"I never saw my mother after I was born - but this noble woman passed away because of me. I cannot forget her kindness."
In order to repay his mother for the debt of giving birth to him, Master Xu Yun made a vow to pilgrimage to Mount Wu Tai [五台] to worship Manjushri [文殊 – Wen Shu] Bodhisattva, and to dedicate this karmic merit to his mother - so that she could escape the cycle of rebirth (Samsara) as soon as possible.
During the 7th kunar month of the 8th year [1882] of the reign of Emperor Guangxu [光绪] – Master Xu Yun started this pilgrimage by lighting incense at the Fa Hua [法华] Temple [庵 - An] situated on Pu Tuo [普陀] Mountain - bowing every third-step. During May of the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu [1884] – Master Xu Yun arrived at Xian Tong [显通] Temple [寺 – Si] on Mount Wu Tai. After two years, he finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish of repaying his mother's kindness.
Master Xu Yun was frozen twice in the snow and ice – whilst Manjusri Bodhisattva transformed himself into a beggar named “Wen Ji” [文吉] - to save him.
When Master Xu Yun was 58 years old [1898] - "He was heartbroken every time he thought about the fact that he had been born without a mother and had never seen her loving face". He travelled to the Ashoka [阿育王 – A Yu Wang] Temple [寺 – Si] in Ningbo [宁波] to worship the Buddha's Relics. Here, he ritualistically burnt-off one of his fingers as an offering to the Buddha - and to pray for his mother's Nirvana. The old monk did not use a cushion and performed three thousand prostrations every day. One night, whilst sat in meditation, he saw a Golden Dragon appear in the sky and fly into the Tian Chi [天池] Lake lying in front of the Relic Hall. It was several feet long and shining with golden light. The old monk rode on the dragon's back and flew to a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, tranquil flowers and trees, and majestic and wonderful pavilions and palaces. Seeing his mother looking out from one of the pavilions, the old monk called out to her to ride the dragon to the West! As the dragon descended to pick her up - Master Xu Yun came out of his trance!
#filial piety to parents# #repay parents' kindness# #Master Xuyun#
近代禅门巨匠虚云老和尚,出生几天后母亲就过世了。虚云老和尚十九岁出家,勤修道业,常念及“我生不见母,母亲因生我而死,大恩不能忘怀”。为了报答母亲的生育之恩,他一心发愿朝拜五台山礼文殊菩萨,以此功德回向母亲早脱轮回。
自光绪八年七月始,由普陀法华庵起香,三步一拜,到光绪十年五月到五台山显通寺,经历两年之久,达成了报母恩的夙愿。他两次冻卧冰雪中,感文殊菩萨化身为文吉乞者救他脱险。
虚云老和尚五十八岁时,“因念生而无母,未见慈容,每以思之,辄觉心痛”,于是往宁波阿育王寺拜佛舍利,燃指供佛,超度慈母。老和尚不用蒲团,每日定三千拜。一天夜晚,在禅定中见空中出现金龙一条,飞落舍利殿前的天池内,长数丈,金光晃耀。老和尚骑上龙背,即腾空至一处,山水秀丽,花木清幽,楼阁宫殿,庄严奇妙。见母亲在楼阁上瞻眺,老和尚大叫母亲,请母亲骑上龙到西方去,龙即下降,自己随即出定。这种梦兆,正是虚云老和尚孝心所感。
#孝顺父母##报父母恩##虚云老和尚#