The Long-Awaited Return Home

"The Vajra Demon-Subduing Power is internal strength, not True Qi, and cannot be released externally. If we have to categorize it, it belongs to Jing Essence, which can only be transformed into unparalleled divine power when combined with the physical body. Without the physical body, it is nothing."

"That's terrible. If Si Ming isn't exaggerating, judging from the situation, even Bodhi Indestructible Body might not be able to withstand it. Only Tathagata Indestructible Body offers any hope."

"This move inflicts a thousand damage on the enemy but also eight hundred on yourself. In fact, it's more suitable for Monster Race. Combined with their extraordinary physical regeneration abilities, if they strike out and their own arm explodes off, another one will grow back."

Seeing that the monks were getting into the mood and it seemed like it was going to turn into a martial arts competition, Fahong quickly coughed twice to remind them.

The monks snapped out of their daze, realizing that there were outsiders present. They quickly sat up straight, their faces solemn. Some looked out the window pretending to admire the scenery, some closed their eyes and drifted off into their own world, and some put their hands together and recited the "Commentary on the Medicine Buddha Sutra".

"Ha, it's worked, Alliance Leader. Please follow me, Alliance Leader."

Fahong led Si Ming outside, accompanied by Faji from the Sarira Hall and Fahai from the Bodhi Hall.

Si Ming looked at Fahai with a questioning gaze, wondering what this man was doing here. The Sarira Hall was responsible for the funerals of monks, as well as the safekeeping of relics and treasures, which was exactly where they were going. It was only natural that Faji would accompany them. However, the Bodhi Hall was responsible for the research of Buddhism and external publicity. It was like the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Publicity. It was recognized as the "department" that was least capable of fighting but had the best tongue. Most of the liberal arts monks who did not want to practice martial arts were in this department.

"I have heard about the discussion about Buddhism between the Alliance Leader, Abbot, and Fajian a few days ago," Fahai suddenly said.

Si Ming glanced at him sideways, "You bald monk, instead of catching snakes, you want to discuss Buddhism with me?"

Did Fahong and Fajian lose face because they couldn't argue with me, so they brought in you, the head of the propaganda department, to debate with me? You monks are so petty! No wonder you arrested someone's wife and played the imprisonment game back then; I guess single people can't stand seeing others showing off their love.

Noticing Si Ming's gaze, Fahai quickly explained, "Alliance Leader, you've misunderstood. This humble monk didn't intend to discuss Buddhism with you. In fact, I greatly admire your insights into Buddhism. The Buddha is a human being, not a god. One can choose to learn from his teachings, and there's no question of worshipping or not worshipping. However, it's precisely because what you say is correct that it's so frightening."

Chapter 371 The Long-Awaited Return Home

Fahai smiled and asked, "How many people in the world do you think are as intelligent as you, Alliance Leader?"

"One in ten thousand." Si Ming didn't mince words. If you don't even have that much confidence, you shouldn't be a time traveler.

Fahai was not surprised, but nodded in agreement. "That's right. The Alliance Leader is a dragon among men in terms of both knowledge and understanding. I'm sure the Alliance Leader also knows the following saying: 'You can't talk about ice to a summer insect, because it's bound by the season; you can't talk about the sea to a frog in a well, because it's confined by its narrow view; you can't talk about the Way to a narrow-minded person, because it's bound by its doctrines.' To an ordinary person, the world is the cage they live in. If the Alliance Leader were to describe the scene outside the cage to them, it would naturally sound like absurd nonsense."

Si Ming understood. What this guy meant was, "We know what you're saying is correct, but others may not accept what's true, and it might even cause panic. So please don't spread it around. We won't interfere if you talk about it privately."

"A genius is one who is half a step ahead of his time, and a madman is one who is a whole step ahead of his time. How could I not know such a simple truth? I was just discussing those things with Xilai, but I didn't expect Master Fajian to hear them and insist on denouncing them as fallacies. That's why we had no choice but to argue."

Fahai, "When a wealthy merchant with a fortune says that wealth cannot determine a person's worth, others will naturally respect him. But when a starving beggar says the same, others will only scoff. It's not wrong to criticize Buddha and ancestors, but only those who have truly understood Buddhism do so. That is an act of enlightenment. Others doing so are merely seeking attention. Ordinary monks don't have the wisdom of the leader. They still need to honestly observe the precepts, meditate, and recite scriptures to purify their six senses, cut off ignorance and afflictions, and return to their original true nature. Brother Fajian doesn't know the leader, which is why he spoke out to warn him."

Since the other party had already humbled himself and begged for mercy, Si Ming stopped pressing the matter. After all, the Heavenly Martial Alliance was already enough of a burden for him, and he had no intention of creating a Chan Buddhism as well. This kind of ideological conflict was no less than a revolution in the Buddhist world, and revolutions kill many people.

Both sides set aside their disputes and continued their honeymoon period of cooperation. Fahai, seeing that his goal had been achieved, did not follow the journey to the end and took a leave of absence halfway through the journey under some pretext.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Sarira Hall, Si Ming saw Hongdou, who had also been summoned, and asked her how she had been staying these past few days.

"It's great. The scenery here is beautiful, the environment is pleasant, and you can see many small animals on the back mountain. The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming, it's a harmonious blend of nature and nature, something I can't see when I live in Tange City. Also, it's very quiet here; no one talks loudly, and at night it's completely silent."

When night fell, the monks and nuns were all in deep meditation, so naturally there was no sound.

Si Ming asked, "Don't you find the chanting annoying?"

"No, not at all! It's not only not annoying, but also very comfortable. After hearing that, all my random thoughts disappeared, and I feel like I can concentrate better when I'm painting." Hongdou seemed to really like the place, praising it highly. "The buildings here are very unique and distinctive, full of religious atmosphere, which has given me a lot of inspiration. I've painted thirteen pictures in the past five days, nine of which are landscape and architectural drawings."

Buddhism is not prevalent in the Sea Continent, so it is indeed difficult to see temple-like buildings. As Divine Religion of Science, Mohist Religion has a very weak religious atmosphere. Whenever a new building material is developed, it is tested on Mohist Religion "churches", which makes it full of science fiction.

Fahong said with satisfaction, "It seems that Madam Hong also has an affinity with Buddhism. I wonder if she is interested in Buddhist teachings?"

Upon hearing this, Si Ming glanced sideways at him. "Are all you monks involved in pyramid schemes? You keep saying this to everyone you meet? Do you get a reward for every five friends you invite to join?"

Hongdou was not only simple, but also single-minded. She shook her head and said, "Painting alone takes up half of my time. The rest of the time I need to practice martial arts, eat, sleep, and take a bath. There's really no extra time for chanting scriptures."

In her view, studying Buddhism is equivalent to chanting scriptures.

Fahong didn't take it to heart and laughed, "It seems that Madam Hong doesn't need Buddhism. The purpose of Buddhism is to help people recognize their true nature and face themselves squarely. Madam Hong knows very clearly what she wants to do and can put it into action, and she is not swayed by external temptations. This kind of state can lead to Arhat. Whether or not she has Buddhism is not important. There are thousands of ways to cultivate in the world, and Buddhism is just one of them. Madam Hong has found her own way of cultivation at such a young age, which is truly enviable."

Hongdou blinked and turned to ask Si Ming, "Did I receive a compliment?"

"Yes, and it's a very high compliment."

"Hehehe, it's not that amazing," Hongdou said happily.

Abbot Faji of the Sarira Hall carefully examined Hongdou's face, calculated with his fingers, and said with slight amazement, "Namo Glazed Medicine Buddha, not only does Benefactor Hongdou possess the heart of a child, but she has also overcome the greatest tribulation of her life. From now on, she will enjoy abundant blessings and be free from disasters and difficulties. Even the Celestial Person would envy her."

"No disasters or difficulties" does not mean that Hongdou will never encounter any disasters again, but rather that the kind of dangers related to luck will not befall her. For example, if an earthquake were to occur in the area where Hongdou lives, her good fortune would not prevent the earthquake from happening, but the various phenomena caused by the earthquake, such as collapsed houses and ground subsidence, would not harm her.

Of course, all of this is on the premise that Hongdou herself does not take risks. If she insists on jumping off a building to see if she can die from the fall, or jumping into the sea to see if she can drown, then no matter how deep her good fortune is, it will be useless. On the contrary, she can live a peaceful and safe life, and her breast enhancement will bring good luck.

"This time I realized he was praising me too," Hongdou said smugly.

"Yes, he's saying you're lucky even though you're a fool."

Si Ming was slightly surprised, because fighting against the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King was an extremely dangerous matter. According to Faji, as long as Hongdou didn't actively seek out the other party, she might never be captured in her lifetime. This clearly contradicted their invitation to Hongdou for help, showing that this monk was also an honest person.

Hongdou protested, "I'm not stupid, I'm just... right, it's called a childlike heart! Haha, from now on, if anyone calls me stupid or dull, I'll tell them it's called a childlike heart." Her smug look couldn't help but bring a smile to everyone's face.

Faji solemnly suggested to Si Ming, "Good fortune can extend to those close to us. Our temple has a cultivation method called 'The Unconventional Practice of Form and Emptiness.' By practicing this technique with those who are fortunate, not only will you receive good fortune, but you can also dispel inner demons and Kongming your mind. It will also have a multiplier effect on martial arts cultivation. If the Alliance Leader is interested, you can go to the Scripture Repository to retrieve it."

"Ha, I'll borrow it when I have time."

Si Ming knew perfectly well that this thing, though it sounded mysterious, was actually a kind of dual cultivation method.

It's not surprising that Glazed Temple doesn't prohibit marriage. So many people die every year in their battles with the Monster Race. If they also banned marriage, the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King wouldn't even need to do anything; they would simply perish on their own within a hundred years.

In fact, even on Earth, Buddhism does not completely prohibit marriage. Three branches of Buddhism allow monks to marry, have children, and have normal sexual lives: Esoteric Buddhism, Chan Buddhism, and Pure Land School.

Esoteric Buddhism goes without saying, and the famous Blissful Chan practice of "dual cultivation between men and women" is particularly well-known. Many monks use this as a pretext to engage in immoral and depraved acts.

In Chan Buddhism, it depends on the circumstances. Those who have left home to become monks still observe the precepts, while those who do not can choose to practice at home. Having a wife is considered part of a family, and these practitioners are generally called "lay Buddhists."

The Pure Land School of Buddhism focuses on the dynasty. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was common for monks to marry, and there were many examples of monks marrying nuns. The monk Bujie and his wife in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Proud Wanderer" are not an original creation of Jin Yong, but a historical fact. Monks' wives were also called "Brahma's wives".