From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

Jiang Liu then invited Shi Chan into the living room and personally poured him tea.

Tea time is over.

When Shi Chan explained his purpose, it turned out that, just as Jiang Liu had predicted, the cooperation between the Zhengyi and Quanzhen sects and the Confucian Association had made the major Buddhist sects uneasy, so they all went to Shaolin Temple to ask Shi Chan to come and investigate the truth.

"I hope you know, Master, that the Confucian Association has no intention of dominating the world of supernatural beings, and the various sects of Taoism have no intention of destroying Buddhism. They are simply carrying out a reform in a time of unprecedented change." Jiang Liu said.

"What if we don't change?"

After pondering for a moment, Shi Chan asked out of curiosity.

"Taoism and Buddhism will also be completely integrated into secular life over time; only the sects will disappear, but their ideas will become the spiritual nourishment of people."

Jiang Liu answered.

Shi Chan was greatly shocked and blurted out, "Why does the World-Honored One want to destroy Buddhism?"

"The Dharma has three periods: the True Dharma, the Semblance Dharma, and the Degenerate Dharma. Which period do you think we are in now?" Jiang Liu neither corrected nor answered the question regarding the misnomer of Shi Chan, but instead asked it in return.

Upon hearing this...

Shi Chan frowned, but seeing Jiang Liu's clear eyes, he unconsciously cleared his mind and began to ponder the question.

During the True Dharma period, although the Buddha has passed away, the Dharma rituals remain unchanged, and many people attain enlightenment.

During the period of the Semblance Dharma, the rituals had changed, but they were not entirely the same. There was teaching and practice, but few people attained enlightenment.

In the Dharma-ending Age, the Dharma is weak and insignificant, there is teaching but no practice, and not a single person has attained enlightenment.

Nowadays—

The land of China is scarred and ravaged. Although Buddhist and Taoist temples and monasteries still exist on the mainland, and believers listen to their teachings, few are able to put their knowledge into practice.

During this period, the disciples of both Buddhism and Taoism were of varying quality, especially the small Taoist temples and monasteries. They were more like places for laymen wearing robes and Taoist hats to make a living than places for spiritual practice.

no doubt.

None of them are cultivators!

Therefore.

This is the Dharma-ending Age!

In the decline of Buddhism, across the land of China, whether Taoist or Buddhist, most people have teachings but no real practice, treating the identities of monks and Taoists merely as a shield to seek a peaceful night's sleep.

But in this degenerate age—

But a Buddha has appeared!

Zen Master gazed at the river and said with utmost seriousness, "The Dharma-ending Age is over, and the Dharma-ending Age has arrived, but what follows is the Age of True Dharma!"

Jiang Liu smiled, nodded, then shook his head.

This left Zen Master Shi confused.

"I wonder what Chairman Jiang means by this?"

The Buddhist monk Shi Chan saw through the five aggregates, yet he was also honest, asking questions whenever he didn't understand something.

"What are the concepts of the True Dharma, the Semblance Dharma, and the Degenerate Dharma?"

Jiang Liu, with a serene expression, poured himself and Mai Duo a cup of tea, saying, "The heart is inherently without form."

Chapter 1296 On the Way, Zen Returns to the Heart

Upon hearing the saying "the mind is originally without form," Shi Chan's heart trembled. Looking at the river again, he seemed to see an unfathomable figure.

Vast as the universe!

In Buddhism, he is Amitabha; in Taoism, he is a Great Immortal; in Confucianism, he is a True Saint.

We will only discuss spiritual practice.

Why do Zen principles need explanation?

Why is there a need to explain the word "empty"?

What kind of Zen is he interpreting?

He named his disciple Jie Kong, but what kind of emptiness did he want him to understand?

However, it focuses on the words "explanation" and "understanding," neglecting the fact that "Zen" and "emptiness" both originate from the mind, and the mind—

No explanation or analysis is needed.

Otherwise, one will develop a discriminating mind, become attached to something, and then become attached to appearances.

Initially, Shi Chan wanted to discuss Zen with Jiang Liu, but upon seeing Jiang Liu's physique, which resembled that of an immortal or a Buddha, he felt a sense of awe and dared not discuss the Dao with such a figure who seemed to be the Buddha incarnate.

This also indicates the arising of discriminatory thoughts!

After figuring things out, Shi Chan felt enlightened. His eyes, which seemed to hold the Milky Way flowing within them due to his cultivation of the emptiness of the five aggregates, became even brighter. He became more ethereal and asked Jiang Liu with a smile, "Since you have already cultivated to such a level, why do you not concentrate on your cultivation but instead waste your time in the mortal world?"

"Inner observation reveals no cause without form, while external observation clearly shows that form exists."

Jiang Liu smiled calmly and quoted the narration in the first chapter of "Journey to the West" praising the stone monkey for becoming the Monkey King: "In the beginning of ancient times, Laozi of Taoism had already established the root of all beings, and Shakyamuni Buddha had instilled the Dharma nature in all beings. We, the people of later generations, can only establish the root of our bodies and instill the Dharma nature of our minds, to form the Dharma of Heaven and Earth, to cultivate the Dharma of Heaven and Earth, to attain both Taoism and Zen, and to achieve unity of knowledge and action."

In an instant, Shi Chan's mind and body froze, the starry sky in his eyes dissipated, and returned to the same dark brown as ordinary people, but with a hint of turbidity, like an ordinary old man without any energy or spirit.

"Master!"

Sensing the weakening of Shi Chan's aura, Jie Kong was startled, but was slapped by Shi Chan, who said, "So rash! I'm fine!"

After saying that, he looked at Jiang Liu again, but there was no longer any phantom image. He was just an ordinary-looking young man with a touch of handsomeness.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Xie."

Shi Chan was extremely grateful.

Why?

Since he had seen through the five aggregates and attained wisdom, he had been immersed in the state of "emptiness" and spent many years in Shaolin, meditating and cultivating. However, he completely forgot that "form," though fleeting, is also a part of reality.

Emptiness is form, and form is emptiness.

It is not opposition, but unity.

In essence, it's nothing more than the principle of the unity of knowledge and action.

"No need for thanks, fellow practitioner, it's the same person."

Jiang Liu smiled, helped Shi Chan up, and asked, "I wonder if Shaolin is willing to cooperate with the Confucian Association? The way of cultivation is to avoid working in isolation. If the three schools exchange ideas and seek progress together, in this unprecedented period of change, we may be able to revive the glory of the Hundred Schools of Thought and work together to create a boundless world."

"What the chairman wishes for is also what I wish for."

The monk Shi Chan should descend.

This is the end.

The largest branch of Buddhism today, Zen, also supports Confucianism.

"Is this what a monk is like? He certainly seems different from ordinary people."

After seeing off Shi Chan and Jie Kong with Jiang Liu, Mai Duo compared the awakened ones in Longgu Village. Although they all followed certain rules in their conduct, she found that this monk, who was second only to Jiang Liu, was more like a philosopher.

"The difference between ordained practitioners and us lay practitioners lies here: they tend to be more philosophical. But to some extent, it is not that the Dharma-ending Age came of its own volition, but rather that the existence of sects passively led to the arrival of the Dharma-ending Age."

Jiang Liu remained calm.

What is meant by the Dharma-ending Age?

It's not that the Zhou Qi Bureau was destroyed, nor that the spiritual energy weakened, but rather that people's hearts have changed.

What religious sects were founded by ancient sages such as Laozi, Buddha, and Confucius?

They are not religious figures, but merely enlighteners and practitioners of thought. What they seek is nothing more than the unity of knowledge and action. To attain the Way, to expound the Way, and to prove the Way, nothing more is more important than this.

It was only when later generations established sects and revered those sages as ancestors and lineages that those predecessors who practiced cultivation were given a religious aura.

Those ancient sages clearly disliked being fawned over and placed on a pedestal by the world... They would have been better off spending that time reading more books, practicing more spiritual cultivation, and seeking enlightenment through meditation.

Therefore.

The true Dharma is the era without religion, where ancient ancestors practiced what they preached, imprinting their experiences and insights into their hearts, thus attaining enlightenment.

The Dharma, on the other hand, is a religion that has already been established, but religious people are mostly well-read and travel extensively, upholding the moral principles in their hearts, which can also be considered as practicing what they preach.

In this degenerate age, the religious system is already well-established. Most monks and Taoist priests reside in temples and monasteries on mountains. They possess extensive knowledge of doctrines and considerable spiritual cultivation, but aside from a period in their youth when they descend the mountain for practical experience, barely achieving a unity of knowledge and action, they return to the mountains to continue being monks or Taoist priests. They spend most of their time diligently cultivating themselves and teaching disciples, remaining indifferent to the mundane world below...

The unity of knowledge and action is an attitude that a practitioner must uphold at all times.

Most Taoist priests and monks, however, merely wander through the secular world at the foot of the mountain, believing they have experienced the vicissitudes of life and seen through the superficialities, before returning to the mountains to inherit their mantle and continue the traditions of temples and Taoist monasteries.

If we only cling to that tradition, isn't that the end of the Dharma era?

"Dad, didn't you say that the mind has no form?"

Maiduo pouted and asked with a grin, "Could it be that you're just trying to fool that Zen Master Shichan?"

"That's a state of mind, but if you try to apply this kind of theory, which is no different from philosophy, to reality, the world is doomed."

Moreover, the so-called True Dharma, Semblance Dharma, and Degenerate Dharma are, for practitioners in my world, truly just an objective description of the course of time.

The ancient sages may not have had the same level of understanding of the details of the world as people today, but in terms of wisdom... most people today are far inferior to them.

Jiang Liu rolled his eyes. How could he not know that Mai Duo understood this principle as well?

It's just a matter of arguing with yourself.

"Hehe, Dad, let's not talk about that anymore. Take me for a stroll around Yuhang." Maiduo pulled Jiang Liu's arm, and they left the cultural street together.

"it is good!"

Seeing that Maiduo was lively and cute, Jiang Liu also showed a hint of doting, so he led her to enjoy the special delicacies of the cultural street and experience the various scenic spots in Yuhang.

Until we arrived at West Lake, we went to the center of the lake and came to the most beautiful scenic spot of West Lake: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.

Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island, together with the Lake Heart Pavilion and Ruangong Mound, stand side by side and are collectively known as the "Three Islands in the Lake," just like the legendary Penglai Three Islands, hence they are also called Little Yingzhou.

Why not call it Little Penglai?

This is because China is a vast and diverse land, and the name Penglai is often repeated, while Yingzhou... is only known as Chongming Island in Shanghai.

Yuhang is not far from Shanghai, so the "Three Islands of Penglai" in West Lake are called Xiaoyingzhou.

Besides Jiang Liu and Mai Duo, Xiao Yingzhou, an island shaped like the Chinese character "田" (field), was also frequented by many literati, scholars, and wealthy families. Upon seeing Jiang Liu, they would take the initiative to approach him and strike up a conversation.