My enemies became my companions

Chapter 511: Po Lin Monastery (Two in One)

More than a month after the New Year, it was time to plow the fields. Under the Buddhist temple on the hillside, farmers of all sizes were bent on the yellow earth, with plow carts tearing up the land. Three or four people were pulling the carts, and one person was pulling behind. The temple fields of Baolian Temple, which stretched for thousands of miles, were cultivated in this way by manpower.

Ever since the death of the old abbot of Po Lin Monastery, the temple has become more and more popular, like a brocade of flowers, with eaves of the temple reaching the sky, and people in yellow robes everywhere doing good deeds.

Looking at the prosperous Po Lin Monastery above their heads, the good men and women who cultivate the temple fields are happier than if they had a good harvest. They chant "Amitabha" while working on the fields.

Another Buddha statue is going to be made soon.

The name of this precious land of Jialan has long been famous far and wide. In addition, the White Lotus Rebellion in the south did not cause any damage to the Buddhist temples, which made people regard it as a holy place of righteous Dharma. It is blessed by the Buddha and Bodhisattva, and evil spirits dare not approach and demons dare not attack.

Therefore, tens of millions of incense sticks came from far and wide to offer sacrifices in front of the large and small statues in the Po Lin Monastery. There were also Buddhist masters from other places who came to preach the Dharma. At the beginning of spring, a long line of carriages and horses was seen coming from afar.

Xian De, a master of the Shravakayana school at Liudu Temple, heard that there was the true Dharma at Baolian Monastery, so he drove thousands of miles to seek a temple there.

If you raise your head, you can see the golden roof of Po Lin Monastery rising toward the sky. The layers of glazed tiles glow golden in the morning sun, and the halo around it looks like a manifestation of Buddhist Dharma.

Resplendent and shining.

Seeing such a scene, after several accompanying disciples got off the carriage, they were all shocked beyond words.

“Buddhism is so valuable?” a disciple couldn’t help but ask, then he realized that he had said the wrong thing, and shrank his neck, waiting for the master to punish him.

However, Master Xian De rarely spoke, but just shook his head slightly.

This greatly surprised the disciples.

The Buddhism practiced in Liudu Temple is the Sautrantika school, which has been passed down for thousands of years since Xuanzang returned from India in the Tang Dynasty and re-translated the Abhidharmakosha. However, despite its long history, its popularity has been declining. Most Buddhist temples have long since changed to this school, either under the Zen school or the Dharma Characteristics school. As for the reason, it is not because the Dharma is not correct or the words are not profound, but that they practice the Sravakayana school.

The so-called "Sravakayana" is what is commonly known as Theravada Buddhism. It originally referred to the Buddhist monks who attained enlightenment by listening to the Buddha's teachings and became enlightened by listening to the Dharma.

Since Buddhism was introduced to the East for thousands of years, the "Bodhisattva Vehicle" that has awakened by spreading the Dharma often calls itself "Mahayana", doing what Bodhisattvas do, saving all living beings, and contemptuously calling "Sravaka Vehicle" "Hinayana". The "Sravaka Vehicle" argues: If you don't save yourself, how can you save others? If foolish people spread foolish teachings, won't they be led to hell? ... Because of all these things, ordinary people gradually have the idea that "Mahayana saves others, while Hinayana saves oneself", so when they encounter Buddhist temples on the road, they often worship Mahayana.

As a result, the incense of Mahayana Buddhism burned more and more vigorously, the main hall was built higher and higher, the gilded body of the Buddha became thicker and thicker, and the Buddha in the scriptures became more omnipresent and omnipotent.

The Sautrantika school declined for this reason and its decline was irreversible. By the time of Xian De, there were only a handful of Buddhist temples of the same school that could be mentioned. Now they had no choice but to seek Dharma from outside in order to save themselves.

Climbing up the long steps, Xian De handed in the visiting card and asked for instructions, and finally he was able to cross the high threshold of Po Lin Monastery.

Before the morning mist dissipated, the stone steps had already wound up from the foot of the mountain, with lotus patterns embedded in the moss on each step. The incense burner in front of the Heavenly King Hall was spewing purple smoke, the Four Heavenly Kings were staring with wide eyes under the painted caisson, and the round smiling face of Maitreya Buddha was covered with layers of silk offerings from believers.

Such prosperity opened the eyes of the disciples of Liudu Temple. In their shabby temple, there was only an old Buddha statue standing, and it was carved out of wood.

After passing the Heavenly King Hall, you can see the Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva along the way... The glazed tiles of the Great Hall flickered in the clouds. Inside the open door, the Three Buddhas lowered their eyes and made seals. In the shadows, gold foil floated with fine scriptures, as if there were 84,000 rays of light...

The more Xian De looked, the more his brows furrowed.

Until the sound of poetry came from afar,

"When I hoe the field at noon, my sweat drips down to the ground."

"Who knows dishes on the menu, A Journey!"

Where do you come from?

A year's plan begins in spring, and the clear voices of the novice monks echo in the fields within the temple.

At this time, Xiande's expression relaxed a little. Although the Precious Lotus Temple was magnificent, the monks in the temple were still practicing hard and offering incense only to the Buddha.

However, what we saw along the way were quite a lot of gods and Buddhas, including the 100 Eight Arhats, the Eight Divisions of Heavenly Beings, and the 64 Dharma Protectors. It made us feel like we were not walking in the human world, but in scriptures.

"Namo Amitabha, you have come from afar, and I am guilty of neglecting you.

As he was speaking, an old monk in yellow robes turned around under the eaves of the Main Hall. He had a haggard face, walked steadily, and was barefoot under his robes. From a distance, he seemed even more simple-minded than the Sautrantika monks.

Master Xian De quickly put his hands together, bowed and said, "I have heard of Brother Ji Yuan's name a long time ago, but I dare not call you a great master."

Jiyuan held up the rough robe, his nails rubbing against it, making a squeaking sound, and his dry lips uttered: "Too modest, too modest..."

………………

Xian De came from afar to seek the true Dharma of Po Lin Monastery. He tried to find ways to achieve this by hinting at others, and finally took the initiative to speak. Ji Yuan talked about all the Buddhas in the ten directions and three realms, but he was still unwilling to show the true Dharma of Po Lin Monastery to others.

This was disappointing, but Xian De did not show it. He thought, "One should not hit a smiling person." How could they look so disgraceful when the Po Lin Monastery had treated them well?
Since you cannot ask about the true Dharma, then you might as well ask about the method of cultivation.

"Nothing special, just strictly observing the precepts, meditating," Jiyuan smiled gently, "and eating vegetarian food."

Xian De didn't understand what was going on, so he asked, "Are you eating vegetarian food?"

Fasting is already included in the Buddhist precepts, but Jiyuan actually brought it up separately. How can one not be curious?

Just as Xiande was about to ask again, Jiyuan clasped his hands together and shouted "Amitabha".

I guess this is the secret method of Po Lin Monastery...
As the night deepened, everyone in Liudu Temple was arranged to sleep in the side rooms.

Xian De also slept with his clothes on.

only…

It hurts, my calf feels numb and painful.

He suffered from gout, and the numbness and pain would never stop on rainy days, which was enough to be fatal.

Damp and cold air seeped in through the crack in the door, spreading to every corner of the room, and a strange earthy smell swirled into one's nostrils.

"Click." Xiandra opened the door, and the sound of the door hinge was particularly harsh in the night.

The cold wind suddenly blew over the face, like a knife cutting the flesh, making people shudder. There seemed to be a whistle in the wind, and there seemed to be a hint of blood in the earthy smell!
How could this precious Buddhist land, with so much worship and incense, be so... cold and eerie?
An indescribable damp chill spread through the air. Xian De's monk's robes trembled, and there seemed to be a faint groaning sound beside his ears. He didn't know if it was the wind blowing through the window, or...

Someone is buried in the ground?!

Xian De felt a chill in his heart, but then he calmed down a little and walked towards the direction of the faint groaning sound.

The surroundings were desolate and the stone walls were dilapidated. It was hard to imagine that the magnificent Po Lin Monastery had such broken walls and ruins. The moonlight was cold, reflecting the swaying shadows. The further Xian De walked, the more his hair stood on end.
His lips were already silently chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Suddenly,

Under the pitch-black night, there was a large vegetable garden spread across the temple, with lush branches and leaves, and gods and Buddhas silently surrounding it from the outside. In the soft and muddy land, there were human heads with lifeless eyes planted!
Xian De shuddered, and his blood immediately began to flow backwards.

My lips want to utter "Namo Amitabha", but when it falls to my teeth, all that's left is "Fuck..."

Darkness seemed to be pressing in from all directions. The people in the field were buried deep in the earth, motionless. There were faint groans in the wind, and more people were silent underground, as if they had no breath.

His heart was pounding in his chest, Xian De turned around hastily and walked quickly back the way he came.

Half way there.

"Where has Dade gone?"

Xian De stood still in place, and a voice as old as rotten wood came from behind him.

"But you want to seek the method of cultivation in my temple? It's nothing but observing the precepts, meditation, and..."

Everything was quiet, with a chilly wind blowing. Xian De turned his head trembling.

Jiyuan opened his mouth, revealing a mouth full of fangs.

"Eat vegetarian food!"

……

puff.

It's the sound of a hoe digging up the soil.

The heads of Xian De and Liudu Temple disciples were planted in the ground, and their blood spread in the soil like roots, constantly gathering towards the statues that were formed in circles.

Cracked human skin was oozing blood, and broken limbs, bones and flesh, were pressed under the thin soil. There were also some nails on the edge of the mud, like a layer of fertilizer spread on the vegetable garden. The night wind was strong, the young monks were laughing, and more than a dozen hoes drew silver arcs in the moonlight.

"When I hoe the field at noon, my sweat drips down to the ground."

"Who knows dishes on the menu, A Journey!"

……

Inside the Mahavira Hall.

The three Buddha statues are illuminated by Buddha's light behind them, with calm brows and eyes. Venerable Kashyapa is holding a half-roll of palm-leaf scriptures, and Venerable Ananda is holding a golden bowl. Everything is extremely solemn and dignified.

Jiyuan, who had wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, sat cross-legged on the cushion, clasped his hands together, and turned the rosary, as if sensing something.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, turned around and stretched out his hand. A soul fell into his palm from the edge of Baolian Temple thousands of miles away.

"Fankong?"

Ji Yuan's face suddenly changed from gloomy to bright. The soul in his palm was kneeling on the ground trembling, uttering some unclear words in panic. The old monk listened attentively and then frowned.

"City God? Wa City... City God?!"

He pointed vaguely, and instantly searched the soul. His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and sinister wrinkles appeared in his old eyes.

What a city god that appeared out of nowhere...
What's the origin?
Jiyuan clasped his hands together, thinking and chanting scriptures, with the scriptures flowing out of his mouth.

After a long time,

As if he had suddenly realized something, Ji Yuan suddenly became clear-headed, his expression gradually relaxed, and bloody words came out of his lips.

"Just kill him."

.........................
.........................
"The soul of Qiang wants to return home, why would it forget to return even for a moment?"

"I turn my back on Xiapu and think of the west, lamenting that my old capital is getting farther away."

Even though he didn't know what rhythm was, Chen Yi would occasionally get inspired and recite a few lines of poetry to relieve his stress.

The poem I am reciting this time is "Ai Ying".

After last night, Chen Yi found himself aroused, and a very strong desire.

I can't help but think of Ying.

"If one's heart is unhappy for a long time, worry and sadness will follow."

"The road to Ying is far and long, and the Yangtze and Xia are impassable."

Yin Tingxue rubbed her eyes and poked her head out from under the quilt, and she heard all sorts of old, sad clichés.

"What's wrong with you?"

Yin Tingxue spoke in a low voice, with a hint of complaint in her voice.

She didn't expose Chen Yi's drama to his face. This husband is always like this. When you first get along with him, you will think he is cold and ruthless, but after a while, you will find that he can be very childish in front of his own people.

This kind of childishness is sometimes good, for example, giving her a Buddha statue, paper flowers, walking with her and seeing other scenery. But sometimes it is not so good, and one needs to treat him gently and be inseparable from him.

Chen Yi stopped talking, looked at the sleepy little fox, and said to her without hiding it: "I miss you very much now, Sister Weiying, is that okay?"

"Sure, think about it more."

Yin Tingxue nodded, agreeing very much. Chen Yi bullied Sister Weiying even more cruelly than he bullied herself, so it was right for him to think more about Sister Weiying.

Chen Yi was stunned, and all the words he had just prepared were blocked.

This little fox was too unconventional. He subconsciously wanted to laugh bitterly, but stopped in an instant. Instead, he sighed, walked forward and hugged Yin Tingxue for a while. After hearing her soft and weak whimper, Chen Yi let her go.

"Go wash up."

Chen Yi patted her on the back.

Yin Tingxue went to wash up in small steps. Chen Yi turned around, picked up the sword case and put it on the table. His eyes turned deep and he began to think.

Was last night an accident, or...

His fingertips lightly tapped the sword case, but the vermilion case did not move at all. Last night was just like an illusion. After Yin Tingxue finished washing up, Chen Yi still hadn't figured out what he wanted to think about. He got up and left the inn, determined to take Yin Tingxue for a walk around here.

Next, they would take a boat down the river, which would take at most one night and at most three days to reach Huguang. Time was not urgent, on the contrary, there was plenty of time, and a day or two would not matter. Chen Yi wanted to stroll around the county town.

When you see a mountain, you should pay homage to it. When you see a temple, you should pay homage to the local city god.
This county town is small, and there is nothing to see. The only decent scenery in the whole town is the City God Temple, and there are no temples or Taoist temples in or outside the county town. On the street in front of the City God Temple, Chen Yi bought a rabbit sugar painting for the little fox, and she bit off the rabbit's head in one bite.

In front of the City God Temple, an old man in plain clothes slowly walked into the temple.

Yin Tingxue took a look and was stunned. Why did this old man look so similar to the statue of the City God in the temple?

She peeked inside the temple gate and saw that the pilgrims seemed to be ignoring the old man. The old man showed no surprise either. He walked straight over the offering table and sat in the position of the City God statue, his face becoming one with the statue.

Chen Yi pretended not to see the old man.

Yin Tingxue stared at the statue of the City God for a while, then suddenly retracted her head. She saw that the City God's eyeballs seemed to move.

After they lit a stick of incense and turned to leave the City God Temple, they had not taken a few steps when a voice suddenly called out from behind.

In the street, the old man in plain clothes whom they had seen before waved to them, but the people around him seemed to ignore him and walked past him.

"That's the City God." Chen Yi said softly.

Yin Tingxue nodded. It turned out to be the City God.

When Chen Yi stepped forward, the old man in white robe bowed and said:
"Liu Zheng, the City God of Beiyin, thanks you for your help last night and for helping to eliminate this evil ghost."

Chen Yi raised his eyebrows.

Liu Zheng had a kind face and explained softly, "Last night, your Excellency sent Lu Qun and others to the underworld. One day on earth equals one year in the underworld. When the King of Hell issues his decree, how could I not know what happened last night?"

"I see. I wonder why the City God wants to see you this time?"

"One is to make friends with colleagues, and the other is..." Liu Zheng glanced at Chen Yi from head to toe, and said in surprise: "I have been alive and dead for hundreds of years, and this is the first time I have seen a living Yin official."

The three of them came to a teahouse.

The name of the teahouse is Chunyuan. The building follows the ancient style. The beams and columns are mostly made of cypress, which exudes a heavy wood fragrance. The building houses tea girls who are all good at making tea. However, the county town is small and the teahouse does not have any famous tea.

When they arrived at the upper room, there were several plates of cakes on the table and a tea maid was ordering them. The City God, who had transformed into an ordinary man, stood up and bowed, wishing him a happy old age. Chen Yi also returned the greeting. After a few words of greeting, he briefly introduced Yin Tingxue. This time, he did not use the little fox's name, but explained her origin from Yinjian Mountain in a serious manner.

The tea before the Qingming Festival is fragrant and mellow. After the tea girl ordered the tea, she bowed and left. Liu Zheng personally poured the boiling hot tea into Chen Yi's bowl.

"Thank you for your help last night. The monster was cunning and sinister. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid it would have already fled down the river. When the patrol arrives, I'm afraid I won't be able to be the city god anymore."

"It's just a piece of cake." This was not wrong. Chen Yi continued, "City God Liu, I just have one question that I don't understand."

"What is confusing you?" Liu Zheng asked.

Chen Yi lowered his eyes slightly, "This group of spider monsters' flower boats have been anchored for many days, could it be that City God Liu knows nothing about it?
The atmosphere suddenly became cold.

Yin Tingxue put a few pieces of pastry into the bowl, as if to say, "You guys chat about yours and I'll eat mine."

The City God hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed and said, "To be honest, this spider demon has a very deep history, and it is somewhat related to me."

"Oh?"

(End of this chapter)