8mi Chapter 388: Sitting and Talking Under the Tree
Chapter 388: Sitting and Talking Under the Tree
As the old monk and Huitong entered Daliang Monastery one after the other, several other monks of varying ages and spiritual attainment hurriedly appeared. Although they were several beats slower to react, and had not yet realized where the Buddhist chants echoing throughout the monastery were coming from, they instinctively went to the Mingwang Buddha Inscription Hall.Sure enough, not long after, Huitong was seen slowly walking inside, accompanied by an old monk. The source of the Buddhist chanting immediately became clear; it was the old monk who was reciting them.
For some reason, just by seeing the old monk, the more spiritually accomplished monks of Daliang Monastery had a sudden realization. They didn’t ask any questions or say anything more, but simply performed a slight Buddhist bow in greeting.
Subsequently, a number of monks with even more exceptional wisdom and insight arrived. A considerable crowd of monks began to gather in front of the Mingwang Buddha Inscription Hall. Only a few monks simply went through the motions and continued with their daily tasks.
Daliang Monastery remained the same as it was, and the surrounding pilgrims continued to flow inside in an endless stream, but no one seemed to notice the current actions of these monks.
Ji Yuan lagged a little further behind, following from a distance of about twenty or thirty paces away, watching the pilgrims around him offering incense and paying their respects to the Buddha.
Although people were often indifferent to things outside their own interests, the current situation clearly conveyed a peculiar sense of detachment.
The princess and the lady-in-waiting had followed Ji Yuan and Huitong ever since they had started heading towards the monastery. Realizing that the old monk was very likely a high-ranking monk, they followed at a distance.
However, the two found that the number of pilgrims around them remained the unchanged, even despite Monk Huitong’s appearance and the emergence of many eminent monks from Daliang Monastery, which was rather strange.
Instead of approaching the group of monks at the front, the two carefully approached Ji Yuan.
“Are you Mr. Ji?”
The eldest princess asked politely first. Ji Yuan turned to look at the two women and nodded.
“That’s right. I am Ji.”
“Mr. Ji, don’t you think what’s happening around us is strange? This is quite unusual, these pilgrims…”
Ji Yuan looked around and smiled.
“Daliang Monastery has always been the national temple of the country of Tingliang. As the eldest princess and Attendant Lu are aware, Monk Huitong possessed true Buddhist teachings. Let me be frank: the Buddhist elder we are welcoming today is highly accomplished in Buddhist cultivation. These pilgrims are not being possessed by demons, but rather, the monks are the ones who are ‘wandering’ outside.”
After thinking for a moment, Ji Yuan explained it again in a way that ordinary people could understand.
“The eminent monks of Daliang Monastery and the surrounding crowd of monks have not actually disappeared from the public’s sight, but instead have been subconsciously ignored by those who have no alignment with Buddhism in their hearts, or whose Buddhist thoughts are not sincere. In their minds, everything they see and know is ordinary. They come to the monastery and its temple not to seek Buddha, but to seek profit. It is the principle of ‘I worship you, you protect me.’ Naturally, they cannot see the true meaning of Buddhism. In a sense, this is also a kind of obstacle to perception.”
The lady-in-waiting subconsciously asked another question.
“Then why can the princess and I see it? Are our Buddhist hearts are more sincere than most people’s?”
“Hahaha… Of course not. As I said, it’s not that the crowd can’t see the monks, but that they’ve overlooked them. You’ve been paying close attention to Master Huitong from the very beginning, how could you overlook him? Just stay here and watch quietly, this could be considered fate for you in a way.”
After saying this, Ji Yuan stood quietly and gazed towards the front of the main hall, saying no more.
The princess and the lady-in-waiting exchanged a glance, then took two steps closer to Ji Yuan and stood beside him, also looking towards the main hall.
As Ji Yuan’s mind gradually calmed, he could even faintly hear the echoes of the chanting, which grew louder and louder the more he listened.
“Wood becomes straight when bound by a rope, and metal becomes sharp when honed. This is truly the way of a high-ranking Buddhist monk. In this way, the monks of Daliang Monastery who truly have a Buddhist heart will benefit greatly and be more inclined towards the Dharma.”1
Ji Yuan spoke casually, but he noticed that the old monk, who had been chanting sutras in front of the hall, and who seemed to be a Buddhist incarnation, turned his head and glanced at him.
Seeing this, the eldest princess lowered her voice and whispered something to the lady-in-waiting2 beside her.
“This master has such keen hearing…”
However, the two quickly lost their inclination to banter, their eyes widening in surprise.
The Buddhist chanting at Daliang Monastery grew louder and louder, not only from the old monk’s thunderous voice, but also from the combined chanting of all the monks of Daliang Monastery.
Suddenly, the old monk who had been standing outside the hall stopped chanting, his clasped hands slowly lowering. His body did not move, but a semi-transparent figure emerged from his form.
The figure looked exactly like the old monk, but after taking only two steps away from the body, it gradually turned golden, and with each step it took towards the main hall its body grew larger and larger, eventually reaching the height of the doorway, then even taller the moment it entered the main hall.
The chanting of the monks at Daliang Monastery grew even louder as they watched this scene with excitement. The figure of the golden Buddha moved about without touching any of the pilgrims, yet the pilgrims would instinctively move to avoid him.
At last, the golden figure stood in the Mingwang Buddha Inscription Hall, facing the Buddha statue before him.
“Buddha’s body, my body, golden body, incarnate body, praise be…”
The golden figure bowed slightly to the Buddha statue, then stepped forward and finally merged into it.
At that moment, the incense offerings, prayers, and Buddhist scriptures seemed to be drawn in, all simultaneously flowing into the Buddha statue, making the already gilded statue even more magnificent.
The monks of Daliang Monastery bowed together in worship towards the main hall. The passing pilgrims seemed to be moved as well, subconsciously bowing towards the hall. Even the princess and the lady-in-waiting were inspired and joined in the bow.
Ji Yuan remained standing. It was not that he cared about saving face, but rather that he truly did not dare bow to the golden statue so casually, so he simply stood there calmly.
A dense aura of Buddhist power and faith permeated the entire Daliang Monastery. Although ordinary people could not see it, the clouds above the Mingwang Buddha Inscription Hall were vibrantly painted in color.
“Look at the sky, the clouds are colorful!”
“Hey, look!”
“Really? Colorful clouds have appeared over Daliang Monastery!”
“Mom, Mom, there are colorful clouds in the sky!”
“This is the manifestation of the Mingwang Buddha at Daliang Monastery!”
“The Buddha has appeared!”
“Quickly, pray! May I be blessed with great wealth this year!”
“May I find a good wife!”
…
Noticing the colorful clouds in the sky, the pilgrims were not only amazed and excited, but also prayed even more diligently to the Buddha statues in the various halls of Daliang Monastery, feeling that they had hit the jackpot that day, and that their prayers would surely bring them blessings.
After the princess finished her prayers, she realized that Ji Yuan had been standing still the whole time.
“Sir, you will not bow?”
“Hmm. It’s inconvenient for me to bow.”
Ji Yuan didn’t elaborate on how it would be inconvenient, and the princess didn’t press any further.
Such a spectacular sight was extremely rare. The royal family of Tingliang had always known that Daliang Monastery possessed true Buddhist teachings, and today they finally witnessed it firsthand.
After about a quarter of an hour, the 15 minutes, the chanting of Buddhist prayers throughout the temple gradually subsided, and the clouds in the sky returned to normal.
The old monk, surrounded by the monks of Daliang Monastery, descended the steps of the Mingwang Buddha Inscription Hall, signifying the successful manifestation of the Mingwang Buddha’s incarnation. Daliang Monastery would henceforth become a sacred Buddhist center.
The abbot of Daliang Monastery quickened his pace, walked over to Huitong and exchanged a glance with him, then approached the old monk, extending a hand in slightly excited invitation.
“Your Excellency, please come to the inner courtyard to rest!”
“Hmm, no rush!”
The old monk had a kind expression as he turned his gaze towards Ji Yuan, before walking over.
Seeing that the old monk was clearly heading in his direction, Ji Yuan turned to the princess and the lady-in-waiting and said:
“You two should head back. Master Huitong has been quite unavailable lately. Even though it is understandable to pursue a lover, he is, after all, a monk. Let’s give him some leeway.”
The eldest princess wasn’t stupid; she knew that the person in front of her was definitely a master. She had previously heard that he was a scholar from Dazhen, and wondered how a scholar could have traveled so far, but now she understood.
The distinguished guests at Daliang Monastery today were likely all highly accomplished Buddhist figures, almost akin to immortals. While she could still be arrogant towards Huitong, she felt awe and reverence towards these extraordinary individuals.
“Alright, sir, please remember to tell Master Huitong that Ruyan will come to see him again in a while.”
“Okay, I’ll pass it on.”
The two women respectively gave him a slight curtsy and a respectful bow with clasped hands, then glanced at the group of monks, before leaving together.
The old monk ignored the two departing women, approaching Ji Yuan instead. His gaze pierced through the concealment and swept over the Green Vine Sword floating behind Ji Yuan, before greeting him with a Buddhist bow.
“How about we go to the back courtyard for a chat, sir?”
Ji Yuan glanced at Huitong and several other eminent monks from Daliang Monastery, then solemnly returned the greeting with a cupped-hand bow.
“Lead the way, Master!”
The old monk in his worn yellow robe and Ji Yuan in his white robe led the way. The abbot of Daliang Monastery quickly looked left and right at the monks beside him. Hui Tong understood and leaned closer to whisper.
“Abbot, this is an old friend of mine, a highly accomplished Immortal.”
“I see!”
…
Ji Yuan and the old monk did not go to any elaborate Buddhist hall, but instead walked around the inner courtyard for a while, before they stopped under a large, lush tree. A monk brought two prayer cushions, and the two sat down there.
Most of the other monks were dismissed, leaving only the abbot of Daliang Monastery, Huitong, and three other elderly monks accompanying them. However, all of them only dared to stand.
“I came to Daliang Monastery only to reveal the golden body of the Buddha statue as an incarnation, but I never expected to meet such a highly accomplished immortal as you. It seems that Daliang Monastery is even better than I thought!”
“Likewise, I came to Daliang Temple to greet a friend, but I never expected to witness an incarnation personally chosen by the Mingwang Buddha.”
“Where is your place of practice, sir?”
Ji Yuan shrugged.
“There are no Taoist temples in my hometown, in Ji Province of Dazhen.”
The old monk Foyin stared intently at Ji Yuan, his gaze meeting Ji Yuan’s pale eyes.
“I see. Truly, the world is indeed vast and full of extraordinary people! If you ever come visit Lan Province in the Western Regions, you are welcome to visit my branch hall of the Mingwang Buddha of Inscription’s monastery.”
“You’re too kind, Master. I will visit when I have the chance. By the way, speaking of Lan Province in the Western Regions, I have a question for you. Do you know anything about Jade Fox Cave?”
The old monk smiled.
“I do know some. There are many fox demons and fox spirits that cultivate there. The foxes in the Jade Fox Cave are sometimes demonic, sometimes spiritual. Their actions are ambiguous, sometimes righteous and sometimes evil, and some of them are ruthless. You ask this because you have encountered them before?”
Ji Yuan nodded.
“Yes, there was a fox that once tried to steal my Green Vine Sword.”
The immortal sword trembled slightly, and a soft hum resounded.
The old monk was clearly taken aback. Which fox was so bold? Then he immediately realized that the fox must have only seen the immortal sword and failed to see through Ji Yuan’s almost constant state of being one with heaven and earth.
T/n: my fingers keep trying to spell monastery as either momastery or moanstery and both feel like actual mental attacks on my psyche
i.e. the more effort you put into it, the better your results. JY is saying this because the more he focuses on the chanting, the clearer the chanting becomes, so monks who put in the effort to listen will be rewarded. I keep translating this as “female official,” but an alternate translation is “lady-in-waiting.” I was unsure because it seems she does a lot of secretarial tasks, not just maid-related stuff, but I went back and changed it because “lady-in-waiting” made more sense.