My subjects are too rebellious!

The host master said with a smile, his voice was gentle but powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts and reach the depths of their souls.

"Your Majesty, you know the origin of Buddhism. Later generations called him Sakyamuni Buddha. He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and opened the door to liberation for all living beings. This is not only the starting point of Buddhism, but also a great awakening of human wisdom."

Qin Chuan smiled when he heard this.

"I would like to hear more about it, Master."

The old monk smiled and continued, "The Buddha's life is a model of letting go and enlightenment. He gave up the wealth and glory of the throne and chose the path of becoming a monk. After going through countless hardships and ascetic practices, he finally achieved the supreme enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and discovered the true meaning of life and the mysteries of the universe."

"Since its birth, Buddhism has been like a beacon, illuminating the hearts of countless lost people. It has spread across thousands of mountains and rivers to all parts of the world, blending with local cultures to form different Buddhist schools with their own characteristics. During the Wu Dynasty, Buddhism blended with Confucianism and Taoism to create a unique style."

Having said that, the old monk paused and looked at Qin Chuan with deep eyes, as if waiting for his response.

Qin Chuan nodded slightly, motioning for him to continue.

"Your Majesty, the core of Buddhism lies in the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. The Four Noble Truths reveal the essence of life - suffering, as well as the root of suffering, the method of liberation and the path of practice. The Eightfold Path is a specific guide for us to practice Buddhism and move towards liberation. The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination profoundly expounds the law of cause and effect of the cycle of life and death of all living beings, allowing us to understand that everything has cause and effect and we must not act recklessly."

Qin Chuan still had a smile on his face after listening to it.

He began, "Human desire is the source of all things in this world. It is both the driving force that pushes us forward and the fog that makes us lose our way. Some people try to restrain it with the Way of Heaven, but they often just find a high-sounding excuse for their uncontrollable desires. In fact, human desire and the Way of Heaven are two sides of the same coin, interdependent and difficult to separate."

Upon hearing this, the old monk gently clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes, with a complicated look flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and chanted a long and deep Buddhist name: "Amitabha..."

This chant of Buddha seemed to be a response to Qin Chuan's views, but also seemed to be a self-reflection and sigh.

Then the old monk fell silent. He found himself speechless for a moment.

Qin Chuan's words were like a sharp sword, pointing directly to the most vulnerable part of the human heart, forcing him to re-examine his years of practice and understanding.

The old monk lowered his head slightly, his eyes fell on his hands that were full of traces of time, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.

He looked up again and looked at Qin Chuan calmly.

He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty is right. I have learned your lesson. It seems that practitioners like me need to work harder to understand people's hearts, so as to live up to the Buddha's teachings."

"Master, I don't mean to question Buddhism, but everything in this world, including human hearts, is too complicated and changeable."

Upon hearing this, the old monk nodded slightly and motioned Qin Chuan to continue.

"In my opinion, true wisdom does not lie in completely abandoning desires, but in learning to coexist with them and even control them. Just like controlling an untamed horse, we need to understand its habits and master its rhythm so that we can maintain balance while galloping and not be brought into a dangerous situation by it."

Qin Chuan paused here, as if giving the old monk and himself some time to think.

The old monk nodded slowly, as if he was deeply touched by Qin Chuan's words.

"Your Majesty, what you said is very true. Although Buddhism emphasizes 'no desire, then you are strong', it actually teaches us how to transcend the bondage of desire, rather than completely eliminating desire. Desire itself is neither good nor evil. The key lies in how we treat it and how to make it serve our practice and life."

"exactly."

Qin Chuan took over the conversation and said, "Moreover, I believe that the Way of Heaven is not a tool to be used as an excuse, but a natural law that we should understand and conform to. When we use the Way of Heaven as a mirror to reflect on ourselves, we can see more clearly whether our desires and behaviors are in line with the laws of nature, and thus make more wise choices."

"Your Majesty, I have benefited a lot from your words."

At this time, Qin Chuan thought of a question.

A very interesting question.

"Master, what is good and what is evil?"

The old monk spoke slowly: "Your Majesty, the good and evil mentioned in Buddhism are not the simple opposites in the eyes of the world. In Buddhism, good is behavior that conforms to the laws of nature and benefits all living beings, while evil is behavior that violates the laws of nature and harms all living beings."

Qin Chuan frowned when he heard this. He asked, "Then, Master, how do you judge whether an action is good or evil? Is there a clear standard?"

The old monk smiled and replied, "There is indeed no absolute, fixed standard for judging good and evil. It depends on our intentions, motivations, and the results of our actions. But fundamentally, good is a choice made out of compassion and wisdom, which benefits others and achieves one's own path, while evil is a choice made out of greed, hatred, and ignorance, which harms others and ultimately oneself."

He paused and continued, "In Buddhism, there is an important concept called 'karma'. Karma is the traces left by our actions, speech and mind, which will affect our future life state. Good karma will bring good results, while bad karma will bring bad results. Therefore, we should always be vigilant, guide our actions with good thoughts, and avoid creating bad karma."

After listening to the old monk's profound explanation of good and evil, Qin Chuan showed a knowing smile on his face.

He responded, "Master, you are right, but when I heard you talk about 'karma' and 'result', I couldn't help but think that if we always seek the cause with the expectation of the result, perhaps what we get is always just the result we have preset in our mind."

"Your Majesty is right. In Buddhism, we emphasize 'no self' and 'cause and effect'. This means that every action and every thought is born from the combination of causes and conditions, and its results are also determined by many causes and conditions. It is beyond human control."

“Therefore, we should let go of our attachment to results and focus on our practice and behavior in the present moment, guided by compassion and wisdom, so that every moment is filled with good thoughts and good deeds.”

After listening to the old monk's ideas about good and evil, Qin Chuan suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed in the Zen room with a hint of playfulness.

He continued, "Master, according to what you said, the judgment of good and evil seems too flexible, and even gives people the illusion that a person can completely overturn his past with just a momentary change. A good person who does a bad thing becomes a bad person and goes to hell, while a bad person who does a good thing can suddenly become a Buddha. Is the cause and effect in this world really so simple and direct?"