Chapter 59: Chanxin Si

Weekend.

Chanxin Si.

Chanxin Si is a temple that has stood for a thousand years, built against the mountains and by the water; its scenery is pleasant, its incense offerings are abundant, and its fame is far-reaching, known as the "Ancestral Court" and "Source of Shakyamuni" of the Empire's Buddhism.

Ling Wu stepped on the bluestone stairs walking toward Chanxin Si; both sides were planted with bodhi trees, the trees hung full of red prayer ribbons, and the ringing of the Sanskrit bell echoed in waves, making one's heart calm and spirit tranquil.

The further up one walked, the more one could smell the faint scent of sacrificial incense.

A plaque hung high above, the gold paint on the words "Chanxin Si" mottled; Ling Wu walked into the temple, seeing the flying eaves and bracket sets, red walls and dark tiles—a scene of solemnity and sanctity.

He stood before the Daxiongbaodian, his temperament calm, head tilted slightly to meet the gaze of the Shijiamouni Fo statue enshrined within, appearing completely out of place among the pilgrims holding incense and kowtowing.

"Dong—"

The Sanskrit bell rang again.

Pedestrians came and went, but Ling Wu remained standing in place.

He looked at the Buddha statue, his gaze dark and unreadable, not knowing what he was thinking.

A young monk wearing grey monastic robes walked over from inside the temple and asked him, "Why does this benefactor not go in to pay respects?"

Ling Wu turned his body and nodded with a smile at him: "Little Master, I came here to wait for someone; am I disturbing you all?"

The young monk shook his head: "Not at all."

"Benefactor, please feel free to do as you wish."

Seeing that he was about to leave, Ling Wu suddenly stepped forward half a pace and called out to him: "Little Master, I have a few questions regarding Buddhism that have troubled me for a long time; could I ask you to answer them for me?"

The young monk paused: "Of course."

"Let us go to that quiet place over there to talk."

Passing the Daxiongbaodian, the Guanyin Hall, and the Scripture Repository, the two arrived at a wide, open space.

The young monk asked him kindly: "What does the benefactor wish to ask?"

Ling Wu's gaze fell from the towering Guanyin Pusa statue not far away, and looking at the monk before him, he asked: "I want to ask, does Buddhism believe that good and evil are rewarded?"

Good and evil are rewarded?

"Of course it believes that good and evil are rewarded," the monk said with almost no hesitation: "Good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil rewards."

"In Buddhism, this causal relationship is called 'karma'; good karma brings good results, such as health, happiness, wealth, etc.; evil karma brings bad results, such as poverty, pain, illness, etc."

Good has good rewards.

Evil has evil rewards.

Ling Wu understood, then asked sincerely: "Does the Buddha save evil people?"

When he asked this, his tone sank, carrying a hidden sense of danger, like a calm sea about to stir up a monstrous wave.

In fact, Ling Wu knew the answer, but he had a persistence that could almost be called an obsession.

Sure enough—

The young monk replied: "The Buddha saves evil people."

Ling Wu's lip line pulled straight, and he said without any emotion: "Why?"

The Buddha saves evil people.

Why?

Since good has good rewards and evil has evil rewards, then why must the Buddha save evil people?

The young monk did not hear the hostility in his tone, or perhaps Ling Wu had disguised his emotions too well, so well that it was almost impossible to tell.

"Buddhism believes that human nature is inherently good, and everyone possesses Buddha-nature; even evil people are no exception."

"It can also be explained from the aspects of compassion, equality, and karmic retribution; compassion is the care and pity for all sentient beings, and equality is treating all sentient beings the same, without distinction based on their good or evil, poverty or wealth, nobility or lowliness."

"Evil people are also among sentient beings."

"The reason they commit evil is because they have been influenced by ignorance, afflictions, and karma."

Ling Wu fell into a nightmare-like state, his whole person somewhat dazed: "But I still don't understand."

"Sigh."

The young monk sighed: "Let me tell the benefactor a story."

"Shijiamouni Fo once saved an evil person named Yangjumolu. Yangjumolu was a murderous maniac who killed many people, including his own mother. However, Shijiamouni Fo did not give up on him because of this, but through education and guidance, made him realize his mistakes and repent. In the end, Yangjumolu laid down his butcher's knife, attained Buddhahood on the spot, followed Shijiamouni Fo to cultivate, studied the Dharma, and cultivated to become an Arhat."

Once the story was finished, the entire Chanxin Si was deathly silent, so quiet it was almost terrifying.

"Heh."

Ling Wu laughed, a sneer filled with extreme irony; for the first time, that cold and scholarly face revealed such a straightforward, disgusted emotion: "Not enough."

The young monk: "What is not enough?"

At this moment, the saving Buddha-light of the gods and Buddhas in the Chanxin Si hall could not shine into the depths of Ling Wu's eyes; the morning light formed mottled shadows on his face, and those eyes were shrouded in shadow, yet the faint light in the depths of his pupils was exceptionally bright and chillingly piercing: "Repentance is not enough."

"He laid down his butcher's knife and attained Buddhahood, but what about the innocent people he killed? Hell is cold and dark; who will save them?"

Ling Wu said word by word: "A life for a life is only right and proper; he should go to hell as many times as the number of people he killed!"

For all eternity, never to be reincarnated!

And I am the same.

The young monk was horrified, his lips trembling; he had never felt such intense murderous desire from anyone, as if Ling Wu were a great demon king beyond salvation.

"You... you." The young monk could not spit out a word for a long time, and finally took a deep breath: "Benefactor, one might go astray if not careful; please act with caution..."

A man in a suit and leather shoes walked into Chanxin Si.

He was completely out of place with the gods and Buddhas in the hall.

Ling Wu looked toward the front of the Daxiongbaodian, looked at Yin Cilan who had finally appeared, and he suddenly smiled, as if in relief, as if in determination: "Thank you, Little Master; you have made it clear to me which path I should take."

If good and evil are not rewarded, he will be the one to reward them.

The young monk felt that he was not clear at all, but Ling Wu had already walked far away.

Ling Wu took a few incense sticks, lit them, and inserted them into the incense burner; then, he walked into the Daxiongbaodian, knelt on a prayer mat with his back held straight, took a deep look at the Buddha statue, and finally bowed three times.

After rising, he caught himself off guard and bumped into someone's chest.

The man was tall with long legs, and he swept his arm around to steady Ling Wu; Ling Wu inadvertently braced his hand against the other's chest, and only after standing firm did he look up: "Thank you..."

Ling Wu's words trailed off, and there was clear surprise in his eyes.

"President Yin?"

Yin Cilan's hand was still wrapped around his slender waist, and his gaze fell downward—first on the youth's thick, dark eyelashes, then the tip of his pert nose, and finally his pink lips; his Adam's apple bobbed once as he called his name: "Ling Wu."

Ling Wu's clear, bright eyes curved into a smile: "What a coincidence, is President Yin also here to worship the Buddha?"

"Mm," Yin Cilan said, maintaining the same posture: "Chanxin Si is known as the 'Ancestral Court' and 'Source of Buddhism' of the Empire, so I came specifically to take a look."

He looked at the glint in Ling Wu's eyes and felt it was different from that day in the art gallery auditorium; the current Ling Wu lacked a bit of that high and unreachable sacred aura, which instead bred wicked thoughts of being able to defile and possess him...