"What do you mean? What do you mean? A Shui, what does it mean to come by vow, and what does it mean to come by karma?"
Xu Zishuai poked Liang Qu's back again with his index finger.
He did not understand, but he was no fool.
Anyone with eyes could see the expressions of those around them. Even the Great Monks who recorded Buddhist teachings had grown much more serious.
This question was definitely not simple.
Long E Ying and Long Binglin moved closer, and the others from their sect gathered around as well.
Liang Qu scratched at his temples. He had never expected that a half-baked fellow like himself would one day explain Buddhist teachings to others. He lowered his voice.
"To come by vow means that the Old Monk had been an expert in his previous life—a Bodhisattva, an Arhat—and reincarnated in order to fulfill the wishes of all beings. In this life, he cultivates anew, step by step returning to his original station. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, for example, made a vow.
"To come by karma means that the Old Monk had originally been an ordinary person, brought into this world by the pull of various karmic forces. Then, through various karmic forces again, he ultimately attained enlightenment and became an Arhat.
"Simply put, Ge Daoren was asking whether the Master's cultivation in this life had been fated from the start, or whether it was the result of layer upon layer of chance encounters."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"Ge Daoren is impressive. He asked exactly what was on my mind." Xu Zishuai praised him.
They had come to hear the sutra precisely to learn how to become as awesomely formidable as the Old Monk.
So that one day, tens of thousands of people might sit below and listen