day and night after he returned, so that he could overcome all suffering.
The teacher accepted it with joy and believed it without any doubt. He recited the sutra every day, and recited it three times in one breath according to the doctor's instructions, every day without interruption. After half a year, Master's stomach disease gradually recovered. This was the beginning of Master's contact with Buddhism.
In 1980, under the introduction of a friend, the teacher received the Three Refuges at Huanglong Temple in Jinyun County under the Rev. Shangdexiagui. After taking refuge, the master began to fast and eat vegetarian food, chant sutras and recite Buddha's name, and strengthen his faith. With the passage of time and the sophistication of the world, troubles such as fame and fortune and trivial matters in daily life have become more and more frequent. Suffering and illness often accompany the teacher; suffering, emptiness, impermanence, etc. constantly touch the depths of the teacher's heart, making the teacher prepared. Suffering, grief-stricken.
Perhaps due to chance encounters, or perhaps in pursuit of inner peace, the master began to think about the value orientation of life and the destiny of life. From this, the roots of good deeds in the past life appeared, and the ambition to transcend the world began to sprout. After that, in pursuit of liberation, Master visited famous mountains and ancient temples in his hometown, and even went as far as Songxi, Pucheng, Fujian and other places to seek to become a monk. However, family constraints prevented the teacher from doing so (at this time, he already had three sons at home). Therefore, the teacher paid homage to the Great Compassionate Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva day and night, sincerely praying to the Bodhisattva for his mercy and for an early victory.
In order to prepare the qualifications for becoming a monk in the future, Master Shi began to silently study the five lessons, Buddhist instruments, etc. The teacher also imitated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's great vows and constantly inspired himself to learn the Buddha's path and the courage to make progress, so that his confidence never retreated from the beginning to the end.
2. Protect the Three Treasures and aspire to become a monk
Nanming Mountain in the south of Lishui City is known as the "Shengtong of Kuocang" and is said to be the place where Ge Hong, a Taoist in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, made alchemy. On the cliffs of Yunge Cliff, Gaoyang Cave and Shiliang on the mountain, there are precious inscriptions by famous scholars and calligraphers and painters from all dynasties since the Jin Dynasty. Among them, the handwritings of Ge Hong, Shen Kuo and Mi Fu are the most famous. Renshou Temple in Nanming Mountain is a thousand-year-old temple, which was first built in the third year of Qiande in the Song Dynasty (AD 965).
The master couldn't bear the dilapidation of the palace and the loss of the holy relics, so he made various efforts to raise funds and funds to restore it.
When the master raised funds to build the temple, he put together a few cents. In order to expand the temple, he even exchanged the good land of his own house with the poor land of others.
During the period of living in the mountain, Master and his fellow practitioners scrimped on food and clothing, overcame thorns and thorns, repaired the main hall, built new dormitories, welcomed holy statues, and received monks to conduct teachings. In 1996, Master Yinkong, a monk from the north, came here for a visit. The master talked with him. Master Yinkong refused silently and politely on the grounds that the master was twenty years older than him and they should be fellow practitioners.
From 1994 to 1998, Master participated in the work of the Lishui Buddhist Management Committee as a layman, presiding over the management of local Buddhist affairs. During this period, Buddhist monasteries established and restored by Buddhist teachers and colleagues included Renshou Temple in Nanming Mountain, Dajue Temple, Zizhu Temple in Bihu Town, and Taibao Temple.
However, the glitz and fame did not diminish Master’s Taoist spirit. While he was busy handling the affairs of the Buddhist Association, he prostrated himself to the Three Jewels every morning and evening, diligently sought blessings, and recited 10,000 Buddha’s names every day. Eliminate old karma, make it difficult to cover the demonic obstacles, increase the number of net causes, and hope to meet a wise master and become a monk and practice Taoism. After Master Yinkong left the temple, he continued to live in Nanming Mountain and handled the daily affairs of the Buddhist Association day after day.
In fact, Master Yinkong, a wandering monk, has long been tacitly determined to be the most suitable teacher to lead him to become a monk. However, Master Yinkong did not leave any contact information when he left. It is not known when the farewell will take place. goodbye.
To become a monk and learn Taoism is not to rely on the Buddha to survive, or to become a monk due to temporary setbacks. Master's decision to become a monk and practice Taoism is actually a major decision made to repay the deep kindness of his parents, to escape from life and death, and to escape from reincarnation. Suffering from the lack of sufficient karma for becoming a monk in the past, Master began to recite the Buddha's name more diligently in order to increase the good karma and ensure the karma.
On the one hand, Master has been doing ideological work for his family members over and over again for many years, understanding them with reason and emotion, hoping for their family’s permission; on the other hand, he relies wholeheartedly on the blessings of the Three Jewels and looks forward to a turning point.
Inheriting the compassionate power of all Buddhas, the cause and condition is incredible. In 2001, five years after they were separated from the wandering monk Yinkong, the two met again. When they met, the master was very excited and moved forward to worship Master Yinkong. When he stood up, his face was filled with tears. When I met the master again, the master believed that this was the result of the blessing of the Three Jewels. Since we met, we couldn't let go of the opportunity to become a monk, and we couldn't delay our Dharma body and wisdom. "I have made up my mind to become a monk with my master!"
So the master knelt down again and begged Master Yinkong to open a convenient door for him to become a monk, and he fulfilled his wish. Master Yinkong observed that for many years, his belief in Buddhism has not changed, his desire to become a monk has not wavered, and his strong Taoist heart is very rare. He deeply admired him and promised: "You can come to me after your worldly affairs are settled!" After finishing the housework and saying goodbye to his family, the master went to Qingcheng, Jiangxi Province alone to seek refuge with Master Yinkong without telling his elderly mother.
In 2002, Master Kong was ordained as Master Kong in a ceremony at Ganlu Temple in De'an County, Jiangxi Province. His Dharma name was Miaozhan and his courtesy name was Qingchen. He was fifty-eight years old at that time. Behind the dome, the teacher always lives in Ganlu Temple. During the day, he works hard for his permanent residence, carrying water and firewood, working on the slopes, raising funds to clear obstacles, and cultivating blessings; at night, he studies "Novice Laws", "Pure Heart Commandments and Contemplation Methods" and "Legacy Teachings" "Three Classics" etc. Because he became a monk in his later years, Master deeply felt that it was hard-earned, so he cherished his time even more and persisted in his duties and practiced diligently. Four years later, the master went to Baofeng Temple in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province to pay homage to Elder Xiacheng and ask for full ordination. After receiving the ordination, he returned to the temple to serve as a monk.
3. Visiting and settling in Donglin
One day, Master Yinkong, the tonsure master, said to him sincerely: "Master Qingchen, you have been ordained for some time. There is an old saying: 'I would rather sleep in a big temple than teach in a small temple. ' Moreover, Jiangxi has a profound Buddhist heritage and many monasteries. You should go out and visit and learn more to sharpen your mind."
After hearing the ordination master’s words, the master remained silent, thinking that the life in the monastery is pure and peaceful, with bells and drums every morning and evening, green lanterns and yellow scrolls. Living in the monastery and practicing is exactly what I wanted. Besides, I have been a monk for ten years, so it is like this How can I leave my master and go out on a visit if I haven't done a good job in serving my master? The master at that time did not want to go and could not bear to go, so he did not follow the instructions given by the ordinators.
The master originally planned to live here permanently and practice Buddhism. However, the temple inevitably had to perform sutras, repentance, and Buddhist rituals, not to mention the intertwining of worldly emotions.
The teacher thought that his original intention to become a monk was to repay his relatives' kindness, to end life and death, and to seek the Buddha's path. Now he is too tired to deal with Buddhist affairs and has no time to recite the Buddha's name and practice. Moreover, he shaved his hair in middle age and it was too late. If impermanence comes, everything will come to an end. Isn’t it a waste of time? Nowadays, my worries have not been alleviated, my efforts are not strong, my practice is not improving, and I have become a chaotic monk relying on the Buddha for food... Every time I think of this, the teacher can't help but sigh and cry secretly. Recalling the ordination master's admonitions and Zhaozhou's koan about Zen master "still walking at eighty years old", after careful consideration, the master decided to leave Ganlu Temple for a visit.
There are many Buddhist jungles in Jiangxi. During the trip, the teacher visited Huangbo Zen Temple in Yichun, Jingju Temple in Qingyuan Mountain in Ji'an, and Zhenru Temple in Yunju Mountain in Yongxiu County. Everywhere he went, Master observed carefully and sought advice attentively. The visit broadened Master's horizons, benefited a lot, and filled him with Dharma joy.
In the summer of 2006, Master heard that Lushan Mountain in Jiujiang is beautiful and beautiful, Donglin Temple has a clean and upright Taoism, and the Sangha is harmonious. Master Da'an is stationed in Xi Taoist temple, leading people to practice, and specializes in promoting pure karma. The teacher was infinitely yearned for him, so he came here because of his fame. After registering and settling in, the permanent residents will appoint teachers to sell fragrant flower coupons (i.e. tickets) at the gate of the mountain. Currently, Donglin Ancestral Court and Pure Land Garden promise to never charge tickets, free meals and accommodations. Every day, they deal with visitors from all over the world, and the teachers warmly receive them with smiles on their faces. , patient and meticulous. After living in the temple for a long time, the master would wake up from sleep every day after hearing the sound of the wooden board, and go to the hall with the crowd. During the whole day, he would be mindful of the Buddha's name, and his life would be very regular and compact.
Donglin Temple in Lushan Mountain is the birthplace of the Pure Land Sect in China. Master Huiyuan established the White Lotus Society here and led everyone to practice Buddha chanting diligently. The 123 people in the Lotus Society all had the auspicious sign of being reborn in the Pure Land. Moreover, the master's path was prosperous and prosperous throughout his life. He could predict the time of his death, sit down and pass away, and pass away in a high-quality life. Its majestic and magical effects are enough to inspire people's hearts. Nowadays, under the abbot of Master Da'an, Donglin Temple takes the Five Pure Land Sutras and the treatises of the thirteen generations of patriarchs as the two major reference systems. It adopts the attitude of describing rather than writing, focusing on the root of all living beings, using skillful methods to spread the power of great compassion. The promotion of the Pure Land Dharma by the principles and opportunities has made the Taoism of the Patriarch's Taoist temple prosperous, the sea is peaceful, the monks and laymen come in an endless stream, and the sound of Donglin Dharma can be heard all over the world. The master settled in the ancestral court, followed the fragrance of the forest to follow the rules of the two-hour hall, read the precepts during the New Year, lived in peace during the summer, and went to the hall every day to recite the Buddha's name. His faith and Taoism became stronger and stronger, and his studies continued to improve.
The method of reciting the Buddha’s name uses the sound to perform Buddhist deeds, and through the sound of the Buddha’s name to open up the Buddha nature, it is truly a wonderful and solemn road to transform from ordinary life to sainthood. Donglin Buddha's name is based on the characteristics of clear, smooth, sad, bright, subtle, wonderful, harmonious and elegant; it is the wonderful sound of reality, with the feeling of deep faith and earnest wishes; the speed of speech is slow and slow, the style is sad and bright, and it has great meaning. of adsorption capacity. The teacher has a deep understanding of the meaning and characteristics of Donglin Buddha's name, and personally understands the profound meaning of the rhythm of the sound.
The teacher was appointed by the permanent resident to teach the people to chant the Buddha's name, and he taught it over and over again with great sincerity and painstaking efforts. He aimed to pass on the compassionate power of the Donglin Buddha's name to all living beings, and hoped that everyone would inspire a strong and brave spirit. Step onto the other side and walk to the light to understand the way. The master also went to Jiangsu, Hunan, Shanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong and other places with the Donglin Lotus Society's grassroots Dharma propaganda group to carry out grassroots Dharma propaganda activities, and participated in leading the crowd to do Qiqi, chanting Buddha's name while walking, releasing and protecting animals, etc. Legal affairs, and worked hard in the distribution department, fundraising department and other departments, promoting the name of Donglin Buddha and spreading the lotus wind in the ancestral court far away. During his tenure in the monastery, the teacher performed his duties with all his heart and soul. The resident master taught the people how to chant verses, chant, beat rituals and other rituals. The master taught patiently and taught everything without any reservation.
In 2013, Master decided to give up all the connections and go into seclusion for three years, in order to practice self-realization within three years, and gain some benefits in teaching, theory, practice and realization. This is the cause and condition for accomplishing the great event of rebirth. On the day of entering the customs, the first monk and everyone present sent the master into the customs. He prayed for the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the protection of dragons and heavens. May the master achieve success and benefit all living beings. The teacher composed a verse to encourage himself: "Pursue pure karma behind closed doors. You can't reach it even if you don't climb it. All worldly sentiments are gone. I am deeply grateful for the kindness of the Buddha." During the retreat, the teacher was strict with himself, getting up around 3:30 every day and resting around 10 p.m. In addition to morning and evening classes, I read and copy sutras every day, worship and recite Buddha's name non-stop, in order to repay the blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for many generations, to repay the kindness of parents and teachers for childbirth and upbringing, to repay the kindness of permanent achievement, and to repay the kindness of all living beings for their support.
Thanks to the abbot and the monk’s compassionate care and constant care, the master successfully left the retreat after the three years were over. The sun and the sea were filled with clouds, and he was delighted with the Dharma. The teacher photocopied and published the "Five Pure Land Sutras" that he had copied over the past three years, and became popular with the public.
After leaving seclusion, the master lived in Ruyi Lao, where he read sutras, chanted Buddha's name every day, and became friends with the public through calligraphy.
During this period, at the warm invitation of the lay protector, Master successively paid homage to the holy sites in famous mountains such as Emei, Jiuhua, and Putuo. From time to time, lay people came to the teacher to ask questions or ask for enlightenment, and the teacher answered patiently, meticulously and compassionately. There was only one thing that the teacher did not respond to, which was the question of reliance on practice.
Master often said: "In the age of Dharma ending, you must practice according to the precepts, the Dharma, and good knowledge. To practice Pure Land Dharma, go to Donglin Temple. Master Da'an is a good teacher and your support. You should listen more. Master's lectures and teachings, reading "Yinzu Wenchao" deeply, and learning from the great master."
In June 2017, the old monk Guopu in the neighboring village passed away. The master said to the old monk: "Master Guopu, you and I are fellow Zhejiang fellows. Now you go west before me, and I Come later, you and I will meet in the West someday!" This is the Master's first words and the matter of his death. Since then, the master's health has been deteriorating. Changzhu has asked the master many times to teach him how to sing Donglin Buddha's chant. Although the master was unable to do so, he still thought of all sentient beings. Therefore, in his seventy years, the public can still see him lead the chanting in Dharma gatherings. His figure, his demeanor, his movements, his movements, his manners are calm and solemn.
In the midsummer of 2018, Master took leave of absence from the living room and returned to Lishui to visit the lay protector and friends at home. One day, everyone set up a fast to make offerings to the Master. The Master happily sat with everyone. Everyone at the table prayed that the Master would live in this world for a long time and benefit all sentient beings. The Master solemnly scolded: "Why live in this world for a long time? The Saha world is too painful. I don't want to stay for more than one day!" At this time, I also followed the teacher on his right side and saw that the teacher did not have any symptoms of illness. I think the teacher's words should be a reminder to everyone to "take the Buddha as your teacher, practice according to the precepts, and do not hold onto worldly sentiments."
During the first month of this year (2019), Master called me and happily told me: "On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month (New Year's Eve), nearly a thousand people gathered together for the Donglin Temple reunion dinner. On that evening, a Pucha party was held. Everyone gathered in the ancestral court, bathed in the Buddha's grace, and cultivated pure karma. It was a peaceful scene. "The master also said: "One year has passed, you are one year older, and I am getting older. One year old, it is no longer useful when you are old. Now it is difficult to worship Buddha. I can only recite the Buddha's name with all my heart and pray for Amitabha to receive you soon!" The sincere and firm words of the master can be heard in his words.
Later I heard that the teacher had stomach cold syndrome and seemed to be getting better after being treated in Shanghai, Nanchang and other places. I called him many times to inquire about his condition, and the teacher always replied: "It's okay, it's okay, don't worry about it." ” and concluded with the words, “You must work hard, be filial to your parents, love your children, be grateful to the Three Treasures, and recite the Buddha’s name often.”
4. Firm faith and will, peaceful silence
I never thought that impermanence would happen so quickly. As May 1st, 2019 was approaching, Shifang was teaching to sing the Donglin Buddha chant. Suddenly, he suffered a cerebral thrombosis on April 28th (March 24th of the lunar calendar) and was admitted to Jiujiang People's Hospital for treatment. The examination showed that he had a cerebral hemorrhage. He kept hiccupping and spoke in a low voice. However, as long as he had strength, he kept reciting the Buddha's name in a low voice and had clear mindfulness.
When I was in solitary confinement, Master had a talk with Master Dexiu, the caretaker of the solitary confinement, and said that even if we monks are afraid of death, if we get seriously ill, we will only seek to die. He had surgery and wanted to be reborn. Because the teacher had informed him beforehand, no craniotomy was performed. The resident sent a pure person to take good care of the patient and accompany him around. After treatment by doctors and other methods, he improved.
On the afternoon of May 8th (the fourth day of the fourth lunar month), Master’s condition suddenly deteriorated. At about 5 pm, he returned from the hospital to the Donglin Temple to support the chanting group. At this time, the teacher was already in a coma. At about nine o'clock that night, the teacher peacefully showed his silence in the midst of the chanting of Buddha by the crowd. His life span was seventy-five years old. The Great Monk Da'an praised: "I have prepared my supplies, just take off your clothes and go!"
Because the Master vigorously promoted the name of Donglin Buddha before his death, attracted all living beings, and established many Dharma connections, so since the fourth day of the fourth lunar month After Master Xu solemnly passed away at nine o'clock in the evening, a steady stream of people came to help with the recitation after hearing the news. Even monks and laypeople from other places came to help with the recitation. After more than 1,000 people visited and more than 60 hours of non-stop chanting, on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, the abbot of Donglin Temple, the great monk Shang Da Xia'an, was respectfully invited to preside over the Dharma and hold a shrine enclosing ceremony, with nearly 2,000 monks and lay people in attendance. The master's face was calm and serene, as if he was sleeping normally. When he was changing, his body was soft and there was no odor. When the niche was opened, auspicious clouds surrounded the sky for a long time.
On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the Huasheng kiln was opened, and many solid seeds were obtained, most of which were bright black, such as soapberry rosary beads, the size of which were beans and hemp-like, with a small amount of gray in between; relic flowers Most of them are green, blue-white, and light purple, and they are coral-like. Teachers, students, former disciples, believers, lay people and lay family members all witnessed this solemn moment.
I have known my teacher for thirteen years. Along the way, I have received guidance from him and taught diligently, and I have benefited a lot.
Every time I ask for Buddhist teachings from my teacher, my teacher always insists on "obeying the precepts and reciting the Buddha's name." The teacher also compassionately explained to me the forty-eight great vows of Amitabha, taught me how to chant Donglin Buddha's name, and told me how to practice the Pure Land Dharma. The master said: "No matter what your abilities are, as long as you strictly observe the precepts, have faith and vows, recite the Buddha's name wholeheartedly, seek the ultimate happiness, and understand the power of Amitabha's vows, you will definitely be able to achieve success in your life."
The master repeatedly emphasized: "Pure Land The Dharma is different from the Tongtu Dharma. It is a special Dharma that leads all rivers to return to the sea and captures all actions and transforms them into one thought. It is a difficult method to believe in and an easy way to practice. I wish to be free from life and death, and I wish to save all sentient beings.”
I still remember clearly the meeting with the teacher last year, and the teacher’s teachings are still in my ears. I never thought that in less than a year, my master would pass away and leave Lishui forever.
During the life of the master, he had a difficult life in his early years and dropped out of school to make a living. He deeply felt that life was suffering and empty and impermanent. Fortunately, he relied on his long-cherished vows, encountered the Dharma, and developed confidence, and his future in life became clear. After becoming a monk, I had to stay with Donglin to take care of him, so I could concentrate on practicing Taoism and escape from life and death in one stage. The teacher uses impermanence and speed to teach the public the final lesson. We, the disciples, should be infinitely grateful for the teacher's compassion. I pray that in the light of everlasting silence, I will not let go of my sentient beings, and come again with my wishes!
"Pure Land" Issue 3, 2019