Qi Saintess Learns a Method

Was it not sincere?

Impossible!

Qi Zixiao asked herself, did she mean to become a monk or a nun?

My intention was clearly to learn about Buddhism, but this old monk directly tried to take advantage of Saintess, saying he wanted me to shave my Saintess?!

This is absolutely outrageous!

Qi Saintess was furious.

However, it was not appropriate to show too much at this time, so he still maintained a calm and sacred expression. "Uncle Benxin has misunderstood. Zixiao has no intention of shaving his head. He came here only to understand the Buddhism of your sect. What is the difference between this and the Buddhism that I have casually comprehended?"

"I only want to experience Great Vehicle Buddhism, nothing more."

Are you beating around the bush with me?

Taking advantage of me?

I went straight to the point and made it clear: I'm here to challenge you, so what?!

"Arrogant! Bold! This is outrageous!"

The Buddha's Disciple could no longer remain seated.

He has always been very dissatisfied with Qi Zixiao. He was tricked half to death by Qi Zixiao before, and today he was belittled by Qi Zixiao again. Now he even said that he would use his Buddhist teachings to challenge the Great Vehicle Buddhism the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.

"You are not qualified to discuss Buddhism!"

He angrily retorted, "Buddha guides those with affinity. You are treacherous, wicked, and utterly evil. How dare you claim to understand Buddhism?!"

"Oh?"

Who is this?

Qi Zixiao spoke calmly.

Buddha's Disciple: "...??????"

It was intentional!

This Demoness must have done it on purpose!

The Buddha's Disciple was furious, but before he could speak, Qi Zixiao said again, "Buddha saves those with affinity? But the Buddhist scriptures say that all beings are equal and all beings can be saved."

"Buddhist scriptures also say: Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot."

"You spew foul language, calling me wicked and unworthy to discuss Buddhism, but are your actions in accordance with the teachings of Buddhism?"

Qi Zixiao chuckled softly.

His smile was full of contempt and disdain.

She did this intentionally, precisely to lure these monks into her trap!

"If that's the case, then I am indeed unworthy to talk about Buddhism. Such Buddhism... is better left unsaid."

"You!"

The Buddha's Disciple glared angrily.

At this moment, the Benxin spoke, "Amitabha, Refrain from Anger, you are attached to appearances!"

"Your Buddhist teachings are Great Vehicle Buddhism. Your understanding of Buddhism is astonishing, and you know a great deal. However, you are impatient and your emotions and desires are not yet purified. It is precisely because of this that you have become a disciple of my Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect School of Buddhism..."

"As your teacher, I gave you the Dharma name Refrain from Anger), hoping that you would rid yourself of greed, anger, ignorance, and hatred. Don't you understand?"

"Master, I..."

The Buddha's Disciple opened his mouth, his face full of shame. "This disciple is ashamed."

"Let go of your obsessions."

Benxin spoke again, "Since Benefactor Qi wants to understand the Great Vehicle Buddhism of my Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, why don't you have a discussion with her?"

Whew~

With a wave of his hand, two prayer cushions flew out from under the Buddha statue and landed in the center of the hall.

"Please, benefactor!"

The Buddha's Disciple took a deep breath, his eyes opening and closing. When he calmed down, his entire demeanor changed dramatically, as if he had become a completely different person.

Qi Zixiao witnessed this scene and couldn't help but become slightly wary.

but...

It was only a tiny bit!

The two sat cross-legged, facing each other.

Surrounding them were dozens of high-ranking monks, all of whom were 'enlightened monks'. Each of them put their hands together and chanted Buddhist teachings.

but...

Their communication through Divine Sense was much easier and more joyful.

"A mere woman, a Purple Mansion Disciple, discussing Buddhist teachings with me, the Buddha's Disciple of Buddha's Disciple?"

"I don't know what he's thinking; it's really quite ridiculous."

"Hehe..."

"Although Refrain from Anger has a bad temper, his understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist scriptures far surpasses that of ordinary people. This time, this Demoness has only brought shame upon herself!"

"We'll just wait and see..."

"Amitabha."

Seeing that the two were seated, Benxin softly chanted Buddhist prayers, announcing the start of the debate...

But... Qi Zixiao suddenly spoke up, "Wait a minute."

"It's not too late to admit defeat now." The Buddha's Disciple looked at each other and whispered softly.

"Merely discussing it would be too boring."

Qi Zixiao responded, "Why not add some prizes?"

"I knew that Demoness was up to no good!"

"She must have already devised a plan!"

"Send a Refrain from Anger, telling him to be extremely careful and never underestimate this Demoness!"

The senior monks almost couldn't help but curse.

But on the surface, they all looked incredibly honest, sitting there with their hands clasped together, eyes downcast, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings...

"Uncle-Master Benxin, what do you think?"

Qi Zixiao pressed for more information.

The Buddha's Disciple also looked at Benxin, who countered, "Benefactor Qi, what do you desire?"

"Immaculate Relic".

Qi Zixiao did not hide anything and directly stated her goal.

"No!"

Benxin gently shook his head. "The Immaculate Relic is the object of a highly accomplished monk's passing away. It should be enshrined in the temple day and night and should not be given to outsiders."

"Hehe..."

Qi Zixiao said, "As expected, the so-called Great Vehicle Buddhism of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect is nothing more than this!"

"It's just self-deception!"

"Speaking nonsense!"

The Buddha's Disciple frowned immediately. "Tell me, why is our Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect Great Vehicle Buddhism deceiving itself?"

The Buddha said that all beings are equal.

"The Immaculate Relic is the one that comes from the passing away of a high-ranking monk. Are all sentient beings in the world qualified to obtain it?"

"You say that what you left behind, I can't take, yet you call that equality for all beings?"

Qi Zixiao chuckled, her expression becoming even more disdainful.

"Fallacy."

The Buddha's Disciple looked at him coldly. At this moment, he did not show much anger, and for the first time truly demonstrated his extraordinary understanding of Buddhism and Buddhist principles.

"Firstly, the eminent monks of our sect who pass away have all left behind their last wishes!"

"Secondly, relics are Buddhist artifacts. You are not a member of Buddhism sect, so taking them would be an insult to the late monks' aspirations!"

"Thirdly, you don't understand the concept of equality for all beings at all, yet you resort to sophistry!"

"Sweeping the floor may harm the lives of ants, and we cherish moths by covering lamps with gauze. Under the heavens, there is no life that cannot be saved; this is true equality for all beings!"

"Oh?"

Qi Zixiao chuckled, "How many Ferocious Beast are there in the world? They are also living beings. Why don't you go and convert one of them?"

"Cherish life?"

"If Ferocious Beast does not eat meat, it will starve to death; if it does eat meat, it will kill."

"In the past, when the Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed an eagle, if we truly believed in the equality of all living beings, I'm afraid that even if all the disciples of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect were fed to Ferocious Beast, it still wouldn't be enough."

These words were spoken.

The group of monks were all so angry they laughed.

I've never seen such utter nonsense!

That's utterly absurd!

but...

It may seem a bit off, but if you think about it carefully, there's actually some truth to it.

The Buddha's Disciple's gaze was cold and indifferent as he spoke calmly, "Utter nonsense!"

"The Ferocious Beast has no intelligence; though it has life, it has no 'god' and cannot be considered a true life!"

"Is that so?"

Qi Zixiao smiled...

"Then let me ask you again, as a Lay Buddha's Disciple, what is your understanding of Buddhism?"

"I may not be able to compare with many enlightened monks, but I will not belittle myself," the Buddha's Disciple replied.

Then he added, "The Dharma is boundless. All I can do is stay true to myself, recite scriptures day and night, and improve myself."

"The body is Bodhi, the mind a bright mirror. Constantly wipe it clean, lest it be covered with dust."

Upon hearing this...

Qi Zixiao was stunned.

Seeing Qi Zixiao's expression, the Buddha's Disciple smiled and knew... it was all settled!

The other senior monks couldn't help but smile slightly.

This Gatha (a poem with Zen meaning) was written from the Benxin!

The meaning of "Benxin" can be seen as upholding Benxin. So how does one uphold Benxin?

When he took over as the current abbot and Holy Master, Benxin hesitated and wrote this Gatha, which means to regard himself as Bodhi and his heart as a clear mirror!

Only by wiping it clean from time to time, preventing it from getting dusty, can we maintain our Benxin...

When this Gatha was first composed, countless eminent monks were amazed and praised it highly, deeming it a profound expression of Benxin teachings.

As a disciple of Benxin, the Buddha's Disciple Refrain from Anger naturally knew this Gatha, and at this moment, he casually mentioned it...

Hehe!

Are you afraid that Qi Zixiao will try to argue with me?

Seeing Qi Zixiao's stunned expression, the Buddha's Disciple remained calm but secretly delighted.

The same applies to senior monks.

It is believed that Qi Zixiao has already lost...

Or rather, this so-called 'Buddhist Dharma competition' is nothing but a joke.

However, what they didn't know was that Qi Zixiao's slight daze wasn't actually because she was frightened by the Gatha.

But... this Gatha also exists on Earth!

She had even seen it in a novel!

In fact, there just happens to be a Gatha that can completely negate this Gatha...

This made Qi Zixiao feel... so relaxed!

She was originally thinking about how to trick the Buddha's Disciple, and then seize the opportunity to use some profound Buddhist teachings to intimidate him.

But what will the result be?

They just delivered themselves right to our doorstep?!

Then I won't be polite!

Qi Zixiao smiled calmly, "Indeed, this kind of Buddhist teaching is beyond even Great Vehicle Buddhism!"

"This is clearly a mind obsessed with evil and a murderous intent; it doesn't even qualify as Lesser Vehicle Buddhism."

"How dare you!!!"

Before the Buddha's Disciple could even speak, the surrounding senior monks couldn't sit still any longer and shouted angrily.

"Don't be so presumptuous."

Benxin clasped his hands together, his face still kind, but he looked at Qi Zixiao and said with a smile, "To be honest, this Gatha was written by this old monk back then. I dare not presume to call it Great Vehicle Buddhism, but I would say that it can be called Hinayana Buddhism."

"What advice does Benefactor Qi have for me?"

"Master!" The Buddha's Disciple looked at her coldly. "She is just talking nonsense. This Gatha is Great Vehicle Buddhism. How could a woman like her possibly understand its profound meaning?"

The implication is...

You, Qi Zixiao, have no taste for quality at all.

What do you know about Buddhism? How dare you talk about Mahayana and Hinayana?

"How laughable! A heart filled with murderous intent dares to call oneself Buddha's Disciple?"

"Besides, Uncle Benxin, you... are attached to appearances!"

Qi Zixiao chuckled softly.

"Arrogant!"

Everyone shouted angrily, but Benxin remained calm. "Benefactor Qi, could you please explain?"

"Bodhi has no tree."

Qi Zixiao spoke, and with just her first sentence, she sent a jolt through her Benxin!

The Buddha's Disciple and many senior monks were also stunned for a moment, sensing... something was amiss.

"Even a bright mirror is not a platform!"

Boom!!!!

Suddenly, golden Buddhist light filled the hall, and large Swastika Buddha Seal flew out from the many Buddha statues, surrounding Qi Zixiao and making him look like a true Buddha descending to earth!

"Originally there was nothing, so where can dust settle?"