I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 253 Nothing in Heaven and Earth Can Be Counted
Chang'an, Chongxuan Hall.

The monk is now called Master Guanyan.

Dressed in precious monk's robes, he turned his prayer beads and recited some scriptures. When he opened his eyes, he saw magnificent Taoist houses with many Taoist priests and noblemen in brocade robes walking among them.

"The monk has finished chanting the sutra!"

An official's son, quick-witted and agile, strode up to the monk.

He held the scriptures and asked:
"Master, how should we interpret 'act without action, act gently and weakly, remain submissive, and do not act first'?"

The monk couldn't help but sigh.

The current imperial family reveres Laozi as the ancestor of the Li surname, and it is said that they even wanted to make Laozi an emperor, but Zhang Jiuling dissuaded them from doing so.

Compared to his predecessors, the emperor was particularly devoted to Taoism and built the Chongxuan Hall, an academy to enroll students and allow the disciples of officials and nobles to study there—which was not unusual in itself.

But he was, after all, a monk.

Now, he has been invited to Chongxuan Hall, where everyone is dressed in Taoist robes, except for him, who is wearing a monk's robe.

Everyone who passes by takes a few glances at it.

In Chongxuan Hall, there were always those with good connections. Hearing that this monk had a connection with Zhang Guolao, they tried to ask him for guidance on Taoist practices. The monk happened to know some, and not wanting the man to learn the wrong methods, he casually gave a few words of advice.

After that, he was questioned even more.

It's a pity.

The monk patiently answered his questions.

"These three precepts. 'Non-action' does not mean lying still, but rather acting in accordance with the principles of nature and not acting recklessly."

"'Gentleness' and 'femininity' teach you to be humble, like water, benefiting all things without contention. 'Do not act first' teaches you to remain calm in the face of adversity and to think thrice before acting."

Upon hearing this, the official's son was impressed by the monk's erudition, noting that he even understood the Three Precepts of Taoism so clearly.

Then someone squeezed in from behind to ask for help.

What does it mean to act in accordance with the principles of Heaven?

The monk originally intended to use sweeping as a metaphor, but seeing that these young people were dressed in fine clothes and adorned with jade, he figured they had never swept a floor before.

He then changed his story.

"For example, in a garden, there is a beloved apricot tree. When the spring rain drizzles, it blossoms and is covered with flowers. In mid-spring, it begins to bear fruit, and by summer, the fruit is fully grown. When the cold wind blows, the leaves fall and cover the ground."

"This is the way that this tree operates between heaven and earth."

"Enjoy the blossoms in spring, cool off under the trees in summer, and savor the apricots. We do not force the apricot blossoms to stay in place because we love their beauty, nor do we force the apricot trees to grow after the fruit has fallen because we love to eat apricots."

"Birth and death, birth and extinction are natural."

"That is, non-action."

The monk would start talking and start reciting, and after two months, he had gotten used to it.

When the monk answered, he also subtly advised against letting him, a monk, continue to preach Taoist scriptures in Chongxuan Hall.

These scions of noble families and officials didn't recognize it.

Someone continued to ask:

"Do not delight in evil, for joy and anger are alike. What does this mean?"

The monk sighed:

"Excessive elation or rage will disturb the mind and cause it to lose its inherent purity. Those who cultivate themselves should maintain balance and harmony..."

The official's son still didn't quite understand.

he asks:

"However, I have heard that many Taoist practitioners are quite lazy."

"Even Mr. Zhang Guo, I heard, was a man of strong emotions. He lived in seclusion in the Zhongtiao Mountains and often laughed and cried, experienced great sorrow and joy."

"Is this in accordance with the laws of Tao?"

The question posed by the official's son inexplicably reminded the monk of Mr. Jiang.

He hadn't known that immortal for long, only remembering that the immortal would wake up around 11:00 AM, and by then the pastry stalls at the alley entrance would be closing up shop.

He also loved staying up late, often reading storybooks and travelogues, or drinking with others, or drinking alone, and often didn't go to sleep until the third watch of the night.

The monk couldn't help but smile.

Thinking of that person, the frustration I've felt at Chongxuan Hall these past few days has lessened considerably.

As soon as he spoke, half the eyes of Chongxuan Hall focused on him.

"A boat is needed to cross the river, but not to reach the shore."

"You and I are still on the boat, drifting with the river."

“But some people have already reached the shore and no longer need to observe the Three Precepts or worldly etiquette.”

"Because the Tao is all-encompassing, one is no longer a person of the mortal world."

"That is to act according to one's nature."

"To return to one's true self."

"For understanding." The official's son, seeing the grand and magnanimous tone of Master Yan's words, realized that this man had a close relationship with Zhang Guolao and had indeed met a reclusive master. The crowd, filled with admiration, respectfully bowed.

"I would like to be taught."

"Thank you for your explanation, Venerable Master."

The monk raised his palm and, with a helpless gesture, returned a Buddhist salute to these people.

After everyone dispersed.

He then picked up his pen again and began copying something onto the paper. He wrote many drafts, but the monk didn't care. There was a brazier at his feet, and he burned all his writings in it to ashes, not storing them in the Chongxuan Hall.

The people in the distance withdrew their gaze and gradually walked over.

The man was dressed like a scion of a noble family, with a bamboo tube at his waist containing many bamboo abacuses.

The monk looked up, thinking someone else had come to ask him something, and was about to put down his pen to answer.

The man examined him closely.

He suddenly spoke.

"The high monk should return as soon as possible, as he is far from Chongxuan Hall."

"Otherwise, with that deathly look on your face... I'm afraid you won't be long before you die!"

After saying this, Xing Hepu put his hands in his sleeves, waiting for the man to be surprised and frightened, or to scold him, or to question him.

After waiting for a while, he only saw a slight surprise on the monk's face and asked him a question.

"One good step can predict the lifespan?"

Xing Hepu was taken aback, then he burst into laughter:
"Heaven and earth and all things, human lifespan and death, the sun, moon, thunder and lightning, I can count them all."

After speaking, Xing Hepu examined the monk. Apart from his deathly expression, the man showed no fear on his face and did not get up to scold him.

"Aren't you surprised?"

The monk thought for a moment and then told the truth:
"Many years ago, someone told me that I would face three life-or-death situations. If what you said is true, then the third one will probably come true soon."

Xing Hepu is quite unusual.

He only glanced at the monk a few times while he was preaching and found the man to be quite interesting.

He was destined for great wealth and honor, yet he was also a monk or Taoist priest.

Xing Hepu did a quick mental calculation and chuckled.

It turns out he wasn't going to live long.

He found the man's sermon quite reasonable and substantial, and it resonated with him, so he offered a word of advice to prevent the man from being ruined by wealth and glory without even realizing it.

Only now do we learn that this person actually died twice?

Questions filled his mind. If there were three calamities, how did he survive the first two? Xing Hepu thought about it, feeling itchy, and raised his hand to calculate, then looked at the monk's fate.

Everything was unclear and confusing; I couldn't figure out what this person meant by claiming to have died twice.

In the end, he got so angry that he even used bamboo divination to perform a calculation.

"You really died twice?"

The monk nodded.

He truthfully replied, "It all happened in the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era."

What could have happened in the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era? Apart from the emperor's Fengshan ceremony, it seems like nothing else occurred.

Pressed to the limit, Xing Hepu asked:

Who told you that?

The monk did not answer. His old benefactor preferred peace and quiet, and he would not reveal his old benefactor's name.

He didn't say anything, but Xing Hepu remembered.

This monk was summoned by an official who wanted to see Zhang Guolao. The official came to the thatched hut in Zhongtiao Mountain, but Guolao did not appear. He was only invited over after seeing the monk come out to pay his respects.

"Could it be Zhang Guolao?"

The monk remained silent.

Xing Hepu laughed, took off the bamboo tube from his waist, poured out all the bamboo abacuses, and wrote and calculated on the wall, the pages getting longer and longer.

The people at Chongxuan Hall were all surprised when they saw this, not knowing what was going on.

The crowd examined the writing on the wall, but it seemed like divine decree; none of them could understand what it said. Only the monk sitting nearby could answer their questions, but the monk, Guan Yan, did not reply.

Xing Hepu murmured softly.

"Strange thing, wonderful thing... How can there be anything in the world that I can't predict?"

"I'm determined to figure it out."

"We must see what really happened in the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era!"

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)