Tang TaizongLi Shimin rarely praised his ministers, but he was not stingy with Xiao Yu. Li Shimin wrote in the poem "Giving Xiao Yu":
"The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the rough and turbulent people know the honest minister. The brave man knows the righteousness, and the wise man must be benevolent."
Who is Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu was a famous general in the Sui Dynasty, the brother-in-law of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and the biological brother of Empress Xiao. Later, he was captured and submitted to the Tang Dynasty, and was named Song Guogong. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he became the prime minister. However, Xiao Yu's upright character was not suitable for being a prime minister, so Li Shimin changed him to the crown prince and tutor. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty praised him as "a loyal and upright minister, unparalleled by the ancients," and gave him a poem.
Xiao Yu is a kind-hearted person and has great faith in Buddhism. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty came to Zhuoxian , Xiao Yu met Shi Zhiyuan, a Buddhist wise man at that time. Shi Zhiyuan has a big wish, which is to carve scriptures in the Yabi Grottoes in Beishan, Youzhou. When Xiao Yu learned about it, she told her sister Empress Xiao about it. Empress Xiao was deeply moved and decided to help Shi Zhiyuan fulfill her wish, so she donated thousands of pieces of silk and property. Xiao Yu also donated 500 pieces of silk to Shi Zhiyuan.
Shi Zhiyuan wants to build a wooden Buddhist temple, but is worried about where the wood and bricks will come from? They were also worried that the construction of the wooden Buddha Hall would take up time and money for engraving scriptures, so the construction of the wooden Buddha Hall was delayed. But for a good person who accumulates virtues and does good deeds, not only dignitaries will come to help him, but even God will take care of him.
One night, there was lightning and thunder, wind and rain, and everyone was frightened. The next day, when the thunder stopped and the rain stopped, everyone found that the roadside at the foot of the mountain was piled with thousands of thick pines and cypresses trees, which were all brought here by the flood at night. It can meet the needs of Shi Zhiyuan to build the wooden Buddha hall, and there is even a surplus. As for where the wood comes from? Some good people traced it back and found that it came from the far west mountain. After being knocked down by a thunderbolt, it drifted along the flood to the east mountain where the scriptures were carved in Shizhiyuan.
Everyone praised that there was help from gods. Shi Zhiyuan was also so impressed that he left enough wood to build the wooden Buddha hall and distributed the rest to the mountain people. The mountain people were also very happy and helped Shi Zhiyuan and the craftsmen build the wooden Buddha hall. It was quickly built. Shi Zhiyuan Grottoes are filled with seven grottoes filled with scriptures. He passed away in the 13th year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan year. However, his unfinished work was inherited by his disciples. Shi Zhiyuan's deeds caused a sensation in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. His story is still circulated in the world today.
It is incredible that people who have accumulated good deeds and do good deeds are helped by others and God. However, it is such a coincidence that floods and trees are sent. The story of floods and trees has inspired me that all those who are virtuous and do good deeds can realize whatever they want in their hearts.
Shi Zhiyuan in the Sui Dynasty was Master Jingwan, and the Buddhist classics carved by him on the stone carvings of Yunju Temple in Fangshan, namely Fangshan Stone Carvings, are treasures of ancient Chinese stele carving art.
