Chapter 406

Walking the world, measuring it with footsteps, practicing the Dharma—that is a manifestation-body Buddha.

Empty Silence Abbott had long said that Liu Junyan would one day walk the world.

As for when this opportunity will arrive, there is no fixed time.

When the time comes, Liu Junyan will clearly sense it himself.

"There is only one Dharma-body Buddha and one Reward-body Buddha, but manifestation-body Buddhas can be many."

Empty Silence Abbott continued: "Back when Buddhist teachings in Zàng Qū fell into turmoil, the faithful followers of the three systems have always been active around Mount Song; the reincarnated spirit child's soul will sooner or later gather on Mount Song, so the heart lamp has lain dormant for years, waiting only for the Dharma-body Buddha—once the Dharma-body Buddha appears in the world, his task is done."

So that's how it is.

I unconsciously rubbed my belly, my heart a mix of feelings: "In other words, if this little guy is born safely, he will surely enter the monastic life, right?"

He is different from Liu Junyan.

Liu Junyan's status is set; even if the opportunity arrives, he must walk the world for at least ten years, and after ten years, if he wishes to return to ordinary life, he may do so.

After all, broadly speaking, anyone in the world who voluntarily practices the Dharma could be regarded as a manifestation-body Buddha.

But the Dharma-body Buddha and Reward-body Buddha must remain within the Buddhist gate.

Their identities do not change with reincarnation.

Empty Silence Abbott nodded: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, you and your son share a karmic bond in this life—what is that if not a great fortune?"

Empty Silence Abbott was pointing at me.

Because this little guy exists, my path to Nirvana may become somewhat easier.

Having obtained this great fortune, I can no longer harbor any other extravagant wishes.

The Little Guy is essentially a Buddhist; his coming into my belly for a turn is to ferry me across.

"I understand."

Fang Chuan Zong beside him furrowed his brows: "Abbot, according to your saying, the Dharma-body Buddha will ultimately return to the Buddhist fold; then what about the Reward-body Buddha? I mean, can we still bring the Copper Coin Person back to the pawnshop?"

"Afraid not." Empty Silence Abbott said, "The Eighth Po, which is what you call the Copper Coin Person, was originally split off from Dahui Chan Master himself, left as a vessel for the Reward-body Buddha; now that the soul has returned to its place, he ought to remain in the Great Dharma King Temple, continuing Dahui Chan Master's unfulfilled mission of that year."

Furthermore, the Reincarnated Spirit Child's soul has just coalesced; the rites on the altar platform are not yet finished, the soul is unstable, and outside there are so many eyes watching; if it gets scattered again… waiting for the Reward-body Buddha to return to its place would likely take another thousand years.

So let him stay; in the future, when the Dharma-body Buddha is born, the Reward-body Buddha will go together with the Dharma-body Buddha to the Buddhist tradition of Zàng Qū, to restart the source of Buddhism and set things right.

Hearing this, I immediately felt uneasy: "Going together to Zàng Qū Buddhism? That's a dragon's pool and tiger's den!"

Empty Silence Abbott, however, urged me to calm down: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, Zàng Qū indeed harbors a wave of wicked-hearted false monks, and what we are doing now is not exactly to split this force and wipe them out in one sweep?"

Fang Chuan Zong gave a cold snort: "Wipe them out in one sweep? Easier said than done! Judging by the information I hold, their influence has already spread to every corner of the Floral State; taking a single Wufu Town nearly cost us half our lives, let alone Huicheng, and even farther, South of the Ridges a thousand li away also suffers greatly—what do we have to wipe them out in one sweep?!"

"Perhaps in your eyes this is an Arabian night tale, but for me, the most difficult step we have already successfully completed; everything ahead is smooth sailing."

When Empty Silence Abbott said these words, his eyes shone.

He said: "Within the Buddhist tradition there is a widely celebrated classic allusion called the 'Nine Dragons Bathing'."

Fang Chuan Zong immediately interjected: "I know this; it says that when the Buddha was born, nine dragons spat warm or cold water from the sky to bathe the Buddha, right?"

Empty Silence Abbott nodded: "This allusion is recorded in both the Sutra of the Collection of the Buddha's Conduct and the Sutra of Bathing the Buddha, and is also manifested in artistic works such as the Dunhuang grottoes and the Dazu stone carvings; thus Dahui Chan Master originally surmised that to have the true Buddha return to its place and bring Buddhism back onto the orthodox path, one might need to approach it from the aspects of dragon, dragon vein, or dragon qi."

Dragon, Dragon Vein or Dragon Qi…

When Empty Silence Abbott spoke these words, it seemed to have a fated connection with our previous encounters.

"As for the theory of dragon veins, opinions vary widely and have never been unified from ancient times to the present; but whether it is three major dragons, fourteen, or more than twenty, no view mentions nine dragon veins, so Dahui Chan Master's view is that the saying of the Nine Dragons Bathing mostly has nothing to do with dragon veins."

"Then what remains are only the dragon and dragon qi aspects; from his own practice and the areas and events he has been involved in, he leans more toward dragon qi, meaning someone wishes to draw nine strands of dragon qi from outside into Zàng Qū to reenact the flourishing era of the Nine Dragons Bathing and produce a true Buddha."

At this moment, besides shock, what Empty Silence Abbott said—Dahui Chan Master's view from back then—linked our earlier speculation fragments together in an instant, making the context instantly clear.

Our feelings were excited; the veil that had long shrouded our eyes was finally lifted, as if we suddenly had a forward goal.

The Dragon-Locking Formation beneath Ox Tiger Mountain, Chen Ping's half-body dragon qi, the Dragon-Locking Pagoda in the depths of the Linghai Forbidden Ground… all more or less relate to dragon qi.

I was a bit curious: "Could the seal that Dahui Chan Master placed beneath the Cloud Chan Temple in South of the Ridges also be a strand of dragon qi?"

Fang Chuan Zong said: "This is hard to say, but we can personally make a trip to South of the Ridges to find out."

Liu Junyan, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke: "We can make a trip to South of the Ridges; I even suspect that beneath the Cloud Chan Temple lies a piece of my Golden Scale—seeing is believing, only by going myself to investigate can I set my mind at ease."

Empty Silence Abbott laughed, patting Liu Junyan's shoulder and saying: "I haven't misjudged you; every word and deed of Liu Qiye bears the demeanor of a responding-body Buddha."

I felt a little uneasy in my heart—… is this beginning now?

Liu Junyan's big hand patted mine under the table, giving me a reassuring look.

I silently let out a breath.

Fang Chuan Zong stretched out a big yawn, saying: "We've finished all we needed to discuss; now that we have a new direction, what are we waiting for? I have friends over in South of the Ridges—let's just go straight there and kill them."

I sought Liu Junyan's opinion: "Āyàn, what do you think?"

"Delay is inadvisable," Liu Junyan said. "The three Buddhas appearing together—tonight's events may already have spread; the longer we delay, the worse for us. Holding onto a single Dharma-body Buddha is already no easy feat; since we cannot take the Reward-body Buddha with us, we'll have to trouble the Abbott, and we'll return as soon as possible."

Empty Silence Abbott solemnly said: "Dahui Chan Master is to me like a teacher and a father; protecting his legacy is also my duty. After the Dharma platform concludes, I will guide the Reward-body Buddha into the Turning Wheel Tower, enter closed-door cultivation, and await your good news."