Internet moguls are being held hostage by the entertainment system!

Chapter 239 taught Ma Yun a lesson.

Jingshan Temple in Hangzhou.

As the car wound its way along the mountain roads, Chen Xiu watched the evergreen pines and bamboos that remained unchanged with the seasons, and the mist in the forest. She felt her mood gradually relax.

Roll down the car window, and the chirping of birds in the empty mountains, along with the exceptionally fresh air, rushes in.

This feeling made him temporarily forget the purpose of his trip, and he stopped thinking about why Ma Yun had asked him to meet at Jingshan Temple.

When the birdsong faded and the fog dissipated, voices began to drift from a distance, and Chen Xiu realized that they were about to reach their destination.

When he got off the bus, he took the sunglasses and hat from Luo Shikan and put them on. Then he met Fan Luyuan, who came to greet him.

"Mr. Fan, it's been a long time."

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Fan Luyuan walked over warmly, shook Chen Xiu's hand, and then took two steps closer, whispering, "President Ma asked me to tell you that there is a reason for our meeting here. I hope you won't take offense."

"How could that be? It was my sudden invitation that disturbed Mr. Ma's meditation."

"Hehe, Mr. Ma said it's a kind of fate, which is why he asked me to wait here. Shall we go up first?"

"please."

Chen Xiuke nodded in agreement and then followed Fan Luyuan up the steps of Jingshan Temple.

After walking for about 10 minutes, Chen Xiu's breathing remained calm, while Fan Luyuan, the guide, began to breathe heavily.

Feeling his legs getting weaker and weaker, Fan Luyuan glanced at Chen Xiu out of the corner of his eye and noticed that his gait remained consistent. He immediately took the initiative to start a conversation with him.

"Mr. Chen, do you know why Mr. Ma came to Jingshan Temple to practice Buddhism?"

"I'm waiting for Mr. Fan to clear up my doubts."

Chen Xiu's mischievous smile made Fan Luyuan pause slightly, thinking: As expected of the talent that Ma Yun values, his actions are indeed unpredictable.

"Well, Mr. Ma has long held a belief in Buddhism due to family reasons, which is no secret in the industry. At first, he would only go to small temples to burn incense and pray for blessings, until he came to Jingshan Temple after talking with Mr. Jin Yong."

"Jin Yong?"

"Yes! Mr. Cha is also a Buddhist. He and Mr. Ma are kindred spirits. It was through him that Mr. Ma met a master at Jingshan Temple and agreed to come here to practice for a period of time every year."

"The same every year?"

Chen Xiu asked suspiciously, "My current situation means I have far less free time than before. Ma Yun must be even busier."

Fan Luyuan chuckled and said, "It is indeed the same every year, but sometimes we are too busy, so Mr. Ma's cultivation will only last for half a day or a day. This year, we are fortunate to have some free time. Mr. Ma's cultivation time is 5 days. Today is the third day. The cultivation only takes up a few hours each day, so it does not interfere with the work."

"Oh, no wonder."

Chen Xiu nodded in realization, suddenly understanding why Ma Yun had said he wanted to meet her here when he called her yesterday.

As he saw the mountain gate in the distance, Fan Luyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but his voice also became filled with emotion.

“When Mr. Ma was practicing, he always had people following him around so that it would be convenient to communicate with him at any time. I have been in Ali for so many years, and this is only my second time here.”

"So, my meeting with Mr. Ma today is a high honor within the Ali organization. I am truly unworthy of such treatment."

"Hehe, Mr. Chen, you're too kind. Mr. Ma often talks about fate, so this must be fate."

"Ah."

Chen Xiu chuckled noncommittally, then followed Fan Luyuan unhurriedly through the gate of Jingshan Temple.

It was late January, 10 days before the Spring Festival, and there weren't too many worshippers at Jingshan Temple yet.

Following behind Fan Luyuan, Chen Xiu walked along the bluestone steps of the temple, heading towards the meditation room in the back courtyard.

However, just as the two reached a long passageway, Chen Xiu suddenly stopped and silently glanced at the strange bronze statue of Guanyin in a relaxed sitting posture.

Seeing him stop, Fan Luyuan turned back and explained, "This Guanyin statue was designed by Mr. Cai Zhizhong, who is also the author of the 'Old Master Q' comics."

"Oh~, no wonder this Guanyin statue looks so... cute."

"I had the same feeling when I first watched it."

Fan Luyuan stood beside Chen Xiu and also began to examine the smiling Guanyin statue.

After watching for only a few seconds, Chen Xiu suddenly heard a slight noise behind him, and Luo Shikan came to his side.

"Brother Xiu, there are a few girls taking pictures of you with their phones. Do you need me to deal with it?"

"No need, Mr. Fan, let's go."

"okay."

As the three of them turned around, they saw several girls coming this way. They quickened their pace and walked a short distance away, leaving the girls behind.

Arriving at the temple's backyard, apart from the occasional sound of bells and chimes, there were no other noises, giving one a sense of tranquility that allowed them to temporarily forget their troubles.

Guided by Fan Luyuan, Chen Xiu arrived at the door of a meditation room and saw him stop.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Ma doesn't like to be disturbed during his cultivation, so I won't go in."

"Is it appropriate for me to go in?"

“That’s appropriate. Mr. Ma often invites his friends to practice Buddhism together.”

"Alright." Chen Xiu turned to Luo Shikan and gave him instructions before stepping into the meditation room.

Upon entering, he saw Ma Yun sitting cross-legged on a couch, dressed casually and without any Buddhist prayer beads. He had no idea what he was practicing.

Noticing someone enter, Ma Yun exhaled, slowly opened her eyes, and sat up with a smile when she saw Chen Xiu.

"Mr. Chen, I hope you don't mind that we arranged to meet here!"

"I don't mind, but I'm afraid it might disturb Mr. Ma's cultivation."

"Haha! My daily practice consists of meditation and chatting with the master. If you want to talk about something, you'll have to wait a few more hours."

"Ok."

Chen Xiu nodded slightly, and then heard a soft footstep behind her.

Turning his head, he saw an old monk in gray robes with a wrinkled face and kind eyes, holding prayer beads in his hand, slowly walking past him and coming to stand in front of Ma Yun.

"Master Ma, who is this?"

"His surname is Chen, and he's my friend."

"Oh, Benefactor Chen, it's fate that we've met. How about we have a cup of tea together?"

"Thank you, Master."

Chen Xiu put his hands together and returned the greeting to the old monk, thinking: He called Ma Yun a lay Buddhist, which means someone who practices Buddhism at home. It seems that meeting at Jingshan Temple was not a trick by Ma Yun.

The three of them sat down in the side room. The old monk personally brewed a pot of tea for Ma Yun and Chen Xiu, and the two of them returned the greeting and thanked him.

Before Chen Xiu could even think of anything, Ma Yun and the old monk had already begun their conversation, warming their hands with the teacup.

"Master, you discussed with me yesterday the relationship between the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering and the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. How can one attain a state of peace and tranquility?"

"This life exists because it exists, and this life will end because it exists; everything is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, so why be attached?"

"All things are impermanent, and all phenomena are without self. How could I not understand this? But to achieve complete enlightenment is no easy thing."

“Amitabha Buddha, Layman Ma, Buddhism emphasizes dependent origination and emptiness. If you cannot see through this for the time being, why force it?”

Listening to their conversation, Chen Xiu simply drank her tea quietly, her face showing neither disdain nor indifference.

After listening to what he had just heard and seeing Ma Yun's sincere and receptive expression, he was certain that Ma Yun did indeed have a certain level of understanding in Buddhism, and to the point that it could be called faith.

Many people, after achieving success and fame, will turn to metaphysical theories and fortune-telling. Compared to them, Ma Yun's practice of Buddhism is within the normal range.

Even if you are not interested in other people's beliefs, you should still show respect on the surface.

However, looking at Ma Yun's frequent thoughtful reactions to what the old monk said,

Chen Xiu couldn't help but think to herself: If one can easily obtain worldly pleasures, one will seek higher-level psychological sustenance. Fortunately, a system forced me into the entertainment industry, otherwise I'd probably be feeling quite empty right now...

"Benefactor Chen, may I have a word with you?"

Chen Xiu turned her head and saw the old monk's smiling face and Ma Yun's furrowed brows in deep thought.

“Master, I don’t understand Buddhism. I’m here today just to talk to Mr. Ma about something. Thank you for the tea.”

"Hehe, isn't it a kind of predestined connection between Benefactor Chen and Layman Ma that they made an appointment here?"

"..."

Chen Xiu looked speechless, feeling that arguing with a monk was just asking for trouble.

After thinking for a moment, he felt he should steer the conversation back to his familiar territory.

"Master, I don't understand Buddhism, but I know some history. Do you know the Zen Master Kumarajiva?"

Upon hearing this, the old monk's smile deepened.

"Most of the Buddhist scriptures, such as the Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, were translated by Master Kumarajiva, and I am naturally familiar with him."

"All forms are illusory; if one sees all forms as non-forms, then one sees the Tathagata. When I came in just now, I saw a uniquely shaped Guanyin statue, which must be an example of this verse."

“Benefactor Chen, you said earlier that you didn’t understand Buddhism, but now it seems that you have a deep affinity with Buddhism.”

"Master, what I really want to ask is why, when Zen Master Kumarajiva was being pressured by Lü Guang, he didn't persuade him to do good and study Buddhism. If he did, why didn't he succeed?"

Upon hearing this, the old monk suddenly stopped fiddling with his prayer beads, and Ma Yun, who had been deep in thought, silently raised his head.

Lü Guang was the founding monarch of the Later Liang dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was cruel and bloodthirsty. He once forced Kumarajiva to fall off a wild horse and embarrass himself, and also forced him to marry...
Understanding the logic behind this, the old monk's smiling face began to furrow. He felt that something was wrong the more he thought about it, and finally stood there speechless for a long time.

Seeing this, Chen Xiu didn't continue to make things difficult for the old man: "Becoming a Buddha requires the fulfillment of blessings, wisdom, and karmic conditions. I feel that I am an ordinary person, lacking nothing in terms of wine, women, wealth, and anger, and even more so in terms of greed, anger, ignorance, and pride. I estimate that I will not be able to reach the state of enlightenment in this lifetime, and I dare not force it."

"Master Kumarajiva had his reasons for not persuading Lü Guang to do good deeds and cultivate Buddhism. He must have seen that Lü Guang was not yet ready for enlightenment, and he also understood that it was not up to him to save Lü Guang. Master, do you agree?"

The old monk stared blankly at Chen Xiu, gave a bitter smile, and clasped his hands in prayer.

“Excellent, excellent. I have indeed been misled today. Thank you for your guidance, Benefactor Chen.”

"Don't dare to take it seriously."

Chen Xiu clasped her hands together and returned the greeting to the old monk.

Watching Chen Xiu's actions, Ma Yun thought to himself: How does a young man like you know about Buddhism? However, these words did clear up some of my doubts and taught me a lesson.

(End of this chapter)