I attained immortality in the real world.

Chapter 68 Feeding the Eagle with Flesh
White Horse Temple, Buddhist Pagoda.

As the dawn broke and the sky brightened, it illuminated the seven-colored glazed roof of the pagoda, its shimmering light resembling the radiant wisdom light atop the Buddha's head.

The monks did not accompany the group to the stupa; instead, they circled it, chanting scriptures: "Shariputra, emptiness is not different from form, form is not different from emptiness; emptiness is form, form is emptiness..."

The chanting was not loud; it only served as background music.

Wisps of smoke in the air carried the scent of sandalwood, creating an exquisite atmosphere.

There were five people in front of the pagoda: Li Zhi, who was a bodyguard; Guangzhi, the abbot of Baima Temple; and Qianye, the head of Jinshan Temple.

"Crack!"

Abbot Guangzhi pushed open the pagoda door.

Inside, the oil lamps were bright, and the place was spotless after being cleaned in advance. The walls were adorned with Buddhist statues in niches.

The Buddha statues resemble both imagined deities and human figures. Relics are either inlaid between the Buddha's eyebrows or placed inside the statues, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere through the interplay of light and shadow.

"The White Horse Temple Pagoda has seven stories and is 24 meters high. It has been enshrining Buddha's relics for 300 years."

“The first to sixth tiers of niches enshrine the relics left behind by eminent monks of Baima Temple after their passing, as well as the mummified Buddha statues.”

"The seventh floor enshrines a relic of Shakyamuni's tongue that Xuanzang brought back to the East. At sunrise, golden light shines on the pagoda, and those with a karmic connection to Buddhism can witness the spectacular sight of monks worshipping the Buddha and listening to the Dharma."

"On this occasion, only Mr. Li and Master Qianye of Jinshan Temple are here to pay homage to the relics of Shakyamuni. Please follow this humble monk and do not miss the best time to view the relics."

While Chen Jing was sizing up Target Number One, Li Zhi was also sizing up Qianye.

What I saw was the full glory of the Buddha's teachings, the manifestation of the divine, and the Lion Seal.

I only felt that the little monk was handsome, pure and clear, and seemed to have a ray of light shining from between his eyebrows.

Even though he disliked Buddhism, he couldn't help but feel a bit of goodwill towards it. He nodded slightly and said, "Greetings, Venerable Qianye. I am not very knowledgeable about Buddhism. If I have any doubts, I hope the Venerable will kindly enlighten me."

Chen Jing returned a Buddhist salute: "Thanks to Young Master Li, I am able to pay homage to the relics of Shakyamuni today. Please feel free to ask me any questions."

After saying that, Guangzhi walked in front to lead the way, followed closely by Li Zhi and two bodyguards, while Chen Jing followed at the back.

"........."

"Da da da..."

Outside the pagoda, a senior monk took out a wooden fish-shaped ritual implement.

The wooden mallet gently struck the wooden fish, creating a strange and eerie sound that gradually spread along with the chanting of Buddhist hymns.

The Buddha statue in the shrine underwent an unseen transformation, releasing invisible humanoid spirits.

Floating in mid-air, it frantically sucked up incense like a worm, its eyes dull and devoid of any wisdom.

The senior monk whispered to another monk beside him, "Be careful when to activate the sacred artifact. The current emperor has prejudices against our Buddhist sect, and we still need to use the miraculous sight of Shakyamuni's relics to convert him."

The monk gripped a palm-sized conch shell tightly and nodded: "At sunrise, it is only because of this incident that the abbots of White Horse Temple may be in danger of disappearing without a trace."

The senior monk said nonchalantly, "The patriarchs have long lost their minds. Rather than living in a daze, they might as well make a final contribution to Buddhism. The Grand Preceptor will surely be pleased to know this." As he entered the pagoda, Chen Jing's protective prayer beads suddenly became hot, but quickly returned to normal.

Without spiritual eyes or vision, being watched by a group of unseen things creates a strange sense of unease.

However, he was not entirely unaware. At this moment, he was in a state of peak mental exertion, and he could vaguely sense something passing by him, but he could not catch a specific image of it.

However, as long as one gets close to Young Master Li, or close to Young Master Li's two personal guards, the protective prayer beads will never get hot. Only Abbot Guangzhi is a completely useless fraud.

Hurriedly arriving at the seventh floor of the pagoda to await the sunrise, Li Zhi sat cross-legged on a futon and suddenly asked, "I have heard the story of the Buddha cutting off his own flesh to feed an eagle. Seeing the eagle eating a rabbit, he could not bear to see the rabbit eaten by the eagle, nor could he bear to see the eagle starve to death, so he cut off his own flesh to feed the eagle. I wonder what the Venerable Master thinks of this?"

Ignoring the warning looks from Guangzhi and the guards, Chen Jing pulled up a futon and sat down opposite Li Zhi.

I know you are the emperor, and you know I know you are the emperor, but as long as you don't reveal your identity, there is no such thing as a difference in rank.

Chen Jing composed himself and replied, "This humble monk knows that this story has three layers of meaning. The first layer is for the bystander, who sees the Buddha cutting off his own flesh to feed the eagle, thus saving the rabbit without harming the eagle's interests, which is compassion."

"The second layer is my resentment, incomprehension, and unwillingness as a Buddhist. It is the natural order for an eagle to eat a rabbit, so why save the rabbit? Why feed the eagle?"

"The third level is that I am the eagle and the rabbit. Among all living beings, some are like rabbits, eating grass and growing flesh, while others are like eagles, eating rabbits to fill their bellies. Moreover, eagles can become rabbits, and rabbits can become eagles. Buddha has transcended this, using his own flesh and blood to give alms and liberate beings."

“If we take the country as the boundary, the land is the grass that rabbits eat, the common people are the rabbits, and the powerful families are the eagles. The eagles eat the rabbits, the rabbits kill the eagles, and the rabbits become eagles, in an endless cycle. The Buddha’s flesh comes from outside the boundary, which is equivalent to swallowing up a country, thus easing the conflict between the eagles and the rabbits and allowing them to have a moment of peace.”

Monk Guangzhi: "…………"

Although Guangzhi was the abbot of Baima Temple, he was not a monk of Baima Temple. He was ordained at Baima Temple by royal arrangement.

In order to be able to take on the position of abbot of Baima Temple, he had studied hundreds of Buddhist scriptures. You can interpret several layers of meaning in a single sentence, which makes it easy to lose friends, you know?

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then said, "The third layer of meaning does have some merit."

Having received the emperor's praise, Chen Jing did not take the opportunity to back down. Instead, he shook his head and said, "Actually, the most wonderful part is the first layer. There are thousands of meanings in the book. It is not easy for readers to grasp even one part. Only one in ten can grasp all of them. It has the function of enlightenment and education."

"Like the Confucian saying 'lying on ice to catch carp,' when people ponder the second meaning and question the event, they have already understood the first meaning. The person who wrote this sentence has already achieved their goal. What does it matter if there is praise or slander?"

"The third level is already contemplating the Buddha's state of transcendence, which makes people see the cage, and is of no benefit to the world."

"........."

Suddenly, a red sun slowly rose in the eastern sky, and the morning light shone through the clouds, casting golden rays onto the ground.
A ray of golden light pierced through the cracks in the pagoda and landed on a stone pillar in the center of the pagoda, its radiance spreading like a pillar of light to guide the souls of the dead.

The stone pillar, with its alternating blue and red colors, rises from the ground of the first level of the pagoda. A white jade lotus flower is carved on it, and a pale red stone rests on the stamen, which is said to be the tongue relic of Shakyamuni Buddha.

The senior monk chanting sutras outside the pagoda whispered a reminder: "The sun is out! Quickly blow the conch shell."

The monk next to him took out a conch shell and blew it, the mournful sound blending into the chanting.

As if receiving a command signal, the spirits inside the pagoda that were consuming incense offerings surged toward the seventh floor of the pagoda.

Happy Chinese New Year, elder brother and sister-in-law!

Wishing everyone great fortune and longevity in the coming year.

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(End of this chapter)