NFBE Chapter 335 Xiao Zizai's training begins
Chapter 335 Xiao Zizai's training begins
Chapter 335 Xiao Zizai's training begins
In the courtyard, under the apricot tree.
Xiao Zizai and Zen Master Liu Ji chatted for a long time. It couldn't be said that they hit it off right away, but they could be considered acquaintances who had known each other for a while over a cup of tea.
Of course, there was no tea on the stone table, and the two of them were just chatting with their saliva.
The wind from West Lake blew down a few apricot leaves and also brushed open the sleeves of the monk's robe.
Xiao Zizai noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was a red rope tied around Zen Master Liu Ji's wrist.
Zen Master Liu Ji noticed his gaze, raised his hand calmly, and said with a smile, "This red string is woven from my beloved wife's hair. I think she has been wearing it for decades, ever since we started dating."
Xiao Zizai clasped his hands together and said, "Senior Brother and his lover, their love is truly enviable."
"Haha, don't you think that my Buddhist heart is not sincere and my love relationship is not over?" Zen Master Liuji joked.
Xiao Zizai said: "The red string wrapped around the wrist is Guanzizai. The fact that you can show the red string to others calmly proves that you have no worries."
Upon hearing this, Zen Master Liu Ji smiled, lowered his hand, and said, "People say that it is impossible to achieve both in this world, to not let down the Tathagata and not let down you. If outsiders saw me like this, they would definitely say that I am bound by worldly ties and my six senses are not pure."
"The Shurangama Sutra says, 'Perception and the conditions for perception, as well as the forms of thought, are like flowers in the void, inherently devoid of substance.' The thread of love in the eyes of the world is Prajna in the palm of the Bodhisattva's hand. The saying 'I will not disappoint the Tathagata, I will not disappoint you' is the twin lotus flowers that bloom within the non-dual Dharma."
Upon hearing this answer, Zen Master Liu Ji clapped his hands and laughed: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, Junior Brother indeed has wisdom and a heart of Buddha. In this way, I have more confidence in the task of presiding over Jie Kong."
Xiao Zizai was quite curious and asked, "Brother, do you really have a way to cure my 'disease'?"
It is said that Buddhism can save all living beings, but he has been in Shaolin for so many years and has not been able to find a way to save his own heart.
It's just that at least he has been educated and will not do evil, and can face his own problems calmly.
Zen Master Liu Ji stood up and said, "Whether it's a man-eating Asura or a saving Buddha, as my junior brother just said, they are both but two sides of the same coin."
"What I want to do is not to destroy that man-eating Shura, but to prevent it from affecting you..."
As he spoke, Zen Master Liu Ji walked towards the back of the courtyard, and Xiao Zizai followed him.
There was no one in the back of the courtyard, and the sound of bells could be heard faintly in the distance.
This place is really nice. It is not only quiet and undisturbed, but also has pleasant scenery.
Behind the yard, there is a bamboo forest, each bamboo has slender green leaves.
Zen Master Liu Ji said, "After becoming a monk, I practiced for many years and comprehended the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. I understood the principle that 'self-nature is originally empty.' Using obsession as fuel and the three poisons as flame, I burned away all delusion and attained enlightenment. I created the unique [Six Ji Zen Method]."
"The core of the Six Silence Zen Method is to transform extreme obsessions into motivation for practice, and through the six levels of silencing, break through the three poisons and realize the pure self-nature."
"The method emphasizes that 'attachment is not an obstacle, but changing one's mind is the path.' Using the deepest worldly attachments as fuel, one contemplates emptiness amidst the blazing flames, ultimately achieving the nirvana state of 'stillness without extinguishing, emptiness yet ever-illuminating.'"
Xiao Zizai turned around and asked in surprise, "Six Silence Zen Method?"
Zen Master Liu Ji nodded and said, "That's right. I will also use this method to solve your problem."
While chatting, Master Liu Ji brought Xiao Zizai to a simple Zen room on the east side of the bamboo forest.
Although this Zen room is simple, the interior is kept spotless and spotless.
The most important thing is that the Zen room is not big, but it has everything, including a bedroom, study, bathroom and kitchen.
Although there is no yard, the entire bamboo forest outside is a natural courtyard, and it is undisturbed and has a beautiful environment.
"This is where I once practiced in seclusion, and it will also be where you will practice in the future. Everything is available here. If you need anything, just let me know."
Xiao Zizai took a look at the environment and said, "It's already very good, there's nothing else to add."
"That's good."
Zen Master Liu Ji led Xiao Zizai to the study, went straight to the desk, pointed at the bronze mirror on the table and said, "Do you see this mirror?"
Xiao Zizai nodded.
“The first step in your practice is to draw the person in the mirror.”
"The person in the mirror?" Xiao Zizai was puzzled.
"Yes, just draw whatever you see in the mirror." Zen Master Liu Ji said, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, you can draw, right?"
“…Not really.”
"It doesn't matter. Even if it's at elementary school level, it should be enough."
Zen Master Liu Ji took out a stack of white paper from the drawer, then took out a few pens and placed them on the table.
“Remember, draw whatever you see until you get it right.”
Xiao Zizai was confused. Asking him to draw the person in the mirror meant drawing himself, right?
Seeing Xiao Zizai's confusion, Master Liu Ji did not explain. He just smiled and stretched out his hand, saying, "You will know when you sit down and take a look."
Out of curiosity, Xiao Zizai came to the table and sat down, looking at the bronze mirror in front of him.
He was stunned when he saw it, looking at the reflection in the mirror in disbelief.
"What did you see?" asked Zen Master Liu Ji.
Xiao Zizai hesitated for a moment before saying, "A woman with a very high nose bridge."
Zen Master Liu Ji nodded to the white paper and said, "Then draw it."
To be honest, Xiao Zizai had no idea what was going on. Why was it himself looking in the mirror, but the reflection in the mirror was of a woman?
He's transgender? How come he doesn't know?!
Xiao Zizai really wanted to ask what was going on, but seeing that Master Liuji was silent, it seemed that he had no intention of telling him the truth.
So, he stopped talking and picked up a pencil beside him to start sketching the woman in the mirror.
To be honest, asking him to paint is like asking Zhang Fei to embroider.
Although Xiao Zizai's painting skills are not very good, he paints fast enough, and his speed sometimes makes his paintings a bit abstract.
"All right."
In less than ten minutes, Xiao Zizai displayed the painting.
Zen Master Liu Ji had been watching from the side. He glanced at the drawing on the white paper, his eye twitching as he said, "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please compare it with what you see in the mirror and see if it matches?"
"Of course." Xiao Zizai affirmed.
"Naturally?" Zen Master Liu Ji smiled. "Take a look first. Are you sure what you've drawn is the same as what you saw?"
Xiao Zizai was confused and turned to look at the bronze mirror, only to find that what appeared in the mirror was a man's face.
"This……"
Xiao Zizai almost thought he was dazzled, but after looking carefully a few more times, he found that there was indeed a man in the mirror, but his appearance was different from his. He had big eyes, a full beard, and a face full of flesh.
She was a woman before, how come she became a man in the blink of an eye?
Xiao Zizai felt something was wrong, so he picked up the bronze mirror and turned it over to check, but he didn't find anything wrong. It was just an ordinary mirror.
But how can an ordinary mirror reflect different portraits?