Suzaku

: The Story of the Bodhisattva

In Chinese Buddhism, there are four great Bodhisattvas who are most famous.

That is Avalokitesvara, Samantabhadra, Manjusri and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

These four Bodhisattvas often appear in the world, so people often worship them. Among them, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is the most compassionate, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is the first in practice, Manjusri Bodhisattva is the most wise, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is the most powerful in vows. However, he is an out-and-out noble man who is most admired by all people.

If Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined, there must be two Bodhisattvas next to the Buddha statue, Manjusri and Samantabhadra, Wisdom and Xingmen, which respectively represent the two characters “Xie” and “Xing”. Manjushri and Puxian Bodhisattva are the attendants beside the Buddha. According to the secular saying, these two will be the first and second heirs to the Buddha’s throne in the future, and their origins are terrifying.

The dojo of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is in Mount Emei, Sichuan. Legend has it that this Bodhisattva looks like a full moon boy, wears a crown of five Buddhas on his head, holds a vajra pestle in his right hand, and a vajra bell in his left hand.

The reason why it is said that Emei is the ashram of this Bodhisattva is because it is said in the scriptures that there is Guangming Mountain in the southwest, and Emei Mountain looks like an image.

No matter how many legends there are, most of them point to a point that Samantabhadra should have a round image with a face like a full moon.

And the one in front of Yi Tianxing seems to be too far away from the Bodhisattva’s majestic image.

Withered hair covering the forehead, skinny, and covered with scars, he looks like a ghost.

Although Ye Xiang is the reincarnation of Manjusri, his handsome face is not like ordinary people, so Yi Tianxing was not very surprised when he first met his identity, and easily accepted it.

But seeing Samantabhadra Bodhisattva like a ghost, he couldn’t help exclaiming, because it was really hard to suppress the shock in his heart.

What exactly isWhoever made such a ruthless hand and who can have such a great supernatural power, actually knocked down the threatening attendant next to the Buddha, and has not escaped this catastrophe for hundreds of years

The white-clothed boy is naturally Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the most precious existence who was supposed to practice Buddhism in the Western Paradise, and the Great Truth Bodhisattva who was supposed to enjoy incense on Mount Emei. In the Shilunbu Monastery.

The white-clothed boy smiled slightly, but the flesh on his face seemed to have stiffened, and the corners of his lips moved, but he couldn’t show a smile. Instead, it made people feel a little miserable, but the smile in those bright eyes comforted Ye Xiangseng .

Ye Xiangseng squatted in front of his little bed, and said softly: “Brother, why haven’t you returned yet?”

Puxian Bodhisattva in white shook his head, gently took back his withered hands, and pointed to Yi Tianxing: “I can’t return, the matter has not been clarified yet, how can I return it?”

Yi Tianxing was slightly nervous, but his face was calm.

“This young virtuous teacher, can you have some time to listen to what I have to say?”

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva asked softly, his face full of scars showed a hint of compassion and incomparable firmness, and the Buddha’s light appeared faintly, and it was soft.

Yi Tianxing knelt in front of the Bodhisattva, and respectfully said, “Please enlighten me, Bodhisattva.”

Ye Xiangseng glanced at the two of them, gently left the crib, and sat cross-legged beside Yi Tianxing.

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva laughed and said: “You are on the left and I am on the right. I haven’t sat like this for many years.” It seemed that he was very happy. Looking at his scarred and mottled face at this time, he didn’t feel terrible, but felt the A fortitude that seems to have been accumulated for thousands of years.

Ye Xiangseng smiled and nodded.

Puxian Bodhisattva turned around, stretched out his withered hands, and lightly clasped in front of him: “Young virtuous advisor, I don’t have much time, and now I have a scripture and an old story that I want to tell you. , which would you like to hear first”

Yi Tianxing was taken aback, and a thought flashed in his mind.

“A Bodhisattva is a Bodhisattva after all, he has already become like this, his attitude is still so kind, and his speech is still so slow”

Suddenly awakened, he quickly put an end to his blind thoughts, and replied sincerely: “Listen to the Bodhisattva’s story first.”

Old news is a story.

This story must not be simple, allowing a Bodhisattva to persevere for so many years in a dangerous environment.

The voice of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is very calm, but it makes those who hear it feel a powerful wish that pierces stone and cracks gold.

Yi Tianxing clenched his hands secretly, the tension that had been suppressed all the time, and finally couldn’t help showing it, he didn’t know what the story would tell.

“That day, after the Buddha finished speaking a volume of scriptures, Manjusri and I went back separately. I heard an Arhat come forward and say that the Great Sage has gone to Mount Sumeru.”

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva straight to the point, without being confused by words.

“The great sage came back from learning the scriptures and became a Buddha, but he didn’t like to teach the scriptures and recite the Buddha, so he still played around and drank wine as before. Although Mount Sumeru is a holy place, he also thinks us Bodhisattvas are boring and ugly. , but after all, he is an acquaintance, and he usually comes to play with us occasionally because there is an orchard behind Mount Sumeru. He ate up all the peaches in Tiangong Taoyuan a few years ago, so he likes to come to the orchard of Mount Sumeru to pick some fresh fruits. I’m here to eat. So I’m not surprised to hear him coming.”

Puxian Bodhisattva sighed, and then said: “I went to the orchard to invite the Great Sage, and outside the orchard, I heard him talking with the Buddha. I don’t know what he said. A skirt of fruit came out. I stepped forward to meet it, and the two of them went to chat with each other.” At this point, the Bodhisattva’s eyes of firmness and divine light looked upward, as if he was still a little puzzled to this day.

“A few days after this incident, I suddenly heard that the Great Sage committed the two crimes of ignorance and anger, and was demoted to the mortal world.”

The wound on Puxian Bodhisattva’s face slightly distorted: “The Buddha was talking and laughing gently with the Great Sage in the orchard the day before, but a few days later he demoted the Great Sage to the mortal world. This matter is inexplicable.”

“The great sage has a lot of friends in Mount Sumeru. We are all his close friends. We know that the monkey was born with a pure heart. He entered Buddhism, restrained evil and promoted good, and returned to the original. How can you commit the two crimes of ignorance and hatred?”

“So Manjusri, Guanyin, and Zhantan Gongde Buddha and I went to the Buddha’s residence to inquire.”

He looked at Yi Tianxing and explained: “Zhantan Gongde Buddha is the second disciple of the Buddha.”

Yi Tianxing nodded quickly: “I know, in the mortal world we usually call him Tang Seng.”

Puxian Bodhisattva went on to say: “Unexpectedly, when we asked, the Buddha just smiled and did not answer. The Buddha is the supreme existence of great self-control and great wisdom. Every movement has its own merits. We can’t understand it in detail. As a result, I naturally thought that maybe this is another blessing of the Great Sage, so I didn’t care about it, I went to meditate on my own, and only hoped to find the fruit where there was no predestined relationship.”

“Unexpectedly, several years have passed.” Puxian Bodhisattva frowned slightly, subconsciously waving his withered right hand in the air: “Something happened on Mount Sumeru.”

Yi Tianxing vaguely guessed what that incident was, and it had been lingering in his mind for a long time, but he had never heard the person himself confirm it, so he was still a little apprehensive.

“The Buddha is gone.”

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva said this lightly, but the fact is as heavy as a thousand weights.

Yi Tianxing lowered his head slightly and did not interrupt, he knows there are many stories behind.

“No one knows where the Buddha went, and no one even believes that the Buddha is no longer on Mount Sumeru. They just think that the Buddha may be thinking about certain issues.”

“Because ever since the great sage spoke to him in the orchard, the Buddha’s thinking began to have some subtle changes. Meditating in the orchard behind Mount Sumeru, the disciples of the Buddha, Arhats, saw the Buddha staring at those fruit trees and smiling.”

“So when everyone found out that the Buddha was missing, they didn’t think much of it. They just thought that the Buddha was touched by him as usual for thousands of years, and they began to think about certain issues.”

Puxian Bodhisattva smiled: “But I am different from Manjushri. We are two bodhisattvas who often serve the Buddha. On Mount Sumeru, we can’t feel the Buddha’s breath at all. This has never happened for thousands of years. things.”

“So, we thought that the Buddha had left Mount Sumeru, so we went to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to look for it, but the three Pure Land Buddhas didn’t know where the Buddha went.”

“We went to the underworld again to look for the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who made great vows to convert all sinners, but the Buddha never came.”

“We searched for it in the six heavens of the Desire Realm and the Four Brahma Heavens, but we couldn’t find it.”

Puxian Bodhisattva looked at Ye Xiangseng and asked softly, “Do you still remember that time?”

Ye Xiangseng shook his head in distress.

Puxian sighed, and continued:

“We searched for thirty-three days, in all directions, and found nothing, and finally we came to the human world.”

“Buddhism is boundless. It is immortal. The Buddha must be in this world. If he doesn’t see him for thirty-three days, he must be reborn in the world.”

Puxian Bodhisattva stared at Yi Tianxing coldly.

Yi Tianxing shuddered.

“So I came to the human world, and when Manjusri went to report to the Pure Land, he thought that the Buddha would be found immediately, and he never expected that the future would be so rough.”

Puxian sighed.

“The human world is the root of the universe. There is a rule for bodhisattvas to walk in the human world, and good friends can know it.”

“I know that when a Bodhisattva walks in the human world, he must not walk in his real body. If he walks in his real body, the statues will be majestic and beautiful, and he will surely lure believers into the mountain gate. This is done by external demons and not followed by Buddhism.” Yi Tianxing responded respectfully. .

Puxian Bodhisattva nodded, and his withered and yellow hair covered his scarred forehead again. Ye Xiangseng waved his hand lightly, and the wind picked up and brushed his hair behind his ears.

“Concealed part of my cultivation, I used my ordinary body to walk in this world looking for the authentic relics of the Buddha. After several years, I walked through snowy mountains, barren hills, big swamps, oceans and deserts, but still found nothing. Just when my heart was shaken, a strange sign came from the sky. I was badly injured and never recovered.”

“Who is it?” Yi Tianxing’s heart tightened, knowing that the person who made the move must have something to do with the disappearance of the Buddha.

“There are three Pure Lands of Ultimate Bliss. The Pure Land of Amitabha, the Pure Land of Maitreya, and the Pure Land of Medicine Master. Who is the Weiwei Bodhisattva?”

Yi Tianxing vaguely remembered that there was a record in a classic of the Pure Land Sect: Buddha is the present Buddha, and Amitabha is the future Buddha.

According to legend, Amitabha Buddha is the leader of the Western Paradise, with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on his left and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on his right. These are the so-called “Three Saints of the West”.

Yi Tianxing groaned deep in his heart, knowing that if he participated in this matter, he would definitely meet the two Bodhisattvas whom he could not win for eight hundred years. A Bodhisattva who threatened to wait gave birth to some resentment.

“Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.” The young man continued to argue, “Master Avalokitesvara is the most merciful, how could it be related to this matter?”

Puxian Bodhisattva closed his eyes slightly, and said softly: “That day I was walking under the snow-capped mountains with an ordinary body. If you think of anger, you will be seriously injured and your body will be completely destroyed.”

“The Bodhisattva holding the vase” Yi Tianxing knew that this must be the Mahasthama Bodhisattva next to Amitabha Buddha. Once he knew that it was not the mastermind of Avalokitesvara, he was very happy for some reason. See it as a compassionate and holy existence.

Among the five Bodhisattvas, the Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva is the least famous.

According to the legends of believers in the world, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva are the Bodhisattvas who serve beside Amitabha Buddha in the Supreme Pure Land. If the Buddha is the master of Buddhism in our world, and Manjushri and Samantabhadra will be the sequential successors to succeed the Buddha, then Amitabha Buddha will be the master of Buddhism in the future world, and Mahasthamaprapta and Guanyin Bodhisattva will be the second-generation successors of Amitabha Buddha.

Dashizhi has a deep relationship with Amitabha and Avalokitesvara. Before Amitabha became a Buddha, he was Amitabha’s attendant together with Guanyin Bodhisattva. In the future, he will also become a Buddha after Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and he will be named King Buddha of Good Dwelling Merit and Virtue.

Great Strength Bodhisattva can also be called Great Strength Bodhisattva. Every time this bodhisattva takes a step, six vibrations will occur in the entire three thousand worlds, which is why he is called the great strength bodhisattva.

His status is so respected, and his supernatural powers are so extraordinary, it is no wonder that he succeeded in attacking the Samantabhadra who was walking in the world, and seriously injured the Samantabhadra.Yi Tianxing thought in his heart, no wonder this great bodhisattva is not well-known in the mortal world. He turned out to be the top killer of the Buddhist family, and he must be walking in the dark.

Universal Worthy Bodhisattva seemed to know what he was thinking, and said in a quiet voice: “The Great Strength Bodhisattva enters into non-existence tolerance with the mind of Buddha-recitation, so now he takes all living beings who recite Buddha-recitation in this Saha world into the Pure Land, and saves the world with wisdom, but not with barbarism. Li came to the world, and he is also a merciful person with great practice. Young virtuous teacher, you should not be obscene and contemplative.”

Yi Tianxing rubbed his nose, thinking that this man had been beaten so miserably by Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and he couldn’t bear the heart of resentment, but kindness is kindness, but it can’t solve the problem, and Ye Xiang’s temperament seems to be so gentle, No wonder the lineage of the Buddha is in such a miserable state now.

Puxian smiled slightly, and Yi Tianxing remembered that the Bodhisattva’s supernatural powers are countless times stronger than Ye Xiang, who is still a mortal, and he can refer to his own thoughts, so he quickly bowed his head and smiled awkwardly.

Puxian continued to tell the long story: “I was seriously injured, and after thousands of years of cultivation, I escaped under the snow and escaped from the pursuit of Mahasthama Bodhisattva. Although the injury was serious, I also understood some things because of it. It seems that the departure of the Buddha must be related to the Pure Land. Otherwise, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, with a heart of wisdom and wisdom, would have done such cruel things to me. It is taken for granted that I can find the whereabouts of the Buddha in the human world. For the Pure Land, It even has a great influence on the Buddhist world.”

“Thinking of this has strengthened my determination to find the whereabouts of the Buddha in the world.”

“But I was injured too badly. It is extremely difficult to keep this body, let alone walk in the world. If I abandon this body and show the true body of Bodhisattva, the spiritual light will rise, and it will definitely attract Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva again. So I chose to keep this body.” With a physical body, I hid here first.”

The Bodhisattva said calmly, this hiding has lasted for hundreds of years, but Yi Tianxing, the audience, couldn’t be indifferent.

“Hiding in the snow for a long time, I looked like a zombie. At this moment, a lama who practiced asceticism on this plateau dug me out in the snow.” Puxian Bodhisattva looked at Ye Xiangseng and smiled slightly: “So it is The disciple you left behind in this world. This disciple has great wisdom, saw my real body at a glance, kowtowed to the ground, and built a big temple here.”

Ye Xiangseng sighed slightly, knowing that the disciple must be the one he accepted when he became Master Tsongkhapa in the Tibetan area, and maybe he is also an important figure of the Yellow Sect now.

“The name of the temple is Rashilhunpo Monastery. In order not to disturb the gods above, or to put it another way, I am worried that Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva will be attracted again, so Jampa Buddha is enshrined in the temple.”

Jamba Buddha is Maitreya Buddha, also a Buddha in the Pure Land, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva would not look carefully at it.

Yi Tianxing nodded slightly. The Tashilhunpo Monastery was built in 1447. It was built shortly after his old monkey master came down to earth. I think it was at that time that the distinguished figure of the Yellow Sect dug out the monastery in the snow. The physical body of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.

Yi Tianxing was in a trance when he thought that the Rashilhunpo Monastery, one of the six major temples of the Yellow Sect, was built for the wounded man in white.

“Later, Rashilhunpo Monastery became the residence of this human world, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva must maintain the necessary respect for the great figures in this mortal world, so I have been hiding in the monastery safely and securely for these years, and I am lucky to survive It’s been many years.”

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked at the direction of the front hall and sighed leisurely: “Several people have paid me great respect, and I have troubled them for many years. For example, the Ninth Karma Rinpoche who led you here is also a hereditary To serve my guru, before every guru comes to serve me, he needs to make great vows, practice closed mouth meditation, cut off his tongue and calm his mind. This is the first rule set by this temple, and I think it is because I am afraid of these people who serve me The master inadvertently disclosed the news that I am here, which caused Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva to pursue and kill me.”

Pu Xian shook his head, sadly said: “I advised several times, but these lamas never listened, and since then they have no words, which makes me very sad.”

Yi Tianxing felt sad when he thought of the terrifying half tongue of the Ninth Karma Rinpoche, and he respected these lamas in his heart.

“Why doesn’t the bodhisattva give up this physical body and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation?” But Ye Xiangseng felt very sad when he thought about Pu Xian’s life in confinement for hundreds of years.

A smile flashed in Puxian Bodhisattva’s eyes, but the stiff flesh on his face remained motionless: “After I was seriously injured in the human world, if you want to come, you will come down to the earth to find me, and at the same time look for the whereabouts of the Buddha. Manjusri, you ask Why don’t I give up this body, but I ask you, have you given up your body and re-entered reincarnation, have you ever been willing now?”

Ye Xiangseng said together: “I don’t want to, as soon as I respond to the past and old news, they will all be annihilated.”

“That’s right.” Samantabhadra Bodhisattva said lightly, “You have not yet woken up, but you already know this. I keep this incomplete body to preserve the memory left by this body. If you lose your supernatural powers and re-enter reincarnation, Nature regains its sweetness, but this memory is annihilated. Who am I to tell the Buddha to disappear in this land, and who are we to find it?”

Ye Xiang clasped his hands together, bursting into grief.

Yi Tianxing didn’t understand it too well. He thought that if the physical body is destroyed, he will be reincarnated and practice again. These two Bodhisattvas are people who have cultivated the right fruit. The Buddha nature is immortal. If you are worried about losing your memory, then keep your physical body It is not difficult, why Ye Xiangseng seems to admire Puxian’s deeds at this time, and respects him very much

He saw an earthen pot next to the butter lamp, and with a move of his mind, he summoned the earthen pot into his hand and took off the earthen bowl covering the mouth of the pot., poured a bowl of water, brought it to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and said earnestly: “The Bodhisattva said he was tired, drink some water.”

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked at him with a smile that was not a smile: “Do you really want me to drink?”

Yi Tianxing said with concern: “The Bodhisattva is not in good health, drink some water to moisten his throat.” Suddenly he wondered whether the Bodhisattvas don’t need to drink water, and whether he was flattering for nothing.

Pu Xian took a look at him, stretched out his dry hand to receive the water bowl, Yi Tianxing was overjoyed, quickly brought the water bowl to his lips, and slowly put it in.

The clear water entered the lips, making a slight sound.

There was a lot of noise.

The clear water enters the throat from the lips, enters the chest from the throat, enters the abdomen from the chest and then flows out.

There was a flash of surprise in Yi Tianxing’s eyes, and he watched the bowl of water he poured into the Bodhisattva’s mouth flow out from his chest and abdomen, and wet the white coarse cloth clothes

His hand was like lightning, and he lifted off the Bodhisattva’s white robe, and suddenly, a terrifying scar appeared in front of his eyes

Puxian Bodhisattva’s chest and abdomen were punched open by some kind of supernatural power. In the hole, black blood was like paint. beating, that’s the heart

terrible injury

Yi Tianxing’s heart was shaken, he was terrified, his fingers loosened, and the water bowl in his hand fell to the ground, smashing it into pieces

Puxian Bodhisattva had a smile in his eyes, and said softly: “It has been like this for hundreds of years. It can’t get better, but it can’t get worse either.”

Yi Tianxing’s mind was spinning extremely fast, and he said hurriedly in a low voice: “Ye Xiang, go and call Lei Lei.”

Ye Xiangseng shook his head and said sadly in a low voice: “The situation is overwhelming and destruction is overwhelming. The Bodhisattva’s ability to keep this physical body depends entirely on the supreme bodhicitta, but it cannot be cured by external force.”

Yi Tianxing panicked: “Ah.” Only then did he understand why Ye Xiang’s face was full of sadness as soon as he entered Shigatse. It turned out that Puxian Bodhisattva had suffered such suffering for hundreds of years. Thinking of this festival, he couldn’t help feeling sad rise.

Puxian Bodhisattva shook his head and said softly: “The physical body is suffering, but it is not extremely painful.” He slowly loosened his skirt with his withered hands, exposing his lower half.

All he saw from the waist down was turned into a distorted tree trunk by some magical power, and he looked extremely miserable.

A trace of hatred flashed in Yi Tianxing’s eyes, and he asked in a low voice: “Bodhisattva, this physical body can’t drink water or eat, what’s the use of keeping this physical body, all you’re left with is endless pain, let’s get rid of it .”

“The physical body is broken, the pain is endless, and the mind is slightly weak, and illusions will arise. This is suffering.”

“When you are hungry, you don’t know what to eat, and when you are thirsty, you have nowhere to drink. In three thousand worlds, you only have one bed. This is suffering.”

“I hide in this temple, and I dare not think a little bit, and dare not touch the world, because when I feel other people, they will definitely feel me, and the thoughts will be released. If I disturb that place, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva will come to destroy my memory. So I cover the five senses and do not have contact with the people of the world. This kind of loneliness is also considered a kind of suffering.”

“However, if there is no pain in life, what happiness will there be in life?”

Puxian Bodhisattva looked at Yi Tianxing and said quietly: “In the past five hundred years, in order to preserve this body, I have been struggling with the temptation of reincarnation all the time. This kind of struggle is the real suffering.”

If Yi Tianxing is a bodhisattva, knowing that his soul is immortal, he can still slowly retrieve his memory after reincarnation, and if he has suffered such a serious injury that can never be cured, then he must commit suicide immediately .

But Bodhisattva is not Yi Tianxing after all, Bodhisattva has the faith of Bodhisattva.

“Although this physical body is broken, it is the first body of a bodhisattva. It can accommodate all my cultivation bases in it, so that the arhats in the heavens cannot know where I am. If I destroy this physical body, I will cultivate again from the beginning in the next life, and I will gain a little. , then the spiritual light will rise, and when the time comes, the Great Supreme Bodhisattva will come to reward me again, and I will start from scratch again.”

Puxian Bodhisattva saw that the atmosphere in the room was a little sad, so he spoke a little mischievously.

“Then who will I tell the story I keep in this physical body?”

Seeing the Bodhisattva looking at him, Yi Tianxing was frightened, knowing that this story was naturally intended to be told to him. :