Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 15: Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!
When he first heard it, Meng Fan had a sudden realization. He really didn't expect that the strange people in the world of Under One Person would view Journey to the West in this way.

He asked Yue Huyang, "So, the beginning of Journey to the West is to teach people to recognize the innate Qi?"

Yue Huyang nodded and said, "Yes, the spiritual root has the innate true qi, also known as the innate true water. Water benefits all things. This water can give birth to people and living things if it flows smoothly. It can also make people holy and immortal if it flows smoothly."

"And next, I will talk about the way to practice the Dharma. Although there are no detailed methods of practice, the principles contained in it are extremely precious. Are you willing to listen?"

Meng Fan nodded: "Of course!"

Yue Huyang laughed: "Just don't mind that an old man like me is talking in a confusing way!"

Meng Fan shook his head and said, "I don't mind it. This is the true mantra of cultivation. Ordinary people can't even listen to it if they want to."

Yue Huyang nodded, then patiently said, "Under the iron bridge of the Water Curtain Cave in Huaguo Mountain, there is water rushing through the stone holes, flowing out upside down, and into the Dragon Palace."

"This is about going against the flow to become an immortal, but people only know how to go with the flow, not against the flow. It's even more obvious that there is a solid iron bridge, but people don't recognize it. If you go against the flow, you can enter the Dragon Palace to seek treasures."

"And the Water Curtain Cave in the Flower-Fruit Mountain is also very extraordinary. The original text describes it as: It is like a residence, a great place, with belongings made by heaven and earth."

“This is what the Enlightenment Chapter says: Every family has this kind of treasure, but fools don’t know all of it.”

“If someone could truly see this treasure, they would know that this place is a blessed land of immortals and Buddhas, with great fortune inside, and they would suddenly realize the perfect enlightenment. Then the so-called heaven-made property would be like what they already have, without asking for anything else. They could settle down and make their own living, with fortune at their disposal, without having to suffer from the anger of heaven.”

"This is to say that we are endowed with good fortune. When cultivating the Dao, we must dig within ourselves. This is the fundamental way. Don't be blinded by external false techniques."

"Three Yangs bring forth life, and the immortal stone contains the essence of the sun and the moon: this refers to the union of the earth and the sky, and the harmony represented by the word Tai makes all things grow, and it contains the original breath."

"This is also saying that we are born with innate energy, no matter which part of our body, we all have innate energy. It is innate, and it is not easy to be born as a human."

"The monkey was transformed from an egg to complete the Great Dao, and the elixir was completed by using his name: the Dao originally had no name, but was forced to be named the Dao; the Dao originally had no words, but words were used to express the truth. This is the same as what is said in the Tao Te Ching: the Dao that can be spoken is not the real Dao; the name that can be named is not the real name. It is actually the same truth."

“Therefore, I borrowed the name and surname of the stone monkey and combined it with the Taoist method of the golden elixir to allow people to understand this and that, and pursue the true signs of spiritual roots.”

"Inwardly, we cannot recognize it because it has no form. The spiritual root, that is, the innate Qi, is empty, but we do not recognize it or know it. Externally, we know that it has a form. The innate Qi is magical, and it conforms to the laws of heaven."

"Everyone in every generation belongs to this: that is, everyone has what I said before, and everyone is complete; they can be called a king or a saint and do whatever they want. Foolish people lose their lives because of this, and wise people can achieve enlightenment because of this. If there are those who can realize it, they can practice it in reverse."

"Struggle with heaven and earth for power, and with the sun and moon for glory. No one can stop me from going through all the ups and downs. My fate is in my own hands."

"This is the mystery of the source of spiritual roots. But if you get lost in comfort and don't know how to seek, even if you have the talent, you will not be able to accept it. Once your family is empty, the King of Hell will not show mercy. Isn't it a waste of life in vain?"

"So, this is also a reminder for people to cherish their time and study hard and practice at a young age. And you, kid, started practicing Qi at the age of three. You are indeed a good seedling."

Yue Huyang patted Meng Fan on the head and praised him.

Meng Fan also smiled complacently.

Yue Huyang said in a critical tone: "In Journey to the West, there is a very interesting point. If you read it carefully, you will find that Sun Wukong went out to seek immortals and learn Taoism when he was over 300 years old." "But when Sun Wukong was seduced, he was 342 years old. What do you think this means?"

Meng Fan thought for a moment and said, "Does this mean that Sun Wukong actually learned Taoism very late? Sun Wukong is very talented? How could he have learned Taoism in such a short time?"

Yue Huyang nodded and said patiently, "It is very difficult to learn Taoism. If Sun Wukong did not have the guidance of Bodhi Patriarch and the idea of ​​practicing Taoism, would he still be able to resist when his soul was taken away?"

"Even if Sun Wukong wanted to become an immortal and learn Taoism, would he have achieved such success without Bodhi Patriarch?"

Meng Fan replied: "No!"

Yue Huyang sighed and said, "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Dao is the most mysterious, don't take the golden elixir lightly. If you don't meet a wise man to pass on the secret, it's useless to talk about it and your mouth will be dry!"

Then, Yue Huyang touched Meng Fan's head and said softly: "Xiao Fan, you have to remember that the inheritance of an alien is extremely precious and should not be given to others easily. It is also not to mention that other sects cherish their own treasures. Who would be willing to hand over a thousand-year inheritance to an outsider easily?"

Meng Fan nodded, and suddenly seemed to understand the difficulties Yue Huyang had faced in the past.

Yue Huyang advised: "You have joined my Xingyi school and are practicing. Apprentices choose their masters, and masters choose their apprentices. I, the master, do not ask you to carry forward this, but I ask you to pass on this new Xingyi and do not waste good things."

Afterwards, Yue Huyang sighed again: "Since ancient times, I don't know how many inheritances of the sects in our Shenzhou have been lost, either in the flames of war, or simply because they couldn't find a suitable successor."

"Master, I don't want the good things I have spent my whole life to discover to be lost!"

Meng Fan nodded thoughtfully. The principle was the same. If Old Meng had not cultivated the skills of a biological master, perhaps in a few hundred years, the beast master lineage would have been eliminated by the times.

There are so many sects and traditions buried in the dust of history!
Yue Huyang held Meng Fan's hand and said, "Your three senior brothers are useless, and only you are worth a bit of attention. You should also show some spirit, understand?"

Meng Fan nodded repeatedly, patted his chest and promised: "Don't worry, Master, your methods will definitely flourish in my hands."

Yue Huyang nodded with satisfaction.

"That being said, I still want to remind you of one thing: cultivate your mind first before you practice."

"Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Tao is the most mysterious. Don't take the golden elixir lightly. Don't talk about the mysteries if you are not virtuous. To seek the Tao, you must rely on moral enlightenment. A pure body and mind is the root. Blind practice will lead to demons. The wrong path is like a net with thousands of paths."

"The path of cultivation is difficult, just like climbing a cliff, climbing a steep wall, with dangers at every step; the easiest thing is to exchange human heart for Tao heart!"

"When the foundations of virtue, will, conduct and faith are in place, and the method of repentance and change for the better is frequently applied, then the path will be smooth and bright, and everything will be wonderful if you sail along the current."

Meng Fan raised his head and bowed:

"I will definitely live up to Master's expectations!"

(End of this chapter)