Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 78 Breaking the Rules is Like Drinking Water

When the strange phenomenon dissipated, the two brothers were still at the foot of the mountain, not moving an inch.

Even Ruoxu was starting to lose confidence.

While it's certain that my junior brother has an affinity for Buddhism, but...
Well, it's not the first time I've been surprised.

"Junior brother, let's go up the mountain."

There were no unexpected incidents on the way up the mountain, and the scenery was picturesque, making people feel refreshed and relaxed.

Birds and beasts, flowers, fish and insects, a complete food chain coexisting harmoniously.

Having overlooked the many astonishing phenomena that had just occurred, the ancestral temple, now calm, resembles a modern Buddhist tourist attraction, even somewhat ordinary.

"Senior brother, wasn't there supposed to be a procedure for detecting demons?"

"This mountain is located in the Pure Land of the Patriarch. Being able to enter it without being suppressed and killed by the Purple Gold Bowl is already a test."

Ruoxu spoke so casually, but Xu Xuan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing it.

The Bodhisattva's attainment is indeed powerful; the pure land left behind is enough to cover this great mountain.

Moreover, the methods used to suppress demons are quite direct.

Fortunately, I'm one of our own.

During the journey, Ruoxu took on the role of tour guide and began to explain the various buildings inside the mountain gate to his junior brother.

Which bodhisattvas are enshrined in the distant halls? What rare and precious herbs are raised in the pond over there?

The more I learn about it, the more I understand the significance of this first school of Chinese Buddhism.

Within the spiritual senses, boundless power of vows swirled around the several grand halls, rising and falling like a vast ocean.

Although it is held back, if it were to erupt, it would be earth-shattering.

The spiritual materials also shone with a precious light, scattered throughout the mountain like stars.

What has been revealed is only the tip of the iceberg, yet it is already so terrifying; who knows how many more terrifying secrets lie hidden deep within.

It's just the people.

It's clearly a renowned sect, so why haven't we seen a single monk yet?

I thought I would see thousands of disciples chanting sutras and reciting Buddhist prayers, but it was eerily quiet.

"Ahem, why are there so few fellow disciples?"

"As the Dao declines and demons rise, the world undergoes a great change. Other Daoist sects can close their gates, but the Pure Land Sect cannot. Most of its disciples, after entering the Dao, go out to suppress evil spirits or purify the earth's ley lines to accumulate merit."

Suddenly I realized that this was indeed the right time to travel the world using the Pure Land school of Buddhism.

"But even this will lead to calamity."

Entering the world means getting entangled in karma, and calamities from all sides will follow one after another.

"Yes, the small number of people is partly due to that."

I choked. My senior brother's words were so true.

At the same time, I felt a deep sense of awe, for good and evil are truly different.

Xu Xuan had a very good impression of the Pure Land Sect, so it seemed that there wouldn't be any melodramatic internal strife within the sect.

After all, there are hardly any people here.

But then I started to worry about whether there would be any twists and turns in the process. I am sure I have enough Buddhist affinity, and I cannot escape my destiny three hundred years from now.

The very idea of ​​lay disciples practicing Buddhism while still keeping their hair is rather farcical.

"Senior brother, are there any requirements for becoming a disciple in this secluded place? What should we say when we meet the abbot?"

Then I learned some outrageous information.

At this time, the Pure Land School did not have an abbot.

That.
"Don't worry, if I say you can get in, then you can get in."

Ruoxu looked very cool when he said that.

It seems that my senior brother holds a very important position in the Pure Land School.

As we approached the summit, we finally saw some monks who had not yet entered the monastic order gathered around the bronze bell, looking up at the still-present golden halo phenomenon.

"Without sufficient meditation, how can one enter the realm of the true nature of all phenomena? Disperse, all of you." Ruoxu waved his sleeve, dispelling the strange phenomena in the sky.

The latter immediately put his palms together in a gesture of respect and withdrew very respectfully.

Upon entering the main hall, one sees the golden statue of Buddha seated on a lotus throne, tall and majestic, its golden light illuminating the hearts of all.

His eyes were slightly lowered as he surveyed the suffering of all living beings.

The gesture of abhāṣā (gesture of fearlessness) with the fingers embodies profound Buddhist teachings and boundless wisdom.

Amidst the fragrant incense smoke, several elderly monks were meditating to the side. Upon seeing Ruoxu arrive, they rose to pay their respects and then stood silently to the side.

One of them stepped forward to help Xu Xuan wash his hands, tidy his clothes, and straighten his appearance.

Take out the three kinds of incense for cultivating morality, concentration, and wisdom, and place them in the incense burner.

Then the monks chanted the "Praise of the True Incense of Precepts and Concentration" in a low voice, praying that the incense offered would transform into boundless fragrant clouds, pervading the entire Dharma realm, bringing joy to all Buddhas in the ten directions above, and awakening all sentient beings below.

"With utmost reverence, I wholeheartedly pay homage to the Three Jewels that dwell in the ten directions."

And in Xu Xuan's inner world, there was also an extra pair of eyes.

Nothing is unseen, nothing is unknown, nothing is unheard, nothing is thoughtless, yet everything is seen.

Facing the Buddha's gaze, the white lotus within his body remained as still as a stone.

After an unknown amount of time, the chanting ceased, and the eyes disappeared.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Was the White Lotus Holy Mother able to frequently return to the ancestral court through her self-created methods? Otherwise, how could she so easily overcome all sorts of obstacles?

After completing this step, Ruoxu and Xu Xuan left without looking back.

“Those monks are all people whose Pure Land has been shattered. They stay in the sect to make offerings in various halls in order to cleanse their roots.”

"Among them are many great practitioners whose hearts are forged with Buddhahood, but one can become a Buddha in a moment and a demon in another. One should be cautious and careful on the path of cultivation."

"If you cannot cross the sea of ​​suffering, you will be trapped in this cycle of suffering for a hundred lifetimes and still not be able to escape."

I followed my senior brother into the Ancestral Hall.

The golden statue of the Eastern Dharma Protector Bodhisattva sits serenely in the center.

There was only one old monk, his body hunched over and his face covered in wrinkles, standing to one side.

Those somewhat cloudy eyes looked at Xu Xuan, as if trying to discern something.

“This is my junior brother. He was born with great compassion. Today, he is being accepted into the sect on behalf of our master.”

"Because his worldly ties were not yet severed, he was made a nominal disciple."

Upon arriving here, the formal initiation ceremony will take place.

Ruoxu took it upon himself to preside over the ceremony, which was very hasty and simplified many procedures. He used himself as a guarantor to guide Xu Xuan into the profession.

Somewhat guiltily, someone knelt on the prayer mat and bowed to the patriarch, silently reciting in their heart.

“Master, I, Xu Hanwen, am now one of our own. As for the White Lotus matter, I had no choice but to accept it. Please do not blame me.”

"If anything happens in the future, I will try my best not to implicate my sect."

Whether Xu Xuanxin was sincere or not, no one knows. Ruoxu's heart was indeed somewhat casual. Just as he said, if one's heart is outside the gate, even a patriarch is just a senior in cultivation.

The Three Refuges and Five Precepts were just casually mentioned, without any inquiry into whether they were actually observed and practiced.

I know my junior brother's ways quite well, so taking refuge in the Three Jewels is no problem for him.
It's just that the Five Precepts are impossible to uphold.

Not killing means not intentionally killing any living being, including humans and animals.

Xu was known for his iron palm technique in suppressing Qiantang when he first came out of the mountain. He killed three people in seven days after descending the mountain. On his second descent, he eliminated the Six Desires Bandits and refined the Hidden Relic. He was never idle.

Not stealing: This means not taking other people's property without permission. This includes eight situations: open robbery, secret theft, fraud, coercion, litigation, intimidation, and failure to return entrusted property.

Instructor Xu is skilled in military strategy. This will allow him to grasp most of the key points.

Not to speak falsehoods: This refers to not speaking false or untrue words, including four situations: false speech, frivolous speech, harsh speech, and divisive speech.

Having cultivated the Dao of Yin and Yang to a state of perfection, Xu revealed an awkward smile, breaking the rules as naturally as drinking water.

Abstaining from alcohol and refraining from sexual misconduct are things that can be maintained temporarily, but it wouldn't be surprising if they were broken someday.

(End of this chapter)