Master lianchi was honored as the eighth ancestor of Pure Land Sect, which played an important role in the development of Pure Land Sect in China. The master's Tommy Shuchao is an important document of Pure Land Sect. The master's "western vocation" has almost become an essential course for the return of China Pure Land Sect pedestrians. In practice, the master advocates that all sects go hand in hand, keeping precepts as the foundation, being strict as the body and returning to the pure land. Master lianchi is also a great virtue of Hua Yanzong. He was promoted to the 22nd under the peak of Huayan Guifeng in religious jurisprudence, and showed the essence of the master's Huayan thought in Tommy's Book Nest.
Master Hanshan praised master lianchi and said, "If you want to cross the sea, the three poisons will flourish. Who can stop the tide and clear the flame?" How can you wake up at night without a scholar? Five hundred years later, it was especially difficult for him, especially for Master Yun Qi. "(see" Ancient Master Yunqi Lianchi Taming ") master lianchi's life writings are very rich, which have a great influence on later generations. Master's Essays on Bamboo Window, Collection of Right and Wrong, Record of Straight Road and Miscellaneous Notes on Mountain House are widely circulated.
Especially "Essays on Bamboo Window" is a French essay written by a master in his daily practice. More than 400 essays, each small and exquisite, are inspiring and direct to people's hearts. It is a rare Buddhist essay in master lianchi. Master lianchi elaborated the relationship between becoming a monk and practicing at home in his Essays on Bamboo Window, and expressed his unique views on becoming a monk and practicing at home. Let's discuss master lianchi's views on becoming a monk and staying at home.
First, master lianchi's concept of becoming a monk.
Becoming a monk has great merits, which are discussed in many classics. For example, the Buddhist scripture "On the merits and demerits of becoming a monk" says: It is difficult for the Buddha to say: "Today, Luo Mu became a monk, fearing the suffering of life and death hell, giving up his desire to become a monk, staying clean for one day and one night, giving up this world and being born for four days. He is the son of the Northern King. He enjoyed five desires, greedy five desires and entertained his daughter. He lived for 500 years. " 500 years old, reincarnated for 33 days. He is the son of the emperor, who has five desires and is extremely happy in heaven. A wonderful girl, one thousand years old. Life is full of burning days, and you are the prince of burning days. You are moved by the sound of the sky and feel happy. ..... "This Piro envied him for becoming a monk one day and one night, and being robbed for twenty years. He didn't fall into hell, hungry ghost and beast. He was always born with a blessing. In the end, he was rich, happy and full of wealth. The prime of life has passed, the roots are ripe, they are afraid of evil, sick, tired of becoming a monk, shave off their beards, put on robes, be diligent, hold four dignity, always be mindful, observe the five yin and bitter emptiness, solve the karma barrier, become a Buddha, become an emperor, and then enlarge the light, so that all groups are born in three kinds of good roots. 」
Master lianchi thinks that becoming a monk has great merits, but he demands that people who become monks must strictly observe the precepts and truly free themselves from the heart of life and death. If you can't stop worrying, you are ignorant, but you are a monk in the image, greedy for fame and fortune; Becoming a monk will lead to greater pain, and it is better not to become a monk. Master lianchi said in the article "The Interest of Becoming a Monk":
Goodwin said, "The most successful son is a good monk. As the saying goes, "One son becomes a monk, and nine families are born into heaven. "This person praised becoming a monk, but he didn't make it clear that being a monk was for the benefit. You say you don't plow or weave, but you have enough to eat and wear for profit? You said that if you don't buy a house or rent a house, you naturally have the benefit of living. Is it true that Wang Chen protects the law, believes in respecting the law, does not serve as an official of the upper level and does not disturb the people of the lower level, but has natural leisure? There is an old saying: "A grain of rice is as big as Mount Sumi. If you can't repay Tao, you can repay it with fur and horns. Another cloud said, "I will have dinner with you one day and see what you will do." "This is a great misfortune, the benefits are good! The so-called monk's interests, with their troubles, ignorance, life and death, are the highest in the world, and their parents and clans are also favored. Otherwise, although you are rich in thousands of boxes, what good is your seven emperors? I'm really worried and scared. I want to sue my husband.
In this discussion, master lianchi thinks that becoming a monk is a great event, not for the sake of not farming or weaving, but for the sake of having enough food and clothing, a stable residence and the support of others. If you think so, you are greedy for enjoyment and are not afraid of the suffering of cause and effect. You must wear fur and armor to repay others' support in the future. What's more, it is possible to fall into hell and suffer.
Master lianchi believes that becoming a monk is really a gentleman's thing, and not everyone can do it. The master said that becoming a monk is not the home of secular life, but the key is to be a home of fire and house, so as to be a gentleman. If even a secular house can't escape from life and death, leaving the three realms of the fire house is just a white monk, which is of no benefit to yourself. The master said in the article "Becoming a monk":
The sages said, "Being a monk is for the public, and the way of a gentleman is not the ability of a general." The husband will use force to decide, and the text will promote peace. All the great events in the world will come from the hands of generals, and it is beyond its power to be a sunrise family, but would it be nice to become a monk? I shaved my hair and dyed my clothes today and became a monk. Hey! However, it is not a house of two doors, nor a house of three realms of fire; After leaving the three realms, he was called a gentleman. Not yet, he went out of the three realms with all sentient beings in the three realms, and then he was called a gentleman. As the old saying goes,' The most successful son is a good monk, but few people know the word monk.' The man who wins the most is a gentleman. Gentleman is rare, no wonder few people know the word monk.
Master lianchi believes that a man who is bodhicitta and truly becomes a monk is a man of life and death, and his initial intention is good. The terrible thing is that their initial intentions are often difficult to maintain for a long time. After becoming a monk, such people are often bound by fame and fortune and have no mind to spend on their careers. Even some people who have lived in the mountains and forests for many years can hardly resist the temptation of fame and fortune. Therefore, the master advised Buddhist monks to live and die, get rid of their troubles, leave the dusty house and live up to their original intention of becoming monks. In this regard, master lianchi said in the article "Becoming a monk (2)":
When a person just became a monk, although he was ambitious, he was kind-hearted; For a long time, he was also infected by fame and fortune, so he restored his palace, decorated clothes, bought land, owned a large number of livestock, accumulated more gold and silk, and tried to be a writer, just like ordinary people. Papman was afraid when he became a monk. If this is the case today, Papman can celebrate with wine! Good monks must look at it. I once saw an ascetic monk in the mountains. As soon as he came out of the mountain, he was supported by dozens of confident men and women and buried all his life. What a big deal! In ancient times, it was said that to leave the troubled home again and cut off the network of dust and labor was also a monk after becoming a monk. It's easy to leave the former's home, but it's difficult to leave the latter, so I'm afraid at night.
Second, master lianchi's views on monasticism at home.
Although becoming a monk has various benefits, Buddhism has higher requirements for becoming a monk. Moreover, if a monk can't strictly observe the precepts, clearly know the results and make no achievements in his career, then he will have to wear fur and armor to repay the support of his followers in the future. In other words, the consequences of not being a monk are far heavier than those at home. Moreover, it is not everyone's ability to strictly observe the precepts and not commit cause and effect. It is much better to practice at home than to become a monk before you are completely sure that you can restrain your behavior. Master lianchi said in the article "Practice is not a monk":
When I wanted to become a monk, there was a royal saying: "You don't have to be a monk, you just have to be a good teacher." "When you become a monk, you are impatient, regardless of your language. After becoming a monk, I thought he was prolonging his practice. It's enough to keep in shape for a long time, so why become a monk? As a monk, if he wants to break the mystery and gain wisdom, seek Buddha's fruit above and all beings below, then Gude will leave home and become a shaman. If he is eager to seek the avenue at that time, he must also become a monk. Then what he said is unreasonable. But before becoming a monk, people were quite confident. After shaving and dyeing, I gradually set foot in the world and turned into a retreat. On the contrary, it is better to stay at home and serve parents, teach children and grandchildren, and find a good teacher to point out the right way. If you follow it, you are a true disciple of the Tathagata at home. Why the pseudonym Alonso? If so, then what he said is also very reasonable, you must know.
Master lianchi explained the benefits of practicing at home with his own personal experience. When Master wanted to become a monk himself, a Taoist once advised him that as long as he had a good tutor to practice, becoming a monk was not necessary. Master lianchi was so anxious to become a monk that he didn't take the Taoist priest's words seriously. The master became a monk, thinking that it is enough for Taoist priests to live long and cultivate themselves. As long as they can be taught by good teachers and keep in shape for a long time, they really don't have to become monks.
But as a monk, he hoped to dispel doubts and prove wisdom, seek Buddha's fruit in the world, and descend to all beings, so Gude left home and became a shaman. In addition, if they want to take the road at that time, they must become monks. It can be seen that his words are unreasonable. On the other hand, people now have great confidence before they become monks, but after shaving their heads and dyeing their clothes, they gradually get infected with secular habits and are more likely to degenerate. If you are guilty of becoming a monk. It's better to be filial to adoptive parents at home, teach children and grandchildren, worship a good teacher as a guide, and act according to law. In this way, you will make great achievements in Taoism and become a true Buddhist disciple. Why do you have to live in a temple and become a monk?
Master lianchi's words have a deep truth. Some people may say that practicing at home is complicated and you can't concentrate on practicing. It is better to be a monk with less troubles and concentrate on Tao. In fact, becoming a monk at home is just a form, and many successful people practice at home. From Buddhist Vimalakīrti to Fu Datu in Tang Dynasty, they are all examples of successful people who practice at home. So practicing at home can also make a big difference. I think master lianchi's idea of practicing at home is a sobering agent for those who are uneasy about secular life and seek to become monks all day long, so that they can realize the benefits of practicing at home, so as to achieve both secularism and practice.