"But after experiencing thousands of sails and growing old, I realized that the sky is never meant to be trampled on, but needs to be hidden deep in the heart, guarded with heart, and respected with all the heart."
Li Qianmei's eyes moved slightly, her red lips parted slightly, and she repeated the words in a low voice, "Hide it in your heart?"
"Exactly."
Luo Chuan placed the empty tea cup firmly back on the stone table and turned his gaze to the distance outside the pavilion. Guiyuan Sect's mountain gate was vaguely visible.
From the gate of the mountain, the sounds of disciples chanting sutras, practicing, and honing their techniques could be faintly heard. They were crisp and regular, revealing the unique vitality and solemnity of the sect.
"When that ancient cultivator was in his later years, his sect suffered a disaster, his lifelong cultivation was lost, his Daoist heart was also severely damaged, and he had no power to recover."
"But with the last spirit in his heart to protect the sect and the common people, he came to this Luotian Star Domain alone, hiding in the mountains and forests, waiting for the destined person, and wanted to pass on what he had learned throughout his life."
Luo Chuan's voice became thicker. He slowly turned around and looked at Li Qianmei again. His eyes clearly reflected the skylight falling outside the pavilion, bright and firm, without any trace of confusion.
"So the answer to the second question, what is heaven, is never above the nine heavens, nor between heaven and earth, but in everyone's heart."
Li Qianmei The light in his eyes swayed again, and something seemed to suddenly become clear in his heart, but there was still a trace of unfinished understanding, and he asked softly again, "Hidden in your heart?"
"That's right, the way of heaven lies within the human heart."
Luo Chuan nodded slightly and repeated his firm words, still looking in the direction of the Guiyuan Sect's mountain gate, with a calm but firm tone.
"When that ancient cultivator was in his later years, his sect suffered a calamity, his Daoist heart was damaged, and all his heavenly cultivation was gone, but he relied on his undying obsession and protective heart."
"I came to Luotian Star Domain alone, hiding among the green bamboos in this barren mountain, waiting for the destined person who can pass on my Daoism."
Luo Chuan's tone was wrapped in the vicissitudes of time. He suddenly turned around and faced Li Qianmei, his eyes filled with the skylight outside the pavilion, clear and bright:
"So the answer to the second question of what is heaven lies in the heart."
"Whatever you want to protect in your heart, what beliefs you want to stick to, that is the heaven that belongs to you. The practice of a monk is never to go against heaven blindly, nor to blindly follow heaven, but to follow one's own heart and stick to one's own heart."
"Where your heart goes and where your heart abides, that's where the way of heaven goes."
The copper bell in the corner of the pavilion was blown by the breeze and made a crisp sound again. This time the ringing was particularly soft, falling just in the gap between the two people's conversation. It did not disturb the tranquility of this enlightenment, but instead added a bit of artistic conception.
Li Qianmei slowly lowered his head, his eyes fell on his white palm, quietly feeling the throbbing in his heart, as if he had already seen the sky hidden in his heart.
There is Heaven Breaking Sect's upbringing and teacher's kindness, there is the persistent pursuit of the great path of spiritual practice, and there is also the transparency and clarity of discussing the Tao and enlightenment with Luo Chuan in the stone pavilion at this moment.
For a long time, Li Qianmei slowly raised her eyes, and all the confusion in her eyes dissipated, replaced by a deeper level of transparency and understanding. She nodded gently to Luo Chuan, her tone firm and calm.
"The younger generation seems to understand that it turns out that the way of heaven is never elsewhere, but has always been hidden in the heart of every practitioner. As long as the original intention remains unchanged, the heaven that belongs to you will never collapse."
"If your original intention changes, if your obsession changes, your own way of heaven will also change accordingly."
Luo Chuan looked at the clear understanding in her eyes, nodded slowly, then raised his hand to lift the teapot, and poured himself another cup of hot tea.
The water vapor rose up, blurring the reflection of the green bamboo outside the pavilion, and diluting a bit of the tranquility of the discussion.
"Senior, junior also has a third question. I hope senior can answer my questions."
Li Qianmei lowered his eyes slightly, a faint blush quietly appeared on his beautiful cheeks under the fading skylight, and his tone was a little softer than before, with a trace of imperceptible solemnity.
Luo Chuan raised his eyes to look at her, quietly waiting for the next words.
Li Qianmei took a deep breath, raised his eyes and looked at Luo Chuan, his voice was soft but extremely clear. "The third question is still, what is heaven."
This time, Luo Chuan did not answer immediately, but slowly closed his eyes. His slender fingers gently rested on the edge of the stone table. His fingertips exerted slight pressure, and his knuckles glowed with a faint white color.
The breeze outside the pavilion seemed to be aware of the silence here, and quietly slowed down its pace, not daring to disturb the silence.
Between heaven and earth there is only the sound of the gurgling Huai River under the pavilion, accompanied by the occasional soft ringing of the copper bell on the eaves of the pavilion, and the sound slowly spreads in the back mountain where dusk is gradually shrouding.
The time for half a stick of incense is only a blink of an eye for a practitioner, but for the two people in the pavilion at this moment, it seems extremely long.
During this period of time, the aroma of tea in the stone pavilion completely dissipated, and the tea on the stone table no longer had any warmth. The search and expectation in Li Qianmei's heart also settled little by little, becoming thicker and heavier.
Li Qianmei has been sitting quietly on the stone bench, her beautiful face becoming softer and gentler in the dusk, her eyes quietly falling on Luo Chuan's calm profile, without any urging, just waiting patiently.
Since entering the world of spiritual practice, she has heard countless arguments about the way of heaven and the great road.
The master of the Heaven Breaking Sect once said that Tao is the sharp sword that cuts through the thorns in the road ahead and the courage to move forward. The elder of the Zidao Sect once said that Tao is the authority to control all things in the world and the strength to dominate all living beings.
But only Luo Chuan's silence at this moment gave her a very real premonition.
The real ultimate answer is about to emerge.
Finally, in the silence, Luo Chuan slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were astonishingly bright in the darkening twilight, as if they contained the stars that had not yet risen in the night sky, deep and Youyuan.
Luo Chuan looked at Li Qianmei, and his calm voice was wrapped in the weight of eternity. Every word was clear and could be heard. "What you are asking now is no longer about heaven, but about Tao."
Li Qianmei Hearing this, his long eyelashes trembled slightly, a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he nodded slowly, acknowledging this insight.
She slowly raised her hand, gently tucked a strand of black hair that was ruffled by the breeze behind her ear, and her fingertips slowly passed over the jade pendant she wore beside her ear. The cold touch of the jade pendant made her feel calmer.
Li Qianmei's voice was soft, like dewdrops falling on bamboo leaves, warm and clear. "Senior, your eyes are as bright as a torch."
"Ever since I broke through the Jingnie Realm realm a hundred years ago, I have often fallen into confusion. Since I know that heaven is the Tao that coexists with all things, where should I place the Tao that monks have spent their lives pursuing? How should heaven and Tao be integrated?"
"I have been thinking about this question for eternity and have never found an absolutely complete answer."