What are the age requirements for ordaining a monk?Generally speaking, there are currently restrictions on becoming a monk in our country. If you are less than seven years old or older than sixty years old, it is not advisable to become a monk.But in fact, when the Buddha was alive, there were centenarians who tried to become monks, and there were some special cases in contemporary China.In modern times, there was an old Zen master in Sichuan. He predicted that the time had come and he or she dictated his will and asked an old layman to take over as the abbot. The old layman was commonly known as Zhang Miaoshou. At the age of 75, he was ordained as a monk. His Dharma name was Changzhen and he was appointed as the abbot of Lezhi Baoguo Temple in Sichuan.
1991In June of 2019, Zen Master Liyu said to Jiang Changyuan: Life is up to me, but I cannot help but heaven. This temple wants to find a layman to lead the family. After finding someone to replace me, I will leave.
1992Just after the Spring Festival of 2009, the Zen master ordered Changdu to go to Xinfan County, Sichuan to call Mr. Wu to make twenty-five sets of white clothes and white hats, including one set for each monk in the temple.The monks were surprised: Why is this?The Zen master said: Don’t worry.
What’s even more strange is that on the eve of the Spring Festival, the Zen master asked Li Renjie to write three large characters of the abbot’s dormitory, and personally guarded the door of a house on the left side of the entrance of the living room.Li thought his master was moving to his new residence and said with a smile: Master, when will you move here?I can't come, it's the new abbot living.Which one is it?The Zen master smiled mysteriously: You will know in the future.Li Xin thought: The secret of heaven cannot be revealed.But I didn't think about what would happen.
More than two months later, on April 15, 1992, the morning bells and evening drums in Baoguo Temple in Lezhi County were still in the morning bells and evening drums, quiet and quiet. Who would have expected that Zen Master Liyu would dictate an urgent telegram in his dormitory: Zhang Miaoshou, editorial room of the Buddhist Association of Wenshu Temple in Chengdu: I want to be critically ill, and I have major economic issues in the temple. I hope you and Feng Xuecheng will come quickly.Lezhi Baoguo Temple is so popular.Recorded by Li Renjie, a layman living in the temple, Li Dequan, a layman in Lezhi County, issued at 10 a.m. on April 16, 1992.
After the telegram was sent, it was still as stable as usual.The old Zen of Liyu, which millions admire, is still bright in eyes, clear in spirit, clear in ears, clear eyes, and clear mind.In the morning, in the dormitory, sitting on the old wooden chair, pinching his middle finger with his big finger, and kept reciting: Everyone is safe, every family is safe.In the afternoon, I walked out of the dormitory with ease and went to the construction site where the temple was built to direct arrangements.Building a temple and spreading the Dharma was his long wish for decades, and he still remembered it. How could this be a sign of critical illness?
However, when the telegram was sent in Lezhi County, the news that Zen Master Liyu was critically ill spread. The lay Buddhists in the county immediately became nervous, and even became more and more serious, and they didn't say anything, etc.Pan Jinren, Wang Yi, Li Changyu, Zheng Zhonghua, Xia Suqiong, Deng Pingzhong, Li Dequan, Ou Zhihong and other eight people immediately found a car to set out for Jinguishan, Longmen Township.On the car, Li Changyu and Zheng Zhonghua silently chanted Amitabha Buddha. After leaving the city four miles, they suddenly smelled a strange fragrance, which was thicker than sandalwood;More than ten miles later, everyone on the bus smelled a strange fragrance, just like the scent of Qili.At nine o'clock in the evening, I rushed to Baoguo Temple and stepped into the Zen master's dormitory. I smelled the fragrance again. I saw that my master was walking in the dormitory, as peaceful as usual, without any morbidity.
The lay Buddhists came forward to salute and took out navel oranges and pears.The Zen master said: Buying these things is wasted.The layman peeled the pears, and after eating four slices, he said: You are all here, and Zhang Miaoshou is here too.Then, the Zen master sat upright on the wooden chair and said a few things solemnly and seriously: First, there were still a lot of cement and river sand in the temple, and they had to be transported back quickly. The bricks that Lin Xuan (Secretary of the County United Front Work Department) bought were asked to be handled quickly;Second, the county Agricultural Bank has a deposit of about 100,000 yuan, and immediately find a way to withdraw it as soon as possible to use it. If you need to buy it, the prices will rise in the future;Third, Zhang Miaoshou, the successor of the temple head, is now a college student before liberation. He was the county magistrate who passed the examination. He is the successor of the temple. His Dharma name is Changzhen. Which one is called Zhang Miaoshou immediately?Everyone asked urgently.
The Zen master replied: Didn’t you ask me in the past? Did you choose a successor?I have chosen it for a long time. His name is Zhang Miaoshou. He runs the newspaper in Wenshu Temple and teaches in the Buddhist Academy. He is proficient in Buddhism, has good practice, and is very capable. He will come tomorrow and he will preside over the Baoguo Temple. You must treat him as well as you do to me and make Baoguo Temple more prosperous.These words have been repeated several times, and everyone was surprised: How did Master repeatedly talk about successors tonight?I felt something was wrong and I didn't want to leave.The Zen master ordered: Pan Jinren will not leave tonight and stay here.Li Changyu also stayed, and the rest said goodbye and returned to the county town.Ou Zhihong and Wang Yi offered 70 yuan to Master. Ou said: Master, please take care of yourself. I will come to see you the day after tomorrow.After hearing this, the Zen master stopped for a while, but it was inconvenient to explain, but he just said kindly: You are here after the genius!After everyone left, Master Pan swallowed and agreed.The Zen master usually slept alone, but tonight was exceptional, so he called the waiter Changjie: You sleep in my bed.Also called Changjie: He held him a new quilt on the bed.
Before going to bed, the Zen master ate a bowl of mung bean porridge and asked Pan to draw a telegram to Zhang Miaoshou and Feng Xuecheng, and also explained: The learning of knowledge is successful.Pan Jinren was worried that his master would be tired, so he suggested: Let’s plan tomorrow!The Zen master said hurriedly: No, no, just write now!Pan Zhi wrote a telegram: Wenshu Temple in Chengdu transferred Zhang Miaoshou and Feng Xuecheng to the temple quickly.Leaving desire.All of this shows that the Zen master is clear-minded and his mind is not confused.
The Zen master and Changjie each covered a quilt and slept. Changjie slept inside and smelled the strange fragrance all over the room.At 12 o'clock, the Zen master wanted to drink water, and took a sip of the glucose water from Changjiedui.After one o'clock in the morning on April 17, the Zen master got up and took off his bowel movements.Nearly two o'clock, the Zen master got up again and wanted to relieve his urination, but said: I can't solve it.After sleeping for a while, the Zen master asked again: How many clocks have you been?Chang Jie replied: It’s three:30.After sleeping for a while, the Zen master asked: How many clocks have you been?Chang Jie replied: It’s almost half past four.The Zen master said: It’s almost done.If I'm not busy, I'm going to solve it.After getting up, he urinated and wanted to drink water. Changjie brought a porcelain cup of water and said: It's cold, it can't be drunk.He said: I can drink it.Half of the drink, he handed the porcelain cup to Changjie. Changjie put the porcelain cup on the square stool with one hand and held him by the bed with the other hand.Not good!The sound of phlegm sounded from the master's throat.At this time, it was five o'clock in the morning on April 17, 1992.Chang Jie was panicked and held his master and shouted: Teacher Pan, come quickly!Pan entered the room and said, "Go and invite Dr. Deng!"Deng Qiyun ran over immediately, pressed his temple, touched his pulse, and shook his head and said: He has left!
At this time, the Zen master's face was the same as usual, rosy and shiny, lifelike. He sat steadily beside the bed with his hands on his knees. He was the same as usual, without anyone to help him, and he sat for two days and two nights.
In the whole life, the monk who only has sentient beings, compassionate and saves the world, and saves all destined monks, in this way, according to the accurate predicted time, sat peacefully and peacefully with the strange fragrance.When the monks heard the news, they entered the house to worship, and called the bell to go to the hall to chant the Buddha's name for their master.Li Changyu and other lay Buddhists knelt in front of the master and recited the Buddha's name. When they looked up, they saw a milky white Buddha statue sitting in a cross-legged position on the protruding surface of the master's forehead. Everyone was even more chanting the Buddha's name with devout chanting, and pure thoughts followed one after another.Pan Jinren changed the telegram sent to Zhang Miaoshou to: Master Li passed away in the early morning, come quickly.
Zhang Miaoshou, who was in Wenshu Temple in Chengdu, received an urgent telegram on the afternoon of April 16 and was shocked.On that day, the bus schedule had passed, so I had to take the morning bus on the 17th.When I arrived at Lexian Station, I heard that Zen Master Li Yu passed away at 5 a.m. This news has already caused a sensation in the whole county.Will you take over Master’s squad?Faced with this major problem, Zhang Miaoshou was also in a state of turmoil and could not calm down.At three o'clock in the afternoon of the 17th, Zhang Miaoshou rushed to Baoguo Temple and walked into the master's dormitory. He was in a very sad mood. He immediately knelt in front of his benefactor and bowed to him.
At this time, many lay Buddhists in Lezhi County saw Zhang Miaoshou that his master talked about many times last night for the first time. After a closer look, he looked: Oh!This face shape, this top of the head, looks so much like my master!He is indeed a virtuous person with noble character, well-cultivated, knowledgeable and focused on appearance.If you shave, put on a monk's robe, and wear a cassock, you will look more like our master!Everyone looked at the master's long-awaited successor and held great hope.
Without delay, it is urgent to hold a meeting immediately.The county government office, county people's congress, CPPCC, education leaders and monks all participated, and the topic was the issue of succession.Zhang Miaoshou had never thought of becoming a monk, not to mention that he was about to take over the Zen master's class. What kind of virtue did he have to dare to take on this important task, so he refused.But this is established by the Zen master and cannot be changed.Everyone tried their best to praise it, sincerely advised it, and sincerely demanded it. The relevant person in charge of the county said: This is the will of the old master, announced in public. If you don’t do it, we will not express our opinion. If it continues, there will be a lot of property, cash, and deposits in the temple. If it is messed up and separated, the problem will be great. Causing losses will be detrimental to the Buddhist cause!Then the crowd attended the meeting tried their best to persuade: Teacher Zhang, you must take it. We will treat you like an old monk. We must not move every grass and tree in the temple. With our strong support and the efforts of the monks in the temple, we will definitely make great contributions.Mr. Feng Xuecheng, who went with him, also sincerely advised: Teacher Zhang, you must accept the old monk’s Dharma name!Please let go of all your concerns, overcome difficulties, and take on them with all your strength!Zhang Miaoshou was moved and ashamed when he heard this. More importantly, this major decision was decided by his teacher's dying mission. If he did not take it, he would be both ashamed of his teacher and ashamed of Buddhism.Therefore, following the Buddha's teachings, he resolutely decided to become a monk and take over the burdens given by his master!
After four o'clock in the afternoon, the successor appointed by Zen Master Liyu immediately shaved his hair and immediately put on a robe for the new abbot of Baoguo Temple, Master Changzhen.As soon as he became a monk, he became abbot and immediately dealt with the master's aftermath. He worked with relevant personnel to clean up his master's belongings. He accumulated more than 290,000 yuan in savings and more than 20,000 yuan in cash for the temple construction over the years, including the master's personal savings, and clicked and handed over to the account.Afterwards, Chang Jie also returned the 10,000 yuan that his master personally gave him to the new abbot. He said: All the master's legacy is returned to the public, and this should also be handed over to the permanent residence.He is truly worthy of being the disciple of Zen Master Liyu!
Believers, lay Buddhists and people from all walks of life came to pay tribute to Zen Master Liyu, and sent countless sacrifices.On the seventh day, Zen Master Li Yu was buried.The tombstone of Zen Master Liyu is engraved with Shishou’s 107-year-old, which was said by the Zen Master during his lifetime.Someone once asked: Master, people say you are hiding your age, right?The Zen master said: Why do you have to say that it is so big!Someone asked: Master, how old are you?The Zen master said funnyly: I am the same year as you!Regarding the age of Zen Master Liyu, according to the results of investigations by Buddhists from Lezhi County, Sichuan Province in Hechuan, Shehong County and other places, the exact year of Zen Master should be in the seventh year of Tongzhi, that is, 1868, and the year should be 124 years old.
When Zen Master Liyu passed away, we saw a picture like this: it is clear, clear, everything is clear, and it is clear, and it is settled, and it is quiet and it goes into death.Just like ordinary people, when it’s time to get off work, they pull the light switch in the office, and no longer move, stop talking, and stop breathing.Isn’t this the result of the mind that should be born without dwelling on anything?Apart from this, you must never get any mysterious statements on him, which is the key to learning Buddhism.You must grasp this key, otherwise it will be difficult to benefit. This is exactly what Zen Master Liyu wants to tell us through his life.
When Luoyang Baima Temple was preached, Master Changzhen went to take the ordination and officially served as the abbot of Baoguo Temple in Lezhi County, Sichuan.From then on, Baoguo Temple, which Zen Master Liyu worked hard for decades, entered a new historical stage.Master Changzhen was determined to take his mentor as an example during his lifetime and devote his whole body and mind to the cause of Buddhism.The master inherited the will of Master Li Yu, and aimed at keeping precepts and practicing, spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. He specialized in promoting the Pure Land Sect, and hosted training courses for the Pure Land Sect to cultivate talents in promoting the Dharma;Regularly hold seven-day Buddhist chanting to teach the four groups of disciples the Pure Land Buddhist chanting method;He advocated printing Buddhist scriptures, edited the publication "Pure Land in Shu", and compiled and printed a large number of traditional cultural books to encourage good deeds;Publish papers in Buddhist journals at home and abroad, etc., and are often invited to spread the Dharma in various places.Under the auspices of Master Changzhen, Baoguo Temple has been in an orderly and prosperous manner. The Zen forest style created by Zen Master Liyu has been better consolidated and promoted. The scale of the temple has expanded year by year and has become a place for study in Bashu. Buddhist believers from all over the country go to participate in the practice year after year.
