Becoming a Wizard by Starting From the Mind Closure Technique-Chapter 970 - 79 Gradual and Sudden_2

Chapter 970: Chapter 79 Gradual and Sudden_2

Chapter 970 -79 Gradual and Sudden_2

Jasmine had not heard Lotson’s telepathic message, but based on her understanding of Link, seeing the slight furrow of Link’s brow, she guessed what was going on.

She immediately launched a reprimand from her sister-in-law and telepathically warned Lotson to stop causing trouble.

Was Lotson the type to back off knowing the difficulties?

No!

As a result, Lotson not only did not restrain himself, but instead became even more rampant.

One after another, the schadenfreude-filled messages entered Link’s ears, like the incessant whispering of a demon.

Wait a minute…

Link suddenly thought of something and gained inspiration.

The incessant whispering of a demon…

Hmm…

It seemed like this could work; it should keep things calm for a while.

Thus, at noon that day, after Link had led the monks to complete their alms-walking and they had eaten, he assumed a posture befitting of one who was about to preach and resolve doubts.

Starting with Monk Liao Chen, many of the following monks seeing this, immediately settled down around Link.

“I have heard two Buddhist verses and wish to share them with you all,”

Link was straight to the point, with no pleasantries, getting right down to business, “I hold no fixed views about these two verses, and I do not differentiate between which is superior or inferior, which is right or wrong, or which is high or low.”

Hearing this, the many monks paid even closer attention, their attitudes growing more solemn, quietly awaiting what Link was about to say next.

Without further delay, Link spoke, “The first verse is called the Verse of Formlessness, please listen. The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind is like a bright mirror’s stand. Be always diligent in wiping it, allowing no dust to land.”

After reciting the Buddhist verse, Link closed his mouth, signaling for the monks to contemplate the Buddhist truths contained within the verse.

The many monks, including Monk Liao Chen, fell deep into thought.

What was this Buddhist verse about?

It lectured on the methods and secrets of practicing for the ultimate enlightenment of Bodhi.

The body, the abode of consciousness, is supported by the six senses.

The mind is the store-consciousness itself.

Using the Bodhi tree and a bright mirror as analogies, it expressed the inherently pure and clean nature of body and mind.

The scripture says, “Maintaining mindfulness as precept, from precept comes concentration, from concentration arises wisdom; this is known as the three studies without outflows.”

This verse earnestly admonishes people to diligently cultivate themselves, to turn delusion into enlightenment, to transform defilement into purity. Thus, adhering to the principles of Dharma, one gradually cleanses the hindrances, moving towards the realization of Bodhi, and must not be lax or negligent.

In summary, it emphasized the gradual practice of Buddhist teachings and the attainment of Bodhi.

Four lines and twenty-four characters, concise and packed with vivid imagery and profound Buddhist truths.

The many monks listened entranced, feeling that even this single verse made their journey worthwhile.

“You clever boy, how did you come up with that?”

Lotson, who had been hiding in the shadows all this time, now piped up, babbling on.

Link paid no heed, simply watching quietly as the monks seated around him immersed themselves in contemplating the truths of the “Verse of Formlessness”.

“Shut up!”

Jasmine once again noticed Lotson’s antics and scolded him promptly.

As time went on, Jasmine grew increasingly accustomed to Lotson’s capricious nature, and her manner of dealing with him relaxed accordingly.

It really was as Lotson often said, be it cheap brother-in-law, cheap sister-in-law, or cheap young brother, not only did the relationships come at a bargain, but the way they interacted did as well.

Link was pleased to see this development.

No matter what, despite Lotson’s madness and his perverse way of doing things, he was after all a reincarnation of a Saint.

Once the mission of infiltrating behind enemy lines and coordinating from within was completed, the Wizard World Will would definitely no longer keep Lotson oppressed.

Then, whenever he wished to re-enter the realm of Saints, it would be but a single thought away for Lotson.

Jasmine building a good relationship with Lotson now would mean an added reliance for her in the future.

Pushing aside the miscellaneous thoughts that surfaced in his mind, Link surveyed the monks with a glance, no longer allowing them time to ponder the “Verse of Formlessness”.

Link then spoke slowly, “The second Buddhist verse I have heard is called the Verse of Bodhi. The Bodhi has no tree, nor is the bright mirror on a stand. Nothing at all exists, where then could the dust alight?”

The moment the “Verse of Bodhi” was recited, it immediately caused an uproar.

This Buddhist verse, while building upon the “Verse of Formlessness”, entirely overturned the Buddhist truths of the “Verse of Formlessness”!

“The Verses of No Form” doesn’t just use the bodhi tree as a metaphor for the body, and the bright mirror stand as a metaphor for the mind, illustrating the inherently pure and clean nature of body and mind, does it?

Since nature is already pure and clean, from where could it possibly become stained with dust?

If there is no dust to gather, what need is there for diligent wiping?

The problem arises, “The Verses of No Form” possesses deep Buddhist principles, and so does “The Verses of Bodhi.”

Both sets of verses hold Buddhist truth, yet they stand in opposition. Which one should we believe?

Many monks couldn’t help but be plunged into confusion.

Should they believe in the gradual cultivation of “The Verses of No Form” or the sudden enlightenment of “The Verses of Bodhi”?

Gradual cultivation can lead to supreme enlightenment, and so can sudden enlightenment.

They were practicing the Bodhisattva Dharma School to attain supreme enlightenment, to realize True Enlightenment. They had to choose between gradual cultivation and sudden enlightenment, didn’t they?

Seeing this, a nearly imperceptible smile appeared on the corners of Link’s mouth. He then stood up without regard for the many monks lost in thought, and left on his own.

With just a few steps, Link’s figure disappeared from sight.

By the time the monks came back to their senses, they could no longer find Link and Jasmine.

Thus, the monks turned their gazes toward Monk Liao Chen.

“Don’t look at me, how would I know?”

Seeing this, Monk Liao Chen shouted, and ran off full tilt, “You guys should ask Liao Fan. I’m heading back to the White Horse Zen Institution.”

In just a blink, Monk Liao Chen had also run out of sight.

The monks didn’t immediately disperse but instead engaged in a lengthy discussion among themselves.

Some felt that “gradual cultivation” made sense, with a clear and direct path, while “sudden enlightenment,” though reasonable, relied too heavily on insight and opportunity, and wasn’t suitable for the masses.

If one cultivates self-awareness, and only achieves personal enlightenment, then “sudden enlightenment” is possible;

If one seeks to fully awaken and realize supreme and complete enlightenment, then only “gradual cultivation” will suffice.

Others thought that “sudden enlightenment” made sense. It was the broad avenue; with enough insight and the right opportunity, one would attain complete enlightenment and eventually fully awaken to supreme enlightenment.

In the end, as the discussion progressed, the monks gradually divided into two camps, unable to convince the other side, and finally left separately.

“The Verses of No Form” and “The Verses of Bodhi” spread to various Buddhist monasteries with the departing monks, even before the Buddhist Sect could unify its views on how to regard and treat Monk Liao Fan.

For a time, the Buddhist Sect had too much on its plate to unify their stance on Liao Fan.

A new point of heated debate was taking shape, and it was spreading quickly.

Gradual cultivation, sudden enlightenment, supreme enlightenment, supreme and complete enlightenment.

Two diametrically opposed and yet paradoxically unified principles of Buddhism, two diverging yet goal-aligned paths laid before all monasteries and monks.

There was an emerging trend toward a large-scale, deeply penetrating grand dispute.

It wasn’t that Buddhist monasteries and monks attached such importance to this simply because only “gradual cultivation” and “sudden enlightenment” could lead to supreme and complete enlightenment.

Rather, Link’s great vow and the two sets of verses had stirred up a wind within the Buddhist Sect.

A wind called “thought and debate.”

Many monasteries and monks didn’t want to acknowledge it but had to admit that for a long time, they had been blindly worshiping Buddha, cultivating power, while neglecting to cultivate the mind.

The appearance and actions of Link brought “cultivating the mind” into their field of vision, making supreme and complete enlightenment once again the ultimate pursuit.

It wasn’t that no one noticed the questions hidden beneath Link’s “great vow” and the two sets of Buddhist verses:

What is the true essence of Buddhist teachings?

What is the purpose of practicing Buddhism?

Not to mention, some were aware of Link’s nefarious intentions.

But is the instigator not without consequence?

In the past, they could rely on the majority’s support to denounce those few who were lucid as followers of the Evil Path.

Now, they themselves had become the lucid minority. How could they expect their own clear arguments to awaken those monks already blindly caught up in the fervor of attaining Buddhahood?

Under the call that “everyone can become a Buddha,” could they continue to denounce Monk Liao Fan, who brought this concept back to the Buddhist Sect, as follower of the Evil Path?

They would likely be immediately branded as such themselves.

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“Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Upon noticing this change within the Buddhist Sect, Lotson couldn’t help but express admiration, “Lucky big brother, you sure have a slick tongue. The words you spoke are truly similar to…”

“The whispers of a demon.”