I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 57 Buddha's Eye and Zen Mind
Who will wield the broom for all living beings, mere ants? It is pitiful that these beings are so difficult to awaken to the truth.

The Buddha's teachings are like a candle in the sky, attracting moths; the wisdom of Zen is veiled in mist, yet it is also compassionate.

Well done! Brilliantly solved!
There is no more brilliant interpretation than this sentence when it is listed on its own.

This is the compassion of the Great Awakened One for the Unawakened, and for those who seek awakening. From this point on, the superiority of this debate is immediately apparent. One speaks of human compassion, while the other speaks of the Buddha's compassion. Even their levels of understanding are different, so there is no need for outsiders to judge the winner.

After listening to Chen Jing's explanation of compassion, all the monks nodded in agreement: they had heard that the monk Qianye of Jialan Temple had once had an epiphany in one night, which even attracted a killing calamity. After the epiphany, he had reached an extremely profound level of Buddhist teachings. They never expected that it was true.

After some deliberation, the elders recognized the outstanding Dharma-debating monk and gained more confidence in the upcoming Ullambana Festival.

However, before they could announce the results of the debate, Chen Jing directly questioned the abbot: "This disciple cannot agree with this point."

The debate between the two young monks somehow ended up involving the abbot.

Abbot Wujie has been a monk since childhood, has no desire for fame or fortune, and has studied Buddhism for nearly a hundred years, reaching an extremely profound level of Buddhist knowledge.

Even if you pick up a stick and beat someone until they're covered in bumps, that person will only ponder the Zen meaning behind it, and won't think that the abbot has Alzheimer's.

All the monks' eyes fell on Chiba, secretly marveling at the young monk's audacity. However, sensing the aura emanating from the Buddhist aura, not one of them stood up to rebuke Chiba for his recklessness.

Having only a superficial appearance and then transforming that appearance into reality is much easier than proving oneself purely through ability.

The monks remained silent, which meant that Qianye and the abbot were at the same level. As long as you keep debating with the high monks and don't fall behind, and keep your facade intact, you will be seen as a true Buddhist monk by others.

Abbot Wujie was not annoyed by this. He looked up and asked, "Now that you have grasped the subtlety of Zen, what objection do you have?"

Chen Jing put his hands together in a Buddhist salute: "The wisdom of Zen is naturally of immeasurable merit, but if it is a piece of opaque black cloth, then it is a heinous sin. When Zen wisdom becomes popular, even the most basic Buddhist principles become obscure and erroneous. I believe that the original meaning of Zen wisdom has been lost, and basic Buddhist principles should be widely spread to the world."

Monk Wujie did not argue, for the general trend is beyond debate.

Chen Jing's actions were aimed at benefiting the vast number of monks, just as the Buddhist school initially proposed the theory that everyone possesses Buddha-nature.

Debating with him, regardless of winning or losing, is a loss. He nodded slightly: "It's rare to be born with a pair of Buddha's eyes, but Zen insights are already entangled with Buddhist principles. Having such a grand aspiration is not enough. How should one put it into practice?"

Chen Jing looked up and stared directly at Abbot Wujie, replying calmly, "The cause of life will naturally bear fruit, and it is enough for me to begin with this disciple."

Ordinary people are afraid of effects, but Bodhisattvas are afraid of causes.

Abbot Wujie revealed a meaningful smile.

After struggling and finding peace, he finally took off a string of Buddhist prayer beads that he had held for many years and handed them to Chiba. Without saying a word, he returned to the main hall to chant sutras.

Chen Jing was slightly taken aback when he received the prayer beads, because the moment he touched them, the main god connected with the world's consciousness and received some information.

[Ritual implement: Sandalwood prayer beads.]

[Function: Protection; shields the wearer from harm by evil spirits.]

[How to use: Wear it.]

[Note: Originally a string of ordinary sandalwood beads, it has been blessed by spiritual power for nearly a hundred years, transforming into a protective amulet.]

Do magical artifacts even exist in the world of cultivation?
Moreover, the magical artifacts definitely belong to the extraordinary category, which means that Abbot Wujie himself is a cultivator.

We were careless! Although the Yogacara school possesses the true scriptures of Buddhism, it was able to create physical fitness techniques by referencing Indian yoga and spiritual cultivation methods by referencing Taoist spiritual cultivation techniques at the beginning of its establishment.

Even if the Buddha-nature school doesn't have the true scriptures, can't it still acquire extraordinary power through unorthodox methods?

"To be blinded by a leaf is to be far too simplistic!"

"The background of the cultivation world is too dynamic, unlike the Formless Realm which revolves around a single discipline of physiognomy." "This is a new world, like crossing over into a strange new world. You should abandon the common sense of your original world, throw a stone and let it fall. Water has no buoyancy, so anything is possible. Before you understand the overall environment, you should follow the principle of 'if you can survive, don't move.'"

"If I had known earlier that there were cultivators at Jinshan Temple, I shouldn't have revealed my grand ambition so early."

A fine layer of cold sweat appeared on Chen Jing's forehead. His mind raced, and he immediately began to examine himself.

As a cultivator, one naturally knows that it is not wrong to treat another cultivator with the highest level of vigilance.

It's just weird.

Why did Wujie give me the precious Buddhist prayer beads?

Although Jialan Temple was also affiliated with Jinshan Temple, its heart was different from that of the monks at Jinshan Temple, and they were not as close to them as the monks at Jinshan Temple.

The monks were equally puzzled. Elder Jinchi's face turned extremely ugly, and he left with Qingdeng without looking back.

After Elder Jinchi's figure disappeared into the distance, Elder Jinxing stepped forward and said, "This trip to Bianjing for the Ullambana Festival will be led by Qianye. If there are any unresolved issues, Qianye should make the decision. The martial monks whose names are called should prepare well today, and we will set off early tomorrow morning."

The candidates for the Ullambana Festival have been determined.

The preaching monk: Jinchi.

Debating monks: Faji, Chiyo.

In addition, ten accompanying monks provided protection.

After all, bandits and thieves on the way to Bianjing are not blind, and monks are not poor scholars going to the capital for the imperial examinations.

The seven-jeweled robe that Jinchi wore when preaching was not only decorated with gold thread, but also inlaid with glass, ruby, coral, giant clam shell, crystal and pearl.

"........."

Night falls.

Abbot Wujie sat alone in the stupa.

The lush lights illuminated the hunched and frail figure.

A relic enshrined in the Buddhist shrine emitted a faint glow, and an invisible phantom slowly floated up from within the relic.

The phantom floated onto the oil lamp smoke and gradually condensed into a shape, resembling an old monk as frail as Wujie.

A voice directly entered Abbot Wujie's mind: "Are you crazy? Do you know what the consequences will be if he achieves his goal?"

Monk Wujie slowly opened his eyes, not surprised by the appearance of the illusion, and replied: "It will enable those who come into contact with Buddhism to master the basic Buddhist principles, and there will be no need for sects to exist. A few elites who pursue higher levels of Buddhist studies will also turn to the Yogacara school."

The phantom continued to emit spiritual fluctuations, angrily saying, "You knew, yet you didn't stop him? You didn't kill him? And you even gave him a magical artifact that had been blessed for a hundred years."

Abbot Wujie straightened his hunched back and sighed, "This humble monk is also well-versed in the basics of Buddhism. How many years have I been proficient in them? Fifty years? Sixty years? What this humble monk seeks is to attain Buddhahood, not to be a wretched ghost like you."

"It's been too long! This humble monk has almost forgotten why I came up the mountain when I was young. I have spent my whole life sitting in meditation, unwilling to promote false teachings, nor do I have the courage to change the situation. But if anyone wants to do it, I am willing to offer a little bit of help."

The phantom darted directly to Monk Wujie and mocked, "You're already a hundred years old! What does your success have to do with you?"

Wu Jie fiddled with a brand-new string of Buddhist prayer beads, his expression calm: "It's all for those who come after me!"

(End of this chapter)