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CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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— 443 —<br />

fC H li( ^ (1), situated at K'i-chow ff jffl, in tfupc/i $J 4b,<br />

and recommended him to Hung-jen f//> $J,<br />

the 5 th<br />

patriarch. "What<br />

is your native place, and why do you come here, inquired the<br />

patriarch?" — "I am a native <strong>of</strong> the country beyond the Nanling<br />

Range, Nan-ling "jff Hf (2), replied the aspirant, and I hope one<br />

day to become a Buddha". — "How can such lolks as those <strong>of</strong> your<br />

native place become Buddhas, rejoined Hung-jen ^A *&?'' — "There<br />

are Northerners and Southerners, replied the aspirant, but Buddha's<br />

doctrine is the same for all". Hung-jen ^ /0, perceived<br />

that the<br />

lad was intelligent, and so he received him into the monastery.<br />

He was at first applied in husking rice. Hwei-neng |=§ f[5 worked<br />

day and night during eight full months at this menial task (3).<br />

His teacher, seeing that he had attained to a high degree <strong>of</strong> virtue,<br />

gave him the habit, and commenced to instruct him in all the tenets<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Law.<br />

The following night, Hwei-neng l|§ f$? repaired to the patriarch's<br />

cell, and begged him add to the favours already conferred, a magic<br />

formula, and the begging-bowl <strong>of</strong> a perfect monk. Hung-jen ^ jQ<br />

complied with his request, and told him keep these two objects<br />

secret from the other monks. A short time afterwards, the patriarch<br />

sent him to the South, ordering him to recruit there some disciples,<br />

and teach the principles <strong>of</strong> the Law. He had not, however, proceed-<br />

ed far on the way, when a party <strong>of</strong> aspirants, armed with knives,<br />

fell upon him. These were jealous <strong>of</strong> his advancement, and wanted<br />

to take revenge upon him. Hwei-neng |§ f£, seeing<br />

he could not<br />

resist them successfully, had recourse to the following device.<br />

(1) Monastery <strong>of</strong> the Yellow Prune Hill, Hwct ng-me i-shct n-sze fl tH ill ^.<br />

Hung-jen lived here, and Hwei-neng placed himself under his direction, in<br />

order to be initiated in the true doctrine. Chinese Superstitions. Vol. IV.<br />

p. 457.<br />

(2) Nan-ling ^ f#., or Nan-shan ^ dj, i.e., the Southern mountain range,<br />

which separates the province <strong>of</strong> Kwangtung ffi ^ from that <strong>of</strong> Hunan j$ H).<br />

(3) About 670, \Hwei-neng » fg came to Hung-jen 1}L Jg, from Sinchow<br />

flf ill!, in Kwangtung ^ ^, and was set to menial work. Giles. Chinese<br />

Biographical Dictionary, p.

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