..续本文上一页 special--not like the fragrance that others smelled. However, although it was fragrant, I didn”t pay any attention to the smell. Although I didn”t intentionally sniff it, nonetheless I was aware of that rare fragrance. Probably it was a heavenly spirit who saw the Bhikshu there and felt sorry for him enduring such cold. At that time I wore only three layers of clothing--even in the winter. I didn”t have a sweater--I didn”t have on many clothes.
After I came to America, because I”m getting older, I didn”t want to be so stubborn, and so I wear a bit more clothing. At that time the cold was fierce, but I still was like that: three layers of pants and three layers on the upper part of my body. Hubei has below-zero weather. In the winter it snows. It was so cold there at "Iron Beard”s" place. I was at the Bearded Elder”s place. At that time, from morning to night, no one paid the least bit of attention to me. I didn”t have a single friend. No one even considered me to be a human being. They treated me like a totally useless person. They would never have thought that this useless person would go to America!
Was it because I was a loner that I didn”t have any friends at that time
No. I was respectful toward everyone. I got along well with them all. I didn”t fight with anyone. It”s not that I said, ”Oh, what are you doing trying to order me around
" I wasn”t like that. Anyone who wanted to order me around could do so. There wasn”t anyone who couldn”t boss me around. Even that little novice who liked to tell me what to do--I did what he wanted. I never refused. When I was told to pick vegetables, I picked vegetables, brought them back and washed them clean--every single leaf.
At that time I was the door-keeper, and so I watched the door there. I also served as the gardener, and so I would go out to plant vegetables, take care of them, and when the time came, pick them and bring them in for everyone to eat. I also served as the water-carrier. Sometimes there weren”t very many people--only twenty to thirty, but I carried the water that all of us drank. I also cleaned toilets. By the way, the odor from our third floor toilet is quite strong, but no one goes to clean it. One day I thought I would go clean it myself, but I was afraid if you saw me you would think, "This teacher is really out of hand. He”s doing what we are supposed to do!" And so I waited. But you are all "not defiled and not pure," and so if the toilets smell it doesn”t bother you.
In China, the toilets were not porcelain flush toilets. They were pit toilets. When they became full, you had to dig them out and remove the filth to another location. In doing that, the odor is positively too fine! However the dung beetles enjoy being in the cesspool. At that time when I encountered dung beetles I told them, "Aha! How did you get here
You used to be jealous and obstructive. You were selfish and pursued self-benefit. You liked to eat good things and didn”t like to work. And so now you have become dung beetles in a toilet. You get to eat this good stuff!" I was extremely clear about their situation and so I am telling you: Don”t be jealous, it”s extremely dangerous! If you are jealous of others, you will end up as a worm in a cesspool. Once you get there, you”ll have to eat that stuff! That”s a certainty!
While sitting here you should calm your minds and quiet your energy. The eyes contemplate the nose. The nose regards the mouth. The mouth inquires into the mind. That”s the method. It”s best to curl your tongue back on the roof of your mouth. Swallow your saliva. Saliva is called the "water of your own home." That”s the name of a medicine otherwise known as "sweet dew." It”s also called "the elixir of immortality." If you continually apply effort in that way, you won”t have any illnesses. If you do that all the time, eventually your saliva will become sweet. It will be just like sweet dew. But you must apply this effort for a long time. It”s not something you can accomplish in a few days. It takes a long time. After a while the body becomes healthy. That”s the principle involved. Curl your tongue back on the roof of your mouth and don”t talk. Investigate "Who is mindful of the Buddha
" Doing that for a long time you will come to very comfortable. By participating in many Chan sessions, you can become enlightened.
Also, during the walking periods you aren”t supposed to run like crazy--as if you were possessed. That”s not how it”s done. When you”re walking or running, you should still be working on your skill. You work on your skill while walking and running, and you work on your skill while sitting. Don”t develop some special style of running--hoping to run until lotuses spring up from beneath your feet. "If I whirl around like this, lotuses appear." Really, that”s just crazy!
《行的时候还是禅 Even Walking Is a Time for Chan》全文阅读结束。