novel bin Chapter 90 Discussion
Chapter 90 Discussion
'Thump...thump...thump..'
The sound of the bell lingered on and on, and all the monks of Da Ruo Temple turned their gazes toward the ancient bell perched on the mountainside...
"Nine echoes in total! What momentous event has occurred?! Does it require the six abbots to discuss the matter?!"
The monks of the Zhi generation, each with their own duties, leaned out one after another to get a clear look. As for the monks of the Guang generation, they had no right to observe matters; their status was only slightly higher than that of the slaves imprisoned here.
If one breaks the precepts, one will be reduced to a slave, forced to offer up one's own physical body to diligently practice the Dharma with one's fellow disciples...
The abbot of the Dharma Hall was Huijing, the abbot of the Dining Room was Huiming, the abbot of the Kitchen was Huiyuan, the abbot of the Discipline Hall was Huiyin, and the abbot of the Martial Monks Hall was Huiwu. The five of them walked out of their respective courtyards one after another, and they all headed towards the Mahavira Hall.
Once the bolt had completely locked the door, Huidu then recounted the situation of Zongdu outside the mountain gate.
...
"No need to worry, our strategy of sending Zhiyuan to infiltrate the Demon Suppression Division has already succeeded. If that Venerable Daoyuan forcibly returns to his position, we can then report to the Demon Suppression Division that this place contains a secret domain hutuktu..."
The one who spoke was Huiyin. He was broad-shouldered and burly, standing over thirteen feet tall, with eight ordination scars on his head, and a thick, exceptionally bushy beard that hung vertically down his chin. His face was full of horizontal muscles, bulging and knotted. Even his hands, as large as palm fans, seemed to generate a faint breeze when he waved them.
The cassock and the string of beads looked out of place in his hands, making him look like a black bear wearing human skin from a distance!
As for the monk whose Dharma name was Zhiyuan, he was Huiyin's prized disciple. Even the incomplete "Immovable Wrathful Deity Mantra" in the Dharma Hall was partially completed by Huiyin, who then personally taught it to Zhiyuan.
"Hmph, if we inform the Demon Suppression Division, wouldn't that be admitting that there are major doubts about Da Ruo Temple?! This humble monk would like to ask you, the abbot of the Discipline Hall, what your true intentions are?"
The one who objected was also the abbot, dressed in a cassock and holding a string of beads. This person was none other than Huiwu, who controlled the Martial Monks' Academy!
Unlike Huiyin, this abbot was emaciated and extremely thin; he looked more like a walking corpse than a monk!
Huiwu had never been on good terms with Huiyin, after all, their conflict was so deep that it was common knowledge within the Da Ruo Temple.
As for the other abbots, there were some frictions that were not openly discussed, given the scarcity of resources and the competition among the various households...
However, when faced with external enemies, the six would gather together to discuss countermeasures to deal with the invading forces.
This is also the fundamental reason why, despite the enormous conflict between Huiyin and Huiwu, it did not erupt in the Great Buddha Hall.
"Gentlemen, the actual situation may not be as bad as we imagine; in fact, we could say we've been intimidated by the name of Venerable Daoyuan!"
The one who spoke was Huiyuan, the abbot of the fire room. He was plump and round, with a kind and benevolent face. Each bead on the necklace he wore was the size of an infant's head, and upon closer inspection, they represented the true meaning of the Eighteen Arhats.
His perfectly round belly made him seem to have a deep understanding of the essence of Buddhism, and even the prayer beads in Huiyuan's hand were a size larger than those of the other abbots.
How do you know?
Holding the scriptures, Huijing focused her gaze on Huiyuan's face. If there were still monks in this Da Ruo Temple who had not lost their Buddha-nature, then Huijing could certainly be considered one of the best among them.
Huijing and Huidu share the same ancestry. In terms of worldly seniority, Huijing is Huidu's great-uncle. The two families have always been very close, which is why the exceptionally talented Huijing patiently taught the almost talentless Huidu.
In his early years, he imitated his ancestor by cutting off his own flesh to feed an eagle, trying to understand Huidu who had fallen into evil ways through his own experience. However, he did not expect that Huidu, who was tainted by delusions, was already beyond redemption.
This led to a grave mistake, resulting in only eight members of the Hui generation remaining at Da Ruo Temple, as many of their former fellow disciples were killed by Hui Du.
If there was any guilt, then there was. Huijing also harbored thoughts of suicide, but he had to live in order to protect the few true seekers of the Way within Daruo Temple whose Buddha-nature had not been extinguished...
"If Venerable Daoyuan truly has not lost his spirit and has successfully reincarnated, this is precisely the time when he is at his weakest. How could Uncle Zongdu possibly abandon him..."
"Absolutely, absolutely..."
The five people who suddenly realized what was happening all nodded in agreement with Huiyuan's statement. Huidu looked around at the five people whose expressions were uncertain, lowered his eyes, and asked without sadness or joy.
"Then what should be done with this Uncle Zongdu...?"
Huiyin stroked the ordination scar on his head, but his eyes gradually hardened. His large, fan-like hands crushed the tiny beads into powder.
"Let's go all the way and take him down in one fell swoop. As long as he enters the Great Monastery and hasn't attained the position of Hutuktu, he won't be able to cause any trouble."
A murderous intent also appeared on Huiwu's withered face. He had already gone astray in his cultivation, and every half month he needed fresh blood to nourish the "Prison Crossing Doro Locking Seal" and its derivative "Six Phases of Boundless Devouring Body Seal" that he was practicing.
What are the six aspects? They are nothing more than the tiger, elephant, python, lion, raging waves, and yaksha subdued by the Supreme Savior Mother Buddha.
If one's practice does not go astray, and one's progress in the Dharma is further enhanced, then after comprehending the true meaning of Tara, one can glimpse the path to practicing the 'Tara Mantra'.
However, due to a mishap, all his skills stagnated. If he could not absorb enough blood, he would be devoured by the Six Seals, and be doomed forever.
"It's perfect timing to share his cultivation with the abbots; in this way, our cultivation will surely improve a little more!"
Huiyuan, with his Maitreya belly protruding, still smiled, but the icy tone of his words caused the atmosphere in the Great Buddha Hall to drop several degrees.
"If the Venerable One is truly in trouble, and we are currently powerless to even kill a chicken, we can still interrogate him to find out his whereabouts..."
Huiwu's sudden utterance of these shocking words caused the remaining four to change their expressions drastically, and then a strong sense of greed spread wildly from the depths of their eyes.
Yes, no one can resist the temptation of the "Yamandaka Mantra" practiced by Venerable Daoyuan. Anyone who can share even a little bit of it can elevate their practice to a higher level!
As for Huidu, he remained completely unmoved. The purpose of summoning the other five abbots was simply to inform them of the matter and to extricate themselves from it as much as possible.
Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Although Venerable Daoyuan's former power is gone, he is not someone that can be dealt with by Daoyuan alone.
If one stands behind the five, secretly preparing for battle and waiting for the opportune moment, then one can seize the Dao Fruit condensed after Dao Yuan's death to the greatest extent possible.
"Then let Master Zongdu enter the temple. The six of us will advance and retreat together. If anyone is cowardly and causes the deaths of our fellow Daoists, then they shall be punished by the torture of being devoured by ten thousand demons..."
The other five outwardly agreed, but inwardly they all scoffed. As for their true intentions, no one knew...