Chapter 434: 440. Chapter 440: Great Vow

440. Chapter 440: Great Vow

The remnants of Buddhist civilization are merely remnants, not a bunch of good-for-nothings.

Among the twelve habitable worlds, two worlds in a row have erupted with major disturbances; it's certainly not simple.

The three Buddhas who span the starry sky, incarnated as great suns—the Eastern Medicine Buddha, the central Shakyamuni Buddha, and the western Amitabha Buddha—tower above and can ignore worldly affairs.

Those who exercise the authority of the three Buddhas, managing the mundane affairs of the twelve habitable worlds—the Buddhas and the specially positioned Bodhisattvas (peak of ninth-level great sages)—cannot ignore them.

Against the beacon fires ignited in the two worlds, one Buddhist edict after another, and one Bodhisattva edict after another, were issued, demanding that local temples swiftly extinguish them and restore former tranquility.

In this situation, Fulisite's and Meidichi's room to maneuver kept shrinking, and Airisi also bore greater pressure.

Fortunately, the three of them are not easily dealt with.

Before the monk who had attained the Bodhisattva (Great Sage) fruit personally steps onto the stage, they can still hold out for a long time.

Airisi even had spare energy to further expand and consolidate the scale and foundation of the Lotus Society.

For this, Airisi should thank those who, under the guise of the Lotus Society, carried out rebellious acts.

These people not only shared the pressure, but also gave Airisi the opportunity to hide the true core of the Lotus Society, and supplied many prospective members of the true Lotus Society.

In such a situation, one can only say that every drink and bite is predestined.

If not for the Buddhist sect's exploitation having reached its extreme, it would not have been possible for Airisi to, without even raising an arm, see the scene of 'the world gathering in response, bringing provisions and following willingly' arise.

This exactly fits the saying 'self-inflicted wrongdoing cannot be survived.'

After Airisi, Fulisite, and Meidichi had been bustling and lively for several days, the bustle at the Guanglin Prince's manor finally arrived.

All the great and small temples within the Song State received the invitation sent by the Guanglin Prince, sincerely inviting talented young monks to come to the Guanglin Prince's manor for the princess's spouse-selection gathering.

Based on the Guanglin Prince's special status, and based on the Buddhist sect's need for one, several, or many secular courts to exploit and oppress the populace, after receiving the invitation, all temples within the Song State dispatched their outstanding youths to attend.

Some temples are close to Guanglin Prefecture, such as the White Horse Chan Temple; they arrived quickly and early.

Some temples are far from Guanglin Prefecture, such as the Bianjing Ci'en Temple; they arrived slowly and late.

Thirteen days after Lin Ke arrived at the Guanglin Prince's manor, the eligible monks for the gathering had finally all assembled, and the spouse-selection event proceeded smoothly.

The venue was set up on the small plaza specially cleared within the prince's manor.

More than three hundred monks arrived in order according to a set sequence, taking their seats as directed by the signs.

The final arrival was none other than the personally transmitted disciple of the abbot of Bianjing Ci'en Temple, Monk Nengqing.

It is said that the Guanglin Prince had long taken a liking to Monk Nengqing, wishing to rise in status by asking him to marry the princess.

The young monks from other temples were merely there to make up the numbers; they had no chance of winning the beauty.

This rumor, pushed along by a well-meaning person, reached Lin Ke's ears early on.

Lin Ke's reaction was merely a faint smile, then he took it in stride; he only gave Monk Nengqing an extra glance when he saw him.

"Junior brother, do you have any objections to him?"

Monk Liaochen keenly sensed something was off and asked suspiciously.

After that day, Monk Liaochen shut himself in his room for three full days, refusing tea and food, pondering deeply.

Finally, unable to figure it out, Monk Liaochen couldn't help but fly into a rage and angrily decided not to get stuck in a dead end.

Whether it's cultivating Buddhism or worshipping Buddha, whether it's the teaching of the Unborn Master or the Born Master, whether it's the Buddhist pure land or the sea of suffering in the human world—throw them all aside.

All compassion, sympathy, and doubt were completely suppressed by Monk Liaochen deep within his heart.

When he reappeared in Lin Ke's sight, he seemed as if nothing had happened.

Lin Ke offered no comment on this; he was neither surprised nor opposed, and casually accepted it.

Hearing Monk Liaochen's question, Lin Ke smiled and did not answer.

Seeing this, Monk Liaochen knew that after his injury healed, his increasingly unlike junior brother would not want to answer this question, and he muttered to himself: 'Even if you have objections to him, you must suppress them. Our White Horse Chan Temple cannot afford to provoke the Ci'en Temple.'

"Hmm."

Lin Ke lightly nodded, indicating he understood Monk Liaochen's meaning, and also had no intention of causing trouble for Monk Nengqing.

In the princess's chambers.

Luotesinuo's voice came from the makeup mirror, drilling into Mo Li's ears:

"Look, look, my cheap older brother has not a shred of jealousy."

"Cheap older sister, cheap younger brother, I truly feel it's not worth it for you."

"You put so much effort into planning for him and giving for him, yet he isn't even willing to deal with a mere Monk Nengqing, simply because the White Horse Chan Temple dares not provoke the Ci'en Temple."

"Good heavens!"

"What is the Ci'en Temple anyway?"

"Just burn it down with a fire and be done with it."

"My cheap older brother really doesn't value you at all, cheap older sister."

As Luotesinuo chattered on, Mo Li's brows furrowed tighter, her face showing annoyance, and she transmitted a rebuke: 'Can't you shut up? All day long cheap this, cheap that— isn't it irritating?'

"Ah ya ya…… tsk tsk tsk……"

Luotesinuo showed not the slightest embarrassment at being scolded, continuing to send mischievous transmissions: 'Whenever cheap older brother is mentioned, you get flustered. Tsk tsk tsk……'

With a bang.

Not wanting to waste words on Luotesinuo, Mo Li simply clapped the makeup mirror onto the dressing table, cutting off the transmission link.

The maid beside her jumped, wondering if the spouse-selection gathering was about to officially begin, and whether the princess, having endured this long, could no longer bear it?

Should we hurriedly inform the prince to prevent the princess from acting out?

Just as the maid hesitated, Mo Li had already regained her composure, and then, using Luotesinuo's secret method, continued to monitor the spouse-selection gathering site.

The auspicious time having arrived, the Guanglin Prince mounted the central lecture platform on the small plaza and spoke loudly:

"Welcome, venerable monks, to my humble manor."

"I, the prince, am inarticulate and cannot speak well; my daughter's spouse-selection gathering now officially begins."

The procedure is simple: each senior monk goes up to give a segment of Buddhist teaching.

Xiao Wang felt that whoever gave a good talk, and the senior monks also felt that the three senior monks who gave a good talk were the final candidates.

The young lady will choose one from among the three candidates to be her husband.

After saying that, whether it was the over three hundred monks present, Luotesinuo observing secretly, or Mo Li staying in her boudoir, their gazes toward the Guanglin Prince all became somewhat strange.

Damn, is this how the first-in-line heir to a nation's throne ought to behave?

It's not exactly stupid, just too embarrassing.

Obviously it's a good thing, yet coming from the Guanglin Prince's mouth it feels like a market sales pitch and nitpicking. (╯□╰)

"Cough..."

Facing the many strange gazes, the Guanglin Prince seemed to sense something, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face; he used the action of clearing his throat to conceal this emotion, then said, "Let's begin."

Having said that, the Guanglin Prince almost fled, stepping down from the preaching platform.

Among the over three hundred monks, more than half looked at the Guanglin Prince with an even more eerie gaze.

The host just left like that?

Who starts first, how long each talk lasts, what order to follow—these rules weren't set?

Or were they set, but you forgot to mention them?

However, the Guanglin Prince seemed not to notice this eeriness; sitting in the main seat under many strange gazes, he remained calm, eyes observing nose, nose observing heart.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the small square became quite strange.

Luotesinuo, who was observing secretly, changed his gaze toward the Guanglin Prince.

Hehe...

Kind of interesting.

Among the over three hundred monks seated around the preaching platform, Lin Ke also muttered to himself like that.

From now on, if anyone again whispers in his ear that the Guanglin Prince is a fool, he will definitely retort that the person calling the Guanglin Prince a fool is the real fool.

He might actually be hiding great wisdom behind foolishness, playing the pig to eat the tiger.

But whether that's the case or not, Lin Ke doesn't care; he just wants to use this Guanglin Prince's consort-selection event to do something.

Thinking thus, Lin Ke ignored Monk Liaochen's surprise, stood up, broke the strange atmosphere of the small square, and with steady steps walked up to the preaching platform.

The crab was just sitting there, always meant to be eaten, yet no one dared to eat it, so he would be the first to do so.

Standing on the preaching platform, Lin Ke pressed his palms together, turned around in a circle to complete the courtesy, then said: "Liaofan of the White Horse Chan Temple, greetings to all fellow practitioners. I have a doubt; I wish to seek your answers at the Guanglin Princess's consort-selection event."

Pausing, Lin Ke ignored the similarly somewhat strange gazes of the over three hundred monks looking at him, and spoke loudly:

"I have heard that Buddhism has three vehicles: namely the Sravaka vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the Bodhisattva vehicle."

"The Sravaka vehicle practices the Four Truths; from ordinary beings to Arhats, in terms of time, the swift take three lives, the slow sixty eons; its expedient means are seven, and its fruits are four: Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, and Arhat."

"The Pratyekabuddha vehicle practices the Twelve Links; from ordinary beings to Solitary Buddhas, in terms of time, the swift take four lives, the slow one hundred eons; its practice focuses on realization and verification—wherever understanding arrives, verification follows—so there are no obvious stages."

"The Bodhisattva vehicle seeks supreme enlightenment, vows to save all beings, practices the six perfections and myriad conducts, taking these six perfections as the vehicle to reach the far shore of supreme nirvana."

"The first two vehicles are solely for self-benefit, with no altruism, aiming at self-perfection and liberation;"

"The third vehicle possesses both self-benefit and altruism, aiming to ferry countless beings to the far shore."

"I wonder, which vehicle do you venerable practitioners follow, and how do you practice it?"

Lin Ke's words were extremely plain and straightforward; not only could monks who have studied Buddhism for years understand them, but even lay practitioners practicing at home could.

Yet precisely because of its plainness and straightforwardness, it was all the more powerful.

Earlier, the atmosphere in the small square was merely strange.

Now, the atmosphere in the small square had become extremely awkward.

The reason is simple: the vast majority of the monks present neither practice the Sravaka nor Pratyekabuddha vehicle teachings, let alone the Bodhisattva vehicle!

Many monks don't even know what vehicle they practice, or whether it is Buddhism at all!

They merely follow the teachings of temples, eminent monks, masters, and senior disciples, blindly worshipping without thinking or practicing.

Even if temples, eminent monks, masters, and senior disciples occasionally say they practice Mahayana Buddhism, i. e., the Bodhisattva vehicle,

But...

Seeking supreme enlightenment, vowing to save all beings?

Any monk with some insight, having read the Bodhisattva vehicle scriptures and then observing worldly reality, would not believe the claim that they are practicing the Bodhisattva vehicle.

Thus a contradiction arises.

The vast majority of monks, faced with this extreme split contradiction, choose to close off their 'wisdom', blindly follow the 'Dharma' of temples, eminent monks, masters, and senior disciples, refusing to look at worldly truth, the true world.

They live in a pure land, bathed in Buddha's light, enjoying offerings.

Quite proper!

Only a tiny fraction of monks, such as Grand Master Wusheng who once resided at the White Horse Chan Temple, have not chosen to escape, yet also lack sufficient wisdom and courage to truly cultivate the Bodhisattva vehicle.

Therefore, the White Horse Chan Temple saying that Grand Master Wusheng chose reincarnation to retrain because he could not become a Buddha is also correct, not a lie.

Lin Ke's words, while seeming to be a request for advice, were actually him pointing at the noses of the assembled monks and cursing: bald donkey.

He tore apart the hypocrisy of the over three hundred monks completely.

Monk Liaochen's mood at this moment was quite complex.

He felt pain from being questioned again and striking his heart, and also felt some relief seeing many monks present experiencing the same pain.

This is an emotion that cannot be put into words.

The Guanglin Prince, seated in the host's position, felt somewhat uneasy.

This Liaofan monk of the White Horse Chan Temple is not only accomplished in supernatural powers, but also profoundly versed in Buddhist teachings.

Although the words were plain and straightforward, they struck straight at the heart, piercing the dark side of many monks' inner selves, causing many to feel ashamed.

If one cannot face their own ugly heart, they are very likely to storm out in anger.

Isn't that a lot fewer competitors?

What a clever method...

What a load of bullshit!

It's true that the Guanglin Prince is seeking a son-in-law for his daughter, and it's even more true that he's trying to curry favor with, get close to, and gain the backing of the Buddhist sect!

Monk Liaofan's maneuver left him feeling pleased, but what should the Guanglin Prince do about his true intention?

Never mind trying to curry favor with, get close to, or gain the backing of the Buddhist sect; he might even end up offending them!

Even more intense than the Guanglin Prince's reaction was Monk Nenqing from Bianjing's Cien Temple.

Only saw Monk Nenqing slowly rise to his feet, palms together, solemn expression, dignified appearance, gazing at Lin Ke on the lecture platform, his face suddenly turning stern as he coldly shouted: "You are what kind of evil demon heretic, dare to defile the sincere Buddhist seekers' minds of us monks? Hurry up and reveal your true form!"

Hearing this shout, some monks reacted, immediately standing up and following Monk Nenqing's lead, shouting: "What evil demon, still not revealing your true form, willingly accepting punishment!"

This change happened as swiftly as a rabbit leaping and a hawk swooping, utterly abrupt.

The Guanglin Prince stared wide-eyed, Monk Liaochen was speechless, Luotesinuo kept laughing, and Mo Li frowned.

Lin Ke on the lecture platform, however, found it utterly reasonable.

This is what he has come to realize during this period after seizing a body—whether reading Buddhist scriptures, observing Zen courtyards, or watching the mortal world: the appearance of this world and even the entirety of the remaining Buddhist Dharma, and the conduct of those who cultivate Buddhism.

Calling a deer a horse, reversing black and white—nothing could be more fitting.

Faced with the shouting interrogation led by Monk Nenqing, Lin Ke separated his palms from the prayer gesture, formed the Earth Store Seal, and proclaimed loudly:

"I, the humble monk Liaofan, vow to save all suffering beings, that they may all reach Bodhi and attain perfect enlightenment."