I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 51 The Master of Buddha-nature

[The Mind Seal—A Sign of Buddhism! A Manifestation!]

Chen Jingshi's inner world of Buddhist beads was stained with lotus, and his aura underwent an inexplicable change.

Chiba, dressed in the gray robes of a novice monk, moved with a light and unperturbed air. His every word and action placed one in a tranquil mountain forest, bringing peace and serenity to the heart. A single glance at him was enough to feel the Buddhist spirit.

With consistent strides, upon reaching the prayer hall, the noisy sounds immediately ceased.

This is the kind of treatment Elder Jinchi receives when he preaches, but Elder Jinchi relies on years of cultivation, while Chen Jing relies entirely on his own magnanimity.

After Chen Jing found a futon and sat down cross-legged, a square-faced monk asked in a low voice, "Who is this young novice? I have been practicing Zen for nearly ten years and have never felt such a strong Buddhist aura in anyone. Could it be that he has achieved enlightenment?"

Another young monk replied, "Brother! It's Chiba, the young novice monk from Garan Temple. I saw him a few days ago, but I almost didn't recognize him today."

The square-faced monk looked surprised: "The successors of the Kalan lineage have never liked coming to the scripture hall. Has this generation's successor changed his ways?"

A fat monk nearby chimed in, "I heard he was almost assassinated. How could an ordinary novice monk encounter such an assassination attempt? He must be extraordinary."

For three consecutive days, Chen Jinglei went to the scripture hall without fail, and his reputation quickly spread among the monks.

On the platform, every time the elder preaching the Dharma looked at Chen Jing, he felt inexplicably guilty, fearing that the other party would notice his mistake and suddenly stand up to discuss the Dharma.

The Yogacara sect in the cultivation world is different from the Yogacara sect in the present world. After the Yogacara sect was destroyed, it was swallowed up by the Zunfoxing sect, but it was not completely digested and absorbed, resulting in a situation where a temple is hidden within a temple. The elder of Jinshan Temple did not master the true Dharma and was not as confident as those who tampered with the Dharma in the present world.

"........."

When Chen Jing returned to Jialan Temple, the monk Faji took out a handwritten sutra.

He paused for a moment and then said, "Study this scripture carefully. In the future, go to the scripture hall of Jinshan Temple less often; it's a waste of time."

Chen Jing respectfully accepted the handwritten sutra, the cover of which read "Sixteen Treatises on Consciousness-Only." He sat cross-legged on the futon and began to study the book.

It's not about the true methods of Yogacara practice; it's more like a thesis demonstrating the feasibility of Yogacara teachings.
Chen Jing already knew this, and quickly wrote down the contents of the book: "Master, I have already written down this scripture!"

The fortune teller, Faji, had Chen Jing recite the scriptures, then tested his understanding of their meaning. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "Go and have your meal!"

"…………"

The second day, the third day, the fourth day.

Chen Jing still went to the scripture hall of Jinshan Temple to listen to the Dharma.

After the sermon ended, many novices surrounded Chen Jing, asking him to teach them Buddhist doctrines.

Chen Jing answered all the questions one by one, leaving only after everyone had received a satisfactory response, thus gaining prestige among the monks.

As the sole inheritor of the Yogacara lineage, he became the most outstanding disciple among contemporary disciples of Jinshan Temple.

Unable to bear it any longer, the monk Faji gave him a second scripture: "Treatise on Dry Zen".

This scripture is not the true practice of the Yogacara school; it is a scripture that proves the Buddha-nature school to be a false doctrine.

His words were not very polite, and he openly and implicitly refuted the Buddhist school as a false doctrine.

Chen Jing could still recite scriptures quickly and fully understand their meaning. He firmly expressed that he had long recognized that the school of thought that worshipped Buddha was a false doctrine.

Then, without fail, we went to the scripture hall of Jinshan Temple.

"..." On the tenth day of listening to the sutra, Chiba successfully communicated with the elders who were giving the sutras on an equal footing, as a novice monk of the Kalan lineage.

He would even occasionally step onto the platform to preach the Dharma to the monks. As soon as he began to preach, all the monks would listen attentively, and he would appear to be a highly accomplished monk.

Faji then gave him a third book, or rather a travelogue: Xuanzang's Journey to the West.

Chen Jing could still easily recite the entire text, deeply understanding that the cultivation system, from its inception, could not be built overnight, nor could it be explained by the phrase "it is inherently complete."

However, this does not prevent us from continuing our journey to the Jinshan Temple lecture hall.

On the twenty-fifth day of listening to the sutra, Chiba's fame spread beyond Kinzan-ji Temple.

Many people know that there was a novice monk at Jinshan Temple who, in a moment of enlightenment, became a highly accomplished monk.

Pilgrims flocked to pay their respects and worship, and were deeply impressed by Chiba's masterful demeanor.

"........."

Monk Faji: "…………"

The Yogacara school emphasizes guidance rather than directly instilling its ideas into its disciples.

If this continues, the disciples of the Yogacara school that they have cultivated will soon become candidates for the next abbot of Jinshan Temple.

When Chen Jing returned from the scripture hall of Jinshan Temple, Faji called Chen Jing to the Mahayana statue in the temple and couldn't help but ask, "Qianye, do you really think that you can embark on the path of cultivation simply by exploring your Buddha-nature?"

Chen Jing shook his head: "Impossible! Even if someone is born with Buddha-nature, it's the same as someone born with extraordinary features; it's not a method of cultivation."

These three scriptures are sufficient to distinguish between true and false teachings. Once you know the true and false teachings, you will naturally and instinctively abhor false teachings and desire to seek the mysteries of the true teachings.

That's how it should be!

That's how it should be.

But Chen Jing's behavior was completely the opposite.

The monk Faji couldn't understand it and asked in utter bewilderment, "Since you know that the Buddha's teachings are false, why do you still go to listen to the sutras every day?"

Chen Jing smiled, having long awaited the question posed by Abbot Faji. He paused before speaking, "Master, which do you think is more prosperous, Jialan Temple or Jinshan Temple, or rather, the Yogacara school or the school of Venerable Buddha-nature?"

Nonsense, if Jialan Temple had any worshippers, how could it have fallen to become a branch of Jinshan Temple?

The monk Faji was not one to distort the facts, and replied, "Naturally, the latter is more prosperous."

Chen Jing nodded: "In that case, what's wrong with a disciple learning from those who are more outstanding? Self-cultivation is Hinayana, while helping others is Mahayana. If a disciple only seeks to master the true Dharma for himself, it would be inconsistent with the Patriarch's ideal of going to the West to obtain the scriptures."

The monk Faji coldly replied, "You speak nicely, but unfortunately, spreading false teachings is not a merit, but karma, a sin."

Chen Jing did not argue with Monk Faji, and continued, "This disciple is willing to bear this sin. Master, what conditions do you think the Yogacara school needs to prosper again? The emergence of a second Xuanzang, then what if the second Xuanzang falls and the Yogacara school falls apart again?"

"Perhaps this disciple can find a path to overcome false teachings with true Dharma, and thus greatly revitalize the Yogacara school!"

The Yogacara school has an insurmountable hurdle: the transmission of the true Dharma. This means that not everyone can become a Buddha, excluding the general public and preventing them from having any religious faith. As a result, it is destined to be suppressed by schools that emphasize the Buddha's nature and unable to raise its head.

If the truth is concealed, then how is it different from the school of thought that embodies Buddha-nature? Can it still be called the Yogacara school?
Faji originally only wanted to guide Qianye back to the right path, but now, hearing Chen Jing's arrogant words, a hint of anger appeared on his face: "Something that no one has been able to do for over a thousand years, you have only been a disciple for less than four months, have not heard the true scriptures, and have not corrected the Dharma, yet you have found a solution?"

(End of this chapter)