The prince is in trouble, your invincible strength has been exposed

However, no matter how anxious the outside world is, the little monk in the picture is consistent, silently chanting, as if time has no effect on him. Every once in a while, the girl named Qixiu would come to the monastery and tell the little monk some interesting stories. Her name, like her character, is light and lively.

The little monk also seemed to have gotten used to Qixiu's arrival, and although he still had a wooden fish in his hand, a faint smile appeared on his face whenever Qixiu appeared. Sometimes, he would stop the wooden fish in his hand and listen to Qixiu tell some gonzo and give his own evaluation. Whenever he spoke, he could draw a laugh from Qixiu.

"Little monk, can you tell me a story too?" Qixiu looked at the little monk expectantly, hoping that he could share some stories. The little monk was silent for a moment, then nodded and said softly: "Then I'll tell you a story about the three refuges that Master taught..."

This is a story about an old monk, but also a story about faith and perseverance.

In ancient times, there was an elderly monk who lived in a secluded temple. Unfortunately, his temple is often infested with thieves who always seem to find an opportunity to steal the temple's belongings with ease. Although the old monk couldn't bear it, in the face of such frequent thefts, he felt extremely troubled, even to the point of unbearable.

As time passed, the old monk finally couldn't bear it anymore. On a moonlit night, when the habitual thief infiltrated the temple again, the old monk decided to respond in an unusual way. He calmly said to the thief, "I will no longer resist, if you want anything, just put your hand through the crack in the door, and I will give it to you myself." "

When the thief heard this, his heart was filled with joy and greed. He didn't suspect the old monk's intentions, so he couldn't wait to put his hand through the crack in the door. However, he never expected that this was a trap. The old monk quickly and decisively grabbed his hand, tied him firmly to the pillar, then took up the stick and began to teach the unfortunate thief a harsh lesson.

Every time he beat it, the old monk chanted loudly: "Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the law, take refuge in the Sangha!" These are the Three Jewels of Buddhism, which represent the core of faith. In the severe pain, the thief helplessly followed the old monk and shouted over and over again: "Take refuge in the Buddha! Take refuge in the law! Take refuge in the monk!" His voice gradually became hoarse, but he still kept repeating these three words.

Such a scene seems to be a bizarre ritual, and the voice of the old monk and the response of the thief are intertwined, forming a strange harmony. The voice floated softly out of the temple and was heard by a young monk. There was a hint of serenity and longevity in his voice, as if telling a profound story.

This story is widely spread in the land of Kyushu, and it is known as the story of the "Three Refuges". It tells the story of a thief who eventually chooses to become a monk and become a real monk because of this experience. At the end of the story, this former thief, after a beating and deep reflection, decided to worship the old monk as a teacher and devote himself to the study of Buddhism.

However, when the story was told from the young monk's mouth, it drew a young girl's silver bell-like laughter. After listening to the story, she couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity of the thief. She felt that the wisdom and compassion of Shakyamuni Buddha could not have foreseen that the thief would be caught and punished, and how could the old monk have the ability to feed such a thief after he had been stolen to the fullest?

Faced with the girl's questioning, the young monk did not refute, but nodded seriously and agreed. He also thought that the thief was really stupid enough to misunderstand the intentions of the Dharma. While he was pondering, the girl suddenly offered to tell him a story about the "Four Refuges."

The young monk was curious because he had never heard of the "Four Refuges". He didn't know what kind of story it would be, but he waited quietly for the girl to tell it.

The girl began to tell that the beginning of the story was strikingly similar to the story of the "Three Refuges", but as she narrated, the young monk gradually realized that this story was fundamentally different from the one he knew. He began to wonder what the "four refuges" meant and what this new story would teach him.

"Hmph, don't interrupt me..."

Seeing a trace of doubt flashing in the little monk's clear eyes, the girl snorted coldly and continued

The thief was overjoyed when he heard this, and put his hand through the crack in the door. The old monk grabbed his hand, tied him to a pillar, and beat him with a stick. "

"While fighting back, he shouted: Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the law, take refuge in the Sangha, take refuge..."

Speaking of which, the girl... There was a sudden pause!

"Take refuge in what?".

Seeing this, a trace of curiosity flashed in the little monk's eyes, and he subconsciously asked.

Four refuges?

Take

refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the law, take refuge in the Sangha...

And what to take refuge in?

"Hands reach out..."

Looking at the little monk's blank gaze, the girl smiled, took his hand, and wrote stroke by stroke in his palm, reading while writing

"Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the law, take refuge in the Sangha!".

"Refuge... Show girl..."

......

The words fell, and the word 'show' was written by the girl in the palm of the little monk.

In the Buddhist temple, the little monk was stunned, a little sluggish!

The sound of Prajna is like the wind, sweeping all around...

The sky seems to be quiet!

"Refuge..."

He subconsciously muttered, wanting to say the 'four refuges', but in the end he just froze in place, the corners of his mouth moved slightly, and he never said it.

"Say! What?".

The girl looked at the stunned little monk, smiled, a trace of expectation flashed in her eyes, and said softly

"Refuge..."

"Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the law, take refuge in the Sangha, take refuge..."

......

"Ami... Declivity... Buddha!".

Facing the girl's gaze, the little monk subconsciously dodged, folded his hands, recited a Buddhist scripture in his mouth, said a word, and fled in a hurry.

In the same place, only the girl was left, looking at the back of the little monk in a daze.

In his eyes, there was a faint line of tears, slowly leaving .........

Since then, for a long time, the little monk has not seen the show girl....

He, as usual, knocked on the wooden fish and chanted silently.

However, everyone could hear that there was no trace of verve in the chanting, just mechanical chanting, chanting...

In the distance, the little monk's master, an old monk, watched this scene and sighed slightly, but did not say anything.

And so, three months passed.

It can be seen that the little monk has obviously lost too much weight, and he is no longer as agile as before...

And at this time, the show girl... It's finally here!

The little monk is very happy!

He hurried to the mountain gate to greet the show girl, and even the wooden fish that he had always regarded as a treasure and never left his body was thrown aside!

For the current little monk, there is nothing more important than meeting the show girl!

Aoyamaji Temple.

The little monk saw the girl again....

It's just that he didn't have time to speak, so the girl in front of him smiled reluctantly, touched the little monk's emaciated face, and said softly

"Little monk, I'm getting married!".

"In the future, I can't tell you any more stories..."

......

In a word, like a thunderbolt on a sunny day, the little monk was immediately stunned.

"You... To get married... Gone?".

"yes!".

"You... It's time to get married!".

He muttered in a daze, as if talking to himself, and like... Silence of heart....