Chapter 435: Cultivation

What is proper awakening?

In Buddhism, the Buddha originally means awakening, and it has three layers of meaning:

First is self-awakening, i. e., realizing one's own nature; second is awakening others, i. e., teaching the Dharma to save people; third is the perfection of awakening and practice.

Among the three vehicles of Buddhism, the Pratyekabuddha vehicle understands through conditions and attains awakening; it is also called the Solitary Awakening vehicle, with no explicit rank to speak of, and we will not mention it for now.

The Sravaka vehicle, also called the Hinayana, attains the arhat fruit; this is self-awakening and also proper awakening.

The Bodhisattva vehicle, also called Mahayana, attains bodhi, self-awakening and awakening others, which is perfect and equal awakening; its rank equals that of a Buddha, though one has not yet truly become a Buddha.

When self-awakening and awakening others lead to the perfection of awakening and practice, it is the supreme perfect and equal awakening, and only then is one a 'Buddha'.

With the threefold great sun above one's head, the Eastern Medicine Buddha, the Central Shakyamuni Buddha, and the Western Amitabha Buddha—these are the Buddhas of supreme perfect and equal awakening.

In this world, and even in the twelve habitable worlds remnants of Buddhist civilization, the so-called shramana (novice monk), vajra (full-fledged monk), arhat (wise one), bodhisattva (great wise one), and buddha (a few special ninth-level great wise ones) are merely divisions of practice stages.

This is not a division of fruition in Buddhism!

Fruition and stage are not the same thing.

Lin Ke had also confused this point before, thinking that attaining the arhat stage equaled attaining the arhat fruition.

Only after entering Damo Hall for secluded practice did he finally clarify what exactly the difference was.

Simply put, one cultivates power, while the other cultivates both power and mind.

Faced with the indignant condemnation stirred up by Monk Nenqing of Bianjing Cien Temple, Lin Ke's response was to form the Earth Store Seal, make a great vow, thereby announcing to everyone that he would walk the path of cultivating power as well as mind.

This also signified his break with the vast majority of Buddhist temples and monastics, declaring that he would follow the Bodhisattva vehicle, awaken himself and others to achieve the perfection of awakening and practice, in order to attain supreme perfect and equal awakening.

Furthermore, directed at this world, at the entirety of the remnants of Buddhist civilization, and at the threefold great sun above, in the form of proclaiming his great vow, he posed a question, even a rebuke.

"Monk Liaofan vows to deliver all suffering sentient beings to bodhi, only then attaining proper awakening."

These calmly spoken words, not loud, echoed repeatedly in the ears and hearts of Monk Nenqing, Monk Liaochen, the over three hundred monks, and Prince Guanglin.

Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be a response as well.

At the small Guang location, it was peaceful and windless, quiet and still.

Monk Liaochen opened his mouth wide, astonished, watching Lin Ke calmly descend the Dharma platform after proclaiming his great vow.

He suddenly realized, he had been conservative!

His master too had been conservative!

His junior fellow disciple was not merely changed after recovering from injury; he was completely reborn, as if he had become another person!

Even Monk Liaochen began to believe from the bottom of his heart that his junior fellow disciple was the reincarnation of the Great Master Wu Sheng.

Monk Nenqing, who came from Bianjing Cien Temple as the abbot's personally transmitted disciple, felt a complex mix of shock, alarm, and fear in his heart.

He very much wanted to point at Monk Liaofan, who was walking down the Dharma platform, and loudly denounce him, continuing to label Liaofan as a heretical evil path, as an enemy of the Buddha or a Buddha-spawn.

However, some unknown mighty force came from somewhere, completely binding him, rendering him unable to move, unable to speak, not even able to shift his eyes.

The over three hundred monks each had their own thoughts.

Some monks faintly felt that Monk Liaofan's question and vow were full of Chan sentiment, inspiring people's yearning.

Some monks felt an extreme sense of division, as if their original mind and the Buddhist education they had received since childhood were in opposition, in conflict.

Some monks suffered greatly, thinking their hearts had already gone numb, their wounds already scabbed over, yet they were not completely numb, nor were they unaffected.

Things they had seen, heard, done—one after another surfaced.

Is the human realm truly a pure land of bliss, or an endless sea of suffering……

Are they truly blind, unable to see?

Some monks, like Monk Nenqing, gazed at Monk Liaofan with shock, alarm, and fear, as if looking at a heretical evil path, at an enemy of the Buddha, at a Buddha-spawn!

Prince Guanglin at this moment only wanted to cry.

Wuu wuu wuu……

In the princess's chambers, Mo Li's eyes were full of stars, gazing at Lin Ke with love and pride.

This is her husband!

Even while she was still thinking about petty squabbles, she had already decided to undertake a great undertaking that would overturn the foundations of the remnants of Buddhist civilization.

Moreover, this great undertaking could not be opposed by the three Buddhas incarnated as the great suns above.

Not only could it not be openly opposed, it could not be secretly opposed either; one could only look on.

Because these three Buddhas attained that supreme perfect and equal awakening before the remnants of Buddhist civilization, they can disregard the current state of the human world within those remnants, thus they remain exalted, not treading the mundane.

But they cannot, having remained indifferent, then intervene and oppose Lin Ke.

That would be digging their own graves!

In facing all civilizations of this world, especially the celestial-divine and demonic civilizations at the pinnacle, they would say, 'Look, everyone come look—we are slapping our own faces, saying the path we once took was wrong, fundamentally wrong.'

Moreover, is this merely a slap in the face?

This is the error of the Dao's path!

This is the collapse of the Dao's foundation!

The celestials and divinities of the celestial-divine civilization, and the demons and devils of the demonic civilization, will surely seize the rare opportunity to strike down in one blow the three Buddha ancestors whose Dao hearts are unstable!

Luotesinuo lurking in the darkness was also quite surprised; he had not expected Lin Ke to take this path.

This path is both a broad highway and filled with mountains of knives and seas of fire.

Even he, when putting himself in Lin Ke's position to consider how to break the situation and how to act, also leaned toward inciting turmoil.

Otherwise, why would he have sneaked into Prince Guanglin's study, leaving behind a seed to incite internal strife in Song, and even to spread unrest to the neighboring states?

Nor would he need to openly or covertly help his cheap sister-in-law Mo Li accumulate power.

Lin Ke, walking down the Dharma platform, was not only calm on the surface, but even more calm within.

Today's performance was not an impulsive act done in a heat of the moment.

But rather a decision made after deep consideration.

As Lin Ke's grasp of this world's situation and the state of the Buddhist civilization remnants deepened, he grew less willing to achieve the inside‑outside cooperation task—crushing or even defeating those remnants—by stirring violent uprisings.

The three great suns span the starry sky, providing light and heat to nurture the twelve habitable worlds—yet they are also the greatest shackles.

As long as the three great suns remain, no matter how large the internal turmoil, it cannot inflict serious harm on the remnants of the Buddhist civilization.

It's merely a skin disease!

Unless immortals and heavenly lords of the divine civilization, or sages of the wizard civilization, intervene to restrain the three Buddhist ancestors of the remnants.

Otherwise, internal turmoil could never accomplish the overthrow of the Buddhist civilization remnants.

If the divine civilization were willing to send immortals and heavenly lords, and the wizard civilization sages, at any cost, specifically to confront the three Buddhist ancestors of the remnants, what need would there be for any 'inside‑outside cooperation'?

From this perspective, after Lin Ke entered this world by taking over a body, he no longer placed his hope of completing the task on the 'outside'.

Thus, putting effort into the 'inside' became inevitable.

Having ruled out inciting internal turmoil by force, Lin Ke pondered and arrived at the term 'ideology'.

Coincidentally, the remnants of the Buddhist civilization are merely remnants; their transmission has not been cut off, but deliberately confused and distorted.

This gave Lin Ke the opportunity and foundation, under the banner of 'rectifying the roots and clearing the source,' to genuinely carry out that work.

Under the strange gazes of everyone in the small square, Lin Ke stepped out with firm footprints, left the square, entered the nearby prince's manor, stood outside the princess's chambers, and spoke softly yet his voice carried throughout the Guanglin Prince's mansion: 'Princess, you have a karmic affinity with my Buddha; I wonder if you would be willing to accompany me, to jointly attain enlightenment and achieve perfect awakening?'

'I am willing.' Mo Li replied immediately, her voice timid.

As his words fell, Mo Li, dressed in a convenient action outfit, ignored the maid's gaze and leisurely walked out of the chamber to Lin Ke's side.

The two exchanged a glance and left the Guanglin Prince's mansion side by side.

'No! Wuuu… no!'

The Guanglin Prince's eyes revealed intense emotion; he wanted to speak out to stop Lin Ke from abducting Mo Li.

However, since Luotesinuo lurking in the dark had already acted, immobilizing all the monks and the Guanglin Prince in the small square, he naturally would not let his effort go to waste.

According to the Buddhist civilization's teaching, when a monk makes a great vow, there are two possible outcomes.

First, if heaven and earth do not approve or respond, there will be howling gales and torrential rain;

second, if heaven and earth approve or respond, the winds will calm and the waves will still, and it will even stop anyone who tries to intervene and obstruct the vow‑maker.

Whether this world approves or responds to Lin Ke's great vow is utterly irrelevant.

It suffices that Luotesinuo approves and responds.

Thus the small square fell into a peaceful, windless silence; everyone was unable to speak, act, or cast spells.

Only after Lin Ke and Mo Li walked away at ease, leisurely leaving the Guanglin prefecture city, did Luotesinuo finally relent.

Once the restraint was lifted, the first to react was Monk Liaochen.

'Junior brother, wait for me!'

Upon hearing Monk Liaochen's loud shout, before his words even faded, his whole body turned into a gust of wind, kicking up dust as he pursued Lin Ke and Mo Li.

Has the matter of cultivating and worshipping Buddha really been suppressed by Monk Liaochen?

Once a seed is planted, it will surely sprout.

Whether the sprouting process will encounter difficulties, resulting in failure to sprout, is another matter altogether.

It is obvious that the seed of Buddhist cultivation in Monk Liaochen's heart was not strangled in its cradle.

More than a dozen monks who aspired to follow closely behind Monk Liaochen decided to follow Monk Liaofan of the White Horse Chan Temple, wishing to study the Bodhisattva vehicle of Buddhism and to save all sinful beings.

About thirty monks who had awakened from numbness, after some hesitation, also chose to confront their inner selves, face the bloody reality, and step forward.

Around sixty monks who had likewise awakened from numbness merely yawned and went back to sleep, their bare heads slightly bowed, palms pressed together, standing indifferently.

Monk Nengqing seethed with anger, snarling: 'Demons! Heretics! Enemies of the Buddha!'

After catching his breath, Monk Nengqing's fury undiminished, he bellowed hoarsely: 'Buddhist evil! Buddhist evil!'

Whoosh!

On the small square there remained over three hundred monks and the Guanglin Prince, all staring in unison at the ferocious‑looking Monk Nengqing, their eyes filled with alarm.

Monk Nengqing paid no heed, veins bulging in his neck as he continued to roar on his own: 'Monk Liaofan of the White Horse Chan Temple is undoubtedly a Buddhist evil! Buddhist evil!'

Whoosh!

The Guanglin Prince, like a startled rabbit, darted out of the lecture‑pavilion small square built for the princess's marriage‑candidate selection, rushed to his study, leaving only a sentence echoing in the small square.

'Venerable masters, I have been remiss in my hospitality and feel deeply ashamed. Please return on your own; I will have someone present the ceremonial rites as a token of apology and gratitude.'

However, after Monk Nengqing publicly denounced Monk Liaofan as a Buddhist evil, the Guanglin Prince altogether abandoned his original intention of courting, befriending, and aligning with Buddhist forces as a solid backing; he now only thought of distancing himself.

Having severed ties with Monk Liaofan, who had abducted the Guanglin Prince's consort, and also with Monk Nengqing.

As the saying goes, one‑sided words cannot be lightly believed.

The great vow made by Monk Liaofan of the White Horse Chan Temple and the denunciation of Buddhist evil by Monk Nengqing of the Bianjing Cien Temple are both one‑sided accounts.

Whose one‑sided account is more credible, whose can stand up to scrutiny—that is an internal dispute of the Buddhist community, of no concern to a minor figure like the Guanglin Prince.

Getting involved in such a vortex, the present emperor, who all along has been unwilling to return the throne of the Song state to the line of Taizu, would probably burst out laughing.

Or perhaps it's best to stay as far away as possible.

Having left the Guanglin prefecture city, Lin Ke paid no heed to Monk Nengqing's ferocious roars and denunciations, nor did he deliberately attend to Monk Liaochen and the other monks who had followed.

He simply led Mo Li, Monk Liaochen, and the other monks along the little path that Mo Li had deliberately arranged, walking in the opposite direction.

This time, however, Lin Ke walked very slowly, measuring each step, and entered every village he came upon.

Upon entering a village, he did only three things.

First, without using even a trace of supernatural power, he assisted the elderly, weak, sick, disabled, widowed, orphaned, and lonely who needed help.

He might chop wood, carry water, repair houses, reclaim wasteland, or till fields…

And he sought no reward.

Second, he gave lectures on the Buddhist Dharma.

Unsystematic, lacking clear purpose, not deliberate, saying whatever comes to mind, and not using obscure, awkward wording.

The general principle is only one: to guide people toward goodness.

Third is to seek alms.

Just like the monastic practice documentary Lin Ke had watched in his previous life about the Liaocheng Great Compassion Temple, they went door to door seeking alms, eating whatever donors gave, and it was fine if they gave nothing.

At first, Monk Liaochen and the other monks did not understand the purpose of Lin Ke's three practices.

Even some people began to waver.

However, no one actually quit halfway.

As they walked step by step, passed village after village, and did deed after deed, Monk Liaochen and the other monks gradually understood the true meaning of what Lin Ke was doing.

Cultivation means both practice and action.

Only practicing without acting is mere illusion; only acting without practice easily leads to bias.

Only by both practicing and acting—practicing then acting, acting while practicing, with practice and action mutually reinforcing and combining—can it be true cultivation, and thus great cultivation.

Self-awareness, awareness of others, and perfected conduct.

Gradually, Monk Liaochen and the other monks: some clearly understood the distinction among the three, and some clearly understood how to cultivate and verify the three.

When Monk Liaochen and the other monks had some realization, Lin Ke's great vow and actual actions could quell the monks' reproach and spread throughout the Buddhist temples of the Song State and neighboring countries.

A true Buddha in the world?

A Buddhist calamity?

I can't tell them apart for a moment!