In an ancient temple on the border of China, eight old monks in red kasaya sat around a marble lotus altar. They formed a Nirvana silent seal with their hands and chanted the mantra of Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra[1].
Na mo a mi duo po ye. Duo Tuo qie duo ye. Duo di ye tuo. A mi li du po pi. A mi li duo. Xin dan po pi. A mi li duo. Xi dan po pi....[2] The abstruse scriptures, accompanied by the percussion of the wooden fish, linger in the majestic hall. The voices of the ethereal Sanskrit penetrates the air and thick brick walls and merges into the atmosphere of the vast and distant blue sky outside the hall.
In the inner corner of the hall, a tall man in a black suit knelt on a futon. His palms were pressed together, his eyes closed, and his pale lips recited scriptures with a solemn expression.
A young monk in a mahogany red kasaya, who was in his early twenties, sat beside him, as he looked at him in the dim light from the corner of his eyes.
The man's stature is very tall. He also has very healthy complexion, but his slightly purplish lips revealed the secret of his recovery from a serious illness. As early as half a year ago, there was a rumour that the man had serious heart disease and would die soon. The man's family is one of the most prominent families in the country. He is also a prodigy with extraordinary ability. At the age of 25, he surpassed his father and several uncles and took the position of head of the family. He pulled his family back from the edge of death and pushed them to the top.
The weak disappear like smoke while the strong would die like a mountain. This man's life and death determines the prosperity and decline of the family, and will also change the fate of many people. As soon as this news was spread, it attracted many people's attention. However, the man had not refuted the rumours. Instead, he completely disappeared in the public's sight.
Half a year later, when everyone thought that the man was no longer in the world and when they were ready to make moves against his family, the man suddenly appeared in a high profile and settled with those that were discontented forces very quickly. The rumours were refuted without doing anything.
But the young monk next to him knew it wasn't a rumour. Even though the monk is still young, and his cultivations were not comparable to those of the eight elders, the simple skill of face reading wasn't difficult for him. Half a year ago, the man had a face that showed he was facing death, but a year later, it disappeared, and his life span was long. However, there was a dark and ominous spirit that lingered between his eyebrows. This was a sign of being possessed.
He stole someone's predestined length of life and changed his life and fate. Thus, he was stained with the fruit of evil ah! The young monk chanted a Buddhist scripture towards the man on the TV screen.
Half a month later, when the man came to the door with the authentic Buddhist relic, the most precious treasure of Buddhism, he knew that it was not others who extended his life, but it was his younger sister. The legitimate younger twin sister of his whose blood is thicker than water. She gave her heart to her elder brother and passed away quietly.
The monks didn't want to know about the dark and dirty inside stories there were. The authentic Buddhist relics are the holiest in the temple. After it was lost two thousand years ago, they finally returned. They can't refuse any request from the man. Even if the man wanted to use the life-long cultivation of eight elders to send their younger sister to reincarnate, live a happy life in the next life, and be peaceful and happy.
The life accomplishments of the eight elders added up to four or five hundred years of fortune. How dare you, benefactor! The monk frowned at the thought.
The percussion of the wooden fish stopped, and the ethereal Sanskrit reverberated in the open hall for a long time. The strong Buddhist fragrance that diffused from the ice jade box placed in the middle of the Dharma altar was refreshing.
The eight elders slowly opened their eyes. As they have lost most of their cultivations, their wrinkles on their faces became more prominent, and the posture of their bodies was slouching.
"Amitabha, we lived up to the benefactor's trust." The oldest monk stood up and went to the altar of the dharma to pick up the ice jade box.
The man also opened his eyes and said nothing. After three kowtows, he went to the front and took the bone that was as cold as bones.
The old monk took the lead to walk out of the main hall, and the rest of the people followed him to stand under a huge bodhi tree deep in the temple.
"Just put the lotus seeds in the water." The old monk pointed to a small pond five feet away from the tree.
The man didn't ask any questions. He carefully opened the lid of the box and held the lotus seeds with strong Buddhist fragrance in his palm. His solemn and devout expression seemed as if he was holding the whole world up.
But she is indeed his whole world, the reason for staying alive, and he is reluctant to let go.
After half an hour, the monks waited quietly, but the impatient young monk comforted in a low voice, "Let go of it, Mr Yu. There are eight uncle-masters[3] who have devoted their lives to cultivation. Miss Yu would be able to live a happy life in the next life, and everything will go well."
The man turned a deaf ear, he placed the lotus seeds tightly to his chest. His expression seems to show restraint. After several minutes, he walked to the pool step by step and bent down to release the lotus seed into the clear water. If it wasn't for the cremation of his sister's body when he woke up, how could he be willing to just send her into reincarnation. Even if the heavens were against him, he would revive her life again.
The surface of the water was rippling, which can be known as a miracle. Only a few pieces of green lotus leaves grew quickly after disrupting the ripples in the water. In two or three seconds, they are lush. There was a long thin stem of a pink flower bud swaying in the wind. It was stained with a few drops of crystal clear water, which looked lovely.
The fragrance of the Buddhist joss sticks in the ancient temple was replaced by the elegant lotus fragrance in an instant. Eight old monks placed their hands together and said "Amitabha".
The man who is well-known for his knowledge returned to his sense after a few seconds of stupor. For the first time, he softened his cold expression and sincerely said, "It took several masters all their lives. Yu Mou[4] is ashamed."
"Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed an eagle and renounced his body to feed a tiger. When one pursues what he desires without being covetous, who will repine? [5] We are the same. The female benefactor has been reincarnated and will be blessed with good luck, she would be born under the lucky star. It's late. Please return, benefactor." The old monk spoke expressionlessly.
The man thanked them again, stood for a long time at the edge of the pool and left reluctantly. When he walked out of the temple, he saw his mother waiting at the door, her expression was uneasy, and the dark and ominous spirit gathered between his eyebrows again. He will not let anyone who has persecuted her or caused harm to her, off!
Eight elders walked into the pagoda and sat around the authentic Buddhist relics. The heavy tower door creaked shut, and it was several years later that it opened again.
[1] 往生咒 - is for sincerely asking protection and blessings from Guan Yin Bodhisattva to grant a pleasant life in the present, and rebirth into the Pure Land in the future.
[2] They are the few verses of the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. I have decided not to translate it because it would be weird if I do so, in my opinion.
[3] -师叔(shī shū)- Uncle-master. It refers to the address of one's master's fellow brothers. He would be less senior than the master.
[4] 虞某(yú mǒu)- Yu Mou. It is a humble way of calling himself.
[5] I have referred to the translations from the google book: 讀論語學英語: 論語中英文譯注讀本 page 435 for the sentence, "正可谓求仁而得仁，又有何怨?" which translates to "When one pursues what he desires without being covetous, who will repine?"
The young monk held his breath and sneaked into the main hall while no one was paying attention. He climbed up the eight treasure lotus altar and took out a book that was under the jade box. He said to himself, "It's already a struggle to send a spirit to the world with the four or five hundred years of cultivation. Moreover, guarantee her luck and fortune? The eight uncle-masters have an inflexible personality, they will certainly do their best. If they perform badly, they will pass away one after another. To save the lives of all my uncle-masters, I have to. Please forgive me, Buddha."
He pressed his palms together and bowed to the Buddha statue in the temple. He straightened his body and rubbed away the cinnabar used for the carving of the dharma of passage of time. He comforted himself and said, "As a secular woman, she doesn't need spiritual cultivation. A small thousand realms or a big thousand realms wouldn't matter to her right? This is just a love story without much twists and turns. The author also categorised and labelled it as sweet and pampered love[1] story, HE[2], and a loyal male lead. With the four or five hundred cultivation, she can easily attain a first female lead. I can't believe that a young lady from a well-known household would love to read this kind of little white novel[3]..."
He skimmed through the two pages indifferently, his face was gradually green, and he turned back at a very fast speed. After a long time, he collapsed on the lotus platform, covered his face and sighed. He was also a prodigy. Otherwise, how could he become the abbot of the Millennium Temple at a young age? Reading a four or five hundred page novel in three minutes is as simple as eating and drinking water.
But even the prodigy of heaven has stumbled, this time that is. He asked the man for the relics of the female donor to perform rituals. This book was part of the things he brought. When he picked up the book, he immediately had the idea of making from a big thousand realms to small thousand realms. He glanced at the summary and thought there was no problem to make it the intermediary.
But, as he looked at it again, he was filled with regret.
This novel is indeed sweet pampered love, HE, but unfortunately, the cannon fodder girl in the book has the same name as the female benefactor, Yu Xiang. Moreover, Yu Xiang hurt her leg when she was young, where she wasn't able to move. This would make the fate of the female benefactor the same as the female cannon fodder. It can be imagined that both the soul and the body have a high degree of compatibility, with a percentage of eighty to ninety percent.
Thinking of the fate of Yu Xiang in the book, the monk lamented again.
This is a dog blood[4] story about two children switched at birth. Once a merchant household and a noble household went out at the same time, their madams[5] was pregnant, and the month was almost the same. On the way, they met a bandit who robbed the road, escaped from the boundary of the family guards. They hid in the cave, and both of them were born prematurely. Because everyone was frantic, the situation was critical, and both families had given birth to a daughter. The wet nurse of the noble household accidentally carried the wrong baby. After returning to the house, she found that although the baby clothes were of the same colour and pattern, it was of cheap quality. That was why it was found out.
The master of the family died of banditry. As the madam was heartbroken if she was to confess the truth, she would be buried with the master. Then, a pair of children would also be affected. As she thought carefully, she finally chose to not mention it. As time went by, she had heart disease. She passed away after a few years. Before she died, she told the Madam.
Since then, Yu Xiang has been reduced from a young lady in the Marquis's residence to an illegitimate child that has unknown parentage. She was always despised and bullied. Yet, because of her inability to move on her own, she developed a gloomy personality and inferiority complex. When the female lead returned, she saw how the female lead was extravagant, pampered and happy. The resentment that she had accumulated in her heart broke out completely, and she went on the road of no returns by fighting against the female lead. Finally, she was devised by the female lead to marry a coyote and was tortured to death.
The female lead had luck and was scheming. Her personality was very ruthless. In the end, she supported her husband to ascend the throne and wore a phoenix robe. This female lead sold people and helped others to count the money. Even her older brother and Crown prince, who were extremely capable and talented, were fooled around by her and failed.
How would Yu Xiang, who has been paralysed since childhood and had never had many interactions with the outside world, compete against such a person?
The monk held his cheek and his teeth started to hurt. He murmured, "Four or five hundred years of cultivation would be enough to turn the situation around for the female benefactor, right? She has been paralysed since childhood. She should be able to get used to changing into a body which was unable to move on her own. It won't be a problem. It will be ok! Buddha will surely bless her!"
As he was thinking about it, a little monk dashed into the hall and shouted, "It is bad, Abbot. The lotus plant has sunk into the water. We are afraid to damage the roots and dare not scoop it up. You should have a look!"
The monk ran to the backyard and saw the upright stem slanting into the water. Only the tip of the remaining flower bud appeared on the water. Several leaves also had signs of withering, which looked very pitiful.
The monk hurriedly jumped into the pond to help him and then inserted a bamboo branch into the water, which was tied together with a thin stem of the lotus flower. After working for a long time, he finally resolved it.
The little monk looked at the withered lotus and said sadly, "Benefactor Yu said that he will stay in the temple for a few days every month. If he is to see this scene, he will not help in rebuilding our golden Buddha statue! Abbot, what should we do?"
The monk wrung his wet clothes and said, "Take all my spiritual stones and throw them into the pond. Even if the lotus flower was broken, it would grow again with four or five hundred years of cultivation added with a pond of spiritual stones. Quick!"
The little monk agreed quickly and threw all the spiritual stones collected by the master for more than ten years into the pond. In a small area, the green water in the pond gradually becomes clear, and a layer of fog that is white and misty emerges. It made the beauty of the budding lotus stand out in the dust.
The monk then heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Amitabha". Buddha is right. It's impossible to cheat people...