Chapter 138

Just like the old man before, Zhi Dun had no intention of fear or panic; instead, he showed the desire to chat.

After all, this place is a fragment of mottled time, which can also be understood as being within a mental field, yet it also combines spacetime and feng shui.

It belongs to a special place, and the significance of its existence is hard to discern, so any strange reactions or occurrences that happen are considered normal.

Because it's not surprising.

The other monks' wooden fish knocking never stopped, and they never even opened their eyes, seeming to have immersed themselves in selfless Buddhist Dharma.

Ye Qin pondered for a moment and replied, 'I came due to fate, and thus I wander.'

What he said was somewhat vague, but Zhi Dun merely smiled, did not continue to question, and made an inviting gesture.

Ye Qin climbed onto the futon not far away, but the futon was too small to fully accommodate his entire snake body, and instead was covered by his snake body.

'Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life; donor, to have cultivated to this point, you must have endured countless hardships, truly not easy, making this poor monk admire you greatly.'

Recalling the past, indeed as Zhi Dun said, Ye Qin's cultivation path has never been smooth sailing, after all he is the sole cultivator between heaven and earth, and the path of cultivation relies entirely on his own comprehension and exploration.

'Although it's not easy, I also find joy in it.'

Zhi Dun was first stunned by these words, then smiled and praised, 'What a joy to be found in it!'

Ye Qin also nodded, but did not say more, merely observing Zhi Dun.

It is evident that Zhi Dun's status is extraordinary, otherwise he would not be seated in the foremost position, leading the monks in chanting and lecturing.

But Ye Qin discovered that what was placed beside him was not a Buddhist sutra, but rather a book on Xuanxue, which was indeed conspicuous.

It seemed he sensed Ye Qin's gaze, and Zhi Dun smiled and explained, 'People think Buddhism and Xuanxue cannot coexist, but I do not think so; in fact they share a common meaning.'

Xuanxue scholars advocate tranquility and non-action, while Buddhist scholars advocate guarding the mind through breath and thought.

'An' means pure, 'ban' means still, 'shou' means none, 'yi' is named, thus 'anchoring the mind through breath and thought' equals 'tranquility and non-action.' All this shows that Buddhism and Xuanxue were originally compatible.

Ye Qin also largely agreed with his view, 'Indeed so.'

The myriad great Dao of the world ultimately lead to the same goal.

Just as Ye Qin was originally a Dao cultivator, but sometimes seeks opportunities in temples, just like the White Bone Contemplation at the start of his cultivation, which was originally a Buddhist teaching.

No matter what kind of power, as long as it can be used by oneself and transformed into one's own, there is no fault; the principle of learning for application arises thus.

'Buddhist sutras are profound, while Xuanxue is the opposite; if one explains Buddhist Dharma using these Xuanxue mysterious phrases such as qiwu, benwu, chongxuan, zhiwu, konghuo, etc., then the profound and difficult Buddhist principles will also become simple and clear.'

'Whether cultivating the mind or the Dao, one must emphasize that all things in the world are for one's use, myriad beings, proceeding without bias, in order to walk the true great Dao.'

'What about Buddhism, what about Xuanxue? If one has Buddha in the heart, even if absorbing teachings from other schools, it merely enriches Buddhist principle.'

Ye Qin's words were like a gentle trickle, flowing into Zhi Dun's heart; he felt as if bathed in nectar, and the prayer beads that kept turning in his hand paused for a moment.

Such a view, Zhi Dun had mentioned before to others, but most people either strongly opposed it or merely tried to appease him.

Those who dislike him think he is neither one thing nor another, that combining Buddhism and Daoism is basically an insult to the Buddhist school, while those who like him think he is original, has taken a unique path, and can only voice admiration.

Yet no one has ever been like Ye Qin, able to converse with himself.

「Amitabha。」

Zhidun put his palms together, chanted a Buddhist name; if originally he was curious and surprised about Ye Qin, now it has been replaced by respect.

Zhidun couldn't help but exclaim, 'Benefactor, your ideas are original, your insights are profound; I, the poor monk, am truly impressed.'

After all, Ye Qin's experience lies here: one life as a human, one as a snake, with extraordinary perceptiveness; now entering the fragment of time, he naturally carries an overarching attitude, so his mindset should be carefree.

Zhidun sighed deeply, 'It's just that people's views are already fixed, their prejudices like a mountain, not something that can be changed overnight; using Dao for Buddhism sounds simple, but actual practice is somewhat difficult.'

Ye Qin comforted, 'Confucianism and Daoism can complement each other, so Daoism and Buddhism can also merge, taking the essence and discarding the dross.'

Ye Qin's words lifted Zhidun's spirits.

At first, Buddhism and Daoism were incompatible, because their views and beliefs differed, and Buddhism came from outside; Daoism had no good feeling toward it, considering Buddhist learning as encroaching on its territory.

Moreover, due to incense offerings of believers, the two sides have always had contradictions, but as Buddhism later became localized, it gradually took root in this land.

Daoist and Buddhist cultures influence each other, the conflict is not as great as before; indeed there is a trend of gradual merging and mutual help.

Inside the temple, incense smoke curls, chanting never ceases; the golden Buddha's eyes are kind, looking down at a person and a snake conversing happily; although the scene is strange, it is inexplicably harmonious.

「I don't know, benefactor, what do you think of the phrase 'each according to their nature, to be carefree'? 」

This sentence comes from Zhuangzi's Carefree Wanderer chapter.

It means that people only need to follow their desires, not be bound by external things, to freely roam—achieving the spiritual realm sought by Zhuangzi and metaphysicians.

Ye Qin pondered a moment, seemed also to fall into thought; not knowing how long passed, he then answered: 'If following one's desires can reach the Carefree Wanderer realm, then Xia Jie and Liu Xiaohui following their desires, slaughtering innocents, would also be carefree—wouldn't that tarnish the beauty of carefree?'

【When things are things but not attached to things, then one is distant and unattached; when the mysterious feeling is not acted upon, not hurried yet swift, then one is carefree and suits all; this is what carefree means.】

Acknowledging the existence of objective things, yet being able to transcend them, regardless of right/wrong, gain/loss, free and at ease—this is true carefree.

Zhidun looked at Ye Qin's pair of azure snake eyes, in a daze saw a vast heaven and earth, able to contain all things, the myriad beings appearing there, the carefree demeanor fully present.

In his daze he saw a huge kun-peng leap from within, riding the wind, soaring upward, then transforming into a great roc covering the sky and blocking the sun, along with Ye Qin's image becoming tall.

At that moment, Zhidun felt himself minuscule to the extreme, like a mayfly between heaven and earth.

Upon looking again, he was still in the temple, nothing changed.

The great snake before him was flashing with unprecedented divinity.

The prayer beads in Zhidun's hand spun faster and faster, even his breathing became hurried, indicating his uneasy mood.

He had never heard such a view; it was as if the fog in his heart was slowly parted by Ye Qin; after seeking for so long, he finally vaguely saw the distant shore.

「May I ask, benefactor, what is your view on 'prajna'? 」

【The nature of form is such that it does not inherently possess form; form does not inherently possess itself, yet although it is form it is empty, therefore it is said that form is emptiness, form again differs from emptiness.】

【Form is emptiness; non-form is not the extinction of emptiness—this is the ultimate statement. How so? The nature of form is such that form does not inherently possess form; although it is form it is empty. Like knowledge not inherently possessing knowledge; although it is knowledge it is eternally still.】

The former 'form' refers to the 'form' of cognition, the latter 'form' refers to the thing itself. The 'form' of epistemology is not an objective actual color, thus it is 'although form, yet empty'.

Ye Qin, from the perspective of time and space, the so-called 'if moving yet still, if departing yet remaining,' the change is only an illusory appearance.

All things in the world undergo cycles, returning again and again; everything that goes around comes back to the origin.

【Prajna teachings discuss the emptiness of nature; reaching utmost emptiness, no streams, vast and empty, everything is void.】

Although the phenomena of all things exist, to see the same nature of all things, the theory of bright color says 'bright color is naturally empty', meaning that when observing material phenomena, it is empty.

Zhi Dun had the deepest mastery of the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra among the Buddhist canons; even before leaving home, he had studied the transcendent wisdom. Later he often debated and recited the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra, and was very interested in this teaching.

But he always felt it was lacking, as if something was missing; now hearing Ye Qin's explanation, the missing piece in his heart could finally be filled.

This transcendent wisdom includes six kinds, namely the so-called six transcendent wisdoms.

"Without wisdom in wisdom, one can thus operate with wisdom"; since teaching is necessary, one must rely on words, using language, terms, concepts, and writing, thereby also possessing wisdom.

"Wisdom abides in things, yet leaves no trace"; the transcendent wisdom does not cling to the forms of things, the ultimate principle is nameless, therefore one must understand "thus relying" and "thus speaking" to reach the realms of "mysterious principle" and "wisdom abiding".

"Amitabha, today listening to your words, this poor monk feels deeply moved, as if the fog in my heart has been blown away by the wind."

Zhi Dun had always been pondering these matters but never found an answer; yet now Ye Qin's explanation suddenly enlightened him.

Zhi Dun rose from his futon and bowed deeply to Ye Qin.

"This poor monk possesses nothing of value to give; the only thing I have is this string of prayer beads that I have always carried with me for a long time, hoping to bring benefactor good fortune."

Ye Qin looked at the prayer beads in Zhi Dun's hand; the sandalwood beads faintly emitted a special fragrance, likely from being exposed to temple incense, their surface smooth and round without any flaw.

Ordinary yet extraordinary.

This string of prayer beads has accompanied Zhi Dun for decades, since before he left home; it can be said to be an object of utmost cherishment.

Ye Qin did not want to refuse Zhi Dun's kindness; with a flexible flick of his tail, he placed the string of prayer beads on the tip of his tail.

The natural-colored beads complemented his emerald scales, as if the supreme Buddhist charm flowed within, appearing especially harmonious.

Zhi Dun pressed his palms together, smiled slightly, and said, "This object shares a karmic connection with the benefactor; I hope it may be of help to you in the future."

It is a pity that Ye Qin is destined only to disappoint his good intentions, for this place is a fragment of mottled time, seeming real yet illusory, liable to depart at any moment, and nothing can be taken out.

He found it hard to explain the reasons to Zhi Dun, and a few words could not make it clear; so he simply accepted the prayer beads, saying, "Thank you."

Zhi Dun shook his head, saying, "The one who should be giving thanks ought to be the poor monk."

The sky had gradually darkened; the sunset's afterglow fell upon the ancient buildings, coating them with a layer of shimmering light, Buddhist chants murmured low, the evening bell swayed, and the whole temple was immersed in the afterglow of the twilight.

Ye Qin's heart and spirit felt a slight sway, his soul sensed a faint tug, though not obvious, indicating that his time here was short.

At this moment Zhi Dun seemed to sense something, his tone a bit wistful, "Benefactor, are you about to leave?"

Ye Qin nodded, "It is time to go."

Just as when he arrived, Zhi Dun did not ask Ye Qin where he was going.

A person and a snake came to the outside of the temple, gazing at the distant sunset.

Zhi Dun could not help but ask, "Will there be a time we meet again?"

"Perhaps there will be, perhaps not; but no matter what, I hope you can walk your own path, the Dharma lies ahead—go seek it."

Zhi Dun pondered Ye Qin's words, softly recited a Buddhist phrase, and his expression became serene.

The sea of clouds surged, sending out countless ripples; golden and orange light intertwined, vast clouds gathered together, as if about to burn the last of their vitality.

Worshippers came and went, yet they seemed unable to see Ye Qin, or perhaps they simply overlooked him, for his existence seemed inexplicably natural to them.

Ye Qin also observed them, and on these worshippers he sensed a familiar aura.

It resembled the aura of the earlier Gui Heshang, suggesting a common source.

Although this aura was still very faint, far from forming a climate, Ye Qin could be certain that it indeed came from them.

"I suppose that Gui Heshang's guardian is none other than the manifestation of sentient beings' thoughts."

Ye Qin also saw the appearance of a worshipper that had once appeared in Gui Heshang's "Hundred-Changing Faces"; this further confirmed that his earlier speculation was correct.

The formation of the guardian is related to the "intent of sentient beings"; it is not a cultivator but a product of the mental realm, equivalent to the AI created by humanity.

Doubts in his heart gradually faded, feeling that his time was short, Ye Qin bade farewell to Zhi Dun and turned to leave Hidden Mountain Temple.

After leaving Hidden Mountain Temple, Ye Qin went straight back to the Upper Purity Temple, awaiting the fluctuations of time to return to reality.

The Upper Purity Temple manifested in the time fragment is almost identical to the Upper Purity Temple in Wu Du, except that the enshrined deity differs.

Not far away, the sound of flowing water continued, exceptionally clear, as if there were other movements within.

"Huh?"

Ye Qin startled, opened his eyes, followed the sound, and saw that something seemed to have settled in the water channel.

An ancient-looking sword blade came into view, swaying with the rippling light on the water.

Ye Qin was suddenly startled, "How could there be a sword here?"

The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed; Ye Qin stirred his thoughts and used his tail to roll up the sword.

The sword blade was rather ancient, bearing a bird-seal script character "Chu", exactly the same as the sidearm of the boat-punting old man from the previous time fragment!

"Could it be that, when I was contemplating the rivers last time, I unconsciously fished up the old man's sword and contemplated it together?"

Ye Qin looked at the sword, then at the clear water channel, his expression uncertain and doubtful.

After previously contemplating the rivers, the water channel appeared; he had checked it once, but at that time he had not examined the situation inside the channel, so he overlooked it.

"I never expected to have also contemplated the old man's sword, but it makes sense, after all, the contemplation was of the entire river, and there just happened to be a sword in that river."

Ye Qin pondered for a moment, taking advantage of the fact that the time fragment had not yet fluctuated, he returned once more to Hidden Mountain Temple.

Seeing Ye Qin go and return, Zhi Dun was somewhat surprised, but heard Ye Qin say:

"Since you have given me the prayer beads, I will repay you with an ancient sword."

Looking at the sword Ye Qin handed over, it seemed quite aged, its style markedly different from the weapons of this era, and an ancient character was carved upon it.

Zhi Dun was about to ask, but Ye Qin's figure had already receded again, leaving only this ancient sword.

"Having no self, the same as the dark; Able Kindness expounds the profound sentence: form is naturally empty, emptiness and form reflect each other."

"How to cut off dust traces, forget the one and return to the rootless, the mind contains the Two Instruments, traces are like drifting millet."

Zhi Dun pressed his palms together, bowed devoutly in the direction Ye Qin had left, remaining motionless like a statue in the temple.

As the sunset completely sank into the sea of clouds, a young monk ran from not far away, "Amitabha, Master, it turns out you are here; everyone has been looking for you for half a day."

The next moment, the young monk noticed that the prayer beads Zhi Dun always carried had vanished, and exclaimed in alarm, "Master, where are your prayer beads? Did they fall? I'll go help you look."

Zhi Dun stopped the little monk's movement, "It's fine, that string of prayer beads has already reached where it belongs."

Leaving an ambiguous remark, Zhi Dun turned and left, leaving the little monk bewildered.

But seeing the ancient sword Zhi Dun carried in his hand, the little monk grew even more curious, unable to help muttering, "How did my master suddenly have an ancient sword in his hand?"

As night fell, the majestic temple was swallowed by darkness; the surrounding scenery all became blurred, as if losing its color, gradually turning decayed.

It seemed that as Ye Qin left, he also took away part of this place's time, causing the flow to keep accelerating.

The river of time surged again, rolling up huge waves, burying everything within the ages, awaiting humanity's excavation and exploration.

……

Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes; the solemn buildings had vanished, and all that met his gaze was still the ruined little shrine in the wild.

Tattered strips of cloth fluttered in the wind; the sutras written on them had faded from their original colors, leaving only blurred traces, through which one could faintly glimpse their former glory.

In a haze, one could see incense curling, solemn Buddhist images, countless monks sitting cross-legged on mats, devoutly chanting sutras, while the Buddha statue seated on the lotus throne overlooked the myriad beings.

The leading monk had kind eyes and a benevolent face, filled with an ineffable Buddhist aura.

This time, in discussing the Dao with Zhi Dun, Ye Qin also felt deeply moved.

The Mystic serves the Buddha, and likewise the Buddha can be used by the Mystic.

As the saying goes, "The sea accepts a hundred rivers; greatness comes from capacity." Anything beneficial to cultivation, no matter how trivial, broadens one's horizons and can naturally be made one's own.

Ye Qin came to his senses, let out a faint sigh, thought of something, and looked at his tail—there was nothing there, no prayer beads at all.

"Indeed, things from the mottled time fragments cannot be taken out."

Although Ye Qin had long anticipated this outcome, he did not feel disappointed.

Having finished exploring the time fragments here, Ye Qin was about to leave when he keenly caught a ripple of time.

"Strange, how could there still be a trace of time's aura?"

Ye Qin halted, looking around in bewildered uncertainty; as before, each time he finished exploring, the time fragment would vanish, and the aura of time would dissipate with it.

It amounted to a one-way passage that could not be re-entered, yet he could still sense the aura of time here, which was truly strange.

After a thorough search, Ye Qin found nothing.

"Could it be that the problem isn't in the wild shrine?"

Ye Qin seemed to think of something; with a thought, the essence of White Bone materialized, holding in his hand an exquisite Shangqing Temple, like a miniature landscape, entwined with purple vapor and thunder, extraordinarily mystical.

And that ripple of time was emanating from within it!

The Daoist temple still appeared somewhat dilapidated; perhaps due to Ye Qin's rising cultivation level, over time it had undergone subtle changes.

Although half was ancient and worn, the other half was filled with an ineffable spiritual aura; mist and golden light wove through it, spreading continuously, emanating from the temple with Ye Qin's perception and slowly wrapping around White Bone.

Originally small, the Shangqing Temple kept expanding; to the naked eye there seemed no change, but in perception it was virtually indistinguishable from a real Daoist temple.

Being inside it, Ye Qin felt as if he had arrived at the palm of White Bone.

Gazing at the familiar scenery within the temple, his expression was full of astonishment.

Such changes normally appear only when entering the mottled time fragments, serving as a medium and channel linking the two worlds; Ye Qin thus entered the time fragments through the temple.

At other times, the temple remains petite and exquisite, quietly resting in White Bone's hand.

Now this sudden change has occurred—could the temple itself have undergone some alteration?

Only by being inside did Ye Qin discover that the aura of time within was richer; he examined the halls, but saw no change.

Just as he wondered, the sound of flowing water rang incessantly in his ears, like jade shattering in Kun Mountain, producing the resonance of striking stones.

Ye Qin followed the sound; a clear water channel flowed slowly, its surface shimmering like a silver ribbon winding around the temple.

"So it's this water channel."

When Ye Qin first contemplated rivers in the mottled time fragment, after that this water channel appeared inside the temple.

But unfortunately, its purpose has never been discovered; I don't know what it gives back to me.

It looks quite ordinary, like mere decoration.

But only now did Ye Qin discover that the channel floated with a dense temporal undulation, remarkably similar to the earlier mottled fragment.

"How strange—what caused it to change like this?"

"Why didn't I feel this before?"

Ye Qin studied the water channel before him, his serpentine eyes flickering with thought; he knew that previously the channel had been utterly calm.

Ye Qin observed carefully and found that, although the water had previously been clear to the bottom, now it seemed veiled in a misty vapor that slowly rose, giving a feeling of seeing flowers through fog.

One cannot say the surface is turbid; rather, a deeper power obscures the channel, making it somewhat indistinct to Ye Qin as well.

"Whoosh—"

The water surface kept trembling, stirring up countless ripples, as if an invisible pair of large hands lightly brushed over it; Ye Qin faintly saw something beneath the channel.

He pondered a moment, then flicked his tail; with a "plop," countless tiny splashes erupted as his emerald serpent tail plunged into the channel, touching round, smooth objects.

Instantly, an inconceivable speculation arose in his mind.

"Could it be it?"

As his serpent tail rose again from the water, a string of sandalwood beads was conspicuously hanging from its tip!

Full and round, they faintly exuded the scent of incense and candle wax, as if they had long been offered on a Buddhist altar.

Having drifted in the long river for so many years, its original color could not be concealed; its surface bore no blemish, just as Ye Qin first saw it.

It was actually the string of prayer beads that Zhi Dun had given him!

(End of chapter)