The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

As Fangzheng said this, he entered the backyard.

“Master, you should be clear! What has been abandoned? What happens if it’s abandoned?” Squirrel pressed.

Fangzheng sighed. “Abandoning rituals isn’t equivalent to abandoning culture, but it will definitely lead to abandoning the confidence in one’s culture!

“If you deny the methods of your cultural lineage, and do not dare show them to others, what confidence is there?

“This Penniless Monk has heard of a particular country that worships the male reproductive organ. Therefore, there’s a particular festival where they carry a gigantic male reproductive organ in a parade. Both men and women participate in this grand event. If it were held in China, or in most other countries for that matter, it would be deemed rather improper. However, they carry such things across the entire city, and raise their heads to show the world that this is their culture of worship! In the end, it has made the world accept their culture and even participate in it.

“Let me raise a few examples. If you don’t pay respects to your ancestors during Tomb-Sweeping Day, don’t eat dumplings or do dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival, don’t eat mooncakes during the Mid Autumn Festival, don’t hang up couplets during the new year, what are the trademarks of these festivals? What do you use to remind people of their existence? If all of these customs vanish, the festivals will ultimately also vanish! What kind of confidence can you have in a vanished culture?

“A people without any confidence is bound to be a weak people.

“People are like cultural beggars, but when they are walking through the long corridors of culture, their extreme inferiority complex tends to treat whatever they see about others as good. When other peoples spit, it’s called a biological need, but when your people themselves spit, it’s called a lack of manners. When other peoples scold you, it’s to provide you guidance, but when you scold other cultures, it’s called a lack of manners, making you an ugly people. In such a way, you will never be able to face the world with your back straightened! All you can do is hunch your back and be mocked as you walk, like nothing more than a monkey to be laughed at!”

“Master, please don’t be racist,” Monkey mumbled.

Fangzheng rolled his eyes at him and continued. “When one’s confidence in one’s culture is completely gone, foreigners will somehow appear superior in every aspect.

“People who have lost their culture and confidence therein won’t have any faith. Their so-called pride of a cultured person will be gone. To hold up their weak bodies, all they can do is over-compensate by showing off their wealth. It’s as though wearing clothes stacked from money could give them a little bit of confidence, but that confidence is nothing but the facade of a nouveau riche. It’s unable to win the respect of others. Now, do you understand the importance of rituals?”

Squirrel widened his eyes and said, “So that’s how it is! I still have no idea!”

Fangzheng: “…”

“Do you understand anything?” Fangzheng asked the other disciples.

Red Boy nodded and shook his head as though in thought, expressing that he understood something, but was more puzzled than enlightened.

The others shook their heads directly.

Fangzheng rolled his eyes. Indeed, he was playing the lute to a cow!

But to be honest, he wasn’t really explaining it for his disciples, but for himself. It was a way for him to vent his displeasure. Having let it all out, he also felt relaxed. He slightly looked up at the blue sky and thought, “Since people have taken the wrong path, This Penniless Monk shall direct them back to the correct path! That is how people and the world can be redeemed!”

Moments after Fangzheng went through the door, he heard his disciples cry out from outside. “Master! No good! Something is happening!”

Fangzheng hurriedly ran out to check on the situation. As Squirrel ran, he said, “Master, follow me. Something happened! The incense cauldron is eating the incense!”

Fangzheng was taken aback. An incense cauldron that eats incense? What’s happening?

When he ran over, he saw Red Boy, Salted Fish, Monkey, and Lone Wolf surrounding the incense cauldron. Upon seeing Fangzheng arrive, Red Boy immediately took out an incense stick and inserted it into the incense cauldron.

Fangzheng was just about to say something when he saw the incense stick suddenly brighten and rapidly burn to nothingness at a speed discernible to the naked eye! The feeling it gave off was as though it had been eaten. It was like a noodle had been slurped up!

Fangzheng hurriedly asked the System, “System Bro, what’s happening?”

“Don’t you know how to check the functions of the incense cauldron?” the System asked.

Fangzheng was taken aback. His disciples had infuriated him, causing him to forget about checking on the incense cauldron’s features! Now, Fangzheng quickly did a check…

“Fortune Incense Cauldron: By offering incense using this incense cauldron, it can raise the fortune of the offeror and increase the light of providence that shines on the monastery. When someone sincerely prays to Buddha, the incense cauldron will sense it. In the time it takes for the offeror to kowtow thrice, the incense stick will be completely burned! If one isn’t sincere, the incense stick won’t be ignited, and the special effects will be nullified.

Dustless function; by using the incense cauldron to burn incense sticks, there won’t be any ashes flying out.

Dispersion prevention function; the smoke will condense together and be impossible to disperse by the wind as it reaches the highest firmaments!”

After reading that, Fangzheng instantly understood everything. These incense sticks had been inserted in the original incense cauldron or outside by devotees. They had already done the three kowtows; therefore, once the incense sticks were inserted into the Fortune Incense Cauldron, they were instantly absorbed by it.

After understanding the principle behind it, Fangzheng secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid that he ended up with another demon for a second. If that happened, his monastery would have to change its name to “Monster Paradise”.

After explaining the reason to his disciples, all of them exchanged looks.

Monkey tsked and marveled. “If a bunch of insincere people come, there might not be enough incense cauldrons again.”

Fangzheng smiled. “It’s fine. Incense sticks that can’t be lit can be pulled out and placed back into the original pile.”

Monkey nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

After all of this was dealt with, Salted Fish pointed at the foot of the bodhi tree. “Reverend, is that money considered my allowance?”

Fangzheng finally had a look of delight in his eyes. He hadn’t paid attention to it previously, but on careful look, there was money all around Salted Fish’s offering table! Although the bills and coins were all of small denominations, the hill-like pile made it apparent that it was still quite a sizable amount of money. It was even much more than the amount Fangzheng usually received in his Merit Box!

Fangzheng subconsciously glanced at his Merit Box as his heart began to race. There was no way it would contain less than Salted Fish’s revenue, right? How much would there be?

Lone Wolf came to Fangzheng’s side and asked, “Master, why don’t we open it and take a look?” After saying that, he subconsciously licked his lips, clearly somewhat tempted.

Fangzheng shook his head and said, “No, we’ll do it at night. Now, quickly clean up the yard. Once done, we will open the doors to receive more incense. We’ll check the money tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll buy new year goods for everyone!”

Upon hearing that Fangzheng would be buying new year goods for everyone, all of his disciples became pumped. With Red Boy and Salted Fish leading the team, Lone Wolf and Squirrel behind them, and Monkey right at the back, One Finger Monastery was quickly cleaned up. Following that, Fangzheng ran to the backyard, and the main door was opened!

Fangzheng spied from the top of the wall as the crowd swarmed in. Following that, exclamations sounded when incense sticks were lit and kowtows made.

“Heavens, this incense stick burned so quickly?”

“I saw it. Every kowtow you did burned a third of the incense stick! Three kowtows, and it was consumed entirely!”