Acting as a god and Buddha: starting from Guanzi

Chapter 108: No scriptures in the temple, changes in the white night

In the desert jungle, the camels, known as the Desert Ships, lay half-lying on the ground and chewed gently, with the bells on their necks shaking gently.

On the side was the meat covered by a tarpaulin. Ice cubes continued to melt, gradually leaving puddles of water stains on the ground.

Meng Yuan held his breath after approaching. Instead of lifting the tarpaulin, he picked up a vegetable leaf from the side.

"Whoosh~" A camel stretched out its head and twisted its thick lips. Meng Yuan handed the vegetable leaf to it, and immediately swallowed it with his tongue.

Maybe it was because the journey was too tiring, even if the night watch guards were all asleep, Meng Yuan took the white horse and prepared to leave quietly. The Ahan Temple was not far away, so he didn't have to go with it.

Without the sandstorm and the black wind, the deserted sky here is extraordinarily clear, with few stars looming.

Under the starry night, a white-clothed monk walks with a whisk in his hand and a horse.

After leaving the caravan, Meng Yuan did not encounter anything weird again. Only occasionally, some little ghosts thought it was a dinner delivered to his door, and Meng Yuan educated him on Buddhism.

In the early morning, the bad weather for many days finally ushered in an improvement.

Meng Yuan saw a Buddhist temple on the ridge in the distance, which seemed to be covered with a layer of gold, shining brightly, with red walls, green tiles, and old trees. It was indeed an ancient temple.

Then he rode quickly and rode all the way to the mountain gate.

Suddenly a loud sound was heard resounding in all directions.

when!when!when!
Morning bells and evening drums, these are the bells in the temple, and the monks get up.

Sure enough, not long after, the temple door was slowly pushed open, and a novice monk was surprised when he saw Meng Yuan.

He stepped forward to perform the ceremony and asked: "Brother, where does the name of the Dharma come from? Are you coming to this temple to make an appointment or to meet friends?"

Meng Yuan returned the gift: "The poor monk, whose Dharma name is Miao E, came from the Guanyin Temple in the South China Sea, and traveled thousands of miles to Baofang, just to seek the Dharma."

When the little novice heard that Meng Yuan had traveled thousands of miles to seek the Dharma, he was immediately in awe, and hurriedly said: "Brother, please wait a moment, and wait for the disciple to report to Master, abbot."

"It's work."

Not long after the young novice entered, he saw the mountain gate wide open, and a group of monks in yellow clothes came out one after another and lined up in two rows. Several respected old monks led their disciples out to greet them.

So grand but flattering.

At the front was a monk with a thin figure, high cheekbones, and a majestic complexion. He was wearing a cassock and holding a tin staff. The evil Zen master has come from thousands of miles to express his gratitude to the world, please enter the temple."

"I have met Abbot Yuanhai. I would like to help you, fellow seniors."

Meng Yuan thanked them one by one, and then entered the Ahan Temple surrounded by monks, the abbot and elders sat down one after another, some disciples offered green tea and lit sandalwood, full of Zen.

Abbot Yuanhai asked: "I wonder what kind of Dharma Master Miaoxie is seeking when he comes from afar?"

Meng Yuan took a sip of tea to moisten his mouth, and replied: "My disciple once got the teaching of the Lotus Heart Sutra, but the master once said that if you want the golden elixir and the subsequent methods, all the methods are in the Ahan Temple, so I come here to seek the Dharma. "

Yuan Hai immediately shook his head and said: "This poor monk has been practicing here for more than two hundred years and has never heard of this method."

Then he added: "Junior brothers, do you have any impressions?"

All the monks thought hard and then shook their heads.

oh?No!

This abbot of Yuanhai is a perfect cultivation of Golden Core Realm, and even the abbot of the monastery. If he didn't lie, could it be that he has been lost?

A monk asked: "I don't know who the Zen master's master is? Why do you say that there is a practice method of the Lotus Duer Heart Sutra in my temple?"

"My master's name is Huiming."

"Hui's generation? That's already Taishifu's generation, and most of them have passed away now. Could it be possible that there are still ancestors from our temple alive?"

This was a big deal for Agama Temple, so Yuanhai immediately ordered the monks to move the ultimatum from the temple and search for monks of the Hui generation.

There is indeed a person named Huiming among them, but that ancestor has passed away, and the relics left behind are still enshrined in the pagoda.

Finally, after some investigation, no corresponding person was found, and the monk in charge of managing the Sutra Pavilion also said that there are no such three methods as the Lotus Heart Sutra, the Great Unclean Space Sutra, and the Shutting Meditation Sutra.

"Chan Master Miao E came from afar, and he is sincere in seeking the Dharma. This poor monk will take you to see the teacher. He has lived in the temple for more than 900 years. If it is really my Ahan Temple's method, he should know."

900 years?

This is really an old antique, and according to Meng Yuan's knowledge, the Nascent Soul Realm can only live for a thousand years before it will die, and unless there is a life-extending medicine, it cannot be extended.

Those in the Golden Core Realm can live for 500 years, and those in the Foundation Establishment realm can live for about 200 years.

Abbot Yuanhai took him outside an independent hall and asked Meng Yuan to wait while he went in to report.

After a while, he signaled Meng Yuan to go in.

After entering the main hall, a sense of twilight suddenly enveloped it, as if the vitality of the main hall was being lost, and the vegetation entered the frosty winter season and began to wither and rot.

In the innermost secret room, an old monk who was very thin, like a child, but had white hair and beard, and dry skin was sitting on the futon with his eyes closed.

"This is Master Poor Monk, whose name is Jing Kong."

Meng Yuan clasped his palms together and said: "It's really offensive for a young monk to visit Elder Jingkong and disturb the elder's Qingxiu rashly."

When Elder Jingkong heard this, he opened his eyes. His eyes were very clear and bright, and he smiled: "I have heard your reason Yuanhai, but I really don't have what you want in the temple, so you are disappointed."

Meng Yuandao: "If there is no one, it means that the fate of a young monk has not arrived. I beseech the elders to let me live in the temple for a few days. It will not be in vain for me to go through this experience."

"Of course, it's just that the master is really a person in my temple?"

"My master once said that he heard lectures on sutras in Agama Temple."

"In this way, Master Ling may not necessarily be a monk in our temple, maybe it is because Master Ling has a bad memory." Abbot Yuanhai said.

Meng Yuan didn't argue either, since the old monk said it was here, it should be here, but for some reason people in the temple forgot or didn't know that's all.

After meeting the longest person in Agama Temple, Meng Yuan came out and a monk arranged a Zen room for him to rest. He planned to stay in the temple for a few days. If he couldn't find it, it would be like what he said, and he would go back then. That is.

At noon, he missed lunch because he and the abbot visited Jingkong, so a monk sent him a vegetarian meal, all of which were vegetarian dishes, but he didn't eat them, and put them into the Buddha Kingdom in his palm.

In the evening, a monk knocked on his door.

"Brother, do you need to take your white horse tied in front of the mountain gate to the backyard to guard against wild beasts?" A monk came to ask.

Meng Yuandao: "I'm here. That horse recognizes its life, and it's hard for ordinary people to get close to it."

Then he went out and went all the way to the mountain gate to lead the horse. At this time, the sound of camel bells came, and a camel team was slowly approaching on the mountain road.

The disciple who was sweeping in front of the mountain gate shouted: "The supplies for the temple have arrived, and all the senior brothers are here to help, hurry up and ask the abbot."

Not long after, a large group of monks walked out again, and Meng Yuan hurriedly stepped aside to avoid blocking the road.

The shopkeeper of the caravan asked his staff to stop the camels and go up to talk to Abbot Yuanhai. When he saw Meng Yuan beside him, he immediately smiled and said, "Congratulations, little master, for fulfilling your wish!"

Meng Yuan smiled and nodded: "Congratulations to Shopkeeper Qi for the safe delivery."

At this time, a monk came to report: "Master, all kinds of vegetables, oils and grains have been carefully checked."

"Okay, tell the disciples to move out, Master Qi, and rest in the temple tonight."

Shopkeeper Qi nodded and said with a smile: "Okay, the vegetarian food at your temple is really unforgettable."

The disciples of Agama Temple moved various supplies into the temple, and Meng Yuan also led the Mingma to the backyard and returned to the Zen room, constantly thinking about the weirdness of this caravan.

One was transporting meat and the other was transporting vegetables. According to the location last night, the camel caravan carrying a lot of meat should have arrived ahead of schedule, but the result was the opposite.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
A drumbeat resounded through the temple, and at the same time there was a knock on the door outside Meng Yuan's door.

"Brother, break the fast."

"Okay, the poor monk will come."

Meng Yuan shook his head, feeling a little tired. After opening the door, the sky had completely darkened.

Seeing this, the monk stretched out his hand and said, "Brother, please follow me."

"it is good."

Then he lowered his head and led the way, while Meng Yuan followed him all the way to the dining hall.

"Brother, it's inside. You must eat enough."

Meng Yuan frowned slightly, and then walked into the dining hall, and saw a group of monks holding bowls and basins in front of them, eating quietly, no one spoke, only the sound of chaotic chewing.

And he also saw clearly what was in the bowl, meat!It's all meat!

It is as big as braised pork, with a bright red color and the aroma of fat, which almost whets the appetite.

"Zen Master Miao E, this is specially ordered by the abbot to keep it for you." Monk Huo Gong handed him a pot of meat.

Meng Yuan glanced around the dining hall and saw all the monks immersed in eating, with a look of madness on their faces. He carried the rice bowl and came to the corner, where an acquaintance was sitting.

It was the manager of the caravan, Qi.

Meng Yuan came to sit in front of him: "Shopkeeper Qi."

"Oh, the little master is here, eat quickly. The stew made by Agama Temple is really amazing. You can't stop eating it. If I hadn't been reluctant to let go of my wives and concubines, I would have wanted to become a monk here."

"Last night, the poor monk was eager to seek the Dharma, and he left without saying goodbye. Now that I think about it, it is a bit inappropriate. Since shopkeeper Qi likes the poor monk so much, let me give you this bowl."

Meng Yuan handed him the meat in front of him, and his words also meant to test.

"Well, what's the matter? The young master is a real eminent monk, not a common man like us. If you don't eat, you will be hungry at night. I advise the young master to eat some."

Meng Yuan shook his head and said: "The poor monk is indeed not hungry. He had too much lunch."

Shopkeeper Qi licked his lips: "Okay, then I will be disrespectful."

Then he took Meng Yuan's rice bowl, poured it into his own bowl, and started eating. Looking at him like that, he almost wanted to swallow his own tongue.

Not long after, many monks put the bowls and chopsticks on the dining table neatly after eating, and left the dining hall in an orderly manner, but before leaving, they all took a vague look at Meng Yuan.

The shopkeeper Qi also finished eating, put away the bowls and chopsticks with Meng Yuan and walked out of the dining hall.

Immediately, it was discovered that the meditation rooms of the two were next to each other, so they walked together.

The entire Agama Temple had fallen into darkness, and this dark night made Meng Yuan feel a little uncomfortable and unnatural.

It's like someone covered your head with a black plastic bag in this dark night.

It seems that after nightfall, the whole Ahan Temple has some kind of weirdness.

Not long after, the two of them returned to the meditation room, and when they arrived, the treasurer Na Qi said unintentionally: "Little master, it seems that you are not allowed to go out at night in the temple."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for letting me know."

"Where, I didn't know when I first came here."

After entering the Zen room, Meng Yuan took out the fly whisk and held it in his hand. He sat on the futon and kept thinking about the weirdness of this temple.

When he was at Zhou's house, the Taisui God reminded him not to eat meat, not even to look at it or smell it, but he still saw it in the dining hall today.

Since the other party reminded him like this, there must be some kind of taboo, and it must be very dangerous for him. This cheered up Meng Yuan.

At the same time, Meng Yuan also had some conjectures in his mind. During the day, the monks of Ahan Temple did not know about the Lotus Heart Sutra, the Great Unclean Space Sutra, etc. What about at night?
Will Abbot Yuanhai, Elder Jingkong and the others know about it that night?

However, he did not act rashly. He would stay for a few days anyway, and the taboo consequences of seeing meat had not yet appeared, so it was not appropriate to violate others for the time being.

Then he sat on the futon and practiced, and the golden wheel of merit behind his head lit up, illuminating the entire Zen room very brightly. Of course, there was nothing in the eyes of those who were riddled with sins.

Late at night, Meng Yuan was suddenly awakened by an extreme sense of hunger, which made him withdraw from meditation.

This terrifying feeling of hunger was so fierce that it almost broke away from his consciousness. He instinctively wanted to control his body and go out to find food, but the door was opened by him without knowing when.

And now what he craves most is meat!In fact, the smell of meat in the dining hall.

Fortunately, he woke up in time. Just as Meng Yuan was about to close the door, an arm suddenly rested on the door.

I saw a few monks from the Ahan Temple touched his window at some point, sniffing wildly like wild animals, and seeing the door suddenly opened, they rushed over one by one.

"No? Why is there no one?" A monk showed madness and anger, but there was no one in the room, so why did the door open?

"I must be hiding somewhere, everyone, look for me quickly, I'm so hungry!"

"Yes, under the bed, in the wardrobe, on the beams"

However, the monks searched the entire room but could not find Meng Yuan, so they could only leave in disappointment.

But in fact, Meng Yuan has always stood in the middle.

It's just that the hunger in his stomach is getting stronger and stronger, and he keeps trying to seize control of his body and go out to find something to eat.

Seeing those monks leave, Meng Yuan closed the door, and then took out a bowl of vegetarian food from the Buddha Kingdom in his palm.

At this time, because he missed lunch during the day, the monks in the temple sent it. He was not hungry at the time, and he hesitated, so he kept it.

When this bowl of vegetarian food appeared, Meng Yuanneng could clearly feel that his body seemed to be resisting. It didn't want to eat this thing, but meat.

But Meng Yuan will not get used to it. With his strong will and character, it is impossible for him to be controlled by this ignorant desire.

He opened his mouth and ate Su Zhai in one gulp, and the feeling of hunger disappeared quickly.

(End of this chapter)