The story of longevity monk Zhang Bao

Zhang Bao chitose monk is the founder of the ancestral temple.

Monk Zhang Bao, the son of a Brahmin nobleman in central India, was born at noon on July 7th in the 12th year of King Zhou Weilie in the Warring States Period in China (4 14 BC). He was born with many auspicious images, with an unusual back, big eyes, long nose, two earlobes and shoulders, high eyebrows and a fist clenched in his left hand. His parents knew that the child would be different in the future.

When he was only nine years old, his parents took him to a Buddhist temple to become a monk. When master shaved his hair, he suddenly released his left hand, which he had been holding tightly. He was happy and natural, and a pearl was exposed in his palm. He devoutly dedicated the pearl in his palm to the statue of our teacher. For the first time, he folded his hands and bowed his head. People present and many people who have heard about it say it is a miracle. His shaving master also named his dharma name Bao Zhang after it.

Master Zhang Bao realized his long-cherished wish to become a monk. Since then, he has been diligent in practice and strictly abides by the precepts. Behave dignified, like a vigorous pine tree on the top of a mountain, standing upright in the frost and snow. Although the eight winds of fame and fortune, happiness, sadness and joy blow in turn, they can't shake his moral practice of inspirational practice.

Because he was born more than 90 years after the death of the Buddha, he often lamented that he could not hear the Buddha's teachings with his own eyes. So, regardless of the cold winter and heat, he forgot to eat and sleep, and studied the scriptures, laws and papers handed down by the Buddha with all his strength, and followed the teachings. He also expected to learn Zen, and for this reason, he visited Xianguang University and traveled to Wutianzhu for more than 500 years.

He decided to go to China, the Eastern Sinian, to find the real meaning.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, from the founding of Emperor Huan to Yongxing (A.D. 147- 153), he entered Yunnan, China, and arrived in Sichuan. His first stop was climbing Mount Emei with Bintou Road, worshiping Bodhisattva Puxian and living in Daci Temple for more than ten years. I often have a meal after twenty days, and I insist on chanting.

At that time, He Jin, the prime minister of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, was amazed and praised the poem, saying, "He is so diligent and struggling. Scriptures are read from his mouth, like a clear spring rushing on the rock wall. When he sits quietly in the middle of the night, he can often hear the ghosts and gods hiding in front of the steps crying gratefully. " Master Bao often says to people, "I have a long-cherished wish, that is, to live forever." I am 626 years old this year. " So the whole world respects him as a chitose monk.

Then go to Wutai Mountain and worship Manjusri Bodhisattva in Jingang Cave. At that time, it was the time when the war between Wei, Shu and Wu continued. Some Taoist priests, such as Li Daoyuan, Maiko and Da Zhen, converted to Buddhism and changed their robes to serve the chitose monks. Guyifeng County, now Huangmei County, is the place where the ancient Fuxi emperor painted and divined, which was called Yuntai Mountain in the Han Dynasty (the correct name should be "Yun Dan Mountain").

Seeing that there are mountains and mountains, there are two towering peaks standing side by side. The Chitose monk can't help singing and admiring: "I am standing on the top of the high mountain, looking around, I can only see that there are no clouds in Wan Li, the mountains are picturesque, the wind is filled with smoke, and the shepherd boy's flute is heard from time to time in the green jungle. Bright moonlight makes the autumn sky as clear as clear water. I can't help but tie my shoelaces, lift my robes and ride in the white clouds. I will go to a cool paradise with my friends to play leisurely. " So in this place where the ancient Buddha lived, he set up a Mao Peng Caoan to live and practice, and stayed there for more than 100 years, but few people knew about it.

One day, I happened to hear that Godford Tucheng lived in Zhong Nanshan, Shaanxi, so he went to ask about Buddhism with a cloak on his back and a bamboo stick. The Buddha Tucheng accepted the thousand-year-old monk and asked, "It is impossible for these ordinary people in the world to reconcile faithfulness and treachery, good and evil." The chitose monk replied, "I said this is the beginning of unification, and everything is new." Only when I see the ashes flying can I say it is appropriate and accurate. "

During this period, the Western Jin Dynasty was corrupt and the political situation was turbulent. Five ethnic groups across the Great Wall have set off on the Yellow River, and the traffic extends in all directions. Chitose monk bid farewell to the Buddha Tucheng and still returned to Shuangfeng Mao Peng to live in seclusion. His spirit touched the tigers in the mountains and followed the guards everywhere. Although there are many wars outside, Wei Zi's morning bells and evening drums have not stopped. Therefore, the chitose monk often warned the residents, saying, "The sunshine from the window shines on the empty couch with the swing of the curtains, and the Marie Laure Gigon shade outside is accompanied by green moss. Everything is so quiet. Don't drive away the cuckoo twittering in the bamboo forest, lest you wake those Lei Hu and come out from the foot of the mountain. "

At this time, a charming fairy from Haixian Island came here and invited the chitose monk to Nanyue. Zhu Rongfeng said that the immortal precept influenced the white ape to enter the fruit, Hei Hu kept the door, the tortoise offered Ganoderma lucidum, and Ziluan squatted under the throne. The chitose monk spent dozens of summer holidays in Nanyue.

After that, he went to Lushan to visit Ye Saizun. When the venerable master saw the chitose monk, he asked, "On the road here, monkeys are singing and dancing, and rocks are floating in the clouds. Only the shepherd boy can come here to sing. Excuse me, where did old Dade come from? " The chitose monk replied with a smile: "When the vine grows to 10,000 years, it will hang on the tree. When will the land grow grass? " The venerable master said, "The medicinal seedlings have just been unearthed and the bamboo roots have just been planted." After that, he helped each other with the chitose monk, climbed the Golden Wheel Peak and worshipped the Buddha Tower. After staying overnight, they went to Nankang together.

It is said here that the founder of Dharma came from Guangdong to build his power. The chitose monk bid farewell to Yeshezun carefully, went to Baixia, went to see Buddhism, and asked for advice in the heart of doubt and enlightenment. When Dharma saw it, he called out to him, "Old Koryo!" The chitose monk responded suddenly. Master Dharma smiled, and the chitose monk immediately realized that "the knot in my heart for more than 700 years suddenly melted like ice." On my way back to China, I said, "I met Dharma teacher in the capital of Liang, studied Zen and saw my heart clearly. Now I'm going to wander to eastern Zhejiang and western Zhejiang to see all the good mountains and waters there. "

So, the chitose monk came to Sizhou, visited the Master, and came to Xiqin from a thousand hectares along Surabaya with him. In the place now known as the ancient pond of red carp, there is still a treasure palm stone written by Pei Xiu in the Tang Dynasty. The chitose monk went to Yanling to visit Taoist Zibide and invited him to Tiantai Mountain. After Liang Shi Waterfall, he climbed Chicheng Mountain and visited Master Tanyou. The chitose monk pointed to the wheat field and said, "This undulating wheat wave is like a rough sea. Are you sweating all over? " Upon hearing this, Elder Tan You shook Zhang Xi and said, "Beautiful words are all empty talk, such a result, such a merit!"

The chitose monk bid farewell to the venerable master, and then he went to the top of China, where the worshippers fixed their eyes on the ancient Buddha. Sailing in the South China Sea, worshiping Master Guanyin. Then he went to Siming Mountain, led Master Zhu Li into Sichuan, and paid a visit to Shen Guang, the second ancestor of Zen Buddhism. Then he crossed Mianzhu Mountain and Bai Di City, and wrote on the wall of the pavilion: "It rains in the east at sunrise, and the grass rustles in front of it. I don't know where the tutor lives? " In the depths of Panshan Highway and Baiyun Mountain, I asked the woodcutter several times, but I didn't know. "

So I left Sichuan and returned to Yandang Mountain, and once again visited the temples and temples on the 72nd peak of the magnificent Yandang Mountain. When I was resting in Dalong Waterfall, I made friends with the respected Boju. Bang An said, "I didn't pay enough attention to the beautiful scenery of Tianzhu Rock and forgot to come back." Tao Hongjing, a hermit, built two pavilions for this purpose: "Forgetting to Return" and "Insufficient View". I also wrote a poem: "I have seen famous mountains in the world, only here." It is difficult to record beautiful scenery with pictures. The bald old man in front of the mountain has lived here for a thousand years, and said that he has not seen enough in his life. "

It is said that Master Fu lived in Shuanglin Temple to promote Buddhism, and the chitose monk went to visit him. He asked, "What is the true eye of the Buddha?" Dr. Fu respectfully crossed his fingers and replied, "People are riding buffaloes empty-handed. People clearly walk across the bridge, but only the bridge is flowing, and the water is not flowing. " The chitose monk then asked, "Why don't you teach others?" Zhong said, "The clear water reflects the lonely peak, and the cold pool reflects the bright moon. You and I don't know its source, and Mount Sumi is at our feet. "

After spending several years with tuas, the chitose monk went to Yupu, climbed many famous scenic spots, such as Chifu and Dayan, and then returned to Sikong Mountain to live in seclusion in an ancient temple. Gao Shi Shen Yue once came here to meet the chitose monk and wrote a book on the stone, saying, "The cold wind blows the old window paper, and snowflakes fall on the altar. Wearing all three clothes on your body is still as cold as soaking in water. You'd better go and collect firewood and open the deep dust in the ground stove to see if there is any unlit fire. "

It's already winter, and the chitose monk should be in Shucheng. He invited Master Chan, the third ancestor monk, to visit Luofu Mountain, and visited the ear washing spring of Taoist priest Gehong in Meihuawu. When the chitose monk saw the poem, he said, "The green hills are heavy, and the plum blossoms are one branch and three bamboos, only for you to enjoy." Ge Hong, a real person, also said: "Zen Weng has arrived, just as the chess game has been finished and the tea has been cooked. Isn't that great? " Sanzu was nearby, clapping his hands gently and laughing: "Qianchuan, Qianchuan, don't pretend to refuse and be afraid of being busy, but hurry to dig bamboo shoots and burn wood for cooking!" " Say that finish, three people laughed, this just shook the stone down from the mountain. Now, this sinkhole is still next to Meihua Village.

At this time, the Tang dynasty had just begun to be established, and the chitose monk returned to Shuangfeng Laozu Temple. He once said: "I have traveled all over 800 continents in China, but this mountain can be called a place where monks visit and live." . During this period, he worshipped the four ancestors of Zen Buddhism and invited him to the abbot's ancestral temple.

After all the dust settled, the chitose monk crossed the Yellow River and went to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain in the north to worship the face cliff of Zudama in the early days. Then go north to Youzhou, visit Xishan and visit Tanzhe Temple. I went to Fangshang, calmed down, worshipped the Great Bodhisattva, and met the white-footed monk in Qidu. The chitose monk talked with him, which made him feel sincere and love. The chitose monk took him back to Huangmei, visited the Yudong Temple, the master of Hong Ren, the fifth ancestor, and had a close relationship with them for decades.

Later, due to the chaos and unrest, the Chitose monk returned to Jiangsu and Zhejiang and lived in seclusion between Pujiang and Chiyan. At that time, in western Yunnan, there was a holy monk Lang, the great-grandson of five ancestors. He is calm and comfortable, practicing alone. The chitose monk is very friendly to him, and often writes to ask the white dog to give it to Zen master Lang, who keeps a black ape, and the black ape sends a reply to the chitose monk. Therefore, Wei Gao, the king of Nankang County in Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem on the wall, saying, "White dogs wash books and green apes wash dishes."

Soon, Lang Gong died. Chitose monks also crossed the Yangtze River in Tao Tao and hung their hats in Huiji yunmen temple. At that time, Ding Sisui (657) was in the second year of Xianqing in Tang Gaozong, and he was a chitose monk 1072 years old. On July 7 this year, he suddenly said a few words to two disciples, such as Guang and Huiyun: "There was no life and death, but today it is necessary to show life and death. I want to live in the heart of becoming a Buddha, reincarnate in my next life and come to this world. " Then close your eyes again. Seven days later, he woke up again and told his disciples, "After I die, you will build a tower here to support you. Someone will come to welcome my bones back to China in the future. I hope you will pay close attention and don't refuse! " Say it and die.

Following orders, the disciples built a tower on the south bank of Ruoye River to bury the true body of the chitose monk. Whenever it is stormy, the tomb tower will give off bright light. On the fifth day of May in the second year of Longshuo (662), an Indian monk just arrived and walked around the tower. When the tower door opens automatically, people can see that the owner of the tower, saria, is radiant. His precious bones are white and solemn, with bright red texture, which makes people respect.

After the Indian monk finished praying, he mentioned that the skull of the Chitose monk was shaking, and all the bones and joints of the whole body were tied tightly, and none of them were scattered. Indian monks put the skeleton in a pool, washed it, carefully hid it in a package, and then took it to the west. At this time, all kinds of auspicious signs appeared in the sky and clouds, and the wonderful Buddhist Brahma music came faintly, which was listened to for many days. The bone washing pool is still on the left side of the stupa.

There are dozens of places where the chitose monk experienced before his death, and temples have been built everywhere. Only Huangmei Shuangfeng Ancestral Temple is the most solemn and spectacular. Because it was built by the fourth and fifth ancestors before Huangmei preached Dharma, and the chitose monk was the oldest, it was honored as the ancestral temple by later generations.

I (Hangsen) am now the abbot of the ancestral temple. When I pay my respects to this Goode, I am like a thin bamboo, unable to stand firm in the face of strong wind, which makes people tremble. Yes, for thousands of years, many temples and jungles in famous mountains and rivers were destroyed after construction, and I don't know how many. However, here, it is a pavilion with eaves, cheerful and complete, spitting clouds and swallowing the moon, almost undamaged, and even the surrounding springs, rocks, pines and bamboos contain the antique of that year. If it weren't for Gao De, a thousand-year-old monk, how could there be a god-like guard?

Xing Sen often reads stories about Five Lights and Ancestors, in which the description of the chitose monk is too brief. Because I live in a deep mountain, I have more leisure time, so I have carefully read and studied some books such as Notes on Ancient Books, Searching for Wonders in the Tang Dynasty, Zong Lin of Bai, Old Records of Luofu, Edited by Tiantai Society, Zhu Lin from Fayuan, Wild Dancing Collection, etc., and recorded the contents about the parallel reality of chitose monks. Use an example that will help chitose monks practice penance, such as the sun and the moon shining high, for future generations to learn from.

Line, bow, I want to make a compliment:

Have a sad wish and show your old face. Lonely and lonely, I went straight through thousands of customs, the beach at the head of the pole was stormy, and the haze on the soles of my feet was everywhere.

It's called a wandering star. It's the only mountain, and it's amazing to dream back to the dragon. The strange stones are infinite and the peaks are extremely high. Who can climb up?

Author: Kunxi Hangsen Buddhist

Translator: Chang Zhi

The vernacular Chinese is translated from A Parallel Record of a Monk and a Thousand-year-old.