With all these qualities, I will eventually become immortal.

Chapter 507 The Zen Jade Disc is the real deal, my Arhat buddy!
He then ignored the noise of the crowd, which he could not hear clearly.

Turning to face the cliff of books, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and offered his thanks:
"Thanks to the guidance of Patriarch Kasyapa, and with gratitude to the eminent monk, Amitabha."

He then remained in place to reflect and consolidate the Buddhist martial arts principles he had learned.

Upon seeing this, the Buddha smiled knowingly.

If one knows how to be grateful, then the matter of converting to Buddhism becomes more plausible.
He then chanted a Buddhist prayer and drove the monks away.

The Venerable One spoke, and the crowd could only turn back again and again, reluctant to leave.

The way they looked at Meng Chuan was a mixture of envy, curiosity, admiration, and resentment.

Even after they left, the monks couldn't help but discuss among themselves:
"Amitabha Buddha. Did the Patriarch Kasyapa transmit the supreme Buddhist scriptures to him?"

"No, how could an outsider like him comprehend the profound meaning of Buddhist scriptures?"

"Senior brother, you may not know this, but he is already very famous in the outside world. He is the most renowned martial arts genius in the Great Chu."

He's a jack-of-all-trades, a master of all trades; perhaps he's a born Buddhist disciple of our temple, lost and wandering far from home.

"That's so exaggerated."

Some Shaolin disciples are so focused on Buddhism that they don't even have cell phones, so they are naturally unaware of the outside world's turmoil.

"That's right, they made headlines just a few days ago."

"With a body limited to two realms, he was actually able to subdue a titled Great Demon."

"It's good, it's good, it's inhuman."

Meng Chuanzhi's reputation spread far and wide.

The story of his enlightenment at Shuce Cliff has been passed down in Shaolin Temple and deeply ingrained in people's hearts.

Meng Chuan digested Buddhist teachings and gained many insights.

He pondered in his heart:

"When you practice those two advanced Buddhist hard skills again in the future, your proficiency should improve."

But that's not enough; there's still a lot of room for improvement.

He lacks a lot in this area and needs to improve.

at the same time.

Seeing that he had finished his enlightenment, the Buddha Shakyamuni slowly landed and walked to his side.

Meng Chuan had long sensed that a high-ranking monk was always by his side protecting him.

At that moment, while expressing his gratitude, he glanced at him for a moment.

His monk's robe was a simple orange-yellow color, with wide sleeves that gave him a solemn air.

Only faint cloud patterns adorn the cuffs, her eyes are clear as a line of autumn water, and her whole being exudes a peaceful and solemn aura.

At first glance, he looks like a highly accomplished monk.

"I am Meng Chuan from the Northern Union University. I had no intention of disturbing the venerable monk's peace. Please forgive me."

The Buddha nodded and said:

“I am Shi Xinghuai, known to the world as the protector of Kongchen. I have read your letter of visit.”

"Having only arrived at Shaoshi Mountain yesterday, you've already achieved enlightenment at the Book Cliff. Amitabha! Young benefactor, you possess great wisdom."

Meng Chuan knew that this Shaolin Venerable was also a renowned Shaolin expert.

"The Venerable Shakyamuni has praised you excessively."

After experiencing the incident involving Lin Yue, who was described as "rootless".

The more he heard the word "root," the more something felt off about it.
Root of the Way, Root of Wisdom, Root of the Imperial City
Such phrases and the like don't sound like nice things.
The Buddha clasped his hands together in prayer:
"Your journey to Shaoshi Mountain this time is precisely because your Buddhist thoughts are flourishing in the light, and you have been guided by your inner calling. Excellent!"

".Good."

They're just trying to fool us; it can't be that far-fetched.
Then, he put aside his distracting thoughts and replied:
“Your Excellency is wise. This junior does not understand these things. I have long admired the Shaolin classics and wish to go up the mountain to learn a thing or two.”

The first thing to do was, as always, to speak from a manipulative, scheming person.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make. If you end up being fired, that would be terrible.
The Buddha nodded and smiled:

"Young friend, you are devoted to Buddhism, and you will surely reap great rewards in the future."

"Good, good, good."

"Come on, I'll take you up the mountain. Is there anywhere we can go?"

“My master and Master Bai Bao have a past relationship, and he asked me to go and pay my respects to them first.”

The Buddha was somewhat surprised, and his brow twitched slightly:
"Amitabha, the White Treasure Monk is the unparalleled king of our Shaolin Temple. Now that you have left, I hope you will study diligently and ask many questions."

"clear."

Having seen all the spectacular scenery of the outer mountains, there wasn't much else to see.

Meng Chuan then went up the mountain with him.

The two moved very fast, and although the mountain road was rugged, he still followed for dozens of meters at a time.

But then he saw the Buddha in front of him, walking slowly, yet always standing half a step ahead of him.

Meng Chuan understood immediately; it must be the magical technique of shrinking the distance between two points.

The Buddha slowly paced back and forth, then turned his head and asked:
"Young benefactor, what did you learn from Patriarch Kasyapa?"

Thinking that Meng Chuan was able to learn martial arts from enlightenment, he finally couldn't help but ask a question.

He responded:

"Aside from one secret technique, there are some Buddhist martial arts principles, but I can only comprehend some of them superficially, so I won't reveal them to avoid making the Venerable one laugh."

"Excellent. Young friend, what caused the scene of your vital energy entering your body?"

"Senior, it is related to the secret method passed down by Patriarch Kasyapa."

"What secret method?"

The Sutra of No Form.

"The Sutra of No Form?"

"The Secret Method of the Formless Sutra".

After going around in circles for so long, the Buddha was even more puzzled.
The "Formless Sutra" is kept in the library, and he has studied it. It is categorized under the Great Freedom Heart Sutra mantra.

It doesn't seem to have much to do with martial arts techniques or secret methods.
"Young friend, could you please tell me what you said?"

The Buddha wanted to hear what the differences were between these Formless Sutras, and whether they were a true and false Monkey King.

"no problem."

Kasyapa was the founder of Shaolin Temple, and he obtained this secret technique from him.

Returning it to Shaolin is our duty.

After listening to Meng Chuan recite the scripture once, the Buddha seemed to be deep in thought.

A moment later, his eyes lit up.

He understood why Meng Chuan had attained enlightenment.

He pondered in his heart:

"Master Kasyapa actually possesses another Dharma, the Formless Sutra; calling it a secret method is indeed not an exaggeration," he said to Meng Chuan.
"Benefactor Meng's act of retrieving the lost scriptures for our temple is a great act of merit. Excellent!"

“The Venerable Shakyamuni is exaggerating. I am already extremely grateful to be able to learn from him.”

That's all.

Meng Chuan worried that the Buddha, like Kasyapa, might also use "mind-reading" techniques based on facial features.

I didn't dwell on it.
These spiritual powers can analyze a person's thoughts through physical sensations and facial expressions.

The matter of the panel is too mysterious; the Buddha certainly couldn't have imagined it.

However, if someone secretly thinks that Shaolin is stingy, they will most likely notice it.
However, Meng Chuan didn't care and quickly forgot about it.

He went up the mountain today to learn Buddhist martial arts principles and even martial arts techniques.

With a sense of "returning favors" in place, the path of learning will surely be much smoother.

Back mountain.

After bidding farewell to the Buddha, Meng Chuan traveled alone to Shaolin Temple.

Previously, he had exchanged a "Bodhidharma Zen Jade Disc" with the gatekeeper at the back mountain through a letter of visit.

Zen jade disc, bronze token, sandalwood talisman.

These are the three Shaolin tokens.

The jade plate in his hand was only the size of a bottle cap.

Carved from warm jade, it features an image of Bodhidharma meditating facing a wall.

The jade is delicate to the touch and then heats up, serving as proof of entry into the temple for study.

The bronze token is of the next tier, and its holder is regarded as a distinguished guest by the temple.

The sandalwood talisman is the lowest grade, used only for entry and exit from Shaolin Martial Arts University as a travel pass.

After rubbing the jade disc twice, Meng Chuan put it into the tiger-head waist token.

The Buddha also used his own power to stamp a red mark on it.

With this stamp, one can be exempted from places of seclusion for eminent monks and important locations within temples.

Shaolin Martial Arts Academy, unimpeded access.

Of course, the Sutra Repository is one of the most important places in Shaolin Temple.
His favorite thing was to enjoy reading the scriptures in the library.

The Buddha did not grant this authority.

Since the other party didn't say, he didn't dare to ask.
But it's alright, we still have Master Bai Bao's connection, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Previously, the Buddha had indicated the location of the Moon Terrace Garden.

Along the way, Meng Chuan was not in a hurry, strolling and browsing.

On the way, someone had just seen him at Book Cliff.

They all struck up conversations with Meng Chuan and then led the way for him:

"Senior brother, turn left ahead and you'll find the true Great Hall of Shaolin Temple. It's different from the outside world; you're welcome to go in and visit."

"Understood, thank you, junior brother."

"Very well, junior brother, I'll take my leave now."

Upon hearing what Meng Chuan said, he added another secret martial arts technique to Shaolin.

With this kindness still attached, pointing out the way is nothing.

After thanking him, Meng Chuandao followed his directions to the "authentic" Mahavira Hall.

Actually, there are two different versions of important religious buildings for different sects.

Both Taoism and Buddhism do this.

One of the sites is located outside the city, open to tourists for viewing and reverence, and used to worship deities and Buddhas. It is frequented by pilgrims, and the air is filled with the smoke of incense.

Another place is hidden in the "headquarters". The purpose of both Taoism and Buddhism is to invite immortals and Buddhas to perform sacrifices.

The only difference between the two is the name; in Taoism, it's called "zhaijiao," while in Buddhism it's called "fashi."
Therefore, he could only see the "real thing" by going to the Mahavira Hall inside Shaolin Temple.
Mahavira Hall.

The vermilion gate stands majestically, with the golden statues of the Three Buddhas seated solemnly in the center.

The candlelight flickered, the incense smoke swirled, and the Arhats stood in formation at the gate, filling the hall with solemnity and majesty.

Meng Chuan stepped inside and was immediately deeply shocked.

"The demonic influence of the Eighteen Arhats seems to have affected Shaolin as well."

Several figures were clearly missing from the formation.

There are many Arhats in Buddhism, with the largest number being five hundred.

The Eighteen Arhats are specific representatives within the Arhat group, therefore he dared not make a definitive statement.

He had already done the relevant research.

In Buddhist stories.

The Five Hundred Arhats generally refer to the five hundred monks who participated in the first Buddhist council after the passing of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

In addition, there are also explanations related to faith.

The five hundred Arhats are considered to be representative figures among the Buddha's many disciples who attained enlightenment, and their names and titles were added by later generations.

As for the Eighteen Arhats, there are no conflicting opinions.

Their original form was the "Sixteen Arhats," who were the sixteen disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha.

They received instructions from Shakyamuni.

He did not enter Nirvana, but remained in the world to uphold the Dharma, and was therefore famous among the five hundred Arhats.

As for the two Arhats who were later developed, they were added to the Eighteen Arhats.

They are respectfully referred to as "Dragon Subduer" and "Tiger Tamer".

Meng Chuan also has his own understanding of why this situation occurred.

"Among the five hundred Arhats, the two groups stand out for their incense worship."

He naturally joined the group of sixteen Arhats, becoming one of the eighteen Arhats.

After all, in the present world threatened by the Heavenly Demon, the five hundred monks are basically just a collective name.

Whether or not it is corrupted by demons, it will gradually fade from the hearts of ordinary people.

Meng Chuan guessed that this was probably one of the other methods the Great Chu used to deal with the demonic contamination.

The ancestral home of Zen Buddhism also silently follows its teachings.

He made sure to greet the few Arhat brothers first, then slowly walked into the hall to take a look around.

Seated in the very center of the Saha world is Shakyamuni Buddha.

On the left is the Medicine Buddha of the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli.

On the right is the Western Paradise, Amitabha Buddha.

Meng Chuan knew of the three top immortals and Buddhas.

Moreover, he saw an old acquaintance to the left of Shakyamuni.
The attendant standing on the right is unknown.

On the left is the very statue of Mahakasyapa that we just saw at the Book Cliff.
(End of this chapter)