At the foot of Xinghua Mountain in Zhenping, there stands an ancient Bodhi Temple. Inside the temple, there are three sturdy white fruit trees, two of which are only lush with branches and leaves and do not bear fruit, while the third one is full of fruit and hangs all over its branches. On the clock tower next to the tree, there hangs a huge copper bell, which is tall and majestic, but strangely, there is a noticeable gap on its side.
Long, long ago, there lived an old monk in Bodhi Temple who seemed kind but was actually ruthless. He governed hundreds of young monks and occupied dozens of miles of land around him. The old monk colluded with the government to cruelly exploit and oppress the people, causing them to live in hardship and their families to be penniless, almost to the point of being unable to open the pot.
This big bell has been accompanied by three white fruit trees for many years, with a deep affection. Whenever night falls, the big bell feels extremely frustrated, so it quietly flies outside the temple to play, and only flies back at five o’clock. However, the old monk knew nothing about it.
One day at five o’clock, when Da Zhong flew back to the temple, a white fruit tree softly asked, “Grandpa Zhong, you fly outside every night to play. What is the outside world like?” Da Zhong replied in a low voice, “Bai Guo, I was about to tell you something. Last night when I flew to the village, I saw every household sighing and crying uncontrollably. After asking, I found out that it was the villagers who had contracted the plague and had no money to seek medical treatment and medicine. Many people had already died
Upon hearing these words, another white fruit tree anxiously said, “What should we do? Grandpa Zhong, we need to find a way to save the people!” Da Zhong confidently said, “Saving the people is not difficult, it depends on whether you dare to do it.” The third white fruit tree replied without hesitation, “As long as we can save the people from water and fire, I am not afraid of any greater risks
Da Zhong lowered his voice and said, “On the cliff in the back mountain, there are several Lingzhi fairy herbs that grow. They are the treasure of the old monk. He hopes to live forever with these Lingzhi fairy herbs. If we collect Lingzhi fairy herbs to make medicine, the people will get better after eating them. However, if Lao He Shangdao knows the Tao, our lives may be in danger.” Three white fruit trees said in unison, “Grandpa Zhong, don’t worry about him. Saving the people is important. Let’s go and collect them quickly
So, Da Zhong transformed into an old man with white hair, while the three white fruit trees became three beautiful girls. The four of them flew together towards the back cliff to pick Lingzhi fairy grass.
After daybreak, the old monk found that the big bell and the white fruit tree were missing, so he led the young monks to search everywhere. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, they saw from afar an old man and three white clothed girls picking Lingzhi fairy grass on the cliff of the back mountain. The old monk hurriedly climbed up the mountain and questioned if they were the Big Bell and the White Fruit Tree. The four of them, seeing that the old monk had recognized them, openly admitted their identities and expressed their intention to pick Lingzhi fairy grass to treat the people’s illnesses.
The old monk was furious after hearing this and threatened them to immediately return to the temple, otherwise he would report their sins to the heavens. However, the old man and the girls were not afraid of his threat. The old man laughed heartily and said, “If we were afraid of punishment, we wouldn’t come here to pick Lingzhi Fairy Grass!” The young girl also mocked the old monk, saying, “Don’t you often recite Buddhist beads and promote compassion?” The third girl even scolded the old monk in a sharp voice, “Have your compassionate heart been eaten by dogs
The old monk was questioned and felt ashamed and angry. He quickly went down the mountain and ran back to the temple to burn incense and pray, requesting the Jade Emperor to send heavenly gods to descend to the world to subdue demons. Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor was furious and immediately dispatched the heavenly gods to Xinghua Mountain.
The heavenly god stepped on the white clouds and came to the Bodhi Temple with a steel whip in hand, shouting loudly, “The Jade Emperor has an order: the demon bell and demon tree, quickly put down the Lingzhi fairy grass and return to the temple without error!” However, the old man and the girls did not obey the heavenly god’s command. The heavenly god angrily whipped the old man who was holding Lingzhi fairy grass in his hand. The old man hurriedly handed the Lingzhi Fairy Grass to the young girl. The poor old man was whipped off one arm by the heavens. The gods hit the girls again. The eldest girl hurriedly handed over the Lingzhi Fairy Grass to the second and third girls behind her, and quickly used her body to block the divine whip and tightly protect the Lingzhi Fairy Grass.
The third girl was worried that the Lingzhi fairy grass would fall into the hands of the gods, so she had a quick idea and swallowed it in one gulp. The heavenly god saw the situation and escorted the old man and the girls back to the temple, revealing their true form. This incident alarmed the nearby people who rushed to watch. I saw a gap on the clock and two white fruit trees with broken branches and leaves, cracked bark, and flowing sap. The people were discussing and saying that it was the eldest and second girls crying sadly!
After swallowing the Lingzhi fairy grass, the third girl looked at the sick looking people under the tree, and then at Grandpa Zhong and her two sisters who were beaten by the gods and covered in bruises. Her heart was filled with grief. She exerted all her strength and shook her body suddenly, and in the blink of an eye, a tree of white fruit bloomed. She shook her body vigorously again and the white fruits fell to the ground one after another. The people were shocked to see this scene.
Someone curiously picked up a white fruit and bit it open to taste, only to find that it was fragrant and delicious. After eating it, they immediately felt refreshed and their bodies were much stronger. The people who were suffering from the plague immediately recovered after eating white fruits. The people finally understood that the white fruit tree swallowed Lingzhi fairy grass to produce white fruit, in order to treat the people’s illnesses. The feat of the three girls not only saved the local people, but also made the white fruit tree near Bodhi Temple the legendary “White Fruit Fairy Doctor”.
Every late autumn, local people spontaneously come to Bodhi Temple to pick white fruits and leaves, and take them back to treat illnesses and save lives. They firmly believe that these white fruits and leaves contain the compassion and strength of the three girls, which can bring them health and hope.
The large bell inside Bodhi Temple, although punished by the gods for protecting the people, its gap has become a testament to its bravery and fearlessness. Whenever the sun sets and the bell rings melodiously, people will think of that brave old man and three beautiful girls, as well as the enormous sacrifices they made to save the people.
The legend of the “White Fruit Immortal Doctor” has been passed down near the Bodhi Temple and has become an eternal tale. It is not just a story about courage and sacrifice, but also a legend about compassion and love. It reminds people that no matter how great the difficulties and challenges they encounter, as long as they have compassion and the courage to take responsibility, they will definitely be able to overcome all evil and bring light and hope to the world.
