Chapter 131 Nine Tribulations and Ten Calamities
A few hours after Zhang Ling arrived at the Jinghe area, he was about to get involved in the Ao Xin case when he was reminded by the guardian deity sent by the Nanyue Sitian Zhaosheng Emperor. He learned that there were big figures above the Nine Heavens who were involved in the plot. He guessed that the person behind the scenes was a Golden Immortal or even a powerful being in the Upper God Realm. So he climbed up the Taoism all the way without thinking, avoided the three disasters, and reached the True Immortal realm in one go.
Now that I have achieved the true immortality, I can slay the demons and monsters and enter the realm of true immortality.
In this way, one can achieve the Golden Immortal Fruit.
Only by truly achieving the status of Golden Immortal, can Zhang Ling be able to fight in the Nine Heavens and ask for an explanation for Ao Xin!
However, to achieve the status of Golden Immortal, one must overcome the nine difficulties!
The Way of Heaven says:
The first difficulty: "The great elixir has not yet been formed, yet it is difficult to withstand the cold and heat. Within a year, clothes are needed for all four seasons. The true energy has not yet been generated, but hunger and thirst still exist. Within a day, three meals a day are needed. Those who follow the Tao suffer from the pressure of food and clothing."
At this stage, practitioners usually reincarnate to gain experience or enter the mortal world in spirit, tempering their kunai. On the path of practice, they endure the lonely and arduous years like a wandering monk, waiting for the medicinal pill in their body to transform and achieve a great body.
——
The second difficulty: "When one's past karma is heavy, it flows into this life to pay for it. Even when taking a break from a busy schedule, one is still constrained by elders. Controlled by elders, one cannot bear to escape. Always at ease, yet rarely free. Those who follow the Tao worry about being stopped by elders."
The monks of this period have truly experienced the world, whether they are men or women, regardless of gender, in order to find the direction of awakening in the midst of confusion. They have suffered all kinds of suffering in the world, the first of which is the catastrophe brought by family affection. It has nothing to do with good or bad, happiness, anger, sorrow, and all the seven emotions and six desires are included.
——
The third difficulty: "A husband loves his wife and children, cherishes his parents, and the bonds of affection grow stronger every day. The chariot of sorrow in the burning courtyard never rests. Even with a peaceful mind, it is difficult to overcome the state of sorrow. Those who follow the Tao suffer from the entanglement of love and affection."
When entering the mortal world to practice cultivation, the most difficult thing is to be able to maintain a clear mind. No matter how loving, happy, harmonious and perfect one's life is, in the end one will have to face birth, old age, sickness and death, the pain of love, hate and separation. Therefore, even if one has a pure heart of Tao, it is easy to be concerned about these things.
The remaining six difficulties are:
Even those who are rich and powerful, possessing ten thousand households, and reaching the highest nobility, have unbridled minds that refuse to rest for a moment, and the greedy worry only about not having enough. Those who follow the Way suffer from the entanglement of fame and fortune, the four difficulties.
If a young man refuses to cultivate himself, his weak energy will lead to illness, and his stubborn heart will never reflect on the truth. This will cause disasters to his yin roots, and he will suffer in this life as a warning to future generations. The five difficulties that those who follow the Tao suffer from are disasters that come one after another.
When the lady, concerned with the grave importance of life and death, eagerly sought a teacher, she didn't discriminate between true and false. Some sought a teacher with a sharp tongue, others with a virtuous demeanor. Initially, she believed she had encountered an immortal, but eventually she realized she was merely a profit-seeking individual. The six difficulties that plague those who follow the Dao are the constraints of blind teachers.
And blind teachers and mad friends point to side paths, picking branches and leaves without finding any common ground, pointing fingers at one another on minor heresies. Little do they know that the sun and moon don't rise, but when they do, they shine brightly, allowing all with eyes to see; thunder doesn't roar, but when it roars, it startles, allowing all with ears to hear. They compare the light of a fire to the twittering of frogs, both flickering and chirping, but how can there be any common ground? The seven difficulties that plague those who follow the Dao are the differences in their opinions.
And those who set something in the morning and change it in the evening, who set their minds on something while sitting, who are pleased with a moment but tired of the long duration, who begin with worry and diligence and end with laziness. The eight difficulties that those who follow the Tao suffer from are laziness of will and determination.
When one loses years in one's life, months in one's year, days in one's month, and hours in one's day, one loses time. When one is young, fame and fortune are always on one's mind; when one is old, children and grandchildren are always on one's mind. Time is limited; don't think this year is over and wait for next year. Human affairs are endless; don't think today is over and wait for tomorrow. If today cannot guarantee tomorrow, how can one gain youth in old age? The nine difficulties that plague those who follow the Tao are the wasted years.
Zhang Ling thought he could easily overcome the nine difficulties, but the most difficult of the nine difficulties that followed was the Ten Demons!
In the three sutras he had comprehended earlier, Zhang Ling had already been awakened to these ten demons, but he did not expect that he would need them so soon.
The so-called ten demons are divided into three categories.
One is that it is seen outside the body.
Two days of sleepless nights.
The third is introspection.
All three scriptures say:
Like eyes filled with the fragrance of flowers, ears filled with the sound of flutes, tongue yearning for sweet tastes, nose delighting in exotic fragrances, emotions relaxed, and spirits high and proud. If you see something but cannot recognize it, it is the six thieves and demons.
Like jade towers and pavilions, painted buildings and carved beams, pearl curtains and embroidered curtains, orchid tents and rooms, corals everywhere, and rooms overflowing with gold and jade. If you see them and cannot recognize them, they are the demon of wealth.
Like a golden-saddled horse, a heavy canopy, a marquisate with ten thousand households, envoys with banners and banners, a house full of royal purple, and whips and sceptres filling the bed. If you see it, you cannot recognize it, for it is a noble demon.
Like rippling smoke, a long warm day, a violent storm, thunder and lightning, the resounding sound of a sheng (a musical instrument), and sorrow and weeping. If you see it, but cannot recognize it, it is the demon of the six emotions.
If relatives are in trouble, family members are injured, children are sick, parents die, brothers are separated, and wives and concubines are separated, if you see them but cannot recognize them, it is the demon of love and affection.
If one loses his body to fire, falls from a high hill, is attacked by evil insects, or is poisoned, encounters a gang of villains on the road, or is killed for breaking the law, if he sees it but does not recognize it, it is the demon of suffering.
Like the Ten Lands of Dangyang, the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor, the Four Gods and the Seven Stars, the Five Mountains and the Eight Kings, all soaring back and forth with dignity and control. If you see them, you cannot recognize them; they are sages and demons.
Like clouds of soldiers and horses, weapons sharp as frost, spears and halberds raised, bows and arrows drawn, rushing to kill, the sudden and unstoppable speed is unstoppable. If you see it, you will not recognize it, for it is the demon of swords and weapons.
Like fairies and maidens, lined up in rows, their sheng and huang music resounding, their colorful robes raised in unison, their red sleeves vying to offer golden cups. If you see them, you won't recognize them; they are the demons of music.
There are so many beautiful women, with their gorgeous bodies and heavy makeup, drinking at the Lanting Pavilion at night, wearing light clothes, and acting arrogantly, vying for a partner. If you see one, you must not recognize him, because he is a female sex maniac.
It is difficult not to recognize these ten demons.
These ten demons are the real tribulations that true immortals need to face among the nine tribulations.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
