Techniques and Dao

Chapter 107 Self-Emptiness and Self-Enlightenment
Hua Sheng stayed at Daqian Temple. Whenever Hua Sheng asked Ruokong where Ruokong had hidden the Ruyi Jingu Bang, Master Ruokong would always give his signature smile and then slowly say:
"Have you had your vegetarian meal yet, benefactor?"

Or, one could say, "My friend, the weather is lovely today. Don't these auspicious clouds look just like the ones I saw in my childhood?"

Or, as some might say: “Benefactor, look at this sunset; it must be the Buddha’s light left behind as he passed by.”

Hua Sheng seriously suspected that the golden cudgel that Sun Wukong, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, lent him was used by this monk to repair the Zen temple and was used as a pillar.

Hua Sheng knew that once the hundred-day period ended, Ruo Kong would finally give a direct answer to the question about the Golden Cudgel.

Every day, the young novice monk Buxu would brew herbal medicine for him. With the help of these herbs, Huasheng's health improved significantly. His external injuries gradually healed without leaving any scars.

When she had nothing to do, Hua Sheng would often stroll around Daqian Temple. Each Buddhist hall in the temple had a golden plaque hanging in the center of its doorway, and the doors were carved with exquisite Buddhist statues and legends, as well as floral patterns, making it a magnificent sight.

Like many temples, the Mahavira Hall is the largest Buddhist hall in the Zen temple, where monks chant scriptures every morning. Upon entering the hall, one is greeted by three large Buddha statues, their chests exposed, sitting cross-legged. The faces of these Buddha statues are smiling, sculpted with lifelike detail and charm, making Hua Sheng feel as if they might greet him at any moment.

Of course, there is also the Great Bodhisattva Hall in the Zen temple, where Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is enshrined. This important creator of the sacred and peaceful paradise stands there quietly, a faint look of compassion on his face.

"To save all living beings from suffering and distress."

Whenever Hua Sheng sees the statue of Guanyin, he thinks of the story of Shengpingning that Ruokong told him. He once thought that Shengpingning was a paradise on earth, a utopia where immortals, spirits, and mortals lived.

But upon closer reflection, I realized that since arriving here, I had only traversed a tiny fraction of this fairyland. Ruokong said that this place was divided into five states: "Lingwei Yang in the East, Chi Biao Nu in the South, Han Shu Ji in the Center, Bai Zhao Ju in the West, and Ye Guang Ji in the North." While some of these names were new to me, others I had heard of occasionally.

For example, regarding "Lingwei Yang of the East," he knew that the Academy of Arts and Sciences was located in this state, or rather, within this region, the Academy of Arts and Sciences was the one he was most familiar with. And then there was "Ye Guangji of the North." He vaguely recalled participating in the Heavenly Eye Trial when he first arrived at the Academy of Arts and Sciences; in the first stage, the Candlelight Battle, he had visited Guangji Mountain. If he remembered correctly, Guangji Mountain was located in Ye Guangji State.

The Daqian Zen Temple where he is now is located in the central hub state.

Besides this, there were many other places he had never been to. What kind of place is Saint-Pinnes?
The Saint Pingning that I perceive is clearly not the most authentic version of myself.

If Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva holds such decisive significance for the existence of the Sacred Peaceful Wonderland, then why did she leave behind only a small Zen temple in this place? No, the Zen temple itself may not be small, but compared to the vastness of Sacred Peaceful Wonderland, it is merely a tiny, negligible place.

Whether it exists here or not is meaningless. But Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva left this Zen temple in Shengpingning. Not only that, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva also left the "Sandalwood Merit Buddha" at Daqian Zen Temple. Tang Sanzang's last disciple, namely Master Ruokong.

What is the significance of Daqian Temple to Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva?
Ugh.

Thinking about this, Hua Sheng couldn't help but blame herself for worrying unnecessarily. For a Bodhisattva, why should one pursue meaning when doing something? Perhaps what Master Ruokong said is true.

Buddha's light shines.

What Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva did was to make the Buddha's light visible in every place in the world.

After getting used to the quiet life in the temple, Huasheng helped the monks chop wood and fetch water every day. Because he had fought with those martial monks before, the monks in the temple had some respect for him.

Apart from necessary labor, he spent his days sweeping the floor, listening to sutras, meditating, and then listening to sutras and meditating again.

A hundred days is neither a long nor a short time. Gradually, Huasheng got used to the incense, tea, vegetarian food, and the unique tranquility of the temple.

Sometimes, during the flower festival, people would change into loose Zen robes and sit on the temple steps, gazing blankly at the thousand-year-old incense burner in the center of the temple.

The surroundings were so quiet that you could almost hear the passage of time.

Occasionally, the sounds of birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the mountain breeze drift through the air, like clear, beautiful songs and the steps of a free dance.

Hua Sheng discovered that the Buddhist barrier of Daqian Zen Temple did not isolate everything in the world. It only isolated what should be isolated. As for what exactly that was?
Perhaps it's just something considered meaningless.

Or perhaps it's just a mortal heart.

That was the thirty-third day at the Zen temple. In the early morning, Hanamori took a long broom and began to sweep the floor.

Sunlight bathed Daqian Temple, its warmth dispelling some of the chill in the mountain breeze, making it all the more precious, especially in the depths of winter.

Surrounded by the warmth and the melodious chanting in the air, Hua Sheng swept the withered leaves down the stone steps, one by one. The more she swept, the more peaceful she felt.

Thinking of the power contained in these scriptures, Hua Sheng suddenly thought of the rain that the letters had transformed into.

"Preparedness for rain" is merely words on a letter, without any physical form. If one dies, will there be a soul after death?
If consciousness exists, all forms can be condensed or transformed through magical arts. But once consciousness dissipates, nothing remains.

Wei Yu was the first girl he ever liked, and even with this outcome, Hua Sheng could not hide the undeniable past in his heart.

Although the super-intelligent entity "Strawberry" has not yet appeared, Mingyou Weiyu has not yet been born, and even the letter that became her has not yet been written, the ending is already set.

The future, which is yet to come, is the past, which is already past and cannot be changed.

Through the veil of the year star, she learned what the world might become. And since Little Strawberry survived, would that super-intelligent entity then appear?

But whether she existed or not, Wei Yu has now perished; all that can be changed now is whether she ever existed in the world.

Now that things have come to this, I must prevent the birth of a super-intelligent being, otherwise there will be no future for Weiyu.

Since she will no longer be in the foreseeable future, it is time to say goodbye.

The Tao gives birth to One. In a sense, One is the mind.

When someone leaves you, you must say goodbye to the feelings that have arisen in your heart.

Regardless of whether the other person says goodbye or not, you need to say goodbye to your own heart.

In this world, the only thing that can truly accompany you to the end of your life is your own heart.

The mind gives rise to all things. The mind senses all things.

Hua Sheng told herself that Wei Yu might forever remain a source of guilt that she could never change.

"Are you feeling down?"

Master Ruokong's voice came from the side.

"No, it's nothing." Hua Sheng quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Just as she was about to stand up, Ruo Kong lifted his cassock and sat down on the stone steps.

"Abbot, your brocade robe is so precious, how can you sit on the stone steps?"

"Why can't I sit?"

"You should first take a cushion and sit on it."

Ruokong smiled and said, "If you have Buddha in your heart, wherever you sit will be a cushion."

Hua Sheng sighed and lowered his head.

Ruokong said, "Is the benefactor still troubled? This humble monk thought you had already gotten used to living here."

"It's not that I'm not used to it. I'm thinking about the Battle of Qiankun before I came here."

"Tell me what you have to say, and I'll see if I can help you resolve this issue."

Hua Sheng thought for a while and then told Ruo Kong about Wei Yu and Sui Xing Sha.

After hearing this, Master Ruokong pondered for a long time without saying a word.

Hua Sheng then realized that it was somewhat inappropriate to discuss his personal feelings with a monk, and quickly said, "Abbot, these are my private troubles, and you really don't need to trouble yourself..."

Unexpectedly, Master Ruokong said, "Mingyou, who is the Weiyu you mentioned, did not do everything wrong."

Hua Sheng felt that these words resonated with her.

"Master, you also think so? Even if it means killing hundreds of millions of lives."

“No. When we were there, everyone was alive, but before Mingyou Weiyu arrived, no one was alive. So for her, she was saving people,” Ruokong said. “But that doesn’t mean she didn’t commit evil deeds. She wanted to harm people, and the beings she wanted to harm could have lived peaceful lives. That’s why you, benefactor, and the Academy of Arts and Sciences are not wrong either.”

He continued, “You two, one seeks the afterlife, the other seeks this life. People often say that mistakes should be punished, but it is clear that the underworld allows the world to accept punishment for those who have not yet done wrong.”

"So, was what she did right or wrong?"

“My lord, right and wrong are not absolute. They depend on the evaluator, not the person involved.”

"What do you think, Abbot?"

"I think it's too early to say who's right or wrong, because this matter is not over yet."

"how do I say this?"

"What determines whether Mingyou is right or wrong depends on what we, the remaining members, do now. If we allow the disaster to occur, then it will be a mistake for you, benefactors, to destroy Mingyou—a grave mistake. At the same time, Mingyou herself is also wrong, because she could have easily defeated you, but she hesitated and gave in."

Ruokong said, "But if we prevent the calamity that is about to happen in the human world, then at least all of this for you and the underworld will have meaning."

"Right or wrong?"

“Since it has meaning, why bother about right and wrong?” Master Ruokong looked up at the white clouds. “Mingyou will not exist, and that is the meaning of her existence.”

Hua Sheng lowered his head, pondering the meaning of those words.

Ruokong said, "I believe that the Buddha is aware of your suffering."

"Does Buddha know?" Upon hearing this, Hua Sheng saw the Victorious Fighting Buddha and the stick of incense before his eyes.

“The Buddha knows the suffering of all beings and does not abandon them. Of course, he will also know your suffering,” Ruokong said. “That is why this humble monk wants to propagate the Dharma and do his best to save all beings from the sea of ​​suffering.”

"There is so much suffering in this world. How can it be overcome?"

"The world is impermanent, yet nothing is impermanent. To accomplish anything impossible, the first step must be faith," Ruokong said with a smile. "Do you know, benefactor, that cause and effect also have weight?"

Ruokong pulled up one edge of the brocade robe, flattening it into a small plane. He then placed a small pebble on each side of the flat surface and said, "You see, these two pebbles represent the past and the future. Originally, they did not interfere with each other, and everything was peaceful."

Then Ruokong picked up a slightly larger stone and placed it between the two stones. The robe sank down under the weight of the large stone. As a result, the two stones on the left and right slid into the depression in the middle and came to the sides of the large stone.

He continued, “Just as a mass large enough can bend space, sometimes cause and effect also have their own ‘weight.’ Like the robe that’s being bent now. A powerful enough effect can not only change the future, but sometimes it can also change the past. Perhaps the doomsday I just mentioned is bound to happen. All we can change is how it happens.”

"But isn't the future determined by the past?"

“Benefactor, if you think about it for yourself, you will find that many powerful futures will create a past that will inevitably happen.”

"Like destiny?"

"It sounds like destiny. But compared to the latter, this powerful result is not invincible."

"Master, what solutions do you suggest?"

Ruokong picked up a heavier stone from the ground and placed it in front of the larger one. As a result, the two smaller stones and a slightly larger one all slid towards the larger stone. Ruokong continued, "Before a powerful result occurs, create an even more powerful cause."

"Does the Master mean we should begin now?"

"It's possible now. It was possible in the past too."

Hua Sheng didn't understand Ruo Kong's words: "But the past is the past."

"That's why we need to understand."

How to understand it?

"Emptiness and enlightenment are self-evident." Ruokong laughed. "First empty yourself, then enlighten yourself. Tell yourself that when you have no future, no golden cudgel, and nothing to rely on, you will not run away."

(End of this chapter)