The nineteenth day of September in the lunar calendar: Avalokitesvara's entering into religion anniversary. "May I go through many kalpas and follow the cycle of life and death, to save countless sentient beings."-"The Buddha speaks of Samadhi which is like illusion and immeasurable Dhamma Sutra”
During the Ming Dynasty, Gu Zuo served as the prosecutor (a type of judicial officer) in Taicang Prefecture (now Taicang County, Jiangsu Province). He is kind and upright by nature. Once, he heard that the owner of the Jiangjia Bakery outside the city was falsely accused of theft and was imprisoned. Gu Zuo knew that the Jiang family had been wronged, so he appealed to the government on his behalf. After investigation, the Jiang family was able to return to his innocence.
After being released from prison, in order to repay Gu Zuo’s righteous rescue, the master Jiang brought his seventeen-year-old daughter to Gu Zuo’s house to thank him and said: I can’t repay your kindness. I would like to treat my little girl as a concubine or a slave to you, she can take care of your daily life, and clean up. Gu Zuo didn't accept it. Knowing that the Jiang family was financially struggling, he prepared some small gifts to send Jiang's girl back. At first, the Jiang family thought that Gu Zuo might be shy, so the Jiang family sent the girl again and three times. Gu Zuo always insisted that he would not accept it, and told them: "In the world of life, you should do what you should do. I lead the court should do good things for the people, this is what I should do. Only by boosting the general principles can we restore the world and eliminate the evil and suffocation, so that we can clear the hearts of the people; I have always been pure and self-preserving, and I am sure of the cause and effect of the etiquette and law. I am sincere. Help you, nothing else."
After a few years, Gu Zuo's term expired, he was promoted by the exam and went to the capital to work in Minister Han’s office. One day he went to the minister's mansion because of something. Suddenly, there was a report from the door: Mrs. Han arrived. Gu Zuo immediately knelt down in the doorway, not daring to look up. Mrs. Han said, "Please, are you Mr Gu from Taicang? I am the daughter of Jiangjia Bakery. I was rescued by you to wash away the injustice. Later, my father was in a difficult situation, he send me to a businessman; fortunately, the businessman treated me like a daughter, and married me to Minister Han. Because of your integrity in the past, I am rich and honorable today; The grace of dripping water should be repaid by the spring, not to mention your great kindness! I often regret that I cannot repay your kindness. Today, I am fortunate to be able to meet you. I will tell the truth to Minister Han."
When Minister Han returned to the mansion, his wife told him the whole story, and he said: Gu Zuo, a gentleman of benevolence and justice! Minister Han went to Emperor Ming Xiaozong to promote Gu Zuo, and Ming Xiaozong praised Gu Zuo: "Train the morals of the people, do not deceive the people, you can be the parents of the people, you can be the king; Loyal to the emperor and patriotic good minister." And ordered to check which department has official vacancies, and Gu Zuo was promoted to chief of the Criminal Ministry. Later, Gu Zuo became a prominent official. Gentleman is happy to be a gentleman if he does not ask for retribution, but repays more. -"Meeting the Benefactor"
What you see is only what you see, what you hear is only what you hear, what you know is only what you know, and what you awaken is only awakened. In this way, you only see when you see, you only hear when you hear, you only know when you know, and you only feel when you feel. In this way, you don’t have a place. When you don’t have a place, you don’t have a reincarnation in the present or future. You don’t have two lives, and the suffering will be exhausted. -"Po Xi Sutra"
Zhu Zongbi used to ferry on the Qiantang River because of his military service. Every time he encountered a drowning person, Zhu Zongbi tried his best to help, and many people were saved. One night, Zhu Zongbi dreamed that the immortal told him: "Your life should have ended in your life. God rewards you for longevity because of your virtue. If you don't believe it, use your beard as the verification." After waking up from the dream, Zhu Zongbi felt that his chin was itchy. He woke up in the morning and grew a beautiful beard. Later, he lived in his nineties. -"Grow beard and change appearance”
Zhao Chonghua, a native of the Ming Dynasty, at the age of seven, his father Zhao Tingrui traveled all over the country and never came back home. When Zhao Chonghua grew up, he decided to go out to find his father. He hung a notice on his back with the words "Looking for father in Ten Thousand Miles"; in addition, he wrote his father's name, age, appearance, birthplace, home address, etc. on thousands of sheets of paper. Post it when he reached state or county. Zhao Chonghua found his father's footsteps, covering many states and counties. He posted the paper wherever he went. He went to Wudang Mountain to pray. After passing Prince Rock, he saw the words "Zhao Tingrui Has been here" on the back of the rock. After these words, he wrote "Zhao Tingrui's son Chonghua finds his father here." He searched for a long time, but still did not find his father. One day, when he passed Danyang, he met an old monk, who greeted him and asked him about his searching of his father. The old monk smiled and said, "Your father is a guest in Nanchan Temple in Wuxi." The old monk disappeared as soon as he finished speaking. Zhao Chonghua hurried to Nanchan Temple and saw his father. Father and son cried together. Later, Zhao Chonghua took his father back to Yunnan. -"Ming Dynasty History-Biography of a filial and righteous person”
Filial piety is the original wish of the Buddha and Bodhisattva, so he can receive the blessing of Buddha power and the support of God. When Zhao Chonghua meets the old monk, it is the Bodhisattva's instructions.
There was a scholar in the Song Dynasty called Liu Kuan. He was generous, and his family said that they had never seen him angry. Therefore, the family deliberately arranged for the maidservant to serve a bowl of hot soup to try if Liu Kuan lost his temper.
Because at that time Liu Kuan was about to go to the morning court, wearing very neat court clothes. After the maid entered the door, she pretended to fall, and hot soup was poured on Liu Kuan's court clothes.
As a result, Liu Kuan stood up immediately and said in the first sentence: "Have your hands been scalded?" As a result, the family admired him very much.
From the first thought of a person, you can see his intention.
Living alone is the pleasure of people who hear the wisdom of the Dharma. Not to infringe but to protect sentient beings is the pleasure of human world. To be free from greed and to liberate all desires is the pleasure of human world. Being able to overcome self-consciousness and abandon strong self is the highest level of pleasure. -"Mu Zhen Lin Tuo Sutra"
Whether you think you are superior to others, you are inferior than others, or you are the same as others, this mentality can be called Māna, which creates the basis for disrespecting others and for the occurrence of suffering. Every Māna has a self-consciousness.
Emperor Wenchang said: "The emperor of Sichuan was experiencing a great famine in the early years of his ascension, and the counties in western Sichuan were particularly severe. There is a rich farmer, Luo Mi, who saved more than 5,000 Dendrobium grains in his family, but closed the barn and refused to sell it. But Xu Rong, a righteous man, tried his best to help the poor, until he could no longer maintain, burned incense all night, praying for God's blessing.
The local gods came to tell me this, and I reported this to God. God made a decree to take the valley of the Luo family and give it to the hungry people. I ordered the gods in charge of the wind to lift the roof of Luo Mi. The grains in the warehouse whirled out with the wind, fell from the sky, and piled up together so that everyone in the town could eat. The valley hidden by the Luo family was gone in less than a day.
The people in the town were grateful for Xu Rong's favor, and most of them paid him back. And people clap their hands for the Luo family's ruthlessness and this disaster. The Emperor Shu appointed Xu Rong as Yi Zuo, and when Luo Mi heard about this, he was embarrassed and hanged. "
This is the so-called game magic! Although the matter of the grain falling from the sky was something that happened when Emperor Wenchang reported to God, God often used this kind of trick to play with fools. The following is a tentative quotation of Lu Zhi's story for reference.
◎In the past, there was an elder named Lu Zhi in Tianzhu. His wealthy family was extremely stingy. Even his wife and servants suffered greatly.
One day during the festive season, Lu Zhi quietly took four cents of money to buy wine and food, and went to eat and drink alone among the graves in the wilderness. He never drank alcohol at ordinary times, and soon became drunk, so he sang loudly: "I am celebrating the festival today, drinking and having great joy. It is more than Pishammon, and it is better than God."
God heard it and said with a smile: "This person eat four cents of money, and he said that he is more happy than me. I should think of a way to tease him."
God immediately turned into Lu Zhi's appearance, came to his home, and said to his family: "I treated you not so kindly because I had a ghost in my body. Fortunately, I went out to play today and get rid of the ghost. Today you can do whatever you want. Whatever you want, just take it for yourself."
So he open all the treasury and reward the servants. God also told his family again: "The ghost looks very similar to me, and he will definitely come later. You should drive him out. If you let him in, I will be miserly again."
The family only promised and nodded in agreement. After a while, Lu Zhi woke up and went home. He was expelled by the gatekeeper. He hurriedly called his wife and children loudly, and his wife and children also used sticks to drive him away. Lu Zhi was frightened and called to relatives and friends. Relatives and friends sent him home. Wife and children said: "This is a miser ghost, how can you trust him?" When relatives and friends saw another Lu Zhi sitting at home, they thought this Lu Zhi was not real and they came out and said, "You really are a miser ghost."
Lu Zhi is hard to argue. So he borrowed a piece of silk from others and presented it to the king to tell his grievances. When the gatekeeper refused to let him in, Lu Zhi shouted: "I want to pay tribute, I want to pay tribute."
The king ordered him in. When Lu Zhi was about to offer silk, the two armpits suddenly involuntarily clamped the silk cloth. He tried his best to pull the silk cloth from his elbow. God immediately turned the silk into a bunch of grass. Lu Zhi was ashamed.
The king smiled and said: "I don't need your silk, you can tell me any grievances." Lu Zhi tearfully complained to the king about the incident. The king ordered to bring the two Luzhi and his wife and children into confrontation. But he saw that the voices of the two Luzhi were the same. So he let Luzhi took off his sleeves and exposed his arms for a mole test, but still couldn't tell. He also ordered the two Luzhi to be in one place, each writing the most secret things in their lives, not only the content was the same, even the handwriting of the two was indistinguishable. The king sighed: "Ordinary people are so easily confused with their naked eyes. I should ask Sakyamuni."
So the king carried two Luzhi to Jetavana together. Sakyamuni Buddha asked the Lu Zhi who was turned by God to come up. God immediately restored his true appearance. When the king saw God, he threw himself into worship and let Lu Zhi return home. Lu Zhi said with a sad face: "Even if I go home, my belongings have already been lost." God said: "If you are willing to give generously, the treasury will not be lost." Lu Zhi said angrily: "I only believe in Buddha, not God. "Sakyamuni Buddha comforted him and said: "You may go home, God’s words are correct." Lu Zhi returned home and opened his warehouse. As expected, there was no loss and he was overjoyed. From then on, he gradually began to do good deeds and no longer be as mean as before.
Excerpted from “An Shiquan Book-Wenchang Emperor Silently Doing Good Virtue" : rich and poor rich and poor
In Changshu County, Jiangsu Province, there is a Mr. Xu Fengzhu. His family is quite rich, his father is a landlord, and he has a lot of land leased to farmers for cultivation. Farmers have no land, so they rent land from the landlord and pay the rent every year for farming. Occasionally encountered famine years, or drought, floods, and poor harvests, Xu Fengzhu’s father, Xu Shanren took the lead in reducing or exempting local land rent, or donating all of them to advocate disaster relief. One night, he heard ghosts and gods singing hymns at his door. The ghosts and gods sang: “Never lie,Never lie, The Xu family's talents have been able to be Juren. “ These ghosts and spirits cheered and sang all night. The Xu family's talents refers to Xu Fengzhu. Those kind things his father did will be rewarded. When Xu Fengzhu goes to the exam, he will definitely be selected. This year, Xu Fengzhu really hit Juren. This is a typical example of "giving virtue to children and grandchildren". Xu Fengzhu's father was a rich man, and his money was used to accumulate virtue, so Xu Fengzhu quickly picked it up. Parents really want to treat their children well, they should follow Xu Shanren as an example, work hard to do good, accumulate merits, and give the merits to their children. Xu Shanren heard ghosts and gods singing hymns, and as expected, his son was hit by Juren and his good deeds had an effect. Therefore, he worked harder to do good, accumulate merits, and tirelessly. Xu Shanren works very hard in doing good deeds. He repairs bridges, repairs roads, offers help to monks and supports monks and practitioners, and also supports the poor. Anything that benefits, he do with all his best and from his heart.
Later, Xu Fengzhu’s father heard ghosts and gods sing at the door of his home again: “Never lie, Never lie, The people of the Xu family will be a Governor of state.” Xu Fengzhu then really became Governor of Jiangsu province and Zhejiang province. It can be seen that the ancestors accumulated great contributions and children will be repaid extremely great results.
Therefore, in the long run, now and in the future, in this life and in the next life, oneself and future generations, the life of good deeds has the most hope.
The family that accumulates goodness is sure to have abundant happiness, and the family that accumulates evil is sure to have abundant misery.
When Buddha Shakyamuni was staying in the Jetavana, he held a bowl and went to Shravasti City in the morning. On the way, he saw children beating snakes with wooden sticks. When Buddha Shakyamuni saw it, he said: If a person wants to be peaceful in his life by hurting others who are also pursuing peace for their own, this person will not be peaceful in the next life. If a person wants to be peaceful by not hurting others who are also pursuing peace for their own, this person will be peaceful in the next life.