153. Vulgar

"The ship of Pudu, or the ship of Pudu?"

At the edge of the temple, a monk stood shirtless in the heavy snow, holding two wooden drumsticks and beating the leather drum closely, his eyes glaring.

In a bronze cauldron outside the dojo, a young Taoist priest in a blue robe lit a stick of incense. One stick of incense equaled one hour. If the questioner still couldn't answer before the stick burned out, they would admit defeat and the next person would take the next step.

The drums stopped, the bells rang, and people left.

Among the monks, a young monk who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, holding a rosary, and looked into the temple.

It was snowing heavily, and Chen Ji was sitting quietly on the cushion.

A gust of wind blew in from outside the villa, carrying light snow powder and landing on his shoulders, head, and knees, motionless.

The young monk whispered, "Bodhisattva lowers his eyebrows."

After saying that.

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He closed his eyes again and silently counted the beads on the rosary.

On the stone steps at the edge of the dojo, scholars, gray-robed monks, and blue-robed Taoists silently watched the young man in the dojo and discussed with each other.

The young Taoist priest on the stone steps scratched his head: "Brother Zhang Li, I think the Pudu Ship is no longer the Pudu Ship."

Another young Taoist priest said, "No, it's still the Pudu ship."

"It's not that simple. Let's hear what the monks have to say..."

Zhang Li stared at Chen Ji's back and didn't dare to answer the question hastily for a moment.

At this moment, a monk on a cushion in the temple slowly spoke, "The ship of universal salvation is no longer the ship of universal salvation. The Platform Sutra states that the true meaning of sentient beings is self-nature, or soul, while the true meaning of inanimate objects is physical images, or, more simply, component parts. Changing the planks of this ship of universal salvation is equivalent to changing the physical images. With this change of physical images, the ship of universal salvation is naturally no longer the ship of universal salvation."

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On the steps at the edge of the dojo, some people nodded and some shook their heads.

Zhang Xia supported Bai Li and stood aside, frowning.

The prince asked curiously, "Why is Ze's brow furrowed?"

Zhang Xia hesitated and said, "I've watched dozens of debates, but this is the first time I've seen so many different opinions on a single issue. Look, even the monks don't necessarily agree with their third brother's argument."

The prince said boredly, "This kind of debate is all just empty talk. It all depends on who can argue more cunningly. It does no good to the people and the country."

Zhang Xia frowned and said nothing.

The debate had a referee. Everyone turned their attention to the scholars on the stone steps. A middle-aged man in Confucian robes shook a bronze bell and said loudly, "Questioner, do you have an answer?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ji lowered his eyes and asked without raising his head, "What if I simply replace a piece of the plank, which also changes the physical form, will the Pudu Ship still be the Pudu Ship?"

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The monk was startled: "This..."

He frowned and thought hard, recalling the scriptures to support his argument.

But as time passed, the incense stick burned shorter and shorter, and the monk was still speechless.

With a thud.

Someone was beating a wooden fish on the sidelines.

The monk on the cushion suddenly woke up: "Wait, the Pudu Ship is still the Pudu Ship, I..."

Chen Ji said calmly, "Go down."

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The young man's words were powerful and unquestionable.

In a debate, one must state clearly the purpose of the debate. Once one has made one's point clear, it cannot be changed. If one wants to change it, one can find someone else.

The young Taoist priest standing next to the huge bell in the Taoist temple was very excited. He pushed away the young monk who was guarding the striker wood and pulled the striker wood to hit the bronze bell hard.

Boom.

The melodious sound of the bronze bells drifted away, shattering the monks' drums.

The scholars from Jiangnan looked at each other, surveyed the relics in the field, and whispered, "Who is this young man?"

"I don't know. Perhaps he's some rare young master from some family?

”

"No, look at the way he's dressed..."

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The monk on the cushion left the temple in shame.

A moment later, a new monk arrived at Yuanjue Temple, who sat on a cushion and steadfastly said, "The ship of universal salvation remains the ship of universal salvation. The Great Prajna Sutra says that the essence of inanimate beings is its structure, purpose, and use. Although the material of the ship of universal salvation has changed, its structure and purpose remain the same, so it remains the same."

Chen Ji said nothing. The other party's answer seemed right, but also seemed wrong.

After a long period of silence, the monk lost his confidence and subconsciously looked towards the group of monks.

Zhang Li was about to say something, but he saw Chen Ji turning around and looking at him intently.

Zhang Li hesitated for a long time, and suddenly understood what Chen Ji meant.

He handed the gourd-shaped white porcelain bottle to Bai Li with a look of confusion: "He has already defeated one person, this pill is yours."

Bai Li was startled: "He"

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Zhang Li urged, "Eat quickly, eat quickly. Don't you see he's still waiting? He won't speak until he sees you feel better after taking the medicine. This kid."

Zhang Xia hurriedly took the pill and handed it to Bai Li to take. In an instant, Bai Li's complexion returned to normal and he no longer needed anyone's support.

Zhang Li looked at Chen Ji and mouthed silently, "Are you done?"

The monk on the cushion also urged, "Young man, do you have anything else to say?"

Seeing that Baili was getting better, Chen Ji turned around and looked at the monk on the cushion: "If I take off all the planks and parts of the Pudu Ship and put them back together to form a ship, will this ship be the Pudu Ship?"

The monk was startled: "This..."

Nearly half of the scholars standing on the sidelines stood up, pulled out their silk handkerchiefs from their sleeves, and threw them into the arena: "Brilliant!"

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During a debate, if the audience finds it exciting, they will throw their handkerchiefs. The more they throw, the more supporters they have.

At this moment, amid the cheers of hundreds of people, Chen Ji suddenly realized that the fifty-six fires in his body were beating again, becoming brighter, almost turning from a light crimson to a light yellow.

The young Taoist priests looked at each other in confusion, "Brother, does this count as a win?"

Zhang Li, standing on the sidelines, breathed a sigh of relief. "This young man's question is easier said than done. It's both offensive and defensive, and it's a paradox."

The monk on the cushion pondered over the scriptures, trying to find Buddhist sayings to support his point of view, but he could not find any.

Finally, he looked for help from the monks on the sidelines, but no one dared to step forward to fight.

In the wind and snow, on the stone steps, the young monk who had been sitting there counting his prayer beads slowly stood up and walked into the temple.

The scholars on the sidelines gradually quieted down, and someone whispered, "This unknown person actually frightened Wu Zhai into coming down to debate again."

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Wu Zhai patted the monk on the cushion on the shoulder with the hand holding the rosary beads and said, "Go down. I will answer this question."

The monk on the cushion was stunned for a moment, then raised his head and said aggrievedly: "Big Brother, I..."

Wu Zhai held the rosary in his hand and smiled gently, "It's okay."

He sat down on the cushion, but did not rush to answer the question. Instead, he gently pinched the rosary beads three times with his thumb.

Zhang Xia whispered, "This man is Wuzhai, the chief disciple of Yuanjue Temple. He was debating with the Daoist court at the age of twelve. In seven years, he has seized all the land and property of the Daoist courts and temples near the capital. Now there isn't a single Daoist temple left in the capital."

The prince was astonished: "This is a monk who was trained by the Buddhist sect since childhood and was specially used to win the Taoist family property."

Zhang Li: ...

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Zhang Xia looked at the rosary in Wu Zhai's hand and said, "I have watched his debates.

He once said that every time he counted his beads, he had nine hundred thoughts in his mind, and he was choosing the best angle to speak.

The prince curled his lips: "What are you bragging about!"

Zhang Li happily agreed, "Exactly, what are you bragging about?"

At this moment, the dojo fell silent. When Wuzhai pinched the fourth rosary bead, he spoke calmly, "The ship of universal salvation is no longer the ship of universal salvation. The Ninno-prajnaparamita Sutra says, 'One snap of the fingers is sixty instants, nine hundred births and deaths in an instant.' When time slows down enough, you will see all things in the world like particles, arising, perishing, and recombining in an instant. After a single thought, you are no longer even you, and the ship of universal salvation is no longer the ship of universal salvation."

Wu Zhai smiled and said, "It is impossible for a person to step into the same river twice. No matter whether you change or not, after a moment's thought, you are no longer yourself, and the boat of salvation is no longer the boat of salvation."

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Zhang Li cursed in a low voice: "Oh no! The monk is trying to cheat."

The prince was puzzled: "How do you mean?"

Zhang Li explained, "This is the essence of the Buddhist concept of 'no self,' which means letting go of all dharma and all self-attachment. According to this Buddhist teaching, everything in the world will cease to exist in an instant and then be reborn, becoming invincible."

The scholars all stood up, and half of them threw their handkerchiefs into the room.

Everyone looked at Chen Ji.

The incense in the bronze cauldron slowly burned out. A monk looked at the young novice monk next to him and said, "Why don't you ring the bell yet? This time, Buddhism wins."

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However, Chen Ji finally raised his head and looked at Wu Zhai calmly, "Since there is no self, then who is reincarnating? Who needs to be liberated?"

Wuzhai was stunned.

Zhang Li stood up suddenly.

Since there is no self, who is in reincarnation? Who needs liberation?

The last sword is hidden here.

The existence of self and the absence of self, this is the logical basis that has been unclear for thousands of years in Buddhism, and it points directly to the foundation of Buddhism.

It’s not that the Buddhist monks really can’t explain it, but that it cannot be explained.

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Buddhism talks about "no self" in order to not pursue past lives and present lives and let go of all laws.

However, the rhetoric that Buddhism uses to induce secular believers is fame, wealth, and the existence of the self in the cycle of cause and effect and karma.

For example, only by doing good deeds can one avoid falling into the evil path or the animal path, and cultivate blessings for the next life, all for the sake of "me".

These are two sets of things.

Zhang Li rubbed his hands excitedly, "Wu Zhai can't answer it."

The prince asked, "Is this question difficult?"

Zhang Li's eyes sparkled. "It's not that Wu Zhai doesn't know how to answer, it's that he can't. There are so many people attending this literary gathering, and the debate will surely be spread through written media. If he says that selflessness is the truth, then he's admitting that the 'reincarnation and blessings' he preaches in Buddhism is just a means to fool and control believers. They themselves don't believe it."

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He exclaimed: "It's like removing the fuel from under the cauldron, killing people and destroying their hearts."

Wu Zhai looked at Chen Ji and felt that there seemed to be fire in the eyes of the young man opposite him.

Chen Ji asked, "There's still one person from the Buddhist sect who can play. Do you want to make a substitution?"

Wuzhai turned around and looked at the group of monks behind him, but those young monks looked at each other and did not dare to step forward.

Wu Zhai put down his rosary, placed his hands on his knees, picked up a flower, and smiled, avoiding the question: "My dear donor, I see that you have a connection with Buddhism. Why don't you join my Yuanjue Temple to practice Buddhism? The Dao Court is in decline. Rather than becoming a nominal disciple of the Dao Court, why not join my Buddhist sect to receive direct instruction?"

Zhang Li pointed at Wu Zhai's nose and yelled, "Bullshit!"

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Wu Zhai glanced at him and said, "Vulgar!"

End of this chapter.

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