The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Fangzheng came to a realization. Indeed, although he had helped others in the past, he had always done so as though he were removed from the people involved. It was unknown when it began that he started immersing himself into the worldly affairs which clouded and contaminated the mind. How was he to maintain a clear mind like that? Without a clear mind, how was he to figure out the causes and effects?

Fangzheng kept silent as he sat there in deep thought.

Zen Master Sunglow smiled and began chanting the sutras.

Fangzheng listened, thought, and pondered over it.

A day later, Fangzheng stood up, the worry in him gone. He bowed at Zen Master Sunglow and said, “Zen Master, thank you for your advice. This Penniless Monk understands now.”

With that said, Fangzheng pushed open the door and left. Moments later, there was loud joyful laughter from Fangzheng!

Zen Master Sunglow was taken aback before he smiled. “Amitabha. Zen Master One Finger’s disciple does have high perceptivity.”

“Master, why are you so happy? Have you thought of a solution for that fool?” Red Boy ran over and asked.

Fangzheng gave a cooing smile. “Let’s go and take a look.”

Fangzheng walked into the distance with a relaxed look after saying that. Red Boy and Ouyang Fenghua exchanged looks.

Red Boy exclaimed, “What setback did my master receive? Has he turned silly?”

“Dong!”

“How can you speak of your master like that. But, he really is different. In the past, he felt warm like the sun, but now he feels like he’s glowing. He’s here, but also not here at the same time. What an odd feeling.” Ouyang Fenghua also found it odd. Fangzheng’s bearing had undergone immense changes in just a day! He still did not emit the feeling of an accomplished monk. Instead, it was a seemingly imperceptible feeling that came from him. It brightened one’s heart to look at him.

“One has to salvage oneself before salvaging others. If one can’t even salvage oneself, how is one to salvage others? By salvaging oneself out of this world of mortal coils, without being tainted by the worldly strifes, one will be able to see the world clearly. Only by doing so can I really help others.” Fangzheng had come to this realization. Up until now, he had always felt like he had scant experience in life and did not understand or know many things. He thought of himself as taking on the mortal coils, but he had ended up sinking in them. He forgot that intrinsically, he could not be considered an ordinary man! He had divine powers and the System! What he wanted to do, could do, or should do were a lot more as well!

“Master, you changed.” Red Boy chased up to him.

“Oh? I’ve changed? How so?”

“In the past, you were an idiot. Don’t beat me! I’m being serious. But now, you look like an idiot from Mount Numinous.”

Dong!

Fangzheng decisively gave him a rap on the head. “Say, which idiot on Mount Numinous do I resemble?”

“A ruffian named Taming Dragon,” said Red Boy in all seriousness.

Dong!

“That’s Arhat Taming Dragon, Master Daoji!” rebuked Fangzheng. With that said, he switched gears. “Yeah, he’s quite a ruffian.”

Red Boy was stunned. This was the first time he had heard Fangzheng say such a thing. In the past, Fangzheng would have launched into a tirade or ended up expounding a sermon. Why did Fangzheng agree with him?

Ouyang Fenghua turned agape. “Venerable One, won’t you get beaten up if you say that about Arhat Taming Dragon?”

Fangzheng laughed out loud and shook his head. He pointed to his heart without a word before briskly walking off.

Red Boy and Ouyang Fenghua were confounded, completely unsure of what he meant.

Fangzheng now knew that as long as he had Buddha in his heart, what he said was meaningless. Consecrating Buddha for the sake of doing so was pointless! What was Buddha? Buddha was goodness! What did Buddha want to do? Do good! Why did he want to become Buddha? To renounce asceticism!

In that case, all he needed to do was to act as his heart deemed. He needed not pay attention to everything else.

Meanwhile, Yuan Hai had already arrived by the riverside. He lowered his head and watched the river flow past him, feeling infinitely disappointed. He had sought help from Buddha, but… It did not seem to have been of any use.

At that moment…

“Amitabha!” A Buddhist proclamation sounded.

Yuan Hai turned his head and looked up in shock. He saw three additional people standing on the water’s surface! One of them was a white-dressed monk whose untainted clothes were fluttering in the wind. However what shocked Yuan Hai to the core was the two people following behind the monk. One was an adult and the other was a child! They were all so familiar to him. He had been missing these figures for twenty years! He had searched for twenty years!

Yuan Hai immediately got up and exclaimed, “Shuilian, Little Xing!”

“Amitabha. Patron, did you request for this?” asked Red Boy. It was unknown when Red Boy came beside him.

Yuan Hai immediately nodded. “Yes, yes… Exactly… This!”

Red Boy shook his head. “They have already departed from this world. In the netherworld, my master helped you bring them back up under orders from Buddha. However time is limited. If you have anything to say, tell them.”

While Red Boy was speaking, Fangzheng was staring deep into Yuan Hai’s eyes. At that instant, Yuan Hai’s eyes had turned red as tears flowed down his cheeks. Then he plopped to the ground kowtowing and yelling, “Little Xing, Shuilian, it was my fault! I was wrong back then! If not for me, both of you would have been fine! I was wrong! I was wrong… Sob…”

Fangzheng sighed and turned to leave, leaving Yuan Hai with He Shuilian and Yuan Xingxing. Of course, Fangzheng did not really go far. Instead he found a spot and turned on his cell phone. He began searching for all sorts of romantic lines… Or there was no way he would be able to keep up the act! However when Fangzheng searched for similar lines, he realized that he had made a mistake from the comments beneath the webpages…

He Shuilian shook her head. “Silly. We are not here to hear you admit to your faults. We never blamed you.”

“Oh?” Yuan Hai looked up at the two women. They nodded slightly as Little Xing did her playful trademark move. It was so familiar, so familiar that it pricked at the memories deep in his heart. Tears poured down as he gave a silly smile.

He Shuilian continued, “Of course, your actions have infuriated us. To think a man would turn so decadent! Yuan Hai, if you are a real man, you should stand up straight and step forward! Although we have left, we are not your burdens! On the contrary, we should be your pride and joy! We did it to ensure that the entire village left safely. In Little Xing’s words, we died worthy deaths and can be considered heroes! To have such a wife and child, shouldn’t you be proud?”

Yuan Hai was instantly dumbfounded. When did his wife become so outspoken? Was there an additional compulsory education in the netherworld?

Fangzheng knew the moment this thought surfaced in Yuan Hai’s mind. But since he had nothing to lose, so what if there was compulsory education? Having a reason was better than not having one!