I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 116 The Discussion of Ancient Immortals
A dragon does not live with a snake, and a tiger does not walk with a dog.

Although the level of spiritual cultivation is unknowable, it can be gleaned from the level of conversation.

The three only gave each other their names, without revealing their identities or exchanging contact information, which essentially showed their arrogance.

The four walked to the stone pavilion, where there were four drum-shaped stone benches. The wind blew from all directions, and the scenery was exceptionally beautiful.

Yaojing did not prepare any high-class tea sets, but had someone bring four large enamel mugs, each painted with a resolute-looking man and bearing the slogan in large red characters: "Not afraid of hardship, not afraid of fatigue."

Yao Jing casually broke off a tea leaf and threw it into the teacup, brewed it with boiling water, and said, "Who can start a conversation?"

In ancient times, even if a Bodhisattva didn't establish a religion, they were certainly qualified to be the leader of a sect.

As fellow cultivators, they did not display any imposing manners, and their discussions on the Dao were calm and natural, without any pomp or circumstance.

Sipping tea from enamel mugs, they showed no trace of otherworldly elegance; their demeanor was more like that of four retired elderly men and women.

The four exchanged glances, and Lai Ming spoke first: "Since we're here to seek the heavens, let's talk about ancient immortals!"

"Taoism has five immortals: Heaven, Earth, Man, God, and Ghost. Gods and immortals were lost because of humans. People felt that the gods were compassionate, so the gods should also be compassionate. The gods lost their humans. Ghost immortals could not exist for long because they were crippled. Ghosts were no longer human, so only Heavenly Immortals, Earthly Immortals, and Man Immortals remained."

Chen Jing took a sip of tea and said, "The Buddha also has three vehicles: the Arhat vehicle, the Bodhisattva vehicle, and the Buddha. The Dharma came from the West and he was born in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Fang Xin took out the bone ornament and played with it, saying, "The shaman has three gods to worship: the lower god worships himself, the middle god worships the spirits, and the upper god worships Heaven."

Yao Jing paused for a moment and said, "Cultivating oneself makes one a Confucian, governing the country makes one a sage, and achieving harmony in the world makes one a saint. External factors prove internal truth, and the abstract becomes the concrete."

The statements made by the four individuals may not necessarily reflect their own school of thought, much like debaters taking sides and arguing on their behalf.

Those who cultivate immortality are all followers of various religions; few will specialize in just one and isolate themselves from the world.

The core of discussing the Tao is not in the discussion itself, but in the verification. If you do not know the truth and falsehood, and have no cultivation, no one will guide you.

Only by determining the main points and outlines of each other's practice, and then deriving from them, can there be any meaning in continuing the discussion.

Lai Ming, holding a large tea mug, hunched his neck and said, "Taoists say that a person has three souls and seven spirits. One soul resides in the body and is called Tai Guang. One can become a human immortal by seeing Tai Guang, and it is also called the human soul. The second soul resides in the body and is called Shuang Ling. One can become an earth immortal by seeing Shuang Ling, and it is also called the earth soul."

“The three souls outside are called Netherworld Spirits. They are hidden in the netherworld and cannot be seen. They are like spirits that are difficult to capture. If one can see them, one can be a celestial being. Therefore, they are also called Heavenly Souls.”

Chen Jing took another sip of tea. The old tea was extremely bitter. He continued, "Buddhism speaks of five natures and nine consciousnesses. The five natures are: Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, Indeterminate, and Non-nature. The nature of Śrāvaka is that of an ordinary person and is not discussed. The nature of Non-nature is that of a non-human being and is not discussed. The remaining three natures correspond to the three vehicles."

"The nine consciousnesses are: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, manas, alaya, and amala. The first five consciousnesses belong to humans and will not be mentioned. The sixth consciousness, mind, is the same as the human soul. The seventh consciousness, manas, is the same as the earth soul. The eighth consciousness is also called the Tathagatagarbha, which is the future and the future, the desire to arrive but not yet arrived, and is difficult to understand and comprehend."

"The ninth consciousness is a non-human consciousness, which is rejected by the Yogacara school, which takes the five natures and eight consciousnesses as its theory."

"Pah!" Fang Xin spat out a mouthful of tea leaves without any decorum and exclaimed, "When it comes to pretense, it has to be the bald guy. He managed to classify both human and non-human consciousness into the realm of existence. Only the Yogacara school is truly realistic."

Chen Jing shrugged: "There's no way around it. There are advantages to starting a family and getting an education later in life. Although the material is still the same, you can make targeted arguments."

Fang Xin placed the large teacup on the stone table and continued, "The Witchcraft Cult belongs to the ancient esoteric religions. Its branches, including theatrical performances and spirit mediumship, are numerous and complex, but it has never been widely spread. Therefore, it has no detailed classification of realms. It follows one's own opinions, seeks enlightenment through spiritual means, and uses the spirits of eagles and wolves to understand the spirits of all living beings. It aims for longevity to achieve perfection."

Yao Jing poured tea for the three of them and said, "Confucianism is a worldly philosophy. It has been hidden since the time of the First Emperor. Its realm is not clearly defined. It is nothing more than self-cultivation, family management, governing the country, bringing peace to the world, harmony between the inner and outer worlds, and the interaction between heaven and man."

“Cultivating oneself and understanding one’s own nature is the essence of Confucianism, the soul of Taoism, and the six senses of Buddhism. The virtuous regard the fate of the nation as their own, while the hypocrites and beasts do not see the spirit of all living beings. They reflect the inner from the outer, and see people as people who are superior to people. This is the essence of virtue and wisdom. This corresponds to the earth immortals and bodhisattvas.” “When the world is at peace, the sages will be immortal.”

The four of them stopped at the level of a Bodhisattva in their theoretical understanding; in ancient times, they could have been the founders of a religion or the leaders of a sect.

Standing on the shoulders of giants is not common, but it's not rare either. I certainly can't become the Pope; everyone has their own ideas, but I have a good chance of becoming the leader of a faction.

In this age of information overload, even those who are unaware can pretend to be enlightened by picking up a few classic quotes, leading many astray and misleading others.

None of the four had any interest in wasting their energy on spreading the Dharma.

While it's true that the more companions exploring the path ahead, the better, this kind of common sense is so readily available that you don't even need to look it up in a book. You only need to know the name to understand its meaning, and you can still be led astray. Whether you're wrong or not doesn't make much difference.

Furthermore, Siddhartha Gautama, Confucius, and Laozi all had thousands of years of cultural heritage, so why wouldn't they be considered virtuous?

"........."

The four people each had a different posture.

They choose the most comfortable position for themselves, not caring at all about whether it's elegant or not.

I don't care.

I also know that the other party won't care.

After taking two sips of tea, we set the level of this discussion, basing our discourse on the Bodhisattva realm.

Chen Jing put down the large teacup in his hand and spoke first: "The child's fate establishes a connection with the heavens, and there are no abnormalities in the human soul and the earth soul. This connection must be related to the heavenly soul. Is it possible to glimpse the heavenly soul through this?"

Yao Jing dipped a drop of tea in her water, fiddled with it, and shook her head: "Even a child can hardly attain enlightenment, and the same goes for supernatural powers. Studying others is not as wonderful as self-awareness."

Lai Ming rested his chin on his hand, paused, and said, "Fortune telling and divination are mysterious and difficult to describe. This must be guided by the Heavenly Soul."

Fang Xin leaned against the stone pavilion pillar and sat boldly on the railing: "The shaman also has a method to invite the spirits of the dead to possess him. It should be the use of the heavenly soul, but he does not know it and does not understand it. His knowledge is not enough to analyze and comprehend it."

Chen Jing tapped his forehead rhythmically with his fingers: "Cultivation is like building a tower. There is only one step between a human and a human immortal. To become an earth immortal, one needs to prove oneself with various studies. How much knowledge is needed to become a celestial immortal?"

"........."

The tea's gone cold!

Say it!
Chen Jing spoke more than he had in a month.

He didn't necessarily have to be an ascetic; he just found sensual pleasures uninteresting. It wasn't that he was aloof or disliked communicating with people; it was just that he had a strong will and could endure loneliness, and there was no one he could talk to.

If this is the case in this era, how lonely must the ancient sages have been?
Those who indulge in fame and fortune in Jiangzuo, how could they understand the profound principles of this turbid wine? Turning back, they cry out, as clouds fly and winds rise. They do not regret not seeing the ancients, but rather that the ancients did not see their madness.

What's the point of cursing Laozi, criticizing Confucius, and stepping on the statue of Shakyamuni to stand on?
They couldn't come back to life, so they refuted me, rebuked me, and argued until I had nothing to say.

(End of this chapter)