Elder Faming glanced at Xuanzang and said, "When the opportunity comes, it will come naturally. You need not concern yourself too much with this matter. When the time comes, you will encounter it yourself. What is yours cannot be escaped."
Xuanzang said nothing further. Sitting to one side, he flipped through the scriptures. He had memorized them all when he was young, and by now had long since comprehended them thoroughly. He had likewise understood every book in Gold Mountain Temple and had no desire to read more.
"Have you heard about something that has happened recently?" Elder Faming suddenly asked.
"What is it?"
"A Water-Land Assembly is to be held in Chang'an, summoning monks from all under heaven to the city. Yet several days have already passed, and not a single monk has met the requirements." Elder Faming smiled.
"Oh? Why is that? Could it be that all those monks are just good-for-nothings?" Xuanzang said with a smile.
"Do not be rude. Most of those monks are sincerely devoted to Buddhism. It is simply that Chang'an has set one condition for gathering monks from all under heaven this time: they must be able to deliver the wronged souls in the Underworld. There are exceedingly few monks in the world capable of such a thing—almost none. That is why our Tang Dynasty has not selected a single person these past few days," Elder Faming said.
Xuanzang said, "Doesn't our Buddhism have teachings that can deliver the dead?"
"There are such Buddhist teachings, but very few people in the Tang Dynasty know them," Elder Faming replied calmly.
"Then does Master know them?"
"I have already taught you everything I know. What do you think?" Elder Faming said with a smile.
Xuanzang nodded. He had naturally heard of Mahayana Buddhism, though he