Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul.

Chapter 159 Transforming Knowledge into Wisdom

Tourists flock to the foot of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

One was a young Taoist with snow-white hair and an extraordinary demeanor.

One was an old monk sweeping the floor, his back hunched and his face full of wrinkles.

Ignoring the bustling tourists around them, the two sat facing each other and discussed philosophy, seemingly isolated from the noise around them.

"Since we are like-minded people, let's chat a bit more. Senior, my name is Li Chang'an, I come from the Sanyi Sect, and I am a disciple of Lu Jin!" Li Chang'an introduced himself.

The old monk put his palms together and nodded, saying, "Amitabha. I am Ciji, just an old monk sweeping and cleaning at Ci'en Temple. I have heard of the name of the young benefactor Li from the Sanyi Sect. He is young, yet his nature is clear, his self is firm and unmoving, and his mind is consistent. He is truly rare."

Li Chang'an said, "Master, you flatter me. It is all thanks to my master's excellent teaching."

The old monk raised his cloudy yet clear eyes, scrutinized Li Chang'an from head to toe, a strange expression appearing on his face, and said:

"Although I am not familiar with Elder Lu, I have met his mentor, the Great Immortal Master Zuo, once. Back then, I was just a novice monk who had just entered the Buddhist order. I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Master Zuo. A few words from him have benefited me for half my life."

He paused, then changed the subject: "Young benefactor, I sense something unusual about your aura. Half of it is as pure and clear as a celestial being, while the other half seems to be surrounded by sin, like a demon king from hell. In all my years of life, I have never seen anything like it. Young benefactor, have you encountered some kind of mishap in your cultivation?"

When Li Chang'an heard the words "Left Gate Master", his eyes flickered slightly. Although he couldn't say for sure how old the old monk in front of him was, judging from his appearance, he should be of the same generation as his grandfather. Even so, it wouldn't be surprising if he had dealings with the advisor.

As for his statement that half of him was as pure and clear as a celestial being, and the other half was as sinful as a demon king of hell, he was probably referring to his reversed state of life and the influence of the list.

He paused for a moment, not answering directly, but instead asking, "What else did the master see?"

The monk shook his head and continued, "Although that evil power resides within your body, it has never truly invaded your mind. It is like a ferocious beast trapped in a cage, baring its fangs and claws, yet it cannot harm you in the slightest. It is fortunate that your cultivation level is high. If an ordinary person were entangled by such power, their temperament would have changed drastically, but you remain as clear-headed as ever, which is truly rare."

Li Chang'an didn't intend to mention Lu Linglong's matter. He paused, organized his thoughts, and said:

“A while ago, I had a chance encounter with a foreigner and something unexpected happened. I got some of his blood on me, and that blood carried some extremely strange power that had some negative effects on me.”

"Fortunately, my foundation in meditation is quite solid. Those things cannot corrupt my mind, and I have even completely suppressed their effects on my physical body. So, for the time being, there is no major problem."

After listening, the old monk nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation in his cloudy eyes:

"The fact that you were able to suppress it with your own willpower shows that you have a very deep willpower. From the current point of view, there is indeed no major problem. But this is still a hidden danger."

The old monk pointed to Li Chang'an's chest: "It lives in your life, like a seed buried in the soil. The stronger your life cultivation, the more fertile this soil becomes, the more nutrients it absorbs, and naturally it will become stronger as well."

"Although you can suppress it now, and even use it occasionally as a means, if you don't address the root cause, it could still take advantage of any slight crack in your mindset one day."

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an's expression shifted slightly. Indeed, there was such a hidden danger, although his primordial spirit was currently sitting high on his spiritual platform, completely unaffected by delusions.

However, Li Chang'an could not guarantee that his primordial spirit would remain permanently seated on the spiritual platform. If any unexpected circumstances occurred, and his state of mind fluctuated, causing his primordial spirit to descend from the spiritual platform, those things would instantly take advantage of the situation and invade.

After all, even Wugensheng experienced a significant drop in his mood, let alone him.

The ability of a yogurt to transform into a demon, spread its wings, and soar through the sky is indeed tempting, but compared to its hidden dangers, this benefit is insignificant.

Therefore, Li Chang'an humbly asked, "According to what you have said, Master, how should I deal with this hidden danger?"

The old monk clasped his hands together and slowly uttered four words:

"Transform knowledge into wisdom."

"Turning knowledge into wisdom," Li Chang'an pondered these four words repeatedly in his mind.

Back then, when he asked the old master Zhang Zhiwei over the phone about "how to cultivate immortality," the old master had clearly told him these four words.

He has been doing this all these years, but he is unsure whether his approach aligns with the concept of transforming consciousness into wisdom in Yogacara Buddhism.

"Please enlighten me, Master." Li Chang'an bowed slightly.

The old monk said, “Our Yogacara school emphasizes ‘all phenomena are consciousness-only.’ Everything in this world is a manifestation of ‘consciousness.’ Without ‘consciousness,’ there are no objective things that exist independently.”

Li Chang'an listened quietly.

The old monk explained in detail: "Buddhism says that there are eight kinds of consciousness. Among them, the eighth consciousness is the Alaya consciousness, which is the root of all consciousness, so it is also called the 'storehouse consciousness'."

"The core of our Yogacara school's practice is to work on the Alaya consciousness. We purify all the defiled seeds in the Alaya consciousness and completely transform the eighth consciousness into a pure and clear awareness. This is the transformation of consciousness into wisdom."

As Li Chang'an listened, his eyes flickered slightly. His current cultivation was actually a process of constantly analyzing himself through the awareness of the intermediate state, peeling away the delusions shaped by the outside world, in order to find his most fundamental true self, and then using the feedback from the outside world to strengthen his true self.

This is actually consistent with the Yogacara school's concept of transforming consciousness into wisdom in its underlying logic.

External feedback is knowledge, and the strengthened true self is wisdom. By using external knowledge to strengthen the true self, one transforms knowledge into wisdom.

Thinking of this, Li Chang'an said, "Since all phenomena are manifestations of consciousness, then Master, do you believe that this thing that is attached to me is also the Alaya consciousness?"

The old monk nodded, then shook his head: "Yes, and no."

"What do you mean?" Li Chang'an asked.

The old monk patiently explained, "All phenomena are manifestations of consciousness. The Alaya consciousness, as the eighth consciousness, is the fundamental basis for the origination of all phenomena. The first seven consciousnesses all arise from it."

"The first five senses are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The sixth sense is called 'mindfulness,' which relies on the root of intention and can perceive all external objects and internal thoughts. All good and evil in the world originate from the sixth sense."

"The seventh consciousness, 'Manas,' contains self-delusion, self-view, self-pride, and self-love. The root of all selfishness, comparison, conflict, and suffering lies in this seventh consciousness, 'attachment to self.'"

"If we compare the Alaya consciousness to a seed bank containing all things, the first seven consciousnesses are the fruits that grow after the seeds blossom. Therefore, the first seven consciousnesses are merely the dynamic effects that arise after the Alaya consciousness encounters certain conditions; they are not the Alaya consciousness itself."

Chapter 160 Transforming Demons into Dharma Forms

Upon hearing this, a thought flashed through Li Chang'an's mind, and he said, "I understand. Master, you mean that the things on my body, those ever-present and chaotic evil thoughts, strictly speaking, should belong to the category of the sixth consciousness?"

“More than that.” The old monk shook his head. “It should be the aggregate of the first six senses. After all, it is now affecting not only your thoughts, but also your physical body in a very real way.”

Li Chang'an fell into deep thought, recalling his experiences of going down the mountain for training during this period.

The allure of dazzling lights and bustling worldly strife failed to stir even the slightest ripple in his heart because he harbored no delusions.

In terms of Alaya consciousness, it means that the seeds of worldly desires were not planted in his Alaya consciousness at all. Since there were no seeds, naturally no fruit of "being moved" would grow.

Li Chang'an sorted out his thoughts and looked up at the old monk: "Master, according to you, this thing on my body is a manifestation of the seeds in my Alaya consciousness. Now that this thing cannot affect my temperament, does it mean that the seeds of good and evil sins in my Alaya consciousness are no longer there?"

A hint of approval flashed in the old monk's eyes: "This is enough to show that the young benefactor has already achieved quite a bit in the art of 'transforming consciousness into wisdom'."

“But my body will still be affected by it, and it may even cause some changes,” Li Chang’an said.

"This means you haven't properly cleaned up this physical body yet," the old monk said.

Li Chang'an nodded thoughtfully: "What if I also thoroughly clean this physical body?"

The old monk smiled and said, "If you can really achieve that, then I, the old monk, will not be able to understand your achievements, young benefactor."

Li Chang'an remained silent for a moment, then humbly asked, "Does the master have any specific guidance?"

The old monk solemnly said, "Cultivation is not a withered tree branch. Transforming consciousness into wisdom is by no means about removing all the seeds in the Alaya consciousness and turning it into a dead blank."

"If you were to forcibly remove everything and turn it into an absolute blank, it would just be 'nothingness.' While 'nothingness' is infinitely close to 'emptiness,' it is absolutely not the same as true 'emptiness.'"

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an suddenly thought of Feng Baobao. Feng Baobao's name was A Wu, which means she was without temperament or emotion.

If Alaya is a seed bank, then Feng Baobao's bank is empty; it contains no seeds, neither good nor bad.

Transforming knowledge into wisdom is about nurturing good seeds from bad ones. Feng Baobao has no seeds, which is why her state is so strange, unlike a normal person. Even after seventy years, she is still a blank slate.

In Taoist terms, Feng Baobao has no conscious mind; her primordial spirit is in complete control, but it has no light.

Li Chang'an had previously realized that the intermediate state body was a ray of light shining down from the clouds through the ancestral nature.

That primordial spirit is the intermediate state body that has completely shed the clouds and revealed all its light, possessing all true nature and emotions.

But Feng Baobao has no personality traits whatsoever.

This indicates that although her primordial spirit has manifested, it lacks light.

Even transforming her consciousness into wisdom would be difficult for her. This is because she has no consciousness to transform, and her wisdom is in an extremely primitive and ignorant state.

Thinking of this, Li Chang'an looked at the old monk and asked, "According to what you have said, Master, how should I proceed with the step of transforming consciousness into wisdom, especially the transformation of consciousness into wisdom in the physical body?"

He was able to control his sexual practices while in the intermediate state (bardo), but he was always lacking in spiritual cultivation.

The old monk shook his head: "On matters of cultivation, especially those involving the fundamental cultivation of both mind and body, it is difficult for me to give you specific guidance. You must walk the path yourself."

"But the old monk might be able to help with that hidden danger you have."

"Master, what do you mean?"

"All phenomena are manifestations of consciousness. Your own inherent consciousness can only be resolved by yourself. But this external consciousness, I can help you transform it into 'Dharma characteristics'!"

"Dharma Image?" Li Chang'an was slightly taken aback.

The old monk smiled slightly: "Young benefactor, have you forgotten? The Yogacara school is also called the Faxiang school, isn't it?"

"Our school is also known as Dharma Form because practitioners, in the process of transforming consciousness into wisdom, use the power of meditation to transform consciousness into visible forms. These forms can serve as proof of practice and also as a means of protecting the Dharma."

"However, the Dharma form is not a physical entity, and cultivating the Dharma form requires extremely profound meditative skills as a foundation. This old monk has been sweeping the ground under this pagoda for decades. I dare not say how profound my meditative skills are, but they are barely enough to help you, young benefactor, transform this foreign consciousness."

Li Chang'an looked at the old monk and asked for confirmation, "Master, do you mean to directly strip away the power of this demon in the list and transform it into a Dharma form?"

“Exactly.” The old monk nodded. “It resides in your Alaya consciousness. Although you suppress it, it is still a hidden danger. Instead of spending all your time suppressing it, you might as well transform it.”

“Separate it from your consciousness and transform it into a Dharma form that you control. The Dharma form is a manifestation of consciousness, which is both one with you and independent of your spiritual center.”

"It will no longer erode your mind. You can summon it when you want to use it, or let it sleep when you don't want to use it. However, this method is quite mentally taxing. If you are willing to try it, young benefactor, I can teach you the specific method."

Li Chang'an was silent for a moment, then said, "This kind of matter involves inheritance..."

He had no intention of becoming a monk.

The old monk put his hands together and bowed slightly: "Amitabha, no trouble at all. I was also greatly indebted to Master Zuo back then. Every drink and every bite is preordained. Plant a good seed and reap a good fruit. Master Zuo was kind to people back then, and I wanted to repay him, but I no longer had the chance. Now, the appearance of the young benefactor has given me the opportunity to settle my karma."

Li Chang'an clasped his hands together and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master."

The monk leaned the broom against the stone railing, put his hands together, and turned slightly to Li Chang'an: "Young benefactor, please follow this old monk."

The two walked through the bustling crowds of tourists under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and headed towards Ci'en Temple.

The old monk had a hunched back and walked slowly, but each step was steady.

Li Chang'an followed half a step behind him, his white hair fluttering slightly in the wind.

Once inside Ci'en Temple, the noise was kept out by a courtyard wall.

The temple grounds are paved with blue bricks, ancient cypress trees reach for the sky, and a faint sandalwood fragrance floats in the air.

The deep chanting of sutras echoed from the main hall, interspersed with the rhythmic striking of wooden fish drums.

A young novice monk carrying scriptures approached. Upon seeing the old monk, he immediately stopped, clasped his hands together, bowed respectfully, and called out in a clear voice:

"Grandmaster Uncle".

Chapter 161 The Five Directions Revealed

Grandmaster Uncle? Indeed, this master's seniority is quite high! Li Chang'an thought to himself.

The old monk nodded to the young monk, but continued walking without stopping.

After passing through a moon gate, he encountered a middle-aged monk on duty in the hall. Upon seeing the old monk, the monk quickly put his palms together, bowed, and addressed him as "Uncle-Master."

The old monk waved his hand, signaling him to go about his business.

As you walk along, whether you encounter a young monk or an old monk, you must stop and put your palms together in greeting when you see an old monk, and address him in various ways, from "uncle" to "grand-uncle".

The old monk responded to each greeting, a faint smile always on his face. He was neither pretentious nor deliberately humble, just like an ordinary old man walking down the street, greeting his neighbors.

Li Chang'an followed behind him, taking in all of this. He thought to himself that this master's seniority in Buddhism should not be lower than that of Master Jiekong of Lingyin Temple.

The old monk led him through several courtyards to a secluded side hall. The hall door was ajar, and above the door hung an old plaque with the three characters "Zangshi Hall".

The old monk pushed open the door. The interior of the hall was simply furnished. In the center was a statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, with several rows of scripture shelves on both sides, on which were stacked yellowed scriptures. Several prayer cushions were laid on the floor.

"Young benefactor, please rest here tonight."

The old monk pointed to a clean wooden bed in the corner: "Tomorrow morning at Chenshi (7-9 AM), I will be waiting for you in the Great Buddha Hall."

Li Chang'an clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you, Master!"

The old monk nodded, turned and left, closing the temple door behind him.

Li Chang'an walked to the wooden couch and sat down. He took out his phone and dialed Lu Jin's number.

The phone was answered after ringing twice.

"Chang'an, where have you been training? It's been almost half a month since we last heard from you." Lu Jin's loud voice came through the receiver, full of energy.

“Grandpa, I’m in Xi’an right now. While visiting the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, I met a master from Ci’en Temple. He said he had received guidance from my master years ago and had a past connection with our Sanyi Sect. He wanted to give me some pointers,” Li Chang’an said.

Lu Jin paused for a moment, pondered for a second, and tentatively asked, "Is that master's Dharma name Ciji?"