Master Hongyi was a strange person in the modern Buddhist and even cultural circles, and when he entered the world, he was famous for his talent and learning, and after cutting off the red dust, he studied the Nanshan Vinaya, and there were very few people who stood with him for hundreds of years. Not to mention the continuous nostalgia for his legendary life, even the cultural celebrities of his contemporaries, and the praise of Master Hongyi.
A person who was as tough as Lu Xun in his life, but he was proud of getting The Hongyi Ink Treasure, and he was happy but could not help himself. And Zhang Ailing, who has always been known for her poisonous tongue and thin cold tongue, has openly expressed her respect for the master: "At least outside the courtyard wall of Master Hongyi, I am humble. Celebrities such as Huang Yongyu, Feng Zikai, Xia Junzun, Ye Shengtao, Yu Dafu, Ma Sulun and other celebrities did not hesitate to write a large number of memories of the master's words.
However, these words are beautiful, and I feel that there are slight deficiencies in them. In the final analysis, perhaps Li Shutong, after becoming Hongyi, has been quietly and even openly put on the altar, and the words about his life's deeds have been distorted in the flow of light and shadow and the worship of everyone. Quanzhou Chengtian Temple and Kaiyuan Temple have left the footprints of Hongyi, especially before the death of Master Hongyi in his later years, stationed in quanzhou, a Buddhist country on the coast of Zoulu, perhaps we can recreate a more real Hongyi here.
Quanzhou Chengtian Temple, the incarnation of Master Hongyi
When people talk about Hongyi, they either talk about some short trivia in the parents, or talk about his past as Uncle Li at the same time, or they speculate about the "intersection of sorrow and joy" that has become an unsolved case. But it seems that most people have forgotten that whether Li Shutong or Hongyi is good, he is just a person in the world after all. For a person, what is the most difficult thing to give up? What is the harmony of the six dusts that accompany you day and night?
Family? Talent? reputation? wealth? Dependents? Not bad, the world looks at Hongyi, often focusing on these external, so a large number of texts about Hongyi are limited to this. The so-called Pingyi Jia Gongzi cut off the red dust and specialized in the cultivation of the Vinaya, which was indeed a great shock to the people of the world. Hiroya Jingshe, wife and young son, close friends Gao Tang, Chinese food, piano and chess calligraphy and painting, half-life name, for outsiders, probably these things constitute our impression of Li Shutong.
And the green lantern ancient Buddha, the broken clothes, the sutra scroll treasure building, the coarse tea and light rice, and the strict precepts, in the eyes of outsiders, constitute what we think of as the Master Hongyi. However, for Hiroichi, perhaps these are still worthless external objects, and the only thing that can accompany them for life is the body of the body that lives with the mind! "Eguan big belt, cloth and grass shoes", this is the eyes of outsiders, the only one who can accompany sentient beings to old age, is the "anti-guest-oriented" flesh.
All sentient beings are fascinated by their minds, thinking that the flesh is me and the consciousness is me, but they do not know that they are just a boarder. We ignore the body with which we live day and night, and instinctively think that the body of others is the Buddha-figure, and we are upside down in stupidity. People can really realize their relationship with the flesh, probably only when they are sick, especially when they are seriously ill, so the sick are often related to the Buddha.
Therefore, if you want to truly appreciate the life of Master Hongyi, you must start from his sick life. The so-called anointing sorghum, the so-called talent name, the so-called dependents, are but appendages of the body, and we were originally passers-by who lived in it.
Master Hongyi has been ill all his life, which is well known to the world, but where he is sick is, this is something that the world ignores. Li Shutong, who was sick in his childhood, wrote poems such as "Life is like the day of the Western Mountains, and wealth is like frost on the grass", which can probably be seen as the beginning of his karma with Buddhism. Perhaps from this point on, he was doomed to an indissoluble relationship with Buddhism, which coincided with the experience of many senior monks in history.
Long-term illness may not be able to become a good doctor, but people who have been sick for a long time can feel helplessness and loneliness more, and helplessness and loneliness are the basis for becoming a Buddha. If there is no sense of powerlessness and loneliness, a person will not take the initiative to approach Buddhism, and without the loneliness and sorrow that has gone through the world, it is difficult for a person to have great achievements in studying Buddhism. The author is deeply aware of this, only when you are lying on the hospital bed and can't move, you will take the initiative to ask something, I don't know if this is lucky or unfortunate.
Young and sick people, when they are young, will probably have a happy time, which is both the law of natural growth and the law of human development. The so-called law of natural growth, the blood of young people is the most exuberant, at this time it is not easy to be invaded by diseases, the so-called law of human development, sick people tend to pay more attention to physical health, but also easier to get better care from their families.
This was the case with Li Shutong in his youth, when he became a well-known figure in Shanghai, and after dongdu Fusang, he became famous overseas. In 1899, Yuan Xilian, Xu Xianyuan, Cai Xiaoxiang, and Zhang Xiaolou were with Uncle Li at the "Chengnan Caolou" yijie Jinlan, known as the "Five Friends of Tianya". Many years later, Xu Xianyuan stood in the snow outside Uncle Li's door to bid farewell: "Uncle brother, my family is bankrupt, there will be a period later!" "This matter is like a dream, and it is really difficult to explain the things in the dark.
"The end of the sky, the corner of the earth, the knowledge of the intersection of half a piece", this is The word that Uncle Li made for Xu Xianyuan, the name is called "Farewell". But in 1899, Li Shutong did not think of "outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road", but let the hot blood flow on his body, and the world was so unpredictable. The young Uncle Li painted, acted, wrote poetry, wrote compositions, and participated in social activities, and like all progressive young people at that time, he was exerting his pride and blood to the fullest.
In 1905, Li Shutong was 26 years old, and his birth mother Wang Shi died of illness. At the funeral, Li Shutong did not show too much sorrow, but played the piano and sang songs to bid farewell to his mother - at this time, his body was extremely healthy. Subsequently, he left his wife and two children in China and turned around and went to Dongying to study. In Japan, Li Shutong fully demonstrated his artistic talent and romantic talent, and his body has the talent of the old era.
Remarrying, prostitutes, drunkenness, wild talk, it is hard to imagine that such a person will become a generation of high monks in the future. The turning point of the matter was when he was 37 years old, and this year Li Shutong came to the Hupao Temple in Hangzhou. At The Hupao Temple, Li Shutong began an 18-day fasting life, not because of his enlightenment or how, but because the neurasthenia that plagued him all his life was quite serious - the once indispensable youth has entered middle age.
In the recollections of Xia Junzun and Feng Zikai, Li Shutong seems to have a very high status during his tenure as a teacher, and was a very popular teacher. However, the author thinks that this is the reason why Xia Junzun and Feng Zikai worship him excessively, and when they appeal to the pen, they have a strong emotional color, and posterity has an illusion without knowing it. According to some sources, Li Shutong was criticized as a "neuropathy" at the time, because he often took leave on the grounds that he was nervous.
The author believes that the credibility of the latter is quite high, and the teachers of the art class cannot have much status in the eyes of the secular people, which is completely in line with China's national conditions. What's more, Uncle Li took leave at both ends of the three days, and the reason was quite novel neurasthenia, and such a teacher was doomed to be unsatisfactory. Of course, Li Shutong doesn't need to care about other people's eyes, because he is a rich man with fine clothes and food, and he doesn't need to worry about such a livelihood as chai rice oil and salt.
Later texts about the first half of Li Shutong's life are often written about how he excelled, but there is a big premise in this - he does not need to think about livelihood. However, even so, he still felt helplessness, and this feeling of powerlessness came from his flesh and then affected his spirit. Around the age of 37, his neurasthenia became more and more severe, and he developed to the point of not being able to sleep all night.
To this end, he found many ways, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine, Taoism, and Buddhism. One thing is quite intriguing, in fact, Li Shutong began to approach Buddhism, just to treat neurasthenia, Chinese medicine and Western medicine he have tried, the effect is very small. Xia Junzun wrote in his memoirs: "There are many Taoist treasures at the head of his bed", in fact, Li Shutong's research on Taoism is mostly to cure diseases.
"In the summer of the fifth year of the Republic of China (1916), because I saw a Japanese magazine saying that fasting can cure various diseases, I was curious and wanted to fast. Because I was suffering from 'neurasthenia' at that time, it is not known whether I would be cured after fasting. When fasting, it is advisable to use the cold season. So, I booked a time for Fasting in November. ”
This is the text of Uncle Li's "Fasting Log", from which we can see that his fasting at the beginning has nothing to do with faith, but has a lot to do with science. After 18 days of fasting, Li Shutong felt that the effect of this method was very good, and he wrote down eight words in the journal: "body, mind, and happiness and strength". By his own admission, this was the "proximate cause" of his renunciation, not the main reason for his renunciation.
In 1918, Li Shutong was officially ordained as a monk, and on July 13, he was given the title of Hongyi. However, after becoming a master of Hongyi, Li Shutong was still powerless against his own nervous breakdown, and he was plagued by illness after his renunciation. As for the reason for Hiroichi's renunciation, he himself is not clear, and there is a lot of speculation about it. However, the author believes that, as Hiroichi himself said, the cure of illness is the most obvious and direct "proximate cause", and his relationship with Buddhism can only resort to cause and effect.
Perhaps the author's words are going to break the dreams in many people's hearts, but the author always believes that even if Li Shutong becomes Hongyi, he is just a mortal who lives in the body. Believing in the Buddha cannot cure diseases, and monks, it is normal to be sick, and practicing or not practicing has little to do with not being sick. The excessive deification of senior monks and Buddhism not only violates the original intention of the Buddha's teachings, but also does invisible harm to Buddhism and its followers.
In Koichi's body, the author does not see anything perfect, but sees a lot of contradictions, but this is also the reason why the author is obsessed with Koichi. The original reason he approached Buddhism was to cure diseases and save lives, and the root of the Buddhist teachings was to make people see that the body was only temporary and not to be overly attached. The world thought that the monk would not get sick, but Hiroichi became ill after his renunciation, even if he was impeccable in his practice.
Buddhism illuminates the world with compassion for heaven and man, while Hiroichi abandoned everything almost mercilessly before leaving home; after Hiroichi became a monk, he specialized in the Nanshan Vinaya, and he wandered before he left home. From the golden clothes to the coarse tea and light rice, the intersection of all this lies in the word "disease", which is the origin of Koichi's indissoluble relationship with Buddhism. There is a small detail that many people overlook, Li Shutong, who is known for his progress, has a special love for Chinese medicine for a long time after his ordination.
He not only believes in the efficacy of food loss and fasting, but also has a special favor for "mung bean treatment", and has been practicing for a long time for more than ten years.
"Fortunately, the decaying man knew a little about medicine, found the old medicine to take, and fasted for a day, and reduced his food for a few days, so that he could recover early (this disease usually takes half a month or two decades), which is unexpected. There has been no extension of the medicine, so the cost is not much, only half a yuan (buy mung beans, winter melon, radish, etc.). Most of the previous existing medicines were used up, but half a bottle of potion remained. The beggar then entrusted the person to buy the medicine of the next note to benefit him, and he took it with him every day..."
In 1932, Master Hongyi suffered from dysentery and typhoid fever, and the long-term neurasthenia caused him to suffer, but at this time he still "knew a little about medicine" to treat himself. Perhaps some readers will blame the author, "Is Master Hongyi a person who is greedy for life and afraid of death?" No, it is the common sentiment of people to cure illness and cure diseases, and the merit of "offering medicine" is often mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures, which shows that the conditioning of the body is completely in line with the Buddhist concept. Hongyi is a senior monk of the Zhongxing Vinaya, and his behavior must be according to the law, not some greed for life and fear of death.
But after 1936, Master Koichi's attitude toward his own illness underwent a huge change, in his own words, "minor illnesses from medicine, major illnesses from death." Master Hongyi was already a well-known monk at that time, and as long as he nodded, the number of lay people who provided medicine could be said to be countless. However, under such circumstances, Master Koichi began to constantly mention the "circle of silence" and basically gave up the resistance to the disease.
"Minor illnesses are medical, and major illnesses are from death", this may be Hiroichi's summary of his lifelong struggle with diseases, or perhaps he finally realized the true meaning of Buddhism. In his last years, Koichi experienced unimaginable pain and suffering, his limbs, especially his legs, had been repeatedly puffed since 1936, and his skin had serious ulceration. The serious illness of 1936 was both unfortunate and fortunate for Koichi, and at the moment of life and death, he had a deeper understanding of the pain.
If the weakness of his childhood and the nervous breakdown that accompanied him throughout his life were the opportunities for Li Shutong to transform into Hongyi, then repeated serious illnesses until puffiness and ulceration were the causes of Hongyi's life and death. After 1936, Koichi no longer pinned his hopes on fasting and conditioning, and he realized that his illness was not a "minor illness" but a "major illness".
"This serious illness is actually caused by suye. At the beginning, internal and external diseases are complicated. There is a great heat on the inside, and a rapid boil poison on the outside. In just one day, the lower arm had collapsed five or six times out of ten, and it was full of pus and blood. However, it developed to the upper arm, and gradually collapsed, and the momentum was unstoppable. Within a few days, there was a huge cupola on the surface of the foot. The legs are swollen, the force is more vicious, and the viewers are chilled. ”
Master Koichi realized that this was caused by his own karmic obstacles, and when he was seriously ill, many lay people spontaneously recited the Buddha for him, and he himself vowed to be reborn in Western bliss. "But then, suddenly, friends and others made their hearts to recite the sutra of repentance for the decaying people, and recited them sincerely, and they were diligent day and night. He also advised his friends, and also for the decadents, to recite the sutra for a few days with great sincerity, and thus gain great inspiration. ”
From "not knowing life and death" to "practicing medicine for minor illnesses", to "major illnesses from death" before his death, Master Hongyi spent his whole life. Regarding all kinds of his past, my perspective is nothing more than looking at flowers in the fog, and only by cutting through his physical pain can we more deeply understand the path of cultivation of Master Koichi Nanshan. The world loves to talk about the six ancestors, but the six ancestors cannot be learned, and Nanshan Hongyi can be learned, because we must be like him, witnessing the gradual decay of our own body and helpless.
The people of the world cling to nothing more than their own bodies, and the three thousand foolish beings regard the bodies that are originally objects as "I." The passage of time has led to the decay of the body, and the world knows to practice medicine, but they do not know that "small diseases can be cured, and major diseases are difficult to treat." In the face of the continuous decay of the body, that kind of inexplicable helplessness and fear is something that everyone has to face. However, the final result can only be judged according to their respective practices, and those who do not know cause and effect will certainly not be able to get out of this predicament.
Later generations talked about Koichi, always love to talk about his "intersection of sorrow and joy", thinking that it was profound and meaningful. But Hiroichi's sadness and joy are only known to him, "small illness from medicine, major illness from death" is a situation that anyone has to face, which is neither the pessimism of self-abandonment, nor the optimism of breaking cause and effect, but the momentary light that blooms between the hearts after experiencing the flow of life and death. This point of light is the foundation of enlightenment, and it is also what we can learn by reading the deeds of Hongyi.
On October 13, 1942, a generation of senior monks and masters died in the evening sun room of Quanzhou Wenling Nursing Home with auspiciousness, leaving four words of "intersection of sorrow and joy", which no one can understand so far. "Ask the king when he will go here, and when he comes, don't linger", I would like to pay tribute to the Nanshan Vinaya Zhongxing Ancestor Master Hongyi, Nam no Amitabha Buddha!