Starting from Comprehensive Martial Arts: Bu Dao Lu

Chapter 779 'True Buddha'

This voice was extremely miserable and shrill. It suddenly sounded among the ruins and rubble, and even the temperature around seemed to drop a little. The sadness in the voice even made the rising sun feel like dusk.

Although the voice sounded like crying and laughing, and was hoarse and unpleasant, Xuanzang and the other two immediately recognized that the owner of the voice was the elder of the Zen temple - Master Jinchi.

Crossing the rubble, Xuanzang said to the ruins: "Amitabha, nice to meet you, Master."

Under a broken wall, Elder Jin Chi, who looked like a dried corpse, said in a very calm and hoarse voice, "Yesterday, I had an evil thought in my mind and nearly fell into the Avici Hell. Fortunately, the master is fine. I frightened you."

Originally, with Master Jin Chi's cultivation in the immortal realm, even if the Guanyin Temple caught fire, he would not be able to do anything to him. After all, how could a mere ordinary fire hurt the body of an immortal. However, although the fire last night was an ordinary fire, it was caused by the calamity energy, so naturally there was also calamity energy mixed in the fire. Master Jin Chi was invaded by the calamity energy yesterday, and his evil thoughts surged in his heart, so naturally he could not escape the fire. Fortunately, Master Jin Chi had good merits and luck, and after his own calamity energy was burned out, he was still kept alive by his own merits and luck.

The fire mixed with calamity energy was extremely terrifying. Not to mention Zen Master Jin Chi, even Bodhisattva Guanyin would not be able to endure it if she was bewitched by the calamity energy.

The fire of calamity does not depend on cultivation, but solely on calamity energy.

If it was a minor cultivator who had no karmic karma and was not bewitched by the calamity, this fire would not be able to hurt him. But if it was a powerful quasi-saint who was attacked by the calamity and had committed many sins, he would probably not be able to withstand this fire.

Xuanzang looked at the Zen Master Jinchi, who looked like a dried corpse, clasped his hands together, shook his head and said, "Zen Master, it is worth it to reverse good and evil in the catastrophe."

All the changes of last night were seen by Zen Master Jin Chi, who also knew that the strange strong wind yesterday must have been caused by Xuanzang and his two companions. This Guanyin Temple was the foundation built by Zen Master Jin Chi over hundreds of years, and now it was destroyed in one day, how could Zen Master Jin Chi remain indifferent.

However, after the fire of calamity burned his body and mind, Zen Master Jin Chi's state of mind changed drastically.

Moreover, the scream from Zen Master Jin Chi just now expressed the last bit of depression in his heart.

Elder Jin Chi, who had regained his composure at this time, did not have any thoughts in his mind even when he saw Xuanzang and the other two secretly burning down the Guanyin Temple!
Now, Master Jin Chi's heart is empty, peaceful and harmonious. There are three levels of Buddhist practice: at the beginning of practice, mountains are mountains and water is water; as practice deepens, mountains are no longer mountains and water is no longer water; after enlightenment, mountains are still mountains and water is still water.

In the past, Zen Master Jin Chi had a Zen temple, a great catastrophe, Guanyin, Buddhism, and himself in his heart; therefore, Zen Master Jin Chi saw mountains as mountains, water as water, Guanyin as the true Buddha, and himself as a Zen master.

But now Zen Master Jinchi only has Buddha in his heart, the real Buddha.

Zen Master Jin Chi said slowly, "To be honest with you, Master, for me, it is both worth it and not worth it."

"Master, I have devoted my whole heart to Buddhism since the beginning of my practice. At that time, my Buddha was Bodhisattva and Buddha, but not myself. If you say so from this point of view, my practice is not worth it."

"Master, there is a saying in the world that if you hear the truth in the morning, you can die in the evening. This ordeal has allowed me to see the true Buddha in my heart. From this point of view, it is worth it."

Master Jin Chi's words made Xuanzang silent for a while, then he said: "Master, I have the magical power of 'Buddha Kingdom in Palm', you can stay in my Buddha Kingdom temporarily, in the future..." Before Xuanzang finished speaking, he was interrupted by Master Jin Chi, who smiled and said: "Master, you are kind and compassionate, I understand! But today I have seen the true Buddha in my heart, and I have nothing to ask for. I don't want to let the true Buddha be covered in dust anymore, so I can only disappoint you."

Zen Master Jinchi's words made Xuanzang pause and he was speechless.

The path that Xuanzang followed was the path of the true Buddha. If Xuanzang saved Zen Master Jinchi at this time, he would be blocking him from pursuing the true Buddha's path. This was something that Xuanzang, who had sworn to heaven to spread the Dharma throughout the world, could never do.

Looking at the somewhat dejected Xuanzang, Zen Master Jinchi laughed and said, "All thoughts are from the heart, and compassion arises from the dust. Once all worldly desires are burned out, a forest of merit will rise from the fire."

After saying this, Zen Master Jin Chi tilted his head and fell silent.

Looking at the lifeless Zen Master Jinchi, Xuanzang and the other two were filled with sorrow.

In fact, although Master Jin Chi had evil thoughts towards Xuan Zang and had instigated the surrounding demons to cause the death of many lives, from the perspective of practice alone, Master Jin Chi was a very pure practitioner. His sincere devotion to Buddhism moved Guanyin Bodhisattva, who summoned him to Luojia Mountain to practice, which shows the purity of Master Jin Chi's mind! If Master Jin Chi had not practiced the Lingshan Buddhism back then, but had practiced the way to find the true Buddha in his heart, I am afraid that his current achievements would definitely be extraordinary.

It's just a pity! Missing it is also missing it!
Buddhism teaches that all beings are equal, but the Buddhist fruition is conferred by the Lingshan Buddha. This is extremely ironic. It is precisely because of the inequality in Lingshan Buddhism that Xuanzang established the true Buddha path!
For Xuanzang and Zen Master Jinchi, they themselves are Buddhas, and all living beings in heaven and earth are Buddhas, so why do they need to be conferred a title by Mount Lingshan?

Besides, how many of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats canonized at Lingshan were worthy of their positions because of their virtues and were not influenced by power, desire, or personal gain?
If a Buddhist disciple does not seek the truth or Buddha, but only seeks for the fruition, then what kind of Buddha is he practicing and what kind of Dharma is he learning?

If a decree from Mount Lingshan can determine the status of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arhat, then what is the difference between Buddhism and Heaven? If Buddhism is all about pursuing status and power, why join Buddhism? Heaven is the center of heaven and earth, the orthodoxy of heaven and earth, and the power of Heaven is much greater than that of Buddhism.

With the passing of Elder Jin Chi, the Guanyin Temple’s inheritance was completely cut off!
In the void, Mu Zha, who was on his way, stopped dead in his tracks and his face was filled with joy at the moment when Zen Master Jin Chi passed away!

Master Jinchi was not very prominent in the Luojia Mountain lineage, and Muzha had never paid attention to him. However, the Guanyin Temple's inheritance was cut off, and the Guanyin statue in the main hall had no source of incense, and would naturally disappear in the future. Muzha learned a little about the temple through the Guanyin statue in the temple!

At this time, Mu Zha, who knew about the disaster in the Zen temple, was so happy that he could hardly contain himself.

Before this, the disasters that Buddhism had arranged one after another all ended in vain. The Buddhist community was very worried about whether the direction of the great disaster between heaven and earth could really be controlled!

Now, the changes that have occurred in Guanyin Temple show that there is no problem with Buddhism’s major policies for dealing with the great catastrophes of heaven and earth.

Mu Zha didn't take a Guanyin temple and a Jinchi Zen Master seriously. There might not be many cultivators above the Golden Immortal Realm in the Guanyin Bodhisattva lineage, but there were definitely many cultivators above the Heavenly Immortal Realm, not to mention the Jinchi Zen Master in the Earthly Immortal Realm. If it weren't for Jinchi Zen Master's sincerity, he probably wouldn't even be worthy of Luojia Mountain's attention.

Now, Guanyin Temple not only confirmed that Buddhism’s plan was correct, but also eliminated a lot of the calamity of heaven and earth. In Mu Zha’s eyes, this was appropriate no matter how you looked at it.

(End of this chapter)