Chapter 75

This is a vast world, with the entire ground covered in golden sand. Walking on it feels like stepping on silk, sinking in up to four fingers. The trees around are made of seven treasures—carnelian, jade, and other precious stones, reflecting each other in a dazzling display. A gentle breeze blows, producing a variety of subtle and beautiful sounds.

In the air, there is a faint chanting of Buddhist scriptures, bringing comfort and peace to the mind and body, free from worries and troubles!

The Pure Land!

How did I end up here?

Wang Zhong thought with some confusion.

Suddenly, a powerful force pushed him from behind, and he involuntarily moved forward.

Wang Zhong was surprised and curious as he looked at everything around him.

In the Eight Treasures Lotus Pond, there were lotus flowers as large as cartwheels, some open and some closed. In the open lotus flowers, there were figures dressed in robes.

On the unopened lotus flowers, names were written, indicating that they would surely be reborn after a hundred years!

The size of the lotus flowers varied according to the depth of one's cultivation.

Wang Zhong had not yet had time to examine them in detail when he was pushed forward by an external force.

After walking for a long time, Wang Zhong arrived at a grand hall.

The hall was made of seven treasures, covered with a precious net, and filled with an immeasurable fragrance.

At the entrance of the hall stood two attendants dressed in bright red robes. Their attire did not seem to be from the Central Plains but rather resembled that of Western Region lamas!

The two attendants hurriedly greeted Wang Zhong as he approached.

"The Buddha is already inside the hall!"

Wang Zhong was dazed as he was pushed into the hall. Inside, a figure sat in meditation, over thirty feet tall, radiating boundless light, displaying the thirty-two marks and seventy-two excellent features!

Wang Zhong, who had studied the three teachings on Wudang Mountain and was familiar with Buddhism, could not determine the identity of the figure after careful observation.

"You have opened the treasure trove, which is a great cause and a great blessing. I will bestow a prediction and explanation upon you."

Many people today associate the term "treasure trove" with Tibetan Buddhism, but this is not entirely accurate. The "Dharmapala Dhāraṇī Secret Dharma" records the types of treasure troves.

A treasure trove can be of divine, human, or ghostly origin. Human treasure troves are those buried by humans. Ghostly or earthly treasure troves are guarded by ghosts and spirits. Celestial treasure troves are guarded by celestial beings. Celestial treasure troves can be seen, let alone earthly or human ones. One should perform good deeds and use them as one pleases.

The "Sahasrabhuja Avalokiteśvara Sūtra" records: If it is an earthly treasure trove, it should be found in a treasure box.

A book trove refers to scriptures, and a sacred object trove refers to ritual objects and relics of great monks. The most mysterious is the mind trove, which is said to be a way to preserve certain scriptures or mantras in the deep consciousness of a person to prevent them from being lost. When conditions are right, the person (some of whom are illiterate farmers or herders) can recite or write them down under some mysterious inspiration. This phenomenon is the mystery of the treasure trove.

Wang Zhong believed that this so-called mind trove was the ālaya-vijñāna, and when the ālaya-vijñāna is opened, one naturally gains the wisdom of past lives.

The unknown Buddha placed his hand on Wang Zhong's head and recited:

"Thus have I heard. At one time, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, while practicing the profound perfection of wisdom, clearly saw that the five aggregates are all empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress. 'Śāriputra, form does not differ from emptiness, and emptiness does not differ from form. Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. The same is true for feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness. Śāriputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not arise or cease, are not defiled or pure, do not increase or decrease. Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, no feelings, perceptions, formations, or consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or dharmas; no realm of the eye, and so on, up to no realm of consciousness; no ignorance, and no end of ignorance, and so on, up to no aging and death, and no end of aging and death. There is no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, and no path. There is no wisdom and no attainment. Because there is nothing to be attained, the Bodhisattva, relying on the perfection of wisdom, has no hindrance in his mind. Because there is no hindrance, he has no fear, and he is far from inverted and deluded thoughts, ultimately reaching Nirvana. All the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, relying on the perfection of wisdom, have attained the highest perfect enlightenment. Therefore, know that the perfection of wisdom is a great mantra, a mantra of great light, an unsurpassed mantra, and an unequalled mantra, which can remove all suffering, and is true and not false. Therefore, the mantra of the perfection of wisdom is spoken, and the mantra is: Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.'"

"This is the essence of all dharmas; remember it well, remember it well!"

In an unknown space in Tibet, countless believers continuously prostrated, prayed, and chanted, with the sound of chanting lingering in the air. In front of the believers were hundreds of lamas dressed in red robes, holding vajras, prayer wheels, and various ritual objects, devoutly reciting various Buddhist mantras and scriptures.

If one had the divine eye, they would see golden petals slowly falling from the sky, and a faint fragrance of Buddha would be intoxicating.

In the center, surrounded by believers and lamas, was a middle-aged man dressed in Tibetan robes. His eyes, filled with沧桑 (沧桑 means "沧桑" which can be translated as "weathered" or "aged"), suddenly opened, and he murmured to himself:

"The person who will fetch the scriptures has appeared!"

...

Wang Zhong's state in Buddhism is called deep samadhi, an inconceivable realm where time and space do not exist!

Time and space are no longer constraints!

Once, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Huineng, was surrounded by heretics in the mountains. The heretics set the mountain on fire, but Huineng relied on the power of deep samadhi to hide his physical body inside a large rock, thus escaping the disaster.

Even in modern times, there are frequent reports of people entering deep samadhi, seeing the Buddha, and visiting the Pure Land.

"Master, you're awake? You've been sitting in meditation for seven days and seven nights!"

As soon as Wang Zhong opened his eyes, he saw Selena's large, sapphire-like, blue eyes.

"Seven days and seven nights!"

Wang Zhong had only spent a short time in the secret realm of the Buddhas, but he never expected that it had actually been seven days and seven nights in reality.

Truly, a day in heaven is a thousand years on earth!

"Master, your expression just now was so sacred, like the Buddha in Chinese temples or Jesus in Western churches. I didn't want to leave; it felt so comfortable to be by your side!"

Selena looked at Wang Zhong, her face full of excitement, and chattered away.

William Brown didn't say anything, but Wang Zhong could sense his admiration and respect from his eyes.

"Master, did you have a sudden enlightenment just now?"

Selena asked curiously.

"You know about sudden enlightenment?"

Wang Zhong asked in surprise.

"Master, there are many temples in Hong Kong. Although I am a Catholic, I do not reject other beliefs!"

Selena gave Wang Zhong a playful look and explained happily.

"I once met some Chan monks in a temple, and they told me about sudden enlightenment!"

"Chan, I know. The monks in 'Shaolin Temple' practice both Chan and martial arts!"

William Brown made a gesture of clasped hands and said proudly.

"Indeed, Shaolin Temple is the ancestral temple of Chan Buddhism, passed down from Bodhidharma. Two famous Chan masters are Shenxiu and Huineng. One practiced gradual enlightenment, and the other practiced sudden enlightenment. Gradually, two schools formed: the Gradual School and the Sudden School. I had a sudden insight just now, entering the state of sudden enlightenment!"

Wang Zhong said with a smile.

"Master, have you become a Buddha?"

Selena asked curiously.

"No, but I have seen the path!"

Wang Zhong paused for a moment and then said honestly.

"Thank goodness you didn't become a Buddha, or who would teach us martial arts!"

Selena patted her chest in relief and said happily.

"Why do you say that?"

Wang Zhong asked, puzzled.

"The big monk in the temple said that those who achieve Buddhahood or enlightenment will die!"

Selena said, a bit frightened.

"That's called Nirvana, a kind of spiritual elevation!"

Wang Zhong looked at Selena with a headache, finding it difficult to explain the difference between Nirvana and death to her due to the cultural differences between the East and the West.

"Stopping breathing and losing all physiological indicators, isn't that death?"

Selena asked, confused.

"The death of the physical body is just an illusion; the spiritual body will achieve true liberation!"

Wang Zhong had to explain in a way he thought was simple.

"Isn't that still death?"

Selena looked at Wang Zhong, puzzled.

Wang Zhong also looked puzzled. Even for a Chinese person, few would know the difference between Nirvana and death.

"Jesus was crucified on the cross, but a few days later, people saw him ascend to heaven. Was Jesus dead?"

Wang Zhong thought for a moment and decided to explain Nirvana from a Western perspective.

"Jesus is the Son of God and cannot be killed. Being crucified was his way of using his blood to wash away the sins of the world!"

Selena shook her head without hesitation.

"Jesus finally ascended to heaven and returned to the embrace of God!"

"Nirvana is the same as Jesus ascending to heaven, but they did not go to heaven; they went to the Western Pure Land!"

Wang Zhong guided and explained.

"Is that so! Master, I understand!"

Selena's face showed a look of sudden realization.

"Master, what martial technique did you suddenly understand?"

Unlike Selena, William Brown was more concerned about Wang Zhong's progress in martial arts.

"Not only did I not understand any martial techniques, but I also forgot all the techniques and moves I knew before. I now feel more like a person who has never practiced martial arts!"

Wang Zhong sat on the ground and said without concern.

Ah!

Ah!

Selena and William Brown's eyes widened. It was hard to imagine a martial arts master telling them that he did not know any combat techniques.

"Master, are you joking?"

Selena asked, disbelieving.

"Of course not, I really forgot all the techniques and moves!"

Wang Zhong said seriously.

"Why is that?"

William Brown looked at Wang Zhong, disbelieving.

"You are a respected martial arts master; this is a significant loss to the world of martial arts!"

"Although I have forgotten all the techniques and moves, it does not mean I cannot fight!"

"Being without techniques is also a realm!"

Wang Zhong sat on the ground and calmly corrected William Brown's conceptual error.

"Now, attack me, and I will show you instinctive combat!"

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