Journey to the West: Upon seeing the Yellow-Eyebrowed Demon, why not pay homage?

"You want to discuss philosophy with us?"

In the blink of an eye, inside the manor, Madam Jia looked at Huang Mei with astonishment.

Huang Mei nodded: "That's right. I can sense that the four of you possess Buddhist nature. If nothing unexpected happens, you should be cultivating Buddhism, right?"

Coincidentally, I also have some knowledge of Buddhism and Taoism, and I would like to discuss it with you to see if we can gain any insights or inspiration.

"Mother, I think this suggestion is excellent, and it might even deepen our understanding of each other," Guanyin said with a smile after thinking for a moment.

Madam Jia nodded slightly: "Since Zhenzhen has put it that way, let's give it a try; but where should we begin?"

Huang Mei said, "How about I offer a suggestion to get the ball rolling?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, please speak," Guanyin said, raising her hand.

Huang Mei cleared his throat and slowly recited:

"Take the single-mindedness as the guiding principle, and let it reflect all things like a mirror!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the four women all changed color, with Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra looking as if they had seen a ghost.

Are they simply people who possess Buddha-nature?

Which one isn't a leading figure in Buddhism?

Therefore, these first five words greatly shocked those who "know their stuff".

These ten characters, when put together, form a complete and fundamental principle of mental cultivation.

So what do these ten characters mean?

"One mind" is the essence, and "illuminating all dharmas" is the application.

The essence is inseparable from its function, and the function is inseparable from the essence.

Where is the essence?

In a single sentence, it encapsulates the three aspects of essence, function, and state, both establishing the doctrine and guiding the practice of "observing the mind."

The question is, how could Huang Mei have reached such a level?

This is as absurd as a failed exam candidate writing a grand strategy for governing the country!

"The essence of cultivating the Way lies in recognizing one's own constant body, which is originally pure, neither born nor dying, without discrimination, with a perfect and pure nature. This is the original teacher."

Huang Mei, with a calm and composed expression, slowly recited the essentials of cultivation from the "Zongjinglu".

Historically, the Zongjinglu was a major work of Chan Buddhism, compiled by Yongming Yanshou, a high-ranking monk of the Fayan school during the Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty. It was known as an encyclopedic philosophical system and laid the theoretical foundation for the "unity of Chan and doctrine" after the Song Dynasty.

He wasn't a monk in his previous life, so naturally he couldn't have memorized the entire "Zongjinglu".

However, in order to write a related article, I researched a lot about Buddhism in the Song Dynasty and remembered a few sentences from them. Now, I can use them to impress the three Bodhisattvas.

After all, Buddhism, like Confucianism, has been continuously improved and innovated throughout history.

For example, Wang Yangming was a person from the Ming Dynasty, but his scholarship was among the best in the entire Confucian system and was no less than that of the sages of the past.

The position of the *Zongjinglu* is somewhat similar to that of Yangming's philosophy within the Confucian system...

At this moment, the three Bodhisattvas were completely dumbfounded.

If the other party's first sentence was merely to introduce the concept of mind-cultivation, then...

The second sentence directly elucidates the path to the practice of mindfulness meditation, and its content can be described as simple and straightforward.

This also proves one thing: what this guy is saying now is not a product of a flash of inspiration, but... the beginning of a system!

Yellow Eyebrows?

The beginning of the system?

How is that possible?

Could this be an insight gained from Donglai Foguan's meditation that he unintentionally wrote down?

Just as the four women were completely captivated by the content, some curious, some shocked, Tang Sanzang quietly found Zhu Bajie, took him out of the manor alone, and headed straight for the valley...

Huang Mei did not release his divine sense to sense the situation, so as not to arouse the suspicion of the saints in front of him. Instead, he slowly and deliberately recited all the relevant famous quotes from his memory.

These words left the four women stunned. Just as they were beginning to grasp the subtlety of the first sentence, the next part of the profound meaning came rushing in like a gust of sand.

half an hour.

Despite Huang Mei deliberately slowing down, he still cleared out all his pitiful inventory, not daring to include any personal gain. Then, he abruptly changed the subject: "Please give me your guidance."

The four women: "..."

Please advise?

If the four of them were to talk eloquently about such profound truths, wouldn't they be giving themselves away?

Given their current status, they can only learn from such profound theories, not offer guidance.

Therefore, the four women declined, saying they had nothing to teach, and then began to explain their own understanding of Buddhist scriptures and spiritual practice.

Huang Mei listened intently, only to find that what Zhenzhen, Aiai, and Lianlian were saying were all grand but empty theories.

Only Madam Jia was quite honest, perhaps intentionally so, and her many spiritual experiences benefited him greatly.

Before they knew it, evening had arrived. Guanyin suddenly realized that they had actually become so engrossed in their discussion that they hadn't even noticed the passage of time!

"Mother, it's getting late. Shouldn't we prepare dinner?"

"Time really flies."

Lady Jia sighed, then stood up and said, "Your Majesty, shall we stop here for today?"

Huang Mei smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Madam. I also need to digest what I've learned today."

Madam Jia smiled and said, "Digest? That's a very apt word."

Huang Mei waved his hand and took his leave first.

However, instead of returning to his room to digest, he strolled out of the manor and slowly disappeared into the sunset...

"Do you think that the scriptures Huang Mei just explained were his own insights?"

After watching him leave, Guanyin couldn't help but ask her companions, or rather, her accomplices.

"Absolutely impossible," said Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. "He must have heard it from somewhere, after all, he doesn't look like someone who is a great master."

Guanyin nodded slightly: "That's what I was thinking too. How about we try to probe a little more during dinner?"

Manjushri said, "Alright, whether he's a good-for-nothing or not, we'll see the truth after talking more."

In the valley.

When Huang Mei arrived, he found that only Zhu Bajie was there; Master Xuandu and Sanzang were nowhere to be seen.

Where are they?

After looking around, Huang Mei asked curiously.

"Senior Brother Xuandu has gone back and asked me to say goodbye to you on his behalf."

By the way, this is a golden talisman he just wrote for us. If we need to make any changes, we just need to stick the talisman on our bodies, and we can ensure that no one will notice anything amiss.

"As for Master, he didn't want to wait for you here, so he made an excuse to let the horses go and left." Pigsy handed him a golden talisman and said softly.

Huang Mei reached out and took the golden talisman, asking, "Is there a time limit?"

"Yes, twelve hours."

Pigsy said, "After twelve hours, the power of the golden talisman will weaken, and its effectiveness will no longer be guaranteed."

Huang Mei nodded: "Go back and follow my instructions."

Pigsy rubbed his fingers together and asked with a smile, "Little Uncle, do you know exactly who that mother and her four children are?"

He wasn't stupid. Seeing Huang Mei's serious attitude, even inviting Senior Brother Xuandu, he could guess that the four women must be extraordinary.

Huang Mei slowly said, "Either a fairy from heaven descends to the mortal realm, or a celestial maiden from the West undergoes tribulation."

In short, twelve hours is enough for you to enjoy her beauty and make the deed a done deal.

"Nephew Pigsy, you're the biggest beneficiary of my scheme!"