The air above Huasheng Temple was filled with the smoke of incense and the fragrance of Buddhist scriptures. The monks preaching on the lotus platform seemed to have never left, while the people below were devoted to Buddhism and grateful for the peace and tranquility.
Carrying a basket of snacks, Xu Milu asked for directions and went straight into a main hall. At present, all the monks in the temple had gone outside to listen to the Buddha's sermon, and there was only a monk in a gray robe doing some sweeping and cleaning work in the main hall.
"Buddha above, your faithful disciple Xu Milu offers these vegetarian dishes, snacks, and fruits on behalf of my sister Yin Wenjiao, praying for your protection..."
Xu Milu bowed to the Buddha statue before opening the food box, revealing the pastries and fruits inside, all about the size of oranges, exquisite and delicate, showing how much thought Yin Wenjiao had put into making them.
After the Tripitaka Master returned from his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, he was conferred the title of Buddha. Emperor Taizong of Tang then commissioned a golden statue of him. Naturally, there is a statue of the Tripitaka Master in this hall. Following Yin Wenjiao's instructions, Xu Milu offered the bottom layer of pastries from the food box to the statue.
Xu Milu felt a pang of sadness upon seeing the gilded Buddha statue. Although she didn't know why Yin Wenjiao refused to meet the Tripitaka Master in person, she knew that Yin Wenjiao must have her reasons.
"Please wait, female benefactor."
Just as Xu Milu was about to turn and leave, the young monk who had been sweeping and cleaning the main hall came over at some point, put his hands together in a gesture of respect:
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk observes that you look troubled as you face the golden Buddha statue. Is there something troubling you?"
The monk looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had a fair complexion, gentle features, and a pair of beautiful, elegant eyes. He was tall and handsome, with particularly long earlobes. He spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, which gave people a sense of peace. It was as if just seeing him calmed one's heart.
Xu Milu glanced at him, then at the Buddha statue sitting on the lotus platform, and her eyes twitched.
This is clearly the Tripitaka Master himself, isn't it?
Aren't you still preaching on the lotus platform?
How did I end up here again?
Recalling those magical powers and the concept of creating clones, Xu Milu now understood why Monkey King liked role-playing.
I learned it all from my master.
She returned the greeting:
“Master, I have no worries. In my opinion, most people’s worries are because they are trapped in a shell. If you step out of this shell and look closely, you will find that life is only a short hundred years. Before death, everything is trivial. Everything outside the sickbed is external.”
The Tripitaka Master smiled, slowly placed the broom he was sweeping the floor on one side, and put his hands together in prayer position.
“This young lady is quite wise and has a connection with Buddhism—I wonder if she could offer me a cup of refreshments?”
Just kidding, this box of pastries was originally made by Yin Wenjiao for her son, so why would Xu Milu stop her? She immediately said:
“These pastries were not made by me, but by my neighbor, the elder sister from the Yin family. She said they were to be offered to the Sandalwood Merit Buddha. If Master would like to eat them, please do so.”
The gods and Buddhas in Journey to the West are all capable of divination, so she didn't believe that the Tang Monk really didn't know the origin of these snacks, otherwise he wouldn't have specially created an incarnation to ask for them.
"Thank you, benefactor."
The Tripitaka Master's eyes were calm and gentle, clear as if he could see through everything in the world. He simply smiled and nodded at Xu Milu.
“I was giving a sermon on the altar when I suddenly sensed my birth mother’s feelings, so I hurriedly came here to wait for her.”
He seemed to be able to see through Xu Milu's thoughts, frankly acknowledging his identity and not concealing his relationship with Yin Wenjiao.
The monk held a piece of pastry in his hand, broke it open, and put it in his mouth to chew carefully. He even picked up the crumbs that had fallen onto his robe and put them back in his mouth with great care.
Yin Wenjiao made red bean paste pastries. These kinds of pastries look simple, but they are actually quite time-consuming to make.
The best red beans were picked out one by one, soaked overnight, and then the bean skins were removed. After the red beans were steamed, they were wrapped in gauze and ground little by little to make a smooth red bean paste. Judging from the dark circles under Yin Wenjiao's eyes, Xu Milu guessed that she had ground the red bean paste at least three times to get such a smooth red bean paste.
After eating several pieces, Sanzang lowered his eyes, put his palms together, and uttered a Buddhist prayer:
"My biological father is Chen Guangrui, and my biological mother is Yin Wenjiao. Thirty years ago, my biological father was killed by river bandits on his way to his post. My biological father died, and my mother was forcibly taken by the river bandits. Three months later, I was born..."
Xu Milu was completely bewildered, unable to understand why Sanzang would suddenly bring up these old stories to an outsider like her, nor did she understand what he wanted to do.
Sanzang smiled slightly, his expression gentle and serene:
"My mother went through countless hardships, carrying me for ten months before giving birth to me. She protected me during her pregnancy, suffered during childbirth, and forgot her worries after giving birth. I will never forget her kindness and virtue. Later, my mother was rescued, and I was ordered by the Tang Emperor to go west to obtain Buddhist scriptures. My mother waited for this poor monk outside Huasheng Temple for fourteen years."
Unfortunately, my mother did not wish to see me, so this humble monk has stayed at Huasheng Temple for fourteen years, chanting scriptures for her day and night, hoping to relieve her suffering and help her overcome her difficulties as soon as possible.
The Buddha told his disciples, "If you wish to repay your parents' kindness, write this sutra for them, recite this sutra for them, ... make offerings to the Three Jewels for them, observe the precepts and fasts for them... If you can do these things, you will be called a filial son; if you do not do these things, you will be a person destined for hell..."
Xu Milu listened for a long time, but only felt a stomachache.
Even she, an outsider, couldn't bear to see this mother and son suffer so much.
The mother suffered so much, enduring bullying for her child, but fate played a cruel trick on her. Just because she accidentally stained herself with her son's blood, she was forced to live forever. Her parents, relatives, husband, and mother-in-law had all passed away, leaving her alone outside Huasheng Temple, waiting bitterly for fourteen years before her son finally returned.
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