Buddhists are still a very simple group. For them, transcending the sea of suffering in reincarnation is perhaps their greatest pursuit; fame and fortune can take a backseat.
Perhaps their pursuit is too ethereal, like a group of drowning people searching for a straw. They temper themselves in day and night of poverty and pain. Although their hearts are like stubborn stones, they still lack confidence and are even full of fear.
This is also why they deeply believe in the words of their predecessors.
Without the shining words left by these ancient sages, what else could sustain them? Probably nothing, just like a hollow puppet.
Faith, as a guiding principle for believers, indeed solved many of their questions and, to some extent, lightened the burden on their souls. However, all gilded statues adorned with splendor will become mottled and old due to stagnation.
They desperately need someone to stand up and tell them that their pursuit truly exists, even if that person is a liar.
Simon is certainly not a liar, but he is by no means as capable as described in the Buddhist scriptures.
Yet, even so, no monk failed to defer to him.
Simon said to Zen Master Zixing, "Any disciple of my Buddhist sect who wishes to enter the Pure Land, simply recite my name with a sincere heart, and it shall be so."
The abbot bowed deeply, "Bodhisattva is compassionate."
Abbot Rukong of Jingye Temple was also overjoyed, "Bodhisattva has opened the door of convenience widely; this is truly a blessing for all under heaven!"
Simon continued, "The classics of our predecessors cannot be entirely believed. I shall establish a new sect, organize the texts, remove the dross and preserve the essence. From then on, the thoughts of my Buddha shall spread for eternity."
"Amitabha!" All the monks chanted the Buddha's name in unison, their demeanor pious.
...
The monks of Jingye Temple hurried back to their temple with the task entrusted by the Bodhisattva. Their spiritual outlook was like a group of martyrs, but as Simon said, many were merely moving themselves. Only a few high monks would truly abandon their physical bodies for the propagation of the Bodhisattva's Pure Land.
The Buddha statue within the Pure Land Pearl, after receiving the blessing of the Sambhogakaya, became Simon's Nirmanakaya. The Nirmanakaya is also a subtle, perfect manifestation that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reveal when expounding the Dharma.
The Nirmanakaya is of great help to his avatar, for instance, manifesting divine will to enable all sentient beings to comprehend the ultimate truth, or transforming into his martial true intent to deter external enemies.
Those sentient beings who recite Simon's name can be sensed by the Sambhogakaya, and then a superior affinity connection will be established. As long as they meet Simon's requirements, they can enter the Pure Land.
And those sentient beings who see his Nirmanakaya can, through visualization, come into contact with Simon's Sambhogakaya, possessing boundless wondrous methods.
Many monks tried to visualize Simon's Nirmanakaya to varying degrees. For them, this was the embodiment of the Dao, and they hoped to use it to align their bodies and minds with the Dao.
Regarding visualization methods, Esoteric Buddhism is the foremost. Originally, Lamaism emphasized attaining Buddhahood in this very body, aligning one's words, actions, and thoughts with Sakyamuni to replicate the path of this ancient sage. Esoteric Buddhism further has the Three Secrets (body, speech, and mind) empowerment method, considered the culmination of visualization.
Simon did not object to this matter; he also wanted to know what changes would occur after these monks resonated with his Sambhogakaya.
Hundreds of monks practiced day and night, yet not a single one succeeded.
May arrived.
Dozens of monks gradually arrived in the Pure Land. These were all monks from Jingye Temple, indicating that Abbot Rukong and his party had returned to their own temple.
It is foreseeable that the members within the Pure Land Pearl will grow. To prevent the Pure Land from becoming a mixed bag, Simon also set some restrictions: first, only those with sincere hearts can enter, which is the most basic; one cannot establish a superior affinity if one cannot meditate calmly. Second, one needs to have a heart for sharing and a desire to contribute, which means only people of inherently good nature can enter; evil cults and deviant paths that are self-serving and malicious are absolutely impossible to enter. The thoughts of those in the Pure Land are fully exposed in the eyes of the Nirmanakaya, so it's basically impossible to deceive. Third, one needs to conform to the Heavenly Dao to enter; here, conforming to the Heavenly Dao refers to the luster of the superior affinity pearl. Demonic figures like Yu Feng of the Bloodhowl Sect, whose superior affinity pearls are covered in dust, will definitely not be able to enter.
Different people arrive at different locations in the Pure Land. The purer their heart, the closer they are to Mount Sumeru. Only those who obtain the epiphyllum on Mount Sumeru can gain permission for free entry and exit.
More and more superior affinity pearls were cast into the Pure Land Pearl, and the Pure Land Pearl's growth was also rapid.
Besides his daily life, Simon also liked to glance at the Pure Land Pearl from time to time. Even a small increase would make him happy; this was the joy of increasing his fellow practitioners.
...
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Simon had cultivated the Luohan Skill to mastery, and his body had become much stronger. His every movement carried a hint of fierce sharpness; this was an outward manifestation of the increase in his Vajra inner energy. Now, the Mount Sumeru of Qi in his dantian also shimmered with golden light, looking very solid and robust.
Continuing to cultivate the Luohan Skill would no longer yield significant gains. This cultivation method's effect on the growth of inner energy was not inexhaustible. It was time to practice a higher-level internal cultivation method.
The seventh-tier technique, Heart-Mind-Qi Primordial Unity Skill, is a meditative practice. Sitting motionlessly on the mat, one only works internally, unifying essence, qi, and spirit into a single mass. The roaring flow within contains immense power, so although the practitioner sits in profound stillness, there is a faint rumbling wind around him.
Time passed, full and pleasant. Just as Simon was about to forget about the Sambhogakaya's sensing, someone suddenly succeeded.
That person was none other than Ben You.
Although he did not often enter the Pure Land, he prayed for Simon a hundred times every day. This pure and refined devotion not only established a deep superior affinity with the Pure Land but also caused the Sambhogakaya, as lofty as the Heavenly Dao, to notice him.
...
Ben You sat blankly in his room.
As the most promising new generation in the temple, he had his own living quarters, though he still lived with the two senior brothers who looked after him.
Ever since he made a name for himself at the two temples' competition, all the Shaolin monks looked upon him with particular favor. All his actions were considered to be of great wisdom.
In truth, Ben You himself knew that often, when he appeared to be spacing out, he really was just spacing out, not contemplating Buddhist principles.
His best way to spend time each day was to chase the inner breath Simon had bestowed upon him. In his body, as dark as night, there was this speck of starlight, like a fluttering sprite. Ben You was like a lost child, or perhaps a born wanderer, only concerned with chasing beautiful things, never seeking his homeland.
When he had played enough and fell into complete idleness, he would then recall his days at the separate courtyard. That was a very long time ago, even the memories were blurred, and Ben You couldn't even be sure if it was his own fantasy or a real historical event.
Yet, the figure of that person was so clear.
He saw him again a few days ago. He now looked like an ordinary bhikshu, only he grew up so fast.
He is the powerful and compassionate Lu Yuan Bodhisattva in the monks' mouths, and also the understanding big brother to the children of the separate courtyard.
Ben You wished him all the best. As for what great things he would do in the future, Ben You thought he would definitely help Lu Yuan with his worries.
But he dared not go see Simon.
The Buddhist Son had always been such a distant existence to him, so much so that he was accustomed to watching Lu Yuan's extraordinary figure from an unnoticed corner.
He was unwilling to go to the Pure Land, also fearing that he would bring a burden to Simon. He thought that a person steering a boat could only carry a limited number of people, and at such a time, one less person would make it a bit lighter and safer.
Ben You had not forgotten Simon.
He silently recited Lu Yuan's name, like a faint echo in his heart.
He felt himself ascending.
There was a sun in the world of his mind!
Everything was bright and blurry, the light radiant and gentle.
Ben You felt a great heart connect with his own; they shared all thoughts, like two sides of the same person.
Ben You perceived the powerful wisdom of that will. He felt like a single feather on a great roc, a spark beside a torch.
But drops gather, rivers flow into the sea, and one day, a more sublime united will will emerge—that is the spiritual nature of all beings, the power of countless people!
The compassionate Bodhisattva, with immeasurable wisdom, sprinkles it across the human world.
Ben You burst into tears.
-----------------------------
Love my work? You can support me on Patreon! 💫
Get early access, bonus content, and special updates.
👉 patreon.com/Greyhounds