Perhaps it was because they were going to sweep the tombs the next day, but there were very few people who came to burn incense and worship Buddha. They were probably preparing for the tomb-sweeping tomorrow. After all, the tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival was a big event. Basically, every family's relatives and children would rush over. At this time, the families that were close to the ancestral grave had to entertain these relatives. They had to prepare all kinds of sumptuous dishes. It wasn't something that could be done in a short time. They had to be prepared in advance.
A day passed just like that. At dawn, Fangzheng woke up early and pushed open the door.
The moment he came out, Lone Wolf ran over warily. Monkey also came over with sleepy eyes.
Fangzheng ruffled Lone Wolf and Monkey's heads and began sweeping the temple hall. As for Monkey, he swept the floor. That night, quite a number of leaves fell from the bodhi tree. Monkey felt rather helpless about this.
After cleaning the temple hall, Fangzheng began cooking. By the time he finished breakfast, it was already past six. After tidying up everything, Fangzheng took out the paper money he had prepared a day in advance. He took out a bunch of incense sticks, as well as Crystal Rice and some blanched Wormwood sprouts and dandelion leaves. He opened the monastery's door and left.
The sky was dark and gloomy, as if it was going to rain. The wind was not strong, but it was a little chilly.
The moment Fangzheng walked out, Lone Wolf, Monkey, and Squirrel immediately followed. However, when he saw Fangzheng's solemn expression, he didn't dare cause a ruckus.
However, Squirrel still asked out of curiosity, "Abbot, why do you look so serious? Also, what is the Qingming Festival? "
Fangzheng said, "'On the fifteenth day after the vernal equinox, it is known as Qingming. When all things are clean and bright, the air is clear and the scenery is bright. All things appear, hence its name.' Once the Qingming Festival arrived, the temperature would rise, and it would be the best time for spring plowing. Thus, there was the saying, 'Around the Qingming Festival, plant some melons and beans'. This is the day when the earth will recover … "
Lone Wolf was also curious. "Since it's a good day, why do you look so miserable?"
Fangzheng said, "Apart from being a day for solar terms, Tomb-Sweeping Day is also a day for humans to pay respects to their ancestors, to those who have passed away. How could they be so mischievous when holding a memorial service for the dead? From the moment they stepped out of the house, they had to cherish the memories of their ancestors. They must not laugh or curse angrily. Otherwise, if the ancestors found out, wouldn't they think that you were happy for their departure? This is a sign of disrespect for the ancestors, understand? "
Lone Wolf immediately pulled a taut face and looked extremely solemn. Squirrel pressed his fat face down and turned solemn as well. Monkey imitated Fangzheng and tidied his monk robes. He looked like an old man, giving off the vibe of a monk.
Fangzheng was delighted to see the three animals so intelligent. He nodded slightly and led the three animals to Zen Master One Finger's grave.
Zen Master One Finger's grave was not far away. Its back was against the mountains, and it faced the plains in front of it. Fangzheng did not know Fengshui, so he did not know if the place was good or not. However, Zen Master One Finger liked to stand here and look into the distance while he was still alive to study the Buddhist Dharma. Therefore, Fangzheng had buried him here.
Coming in front of the grave, Fangzheng took a deep breath and said, "Old Dad One Finger, I'm here to visit you."
As he spoke, Fangzheng put down everything. It looked like he was clearing the weeds on Zen Master One Finger's grave. After winter, the weeds had all withered, so it wasn't difficult to clear them.
After cleaning up, Fangzheng took out a bunch of incense sticks!
Monkey came over to take a look and said, "Abbot, other people offer three sticks of incense. Why did you bring so many? Did the old Zen Master like incense? "
Fangzheng shook his head and said, "No. If This Penniless Monk had come alone, three incense sticks would have been enough. However, One Finger Monastery isn't just This Penniless Monk alone. The three of you are also considered members of One Finger Monastery. Today, we will be paying our respects as a family. A family-style worship needs 365 incense sticks. According to the number of males, the 365 incense sticks will be split into equal portions. Then, they will be offered according to their age. This is also the rule. Today, the four of us are here, so we will split it into four. This Penniless Monk is the oldest, so This Penniless Monk will be the one to offer the extra one. " With that said, Fangzheng took out 92 incense sticks. He handed the remaining 91 incense sticks to Monkey, Lone Wolf, and Squirrel.
Monkey was still alright. He just needed to take it.
Squirrel was in trouble. With so many incense sticks, he found it difficult to hug them with his tiny claws. All he could do was place them on the ground and watch.
Lone Wolf was afraid that they would get wet, so he also placed the incense sticks on the ground.
The three animals originally believed that they were there to watch the bustle, but they never expected Fangzheng to say such a thing. He treated them as a part of One Finger Monastery and as family. Immediately, all of them felt warm and a little proud. Look, this baldy in front of us is our boss!
Fangzheng lit the incense stick and came in front of the grave. He raised it high and said, "Old Dad One Finger, Fangzheng is here to see you. Today is your day. Please come and enjoy the worship. "
Just as he said that, Fangzheng saw the incense stick in his hand suddenly burn with a gust of wind. At the same time, the green smoke rose into the heavens. No matter how the wind blew, it did not dissipate. Although the smoke was thin, it was clearly visible!
Upon seeing this scene, Fangzheng jumped in fright. He had never seen such a scene before.
"There's no need to be alarmed. There are Buddhas in the world, so naturally there are ghosts. However, this ghost is not the ghost of the netherworld you think of, but the ghost of the heart. The ancestors of the people of the world do not live in the netherworld, but in the hearts of the descendants. Because of the memories of the descendants, they exist. Because of the memories of the descendants, they dissipate. Because of the gratitude of the descendants, they are kind. Because of the kindness of the hearts, they bear good karma and receive good karma. On the contrary, if a person forgets their parents and ancestors, their hearts will be bad. How can the things they do be good? If there is a problem with one's character, there will naturally be retribution for doing bad things. This is what people call the protection of the ancestors. When descendants worship, they not only worship their ancestors but also their own hearts, "said the System suddenly.
Fangzheng was enlightened when he heard that. He pressed his palms together and recalled the various things that had happened when Zen Master One Finger was still alive. At that instant, he seemed to see Zen Master One Finger right in front of him. At that instant, Fangzheng understood something he did not understand in the past. It was an indescribable realization.
Fangzheng held the incense stick in his hand and bowed. Then, he held the incense sticks and used his left hand to insert them from right to left. His speed was neither fast nor slow. In a short while, all the incense sticks were inserted. While inserting the incense sticks, Fangzheng explained to the three children, "For us living, the left is the highest. For the deceased, the right is the highest. By inserting the incense sticks with our left hand, it means that we are very respectful to them. They are our seniors, so we have to be inferior to them. Inserting it from right to left is to conform to their logic. "
After inserting the incense sticks, Fangzheng knelt down and kowtowed. As his three kowtows touched the ground, he said, "Old Dad One Finger, it's been a while. However, you should be able to see that our One Finger Monastery has been renovated. Furthermore, the incense offerings are getting more and more exuberant. We even held a Dharma Assembly of Bathing the Buddha. Everything went smoothly. You should be happy to see this, right? This is a dream you have had for your entire life. Today, it has been fulfilled. Believe me, I will definitely make One Finger Monastery into a huge monastery in your heart. "
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