Perhaps it was because we had to sweep the tomb the next day, but there were especially few people who came to burn incense and worship Buddha today. They are probably all planning to sweep the tomb tomorrow. After all, sweeping the tomb during the Qingming Festival is a big event, and basically relatives and children of each family will come over. At this time, families close to the ancestral graves have to entertain these relatives and prepare various sumptuous dishes. This cannot be done at once and must be prepared in advance.
The day passed like this, and it was dawn. Fangzheng got up early and opened the door.
As soon as he came out, the lone wolf had already run over vigilantly. The monkey also came over sleepily.
Fangzheng rubbed the heads of Lone Wolf and Monkey and started cleaning the Buddhist hall, while Monkey went to sweep the floor. One night, the Bodhi tree lost many leaves, and Monkey was helpless.
After cleaning the Buddhist hall, Fang Zheng started cooking. After breakfast, it was already past six o'clock. After packing everything, Fang Zheng took out the hemp money paper, a large handful of incense, and crystal rice prepared a day in advance, plus some blanched willow buds and dandelion leaves, opened the temple door and went out. .
The sky was gloomy, as if it was going to rain. The wind was not strong, but it made people feel a little chilly.
As soon as Fang Zheng went out, the lone wolf, monkey, and squirrel immediately followed him. However, seeing Fang Zheng's solemn expression, he didn't dare to mess around.
However, the squirrel still asked curiously: "Abbot, why is your expression so solemn? Also, what is Qingming Festival?"
Fang Zheng said: "'Fifteen days after the Spring Equinox, when the fighting fingers are ding, it is the Qingming Festival. At that time, everything is clean and clear. At this time, the air is clear and the scenery is bright, and everything is visible, hence the name.' When the Qingming Festival arrives, the temperature rises. It’s the perfect time for spring plowing, so there is a saying that “before and after the Qingming Festival, plant melons and beans.” This is the day when the earth recovers... "
Lone Wolf was also curious. "Since it's a good day, why do you still look so sad?" "
Fang Zheng said: "Qingming Festival, in addition to being a solar term, is also a day for human beings to sacrifice their ancestors and those who have passed away. How can you smile playfully when paying homage to the dead? From the moment you step out of the house, you must remember the things of your ancestors and never laugh. Swear angrily. Otherwise, if the ancestors find out, wouldn't they think you are happy for their departure? This is a sign of disrespect for the ancestors, do you understand?"
The lone wolf immediately tightened his face and looked extremely serious. The squirrel also suppressed his fat face and became serious. The monkey imitated the square appearance, arranged the monk's clothes, and looked old-fashioned, quite a bit like a monk.
Fang Zheng was also happy to see the three little guys so smart. He nodded slightly and took the three animals to the grave of Zen Master Yi Zhi.
The grave of Zen Master Yizhi is not far away, with the mountains at the back and the great plain in front, with a very broad view. Fang Zheng didn't understand Feng Shui and didn't know if this place was good or not. However, Zen Master Yizhi liked to stand here and gaze into the distance and comprehend Buddhism before he was alive, so Fang Zheng buried him here.
When he came to the grave, Fang Zheng took a deep breath and said, "One-finger daddy, I'm here to see you."
While talking, Fang Zheng put everything down and started to clean up the weeds on Zen Master Yizhi's grave. After the winter, the weeds on it had all dried up, so it was not difficult to clean up.
After cleaning up, Fang Zheng took out a lot of incense!
The monkey came over to take a look and said: "Abbott, when others come to offer incense, they only use three sticks. Why do you take so many? Old Zen Master likes incense?"
Fang Zheng shook his head and said: "No, if the poor monk came alone today, three sticks of incense would be enough. But now, there is more than just the poor monk in Yizhi Temple. The three of you can also be considered as members of Yizhi Temple. Today, Ours is a family-style worship. For family-style worship, 365 incense sticks are used. Divide these 365 sticks into equal parts according to the number of males, and then burn the incense in order of age. This is also a rule. Today, the four of us are here, so we will divide it into four handfuls. For the extra stick, the oldest one will be served by the poor monk." After saying that, Fang Zheng took out 92 sticks of incense, and each of the remaining sticks 91 roots are given to monkeys, lone wolves and squirrels.
The monkey is fine, just take it.
The squirrel was miserable. It was so fragrant that it was difficult to hold it even if he tried to open his little paws. He could only put it on the ground temporarily and watch.
The lone wolf was afraid that it would get wet, so he also placed the incense on the ground.
The three little guys originally thought they were here to watch the fun, but they didn't expect Fang Zheng to say such words and regard them as members of the Yizhi Temple and relatives. Suddenly, each of them felt warm and a little light in their hearts. So proud, look, the bald man in front of me is our boss!
Fang Zheng lit the incense, came to the grave, raised it high, and said, "Point to dad, Fang Zheng is here to see you. Today is your festival, and I respectfully invite you to come and enjoy the sacrifice."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Zheng saw that the incense in his hand suddenly became strong in a gust of wind. At the same time, the green smoke rose to the sky and refused to disperse despite the wind. Although the incense was thin, it was clearly visible!
Seeing this scene, Fang Zheng was also shocked. He had never seen this scene before.
"There is no need to be surprised. There are Buddhas in the world, and there are naturally ghosts. It's just that this ghost is not the ghost in the netherworld you think, but the ghost in the heart. The ancestors of the world do not live in the underworld, but in the hearts of future generations, because of the longing of future generations. , so they exist, and they disappear because of the forgetfulness of future generations. They are kind-hearted because of the gratitude of future generations. Because their hearts are kind, they bear good fruits and receive good rewards. On the contrary, if a person forgets his parents and ancestors, , if the human heart is broken, how can the things you do be good? If your character is questionable and you do bad things, you will naturally have bad retributions. This is what the world calls the protection of ancestors... When future generations offer sacrifices, they are not only offering sacrifices to their ancestors, but also to themselves. heart." The system suddenly spoke.
When Fang Zheng heard the words, he suddenly understood. He clasped his hands together and recalled all the events in the past when Master Yizhi was alive. At that moment, he seemed to see Master Yizhi right in front of him. At that moment, Fang Zheng understood something that he didn't understand before, and now he had indescribable insights.
Fang Zheng held the incense in his hand and bowed before him. Then he held the incense sticks and inserted them one by one with his left hand, from right to left. The speed was neither fast nor slow. In a while, all the incense sticks were inserted. While inserting incense, Fang Zheng explained to the three little guys: "We who are alive put the left side up, and those who have died put the right side up. We use the left hand to show our great respect for them. They are our elders. We need to be shorter; inserting from right to left is in line with other people's principles."
After placing the incense, Fangzheng knelt down and kowtowed. When his three heads landed on the ground, he said, "Yizhi Daddy, it's been a long time since I've been here. But you should also be able to see that our Yizhi Temple has been renovated, and the incense is getting more and more popular." Wangsheng, and even held a Buddha bathing ceremony, everything went so smoothly. Seeing this, you should be happy, right? This is your lifelong dream, and it is achieved today. Believe me, I will definitely give it a try The temple becomes a great temple in your mind.”
"Abbott, can the old Zen Master hear what you say?" Monkey asked curiously.
(End of chapter)