The faint chirping of insects,
In the remote mountains,
A magnificent temple stands quietly there...
The temple eaves gleamed golden in the sunlight.
Upturned eaves and corners, carved beams and painted rafters
Ancient trees tower within the temple, their canopies blocking out the sun.
A few rays of sunlight occasionally filter through the branches and leaves, leaving dappled light and shadow on the bluestone path.
A faint sandalwood scent filled the air, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
A gentle breeze blew by, and the wind chimes rang out with a crisp sound, adding to the Zen-like atmosphere.
Proceeding along the central axis,
Inside the main hall, a colossal Buddha statue sits regally on a lotus throne.
The Buddha statue is golden, with a solemn and dignified appearance. Its eyes are slightly closed, as if it is looking down upon all living beings, or perhaps it is deep in thought.
Below the statue
Two elderly men sat cross-legged.
"Brother Baoneng, are you sure the Buddha of Taifo Temple can enlighten my disciple and help him achieve enlightenment...?"
One of the elderly men put his hands together in prayer and asked another elderly man a question.
A glimmer of hope flickered in those narrowed eyes.
If Ye Ran were here...
He would definitely recognize this person as the extraordinary individual who had previously sent his disciple to his tutelage.
Vajrapani, Venerable Huaqing
The other party, an elderly man referred to as Baoneng,
He was a slightly overweight monk, with a kind and benevolent face, and enormous earlobes that almost reached his shoulders.
He clasped his hands together in return.
Then he looked up at Shi Huaqing and answered affirmatively:
"Don't worry, junior brother. As long as the Buddha of Taifo Temple approves, with my potential, achieving enlightenment is practically a certainty..."
Upon hearing Baoneng's response, Shi Huaqing's eyes flashed with surprise:
"Senior brother, does that Buddha truly possess such great power, capable of so easily guiding Buddhist disciples to transcend the mundane realm?"
Seeing that his junior brother still didn't quite believe it.
Baoneng put his hands together and said:
“A monk does not lie. Junior brother, you know my aptitude. My master once declared that I lacked the wisdom to attain enlightenment and transcend the mundane in this lifetime. He even wanted to imprison me in a copper prison because I secretly studied Buddhist teachings. In the end, I had no choice but to run away in anger and come here…”
As Baoneng spoke, he seemed to remember something, and his narrowed eyes slightly opened, revealing a look of reverence.
"To be honest, when I left the Kingdom of Gara back then, I didn't believe such a miraculous method existed, but look at me now..."
As Baoneng spoke, he suddenly began to silently chant Buddhist mantras.
Instantly, an invisible force, like a vortex, swirled around it.
At this moment, he was surrounded by golden light and auspicious rays.
"Boom!"
Heaven and earth trembled, and the void shattered.
A vast Buddhist paradise slowly unfolded, with endless Buddhist chants resounding throughout the heavens and earth...
In that Buddhist kingdom, there are ancient Bodhi trees reaching the sky, the Eight Treasures Merit Pool rippling, golden lotus flowers blooming, and gods and Buddhas sitting cross-legged, chanting scriptures and preaching the Dharma. Boundless Buddha light shines everywhere, making it sacred and solemn.
One after another, great stars circled around, all transforming into prayer beads, flowing with immortal divine radiance.
Baoneng, residing at the very heart of the Buddhist realm, is like the Buddha of this world.
He looked down at the shocked Vajra Practitioner, a slight smile unconsciously appearing on his lips:
"Junior brother, is my Buddhist kingdom authentic? Does my Buddhist teaching have the same style as Master's?"
Hearing Baoneng's question,
At this moment, Shi Huaqing secretly suppressed his inner shock and put his hands together in prayer:
"Your Buddhist realm surpasses even Master's... Congratulations on your great enlightenment, Senior Brother..."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Hearing Shi Huaqing's words, Baoneng burst into laughter.
He then reclaimed his Buddhist kingdom.
At this moment, he seemed to be in a great mood because of Shi Huaqing's praise:
"Junior brother, do you see? These are all gifts given to me by the Buddha enshrined in this Taifo Temple..."
Hearing Baoneng's words, Shi Huaqing was dumbfounded:
"Is this Buddha truly so miraculous...?"
Seeing Baoneng's slightly unfriendly expression, Shi Huaqing quickly changed his tune:
"No, I'm simply astonished by how incredibly profound and mysterious this Buddhist teaching is..."
Baoneng waved his hand, looking at his junior brother:
“Junior brother has been in the Dragon Kingdom for too long and can’t see the wonders of the source of Buddhism… What I’m doing is nothing compared to what you should know. The Buddha of Taifo Temple just recently enlightened a notorious villain to achieve enlightenment…”
"What?!" Upon hearing Baoneng's words, Shi Huaqing could no longer contain his shock.
He said to Baoneng incredulously:
"Someone like that can be enlightened??"
At this moment, Baoneng looked at Shi Huaqing, who was far from calm.
A strange sense of pleasure welled up inside me.
He clasped his hands together and said respectfully:
"Turning decay into magic, and baseness into purity—that's the true wonder of Buddhism in the Kingdom of Gara! The Buddhist teachings we learned in the Dragon Kingdom back then are but a drop in the ocean compared to this..."
Then he looked down at Shi Huaqing:
"So, junior brother, you don't need to worry about your nephew's matter at all. As long as you can meet the Buddha's requirements, achieving enlightenment will be a piece of cake..."
Baoneng paused here, looking at Shi Huaqing.
"So, junior brother, you're all ready?"
Hearing Baoneng say this,
Shi Huaqing quickly nodded:
"Of course, of course, all the gold and silver treasures that Buddha wanted... no, no, no, all the offerings that Buddha wanted, I have already had them brought by my people. As for tomorrow's Buddhist assembly, I will certainly impart all my knowledge to him..."
"Um."
Baoneng nodded upon hearing this, but did not express any opinion.
Upon seeing this, Shi Huaqing understood and stepped forward.
He reached out his hand.
He lifted Baoneng's hand.
Through the wide sleeves,
A treasure was handed over to Baoneng:
"I've naturally prepared my share for my senior brother as well..."
Baoneng touched the thing Shi Huaqing had given him through his sleeve.
He discreetly slipped it into his pocket.
Only then did he smile and pat Shi Huaqing on the shoulder:
"Junior brother, you're too kind... By the way, where's my nephew? Should we call him over?"
"Yes, yes, yes, look at my memory." Shi Huaqing turned his head to look outside the door.
"Xuan Kong!! Xuan Kong!!" (Chen Wuxin's Buddhist name)
Shi Huaqing called out for a long time but still couldn't see Chen Wuxin.
"That's strange, it was just at the door a moment ago..." Shi Huaqing muttered to himself.
Then, he gave Baoneng a forced smile:
"My disciple has been listless and emotionally unstable ever since his last setback. I hope you will forgive him, senior brother..."
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