I flew 10000 kilometers from China and 13 hours to Austin, Texas, USA. I was slowly released from the expectation and joy of seeing my son and daughter-in-law. After I got a general understanding of the surrounding environment, the novelty quickly passed and I was tired of the monotonous life in the United States. I proposed to visit temples in the United States, and my son helped me search Xiangyun Temple in Foguang Mountain on the Internet ~

The next day, I drove for a quarter of an hour and arrived at Xiangyun Temple. I saw a big Maitreya Buddha in front of the mountain gate, smiling at people. The gate of the temple is open, and there is no scarlet wooden door common in domestic temples. Similarly, a big purple column stands in front of the temple, showing the unique solemnity of the temple.

After entering the door, it is Mahayana Hall. Needless to say, this is the main hall, the main hall dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha and the only hall in the temple.

As soon as I entered the Mahayana Hall, I saw three golden Buddha statues facing me, magnificent. The walls on both sides are inlaid with countless gorgeous bodhisattvas, and a circle of white dome lights is embedded in the gypsum board hanging from the ceiling, which is more bright. I used to ask the Buddha a question, and a layman greeted me. She told me that Amitabha was going on and asked me if I would attend. I said yes, so I sent my son back first.

There are two monks and more than 20 believers reciting the Amitabha Sutra. Because the main hall is relatively spacious, the wizards hold microphones and lead the public to recite it in the crisp voice of wooden fish. ...

After chanting, it is a journey around the scriptures. The holy name of Amitabha is completely different from the chanting I have heard. I listened carefully, but there seems to be no fixed tone. The voices of the two magicians are high and low, one after another, mixed in the public mix, just like the waves rising in the tide of the sea, harmonious and pleasant. You can't help but listen carefully and integrate your voice into the tide. Later, a brother. After the end of an incense, the mage also specially taught this one-tone reading method.

After walking around the Buddhist scriptures for a while, I sat still, adjusted and relaxed my body, sat up straight, looked back and observed my thoughts attentively. My heart and all my body and mind were bathed in the pure and compassionate voice of the holy name, and my voice came to an abrupt end. Wooden fish also rest. The hall is quiet, the world is quiet, and everything that can be felt around is still. At this time, work, life and family are still.

There is only one meditation time, which should be about 30 minutes, but I feel that the time is very short. Whenever we have a rest, Master Dharma and Master Awakening will teach us Buddhism. This is a bespectacled, short-stature, husband-like bhikshuni, but his talk is gentle and funny, soft and soft, which often makes everyone bathe in French in laughter. I am even more envious because there are several foreigners attending the Dharma meeting, and sometimes the mage will teach in English.

Although the vegetarian meal at noon is light, it is rich and delicious, and it is also cooked by a monk. Later, after dinner, the master was free to cook. I can't help feeling ashamed. No wonder the master said he was too busy to have time! The master here is really a master in the temple. He does everything by himself.

The two-day law meeting passed quickly in a clean state, and then I went to volunteer for one day and met several senior sisters who often volunteer. (The woman here is called Senior, and the man is called Senior. ) A senior named Biyun has worked here for 10 years. During the Fa Conference, although not many people attended, it took them a week to arrange the flowerpots and altars in front of the Buddha statue.

This joyful magnetic field spread from the Buddhist temple to the mage, and then from the mage to the volunteers, which made everyone who came to the Dojo feel extremely happy and clean. Just as Master Xing Yun, the founder of Foguang Mountain, advocated Buddhism on earth, let dedication, compassion and equality be integrated into life, and let self-confidence, joy, hope and convenience with others become the creed of every Buddhist disciple, thus establishing a universal and harmonious pure land on earth.

Then on Saturday, I attended a one-day retreat in China, which made me feel French music. Early in the morning, a dozen of us, led by our master, came to the meditation hall of Xiangyun Temple, put on our robes and sat on the cushions that had been arranged neatly. Listen to the master talk about the rules of sitting incense and practicing meditation, the posture when sitting incense, the method of counting breath when sitting quietly, and how to take care of breathing.

When I sit still, as the master taught me, the number of breaths is 1. When I count to 10, my mind is focused on breathing. After a while, I felt difficulty breathing, followed by oppression and shortness of breath. I know I can't keep my breath freely, so I still use my own relatively skilled God's point of view.

About 30 minutes of meditation passed quickly, and the meditation hall was very quiet. Brother Jing's intestines rang through the meditation hall. Then we made incense and focused on our own pace and the pace of the brothers around us. After two turns, we drove to a nearby park for outdoor meditation.

In the park, everyone got a box lunch. The food is clean and delicious. Everyone ate quietly and felt the delicious food. After dinner, the master led everyone to the stream to listen to the sound of running water. Hearing the gurgling sound of running water falling on the white waves splashed on the stones, it tirelessly flows downstream, just like time, which slips away unconsciously, never coming back and never starting again; The splashing waves are also like the distractions and desires in our hearts; Then there was a clear birdsong in my ear, and I couldn't help looking up. Wow! There are white cotton wool floating in the blue sky, and the white clouds in front of the left are like waves, like burning delusions, wave after wave, endless, covering up the true wisdom that is not dyed like a mirror and not showing it.

After returning to the temple, in the room, each of us received a small round basin with transparent glass, potted plants, shells and stones. The stunt master said that this class was a creative handmade potted plant, and we arranged it ourselves according to our own wishes. After a while, we all finished eating. Master Jue Ji asked us to stand up and watch and appreciate other people's works. We should learn to appreciate and praise others. Finally, we put all the bonsai on the table and took away other people's works. After taking it back, we can decorate it according to our own wishes, or we can leave it unchanged. After I got it, I immediately got some plants and filled the bonsai, but some people stopped changing it. Yes, since it is someone else's labor, why not keep it for others? Under the guidance of my master, I feel that I have some desire for perfection.

After finishing the bonsai, I came to the drip pavilion teahouse. The teahouse is tastefully decorated, and there is a complete and elegant tea set on the table. A tall and beautiful teacher elder sister sat straight in front of the coffee table. It turns out that this class is for blind experience of tea Zen. Sister Shi told us something about the teapot and Pu 'er tea in her hand. When it comes to Pu 'er tea, her understanding is that the more expensive the better. Drink it if you like. Seeing a correct sitting posture, elegant fingers, hands folded on your lips and a sip of tea is not only elegant, but also a way to calm yourself down, as she said.

Drinking tea, listening to the master tell the story of Zen master Zhao Zhou's "Drinking Tea": Two monks from afar met the Zen master, and Zen master Zhao Zhou asked one of them, have you been here? Answer: I have never been here. Say "tea" to him, ask another person and answer: yes. The Zen master also said, "Go for tea." The monk in the nearby prison was surprised and asked the Zen master why he wanted to drink tea here. The Zen master told him to "drink tea" too.

After telling this story, the stunt master gave us a question, asking why we all "go for tea", and if we couldn't answer, we "go for tea". Everyone knows that this tea is not real tea, so they take this meaningful "tea" to eat tea. ...

I recorded some feelings and experiences in Xiangyun Temple like a running account. This is only a part of the course of Xiangyun Temple, and it is also the wisdom of Foguangshan to advocate human Buddhism and implement and practice Buddhism in his life. What you see and hear can only become your own wisdom through practice and experience. I hope you can become that experiencer and have a cup of tea.

? Yang Xiangjing is in Austin, Texas.