How did Zen master Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Zen, inherit the mantle of Zen master Hongren, the fifth ancestor of Zen?

Huineng's young father died early, leaving a lonely old mother, who had to go to the market to sell firewood. One day, a customer suddenly wanted to buy firewood and asked me to take it to the guest's shop. After delivery, the customer took the firewood, and Huineng got the money to sell the firewood. When I walked back to the door, I suddenly saw a guest reading the Diamond Sutra. After hearing this, Huineng understood and asked the guest; "Where are you from? Why do you want to recite this diamond sutra? " The guest replied, "I was taught by Hong Ren, the fifth ancestor of Zen Buddhism, on Mao Feng Mountain in the east of Meixian County, qi zhou. He is still here, and his disciples have more than 1000 people. I heard Master Hong Ren exhort monks and secular people who have not become monks to say that as long as they master a scroll of Diamond Sutra, they can understand that everyone has Buddha nature and become a Buddha at once. " Hearing this, Huineng knew that this was the karma planted by what she had done in the past, so she immediately said goodbye to her mother and went to Feng Maoshan to worship Hong Ren, the fifth ancestor.

Teacher Hong Ren asked Huineng, "Where are you from? Come to this mountain to worship me as a teacher. What do you want from me now? "

Huineng replied: "My disciple is from Lingnan, an ordinary person from NSW. Today, I am here to worship my mentor. I don't want anything else, I just want to be liberated and become a Buddha. "

After hearing this, Master Hong Ren rebuked Huineng and said, "You are from Lingnan and a cat. How can you dream of becoming a Buddha! "

Huineng replied: "although people are divided into north and south, there is no difference in Buddha nature between north and south;" Although the status of a cat is different from that of a mentor, what is the difference between Buddha's nature! "

Master Hong Ren wanted to say something to Huineng at that time, but when he saw his men standing by, he stopped talking. Immediately send Huineng to do some chores with everyone. One day, Master Hongren, the fifth ancestor, suddenly called all his disciples to his side. Wuzu said, "I tell you, secular people take life and death very seriously. Your disciples support [Buddhism, Dharma, Monks and Treasures] all day long, only knowing the way to get good returns, but not knowing how to get out of the sea of life and death. If you lose your original Buddha nature, how can the door of karma save you? Go back to your's room, everyone, and do a self-examination. Wise people, recognize the universal wisdom in their own nature, and each of you will write a poem for me to read. I saw your poem. You find a person who understands the nature of Buddhism, and I will teach him to carry on the family line and the mantle of Zen, so that he can be passed on as the sixth generation of Zen, and everyone should do it quickly. "

After listening to Master Hong Ren's instructions, all the disciples went back to their rooms. They said to each other, "Shen Xiu is very respected and is our professor. Master Hong Ren will teach him the mantle. After Shen Xiu inherited Buddhism, we can naturally rely on him without worrying about writing any poems. " Shen Xiu, who is highly respected, thinks that people are afraid to dedicate their poems to Master Hong Ren, because I am already a professor. If I don't present the poems in my heart, how can Master Wuzu know the depth of my views on Buddhism? If I dedicate the poems in my heart to the Five Ancestors, this desire to seek Buddha is certainly good,' but the result of seeking the status of a generation of ancestors is not good, which is equivalent to stepping onto the throne with a foolish heart. If I don't present my poems to the five ancestors, I won't get Buddhism in the end.

In the middle of the night, the venerable spiritual practitioner, holding a candle, wrote poems on the middle wall under the south porch, and no one paid attention. The poem he wrote is:

Be a bodhi tree

Xin ru Ming Jing tai

Wipe frequently

Don't make dust.

Five ancestors discovered Shen Xiu's poems inscribed on the wall. After he finished reading sentence by sentence, he said that the Diamond Sutra says that the appearance of everything people say is a false illusion. Why not leave this poem on this wall and let the lost people recite it often? If you can practice according to this poem, you won't fall into the three evils of hell, hungry ghost and beast.

This Buddhist practitioner will benefit a lot. The disciples recited it all at once and became sincere and respectful. They all praised loudly: "Great!"

Wu Zushi said: "This poem can be said to understand the Buddha's nature, but it can't be said that it has only reached the gate and has not been able to enter. Ordinary people will not degenerate if they practice according to this poem of yours; If you make such an opinion, it is impossible to realize the highest truth of Buddhism. You must know your original virtue. Please keep thinking. "

One day, a teenager walked by the house, reciting a poem inscribed by Meixiu while walking. As soon as Huineng heard it, she knew that this poem didn't really understand the Buddha's nature, and at the same time she understood the general idea of this poem. The boy led Huineng to the south porch to admire Shen Xiu's poems. Being illiterate, Huineng asked someone to read it to him. Huineng also wrote a poem, invited a person who can write, wrote it on the wall of the west corridor and dedicated it to the master of the Five Ancestors.

What you know.

pipal

A bright mirror is not a pedestal.

There was nothing.

Where does it attract dust?

In the middle of the night, Master Wuzu called Huineng to the meditation hall and told him about the Diamond Sutra. Hearing this, Huineng immediately understood the general idea of the Diamond Sutra. That night, Master Hongren gave a lecture for Huineng, and no one in the temple noticed it, so Master Hongren quietly passed on the epiphany and mantle of Zen to Huineng.