Chapter 951: Go Out and Venture

"What does it mean? What does it mean? Ah Shui, what is coming by vow, what is coming by karma?"

Xu Xu Zishuai poked Liang Qu's back again with his index finger.

He didn't understand, but he wasn't stupid.

Anyone with eyes could see the expressions of the people around, even the great monks who recorded Buddhism became much more serious.

This question is definitely not simple.

Long Long Eying and Long Long Binglin approached, and the people from the sect also gathered around.

Liang Qu scratched his temples. He didn't expect that he, a half-baked person, would one day be able to solve Buddhist puzzles for others, and said in a low voice.

"Coming by vow means that the old monk was a master in his previous life, a Bodhisattva, an Arhat, and he was reborn to realize the wishes of all living beings, and he is re-cultivating in this life, so he is returning to his original position step by step. Like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, he made a vow."

"Coming by karma means that the old monk was originally an ordinary person, appearing in the world because of the traction of various karmas, and because of various karmas, he finally realized and promoted the Arhat."

Simply put, Daoist Ge is asking about the Great Master's cultivation in this life, whether it is destined by fate, or a superposition of various coincidences."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

"Daoist Ge is amazing, asking to my heart's content." Xu Xu Zishuai praised.

Coming to listen to scriptures, isn't it just to learn how to be as awesome as the old monk.

Will there be a day when tens of thousands of people sit below and listen to me bragging?

Daoist Ge's words didn't stop.

"If it is coming by vow, why not coexist in body and mind, need to be reborn and re-cultivate, isn't it a waste? If coming by karma, do Buddhist Arhats still have karma entangling the golden body?"

The monks all stretched their necks.

The old monk turned the Buddhist beads: "Donor Ge, wonderful question."

"Waiting for the Bright King's wonderful solution."

All the monks straightened their backs.

"I also don't know if I came by vow or by karma." The old monk opened the door to see the mountain, not waiting for the listeners to be stunned, "According to Buddhism, I came by vow, but I don't think so. Just as Donor Ge said, if I came by vow, why start everything from the beginning? In fact, only by starting from the beginning will I be accepted by the people around me."

"How to solve it?"

"Like the Buddha, there must be a father and a mother, so that he can be close to the people around him, so that he can save the people around him. If the Buddha wants to save a pig, he will not turn into a dog and talk to the pig. Therefore, to save people, he manifests as a person, from a child to a youth, to a husband, the so-called, I can, you can too..."

Liang Qu felt his back being poked again.

The people around looked at him again.

Didn't understand again.

Liang Qu thought about it: "It means 'All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, like dew and like lightning, should be viewed as such.' This is from the 'Diamond Sutra', that is, everything is an illusion, it is an appearance. The Buddha turned into a person in order to save people, so he experienced life and death reincarnation just like people. If he turned into a pig, and a pig talked to you about enlightenment, you would feel absurd and vigilant."

Daoist Ge asked an irrelevant question, and the old monk answered with the content of the "Diamond Sutra" just lectured.

Very clever.

"Feels very powerful..." Cao Rang stroked his chin.

"Naturally powerful."

Liang Qu saw with his own eyes that the monks of the Hanging Temple all relaxed, obviously this answer was in line with "Buddhist correctness."

But the old monk was definitely not a person who was always correct.

Listing several examples to prove the correctness and rationality of coming by vow, the old monk changed the topic.

"The 'Dharma Extinction Sutra' says: 'Demon sons and grandsons will enter the temple, or avoid county officials, or be lazy or idle, or act as power and fortune...' Everything is a demon wearing a monk's skin. Daoist Ge, see it again, just kill it."

"If you see any Daoist sect like this, I also have to trouble the Great Master."

"Amitabha."

"Immeasurable Life Buddha."

Monks, Daoists: "..."

Noon.

The assembly paused.

Everyone dispersed to eat vegetarian food.

Didn't hear much during the scripture lecture, but the few questions and answers later were all beneficial, inspiring, and the exchanges were great.

In the big canteen.

Noisy and clamorous.

"I feel that the Qi Sea in my body is active by three parts." Long Long Eying was happy.

Liang Qu was not happy but worried after listening.

"Bad thing! Don't go to become a nun, there will be no good results like this."

Long Long Eying rolled her eyes: "Even if I go, how do you know there won't be good results?"

"A woman who becomes a nun needs to practice for five hundred years before she can be reborn as a male monk, and only as a male monk can she become an Arhat. Although the Dragon-Human life is long, if you finish this life of practice, I'm afraid it's not enough."

"Five hundred years?" Long Long Eying was surprised.

"Is there such a thing?" Xu Xu Zishuai and others heard it for the first time.

Five hundred years to become a monk, for ordinary people, it is more than one life of practice, at least seven or eight lives, if you are unlucky, ten lives!

"Why would I lie to you? The old monk is reasonable, just learn the way of thinking. Buddhist martial arts and techniques are not bad, there are definitely not a few dregs inside, don't learn everything..."

"Uncle Master Liang..."

Master Huai Kong stood behind him at some point.

"Yo! Master Huai Kong!" Liang Qu, who was speaking "bad things" about Buddhism behind his back, didn't feel embarrassed, and gave up his position, "Sit! I still feel a bit short of breath today, please ask the Medicine Master Buddha to treat me again later."

"Amitabha, it should be so." Master Huai Kong naturally wouldn't be narrow-minded, sat down and ate with everyone.

During this period, Liang Qu chewed sour radish and cast glances from time to time.

Click.

Wooden chopsticks joined together.

Master Huai Kong bowed.

"Donor Liang, just say what you have to say."

"Cough, Junior Nephew, do you want to go out and venture?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 952 =====

After three consecutive questions, Daoist Ge frowned.

The old monk continued: "In a certain year when the world was at peace, the Holy Emperor traveled south on a whim. Passing through Lanzhou, he saw a fisherman fishing and had a thought, summoning him for an audience—this is a coincidence of karma. The fisherman, determined to see the Holy Emperor, killed the county magistrate, skinned him, and stuffed the skin with straw, shocking the world. For this heinous crime, he was taken to the imperial capital and judged by the Holy Emperor—this is the arising of the Bodhi mind, where a matter of coincidence turns into destiny."

"..."

This example.

One should say he is worthy of being the Bright King.

The corners of everyone's eyes twitched.

"At that time, my meeting with Baron Baron Xingyi was a coincidence of karma. If I hadn't met him then, when Baron Baron Xingyi became famous later, I would still have gone to see him to transmit the Dharma—this is the arising of the Bodhi mind, where karma turns into a vow."

I have heard people say that meeting a noble person by chance is actually like gold falling on the road; the noble person who picks up the gold will eventually appear. The noble person may change, and the gold may change from a bracelet to a necklace, but the essence remains unchanged.

Those with intent.

If they don't meet then, they will meet later.

Those without intent.

If they don't meet then, they won't meet later either."

Subjective initiative, indeed.

Liang Qu pondered.

As long as one has a firm idea, one can reach the "other shore."

"People are really a bit like six degrees of separation; if you want to meet, you can always meet..."

"What is six degrees of separation?" Xu Xu Zishuai asked.

"It means that between you, Brother, and any stranger, there are no more than six people."

"Six people, how could that be?" Hu Qi thought it was absurd.

"Not necessarily." Yang Xu stroked his chin, "Just like the fisherman and the emperor the Master spoke of; the disparity in status is so great, but in reality, they are not entirely unrelated."

"Committing a major case, that's an exception, right?"

"No need for an exception." Yang Xu replied, "The county magistrate came from the imperial examinations; at the very least, he is a Provincial Graduate. In the same batch of exams, there must be high-ranking court officials who can reach the Emperor's ears directly. Between the fisherman and the county magistrate, there are still several positions arranged; in reality, a local clan elder would suffice. It's just that there is no event to connect them, and people's influence is also limited."

"Where there's a will, there's a way!" Xiang Xiang Zhangsong slammed his fist into his palm.

A question that cleared up confusion.

Endless aftertaste.

The old monk signaled for Daoist Ge to continue.

Daoist Ge pondered and said: "Can keeping the precepts lead to becoming a Buddha?"

"No. This poor monk has heard of Arhat precepts, lay precepts, Bhikkhu precepts, and Bodhisattva precepts, but I have yet to know that a Buddha has precepts. If a Buddha has no precepts, how can one keep precepts to become a Buddha?"

"When I came to Datong Prefecture, the pleasure boat passed through Lizhou. I heard that in a temple, the monks were defiling wives and daughters, singing and dancing every night, calling it the 'Child-Giving Buddha.' Is this a Buddha?"

The old monk smiled: "Is Daoist Ge asking me, or asking yourself?"

Daoist Ge also smiled: "Both."

"In today's world, those who become Buddhas and Immortals have all ascended and left. Only those who cannot become Buddhas and cannot become Immortals remain in the secular world, arguing endlessly in temples... Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt—the five poisons are all present..."

The monks and Daoist priests looked at each other.

Why does it feel like...

We were scolded by our own ancestral master?

The old monk restrained his expression: "The Buddha said in the 'Sutra of the Extinction of the Dharma' that demonic sons and grandsons will enter temples, either avoiding county officials, or being lazy and idle, or acting with power and blessings... All such people are demons wearing monk's robes. Daoist Ge, see them again, just kill them."

"If I see any in the Daoist school like this, I will also trouble the Master."

"Amitabha."

"Immeasurable Life Buddha."

Monks and Daoist priests: "..."

Noon.

The Dharma assembly paused.

Everyone dispersed to eat vegetarian meals.

Not much was heard during the sutra lecture, but the subsequent questions and answers were all beneficial, inspiring, and led to great exchanges.

Inside the large cafeteria.

It was noisy and bustling.

"I feel my internal Qi sea is three times more active." Long Long Eying was delighted.

Liang Qu, after hearing this, was not happy but worried.

"Bad news! Don't you go and become a nun; there won't be a good outcome that way."

Long Long Eying rolled her eyes: "Even if I did, how do you know there wouldn't be a good outcome?"

"A woman who becomes a nun must cultivate for five hundred years before she can be reborn as a male monk, and only as a male monk can she cultivate into an Arhat. Although Dragon People have long lives, if you don't enter the Heavenly Dragon realm, I'm afraid this lifetime of cultivation won't be enough."

"Five hundred years?" Long Long Eying was surprised.

"Is there such a thing?" Xu Xu Zishuai and the others heard this for the first time.

Five hundred years to become a monk—for an ordinary person, that's more than one lifetime of cultivation; at the very least, it would take seven or eight lifetimes, and if luck is bad, ten lifetimes!

"Why would I lie to you? The old monk has principles; just learn his way of thinking. Buddhist martial arts and techniques are not bad, but there is definitely a lot of dross inside. Don't learn everything..."

"Uncle Liang..."

Master Huai Kong didn't know when he had stood behind them.

"Yo! Master Huai Kong!" Liang Qu, who was speaking "bad things" about the Buddhist school behind their backs, didn't feel awkward and gave up his seat, "Sit! I still feel a bit breathless today; later, I'll ask the Medicine Buddha to treat me again."

"Amitabha, that is as it should be." Master Huai Kong was not narrow-minded and sat down to eat with everyone.

During this time, Liang Qu chewed pickled radishes and cast glances from time to time.

Crack.

The wooden chopsticks clicked together.

Master Huai Kong bowed.

"Benefactor Liang, if you have something to say, just say it."

"Cough, Nephew, do you want to go out and venture?"

(End of chapter)