Meaning: The communication between gentlemen is as pure as water, without impurities. If you only look at the superficial phenomena of friendship, it may seem like you are seeing the real situation, but it is actually far from the truth. Ask me where I will settle down. The road ahead is vast and I am speechless. But all I saw was that spring was full of flowers, the bright moon was in the sky, and there was peace and tranquility. That was my home.
This sentence comes from a letter left by Master Hongyi, an eminent monk in the Republic of China, to his disciple Liu Zhiping before his death. When Master Hongyi was 60 years old, he wrote this verse to hint that he would not be around for long.
The first two lines warn them not to be obsessed with the appearance of life, as trying to achieve enlightenment is tantamount to going in the wrong direction; the second line is quite gratifying that their souls have found a beautiful home.
Extended information:
"The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water" Related allusions:
During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, before Xue Rengui succeeded in his ambition, he lived with his wife in a In the dilapidated cave dwelling, they had no food and clothing, and they relied on Wang Maosheng and his wife for regular financial support. Later, Xue Rengui joined the army and followed Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, to lead the Eastern Expedition. Because of his particularly great contribution to the Ping Liao Dynasty, Xue Rengui was named King of the Ping Liao Dynasty. As soon as he climbed to the Dragon Gate, he was worth a hundred times his worth. There was an endless stream of civil and military ministers who came to the palace to give gifts and congratulations, but they were all politely declined by Xue Rengui.
The only thing he accepted was "two jars of fine wine" sent by ordinary citizen Wang Maosheng. As soon as the wine jar was opened, the deacon responsible for unsealing it was so frightened that his face turned pale because the jar contained water instead of fine wine! "Your Majesty, this person is teasing you so boldly, please punish him severely!" After hearing this, Xue Rengui not only did not get angry, but also ordered the deacon to get a large bowl and drink three large bowls of water sent by Wang Maosheng in public.
The civil and military officials present were puzzled. After drinking three large bowls of water, Xue Rengui said: "When I was in trouble in the past, I relied on the constant support of the Wang brothers and their wife. Without them, I would not be as prosperous and wealthy as I am today." . Now I don’t drink wine or accept generous gifts, but I accept the water sent by Brother Wang, because I know that Brother Wang is poor, and the water is also a kind gesture from Brother Wang. This is called the friendship between gentlemen. "
Since then, the relationship between Xue Rengui and Wang Maosheng's family has been very close, and the saying "the friendship between gentlemen is as light as water" has been passed down.