Chapter 370: A few words of enlightenment, half the way to becoming a Buddha

"It is said that eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, walking and climbing mountains are all forms of cultivation, but Brother Dao has mastered the essence of these three aspects."

Gu Qingyuan was not surprised to see that Monk Qiuzhen declined. For a Buddhist practitioner like this, worldly desires were like a flood or a beast. He was afraid of eating and taking more than he could chew, which would lead to the three thoughts of greed, anger, and ignorance.

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I am not at that level. I am just following the example of my ancestors and practicing the way of giving up. Today I give up this cloud tea and get rid of my desire for food and drink. In the future, I will have fewer distracting thoughts. Even if I get nothing, I am seeking the pure thoughts of the glass."

Qiuzhen pushed the jade box away, as if he had seen through the magic barrier. His eyes were clear and his movements were natural. He looked at the tea and water as usual, without any difficulty at all.

Gu Qingyuan nodded. Buddhism is nothing more than giving up the Tao, giving up worldly thoughts, giving up human relationships, and then giving up the body in exchange for purity of the six senses and becoming a Buddha. Although he did not completely agree with it, he understood it.

However, he raised his hand again, pushed the jade box aside, took the teacup and poured a cup of tea into it: "I often hear that Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are all the fruit of not being stained by worldly thoughts. Brother Dao follows the example of Zhengjue. Today, you have ignored my cloud and mist tea. Are you going to be a piece of wood or stone without thoughts and desires?"

When Qiu Zhen heard this, his face became serious. He knew that the two of them were going to the next level. Gu Qingyuan's question was about the path of the Tao, which was called a discussion of the Tao. He sat up straight and the monk spoke:
"There are many fallacies in the world. We Buddhists do not eat meat and only eat vegetarian meals. This is because we feel compassion for the living beings and cannot bear to see them die. We do not wear luxurious clothes because we cut off worldly thoughts, remove distracting thoughts, and reject the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance. This is all for the sake of enlightenment and virtue, and to become a Buddha without desire. We follow the will of heaven and care about the people. Our good intentions and great wishes are not comparable to wood or stone."

Gu Qingyuan smiled and said, "I have seen many monks in the world obsessed with the rules and precepts. They do not care about the basics of the rules and are only concerned with themselves. They only think that these rules can bring them merits. The believers are also confused. They release animals and burn their fingers as offerings, thinking that they have received blessings. This is putting the cart before the horse."

Qiuzhen sighed and said, "This is the principle of universal salvation. Most people in the world are ignorant, and monks are also stubborn. Only by rectifying your mind and enlightening your nature can you achieve the right result."

"I've also heard of the saying that if you put down your butcher knife, you will become a Buddha instantly. It's said that a monk, seeking enlightenment, took up his knife and asked the Buddha, "The path to the Western Paradise is full, there is no honorable seat, so kill me, a Buddha, and give up the honorable seat. This is to let go of the idea of ​​self-attachment, and get it without asking. If you ask me, you Buddhists are always so roundabout, talking about wisdom and seeking for fate, and explaining the truth in a tortuous way, which makes people misunderstand and follow blindly."

"I have seen articles on morality, and the teachings of the saints say that good deeds are not accumulated, not enough to make a name; evil deeds are not accumulated, not enough to destroy one's body. And you Buddhists also have the saying that if one is sincere, even if one has little money, one will be full, but if one is not sincere, even if one has a lot of money, one will not be full. There is also the allusion of a thousand gold for half and two coins for full. The sayings are different, but the principles of half goodness and full goodness are the same."

Gu Qingyuan opened the earthenware jar as he spoke. Spiritual energy was bubbling inside, and the rice grains were crystal clear and plump, with a fragrant aroma. He filled two bowls and placed them in front of each other, then continued:
"With no place to dwell in the mind, the three wheels are empty, the mind is pure and tranquil, doing good deeds, accumulating merits, not seeking rewards, nor doing good deeds on purpose, without the obsession of accumulating merits and doing good deeds, a bushel of millet can sow boundless blessings, that monk, come and eat your merits!"

It is said that subtle words can convey profound meanings. These few words resounded like loud bells and drums in Qiuzhen's ears. The more he chewed on the allusions and theories, the more delicious they became. Even when the fragrant rice was placed in front of him, he just picked it up stupidly and couldn't taste it.

Gu Qingyuan took a bite of the meal and squinted his eyes in satisfaction: "Minor cultivation is in the mountains, while great cultivation is in the world. Sit quietly in the room, and your heart is like the bright moon in the sky. Life is full of flavors, sweet and sour. You can't swallow the bitter for too long, and you can't taste the sweet too much. You have to make a distinction in your heart."

"It is also said that a good layman who cuts down on his clothes and eats frugally and offers his kindness can earn 120 coins, while a rich and powerful official can earn 10,000 taels of silver. How can we judge who is better?"

Without waiting for Qiuzhen to answer, Gu Qingyuan smiled and said, "It's all due to good karma. One hundred and twenty coins and ten thousand taels of silver are equally as beneficial. Buddha has no discrimination." Seeing Qiuzhen thoughtful, he tapped the jade box and said, "Today, you refused my one and a half catties of cloud mist tea because of the demon in the future. It's because you couldn't get the goodness you wanted and your obsession was too heavy. Although it's an act of abandoning distracting thoughts, if you ask for it, your good karma will be halved. Although my tea is light, it weighs heavily on your heart. If you don't see any discrimination, your good karma will be halved. If you don't accept it, the cycle of good and evil will make you fall from the Buddha's platform."

Hearing the curses and vicious words, Qiuzhen was not angry but happy, laughing: "I am a Taoist monk who has devoted myself to practicing Taoism, but I didn't expect that I have such a deep Buddhist root. I said that Brother Gu gave me good advice and enlightenment, but I didn't expect that he was just trying to get me to accept this box of Yunwu Tea. In this case, Master, I will accept it."

After saying this, his monk robe was wiped away, and the jade box disappeared. Qiuzhen picked up the teacup, but did not drink it all at once. Instead, he sipped the tea carefully. It seemed that there were thousands of flavors, but not the misty tea fragrance.

“Zen wisdom and wonderful methods are better accompanied by tea than delicious food. How wonderful!”

Gu Qingyuan also picked up the teacup and looked at Qiu Zhen's surging Qi and surging magical power. He looked so sacred and said, "The Dharma nature is like the void. All Buddhas live in it. It has no form and no shape. Everything that appears is like a shadow. Buddha is my true self, just as it is."

After saying this, he tapped the teacup lightly on the table, tapping on the wooden table and also on Qiuzhen's heart. It was as if a crack appeared in the stubborn stone at the bottom of the stream, or as if big and small drums were beating on his heart. Qiuzhen's magical powers became perfect, his Taoism was stimulated, the dust was swept away, his whole body was glowing, and he had finally opened up.

He entered into a state of meditation on the cushion, guarding his spiritual altar with all his heart. He had already seen the light through the clouds and mist. If he were in the Xuanmen realm, his primordial spirit would have been formed and he would be able to reach the realm of a wandering immortal. Seeing this, Gu Qingyuan was only focused on eating rice, but in fact he was protecting him.

"I didn't expect that a few copied Zen sentences could have the effect of hitting a stubborn stone on the head and giving a wake-up call. Am I going to be a plagiarist and copy a few moral articles?"

He couldn't help but think that the plagiarism was of course a joke. In fact, he saw that Qiuzhen's magic power was not full but full, and he was only one step away from a breakthrough. He wanted to help him break through so that he could get a glimpse of the Buddhist practice in this world and lay the foundation for his own primordial spirit. It was also because Qiuzhen's external skills were close to perfection that he had this opportunity. It could be said that both of them were helped by each other and each got what they needed.

'The Buddha has no discriminating mind, so everyone can become a Buddha. There is no original form, and the form is created by the mind. How can my sect not become a Buddha?'

Watching the wonders of Zen and the source of Buddhism, and pretending to seek the truth, Gu Qingyuan had a myriad of thoughts in his mind. His magical powers turned and planted a seed of Buddha's thought. It was constantly nourished, and a bodhi flower bloomed. Then a shadow of Buddha appeared, which looked exactly like him.

When the moon was at its highest point in the sky, Qiu Zhen slowly woke up, stood up and bowed: "I thank you for your help in achieving enlightenment."

With a pure Bodhi thought, a spotless Vajra body and a pure Lapis Lazuli Dharma, he has become an immortal in the mortal world and a son of Buddha in the human world.

(End of this chapter)