Chapter 1010: Insight into Buddhism

The Western Fomen was simply too far away for the Great Tang.

Therefore, if Tang Huang Li Shimin wanted to know this information, he could only learn it through Tang Sanzang's oral account.

"This journey will take at least three years, and at most ten!"

Tang Sanzang did not dare to guarantee an exact time, so he only gave Tang Huang Li Shimin a rough time frame.

Tang Huang Li Shimin said upon hearing this: "This journey is long, and the West is not your homeland after all. Master Xuanzang, drink this wine of our homeland with me."

Tang Sanzang, after all, did not consider himself a monk of the Western Fomen, so he was not restricted by dietary rules.

He took the wine from Tang Huang Li Shimin's hand and drank it in one gulp.

"Master Xuanzang is truly a forthright person!"

"Your Majesty, even a thousand-mile escort must eventually come to an end. Let us part ways here. I ask Your Majesty to wait for this poor monk's return."

After saying this, Tang Sanzang led the thousand-mile horse gifted by Tang Huang Li Shimin, with the monk Cihang following behind him.

Under the gaze of Tang Huang Li Shimin, Tang Sanzang gradually walked further and further away until he disappeared beyond the horizon.

Only then did Tang Huang Li Shimin turn back to the palace; along the way, the smile on his face was visible to anyone.

On the other side, Tang Sanzang was also aware of the monk Cihang following behind him.

He was even clearer on why the monk Cihang was following him, but he did not say anything to him; after all, it was the monk Cihang who had a request of him.

Tang Sanzang would naturally not be the first to speak.

I do not know how much time passed, but the monk Cihang finally could not hold back and asked:

"Master Xuanzang, would it be possible to tell me more about Mahayana Buddhism?"

The monk Cihang was following by Tang Sanzang's side now precisely to hear about Mahayana Buddhism.

"It is not difficult to explain Mahayana Buddhism to you again, for this poor monk's journey is precisely to propagate Mahayana Buddhism."

"However, Mahayana Buddhism is not limited to the kind this poor monk has comprehended; what I have realized does not necessarily mean it is suitable for you."

At this moment, Tang Sanzang did not simply recite from a book to tell the monk Cihang about Mahayana Buddhism.

Instead, he only shared his views regarding Mahayana Buddhism with the monk Cihang.

Just like *Dream of the Red Chamber* or *Hamlet*, a thousand readers have a thousand viewpoints; Mahayana Buddhism is the same.

Because Mahayana Buddhism advocates that everyone can become a Buddha, this creates a problem: everyone has a different understanding of Buddha.

In Tang Sanzang's eyes, the so-called Buddha is someone who can propagate Mahayana Buddhism.

In the eyes of Tang Huang Li Shimin, the so-called Buddha is nothing more than a clay idol sitting high above.

In the eyes of the monk Cihang, the so-called Buddha is someone who possesses great wisdom, great perseverance, and great opportunity.

Therefore, under such circumstances, Mahayana Buddhism has a thousand different views in the eyes of a thousand people.

That is why Tang Sanzang did not directly tell the monk Cihang the Mahayana Buddhism he had comprehended, but rather, like Daoist Duobao,

he merely left a seed in the monk Cihang's heart, letting the monk Cihang comprehend it himself.

Of course, another reason for being so troublesome was that Tang Sanzang thought highly of the monk Cihang's insight into Buddhism.

Therefore, such a Buddhist genius naturally could not be left to the Western Fomen.

That was why Tang Sanzang went to such lengths, all to convert the monk Cihang into a monk of the Eastern Mahayana Buddhism.

If this scene were seen by people of the Western Fomen, they would surely be shocked.