Chapter 109: A Bumpy Journey Through the Flowers, Discussing Buddhism in the Temple

"Boom—"

A clap of thunder suddenly rang out in the sky.

It really looked like it was going to rain.

The carriage driver hurriedly cracked his whip, urging the horses on and quickening their pace.

Inside the carriage.

The girls, who had been chirping and laughing like orioles and swallows all along the way, now all wore troubled expressions.

"It was so hard to get out for a trip, and now it's actually going to rain."

"I had originally wanted to go play by the lakeside at the foot of the mountain; it seems that won't be possible now."

"This weather is truly strange; it was perfectly fine this morning."

"If it really rains, I'm afraid we won't be able to return to the city today. But that's fine too, we can play outside for another day."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Daiyu, your health is weak, hurry and put on your outer coat. Xiangyun, the wind is strong, hurry and pull the curtain shut."

The carriage picked up speed, making the jolting even more pronounced.

In the last carriage, after Luo Zijun finished telling his story with vivid detail, the Young Maids all had flushed little faces and expressions of wanting more.

Ziyuan, however, laughed and said, "Young Master's story is not rigorous. No matter how beautiful or talented a maid is, she is still just a maid. Even if that wealthy Young Master likes her, it is impossible for him to truly marry her as his primary wife. A primary wife must be of equal social standing, otherwise... ah!"

Before she could finish, the carriage suddenly hit a pothole; her body swayed, and she fell into Luo Zijun's arms.

The other Young Maids in the carriage were also tossed about.

"Ah, it hurts so much..."

Some of the Young Maids bumped their heads and let out groans.

Luo Zijun steadied Ziyuan.

Just as she was about to get up with a flushed face, the carriage jolted again; with an "ah," she collapsed onto his lap, her entire little face bumping down.

"Hiss..."

Luo Zijun immediately gasped in pain and hurriedly lifted her head up.

Ziyuan was instantly red-faced and embarrassed, hurriedly clutching his arm tightly.

The carriage driver outside shouted a reminder: "Young ladies, sit tight! This stretch of road is full of potholes; it will be fine once we pass it."

The carriage continued to jolt.

The maids in the carriage were all holding onto each other, steadying themselves, tossing up and down, left and right, in a chaotic mess.

Yet no one was angry; they were all amused by their own and each other's disheveled appearances.

Ziyuan, however, could not laugh; she kept her head down, face burning red, feeling flustered and agitated.

Luo Zijun held her soft, delicate body in his arms, swaying back and forth; their bodies were pressed tightly together, bumping and rubbing against each other constantly.

After a long while.

The bad road finally ended, and the carriage began to steady.

By now, Ziyuan's face was burning like fire, as beautiful as a flower; she hurriedly left his embrace and shyly scooted outward.

Yun'er, who was sitting next to her, smiled and whispered, "Ziyuan, don't squeeze me, go squeeze into Young Master Luo's arms."

Ziyuan pinched her with a flushed face.

Yun'er also laughed and pinched her back.

The two of them playfully pinched each other, and the other maids were all laughing as well.

After a moment.

Ziyuan finally looked at the young man beside her with a flushed face; seeing him tightly clenching his legs with a solemn expression, she suddenly let out a "pfft" of laughter, feeling even more shy and embarrassed.

"Young Master, are... are you alright?"

The force of her impact just now had not been small, even though it was her face that had struck him.

Luo Zijun hissed again and said, "I'm fine, it's quite alright."

Ziyuan immediately lowered her head again, covering her mouth to hide her laughter; her fair cheeks were full of a hot, rosy flush, like a blooming delicate flower.

"Cough, cough..."

Luo Zijun turned his head, pushed aside the curtain, and looked outside.

"It seems we are almost there."

Ziyuan also turned to look outside and said, "Yes, we are almost at the foot of the mountain. We still have to climb the mountain later, and the steps are quite long. Will Young Master be alright?"

Luo Zijun looked at her beautiful, flower-like flushed face and said, "What could be the problem for me? It's just climbing a mountain; I can climb it in one breath."

Yun'er, who was beside them, laughed and said, "Young Master Luo is boasting. We can't even climb that mountain in one breath, let alone you."

Luo Zijun looked at her and said, "Am I not as good as you all?"

Yun'er laughed and said, "Young Master Luo is naturally better than us at reading books, but when it comes to strength, Young Master Luo might really not be as good as us."

Tao'er also laughed and said, "Scholars are all very weak; they get out of breath after walking a few steps. We maids often do chores and walk around, so our strength is definitely greater than Young Master's."

The other maids all laughed and agreed.

Luo Zijun said, "How about we have a contest later?"

Yun'er laughed and said, "How does Young Master Luo want to compete?"

Luo Zijun said, "When we climb the mountain later, whoever can't climb anymore has to bark like a little dog, how about that?"

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

Upon hearing this, all the maids burst into laughter.

Yun'er immediately raised her hand and said, "Fine, this servant will compete with Young Master! Whoever stops to rest first loses."

Zijuan, Tao'er, and the other Young Maids all raised their hands in succession.

"We shall compete with Young Master Luo too!"

Zhiyuan, however, did not raise her hand, and said with a smile: "This maid will not compete. I am afraid that if Young Master loses later, with so many people around, Young Master's voice will become hoarse from shouting."

"Hahahaha..."

Once these words were spoken, the Young Maids all burst into laughter.

Another half a quarter of an hour passed.

The carriage jolted along for another stretch of the journey, finally arriving at the foot of the mountain, where it slowly came to a stop.

The group hurriedly got off the carriage.

Zhiyuan jumped down lightly first, then extended her fair, delicate little hand and smiled: "Young Master, let this maid support you."

As she spoke, she could not help but steal a glance at his lower half, biting her lip to suppress a laugh.

Luo Zijun grasped her soft, delicate hand and carefully stepped down from the carriage.

Since he had to pretend, he might as well pretend convincingly.

The carriages were lined up in a very long queue.

Luo Zijun looked up, but he could not see the people at the front; he only saw carriages, guards, maids, and servants lined up in a long, orderly row.

A moment passed.

The queue began to move slowly.

The people at the very front must have already been climbing the steps.

Everyone began to relax, talking and climbing the mountain.

At this time, the mountain wind howled, and the sky overhead grew increasingly overcast.

The maids, dressed in skirts of various colors, followed behind, talking and laughing excitedly. As the wind blew, their skirts swayed and their sleeves fluttered, their soft, crisp voices becoming a beautiful sight on the mountain.

Other tourists, seeing that it was about to rain, were all hurriedly heading down the mountain.

The servants of the Jia Family and the Bai Family, most of the maids, matrons, and guards, all remained at the foot of the mountain, setting up tents in the open space nearby.

A temple is a place of purity, so naturally, not everyone could go up the mountain.

Bai Qingtong had specifically sent the maid Doukou over to tell Luo Zijun to go up and enjoy the visit.

Zhiyuan was Luo Zijun's maid, so naturally, she followed along.

Tao'er, Yun'er, and a few other maids also followed behind.

"Young Master Luo, it's about to start!"

Yun'er smiled and began to climb the steps.

The other Young Maids also followed behind, laughing.

Zhiyuan stayed by Luo Zijun's side, keeping an eye on him at all times, seemingly prepared to support him at any moment.

"Young Master, walk slowly, don't trip; it will hurt if you scrape your knees. If you lose, you lose; just ignore them."

She spoke in a soft, gentle whisper, with extra tenderness.

Luo Zijun said: "It's fine, you be careful too."

Zhiyuan nodded with a smile.

The queue was stretched out long, and after climbing for a while, the people in front stopped.

Some maids called out from top to bottom: "Rest a while, rest a while."

Thus, the entire queue came to a halt.

Yun'er, Tao'er, and the other maids had no choice but to stop as well.

By now, their legs were also aching a bit.

However, when they turned their heads to look at the young man behind them, they immediately burst into laughter.

At this moment, Luo Zijun was already sitting on the steps to rest.

Yun'er laughed: "Young Master Luo, are you unable to go on? If you can't, you can choose to concede."

The other maids covered their mouths and giggled.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said: "How could that be? I still have endless strength."

How could a man admit he couldn't do something?

Besides, he was truly still fine.

"Giggle, giggle..."

Seeing that he was clearly tired enough to sit down yet still stubbornly trying to save face, the maids all giggled together.

Zhiyuan hurriedly smiled: "Alright, this competition ends here. Everyone is resting, and Young Master Luo hasn't lost."

Yun'er laughed: "Zhiyuan is now favoring an outsider; she's not close to us anymore, she's close to Young Master Luo, doing nothing but speaking up for him."

"That's right, that's right. It was one thing for this little girl to be pressed against Young Master Luo in the carriage, but now while climbing the mountain, she's still stuck to him tightly, wishing she could just hang off Young Master Luo's body."

"Giggle, giggle..."

The other maids laughed until they were leaning on each other, nearly falling over.

Having spent the journey getting familiar with the young man and finding him approachable, humorous, and witty, the maids dared to tease him.

Zhiyuan's face turned red, and she ran over, intending to pinch them.

The maids immediately ran off laughing, chasing each other, giggling and swaying like flowers in the wind—a lively scene indeed.

A moment passed.

The queue began to move again, continuing the climb.

Luo Zijun looked up and could only see the very front, where maids and matrons were holding many umbrellas, surrounding a group of nobles as they carefully ascended the mountain.

As for who was who, it was certainly impossible to tell.

"Ah, it's raining!" someone shouted at this moment.

The others immediately raised their heads as well, looking toward the sky.

The sky was gloomy, and raindrops began to fall.

It had indeed started to rain.

The matron above hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, quicken your pace, hurry up and go take shelter from the rain!"

The group dared not frolic anymore and immediately began to climb the mountain in earnest.

Fortunately, the rain was not too heavy.

The group rested for another stretch, then gathered their strength and climbed up in one go.

When the last few people entered the temple, the rain had just begun to patter down, quickly wetting the bluestone slabs on the ground.

The noble guests from the Jia Mansion and the Bai Mansion were personally welcomed into the main hall by the abbot of Jinshan Temple, Master Fayuan.

The other maids, matrons, and guards stopped in the various corridors to take shelter from the rain.

!

Some maids and matrons went to the side halls to worship Buddha and draw lots.

Of course, it was inevitable that they would have to give some incense money.

"Pitter-patter..."

After a while, the raindrops grew larger and larger, and the rain became increasingly urgent.

Some maids were dressed thinly; blown by the chilly mountain wind, they immediately began to sneeze and shiver.

A monk saw this and hurriedly entered the main hall to report it.

Then a matron came out to notify them: "The masters are worshipping Buddha and offering incense in the main hall and won't be coming out for a while. Everyone go to the guest rooms and wait, so as not to catch a cold standing outside in the wind and rain."

Several monks immediately came out and led the maids and matrons to the guest rooms in the backyard.

Soon, hot tea was brought over.

By this time, it was already noon.

After the group chatted for a while, monks brought over steaming hot vegetarian noodles.

After Luo Zijun finished eating, he said a word to Zhiyuan, wanting to go out for a stroll.

The room was full of maids and matrons.

As a grown man, it was inconvenient for him to stay there.

Zhiyuan had originally wanted to accompany him out, but she sneezed several times in a row; it seemed she had caught a bit of a cold, so she had no choice but to honestly stay in the room.

After Luo Zijun came out, he first strolled around a few main halls for a while.

When he encountered monks, he took the initiative to bow.

When he arrived under the bell tower and saw a young monk, he hurriedly took the initiative to step forward and greet him, then asked as if very casually: "I heard that your temple has a master with profound Buddhist knowledge named Fahai; is he in the temple now?"

The young monk pressed his palms together and lowered his head, saying: "Amitabha, Junior Uncle Fahai went down the mountain a few days ago; it is estimated that he will return in a few days."

Luo Zijun said: "What a pity, I have no chance to meet him today."

The two exchanged a few more polite remarks, and the young monk lowered his head and left.

Luo Zijun felt a little disappointed, but he had also confirmed that this Jinshan Temple indeed had a Fahai; although he was not the abbot, it seemed his seniority was quite high.

The young monk said Fahai went down the mountain a few days ago, but didn't say it was to beg for alms, didn't say it was to perform rites, and didn't say anything else.

Could it be that he went down the mountain to subdue demons and eliminate monsters?

Thinking this way, he stepped onto the corridor and continued to stroll toward other parts of the temple.

At this time, the rain was falling even more fiercely, drumming against the bluestone slabs with a pattering sound.

Unknowingly, he arrived in front of a pavilion; he looked up and saw that it was actually the Scripture Pavilion of Jinshan Temple.

Outsiders are generally not allowed to enter the temple's Scripture Pavilion alone.

He walked to the entrance and took a look, then prepared to leave, but heard two voices debating in a corner of the room.

"Your temple propagates Buddhist law, taking compassion as its foundation, yet what your Buddhist sect cultivates is to abandon worldly desires and cultivate the supreme path of enlightenment, while my Daoist sect values stillness and non-action, following the natural order—is that not more in line with the Heavenly Dao?"

"The Daoist priest's words have not perceived the truth. What the Buddhist sect cultivates is not merely abandoning worldly desires, but pointing directly to the mind and nature for ultimate liberation. If you speak of following, then all things arise and perish due to causes and conditions, and all living beings drift in the sea of suffering; what the Daoist sect calls 'stillness' has not actually transcended the origin of life and death, so how can you speak of transcendence?"

"The monk speaks of life and death, yet Heaven and Earth have their own order—spring birth and autumn slaughter, repeating without end. My Daoist 'embracing the One' aligns with the Dao body; life and death are also natural transformations, why is there a need to deliberately seek escape?"

"Although Heaven and Earth have their order, living beings are still drowning in suffering, having not escaped their afflictions. My Buddhist law ferries them across that suffering, allowing them to attain coolness, cultivate the mind to break attachments, and awaken to the root of life and death. If the Daoist sect only guards its own stillness, is that not just caring for oneself? Where is the heart to ferry all living beings?"

"The monk's words are kind, yet your Buddhist law takes great compassion as its foundation, but is also attached to living beings. If there were no living beings to ferry, where would compassion arise from? Daoist non-action is not ignoring living beings, but using 'non-action' to transform 'action'; if living beings return to nature of their own accord, is that not the ultimate truth?"

"The Daoist priest's words have deep insight, yet attachment to non-action is also not true non-action. Non-action does not depart from action, just as emptiness does not depart from existence; living beings are Buddha, and Buddha is living beings—this is the perfect, harmonious Great Dao."

Hearing the argument, Luo Zijun could not help but stop and take a look.

On the prayer mats in that corner, there actually sat a monk and a Daoist; looking at their ages, both were already advanced in years.

At this moment, the debate suddenly stopped.

Both the monk and the Daoist turned their heads and looked toward the entrance.

Luo Zijun hurriedly cupped his hands in apology: "This young one was just wandering aimlessly and came here unintentionally to disturb you; I hope you will forgive me."

Having said that, he prepared to leave.

The old Daoist, however, suddenly asked: "Young Master, in your opinion, between this old monk and me, who is in the right?"

The old monk also pressed his palms together, said "Amitabha," and wore a kind smile.

Luo Zijun originally did not want to answer, but suddenly thought of the future tribulation between himself and the White Snake, which was very likely still related to this Jinshan Temple and Fahai. He hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said: "This young one believes that Dao and Buddha both seek the Great Dao; both of you are in the right."

"Oh?"

The old Daoist's eyes showed inquiry.

The old monk also smiled and watched him.

Luo Zijun said solemnly: "Dao and Buddha take different paths, yet they return to the same principle. Buddha is originally Dao, and Dao is Buddha."

Once these words were spoken, both of them were startled.

The old monk hurriedly pressed his palms together, lowered his head, and said, "Young Master, please come in and speak."

Luo Zijun glanced at him, lifted his foot, and walked inside.

The old Daoist sneered and asked, "How can this Young Master say such a thing? Buddha is Buddha, and Dao is Dao; how can they be muddled together? If Buddha were originally Dao, and Dao were Buddha, why would our two schools have been arguing for a thousand years?"

The old monk also said, "I ask that the Young Master explain."

Luo Zijun had spoken off the cuff, but seeing that the conversation had reached this point, he could only explain casually: "The Dao is the origin of the universe, the foundation of the universe. The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things. The Dao is considered to transcend the forms and language of all things. If viewed from this perspective, the Nirvana or ultimate reality pursued by Buddhism has similarities with the Dao of Daoism; both are ultimate truths that transcend the secular and cannot be expressed in words..."

The old Daoist was stunned, muttering to himself, "The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things..."

Luo Zijun continued, "Buddhism speaks of 'dependent origination and emptiness,' believing that all phenomena arise due to conditions and have no fixed self-nature; while Daoism advocates 'non-action and yet nothing is left undone,' clarifying the need to follow nature and avoid artificial interference. Both emphasize insight into and compliance with the laws of the universe, and both pursue a path of liberation that transcends limitations. For example, the 'Prajna wisdom' of Buddhism and the 'purity and non-action' of Daoism, to a certain extent, both embody an understanding of the essence of life and the truth of the universe; this is also where the two are similar."

The old monk lowered his head in contemplation.

Luo Zijun added, "Buddhism speaks of 'ten thousand methods returning to the One,' and Daoism speaks of 'ten thousand things returning to the Dao.' Both pursue the ultimate truth of the universe, only manifesting differently along the Great Dao. If viewed from the height of transcending sects, the two share the same commonality and ultimate pursuit in their cosmology, views, and paths to liberation, as well as their transcendence of things and their harmonious return of all things in heaven and earth to the One..."

"Therefore, this young one believes that Buddha is originally Dao, and Dao is Buddha."

Having finished speaking.

The monk and the Daoist both had looks of contemplation in their eyes, murmuring without a word.

Luo Zijun did not dare to disturb them further; he cupped his hands and prepared to withdraw.

At this moment, the old Daoist stood up immediately, holding a horsetail whisk in his hand, bowed, and hurriedly asked, "May I ask for the Young Master's honorable name?"

Luo Zijun returned the salute and said, "I dare not accept such praise. This young one's surname is Luo, and my name is Zijun. I am nameless, merely a scholar."

The old monk also stood up at this time, pressed his palms together, lowered his head, and said, "Amitabha. Young Master, your argument just now was novel and astonishing; it has refreshed this poor monk's ears and eyes, sounding like a wake-up call, as if I have caught a glimpse of another heaven and earth."

"Luo Zijun..."

The old Daoist looked at the youth before him with flickering eyes, muttering the name, seemingly recalling whether he had heard it before.

A moment later.

He immediately lowered his head and bowed, humbly seeking instruction: "The 'Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to all things' that the Young Master just mentioned—may I ask where it comes from? Why has this poor Daoist never heard of it?"

It turned out that in this world, there was not even the Tao Te Ching.

Luo Zijun's heart stirred, and he said, "This young one once saw it in a book. However, that book is very old, and I no longer know where it has gone."

The old Daoist hurriedly said, "Does the Young Master still remember the contents of the book?"

Seeing his anxious expression, Luo Zijun said, "I remember some of it."

The old Daoist was overjoyed: "Then could the Young Master write it down for this poor Daoist to see?"

"Amitabha..."

The old monk was about to speak, but the old Daoist immediately turned his head and cursed, "Bald donkey, shut up!"

The old monk did not shut up, however, and said with lowered brows and a submissive look, "Young Master Luo is a guest of our temple; I ask that you not force him, Daoist brother."

The old Daoist frowned, hesitated for a moment, took a piece of White Jade from his sleeve, handed it to Luo Zijun, and said, "Young Master Luo is a man of letters; when reading, you may often feel a headache or mental fatigue, making it hard to calm your mind. If you wear this piece of jade, it can keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, and help you calm your mind and focus, making your future studies more effective. Furthermore, if the Young Master encounters difficulties in the future and happens to meet other Daoists, just take out this jade, and those Daoists will naturally help."

Seeing this, the old monk lowered his head and eyes, saying nothing more.

Clearly, this White Jade was extraordinary.

However, Luo Zijun did not reach out to take it immediately; he cupped his hands and said, "Many thanks, Daoist, but the content of that book is too vast, and this young one only remembers a few sentences now. Therefore, I dare not accept this Baoyu."

That Tao Te Ching was no ordinary object; how could he hand it all over to this old Daoist just for this piece of jade?

The old Daoist stuffed the White Jade directly into his hand and said, "Even two sentences will do. The Young Master can think about it slowly and write it slowly; this poor Daoist is not in a hurry."

Seeing this, Luo Zijun glanced at the White Jade in his hand again and could only say, "This young one can only recall a few sentences today; if the Daoist does not mind, I will write them down."

The old Daoist was overjoyed upon hearing this, hurriedly pulled out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from his sleeve, placed them on the table nearby, began to grind the ink himself, and turned his head to say, "Young Master, please sit and write."

"Amitabha..."

Seeing this, the old monk was about to speak, but the old Daoist immediately raged, "Thieving bald donkey! Don't ruin my good deed! Otherwise, I won't be finished with you!"

The old monk's eyebrows twitched, and he said no more.

Luo Zijun had no choice but to walk over, sit at the desk, wait a moment, lift the brush, dip it in ink, and write the first chapter on the rice paper.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of all things. Therefore, always be without desire to observe its wonders; always have desire to observe its manifestations. These two emerge from the same source but have different names; both are called mysterious, the mystery of mysteries, the gateway to all wonders."

As he began to write, the old Daoist had already leaned in close to watch carefully.

When the first sentence appeared, his body suddenly shook, and a brilliant light flared in his eyes.

When the last sentence was finished, he muttered it to himself several times, his face full of excitement and irrepressible joy, so anxious he was scratching his ears and cheeks.

"What else? What else? Young Master, write quickly, write quickly!"

"That is all."

Luo Zijun stopped abruptly and put down the brush.

The old Daoist's eyes widened immediately, his face full of disbelief and inability to accept it.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of all things..."

The old monk, not knowing when, had also walked over and lowered his head to look carefully.

Immediately, his expression also shifted.

"That's all???"

For a moment, the old Daoist found it hard to accept; he had an urge to pick up this youth and give him a sound beating, and another urge to press his head down and force him to continue writing day and night without stopping.

"This young one only remembers this much for now."

Luo Zijun stood up and calmly put away the piece of White Jade.

Then, he decisively cupped his hands to take his leave.

The old Daoist hurriedly picked up the rice paper from the table, lowered his head, and began to read it carefully and earnestly once more.

The old monk looked at the figure that had already walked quickly out the door, light flickering in his eyes.

(End of chapter)