The disaster of the world begins with Dongfang Bubai

Chapter 51: Rather than worrying about when you will die, it is better to worry about whether you have lived at all

"Master, do you think Feixuan will be like Brother Shimin, who will be broken into pieces by just a few words from you?" Master Feixuan said in a deep voice.

Xi Mingzhang said calmly, not caring:
"The four lines in the Diamond Sutra are the essence of the Sutra: there is no self, no person, no living being, and no life."

"No self, to put it simply, means giving up the self, no longer having the concept of self in your heart, and reaching the state of emptiness of all your inner feelings."

"Why? To understand one's mind and see one's nature."

“It is to correctly understand one’s own heart, to know where the seven emotions and six desires come from, and the thoughts and ideas that arise from the seven emotions and six desires.”

"Understand what is in your heart, learn to abandon the mind of right and wrong, abandon the seven emotions and six desires, and make your heart clear and pure."

"No self-image means that after one has realized one's true nature, one focuses on inner practice and no longer pays attention to the outside world. Before practice, I was me, and after practice, I am directing me."

“It means looking at yourself from a bystander’s perspective, no longer thinking about the problem in your own mind, and being absolutely neutral.”

“To be precise, I no longer cling to the concept of me. All thoughts come from how I should do it, rather than how I want to do it.”

“To have no human form is to focus on the inner self after realizing one’s true nature, and not to pay any more attention to the outside world. Without self-attachment and thoughts, one will not care about other people’s attachments and thoughts.”

"To put it in the simplest terms, when walking in the world and facing the laughter, anger and scolding of others, your own state of mind will not change at all. You just feel that cats and dogs are talking to you, which is very interesting."

"No sentient beings, as the word means, no sentient beings, no longer have any concept of people and things in the world."

"Some people say that all beings are equal, but with the concept of equality, there is a form. Because of the inequality of all beings, there is the idea that all beings are equal. This is what is called "all forms are false". Therefore, the form is created by the mind, and the environment changes with the mind."

"The aspect of the lifeless is the easiest to understand, but also the most difficult to see through. It is the understanding of life and death."

"Master Feixuan, if you cannot comprehend these, you will never reach the realm of the Death Gate of the Cihang Sword Canon, and you will not even be able to achieve a clear sword heart. You can only go to hell with the whole sect."

He said this, completely ignoring Shi Feixuan's awkward expression, and continued:

"I am now half a step closer to immortality. I don't care how long my life will be, I only care about the weight and breadth of my own life."

"In short, it is better to care whether you have lived at all than to care about when you will die."

"So, whether you are a demon or a saint, I don't care about these things. I don't care about the good and evil, affection and love that you hold on to."

"But having said that, you who cannot see through the affairs of the world and the seven emotions and six desires, no wonder you are so weak. You are no match for me."

Xi Mingzhang stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, and said:
"Master Liaokong, do you want me to continue?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall and handsome monk walked out of the door. No matter how you looked at him, he couldn't be more than forty years old.

There was a kind of otherworldly aura in Xiuliang's face. His expression was neither weak nor condescending, but rather comfortable and natural to look at.

"Master, Master Liaokong has practiced silent meditation for many years." Before Shi Feixuan could finish her words, she was interrupted by Liaokong:

"No problem."

His deep eyes looked at Xi Mingzhang:
"Wu Chang, you have penetrated through life and death and reached the state of immortality."

Xi Mingzhang chuckled:
"Master, you actually broke your own silent meditation. Do you think I am so intimidating?"

Liaokong lowered his eyebrows and asked back:

"How can people not be afraid of a demon Buddha who plays with the world and treats human life as worthless?"

"But I never kill people who have no grudge against me."

"What did you mean by Cihang Jingzhai just now?" "Shouldn't he be killed for destroying the tranquility of our Buddhist sect?"

"If saving the people of the world is considered to be destroying the tranquility of Buddhism, I would rather they continue to be corrupt."

"They care about the world but don't save people. They choose the emperor for the sake of interests. They are not strong enough, so they can only seduce people with their beauty. They use all kinds of tricks but only move people with their emotions. With all these things, shouldn't they die?"

“But it is always for the benefit of Buddhism.”

When Xi Mingzhang heard this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"Hahaha, I have figured it out. All Buddhists in the world are in seclusion but their hearts are in the world."

He paused slightly:
"This is common sense. Benefits are the most attractive thing to one's heart. In this world, even among monks, how many people can achieve detachment from the world?"

"Although monks are said to be pure in mind and desire, humans have desires, and the manifestation of desires can be summed up in ideals and ambitions. If you don't have these, then you can truly be called a Buddha."

Liaokong said solemnly:
"Wuchang, you know all this very well, and you have been a Buddhist since childhood. If you continue to slaughter the great Buddhist sects, the prosperity of the Demon Sect will be just around the corner."

Xi Mingzhang shook his head and laughed:
"Master, these words almost made me forget the experience of worshipping the evil king and the life of being monitored day by day for 27 years."

"The four Buddhist sects have been destroyed, and cause and effect have disappeared. Have you not let go?"

"The me of today is made up of thousands and thousands of me in the past, and these thousands and thousands of me are made up of memories and experiences." Xi Mingzhang said calmly:

“If I let it go, will I still be myself?”

He didn't wait for Kong to speak, and said:

"But I don't care about these things. I just look down on the current Buddhism."

"For small matters like gratitude and revenge, I never hesitate to resort to trickery, but when it comes to major issues, I will say one thing."

“It’s better to take what is straight than to seek what is wrong.”

"You really did give me the wrong name, not the wrong nickname. You are worthy of the name of a demon. So now you are going to exterminate my Jingnian Zen sect?"

"You are like this, and so is Master Daoxin. You both think too badly of me. I came here today just to take a look at the Heshi Bi that has stirred up the world, and to kill a few people by the way."

After Xi Mingzhang finished speaking, he walked across the sky and entered the temple gate as if he was out for a picnic.

Four tall and burly monks in blue robes were seen standing in the square inside the temple, leading more than 200 gray-robed warrior monks holding long sticks.

"It is said that the He's Jade is an unfathomable treasure in the world. It looks like jade but is not jade. It can also help Buddhists and Taoists to practice meditation and has immeasurable benefits for those who practice innate true qi. That's why Ning Daoqi borrowed the He's Jade for three years."

"Which one of you can take me there to have a look?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lekong and Shi Feixuan walked in. Lekong said:

"The Heshi Bi has another strange property. It changes with the weather. It is sometimes cold and sometimes warm, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. It is extremely difficult to control. If you practice with it, you will have hallucinations if you are not careful. It may cause you to go astray."

"Nothing can block its influence. Unless you are a master who has cultivated superior innate true qi, once you enter its range of influence, you will have to gamble on your luck and see how strange and bizarre it will become under what circumstances."

Xi Mingzhang shook his head slightly:
"I've already told you, Master, don't think too badly of me. You're saying all this because you're afraid that I'll be influenced by the He's Jade and put the blame on the Jingnian Zen sect."

"Master, please be at peace with yourself. I really don't have the intention to kill everyone in the family right now."

Liaokong was silent for a while, and it was unclear whether he believed it or not. Then he said:
"The Heshi Bi will affect its owner in two situations: one is when he is meditating, and the other is when he is fighting with others and practicing Qigong. So if you don't want to be deeply harmed, you need to pay attention to these two points."

Xi Mingzhang sneered:
"When I was weak, I was surrounded by villains. When I was strong, I was surrounded by good people. They really didn't deceive me."

(End of this chapter)