Old Monk Xuyun 04

 

Old Monk Xuyun 04

 

At that time, life in the mountains was very difficult, there were not many developed fields, and there were very few millet harvests.

Because sweet potatoes are raw, the harvest is larger.

Starting from July every year until March of the following year, it is the season for eating sweet potatoes.

The leaves and branches of sweet potatoes are our side dishes.

Sometimes there are no sweet potato roots and leaves, just fried salt and added to porridge.

The porridge we eat in the morning hall every day is just a little bit of rice mixed with a lot of sweet potatoes and cooked together.

What about lunch? Although the masters ate a lot at that time, they only prepared some side dishes.

Green vegetables were considered very good.

In the evening, there is no rice or noodles.

 We only boil some sweet potatoes or potatoes and put them in the dining hall.

Those who want to take dinner can get some by themselves, but there are very few people eating.

The porridge and vegetables that the old monk ate were all brought by us from the dormitory, and they were the same as those eaten by other masters.

If there are no guests, he never adds an extra dish.

 

His frugal and simple life is still fresh in our minds when we think of it now.

Yunju Mountain has a very high terrain, with an altitude of more than 1,100 meters.

The climate is very cold in winter, with temperatures as low as minus 17 or 8 degrees Celsius.

The sweet potatoes stored in the cellar could not withstand the cold air, their skins turned black, and they tasted bitter after being cooked.

當時，山上的生活很艱苦，開發的田地不多，收成的谷子也很少。因為紅薯粗生，收成較多。每年七月份開始，直到第二年的三月，都是吃紅薯的季節。

而紅薯的葉子和枝幹，就是我們的小菜了。有時連紅薯根和葉也沒有，就只有炒鹹鹽，加進稀飯裡吃。每天過早堂吃的稀飯，只是一點點的米，混了多多的紅薯一起煮的。

中午吃飯呢？雖然當時師父們吃飯吃得很多，也只是隨便弄一點小菜，有青菜已算是很好的了。

晚上，是沒有飯或面的，只有煮一些紅薯或是馬鈴薯，放在齋堂裡面，要吃藥石的就自己去弄一點，但是吃的人很少。

 

老和尚吃的稀飯和菜，都是由我們從大寮裡打的，跟大眾師父們吃的一樣。如果沒有客人的話，他從不多加一道菜。他老人家那種節儉簡朴的生活，我們現在想起，還記憶猶新。

 

雲居山地勢很高，海拔一千一百多米。冬天氣候很冷，低至零下十七、八度。收藏在地窖裡的紅薯，經不起寒冷的空氣，皮都發黑了，煮熟後吃起來很苦的。

(1)Green vegetables, 綠色的➊水果➋蔬菜➌零食

(2)sweet potatoes➊馬鈴薯➋地瓜➌玉米

(3)porridge➊乾飯➋稀飯➌麥片

(4)in the mountains➊在山中➋在水中➌在林中