If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 424 Discipline and Practice

Hearing the old Taoist priest say this, Xiao Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I admit that you can find out the clues, as long as you can hide it from others."

"Have you really met the Taoist Ancestor?" The old Taoist priest lowered his voice and asked with shock on his face.

Xiaoyu really wanted to ask him proudly: Do you know Taoist Master Lu Ya?

It's a pity that she can't pretend to be cool, because the price of pretending to be cool is to destroy her relationship with Taoist Master Lu Ya.

Not to mention that the old monk repeatedly warned her not to reveal her experience in the dream.

Even if the old monk did not make any requests, she understood the principle of "cherishing fate".

"Although I didn't meet the Three Pure Ones from the East, I met the Buddha from Lingshan in the West." Xiaoyu said with a smile.

Taoist Master Lu Ya cannot speak, but Buddha Dipankara can be exposed to a limited extent.

After all, Dipamkara Buddha himself said that she could become his disciple after she went to Mount Lingshan.

In the future, we will travel 108,000 miles west openly. Are we going to keep it a secret from others?

"Have you met Buddha Tathagata?" Upon hearing this, the shock on the old Taoist's face turned into suspicion.

"Even more powerful than Tathagata is he, the father of Buddha Dipankara!" Xiaoyu said with a smile.

"Randeng." The old Taoist was moved and was surprised again. He said, "It was the old monk Chijula. Did he really recommend you to the Buddha Ran Deng? The Buddha not only heard his prayers, but also responded to you?"

Xiao Yu nodded vigorously and said, "The Buddha was moved by my piety and took pity on my situation, so he asked another Buddha to teach me a Buddhist scripture and promised that as long as I arrived at the foot of Lingshan Mountain, he would personally lead me to the gate."

The old Taoist priest’s face could no longer conceal his envy and jealousy, “I thought you were stinking dog shit, a plague god, and you would never meet a true immortal in your life.

I didn't expect you to be so lucky. This year hasn't even ended yet, and you've already been blessed by the Buddha."

Just a few months ago, she was gambling on God's will at the gate of the government, and offended "God" badly.

You will become hated by gods and ghosts, and easily warded off by immortals and Buddhas.

But the New Year has not even arrived yet, and the Buddha has already impatiently sent down his divine favor.

Could it be that this Yu Fengxian is more than just the "natural saint" of the Xisha barbarians?
The old Taoist's heart moved, but he had no inspiration at all.

Although his innate ability in numbers is very strong, it is still far from enough to understand Randeng's thoughts and Xiaoyu's background.

"Be careful." He said seriously.

Xiao Yu was stunned, the happy smile on her face disappeared, and she asked, "Be careful about what?"

“I don’t know, but the Buddha certainly wouldn’t take a liking to you for no reason.

No matter what you encounter in the future, think twice before acting.

You should be more careful in your words and actions than before." said the old Taoist priest.

Xiaoyu understood that this was good advice.

“I probably won’t attempt to travel west for another ten years,” she said.

Tens of thousands of miles is not only a long journey, but Xiniu Hezhou is also very dangerous.

Walking eastward from Tianmen Town, you will get closer and closer to Jambu Continent.

Jambudvīpa is definitely the center of human civilization at this time. There may be many man-made disasters, but the dangers such as demons and monsters are definitely less and less as you go east.

Walking westward from Yingxiang Prefecture, you will go deeper and deeper into Xiniu Hezhou.

There will be no shortage of man-made disasters, and there will be even greater dangers from demons and monsters. The further west you go, the more likely you are to encounter a monster that can massacre a city or destroy a country.

And Lingshan itself is not peaceful either.

She can't even beat the demon cicada now.

If the demon cicada was placed in Lingshan, it would not even be qualified to be a cannon fodder in the internal fighting among the tribes.

The cannon fodders are probably all at the level of Jin Chanzi.

"Do you want to change your Taoist robe into a monk's robe?" asked the old Taoist priest.

Xiao Yu said: "Although I am not going to Lingshan now, I can also practice Buddhism in Yingxiang Mansion."

The old Taoist priest asked again: "How do we practice Buddhism? Do we have to be a well-behaved little nun, abide by the Buddhist rules and regulations, be quiet and inactive, meditate, abstain from words and fast, and follow the path of 'resting from food and guarding the grain'?"

"Rest from food and guard the valley" is a Taoist term.

It can be simply summarized in two words: "bigu".

Eating whole grains can satisfy hunger, but the whole grains only contain energy that can sustain normal body activities.

When the body digests grains, it consumes its own "innate essence".

Fasting and keeping the grain means reducing physical and mental damage by doing less activity or even no activity, thinking less or even no thinking, gradually reducing the need for food, reaching the state of natural fasting, thereby preserving the body's "essence", prolonging life, and even achieving immortality.

Rules and regulations are a means to achieve the goal of less activity and less thinking.

Whether in Taoism or Buddhism, the constraints of precepts on monks are mainly for the good of the monks themselves and to help them practice.

The starting point of many Buddhist precepts, such as not killing, not stealing, not committing adultery, not lying, not drinking alcohol, etc., is not for the public good - to make the world a better place.

It is mainly for self-benefit, helping one to break through the root delusions and find the true nature.

Self-interest is the core, and benefiting society is just a by-product.

This is true for Buddhism and Taoism.

Therefore, observing the precepts became a way of practice, and this way of practice also formed a major school.

When the old Taoist heard Xiaoyu say "practice Buddhism", he thought she wanted to follow this school.

Xiao Yu shook his head and said, "The current Buddhist rules and regulations are probably not suitable for me. I want to create another way to become a Buddha."

"What a big tone!" the old Taoist sneered.

Xiao Yu said: "Every Taoist priest hopes to ascend to heaven in broad daylight one day since the day he becomes a monk.

When a monk decides to become a monk, his goal must be to become a Buddha.

The Buddha also hopes that more disciples can become Buddhas.

The Buddha also said that the Dharma he passed down was only the path he saw, and there were many more paths that he had not yet found, but they must exist.

"Everyone understands the truth, but you haven't even started yet," said the old Taoist priest.

"I haven't entered the door, but I stood outside the door and looked inside for a long time. I haven't found the path that suits me, but I see that the existing path of rules and regulations goes against my personality. What's the problem with that?" Xiaoyu said.

The old Taoist shook his head and said, "You don't even understand the 'precepts.' It takes decades to understand all the 'precepts' of our sect, and hundreds of years to study them in depth.

The same is true for Buddhism. Even Bodhisattvas and Buddhas have spent thousands or tens of thousands of years studying the "precepts". You don't even know what the precepts are, and you say that the precepts are contrary to your character.

Wait until you get into it and study it in depth for decades before making a judgment. "

If "discipline" is a subject, its complexity and profundity will far exceed the art of alchemy and the art of making talismans.

Xiao Yu said: "I don't know what Taoist and Buddhist precepts there are, and I have never studied the meaning of each precept in depth, but I understand why both sects created precepts for practice.

In other words, I know the essence of the commandments."

The old Taoist priest was skeptical and curious, so he asked, "Tell me about it."

Xiao Yu said: “Discipline is the opposite of the secret manual of cultivation.

On the path of cultivation, the secret manuals of skills tell us which direction to go in order to reach the destination.

In other words, the practice is about finding direction and shortcuts.

The precepts are the opposite of the practices; they tell practitioners which directions they must not go.

Discipline is about avoiding wrong directions and pitfalls.”

The old Taoist was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

Xiao Yu continued with emotion, “I practice Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Magic at the same time, and I feel it even more deeply.

The precepts of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism are almost the same.

Their roads go in different directions, but the wrong directions and pitfalls that need to be avoided are similar.

The reason why the devil's way is the devil's way is not only because the devil practitioners like to harm people, nor is it because the devil's skills are cruel.

Rather, the 'commands' of the devil are all against human nature and conscience.

If you want to succeed in the path of magic, you must avoid the wrong direction, but the wrong direction of the path of magic is precisely human nature and conscience.

Taoism and Buddhist magic can kill people and be extremely cruel, but the skills themselves will not force people to violate their conscience.

On the contrary, in order to reach the right shore, one must avoid behavior that goes against conscience.

Therefore, my "Magic Eye Method" requires a heart of Tao. Alas, Taiyi Xuanmen cannot be relied upon, and now I can only gather the heart of Buddha, the 'Magic Eye Buddha Heart'.

Use the Buddha's compassion and mercy to control the devil's eyes.

If I don’t do this, I will inevitably go astray in the future whether I like it or not.”

The old Taoist priest said with a complicated expression: "I have been practicing the precepts for decades, but I have always been ignorant and just followed the rules.

You didn't even enter, you just stood at the door and took a look inside, but you grasped the essence directly.

And you are only thirteen years old. Alas, today I finally understand what the standards and what the immortals are looking for in a 'predestined person' are."

Xiao Yu shook her head and said, "I can have this realization not because of myself, but because of the 'Buddha's Shadow'."

When the old monk appeared in her dream and taught her the Heart Sutra, he took her on a walk around the "Buddha Kingdom" under Lingshan Mountain.

She heard a lot and saw a lot.

In particular, the old monk gave her a series of "Buddhist initiations" and "wake-up calls", which forced her to open her "heart" and understand the specific methods of practicing Buddhism and finding her true heart.

Her heart seemed to have been polished from a lump of stone into transparent crystal.

“Before, I always thought that precepts were shackles that one person used to restrain another group of people in order to demonstrate his or her own authority and achieve a certain social phenomenon.

When seeing monks and Taoists breaking the precepts, they subconsciously stand on the moral high ground and rebuke them for not observing the precepts.

They prefer to use Taoist or Buddhist precepts to morally blackmail Taoist priests and monks.

I feel that once you become a monk or Taoist priest, you naturally have the responsibility to observe the precepts, help others, and make the world a better place.

Now I understand that precepts are not a moral issue, but a matter of personal practice.

Things like bone-strengthening soup and qi-invigorating pills are made by oneself to help improve one's own realm.

Taoist priests and monks who break the precepts are like lazy warriors who are unwilling to seriously refine their qi and practice martial arts.

If a warrior does not practice well, no one will say he is immoral.

Of course, with this realization, I have also completed my demystification. From now on, I will no longer look up to someone or respect him as a person of high moral character just because he is a monk or a Taoist priest.

Unless the other party proves that he is really a 'master' first."

The old Taoist priest said with a complicated expression: "I feel that you are a bit like a 'sage' now. You have attained enlightenment."

"Alas, I dare not call myself an 'expert' anymore." Xiaoyu waved his hand.

Thinking about how she had repeatedly called herself an "expert" in front of the old monk, she felt embarrassed.

She wants to reform herself and learn what true masters do: put down her status and pride, and be a low-key old villain who "swallows the spit in her face first and then kills people quietly."

The old Taoist said, "Since you don't intend to strictly abide by the Buddhist precepts, and now you have not entered Buddhism, why bother with what you wear? Even if you wear a Taoist robe, you can still call yourself a 'poor nun'."

"Poor nun." Xiaoyu suddenly understood the fake nuns and fake Taoist nuns that she had complained about in the past.

Like the goddess of the South China Sea and the fairy lady Luochen.

It may be normal for them to dress themselves up like "Buddhist ladies" or "Taoist ladies".

Because she herself couldn't stand being a "poor nun".

At least she won't shave her head and run around with a bald head.

"It's better to wear plain-colored black robes. There must be a label so that others can recognize me as a monk and it will be easier for me to beg for alms." Xiao Yu said.

"Didn't you say that you wouldn't abide by the traditional rules and regulations? Why are you begging for alms again?"

The old Taoist couldn't help but twitch his face just by imagining the scene of her begging for alms in black robes.

"I just said I won't follow it completely." Xiao Yu cleared his throat and said, "I'll read it to you.

The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a bright mirror; wipe it diligently and do not let it be stained by dust.

Wearing black robes and begging for alms on the streets is not the purpose.

It is a method of realizing that the body is the bodhi tree and wiping the mirror of the mind.

The old Taoist priest seemed to have realized something and said, "They all know how to use external objects and external skills to refine their hearts and return to their nature.

Your current state is far more than just peeking outside the door."

(End of this chapter)