I read an article in an old magazine: Mr. Li Huai Shu Tong by Feng Zikai. After reading it, I was deeply moved by the true feelings in the article. Feng Zikai, a student from Li Shutong, has written many times to express his reverence and nostalgia for Li Shutong. Nowadays, such feelings between teachers and students are rare.

Li Shutong, a famous modern artist, is versatile and comes from a wealthy family. When he was a teenager, he was famous as a gifted scholar in Shanghai. After studying in Japan, he saw the changes after the Meiji Restoration. I worshipped western civilization, studied painting, music and drama, and founded the Liu Chun Theatre Club. Dumas La Traviata is the earliest drama club in China. After returning to China, he taught art and music in schools in Nanjing and Hangzhou, and was deeply admired by students. He is talented and works very hard. Feng Zikai's article mainly praises his seriousness. Later, "his life gradually converged and he finally became a monk." It's the famous master Hongyi.

Feng Zikai said: "Master Hongyi has changed from a handsome son to an international student, a teacher, a Taoist and a monk. Every time he is alone, he does it decently. These are very serious reasons. "

"Seriously" Can "becoming a monk" only be explained by the word "seriously"? I remember Feng Zikai also said in another article that becoming a monk at the age of 39 is a great "addiction" to life, and neither your son nor the artist can satisfy himself. Only when you become a monk can you experience a truly pure and higher spiritual life, which is a transcendental enjoyment. I doubt this statement, too. I think it's a bit far-fetched.

Li Shutong's becoming a monk, Wang Guowei's suicide and Zhou Zuoren's defection are three mysteries in the modern cultural history of China, and Li Shutong's becoming a monk is the most puzzling thing for me.

The best way to understand a person's thoughts is to read his articles, but Li Shutong doesn't seem to have left many works. He vaguely remembers a book called "The Poem Clock from the Land", which I haven't read because of my ignorance. I have only read his writings, all of which are Buddhist predictions, such as "taking precepts as teachers" and "caring for everything with great kindness and shining with wisdom". His handwriting is unique, with the spirit and bearing of the Northern Wei Dynasty stone tablet. I don't know that his letters with his friends have not been published. Recently, I read Xia Mianzun's prose, and there was an article called "Master Hongyi Becoming a Monk", saying that Li Shutong's becoming a monk was related to him. I read it several times. In fact, he was recalling Li Shutong's becoming a monk, without delving into the reasons. But at the end of the article, he said: "People like him have planted good roots in the past, his becoming a monk and his preaching."

In another article by Xia Mianzun, I seem to see a little mystery: Hony once reunited with him after a long separation (they are colleagues and close friends). "When he saw me with a sad face, he smiled and told me that everything in the world was fake, so don't take it seriously. Didn't I write you four praises of the Diamond Sutra last time? Everything is like a dream, like fog and electricity. You should look at it this way. Now you can understand this truth. " Xia Mianzun's writing style is famous for its conciseness. To quote the master, it is not a lie for Li Shutong to escape into an empty net. Can we get some clues from these words? Xia Mianzun's evaluation of Li Shutong is: "A comprehensive teacher is a charming son, a passionate person, a versatile artist, a rigorous educator and a disciplined monk". Just right, because I have experienced it, so it doesn't matter. Because I have tasted hundreds of flavors, I think light is the real taste. Because I stand tall, I can see far and see through. All fame and fortune will return to dust and soil.

This passage by Master Hongyi reminds me of another person. His name is Liu Ru, and he is a layman. These six words are "Life is like a dream without fog and electricity". He is Tang Bohu, the first gifted scholar in Jiangnan in Ming Dynasty. He has a poem: "No alchemy, no meditation, no ploughing for merchants, writing a picture of a castle peak and selling it at leisure will not make the world make money."

Tang Yin sells paintings and Li Shutong becomes a monk. The essence of life is exactly the same, but they have made different explanations.

When everyone comes to this world, in the final analysis, they all go once and hand in a life answer sheet when they leave. Some people make a mess of their papers, some people do it just right, and no one can get full marks. I think, Master Li Shutong-Hongyi should belong to the latter.

I had a headache with this mystery, so I stopped thinking about it. Bodhi has no trees, and the mirror is not a stage. There is nothing, so there is no dust. Let's explore the four-character scripture left by the master before his death.