Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Chapter 662: Zhang Zhiwei on Immortals and Buddhas, Transmission and Initiation

"Little donor, you are obsessed!"

Master Henglin did not continue to explain to Zhang Huaiyi.

He had already seen clearly that the young Taoist priest in front of him did not want to listen to the teachings, but just wanted to know about his senior brother's current condition. No matter how much he said, it would be like talking to a deaf person.

He skipped the question and continued to preach.

Not getting an answer, Zhang Huaiyi stopped asking.

After he sat down, he realized something belatedly. He seemed to have asked some too stupid questions just now and wasted an opportunity to ask for advice.

Zhang Huaiyi wanted to raise his hand again to ask something constructive, but after thinking about it, he gave up.

Because just now, someone didn't understand something and wanted to ask Master Henglin for help, but Master Henglin acted as if he didn't see it and just continued talking about his own thing.

Master Henglin did this not out of deliberate neglect, but the purpose of his lecture on Buddhist principles this time was to enable the remaining monks of the Tiantai Sect to see their true nature and not be blinded by hatred, so that they would know what to do next.

As for the others, they were just listening in. If he was in the mood, he could answer some questions, but he couldn't put the cart before the horse and spend too much time on these people.

The most important thing is that Zhang Huaiyi's question just now somewhat ruined his mood.

Seeing this, the others also gave up the idea of ​​seeking advice from Master Henglin.

No one asked questions, so Master Henglin's efficiency in lecturing was greatly improved. However, he still spent the entire sutra from morning to late at night, and from late at night to the dawn...

The entire explanation of the Diamond Sutra was finally completed until the morning sun rose.

Master Henglin said in a deep voice: "Now that the explanation of the Diamond Sutra has ended, I will give you a reminder at the end, a very important reminder."

When saying this, Master Henglin's gaze moved to the right, looking somewhere, but he only glanced at it once before looking it back, and many people did not notice it.

Zhang Zhiwei noticed that the direction Master Henglin was looking in was exactly the direction where Master Zuo was.

I only heard Master Henglin say: "When we practice, we must achieve 'not to generate Dharma images'. What does it mean to not to generate Dharma images? In fact, it means not to create anything in our mind."

"If you want to become a Buddha, don't think of yourself as a Buddha in your subconscious mind. If you want to become an immortal, don't think of yourself as an immortal in your mind."

"Everyone's understanding of Buddha, immortality, and Taoism is different. Why is it different?"

"Because it is created by your own subjectivity, it is created by your own mind. Therefore, you should not create the Dharma image by yourself, and do not look for it anymore..."

Don’t create your own Dharma image... Zuo Rutong muttered to himself the advice given to him by Master Henglin. He naturally knew that Master Henglin was speaking to him.

As Master An Henglin said, all the ancestors of their Sanyi Sect, and even all the disciples, have created their own Dharma images and have created a predetermined path to becoming an immortal in their hearts, as well as an image of what they will look like after becoming an immortal.

He had found his way through this path, and he had achieved the state of becoming an immortal, but... he did not become an immortal. If he had not met his friend Zhiwei, he would have ended in a bleak way, and the future of Trinity Sect would have been hard to predict.

Since I don’t want to generate Dharma images by myself, am I still generating Dharma images by myself now? Zuo Ruotong asked himself.

He immediately shook his head. Even though he had recently been practicing the Saint Thief Technique, he did not regard it as a way to become an immortal. He just wanted it to increase his lifespan.

To himself, it is just a tool, a crutch that allows him to go further on the path of seeking the truth. It is not the goal, and naturally it is not a self-generated Dharma image.

So...what about the heaven-reaching and immortality that you seek?
A single leaf can block the view of the mountain. Ever since Zuo Rutong figured out that the third level of rebirth could lead to immortality, he has undoubtedly seen farther.

But the farther I look, the emptier it feels.

Perhaps, what I want is this space...

"Zuo Ruotong has benefited a lot. Thank you, Master!"

The left chief walked out from the darkness, came before Master Henglin, bowed and said.

He had noticed Master Henglin's gaze earlier, and since the other party had pointed it out, he would no longer stand in the dark.

"This time I am only giving lectures to my fellow disciples of Tiantai Sect. Master Zuo's cultivation and virtue are both above mine. Why should I thank him?" said Master Henglin.

"Master Henglin, you are too polite. All I have learned in my life has been devoted to skills. You are the ones who are ahead in the path of seeking the truth!" Zuo Rutong said in a deep voice.

"We are just standing on the shoulders of our ancestors. We are nothing, nothing!"

Master Henglin sighed and immediately looked into the darkness: "Ox Nose, you have the nerve to do it, but you don't have the nerve to see others?"

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. Who made the highly respected Shaolin abbot so angry?
Soon, they saw a tall old Taoist priest walking out from the darkness. It was the Heavenly Master Zhang Jingqing.

"Master!"

Zhang Zhiwei hurried over to pay his respects.

Zhang Jingqing nodded to him. He didn't say much about Zhang Zhiwei's behavior this time.

This time the Tiantai Sect's inheritance was almost cut off. He had not intended to do such a drastic thing, but plans could not keep up with changes.

He planned that when a certain level was reached, Master Henglin would step forward and convert those monks, just like he did just now.

But unexpectedly, Master Henglin sat there for so long that he didn't appear until Zhang Zhiwei had finished cleaning up.

Zhang Jingqing appeared, and others also went over to see the Heavenly Master.

The monk from the Tiantai Sect looked at Zhang Jingqing with a complicated expression.

It was impossible to say that their disaster had nothing to do with the old Taoist priest in front of them.

However, there was not much hatred in their eyes. Master Henglin's day and night of Buddhist teachings were not in vain. They did not say that they had let go of all grudges, but they were no longer attached to them.

In short, they dislike the Taoist priests of Mount Longhu, but they will not take revenge on them.

"Master, your speech is so good that I cannot bear to interrupt you. I apologize for being a little rude!"

Zhang Jingqing smiled apologetically.

Although Master Henglin called him Old Ox Nose, he had just used a harsh trick on the other party, so it was just a few calls of ox nose. Let him call you that if he wants to.

"Good? Why is it good?" Master Henglin looked at everyone and said, "I am not very knowledgeable. After I finished speaking, you are still confused. Does the Heavenly Master have anything to add?"

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Zhang Jingqing eagerly.

The Shaolin abbot had just finished preaching Buddhism. Could it be that the Dragon and Tiger Heavenly Master was going to preach again? If so, this trip would be a real profit.

Zuo Rutong also looked at Zhang Jingqing, wondering what his old friend would think.

Master Henglin had said this, so Zhang Jingqing did not refuse. He pondered for a moment and said:
"The Tao that can be spoken is not the real Tao. Your Buddhist teachings are obscure, and my Taoist teachings are actually not that easy to understand either."

"You can gain something from listening to one person, but you will also have some doubts. If you listen to more than one person, you won't gain more, but your doubts may increase."

"After all, the principles are the same, but everyone has their own doubts. So, what I have said may only add to your troubles."

"Amitabha, according to the Heavenly Master's opinion, what should we do?" Master Henglin asked again.

Zhang Jingqing smiled and said, "The so-called Taoism and the so-called Buddhism, if you really talk about them, it will take three days and three nights to finish, so I will make it short and use a Confucian saying to describe it." Although the three religions seem to be distinct, they have been passed down for thousands of years and have actually been merging with each other, taking the essence of each and removing the dross.

Therefore, those who are successful in one aspect are often also good in the other two aspects.

Zhang Jingqing said slowly: "This sentence is very high and wise, and the way is the mean. The destiny is called nature, following nature is called the way, and cultivating the way is called teaching. The way cannot be separated for a moment. If it can be separated, it is not the way."

He explained: "What is the Tao? It is extremely high and yet it is moderate. It is the most ordinary. It does not come or go. It is right here. This is the Tao that follows the laws of nature. This is the Buddha that does not generate any dharma."

Zuo Rutong was thoughtful. The Trinity School follows the principle of the unity of three religions. He uses Confucianism to regulate his own morality, treats outsiders with the compassion of Buddhism, and practices his own cultivation with Taoism.

He definitely knew the most about Confucianism among the three, so this sentence had the greatest impact on him.

As for Zhang Zhiwei, he didn't feel deeply about it. These things could hardly influence him anymore.

"Clap clap clap..."

Master Henglin applauded: "This sentence from Lao Niubizi is worth a day and a night of my time!"

Zhang Jingqing shook his head: "That's an exaggeration. My words are of little significance to you. They are not even half as meaningful as the abbot's teachings on Buddhism."

Sure enough, the next moment, someone asked:
"Master, what you said is too profound, far beyond the realm of people like us. Why don't you just tell me how to apply this to practice?"

Zhang Jingqing closed his eyes and did not answer. The master can only lead you to the door, but the practice depends on yourself. There is no answer to this.

Master Henglin also smiled but said nothing.

At this time, Wudang Zhou Sheng, who had been listening attentively and without saying anything, suddenly said:
"I do understand a little bit. What the Heavenly Master and the Abbot meant is that a person who truly practices cultivation should have a mentality of practicing without any effort. If you add an effort to practice, you are attached to the appearance."

He has always been like this, under the shade of trees, riding a donkey upside down on Mount Wudang, the sun shining brightly. He leans on the donkey's back, crosses his legs, holds the Taoist Canon in his hands, and reads aloud with cadence, watching his fellow disciples practicing hard with a smile.

The masters always said that he was lazy, and in fact he was really lazy, but he insisted that it was the natural way.

Unexpectedly, after hearing what the Taoist priest said, he realized that he seemed to have really run into it by accident.

At this time, Zhou Sheng never imagined that decades later, he would meet a successor who was even lazier than himself.

Zhou Sheng's words were quickly refuted by someone.

The person who refuted it was Zhang Huaiyi, the newly promoted champion of Longhu Mountain. He only said:

"I don't know what the Tao follows nature, but Brother Zhou Sheng said that not working hard is working hard, and working too hard is being attached to appearances. This is definitely wrong."

He pointed at Zhang Zhiwei and said, "As far as I know, my senior brother is the most diligent in his practice. If what you said is true, then he must be very attached to appearances!"

"This……"

Zhou Sheng didn't know how to answer. If Zhang Huaiyi used other people as examples, he would definitely argue with him, but since he used Zhang Zhiwei as an example, he had nothing to say.

Others looked at Zhang Zhiwei, wanting to know what the young master thought.

Zhang Zhiwei was thinking about something in his mind and pretended not to hear.

Master Henglin also looked over. When he was talking about Buddhism, he actually showed preference to this old friend's disciple.

When Zhang Huaiyi asked a question before, he was ostensibly answering Zhang Huaiyi's questions, but he was actually speaking to Zhang Zhiwei in a covert way.

Now it seems that he has gained something, so he might as well talk about it.

Everyone looked at Zhang Zhiwei, waiting for his answer, even Master Henglin, but Zhang Zhiwei ignored them at all, which made Zhang Jingqing unable to sit still.

"The abbot is asking you a question." Zhang Jingqing squinted at him.

Zhang Zhiwei came back to his senses, asked Tian Jinzhong about the reason, and said with a smile:
"What is attachment to form or not? What is natural or unnatural? If you deliberately pursue naturalness, then that is unnatural. If you deliberately pursue non-attachment to form, then that itself is a kind of attachment to form."

"So, don't be fooled by the words in the Buddhist scriptures and Taoist scriptures. The so-called non-birth of Dharma and the natural law of the Tao are actually a very ordinary state."

"As for what realm it is? It's just like you are now, not thinking too much, focusing on yourself, and being calm in your heart."

"In short, don't imagine that the realms of Buddhas and immortals are so lofty. Perhaps they are very ordinary, just like us ordinary mortals."

Zhang Zhiwei has always had this mentality. He has no opponent, and those immortals and Buddhas are not his opponents.

Whether he is the king of rolls or any other name, he is always rolling himself.

If there is no image in the mind, how can one be attached to image?
On the other hand, Zhang Huaiyi was obsessed with surpassing him in terms of means, which was the real problem.

Zhang Zhiwei’s words make people even more confused. Aren’t immortals and Buddhas the beings that are revered and pursued by everyone in the world?

Even if some people don't pursue it, it's not that they don't want to, but they dare not think about it. How can it be said from the words of the little Taoist priest, as if it's no big deal?

Everyone wanted to refute Zhang Zhiwei and tell him that he was wrong. The realm of immortals and Buddhas was very high, so high that it was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But because that was what Zhang Zhiwei said, they did not dare to refute it.

"The realm of the little celestial master is truly beyond words!" Master Henglin exclaimed in praise.

Afterwards, he looked at the monks of the Tiantai Sect and recited the Diamond Sutra. These monks also gained a lot. Among them, the monk Deyun, who had questioned Ku Rong in the first place, had a compassionate look on his face.

"Good at fighting, good at fighting, there is another one who is worthy of the task!" Master Henglin breathed a sigh of relief.

He held up Master Kurong's head in both hands, called Deyun to his side, and wanted to give him enlightenment.

"Do you need us to step aside?" Zhang Jingqing asked.

"No need, it only takes a moment!"

Master Henglin waved his hand and said, he placed one hand on the top of Master Kurong's head and the other hand on the top of Monk Deyun's head.

"Deyun, next, I will give you the initiation and ordination. Although the initiation is a method of Tantric Buddhism, this method does not come from Tantric Buddhism, but from the fifth ancestor of your Tiantai Sect, the initiation master!"

The fifth patriarch of the Tiantai Sect was called Master Guanding.

Monk Deyun's face was moved. He put his hands together and chanted:
"Amitabha, the lessons of the past are a warning to those who come after us. I will take them as a warning."

"Well done, well done. The dirt on the body and mind is just like a glass bottle. Namo Sadhatha, Sugataye, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha..."

Master Henglin chanted the initiation mantra, and while placing his hand on Master Deyun's head, he suddenly clenched it into a fist and smashed it down with a hammer.

In an instant, the hammer emitted golden light, and the entire ceremony was filled with light, as if a scorching sun had suddenly risen.

Everyone wanted to see the specific details clearly, but they only felt as if the sun was appearing across the sky, and they felt infinite light and infinite heat.

Tears flowed from their eyes and they could not help but close them, not daring to look anymore.

Only Zhang Zhiwei had a pair of eyes as big as copper bells, with golden flames boiling in them, reflecting a huge figure.

(End of this chapter)