That night, Jinchan Temple was unusually quiet. Yan Ruyu held the little white fox, and Xiao Yanran held Ling Yao and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Abao and Shangguan Hong weren't very sleepy, so they walked out of the courtyard.
"How about we go for a walk around?"
"Okay, should we call your brother?"
"Don't disturb your brother's rest!"
"..."
The two strolled through the backyard of Jinchan Temple, and as they walked, they entered the outer courtyard of a main hall. Just as they were about to enter, a monk said in a deep voice:
"Please wait, benefactor, this is forbidden territory!"
Forbidden Zone!
This actually piqued the interest of A Bao and Shangguan Hong.
Abao hurriedly said:
"Sorry to bother you!"
Then, the two exchanged a glance, deliberately walked away, and then disappeared in a flash, passing through the wall and entering the courtyard.
A Bao and Shangguan Hong concealed their presence and headed towards the main hall.
The doors and windows of the main hall were closed at the moment, but the lights were on inside.
Through the crack in the door, the two saw a dozen women kneeling devoutly before the Guanyin statue in the main hall, a statue of Guanyin who grants children.
"I pray to the Bodhisattva to grant me pregnancy. If I cannot conceive, I will be kicked out of my husband's family."
"Please, Guanyin Bodhisattva, who saves us from suffering and grants us children!"
"I am willing to eat vegetarian food and recite Buddhist scriptures to repay the Bodhisattva!"
"..."
As a dozen women were praying devoutly, a dozen or so shirtless monks emerged from a dark corner of the main hall.
They picked up the woman and carried her into a dark corner.
The woman did not make any move to resist throughout the entire process.
Soon, indescribable sounds rang out. Seeing this, A Bao and Shangguan Hong were both shocked and furious.
This is how the so-called "sending off a child" is done. Is this still the way of Buddhism?
"So this is what Jinchan Temple is like! It's utterly despicable!"
Abao was furious, and Shangguan Hong patted him on the shoulder.
"Let's go check out other places; perhaps they're even darker!"
Ah Bao nodded, suppressing his anger, and then the two went to another hall.
The temple doors remained tightly shut. Through the crack, A Bao and Shangguan Hong saw a mother holding her dying child, kneeling before an old monk.
"Master, I have prayed to Buddha countless times, but my son is still on the verge of death. What should I do? I have no money left to offer incense!"
The master put his hands together in prayer.
"Amitabha Buddha, I can save your son, but I need twenty years of your lifespan!"
The woman replied without hesitation:
"I do!"
The old monk nodded slightly and gently patted the woman's forehead, instantly aging her appearance.
At the same time, the child in her arms regained life.
Seeing this, A Bao and Shangguan Hong were furious.
Isn't Buddha supposed to be compassionate? Why does he still take away people's lifespan?
The two then went to several more halls and saw people who wanted to ask for money, but had given up one of their souls in the process.
Some people seek fame and fortune, but they sacrifice the good deeds of their ancestors.
The Jinchan Temple is most lively at night.
At this moment, A Bao and Shangguan Hong had an extremely negative impression of Buddha.
The two prepared to go to Ling Yun to report.
Suddenly, the world spun around them, and A Bao and Shangguan Hong found themselves in a grand hall.
This is the main hall where Buddha is enshrined.
The abbot of Jinchan Temple, Master Chanhui, sat on a futon in the main hall.
Upon seeing Master Chanhui, Abao angrily exclaimed:
"Master, Jinchan Temple is too filthy. They rape women, steal people's lifespans, and rob people of their souls."
They are all devout Buddhists; this is Jinchan Temple.
Is this the Buddha's compassion?
Faced with A Bao's accusations, Master Chan Hui's compassionate face remained calm. He played with his prayer beads in one hand and raised the other hand to gesture for A Bao and Shangguan Hong to sit down.
Then, he said leisurely:
"Do you think the Buddha is dirty because it's different from what you imagined?"
Haha... My young friend, you're too attached to appearances!
Every day, no fewer than a million people come to Jinchan Temple to worship Buddha and burn incense. The vast majority of them want to obtain their highest aspirations at the lowest possible cost.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Buddha's compassion doesn't mean Buddha is a saint.
The way of Heaven is fair; if you want to get something, you must make an equal or even greater sacrifice.
If simply burning a few sticks of incense could grant one's wishes, then Buddha and Bodhisattvas would be far too cheap.
Human desires are always limitless; satisfying one desire will only lead to the next, even greater one.
After a pause, Master Chanhui continued:
“You sympathize with those women, but do you know that if they cannot conceive, they will be divorced by their husbands and driven out of their homes, suffering the cold stares of the world?”
The Golden Temple saved them by sacrificing one night of chastity; isn't that compassion?
The mother's son was beyond saving. If the old monk of Jinchan Temple had saved him, he would have inevitably suffered the karmic consequences of reincarnation. He merely took twenty years of the woman's lifespan and gave her a healthy son. Was this not compassion?
"Those who want to get rich quickly want to get rid of poverty so that their descendants can live a good life, otherwise their ancestors will continue to be poor for generations to come."
Those who aspire to achieve fame and success in the imperial examinations must come from humble backgrounds. Only by passing the examinations with flying colors can they become members of the elite and bring their families to prominence!
And we only asked for their soul and the good deeds of their ancestors; isn't that compassion?
"Compared to what they have received, do you still think we deserve more?"
Do you still think Jinchan Temple is dirty?
"this……"
Abao and Shangguan Hong remained silent, unable to find any reason to refute.
At this moment, the two gained a new understanding of Buddhism and a new awareness of human desires.
After a long silence, A Bao and Shangguan Hong stood up, put their hands together, and bowed to Master Chan Hui.
"Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
Master Chanhui nodded slightly and said slowly:
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