69novels Chapter 88 The Grand Dharma Platform
Chapter 88 The Grand Dharma Platform
The clone quickly followed up with a question:
"Fudoji Temple... My ancestors were locals from this area, so why have I never heard of it?"
The middle-aged monk was about to answer,
Suddenly, an old man's cough came from the back of the hall.
An old monk in worn robes was seen leaning on a bamboo cane.
He walked slowly out from under the eaves and stood still.
What caught Bai Sheng's attention was the title that the old monk wore, which surprised him greatly.
[General Court]
General Court?
This seems to be a term used in Tantric Buddhism, right?
It is equivalent to the abbot of a local temple.
"Master, you're back?"
The student monk turned around upon hearing the sound and quickly asked.
The old monk first instructed the middle-aged monk:
"Wash a few more taro roots from the dining hall."
The middle-aged monk was sent away.
Then the old monk turned to look at the clone, and slightly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"The Fudo-ji Temple that you just asked about is the predecessor of this temple."
During the mid-Ming Dynasty, Fudong Temple was an extremely prestigious Buddhist center, boasting over a thousand monks at its peak, with incense burning for miles around!
Bai Sheng was slightly startled. A thousand monks—that was no small number.
After all, monks do not participate in production; they rely entirely on offerings from believers.
The daily expenses for feeding and caring for thousands of people were almost unbelievable in an era of low productivity.
Actually, what's even more outrageous is not this.
If these thousand monks had all been exposed to some methods of Dharma protectors and demon subduing,
That was a complete disaster!
A terrifyingly powerful cultivation legion.
A thousand monks, in a direct confrontation, could easily crush tens of thousands of imperial troops!
Such a terrifying force, capable of shaking the very foundations of a region's rule, left local officials with no peace of mind, day and night.
Even the most powerful emperor would be restless and would stop at nothing to eliminate it.
It seems that the calamity that led to the downfall of the Ming Dynasty was largely related to this overwhelming power!
"Tsk tsk tsk, the end of a dynasty is truly a time of chaos."
Bai Sheng couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Throughout history, it's not surprising that all sorts of chaotic phenomena emerged at the end of each dynasty.
Just ask,
Are local officials even able to sleep peacefully at night?
How can you sleep at your age?
The old monk, oblivious to Bai Sheng's wandering thoughts, continued:
Later, the temple suffered the calamity of being wiped out, and with the ravages of war, its Buddhist teachings were cut off, and by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Budong Temple had fallen into complete ruin.
The temples collapsed and the scriptures were lost; all the eminent monks passed away.
The Longyin Temple that exists today is merely a dilapidated temple that was poorly rebuilt on the original site by later generations.
There are fewer than five monks left; the once glorious era, when the Buddha's light shone everywhere, is long gone!
At this point, the old monk seemed to have fallen into endless reverie.
Then, coming to his senses, he said very directly.
"You must not have gotten lost and wandered here."
This place is remote, and the mountain road ends halfway up the mountain. Even pilgrims rarely come up here.
"Now that you've come, why not speak plainly about your purpose?"
Bai Sheng, through the perspective of his clone,
Looking into the old monk's wise eyes,
They realized that their previous explanations were no longer effective.
After all, even he himself thought it was ridiculous.
Bai Sheng naturally wouldn't hide anything.
He just wanted to make his presence known by talking to the old monk and see if the system could reveal any benefits to him.
So he asked, "Master, could you perform some rituals for me, or offer me blessings?"
The old monk did not immediately answer Bai Sheng's question.
To be honest, it's really absurd.
This young man doesn't even consider himself a human being.
They just told me a lie to fool me.
What kind of ritual or blessing do you want to perform? Do you really think you can find such a small, dilapidated temple to come to me for it?!
Oh well, why bother with these useless things?
He tapped his bamboo cane lightly on the ground.
"What kind of ritual would you like to have performed, benefactor?"
Bai Shengrang's clone smiled and said, "To be honest, Master, I've been feeling like things aren't going well lately, and I haven't been sleeping very well either."
It's rare to climb this mountain and find a real temple here.
Now all the temples in the city have become tourist attractions, and the entrance fees are more expensive than the incense money!
I would like to ask a monk to recite a sutra for me, or even just a simple prayer.
After he finished speaking, he added, "It doesn't matter what form it takes, whatever is convenient for you, Master."
The middle-aged monk who had just been sent away suddenly reappeared:
"Please come in with me, sir."
Bai Sheng's clone instantly understood; they were going to take him inside to kneel before the Buddha statue.
The old monk glanced almost imperceptibly at Bai Sheng's clone, then said, "No need to kneel!"
Praying before Buddha requires sincerity; kneeling is not always necessary.
Good guy,
That old monk really knows how to do business!
The old monk took two steps toward the main hall, then turned back to look at his clone.
"This humble monk observes that the benefactor's aura is clear and his divine light is restrained, unlike the appearance of misfortune."
However, since you have spoken, I will recite a chapter of the Heart Sutra for you. Donations are not required; please feel free to do so.
Bai Sheng's heart skipped a beat.
This old monk certainly has some discernment.
A clone is formed from condensed true essence; a clear aura and restrained divine light are standard features of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
He might not actually be talking complete nonsense.
the other side,
The old monk walked to the incense table in the main hall, picked up a string of old Buddhist beads offered before the Buddha, and sat cross-legged on the prayer mat.
The middle-aged monk brought over a butter lamp from under the eaves.
He placed it beside the incense table and then quietly withdrew.
The old monk closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and began chanting sutras, his withered fingers twisting the prayer beads one by one.
This kind of chanting doesn't sound as perfunctory as reciting scriptures.
Each syllable was pronounced with emphasis and conviction.
The voice seemed to possess a steady, penetrating power.
It enveloped the entire hall.
Bai Sheng had his clone stand under the eaves outside the hall, without going in to disturb them.
After all, no one came to him or told him what to do.
He was completely sprawled out on his own sofa.
Hearing those ancient chants through the ears of his clone,
After reciting a complete copy of the Heart Sutra, the old monk slowly opened his eyelids.
He placed the prayer beads back on the altar and stood up, leaning on his bamboo cane.
He looked at his clone outside the hall and nodded slightly: "Alright, this humble monk has presented your request to the Buddha on your behalf."
Whether it works or not depends on the individual's own fate.
Bai Sheng was about to have his clone express his gratitude.
Suddenly, a few lines of small black text appeared before my eyes.
"As expected, they've arrived," Bai Sheng thought to himself.
You sit and discuss the Dao with the abbot of Longyin Temple, listening to him chant sutras and pray for blessings.
The sound of chanting filled my ears, and my mind became clear and tranquil. The tension in my mind that had been building up for many days was finally relieved.
You sensed that although there was no spiritual energy fluctuation within this old monk, the power of his vows, accumulated over decades of chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha, was extremely pure.
Such aspirations have a subtle but profound effect on stabilizing a cultivator's state of mind and resisting inner demons.
[Mindset: LV1→LV2]
[Cultivation Points +2]