My brother is so cunning

Chapter 1163 "Monks Do Not Lie"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, causing the two saints to tremble violently—the Guide Daoist subconsciously clenched his prayer beads, but his divine sense quietly connected with the Saint Zhunti, initiating a secret communication that only the two of them could perceive.

“Junior brother, when you observed that child conducting the water purification experiment, did you see any greed, anger, or ignorance in his eyes? I saw only a ‘desire for knowledge’—this is the ‘intelligence’ inherent in all beings, which is not the same as the Buddhist teaching that ‘all beings have Buddha-nature’?”

“What you say is absolutely right, senior brother. But I always thought that technology was ‘seeking outward’ and Buddhism was ‘seeking inward’, and that the two were contradictory. Today, seeing him use technology to relieve the hunger and cold of sentient beings and use Buddhism to protect the original mind of sentient beings, I realize that ‘there is no difference between inside and outside’ – if even the physical body cannot be sustained, how can one talk about ‘enlightening the mind and seeing one’s true nature’?”

"The Lotus Sutra says, 'There are many expedient means, but there is only one path to the origin.' Technology is a 'expedient means' for ordinary people: using machines to replace human labor, relieving the suffering of laborers; using knowledge to enlighten the ignorant, breaking through the obstacles of ignorance. This is essentially the same as our 'using Buddhist scriptures to liberate people from suffering and bring them joy,' so how can it be considered heretical?"

"I once saw a high-ranking monk in the mortal world use a telescope to observe the stars, saying, 'The Milky Way is vast, just like the three thousand great chiliocosms described by the Buddha's teachings'; he used a microscope to observe microorganisms, saying, 'One flower, one world; one leaf, one Bodhi'—it turns out that technology not only does not hinder Buddhism, but can actually serve as 'proof' of Buddhism, turning abstract doctrines into tangible realities that all beings can see and feel."

"Think about it again. Is our attachment to 'monopolizing spiritual scriptures' truly 'protecting the Dharma' or 'attaching to authority'? If the Dharma can truly liberate people, even if ordinary people awaken their spiritual roots through technology, they will actively seek 'why cultivate' and 'how not to be attached to power'—these are precisely the questions that Buddhist scriptures can answer. Conversely, if we can only get people to take refuge by 'cutting off other paths,' then what they are taking refuge in is not the Dharma, but 'fear' and 'dependence,' which is no different from the 'control' of demonic paths."

"More importantly, 'conversion' is never 'condescending charity,' but 'equal guidance.' Look at the beings in the demon alliance; they live with dignity through their own hands, which is the embodiment of the Buddha-nature of 'self-reliance.' They are willing to read Buddhist scriptures because they can relieve their troubles, not because they 'have no choice' or because they are forced by reality. This is the true meaning of 'equality between sentient beings and Buddha'—we are not 'saviors,' but merely 'ferrymen.'"

……

As the two exchanged thoughts, the Buddhist light in the void became soft and clear, no longer tense and fierce as before.

Wen Rui's gaze remained fixed on the two saints, clearly sensing the change in their Buddhist aura. He quickly pressed his advantage, his tone becoming more pragmatic and earnest: "Today I don't want to discuss too many constraints, nor do I want to make any additional demands. I only have one suggestion—a truce between the two sides. The destruction of Mount Ling and the temples in various places was caused by the war, not by my intention to target the Western religion. If you agree to a truce, I can send a professional engineering team tomorrow, carrying nanotechnology for reconstruction—this technology can quickly repair buildings and restore the original appearance of the terrain. In less than half a month, Mount Ling will be restored to its original state."

As if to promote his work, Wen Rui switched the tablet screen to show the magnificent Nuwa Palace: "I was the one who contracted the renovation project of Nuwa's Palace. I can guarantee that the rebuilt Ling Mountain will be no less impressive than Nuwa Palace."

He paused, then added, “As for how we will get along in the future, and whether technology and Buddhism can cooperate, these are not urgent. Let’s stop the fighting first, spare all beings from the flames of war, and allow the Western religion to spread its teachings in peace. Once the situation is stable, we can sit down and discuss things in detail. This is better than continuing to fight, allowing the Chan religion to reap the benefits, and causing all beings in the three realms to suffer.”

The screen erupted with comments, filled with anticipation for peace: "The Creator is so sincere!" "No wonder he's a mentor we should wholeheartedly believe in, he has such a grand vision!" "Let's stop fighting immediately! Everyone will be better off if Mount Ling is rebuilt!" "It should have been like this a long time ago, what's the point of continuing the fight?"

This proposal, devoid of any coercion and only offering a pragmatic promise of peace and reconstruction, completely dispelled the two saints' concerns about "oppressive conditions."

The Guide slowly raised his head, a look of relief on his face. The prayer beads on his fingertips were no longer tense, and his tone was calm: "I accept your proposal. From this day forward, the Western Sect will cease all military operations and will no longer participate in any actions targeting mortal technology..." A trace of relief flashed in Wen Rui's eyes, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly—although he was wary of the two saints, he had not expected that they would openly break their promise under the watchful eyes of the entire internet.

Just as he was about to respond, the Guide and the Sage suddenly exchanged a glance, and two golden Buddhist lights burst forth, breaking through the roof of the conference room and soaring into the sky!

"not good!"

Wen Rui's heart skipped a beat. He was about to activate his personal probability reversal device for defense when he saw the two saints simultaneously forming hand seals and silently chanting obscure Buddhist mantras: "The three thousand worlds are all manifestations of the mind! Within the mandala, I alone am supreme!"

The void twisted violently, and countless golden Sanskrit characters surged from the two saints, weaving together to form a huge "mandala of consciousness"—within the mandala, stupas stood tall and scriptures flowed, but there was no peace in the world, instead, a suffocating pressure emanated from it.

An invisible force locked Wen Rui tightly, forcibly pulling him out of the conference room. The surrounding scenery changed rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he was in the center of the mandala, while the two saints stood atop the two stupas on either side, their Buddhist light no longer gentle, but filled with chilling killing intent.

The live broadcast from the outside world was instantly cut off, leaving only darkness. The cheers of all beings in the three realms came to an abrupt halt, replaced by endless panic and doubt.

Inside the mandala, the voice of the guiding Taoist was as cold as iron, completely devoid of its previous clarity: "Wen Rui, do you really think that a few words are enough to make us bow down and make peace with you?"

Wen Rui's heart sank. He had spent his days shooting geese, but today he had been pecked in the eye by a goose. Even someone as cunning as him never expected that these two monks, ranked first and second in the world, would openly lie in front of all living beings in the Three Realms.

The Sage Zhunti waved the Seven Treasures Tree, and golden walls of light rose around the mandala, sealing off all escape routes: "No matter how wonderful your vision for cooperation is, it's nothing but a pie in the sky. How could we be fooled by you?"

The voice of the guide had also shed all pretense, leaving only his unwavering commitment to the ultimate goal of the doctrine, without a trace of personal resentment: "Wen Rui, do you think we agreed to the proposal because we were moved by your sincerity? You are wrong—what we are concerned about is not personal grudges, but the future of Buddhism."

"The vision of cooperation you described seems peaceful, but in reality it cuts off the path to the great prosperity of Buddhism."

"If what you say is true, technology dominates the livelihood of ordinary people, and Buddhism only serves as 'spiritual guidance,' then Buddhism can at most 'continue' but will never have the opportunity to dominate the three realms again, and will never realize the vision of a 'Buddhist Kingdom on Earth'—that is the ultimate goal that my Western religion has pursued since its founding, which is to enable all sentient beings in the three realms to take Buddhism as their root and compassion as their thought, and to build a pure land without strife or suffering."

(End of this chapter)