Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 309 One should let one's mind dwell nowhere.
After thinking for a moment, Qi Song decided to first make his own explanation coherent before circumventing the issue.

"When the eyes are blind, they see flowers in the sky. In essence, they have no self-nature, no substance, like dreams, illusions, bubbles, dew, or lightning. This is the true meaning of 'all phenomena are consciousness-only'."

He then said, “I am not saying that everything before my eyes is entirely illusory, nor that Buddhist precepts and Confucian ethics exist. Rather, I am saying that their existence is all based on dependent origination, and their essence is ultimately emptiness.”

Subsequently, Qi Song subtly accused Zhang Zai of a crime.

“If you cling to ‘qi’ as the real thing and take it as the source, isn’t that like trying to catch the moon’s reflection in water, or taking illusion for reality? This is precisely ‘clinging to appearances and being blind to one’s true nature,’ abandoning the essential for the trivial.”

This explanation of "dependent origination and emptiness" and "all phenomena are consciousness-only" is like an invisible net that tightly wraps around and dissolves Zhang Zai's cosmology based on material "qi".

You talk about empirical evidence? He acknowledges the existence of phenomena, that is, "appearances," but attributes these phenomena to the aggregation of countless causes and conditions, the essence of which is emptiness.

You speak of the reality of Qi? He bluntly stated that this "Qi" is also a "phenomenon" generated by the discrimination of consciousness, without inherent nature, and not of origin.

Zhang Zai frowned.

Although he had made preparations beforehand, he still felt as if he were in an invisible swamp, and with each struggle, the quagmire called "emptiness" swallowed him even deeper.

"If the Zen master said that everything is empty and only consciousness exists, then what about human ethics, social norms, laws and regulations, and even this glorious world? Wouldn't they all become illusions, without any basis or foundation?"

Zhang Zai used the same move again.

However, this trick is clearly only effective the first time.

"Amitabha."

After Zhang Zai's further questioning, Qi Song's mind had returned to normal. He clasped his hands together, his voice still calm: "Human relationships, daily life, and the systems of etiquette are all manifestations of dependent origination. They are inherently empty, yet this does not hinder their function of dependent origination. Sentient beings are deluded, clinging to the false as the true, hence the existence of greed, anger, ignorance, pride, doubt, and the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Our Buddha, in his compassion, revealed emptiness precisely to break this attachment, enabling sentient beings to be free from suffering and attain happiness, and to awaken to the true nature of reality."

Then, Qi Song countered with a question.

"Benefactor, by clinging to the reality of 'qi,' aren't you creating another 'attachment to dharma' outside your mind? This only increases your troubles and obscures the light of your true nature. Confucianism speaks of 'investigating things to attain knowledge.' If the 'things' investigated and the 'knowledge' sought are all caught in the illusions of the external world and cannot reflect back to the source of the mind, to understand the mind and see one's true nature, then this 'knowledge' is ultimately just a mirage. How can one then 'cultivate sincerity and rectify the mind'?"

The phrase "law enforcement" is truly devastating.

This means that Zhang Zai's painstakingly constructed "theory of the origin of qi" seems to have been completely relegated to the wrong path of "seeking the Dharma outside the mind" in the face of Qi Song and the Chan Buddhist philosophy of mind and nature he represented.

Zhang Zai opened his mouth, but the blister under his tongue burned terribly. His throat bobbed, and he felt a sudden lack of words.

If he keeps going in a spiral, he will never get a result.

Because no matter how much he pressed him, Qisong would refute him with his theories, then label him based on his character, and even use Confucian theories of human nature to attack him.

Zhang Zai studied Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. In fact, he could refute this from the perspective of Confucianism's theory of human nature, but this would be meaningless because it would be like entering the battlefield set up by the other side, thus deviating from the main battlefield.

In the previous rounds, Qi Song had used the strategy of "attacking what must be defended" to break the deadlock, which meant attacking Zhang Zai's "theory of the nature of qi" itself.

This time, Zhang Zai also learned it.

"—Why did Master Qisong write the 'Supplement to the Teachings' to protect Buddhism? Isn't this attachment an even greater attachment to the Dharma?"

Amidst the uproar, Zhang Zai, citing the Doctrine of the Mean, insisted on his view: "The way of Heaven and Earth can be summed up in one sentence: Since things are undivided, their creation of things is immeasurable. The flow of Qi is precisely this undivided sincerity! The rise of the hot air balloon is not merely due to causes and conditions, but is in fact the manifestation of the utmost sincerity and ceaselessness of Heaven and Earth!"

Qi Song's prayer beads paused slightly. This time, Zhang Zai's debate was completely different from the previous ones.

With such a matter so openly brought up, he found it difficult to directly refute it. However, it wasn't without other options. "Amitabha."

Qi Song sighed deeply: "I wrote 'The Compendium of Teachings' not out of obsession, but out of compassion. It is like a doctor seeing a child playing with a knife. Even though he knows that the blade is empty, he still has to show him the danger. The Confucian and Buddhist paths each have their own circumstances. I am just pointing the finger to the moon for those who are lost."

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind suddenly rose outside the window.

The remaining snowflakes fell softly from the roof ridge, with a few flakes drifting through the window sill, fluttering like butterflies in the candlelight.

Qi Song's sleeves fluttered lightly, and a snowflake landed on his palm.

“Please look, benefactor.” He held up the melting snowflake. “If you say this snow is real, it will vanish in an instant; if you say it is empty, it is clearly chilling to the bone right now. What I protect in protecting the teachings is precisely this profound meaning of the Middle Way, ‘emptiness and existence’.”

Zhang Zai immediately seized the opportunity: "Since the master has acknowledged the 'penetrating coolness to the bone,' he has recognized the sensation of qi! The Book of Changes says, 'Still and unmoved, yet responding to all stimuli,' what else could this sensation be but qi?"

"Telepathy comes from the heart." The snow water in Qi Song's palm had already turned into shimmering light. "Snow reflects the mirror of the heart, and the mirror shows the snow's image. The mirror is still, yet countless images appear. This is called 'one should abide nowhere and yet give rise to the mind.' A child uses an ice mirror to focus the sun and make fire. Does he not know whether the fire comes from the sun or from the ice?"

Zhang Zai sensed a hidden meaning in the other person's words, and after careful consideration, he replied.

"The ice mirror focuses the light, like a ladle scooping water. The water is originally in the river, not produced by the ladle."

"Excellent!" Qi Song smiled, clasping his hands together. "The Confucian scholar investigates things like polishing an ice mirror, and the light and heat he sees are ultimately sunlight; the Buddhist scholar cultivates the mind like polishing a mirror, and the wisdom he sees is the light of the mind itself. You, benefactor, are fixated on distinguishing between mirror and light, haven't you forgotten that all mirror light ultimately returns to the Great Light?"

At this moment, the setting sun cast its golden rays through the window, making the remaining water in Qi Song's hand sparkle.

The scholars in the hall could only see the old monk standing in the light, the water droplets in his palm reflecting a seven-colored halo, and they couldn't help but hold their breath.

Zhang Zai was speechless. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond, but the other person's words were so well said that he didn't know how to refute them for a moment.

—That old monk is so cunning, I've been tricked again!
The scholars below looked at him with sympathy, disappointment, and confusion, but many also expressed deep admiration for Qisong's profound Buddhist teachings.

Inside the Zhenru Hall, all was silent, with only the incense of sandalwood swirling silently.

Zhang Zai's silence seemed to confirm the correctness of Qi Song's assertion.

Many scholars shook their heads slightly and sighed softly, it seemed that Zhang Zai's theory of the nature of qi was ultimately no match for the profound Buddhist principle of "emptiness and existence."

Just as the suffocating silence was about to crush Zhang Zai completely, a clear voice rang out behind him.

"The Zen master's eloquence is truly admirable."

All eyes instantly shifted from the silent Zhang Zai to the source of the voice—the handsome young scholar who had been sitting quietly behind Zhang Zai.

Lu Beigu slowly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Zen Master Qisong in the hall and to the countless pairs of surprised and scrutinizing eyes below, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.

“The Zen Master’s words, ‘All phenomena are only consciousness,’ ‘dependent origination and emptiness,’ ‘emptiness is existence,’ may indeed have some truth to them. However, I have a humble opinion and would like to ask the Zen Master about his earlier statement, ‘The Confucian scholar investigates things as if he were making an ice mirror.’ I wonder if the Zen Master would be willing to listen?”

Lu Beigu's voice was calm, as if he was not affected in the slightest by the solemn atmosphere in the hall.

Qi Song's gaze fell on Lu Beigu. When this young man entered the hall, the onlookers made a lot of noise, as if he was quite famous in the Kaifeng literati.

"Please speak freely, benefactor."

(End of this chapter)