However, with these immeasurable merits and boundless power of thought, Shi Chan protected only the lapis lazuli.
Shi Chan didn't know why the golden light had spread out. He looked around for a while but couldn't figure it out. He then turned to look at Liuli to see if she was alright. However, he was shocked when he turned around.
There was nothing behind him; Liuli was nowhere to be seen.
"Liuli!" Shi Chan was shocked.
“Buddhism and Zen”.
A loud voice suddenly rang out behind Shi Chan. He subconsciously turned around and saw an old monk with his hands clasped together.
The monk appeared to be quite old, with a snow-white beard. His face was solemn and dignified, and his dark eyes shone like stars, holding a wise and world-weary look, with a glimmer of insight into the ways of the world.
Zen Master Shi did not know who the old monk was. He put his hands together and bowed deeply to the old monk, asking in confusion, "May I ask who you are?"
The old monk simply looked at Shi Chan with all-knowing eyes, but did not answer.
After waiting for a while without receiving an answer, Shi Chan changed his question and asked anxiously, "May I ask where Liuli is now?"
A look of disappointment crossed the old monk's face. He spoke softly and asked, "Shi Chan, do you know why the immeasurable merit and the accumulated power of believers' thoughts within this Brahma Prayer Wheel have been for thousands of years? It is not for a woman, but to benefit all sentient beings."
Shi Chan's expression changed, and he lowered his head, his face full of shame.
The old monk paused for a moment, then continued, "And you, with all that merit and spiritual power, protected only one woman. Can you tell me why you made such a choice?"
Shi Chan opened his mouth, but could not answer. He knew that by doing this, he was betraying the hard work of countless predecessors, wasting their grand aspirations and compassionate blessings upon a woman. But he had no choice but to do it; he could not let Liuli leave him.
The old monk waited a while but received no reply from Shichan. He continued, "Shichan, if you were given another chance, and enough time to consider, would you still do the same thing?"
Shi Chan lowered his eyes and began to ponder seriously. If the situation hadn't been so critical, if the spirits of the demons and gods had given him time to consider things carefully, what would he have done...?
After a long silence, he looked up at the old monk and replied softly, "If I had any other way to protect Liuli, I would not have wasted the efforts of all the seniors. If I had no other way at the time, I would still have done it. Even if I felt guilty and uneasy, even if I would have to bear the blame of the seniors, I would still have used the Brahma Prayer Wheel to protect her."
The old monk looked at Shi Chan with disappointment and said softly, "Why can't you give up protecting her? You must know that the life of one living being is no match for the lives of all living beings."
“Because…” Shi Chan’s gaze gradually hardened, and he said, word by word, “Because I love her.”
The old monk shook his head, disappointed, and said, "After ten thousand years of cultivation, why can't you see that worldly love and affection are inherently empty?"
Shi Chan was taken aback, unsure how to respond to the old monk's question.
The old monk looked deeply at Shi Chan and said softly, "Shi Chan, when you have seen all your past lives and witnessed countless years of arduous cultivation, I will ask you again."
After the old monk finished speaking, he suddenly disappeared, and a series of unfamiliar scenes appeared before Shi Chan.
This is a vast Bodhi grove. In the middle of the grove, under the thickest Bodhi tree, a dignified Buddha with a loud voice is explaining the Dharma and the scriptures word by word.
More than a hundred Buddhist disciples sat around the Buddha, listening attentively.
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