I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

"Hey! You old bald monk! Shut up!"

Luo's tall figure was wrapped in a brocade robe that shimmered with precious light, yet his imposing presence resembled that of a fierce Vajra in Buddhism.

He rolled up his wide sleeves, revealing his forearms, which contained immense strength, and his palms glowed with a faint golden light.

"Today, I'll use this Vajra Wrathful Gaze to teach you a lesson in silence! I'll beat you so badly you'll be crawling on the ground, then let's see how you ask any more questions!"

"Teachers, no!"

"Stop, Teacher Luo!"

Tang Hao, Sun Rongrong, and the others gasped in shock.

On the other hand, Guangzhi and Guangmou on the opposite side showed no fear on their faces, but rather an expression of knowing that they had expected this.

Guangmou clapped his hands, and hundreds of martial monks who had been waiting outside the meditation room rushed in instantly, surrounding Ning Chen and his group. The array of staffs exuded a solemn and murderous aura.

Conflict is imminent!

Old Luo was not afraid at all. He had already observed that the monks in this temple might have some strength.

But as long as he and Ning Chen go all out, it's a 20/80 split!

They used two tricks, and 80% of the monks had to obediently kneel down and beg for mercy, while the remaining 20% ​​were laid on the floor on the spot!

"Teacher Luo, wait a minute!"

Ning Chen stepped forward and held Lao Luo down.

Luo was taken aback and looked at Ning Chen in astonishment.

"Why are you stopping me? This bald monk deserves to be beaten to a pulp!"

Ning Chen was both amused and exasperated; Lao Luo's insult of "bald donkey" had somehow included him in the insult as well.

His gaze was deep, and he glanced discreetly towards the roof of the quiet room.

Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva should be sitting upright at this moment.

He finally managed to make a deal with Guanyin Bodhisattva, getting her to promise not to intervene.

If Lao Luo were to actually make a move now, wouldn't that give the other side an excellent excuse to intervene openly and legitimately?

That's the real trouble.

Even if he summoned the White Dragon to help him, and used all his own magical treasures, he would still be no match for Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"Buddhism emphasizes compassion, but also the Vajra method; your thought, teacher, resonates with this principle!"

Ning Chen first reassured Lao Luo.

His gaze then turned to Elder Jinchi.

"However, today's discussion of Zen is a coercive attempt to force people, which not only deviates from the pure realm but is also not the solution."

Ning Chen paused for a moment, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Since the elder has asked about the 'essence of breaking attachments,' where 'the mind that arises without dwelling' lies, and how it can be used to 'sever the root of reincarnation,' then this disciple, Ning Chen, will offer my humble words to clear up this doubt for the elder!"

Ning Chen has extremely high comprehension. Although the other party used Buddhist terminology, he understood it instantly.

Elder Jinchi's words actually meant:

Everyone experiences troubles and suffering. We are born and die, die and are born again, endlessly wandering between the realms of gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell, never finding freedom.

According to the teachings of Buddhism, the root of all suffering lies in human beings: confusion, attachment, inability to let go, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance.

I would like to ask you, do you know what is the most important thing in breaking free from attachment?

How can ordinary people let go of their attachments, escape the sea of ​​suffering, and distance themselves from the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance...?

How can we use a mind free from attachment and greed to sever the root of the cycle of birth and death and achieve true liberation?

Ning Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his body exuding a natural, pure aura that blended harmoniously with the sandalwood-scented Buddhist atmosphere.

He didn't quote any Buddhist scriptures; he spoke only of the most fundamental truths of Taoism.

"The elder's statement about 'no dwelling on the mind' is, in our Taoist view, about 'dwelling' being attachment, and 'mind' being delusion."

The Tao Te Ching says: "In learning, one gains daily; in practicing the Tao, one loses daily. Losing and losing again, until one reaches non-action. Through non-action, nothing is left undone."

"People seek life and fear death, are attached to love and hate, cling to form, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental objects, and cling to self and existence. This is attachment, hence the endless afflictions, and sinking into the mire. This is the root of suffering in samsara."

"How can one be free from attachment? The Daoist Master said, 'It is precisely because one does not contend that no one in the world can contend with him.'"

"It is not a stubborn emptiness and desolation, but a state of no-mind! The mind is not attached to things, not attached to circumstances, not attached to names, forms, gains and losses, life and death. It is like flowing water and drifting clouds, taking the shape of whatever it encounters. It becomes square when it encounters a square, and round when it encounters a round one. It does not dwell or stagnate, but flows naturally."

"When the mind arises, all phenomena arise; when the mind ceases, all phenomena cease. When deluded thoughts do not arise, attachments naturally disappear. When attachments disappear, afflictions are severed. When afflictions are completely severed, are the shackles of samsara not automatically released? Why then should one deliberately try to sever them?"

Ning Chen's gaze was like lightning, staring directly into Elder Jin Chi's eyes, which were gradually losing their sharpness, and his voice suddenly turned stern.

"In the view of Taoism, 'the mind that dwells nowhere' means gradually diminishing attachments and delusions in the pursuit of the Tao, returning to the mind of an infant, returning to the original state of non-action! This mind is clear and pure, illuminating heaven and earth, responding to things without being burdened, feeling things yet remaining eternally tranquil. With this mind, what difference is there between birth and death? What bondage is there in reincarnation? Where is not the land of liberation?"

"On the other hand, Elder, you are fixated on the thought of severing the cycle of rebirth and attaining enlightenment. Isn't this very thought the greatest attachment? The greatest clinging? With this attachment in your mind, even if you recite thousands of scriptures and wear the robes of countless Buddhas, the shackles of reincarnation will only tighten!"

"..."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and even the lingering sandalwood incense seemed to stagnate.

To put it simply, Ning Chen's words meant...

Elder, the "non-abiding mind" you speak of is nothing more than saying you've let go while clinging to it in your heart.

Your insistence on breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation is the greatest obsession and the heaviest shackle.

The true path is to eliminate all delusions, so that the mind is not trapped by anything, like flowing clouds and running water, naturally pure.

When the mind is free from attachments, the cycle of rebirth naturally ends; why then strive so hard to break free?

Your obsession with liberation is precisely the root cause of your eternal impossibility of liberation!

Ning Chen raised his head and slowly recited.

"Bodhi has no tree, the bright mirror is not a stand; originally there is nothing, so where can dust alight?"

These words were like a bolt of lightning striking from a clear sky!

Elder Jinchi was struck dumb, his face turned ashen, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

His confidence, built up over two centuries of immersion in Buddhist principles, crumbled instantly under Ning Chen's questioning, which used Taoism to refute Buddhism, directly addressing the core issues and even turning the tables on him.

Not to mention that the verse Ning Chen casually recited was exquisite and could be passed down for thousands of years!

Based on this single verse, no one could find fault with Ning Chen!

Guangzhi and Guangmou were completely dumbfounded, their minds going blank!

Above the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva's willow-leaf eyebrows were subtly furrowed.

I had long heard that this boy was unparalleled in wisdom and strategy; indeed, he was terrifying!

The proverb I just heard even contains the supreme Buddhist principle!

In the Tushita Palace, Laozi stroked his long beard, nodded slightly, and his face was full of endless praise.

Ning Chen's words were brilliant, and he quoted the Tao Te Ching several times, which shows that Ning Chen's understanding of the Tao Te Ching has reached a very high level.

Thinking of this, Laozi couldn't help but sigh.

Oh dear, how could such a prodigious disciple have been snatched away by that person!

After a long while, Elder Jinchi, like a dragon whose tendons had been pulled out, lowered his head dejectedly, clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and said hoarsely.

"This old monk has learned much; please pose your question, benefactor..."