In the meditation room, after the little monks had served the tea, Abbot Miaoxin finally made an inviting gesture and said, "Please, honored guests, have some tea."
Cui Xiaoxin lifted her teacup and took a sip, but she was not in the mood for tea. Looking at Abbot Miaoxin, she said, "Master, why do you want Sinian to take refuge in Buddhism? Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect, as well as fate and affinity. Since Sinian is unwilling to take refuge, that proves the cause has not borne fruit and the affinity has not yet arrived. Would you agree, Master?"
Abbot Miaoxin looked at Li Sinian with a smile and said, "There are two kinds of wishes: the wishes of man and the will of Heaven. Miss Xiao Xin is trying to defy the will of Heaven with the wishes of man. That is unwise. What is fated is difficult to defy. That is simply how things are."
"If the wishes of man cannot be understood, how can one speak of the will of Heaven?" Cui Xiaoxin retorted. "Man's wishes cannot go against Heaven's will, but Heaven's will can forcibly go against man's wishes?"
"Heaven's will belongs to Heaven, and man's wishes belong to man. The heavens are the chessboard, and all living beings are the pieces. Every chess piece has a path destined for it. To forcibly defy it will only bring greater disaster. Since that is so, why not follow the will of Heaven and move with it? To ultimately cross over to the other shore—would that not be a fine thing?"
"What about the human heart?" Cui Xiaoxin looked at the old monks staring fervently at Li Sinian and said, "You masters entered the empty gate to practice Buddhist teachings. What did you cultivate first? Naturally, your own