Chapter 29: The Prose Hall

Master Fang Zheng asked this question. He sat on the cushion with a kind look and smiled, waiting for the monks to answer it. The monks lowered their heads and pondered. Yue Buqun and others were guests, sitting in a solemn and did not dare to be rude.

After a while, the old monk Fang Yan slowly said, "The sick tiger and hungry wolf are alive in an instant. Even though the Buddhist scriptures have great vows, they cannot be saved. If I were that monk, I should pick up the butcher knife, take one arm to feed the wolf..."

Tang Jinlou turned his head to look at Yue Buqun, but saw him showing disdain, but he disappeared in an instant. Tang Jinlou thought to himself: This question is too simple. If I ask me to answer, I will say this, but what is the point of just saying this?

Master Fang Zheng raised his eyebrows and said, "What?" The old monk Fang Yan closed his eyes slightly, sighed, and said, "Then I walked to the sick tiger. I cut off my own flesh with one knife and feed the tiger."

After the old monk Fang Yan finished speaking, hundreds of monks sang in unison: "Amitabha!" The voice was overwhelming, and when everyone heard the sound of Sanskrit singing faintly. Tang Jinlou couldn't help but change his color. No matter how "unpleasant" the Buddhist teachings they discussed were, the brilliant internal strength that showed with the sound was enough to move him.

Fang Sheng smiled slightly and said, "Senior Brother Fang Yan has great perseverance and can easily abandon his body and feed tigers and wolves with it. I admire him." Even though he really admired him, once he said it on this occasion, he must have different opinions.

Fang Yan said: "What do you think of Junior Brother Fang Sheng?"

Fang Sheng said, "I think the monk goes forward whenever he wants to go forward, retreat whenever he wants to go, go wherever he should go, and go wherever he should go."

After saying this, Tang Jinlou suddenly became interested. After all, new answers always had to be more impressive. Moreover, the monk did not commit suicide in this answer, which was much more feasible for those who were interested in being "noble".

Fang Yan lowered his eyebrows and asked, "Buddhist scattered the world, so when I saw a sick tiger and hungry wolf, my life was in a short time. I had to sacrifice myself to save sentient beings. This is also in line with the essence of my Buddha's self-sacrifice to save others. What Brother Fang Sheng said, I don't know what I explained?"

Fang Sheng smiled and suddenly said, "Is there really a tiger ahead?"

Fang Yan was slightly stunned, and Fang Sheng said continuously: "There are really hungry wolves behind? Are there really cliffs? Are there really Buddhist scriptures butcher knives?"

Fang Yan's face changed drastically, he closed his eyes slightly, and his expression was struggling. Fang Sheng chanted the scriptures softly, silently.

Tang Jinlou was confused when he heard it. Seeing Chong Xu sitting opposite him, he was smiling mysteriously. Yue Buqun beside him narrowed his eyes lightly, as if he was closing his eyes to rest.

Tang Jinlou was puzzled and had to laugh at himself: It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand, the key is not to show it, you have to learn from your master... You have to pretend to understand if you don’t understand.

Suddenly, Yue Buqun whispered: "Lou'er, Yan'er, and Shaolin monks have great Buddhist principles. Although we are not Buddhists, we can also be very helpful in listening to our teachings."

Tang Jinlou nodded repeatedly, saying yes, but Su Yanyue couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Master, what did Master Fang Sheng mean just now? I don't understand at all, why did Master Fang Yan react so much?"

Yue Buqun whispered: "What Master Fang Sheng asked was actually to express a point of view, 'Everything is empty'. It means that the so-called hungry wolf and sick tiger are all obsessions in people's hearts..." He said here. For some reason, he did not continue talking, but just stared at the front in a daze.

Fang Yan suddenly opened his eyes. Originally, his hair and beard were white and his eyes were turbid. He looked even older than Master Fang Zheng, but now when he opened his eyes, his eyes were filled with light, which actually made people's hearts look fascinating.

"What Brother Fang Sheng means is that everything is empty and there is no need to be attached to it?"

Fang Sheng said: "That's right. The hungry wolf is a false thought, the sick tiger is a false thought, the barrier is a false thought, and the Buddhist scriptures and butcher knife are also false thoughts. Everything is empty and there is no need to be attached." Fang Sheng put his hands together and said: "Amitabha, please give me advice from Senior Brother Fang Yan."

Tang Jinlou was dizzy when he heard this and thought to himself: Buddhism, I am really not professional.

Fang Yan sighed and said, "I only see the creatures suffering, but no delusions arise. I only hope to save the life spirits with all my strength."

Fang Sheng opened his mouth. His words were already full of emotion and were not included in the category of academic discussions, so it was really difficult to refute. So he turned around and said, "I would like to ask my senior brother to give me some advice."

Fang Yan clasped his hands together and said, "Please give me some advice on my mistakes."

The monks said together: "Please give advice from Master Abbot." Everyone shouted in unison, and the momentum increased greatly.

Tang Jinlou had been sitting for a long time and felt a little sleepy. After he was injured, he seemed to be less energetic than before, and he might not even be as strong as ordinary people of the same age as him. He yawned carefully. However, he forced himself to look at Master Fang Zheng. If such a grand event is discovered that he has been neglected, it would be a bad idea.

Master Fang Zheng slowly said, "Everything is empty. The Buddha said: 'All appearances are false. If you see all appearances that are not appearances, you will see the Tathagata.' This is the meaning."

Fang Sheng smiled slightly, and what Fang Zheng said was exactly what he said.

Fang Yan frowned and said, "I dare to ask Senior Brother Fang Zheng, what would you do if you were in this situation."

Fang Zheng smiled slightly and said, "If I were in such a desperate situation, I had to pick up the butcher knife, give up one arm to feed the wolf, and then cut the flesh and feed the tiger."

As soon as this statement was spoken, not only Master Fang Sheng was stunned, but even Fang Yan was puzzled.

Tang Jinlou is not only unable to understand it at this moment, but is simply confused. Although he does not understand Buddhist principles, it does not mean that he cannot understand what others mean. Master Fang Zheng’s statement is clearly a joke, and he took a piece of it from Fang Yan and Fang Zheng’s answers.

All the monks looked at Fang Zheng to see how he explained.

Fang Zheng asked, "What is 'empt'?"

Fang Yan said: "Carriage and fate."

Fang Zheng asked again: "What does everything mean is empty?"

Fang Yan paused for a moment, as if he didn't understand why Fang Zheng asked such a question, and answered: "The mind is empty, the Buddha is empty, and all living beings are empty."

Fang Zheng squinted his eyes and asked again: "How can everything be empty?"

Fang Yan turned his head to look at Fang Sheng. Fang Sheng thought for a while and said, "No self, impermanence."

Fang Zheng showed a happy face and put his hands together: "Good, good, only without self and impermanence can we be nirvana. How can we be without self and impermanence?"

Fang Sheng said: "Compassion, compassion, joy, and giving up."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was stunned for a moment, and sighed for a while: "Carrying and giving, Fang Sheng has received the teachings." Fang Yan also politely said: "Thank you for your teachings with senior brother."

Tang Jinlou was confused before, but this time Fang Zheng and the two old monks asked and answered each other. After explaining it, he clearly understood.

Yue Buqun whispered: "Do you understand what Master Fang Zheng said?"

Tang Jinlou nodded slightly, shook his head again, and said, "I don't understand it in my heart."

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Master Fang Zheng said that the so-called dilemma is nothing more than false thoughts, and everything is empty. But emptiness is not nothing, but the combination of causes and conditions. Whether it is false thoughts or causes and conditions, as long as Buddhist disciples uphold the heart of "compassion, compassion, joy, and giving up", they can finally achieve "no self, impermanence" and benefit others."

Tang Jinlou nodded and exclaimed: "Master is more clearer than Master Fang Zheng."

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Master Fang Zheng's cultivation is so profound that I can't compare to it. It's just an explanation of his words." Looking at the abbot Fang Zheng above, he seemed to be a little complicated and said: "According to Master Fang Zheng's words, it doesn't matter how difficulties arise, how to fall into difficulties, and how to get out of them. Impermanence and selflessness. As long as you maintain a heart of 'compassion, joy, and giving', the difficulties will be solved... This is really amazing!"

Tang Jinlou had already admired Master Fang Zheng very much, but after hearing his explanation, he became even more impressed. Although Fang Zheng's answer was the same as Fang Yan, his level was not a little bit higher.

Tang Jinlou turned his head and saw Lao Yue's changing expression. He knew that he must have thought of other places. He suddenly remembered the rumors he heard, June 6th, Songshan Conference.

Tang Jinlou felt aroused in his heart, looked at Yue Buqun, and thought to himself: "I have to ask Lao Yue later, is it really coming so soon? I just don't know how I am in good health and can I help Mount Hua?"

When he thought of his body, Tang Jinlou remembered that he had not taken the medicine today. No wonder his chest felt a little stuffy. He thought it was because he had been sitting for too long.

Tang Jinlou took out the medicine bottle from his arms. Yue Buqun saw it and was shocked and asked, "What is this?"

Tang Jinlou hesitated for a moment and said, "It's the medicine."

Yue Buqun took the medicine bottle from him and frowned and said, "Medicine? What medicine?"

Su Yanyue was on the side, and finally couldn't help it and said, "Master, senior brother has been infected with a strange poison and his internal strength has been lost!"

"What?!" Yue Buqun was shocked and looked at Tang Jinlou incredibly. In fact, when Tang Jinlou entered the gate, Yue Buqun had already seen that he was injured. Recalling the recent series of rumors, the demon sects besieged him for no reason. In his opinion, although Tang Jinlou was very skilled in martial arts, he was young after all, and it was possible that he was injured in a casual manner. However, he never expected that Tang Jinlou would lose all his internal skills so seriously.

Suddenly, Fang heard a stern voice: "Who is making noise?"

Yue Buqun was shocked and knew that his voice was too loud for a while, so he disturbed Fang Zheng's preaching. He suppressed his worries and anxiousness and replied respectfully: "Yue was disrespectful at the time and disturbed the Master's preaching. I hope to forgive my sins." Fang Zheng said calmly: "Mr. Yue is polite."

Now that I am about to continue speaking, Fang Yan suddenly said, "Wait, Shaolin precepts, keep your body in peace and do not be solemn when you are in the sutra, and those who disturb the sutra should immediately withdraw from the sutra hall."

Fang Zheng frowned slightly and said, "Junior Brother Fang Yan, Mr. Yue is a distinguished guest of this temple. He is not a Shaolin disciple and is not subject to the Shaolin Sect rules."

Fang Yan bowed to Fang Zheng and said, "As the head of the precepts, I dare not easily overcome the rules. However, Mr. Yue is a distinguished guest, so it is naturally different. But those two children who are not distinguished guests should go down and take a rest first." These words were neither soft nor hard, but in fact they did not give in.

Yue Buqun said respectfully: "My fault is the first to disturb the conference, and he should be punished."

Master Fang Zheng said: "Mr. Yue is so serious. Junior Brother Fang Yan, these two young men are both Mr. Yue's disciples. It is really a blessing for Shaolin to be able to preach the scriptures. It is insignificant to make a sound for a while. For this matter, let's forget about it."

Fang Yan said respectfully: "Brother Fang Abbot, although Shaolin Temple is a Buddhist temple, it is not in conflict with the world, but it has been able to stand for thousands of years. In fact, it is because everyone is strict in precepts and keeps their own precepts." Master Fang Zheng sighed and stopped talking. Fang Yan's temperament was very clear. He was very knowledgeable about everything related to precepts and never give in. Even if it was a very small matter, there was no possibility of turning things around. In Fang Zheng's opinion, his obsession and precepts were also an important reason why Buddhism could not improve.

Fang Yan stood up and said to Tang Jinlou and Su Yanyue: "Two young heroes, when the temple's sutra meeting, only second-generation disciples and more of the temple can participate. The rest are not qualified because their Buddhist practice is too shallow. You two are young and cannot understand even if you sit here. You are not Buddhist disciples, so you should go to the wing room to rest first."

Although Yue Buqun admitted his mistake, Fang Yan could see clearly that the "culprit" was Tang Jinlou, so he had to let him go out. As for Su Yanyue, who had tied his hair next to him, he naturally invited him out. Shaolin Temple generally did not receive female guests, but Su Yanyue was a disciple of Yue Buqun, and he gave her face and tied her hair up. Naturally, he would give her face in turn. Otherwise, according to his temperament, he would have to invite female guests down the mountain directly.
Chapter completed!