The Great Way to Truth, Starting from Jiazi Laodao

Chapter 183 The Third Generation Immortal Wants to Retreat, the Fourth Generation Taoist Takes Responsibility

The broken flowers are hard to repair, and the orioles’ chirping is hard to listen to.

Cherish spring, it is already late, cherish the green grass.

In late spring, the peach blossoms wither and the courtyard door, which had been closed for many days, opens again. The white-haired old Taoist strolls in the mountains and forests, admiring the scenery of Floating Cloud Mountain. He is absorbed in every blade of grass, every drop of water, every stone, every flower and every leaf. He indulges himself in nature, enjoys his emotions and soothes his temperament, while he remeasures the Taoist temple after its great transformation.

He climbed up one mountain after another, walked through many mountains, and crossed many rivers. He watched the snow on the mountains at dusk from the top of the main peak, and listened to the gurgling water in the quiet valley. His nature was pure, his heart was peaceful, and a floating cloud mountain range was reflected in the lake of his heart:
The stone path leads to the blue sky, where the wind is clear and the clouds and white water are connected.

The green forest should be where the immortals live, as there are no rice and millet fields on earth.

After a day's wandering, Xuanming returned to the courtyard. He took care of the plants and trees, then raised his hand to summon a Taoist scripture from the third floor of the Sutra Library. Under the moonlight and candlelight, he bent over the desk to read it, enjoying the quiet and peaceful time in the quiet night. His efficiency in observing the Tao was doubled.

At midnight, after collecting the moonlight, Xuanming lay on his side, sleeping with his clothes on, with clouds and mist in his breath through his mouth and nose.

The next morning, the sky was filled with clouds and the morning glow was brilliant. Voices were transmitted from the courtyard. Half a cup of tea later, three generations of immortals gathered together.

Entering the Daoist Academy, the fragrance of tea filled the air. Taking a sip, he felt the sweetness. Xuanming said, "I called you fellow disciples here this time to discuss three matters."

"We also happen to have something to discuss with Senior Brother."

Xuanming was surprised: "Oh! I would like to hear more about it."

As the head master, Xuanxu spoke on behalf of all his fellow disciples, "When a fox dies in its home hill, a fallen leaf returns to its roots. During the Taiping Rebellion, a total of 87 disciples of our Qiuzhen Temple died in battle. Their bodies are still kept in the Hall of Rebirth, and no tomb has been built to this day.

In the past, my senior brother once said that these disciples were all heroes and could not be buried casually. They should be given enough respect and their families should be properly arranged.

After the Great Xuan court granted the title, we discussed it first. Now their families have been settled in Fuyun County. According to their wishes, they were given good farmland, shops, houses, or academies. Each family has a quota to enter the academy, and the difficulty of the assessment they go through will be lower than that of others. "

Xuanming nodded, signaling Xuanxu to continue. The latter received the signal, drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then said:

“For our fallen disciples, we plan to build a hero’s tomb in Floating Cloud Mountain, hold sword sacrifices and Taoist sacrifices, and bury them in the tomb. At the same time, according to the imperial court’s canonization, we will erect statues for them in the Hall of Heroes, erect monuments to record their achievements, and enjoy incense offerings.

In the future, all disciples of Qiuzhen Temple, if they die a worthy death, without shame to heaven and earth and with a clear conscience, can be buried in the hero's tomb, sleep forever in the mountains, live with their master, and live forever with the mountains.

Every year, Qiuzhen Temple holds a ceremony at the hero's tomb to highlight the hero's virtue, keep his noble spirit alive, and make his spirit immortal. "

Glancing at Xuanming, Xuanxu said, "What do you think, Senior Brother?"

---

"good!"

Putting down the teacup, Xuanming praised: "What Junior Brother said coincides with what I said. I called you all here for one reason, to discuss the affairs of our disciples after their death.

The old Taoist priest delayed the burial of his disciples because he hoped that after Fuyun Mountain was promoted, they could be buried in a Feng Shui treasure land to bless future generations.

The method of building a hero's tomb is very clever. It can not only provide a place for disciples to rest in peace, but also inspire later generations so that they can, in addition to practicing and seeking the Tao, take it as their responsibility to be brave and righteous and to help the poor and the needy. This is beneficial to the inheritance of the spirit of seeking truth and the tempering of the disciples' Tao hearts.

Life is a master, and death is a ghost.

I have already received these disciples as subordinate gods through Taiyi Jiuku Shen, so that they can continue to accumulate Yinde, and with the incense offerings from the Hall of Heroes, they may be able to make achievements in the way of gods in the future and cultivate golden bodies. "

The Taoists all smiled when they heard this. After reaching an agreement on this matter, they started the next topic. Xuanming said, "I wonder when you brothers are going to open the mountain and recruit disciples?" Xuanxu said, "Brother, there are still many matters that need to be arranged and resolved for the promotion of Fuyun Mountain. After discussing with you brothers, we plan to open the mountain gate in early spring next year, recruit disciples, replenish fresh blood, and continue the inheritance of the master."

Stroking his beard and smiling, Xuanming said: "My fellow apprentices have a plan in mind, and the time arrangement is just right. I am very pleased."

After affirming it, Xuanming changed the topic and said, "The fourth generation of disciples have grown up and are able to take charge of their own work. I suggest that they take charge of recruiting disciples next year, carefully train them, and slowly hand over the banner of Qiuzhen Temple to them. The junior brothers can also unload the burden and concentrate on practicing.

The old and the new alternate, the iterations are orderly, the torch is passed on, and the pursuit of truth can prosper, continue through the ages, and watch the spring and autumn. "

The three generations of Taoists smiled at each other, a tacit understanding flowing between them, and it was still Xuanxu who spoke: "Brother, what you said is very true. I mentioned this to my fellow disciples a few days ago.

After all these years of hard work, we have long wanted to step down and follow the example of our senior brothers, to be free from worries and concentrate on practicing and attaining enlightenment. In our spare time, we can either travel the country or play around in the world.

Besides, several Qigong masters have emerged from the fourth generation of disciples. It’s time for them to accept disciples and spread the teachings. I’m still waiting to see my grandchildren!”

These words are spoken sincerely and without any falsehood.

The other Taoists nodded in agreement to show their attitude.

After spending many years together, Xuanming knew the personalities of his fellow apprentices very well and knew that none of them were power-hungry.

The two consecutive things happened at the same time. All the Taoists were smiling and sipping a cup of tea. Then Xuanming mentioned the third thing.

---

"I have achieved the status of a True Lord, and Floating Cloud Mountain has also been promoted. Once I refine a few more magic weapons, the Seeking Truth Temple will have the prototype of a top-notch Dao vein. But it is not easy to get promoted."

Xuanming spoke seriously and the Taoists listened carefully.

"There are four things to cultivate, and the first is the method. The top Taoist lineages first look at inheritance. The skills, magical powers, spells, alchemy, formations, and weapons must form a system, starting with the training of the spirit and the training of the essence.

My Qiuzhen Temple has a shorter history of inheritance than other major sects, which take hundreds or thousands of years to be promoted to the top Taoist lineages. We have enough time to settle down and accumulate resources. In this way, we must show the foundation of the sect.

The Dharma is not easily passed on, and the Way is not easily taught. Disciples are of varying quality, with different personalities, aptitudes, perseverance, and understanding. The rules of inheritance in the sect should also be sound and standardized.

I will build a heritage hall, and I will select suitable inheritors for all kinds of wonderful methods according to the disciples' talents and natures. This can also be considered as a line of defense to prevent others from being harmed and ourselves from being entrusted with the wrong person. "

Seeing that the Taoists seemed to be thinking about something, Xuanming stood up and saluted: "My fellow disciples, please do your work. I am relieved. Thank you for your hard work."

The Taoists stood up and returned the greeting: "It's all for the sake of our sect, Senior Brother, there's no need to do this."

The matter here was settled, and everyone dispersed. They had to go back and think carefully about the third matter, and also prepare for the funeral.

Zangdao Peak, Daoyuan.

Xuanming returned to the hut, sat upright at the table, holding a pen and dipped it in ink, silently writing down his thoughts on cultivation, sorting out his own cultivation process, and increasing his accumulation for the pursuit of truth.

The light rain washes the tall forest, and the breeze blows my way. The more experience you have, the richer your master's foundation will be.

(End of this chapter)