Wizards begin with Occlumency.

The concept of the Dharma-ending Age originated from Buddhist civilization.

Its true meaning is that the three poisons of sentient beings are burning fiercely, obscuring the true nature of reality.

The so-called three poisons are greed, anger, and ignorance.

The term "True Suchness" means that it is real, indicating that it is not illusory; and that it is constant, indicating that it is unchanging. It is true in all dharmas and is always as it is, hence the name "True Suchness".

However, during its spread, the concept of the Dharma-ending Age was accepted and valued by the civilization of immortals and gods, but it was also misinterpreted and rejected within the Buddhist civilization.

This is mainly manifested in the two terms "Buddha's enemy" and "Buddha's nemesis".

Buddhist civilization believes that a great calamity will arise before the Dharma-ending Age arrives.

The one who instigated this catastrophe is the enemy of Buddha, the enemy of all Buddhas, and the enemy of the Dharma.

In this catastrophe, there were also sins committed by the Buddha, sins committed by all Buddhas, sins committed by the Dharma.

The enemy of Buddha can be defeated, but the evil of Buddha cannot be defeated.

The "Five Scriptures" that Iris is holding are said to be scriptures written by the future Buddha before his reincarnation.

"Oh……"

With a sneer, Iris waved her hand lightly.

The yellowed scrolls of the "Five Classics" immediately turned into ashes, drifting and disappearing into the world.

"Nonsense."

Iris was quite dismissive of the abbot of Ciren Temple's idea that she was a sinner of Buddhism.

She doesn't consider herself some kind of damned Buddha or wicked person.

She tossed aside the yellowed scriptures, resumed her indifferent state, and continued to gaze down the mountain.

Burning the abbot of Ciren Temple to death with the fire of sin and karma slightly released some of the resentment and hatred accumulated in his heart, but it was not enough.

A bigger outpouring is needed.

Just then, Ciren Temple received a report about the Lotus Society, and the abbot died in the abbot's quarters, which could have greatly amplified the impending turmoil.

The Lotus Society is about to face not just one Ciren Temple, but a combined force of a dozen or twenty Buddhist temples and warrior monks who are used to being high and mighty.

A complex look flashed in Iris's eyes.

Once you start something, it's hard to slow it down.

When she had thoughts of what "I" had done after being interfered with in the ninth trial of the special ruins world, she decided to plant a white lotus to purify the filthy world, and everything became like a runaway horse.

It's not that Iris can't control herself, but that she can't control the will of all living beings; she can only guide them.

Now, Iris is guiding sixteen girls down a path of self-forgetfulness, guiding twenty-three women down a path of self-purification or re-immersion, and guiding the oppressed and exploited lower classes down a path of rebirth.

Losing oneself is itself a form of harm.

Washing or re-dyeing is itself a form of covering up.

To be reborn from the ashes, one must first be reborn from the ashes; only by surviving the fire can one be reborn.

All of the above are sacrifices, sacrifices that must be made to achieve a "great cause".

However, how many people can emerge from the fire without being burned to death, and how many can be reborn?

Iris knew there weren't many people.

Those who joined early on will likely die without a proper burial and will not be remembered.

As for the so-called "vacuum homeland," it is neither their homeland nor a pure land, but a complete illusion.

These sacrificed people, after entering their vacuum homeland, were unable to obtain the peace, happiness, milk and honey they craved.

All they get is the harsh reality of continuing to dedicate themselves.

The White Lotus Purifies the World; its purpose has never been for them, but only for the White Lotus itself.

call……

Letting out a long breath, Iris suppressed the distracting thoughts in her mind and stopped thinking about them.

As long as you don't think about it, you won't feel guilty.

If you feel no guilt, you won't suffer.

Indifference, or even numbness, is also a good state.

When signs of conflict began to emerge at the foot of Liangshan Mountain, Lin Ke arrived at Guanglin Prefecture.

The road was paved with yellow earth, and lanterns and silk ribbons were hung on the withered trees along the street.

There were no pedestrians on the road, and the nearby rural houses were quiet except for the sounds of chickens and dogs.

Smoke curled up from the chimney, and the aroma of food wafted through the air.

"What a beautiful Buddhist paradise!"

Those who don't know the truth of the matter would definitely make such a remark.

However, Link knew that the truth was not like that at all, so he did not feel that way, but instead felt disgusted.

Serfs are serfs, oppression is oppression; why use these empty words to whitewash the truth?

Nausea!

"Junior brother, what's wrong?"

While observing the peaceful and tranquil rural scene with great interest, the monk Liaochen asked with a puzzled look.

Just now, Monk Liaochen clearly sensed an emotion from Link that was different from his own.

It seems my junior brother has a completely different perspective on the surrounding scenery.

"It's nothing, let's keep going."

Link gave a perfunctory reply, unwilling to discuss the matter further.

"Um."

Monk Liaochen glanced at Link suspiciously, then shook his head and went off to admire the peaceful and tranquil Buddhist land on earth.

"Let it go! Let it go!"

Suddenly, a sharp scream rang out from a courtyard not far ahead, "Put the steamed buns down!"

A muffled thud.

The monk Liaochen, who had practiced the way of martial monks since childhood, twitched his ears and immediately recognized that it was the sound of a stick as thick as an infant's arm hitting a person's buttocks.

"Wow! Ahh ...

A loud but weak cry followed immediately.

"I told you to get it! I told you to get it! I told you to get it!"

Sharp screams mixed with sobs echoed out of the courtyard and onto the clean path paved with yellow earth and swept with water.

Along with it came dull thumping, and a shrill but weak cry.

Before long, the sharp screams and curses stopped, the dull pounding also stopped, and the mournful but weak crying continued for a while before gradually subsiding.

The monk Liaochen, who had cultivated the ability of clairaudience, clearly heard a very aggrieved mutter, "Mother, I'm hungry!"

The monk Liaochen was struck dumb as if by lightning.

Since being sent to Baima Temple at the age of three, this was the first time that Monk Liaochen had come down the mountain.

The road from Baima Temple to Guanglin Prefecture was always a wide and smooth road, with no villages or houses on either side.

Some were simply inns built every so often along the road, specifically for monks from various Buddhist temples to rest, relax, and have a hot meal.

The servants on duty at the post station were all household slaves from the Prince of Guanglin's mansion.

In short, Monk Liaochen never set foot in the mortal world and never understood human affairs.

He always believed that the mortal world was not bitter, and that the human world was a Buddhist paradise.

who knew...

Taking a deep breath, Monk Liaochen slowly closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again.

In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Eye had been activated.

The monk Liaochen's eyes pierced through space and through the courtyard walls, allowing him to see everything in the small courtyard.

In the kitchen, a woman with a wrinkled face and gray hair hunched over, leaning weakly against the wall, holding a piece of firewood in her hand, and sobbing silently.

Beside the stove, a thin, bony child held a steamed bun tightly in his dark right hand, unwilling to let go.

There was only one steamed bun left in the steaming pot.

In a house not far from the kitchen, two people, one big and one small, lay on the bed, covered with a quilt woven from straw. They were pale and weak, breathing heavily with little energy.

With his divine eye, the monk Liaochen immediately recognized that these two people were indeed starving.

Wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys, the aroma of food fills the air, a peaceful and serene scene, a veritable Buddhist paradise on earth.

Monk Liaochen felt a stinging pain in his eyes, so he quickly closed them and deactivated his Heavenly Eye.

The world is too full of suffering. Monk Liaochen felt compassion and pity and could not bear to look any longer.

Yes, I can't bear to watch anymore.

Link took all of this in, said nothing, and simply continued on his way in silence.

Monk Liaochen quickly reopened his eyes, his face returning to calm in an instant, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

He also entered a state of silent progress, no longer looking around or gazing at the peaceful and serene Buddhist land.

However, the monks representing the other halls behind him maintained the same interest as Monk Chen.

They even exclaimed in praise of the immeasurable power of Buddhism, its greatness in guiding people out of the sea of ​​suffering and onto the other shore.

In this strange atmosphere, the group from Baima Temple finally entered Guanglin Prefecture and went straight to the Guanglin Prince's Mansion.

The vast Guanglin Prince's Mansion was completely renovated inside and out, decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Every servant's face was filled with genuine joy as they offered the visiting delegation from Baima Zen Temple the warmest hospitality and the utmost respect.

One of the servants' figures seemed both familiar and strange to Monk Liaochen.

Link didn't even glance at the servant, but a slight ripple appeared in his eyes.

"Damn it!"

"Now that you've taken over the body of the monk Xin, don't just swagger around like that!"

With a muttered thought to himself, Link calmly walked into the residence arranged by the Prince of Guanglin for the monks of Baima Temple.

There are enough rooms, one for each person, and it's quite quiet.

However, just as Link sat down at his desk, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, senior brother."

Without needing to use his telepathic abilities, Link knew from the sound of footsteps that it was the monk Liaochen standing outside the door.

Squeak.

The door opened, and Monk Liaochen walked in. He didn't sit down, but just stood by the desk, looking at Link.

"Is something the matter, senior brother?"

Link picked up a piece of white paper from the desk, laid out the inkstone, dripped some water on it, and then picked up the ink stick to grind the ink carefully.

"Um."

Monk Liaochen nodded. "There are some things I can't figure out, and I'd like to ask you what you think, junior brother."

"What is it, Senior Brother? Please speak freely."

Link carefully ground the ink, without looking up, and casually said...

Monk Liaochen asked in a deep voice, "What are your thoughts on cultivation versus worship, Junior Brother?"

The ink was now ready. Link selected a wolf-hair brush, dipped it in the ink, and wrote a single character: "修" (xiū).

Then he said, "Senior brother, in my humble opinion, cultivation is about cultivating oneself; worship is about worshipping others."

"Senior brother is dull-witted, please explain in detail, junior brother."

Monk Liaochen clasped his hands together, bowed deeply to Link, and asked for his guidance with great solemnity.

Then Link picked up his pen and wrote the character "拜" (bài).

Setting down his wolf-hair brush, Link stood up, faced Monk Liaochen, pointed one finger to the sky and one to the ground, and said loudly, "If I were Buddha, could you become Buddha by worshipping me, brother?"

Monk Liaochen thought about it carefully and shook his head slightly: "No."

Link lowered his hands, first pressing them together in prayer, then sat cross-legged on the ground, forming the meditation mudra, and said loudly, "As a monk, I diligently practice the Dharma and accumulate merit. Is it possible for me to become a Buddha?"

Monk Liaochen thought about it carefully again and nodded slightly: "Yes."

After a pause, Monk Liaochen emphasized, "But the hope is quite slim. Even the Venerable Wusheng, whose Buddhist teachings are as profound as his own, only attained the Bodhisattva stage and did not become a Buddha, so he was reborn to cultivate again."

Link grinned: "Senior brother, how do you know that Master Wusheng was unable to become a Buddha, and that's why he reincarnated to cultivate again?"

Upon hearing this, the monk Liaochen was taken aback.

Yes, how did he know that Master Wusheng was reincarnated and had to start cultivating again because he was unable to become a Buddha?

In other words, how did he know this claim, and who told him about it?

The more he thought about it, the dimmer the monk Liaochen's eyes became.

It is Baima Zen Temple.

These are scriptures and records from Baima Zen Temple.

It is a story passed down orally from Baima Zen Temple.

huh... huh...

After taking several deep breaths, Monk Liaochen tried his best to calm himself down, but he still couldn't calm down.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha! Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

The monk Liaochen put his hands together in prayer and began chanting Buddhist mantras, hoping to help himself regain his peace.

However, all efforts were in vain.

His heart remained unsettled for a long time.

the reason is simple.

First, he was shocked by the Buddhist paradise on earth and the suffering of the human world. Then, the things and objects he firmly believed in were shaken by Link, so he began to doubt everything he had learned from childhood to university.

This kind of ideological self-doubt comes very quickly, and it is extremely difficult and slow to overcome.

Seeing this, Linke did not let Monk Liaochen continue to doubt himself. He calmly said, "Senior brother, don't overthink it. I was just interested in the deeds of Master Wusheng. I didn't find any concrete records to prove that Master Wusheng was not reincarnated to cultivate again because he could not attain Buddhahood. I just mentioned it casually."

However, Monk Liaochen did not heed these words, and his state of mind inexplicably calmed down.

This is quite strange.

However, the first thing Monk Liaochen did after calming down was to change the subject, asking, "Junior Brother, when we passed that village earlier, you didn't seem surprised by the true situation there?"

Link remained seated on the ground, looking up at Monk Chen with a smile, and asked, "Senior Brother, do you know why, when Mingma Zen Monastery could have taken the main road straight to Guanglin Prefecture, it turned onto that country road at the last post station? And who made this arrangement?"

"I don't know."

Monk Liaochen shook his head and answered honestly.

Link laughed and said, "I don't know either, but I guess it was the princess's doing."

"Princess?"

Monk Liaochen exclaimed in surprise, then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. I've always heard that the princess loves to fight for justice and right wrongs. It's quite possible that she's using this to test us and to select a husband."

"If that's what you say, then so be it."

A hint of amusement flashed in Link's eyes. He casually replied, then stood up. "Senior brother, I'm a little tired and want to rest."

"Junior brother, get some rest. Senior brother will be leaving now."

Upon hearing the music, the monk Liaochen understood the implied meaning and immediately took his leave, turning away swiftly.

Just as he reached the door, Link called out again, "Senior brother, I have a question I'd like to ask. I wonder if you would be willing to answer me honestly?"

"Junior brother, please ask without hesitation."

Monk Liaochen gave a serious response to Link.

Link didn't mince words and asked directly, "Senior brother, if there were a chance for rebirth, would you rather be reborn in the farmhouse you saw today, or in the White Horse Zen Monastery, to be a monk who does not engage in production and enjoys the offerings of the people?"

After a pause, Link emphasized, "Senior brother, there's no rush to answer this question."

"The answer is to yourself." (End of Chapter)