Sun Qiancheng was stunned. He didn't expect that there was so much detail in making incense. He couldn't help but give Fang Zheng a thumbs up and said, "You've learned a lesson."
So Sun Qiancheng followed Fang Zheng's instructions and went up one stick at a time, silently reciting those words.
Fang Zheng was on the side helping to recite sutras.
After a set of procedures was completed, it was getting dark. Sun Qiancheng invited Fang Zheng to their home for dinner, but Fang Zheng refused. Although Wu Zang Temple was almost starving, Fang Zheng still wanted to go back to eat.
After bidding farewell to Sun Qiancheng and listening to the sound of firecrackers in the village, Fang Zheng returned to Yizhi Temple and started cooking, saying nothing all night.
The next day, it started to rain lightly at dawn. As the spring thunder shook, Fang Zheng knew that the Qingming Festival had passed and the weather would soon get hotter. At the same time, the construction of Yizhi Temple was also put on the agenda.
Once the Qingming Festival is over, April will be free, but there are also some special Buddhist days in this month. April 12th on the solar calendar and March 16th on the lunar calendar is the Christmas Day of Chunti Bodhisattva. This is a big festival in Buddhism. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva are the four most famous Bodhisattvas. There are two Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined in Fangzheng's temple. However, Fangzheng did not hold a Dharma meeting on Guanyin Bodhisattva's Christmas Day before, but only chanted sutras and made personal offerings.
There is no other way. Although he insists on holding a Dharma conference and the system can support it, Fang Zheng really has no experience in holding Dharma conferences. Wouldn't it be more troublesome to hold a Dharma conference casually and cause trouble all over the place? Moreover, Dharma conferences are only one way to promote Buddhism, not the only way.
After Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Christmas Day is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’s Christmas Day. Fangzheng didn’t make any offerings, so he didn’t pass it. He just chanted sutras in his mind to make offerings to Bodhisattva.
Seeing time passing day by day, and another Bodhisattva's Christmas Day coming, Fang Zheng finally had some thoughts, should he hold a Dharma conference? However, what should be prepared and done to hold a Fa conference? Fang Zheng suddenly discovered that although he had participated in a large-scale Dharma conference in Baiyun Temple, it was too large and he could not participate in the whole process. What he learned was really pitiful. Now I am holding a Dharma conference, my eyesight is dark, and I have no idea where to start.
At this moment, rapid footsteps were heard outside the temple. When Fang Zheng looked up, it was an old acquaintance, Hu Tan, the courier who had been delivering the goods all the way. Hu Tan ran in panting, and before he could stop, he took out a courier and shouted: "Master Fangzheng, your courier, what the hell, the things are here, take a look. I have something urgent to do, so I'll leave first. Come on..." After putting down the invitation, Hu Tan ran away in a hurry.
When Fang Zheng saw this, he immediately became anxious: "What if the things inside are damaged? Are you leaving right now? Without even looking at it? The poor monk hasn't signed the bill yet?"
"No need to sign. I can trust the master. I'll take care of anything." As he spoke, Hu Tan had already run away.
Fang Zheng wiped his nose and said with a smile: "If there is a gold brick here, I can hide it. Then I will make this kid cry, hehe..."
In other words, this is a big envelope, and even a fool knows that there will be no gold bricks in it. Fang Zheng opened it casually and was shocked...
"Chunti Bodhisattva's Christmas Dharma Ceremony. We respectfully invite Abbot Fangzheng. The inviter is Zen Master Hongyan."
It turned out to be an invitation! After reading the contents, Fang Zheng sighed. It was indeed about this festival. However, Founder did not plan to hold this kind of celebration at Yizhi Temple. Although the system provided various options, there was no one! After April 8, the weather became warmer and warmer, and villagers who had been lazy all winter began to prepare for spring plowing.
Some were testing wells, some were raising seedlings in greenhouses, some were plowing the ground... For a time, the whole village was busy. If a Dharma conference is held at this time, it's okay if it's near a big city. People in the city don't have to farm. Whether they are outing, joining in the fun, or worshiping Buddha, they will come to watch it. It is a grand event.
But in a place like Yizhi Temple, the main believers are villagers, the kind who don't come if they have something to ask for. In such a situation, who can put aside their work at home to attend the Fa conference
So not only Yizhi Temple, but also Hongyan Temple probably wouldn't have many people gathered. At most, people from Songwu County would come over to join in the fun. This is because Hongyan Temple is relatively famous and Zen Master Hongyan has great influence. As for the Yizhi Temple, once it is established, probably not many people will come.
What's more, Yizhi Temple does not enshrine Zhunti Bodhisattva, so this kind of Dharma conference feels a bit like selling sheep's heads to dogs.
In addition, Fang Zheng was really inexperienced and he didn’t dare to hold a larger Dharma conference. Now that Hongyan Temple is open, he can go and observe and learn. Thinking of this, Fang Zheng happily accepted the invitation and prepared to go to Hongyan Temple to participate in the Dharma Ceremony.
After thinking about everything, Fang Zheng carried the big wooden fish to the back of the temple. It was time to chant sutras for his crystal rice seedlings. When he saw Fang Zheng going to recite sutras, the lone wolf, squirrel, and monkey immediately followed him. In the past, I was sitting at the head of the field, banging wooden fish and chanting sutras, while the three little guys listened very intently.
A few days flew by. This morning, Fangzheng got up early, finished handling the temple affairs, had breakfast, and went out with the monkey. This time the target was Hongyan Temple, which is not far from Yizhi Temple. Not too far. If you ride a motorcycle, it takes more than an hour to get there, but if you walk, it's a bit far.
So Fang Zheng didn't plan to walk there this time. He went down the mountain and went straight to Wang Yougui's house. He had contacted him in advance yesterday. Wang Yougui happened to go to Hongyan Village for a meeting, and Fang Zheng was able to get a ride.
Sure enough, Wang Yougui had prepared everything and was just waiting for Fang Zheng. Seeing Fang Zheng coming, he patted his big motorcycle and laughed and said, "Master Fang Zheng, you are here, I am waiting for you."
Fang Zheng smiled and said, "Isn't this poor monk not too late?"
"It's not too late, it's not too late. This old guy is in a hurry. Don't pay attention to him!" Wang Yougui's wife came out, holding a basin of leftover rice, crushed corn, etc. Before she did anything, a large group of chickens ran away. Come here, everyone is waiting to eat with their heads raised.
Wang Yougui smiled and said: "Can you please stop trying to undermine me for nothing? After all, I am also the head of a village, can you give me some face?"
"To save you some face, can I use it as a shoe mat? If so, you can walk barefoot from now on. I don't care." Wang Yougui's wife said.
Wang Yougui surrendered immediately and said to Fang Zheng, "Okay, let's go when you're ready. By the way, you monkey..."
Fang Zheng said: "It's okay, he is smart and knows what to do."
"That's good. I'll drive slower. If it doesn't work, I'll think of a way." Wang Yougui got into the car while he was talking. Fangzheng sat in the middle, then patted the back seat and said to the monkey, "Sit in the back, and you will run very fast after a while." Hurry, hug the poor monk tightly, otherwise he will fall, don’t blame the poor monk for not warning you."
(End of chapter)