Chapter 403: Laozi Is the Buddha

In a lively yet not noisy izakaya, Yu Lin sat on a high stool at the front of the counter.

"Your skewers and ramen are ready, please enjoy."

"Thank you."

"Xuanhai Dharma Master, would you like to eat something?"

A few plates of perfectly grilled, sizzing Japanese yakitori and a steaming bowl of pork‑bone ramen, its broth milky white and topped with double‑thick slices of Japanese char siu, were brought over.

Beside him, Xuanhai was completely immersed in another world.

He lowered his head, furrowed his brows, twirled the Prayer Beads with his fingers, and placed all his attention on the 《Mahayana Dao Method》 spread on his lap.

His lips moved slightly, silently reciting, occasionally nodding as if enlightened, then sinking into deep confusion, murmuring to himself:

"How marvelous... so that's it... but why is it explained like this here?"

"This seems akin to the Diamond Sutra's saying, 'One should have no dwelling and let the mind arise,' yet it feels even... no, this clearly reflects the Daoist 'wu wei' tone... strange, strange!..."

He seemed to have heard nothing from Yu Lin, ignoring the plate of vegetarian skewers that Yu Lin pushed toward him, fully immersed in the book's profound world.

Yu Lin paid no mind, casually picking up a skewer of char‑grilled chicken meatballs, dipping them in a special sauce, swallowing them, and taking another sip of the flavorful ramen broth.

The noisy chatter in the izakaya, the TV's sports commentary, and the grill's sizzle all became the background music for his simple midnight snack.

Until—

"Bang!"

A sound not very loud but unmistakably abrupt broke the corner's harmony.

Xuanhai sprang up from the chair so violently that they knocked over the stool behind them, creating an even louder clatter.

Almost every patron and the bustling staff were drawn by the commotion, all turning to look this way.

There stood Xuanhai, eyes wide open, a glint flashing in the pupils, face a mix of extreme shock, sudden enlightenment, and an indescribable excitement.

Then, amid the crowd's astonished gazes, they took a deep breath and blurted out:

"Laozi is the Buddha!"

The words caused the entire izakaya to fall silent for a few seconds.

Then the original atmosphere returned, as if that monk's nonsense was ignored, and people thought about tomorrow's work or where to go later.

But don't misunderstand, this Laozi is not that Laozi, but that Laozi.

Xuanhai completely ignored the surrounding people's dumbfounded stares.

Their fiery gaze turned toward the opposite side where Yu Lin remained composed, even picking up another piece of char siu and putting it in his mouth:

"Yu Lin benefactor! Where did you obtain this 《Mahayana Dao Method》... exactly?!"

"Could it be a secret of some hidden branch of Buddhism in Xia Guo?! No, this already transcends ordinary Buddhist scriptures... directly pointing to the core, penetrating existence and non‑existence... this, this is simply..."

Yu Lin calmly swallowed the shredded char siu, took another sip of broth, then looked up at the agitated Xuanhai and said softly:

"This is Daoist Law."

"Huh?" Xuanhai's excitement froze instantly, turning into astonishment:

"You, what are you saying? Dao, Daoist? Yu Lin benefactor, don't joke, though I am a young monk, I can still distinguish Daoism from Buddhism!"

"Every word of this 《Mahayana Dao Method》 is a pearl, every sentence subtly aligns with Prajna, directly pointing to the true meaning of Buddhist Dharma, breaking attachment and delusion—how could it possibly be some Daoist Law?!"

"Indeed," Yu Lin picked up the 《Mahayana Dao Method》 on the table, casually opened to the cover, pointing at the simple yet profoundly artistic line drawing on the title page—a white‑bearded, gaunt elder, serene, riding atop a blue ox:

"Look here, do you recognize it?"

"Of course, this is Laozi."

"Who is Laozi?"

"Laozi is the Buddha."

"???"

Yu Lin, full of question marks, looked at Xuanhai, who again stated with absolute certainty that Laozi is the Buddha, his face still bearing an air of undeniable fact, and couldn't help but ask:

"If Laozi is the Buddha, then who is the Dao Ancestor?"

Xuanhai answered without hesitation: "Obviously it's Laozi as well."

"There is a Dao scripture called 《Laozi's Transforming Hu Sutra》. It states that Laozi exited Hangu Pass westward, not only leaving the five‑thousand‑word 《Tao Te Ching》, but also traveled further west into Tianzhu, transformed into the Buddha, taught the Hu people, and founded Buddhism."

He paused, then continued: "I previously thought it was merely a 'pseudo‑scripture' fabricated by Western Jin Daoist Wang Fu to elevate Daoism and denigrate Buddhism, a forced justification the Daoist Sect used to merge with our Buddhist Sect."

"But seeing the 《Mahayana Dao Method》 today... I fear it may not be entirely false; perhaps there is truth, merely misinterpreted or exaggerated by later generations."

Yu Lin: "......"

Seeing his demeanor, Yu Lin seemed to guess what Lao Jun was about to do,

If this 《Mahayana Dao Method》 truly got mixed into the retrieved "Great Vehicle Buddhist Dharma" and was seen by others...

Good grief, the age‑old disputes over "Buddhist-Daoist Precedence" and "Hu Transformation Authenticity" would only intensify!

But... this has nothing to do with him.

If the Buddha comes knocking, Lao Jun will take the blame.

Just watching the spectacle.

He shelved the thought.

Yu Lin turned to Xuanhai Dharma Master and asked: "Since you, Xuanhai Dharma Master, are well‑versed in Buddhist Dharma, shouldn't you, in principle, defend the Buddhist Sect's orthodoxy and denounce the 《Laozi's Transforming Hu Sutra》 and even this 《Mahayana Dao Method》 as spurious nonsense?"

"Admitting 'Dao First, Buddha Later', wouldn't that undermine your faith in Buddhist Dharma?"

Xuanhai, hearing this, waved their hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, Yu Lin benefactor, that statement is wrong."

"I merely think that Laozi is also the Buddha."

"That does not prevent the Buddha from still being the Buddha, nor Buddhist Dharma from still being Buddhist Dharma."

"The Buddhist-Daoist Contention, the Debate of Names and Appearances, what does it have to do with me? Whether 'Buddha' or 'Dao', they are merely different paths to lead beings out of suffering toward awakening."

"What I seek is for sentient beings to escape suffering and gain happiness, to illuminate my own mind and see my nature, to accumulate merit and benefit all beings. As for this Monk Robe, this lofty monk title..."

He laughed freely: "If necessary, if the opportunity arises, taking off the Monk Robe, putting on the Dao Crown, this poor monk can also be a Daoist."

"External appearances and identities are mere worldly things; practicing virtue and accumulating merit, realizing the truth—these are fundamental."

"If possible, Yu Lin, why could you not also be a Buddha?"

Upon hearing these words, Yu Lin nodded slightly and replied:

"No wonder the Dharma Master can serve as the Buddha Chief."