Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 20 Pure Land Practice

Meanwhile, on the back mountain of the academy, Ruoxu also began to earnestly fulfill his duty of transmitting the Dharma on behalf of his master.

The master has returned to the Pure Land, but the reason is very obscure, so he only mentioned it briefly.

Let's focus on the concept of realm.

"The division of realms after a cultivator enters the path is very simple. Although there are thousands of paths and different names for the realms, they are all divided into four realms."

After entering the Pure Land school, one practices asceticism in the Pure Land, using the four stages of the path—the stage of dependent origination, the stage of Bodhicitta, the stage of detachment from desire, and the stage of seeing the path—as a ladder.

The names vary from school to school, but they can all be compared to the four steps of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit into emptiness, and refining emptiness into the Dao.

Ruoxu's concise explanation also clarified the universal unit for comparing different levels of understanding.

"Senior brother, isn't Qi Refining a realm classification in Taoism?"

"That's right, and it's also the standard that everyone agrees on."

"Why?"

Ruoxu said frankly.

"I asked my master back then, and the answer was, 'It is said that the Taoist patriarch's teachings are even more profound.'"

I understand. Asking any further questions would be slandering Buddha.

Afterwards, Ruoxu handed over the three sutras and one treatise, namely the Infinite Life Sutra, the Contemplation Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, and the Upadesa Verse on the Vow of Rebirth in the Infinite Life Sutra, to Xu Xuan.

This is the origin of the Pure Land School, which takes the "mental practice" of the practitioner as the "internal cause" and Amitabha's "vow power" as the "external condition," so that the internal and external are in harmony and one can be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

This is the general outline.

"You are blessed with great fortune, and your comprehension is likely to be quite good as well."

"All disciples of the Pure Land School can learn this; daily recitation will bring benefits."

The practice methods were passed down from the insights gained by the Bodhisattvas who protect the Dharma in the East.

With the power of aspiration, we cultivate the Pure Land in the human realm.

This means reciting Amitabha Buddha's name day and night, cultivating a pure land within one's heart, and ultimately being reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Xu Xuan was shocked upon hearing this. "Senior brother, are you serious?"

Rebirth in the Pure Land should mean being guided to the Pure Land after death, right? I've cultivated myself to the point of death?

What a magical yet boring way to cultivate oneself.

No wonder the White Lotus Saintess betrayed her sect back then; she inexplicably empathized deeply with him, possessing unparalleled talent yet forced to spend her days chanting scriptures under the dim light of a Buddhist lamp.
"Hahahaha, it's just the traditional ascetic practice. Over the centuries, eminent monks have continuously improved the practice methods and developed new methods."

"Make great vows, accumulate merits, and cultivate Pure Land."

“One can gain merit by suppressing heretical demons with Pure Land teachings, or by making a great vow to influence the hearts of people in a region, one can gain great power and great merit.”

"With merit and vows entering the Pure Land, one's cultivation will naturally become courageous and diligent."

"Of course, if the suppression fails, the Pure Land will turn against them, greatly reducing their magical power and even causing them to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation."

Ruoxu's tone remained unwavering as he spoke.

On the contrary, his next instruction was extremely earnest.

"Junior brother, remember this. The human heart is inherently complex and fickle. At this moment, the righteous path is declining while the demonic path is rising, and the evil thoughts in people's hearts are even more rampant."

"Unless absolutely necessary, do not make grand vows to use the Pure Land to influence the hearts of sentient beings, for there is great terror in it."

"If the attempt to convert the Buddha fails, at best the Buddha's heart will collapse, at worst he will be reincarnated and have to start a new life, and at worst he will instantly fall into demonic possession."

Xu Xuan listened very carefully and fully agreed with the warning.

There was once a monk named Kinnara who made a great vow to go to the Brahmins to preach and guide people's hearts with the Dharma.

The result is that people's hearts are fickle, evil thoughts are hard to eliminate, love tribulations break the Buddha's heart, and one day one falls into demonic possession, becoming invincible in the world.

There is no more Kinnara in the world, only true men who are invincible.

Therefore, Buddhism is extremely dangerous.

After giving many instructions, Ruoxu handed over the specific methods of cultivating Pure Land Buddhism to Xu Xuan.

Then they prepared to go back to fight, no, to convert the demons.

"Wait, senior brother, I have two more questions."

Xu Xuan asked with a serious expression, and Ruoxu's mind also tightened.

"Junior brother doesn't have a Dharma name yet."

"Well, you can think of one yourself. Anything is fine."

Is it really that casual? Was your senior brother very weak back then, hence the name "Ruo Xu"?
Then I'll have to adopt a powerful Dharma name. "Junior brother, you're not controlling your thoughts very well. Right now, in the blink of an eye, at least 48,000 of them are slandering your senior brother."

Cough cough cough cough
After the tactical cough, Xu Xuan asked the second question.

"Is it permissible for Pure Land practitioners to begin their practice while still keeping their hair?"

If Instructor Xu were to go to class with a bald head, the scene would be too beautiful to bear, too painful to hear, and too unbearable to think about.

"Yes, whatever. Back then, Bai Lian also practiced with her hair still intact. As long as one has a pure heart, three thousand strands of hair are nothing."

"But there are still doubts."

After receiving a no-questions-asked answer, Ruoxu calmly stood up.

He began to chant.

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Rajagaha, on Mount Gijjhakuta, with a great assembly of twelve thousand monks.
As the chanting of sutras continued, Xu Xuan sensed that the world was changing at an incredible speed.

Dots of light appeared in the back mountain.

Golden light continuously appeared from the river, rocks, earth, animals, plants, and the void.

Continuing the principles of heaven and earth, one is free from the three evil realms, has an endless lifespan, is far removed from greed, anger, and ignorance, and is free from old age, sickness, and death.

The enlightenment of purity, freedom from defilement, equality, and perfection pervades the world, constantly impacting Xu Xuan's mind.

A pristine land appeared before my eyes from nothing, though it was only the size of the back mountain, yet it seemed boundless in my perception.

Suddenly, the primordial energy of heaven and earth that had been surrounding them amidst the endless Buddhist chants was forcibly expelled, and their qi, blood, and soul nearly stagnated. After a moment, only the Dao and principles of the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli remained in this place.

If it weren't for the White Lotus Saint Father guarding his mind within his soul, Xu Xuan would have revealed a weakness in his heart at this moment.

At this moment, Ruoxu spread his hands out, his aura rising infinitely.

"The power of the Pure Land is impervious to all laws."

The azure hue surrounding the back mountain began to return, eventually converging on the white-robed monk, the golden light stinging his senses.

The surging magical power was compressed to its limit, causing the space here to distort.

A sense of impending doom, as if the heavens and earth could be torn apart at any moment, constantly alerted Xu Xuan's soul.

At this moment, Ruoxu was no longer the ethereal and carefree white-robed monk, but a golden war god arhat.

The Pure Land, which had just rejected all laws, only had the boulder beneath its feet remaining.

“Junior brother, my Buddhist aura remains here on the back mountain. Practicing Pure Land Buddhism here will have miraculous effects.”

"I don't know how long this suppression of demons will take, so I'd appreciate it if you could take care of the academy for me for the time being."

"The path of a person with great fortune can only be walked by yourself."

After speaking, he stretched out his golden hands and pulled them into the void. With a gentle tug, an illusory portal opened.

Behind the door was still the Arctic ice field, but it had changed drastically compared to the last time.

As if it had been struck by a meteorite, there were bottomless craters everywhere, and black seawater gushing out.

The emerald green demonic flames filled the sky, seemingly sensing the appearance of a void portal and about to spread towards it, before being cut off by a sword aura that reached the heavens and the earth.

The booming magical energy fluctuations sent shivers down one's spine even from thousands of miles away.

Faced with this seemingly world-ending scene, Ruoxu showed no fear whatsoever, and Xu Xuan could even sense a hint of eager anticipation in him.

Sure enough, the main purpose of their return this time was to bring back the sacred soil to settle scores.

My senior brother does indeed enjoy discussing philosophy.

Ruoxu stepped into the icy plain, and golden light shone brightly.

I heard a Buddhist chant as the portal closed.

"Amitabha! Demons and heretics—must be exterminated!"

Such a strong murderous aura and ferocity.

Monks who have experienced the trials of love are not to be trifled with.

Xu Xuan sat on the large rock without any urge to peruse the classics, and instead slowly calmed his mind.

That night was really exciting.

After daybreak, I went to class as if nothing had happened the night before.