Text by Duan Honggang
To this day, many people still remember the “Wenchuan Earthquake” 14 years ago. This natural disaster is more terrifying than war. The memory of it includes ruins, partings and deaths, but also unity and joy.
There is no mercy for disasters. In the face of disaster, countless individuals stepped forward to donate money and materials, were charitable, and filled the world with their deep love with sincerity and kindness, and staged scenes of touching stories.
Master Suquan of Luohan Temple in Shifang City, Sichuan Province took the initiative to break the precepts during this disaster. Against all opinions, he broke the three precepts of sexual intercourse with women, killing animals, and eating meat and fish, and gave "108 Arhat babies " He was born safely, and his actions eventually earned him the reputation of "China's greatest monk" and "contemporary living Buddha" .
Why did Master Suquan do this?
In his words: "The biggest taboo among us Buddhists is not to save others. Apart from this taboo, we all have other taboos that vary depending on the environment."
This sentence is the truth he has realized after decades of practice. , which is also his spiritual belief and life principle.
Master Suquan was born in Chengdu. After graduating from Chengdu University of Electronic Science and Technology in 1989, he entered the Qingyang District Government Department of Chengdu.
It stands to reason that his job is an "iron rice bowl" that everyone envies, but he is very interested in Buddhist culture . He only worked as a civil servant for more than two months before resolutely resigning and converting to Buddhism.
There is a Zhaojue Temple 5 kilometers away from the northern suburbs of Chengdu. It was built during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty . It is large in scale, has lush trees and a constant flow of pilgrims. It is known as the "No. 1 Zen Forest in Western Sichuan". Master Suquan is in This is where his Buddhist life began.
After practicing in Zhaojue Temple for 17 years, at the end of July 2006, by chance, Master Suquan settled in Luohan Temple in Shifang City, Sichuan. From then on, he took root here and became a generation of eminent monks.
At 14:28 on May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan. The ground shook instantly, and the homes that many people relied on for survival were instantly destroyed. There were ruins everywhere, and there were thousands of wounds between the sky and the earth. There are hundreds of holes, and there are constant aftershocks...
Master Suquan is sitting in the car at this time, preparing to go to Chengdu for a meeting. The violent shaking of the earth made him quickly realize that an earthquake had occurred. He made a prompt decision and turned around and rushed back. When I returned to Luohan Temple , I found that the damage to the temple was not serious, and the entrance was crowded with victims who came to seek refuge.
In the Shifang Maternity and Child Health Hospital, not far from Luohan Temple, there are currently more than 30 pregnant women living there. Due to the damage caused by the earthquake, the hospital wards have become dangerous buildings. The pregnant women must be moved out, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable. .
However, this earthquake was so terrible that it leveled many buildings in Shifang City. It was too difficult to find a good shelter. It was not easy to move pregnant women to a safe place.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Gui Fengchun, director of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital, suddenly shouted: There is space in Luohan Temple, you can go!
The dean reminded him rightly. The buildings in Luohan Temple are not high, and most of them are wooden structures. Compared with other places, the damage caused by the earthquake was not that serious.
Dean's idea is certainly good, but after all, Luohan Temple is a Buddhist holy place with strict rules and regulations, and it is very repulsive to blood and female sex. If pregnant women are moved to Luohan Temple, wouldn't this embarrass the monks?
Dean Gui Fengchun, after a period of psychological struggle, found Master Suquan and explained his purpose, and asked him for convenience and mercy.
Now it was Master Suquan's turn to hesitate again.
Master Suquan was first worried that the temple was not safe enough, because in just a few hours from the earthquake to the night of May 12, Luohan Temple had already taken in nearly 1,000 refugees, and all the rooms were occupied. Eating, drinking, having sex, and sleeping all take place in the temple, which makes the temple look messy. This situation has aroused disgust and opposition from some people in the temple.
Second, it is taboo for pregnant women to enter the temple to give birth. This kind of thing rarely happened in history.
Later, the dean made a further request: He only asked for a flat open space in the temple, and he could pitch a tent on the open space.
Master Suquan is in a dilemma. If he takes in a pregnant woman, it means that the monastery's many years of precepts will be broken. If one "sees death without rescuing one", this goes against the compassionate belief of monks. What should I do with
?
Standing in front of the Buddha statue, Master Suquan finally decided to break the secular concept and take them in after careful consideration.
That night, more than 30 pregnant women and a dozen gynecological patients were safely transferred to Luohan Temple, and the dean finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing that so many women suddenly came to the temple, some monks strongly opposed it, saying that it was taboo for pregnant women to enter the temple, which would destroy the temple's long-standing reputation.
Master Suquan calmly said to the objectors: We are all Buddhists. In Buddhism, saving one life is better than building a seven-level pagoda, not to mention the equality of all living beings. The purpose of Buddhism is to save the world, and monks should not Being limited to rules and not saving someone at the risk of death may be the biggest taboo.
Master Suquan’s words were like a ray of breeze, blowing away the grudges in the hearts of all the opponents at the scene. Everyone immediately took action, cleaning, leveling the site, removing door panels, and moving bricks. Temporary shelters were quickly built for pregnant women and patients, and they helped medical staff move in medical equipment and drugs.
In order to allow the victims to take refuge safely in Luohan Temple, Master Suquan issued three clear rules :
to all the monks in the temple. During special times, the temple will accept the victims unconditionally.
2, the temple provides food and clothing unconditionally.
Third, everything in the temple is unconditionally available to the victims.
html In the early morning of May 13, the first child was born in Luohan Temple, a girl named Tang Zhenwen. She was also the first child born in the disaster area since the Wenchuan earthquake.Master Suquan later said in his memories: Her birth was the most difficult and she was also the child who cried the loudest.
Tang Zhenwen's mother's name is Chen Shichao. Her due date was originally May 12, but due to the earthquake, she was too frightened and was unable to give birth naturally.
html At 5 o'clock in the morning on May 13, Chen Shichao was in unbearable pain. When the doctor saw the situation, he knew she was going to give birth.At that time, pregnant women lived in the canteen of the temple, but there was no light in the canteen, so the medical staff could only deliver her baby with a flashlight. More than two hours later, several loud cries of a baby girl sounded in the temple.
Tang Zhenwen was born weighing 3,470 grams and was very healthy. The reason why she was named Tang Zhenwen was so that she would not forget the tragic Wenchuan earthquake in the future.
Fortunately, experts from the Shanghai 85th Military Hospital of the Nanjing Military Region were also stationed at Luohan Temple at the time. With the help of military doctors, Yang Qiju successfully gave birth to a baby boy, who was the second "Luohan baby".
As newborns continue to be born, a new problem - how to help mothers recover as soon as possible - is placed in front of Master Suquan.
Monks usually eat simple meals. These foods are definitely not nutritious for mothers and pregnant women.
After much thought, Master Suquan actually made a decision that shocked everyone: approved the killing of chickens in the temple to supplement nutrition for pregnant women, and allowed everyone to cook meat in the temple.
The monks who were accustomed to eating vegetarian food suddenly smelled the smell of meat, which caused many monks to become nauseated and vomited.
Master Suquan endured the discomfort caused by nausea and stayed in the canteen every day, carefully arranging meals for everyone. People are like iron rice and steel. In his opinion, only by having enough food can you have the strength to overcome disasters.
In order to take in these pregnant women this time, the monks of Luohan Temple headed by Master Suquan broke the precepts that they had adhered to for many years, such as blood, killing, and eating meat.
In order to let the monks put down their ideological burdens, Master Suquan often told his disciples during that time: I think Buddhism's compassion is not just talk.People lost their homes in the earthquake. Although the sky is ruthless, there is love in the world. We must do our best to save them. This is not only saving them, but also saving myself. If I had not accepted them that day, I would have spent the rest of my life in repentance.
Master Suquan's kindness and love moved many celebrities. Later, with the help of Zhou Xun, Jacky Cheung, Wu Jing and other celebrities, he successfully solved the problem of milk powder for newborn babies.
Master Suquan recalled: Wu Jing and Zhou Xun came to Luohan Temple at that time and heard that the newborn baby was short of milk powder. Zhou Xun immediately called Jacky Cheung. Jacky Cheung happened to be endorsing a milk powder at the time, so he smoothly transferred 60 boxes of milk powder. , solving the most pressing needs of the babies.
The daily life of the monks is indispensable for chanting and meditating. However, since newborns are born every day in Luohan Temple, in order to take care of these babies and the victims, the monks can only give up chanting and meditating and act as "nannies" for them. In the eyes of the monks, doing this is also a real "cultivation".
From May 12 to August 7, in less than 3 months, a total of 107 newborns were born in Luohan Temple. At the same time, post-disaster reconstruction work is also proceeding in an orderly manner. When the temporary hospital in the disaster area was built, Master Suquan decided to send the children to the hospital in the disaster area in order to provide the children with more careful care. When
heard that the children were leaving, a monk joked: It would be great if one more child could be born before leaving. There would be exactly 108, which corresponds to the 108 Arhats in Buddhism.
Master Suquan smiled calmly and said: Let everything take its course, and don't force anything.
The magical scene still happened.
The night before the children were transferred to the hospital in the disaster area, a pregnant woman showed signs of labor and was in critical condition. She had to deliver the baby on the spot at Luohan Temple that night.
Somehow, God allowed the 108th new life to be born in Luohan Temple. As a result, the 108 children were dubbed "108 Luohan Babies".
Later, in order to thank Master Suquan for his great kindness, the mothers of the "108 Arhat Babies" each cut a piece of cloth from their children's clothes and sewed it into a " Baijiyi" and presented it to Master Suquan. .
Due to his huge contribution in earthquake relief, Master Suquan was later successfully elected as the "Shifang City Earthquake Relief Hero" with 620,000 votes.
On May 12, 2009, the first anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, 108 "Arhat babies" were brought to Luohan Temple by their mothers and spent an unforgettable collective birthday together.
Master Suquan was very pleased to see the children alive and well, and his eyes were wet for a while.
Since taking in pregnant women and taking care of "Arhat babies", Master Suquan has become a well-known local figure, attracting many reporters to the temple every day for interviews.
In one of the few interviews he received, Master Suquan told reporters: I just did trivial things. Doing good deeds is not for reward, and you don’t even need to remember. Now seeing 108 children grow up healthy and strong is a complete meritorious deed.
The story of Master Suquan moved director Kong Jiahuan. He polished it and remade it into a movie. Wu Jing also participated in the film as a witness, which further spread the reputation of Master Suquan throughout the country.
Later, the "Arhat babies" would come to Luohan Temple to visit Master Suquan every Spring Festival. Every time he sees these cute children, Master Suquan cannot hide the contented smile on his face. He told reporters: Every time these children come, they will call me "Master", and I will also tell the children that they must study hard and be grateful and give back to the society in the future.
Master Suquan uses practical actions to explain to the world what is the Bodhisattva's heart and what is the true meaning of Buddhism. He is fully worthy of the title of "Contemporary Living Buddha".
