Duke did not understand what Hongjun meant, but with the meditation cushion right before him, he obediently sat down anyway. A guaranteed saintly seat was free for the taking.
Mm, it really was irresistible!
"Today, these seats shall be assigned. From now on, it will remain thus. Remember this well, and do not forget it."
Once the seats had been assigned, Hongjun began expounding the Dao. What he spoke of were the Three Thousand Great Daos. How much each person could understand depended entirely on their own fortune and comprehension.
First, he explained the general principles of the Three Thousand Great Daos!
"There is a thing formed in chaos, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent and boundless, it stands alone and never changes; it moves in cycles and never ceases. It may be called the mother of Heaven and Earth. I know not its name, so I reluctantly call it: Dao!"
"At the beginning of all things, the Great Dao is Simple, yet it unfolds into endless complexity. Beneath the Great Dao, Heaven and Earth form the framework; all existence is Dao. Thus, the Great Dao is everywhere, and the Dao is everywhere..."
"The principles of Dao run through all things. All things exist in opposition; when an extreme is reached, it must reverse, and in the end return to its root!"
"The principles of Dao divide into two aspects: nonbeing and being. Dao is eternally nonbeing—nameless and formless, preceding Heaven, Earth, Ghost Gods, and the origin of all things. Dao is eternally being—it gives birth to Heaven, Earth, and all things, possessing infinite uses..."
"..."
Hongjun's sermon was utterly unremarkable. There were no golden lotuses spilling from his mouth, nor any auspicious clouds or mist. Yet within that plainness lay a trace of profound mystery. As he spoke, those