Chapter 096: The Buddha's Relics

  Liu Bian walked into the secret chamber of Luolong Pond, where Yang Xiu was waiting with a foreign monk. The foreign monk had a thin face and a calm demeanor. When he saw Liu Bian enter, he joined his hands together and recited a Buddhist mantra. Yang Xiu's expression was somewhat strained as he stepped forward to pay his respects: "Your Majesty, I couldn't find a monk who can perform the tonsure ceremony, this foreign monk is from the Yuezhi people, with the surname Zhi and the given name Qian, styled Gongming."

  Liu Bian was somewhat surprised: "It's been many years since I entered the Great Han, and yet you've taken a courtesy name?"

  "Counting on my fingers, I have more than 21 years."

  "The master speaks Mandarin well and adapts to local customs, a true gentleman indeed." Liu Bian praised and asked: "In your Buddhist sect, isn't there an initiation ritual?"

  He shook his head: "The method of anointing mentioned by Your Majesty is not the way of Buddhism, but a heretical way. Before the Buddha attained enlightenment, he had practiced various methods, all of which were said to be non-ways. Only then did he make a vow under the Bodhi tree, meditate for seven days, see the bright star and attain enlightenment. What anointing method was there?"

  Liu Bian listened and knew that he had roughly messed up. "Then... which of the side doors have the Guan Ding technique?"

  "I don't know."

  Liu Bian looked very downhearted and didn't want to say more. He waved his hand: "Then thank you, Master, for your guidance." And then he let Yang Xiu take Zhi Qian out.

  "Your Majesty..." Zhi Qian wanted to speak but stopped.

  Liu Bian looked at him in surprise: "Master, is there anything else you want to say?"

  Zhi Qian pointed at the three Buddha images in the paintings and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, are these...the Buddha?"

  Liu Bian furrowed his brow in confusion, thinking to himself: Are you a monk and I'm a monk? Don't you know who the Buddha is? Besides, this Buddha's appearance doesn't resemble my impression at all, but it does look like it was carved from the same mold as yours. What's going on here?

  "What's wrong?"

  "According to the poor way of thinking, this is an ascetic, not a Buddha."

  Liu Bian was confused, and even Yang Xiu was somewhat surprised, couldn't help but laugh and say with a hint of mockery: "Isn't the Buddha an ascetic?"

  He hesitated for a moment and explained, "As I said earlier, the Buddha did practice asceticism before he attained enlightenment, but at that time, the practitioner of asceticism was not yet the enlightened Buddha."

  Yang Xiu was about to mock him again, but Liu Bian had already understood the meaning behind his words and raised his hand to stop Yang Xiu. "What should the Buddha look like?"

  "The Buddha's appearance is diverse, but there are basically two kinds. One is the appearance when preaching, and the other is the appearance during meditation. However, this painting depicts an ordinary ascetic, which is truly disrespectful to the Buddha."

  Zhi Qian said, demonstrating two postures to Liu Bian. Both were cross-legged and sat with their feet tucked under them. The difference was that when lecturing, one hand stroked the knee and the other had its palm facing outwards. When meditating, both hands formed a seal and were placed in front of the abdomen. After seeing these two postures, Liu Bian understood.

  He remembered what Lu Zhi had said. Lu Zhi had always opposed his practice of Fengyi, because Fengyi was the ritual of a minister's son, not that of a monarch. Similarly, the image of this barbarian monk was that of an ordinary monk, not that of the Buddha. The difference between the images of the Buddha and those of ordinary monks lay not in who held the higher position, but in one being inward-facing and the other outward-facing.

  It is said that when the Buddha was born, he pointed one hand to the sky and the other to the ground, saying "In heaven and on earth, I alone am the honored one". This does not refer to the Buddha himself, but rather to each individual's self, emphasizing introspection and spiritual practice.

  Fengyi is different, Fengyi is to cultivate a kind of demeanor that is neither arrogant nor humble, the main purpose is for meeting people, especially when ministers meet their monarch. As a monarch, he does not need this kind of demeanor.

  Liu Bian shifted his gaze to the statue of Laozi on the left side of Huangdi, twitched at the corner of his mouth, then shifted his gaze to the statue of Huangdi in the middle, and smiled.

  Yang Xiu looked at the smile on Liu Bian's mouth and knew that he must have understood something. He felt itchy in his heart, but couldn't ask. Firstly, it was not polite, secondly, he was born proud and unwilling to bow down easily, let alone Liu Bian being a well-known fool.

  "Master, is the Six-Word Great Bright Mantra a secret technique of your Buddhist sect?"

  "The Six-Word Great Bright Mantra is a Buddhist technique, but it can't be considered a secret technique." Zhi Qian said: "All Buddhist practitioners will recite the Six-Word Great Bright Mantra. This mantra is for self-cultivation and has nothing to do with empowerment."

  "What's the use of reciting this mantra?"

  "There is a wonderful use for this curse, it's beyond words." Zhi Qian smiled and said: "Your Majesty will know once you try it."

  "What's the use of having a spell with only one word?" Liu Bian was very surprised, it wasn't six words recited together, but rather one word at a time?

  Zhi Qian explained that the Six-Word Great Bright Mantra initially started with reciting just one word, and as the depth of meditation increased, it would naturally transform into another word, eventually becoming two words practiced together, until all six words were recited together, silent recitation turning into mental intention. When one breath finishes reciting the six words, the six words become a single sound, then the meditative practice is greatly accomplished, and one can enlighten their mind to understand their nature, and see the origin of the Great Way.

  It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree by reciting this six-word mantra, and it was widely known that Guanyin Bodhisattva became a Buddha because of holding this mantra. Therefore, this six-word mantra is also commonly known as the Guanyin Bodhisattva Mantra.

  Yang Xiu looked down and asked: "Master, what realm have you cultivated to?"

  Zhi Qian smiled: "This poor monk's talent is dull and not worth mentioning. You Han people have many talented scholars, this poor monk once discussed the Tao with a fellow Taoist, mentioned this mantra, he only cultivated for a month, and completed the six-character mantra. If he continued to cultivate diligently, becoming a Buddha is possible, which is beyond this poor monk's reach."

  Liu Bian's heart skipped a beat: "Who was that Taoist priest? Do you still remember his name?"

  Zhi Qian shook his head: "That person's whereabouts are mysterious, claiming to be a recluse, refusing to reveal their true name. I don't know who they really are. All I know is that there are two young children by their side, one named Fei Yan and the other named Fei Feng, both possessing excellent martial arts skills."

  Liu Bian glanced at Yang Xiu, and Yang Xiu suddenly understood something, his face turning pale. Liu Bian, however, remained calm and immediately had someone bring over Zhang Jiao's nine-section staff, which he handed to Zhi Qian with both hands. Zhi Qian took the staff, hesitating for a moment: "This... this isn't the Buddha's remains that we presented to His Majesty, how... how did it become a staff?"

  Liu Bian's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he hastily asked: "Buddha bone, what Buddha bone?"

  Tears streaming down his face, he stroked the section near the top of the staff and said: "This is the Buddha's bone, the relic of the Buddha's throat after his nirvana. Originally it was a treasure of my country, the Moon Kingdom. We came thousands of miles to the Great Han to thank the Emperor for his kindness, offering this Buddha's bone to His Majesty, hoping he would spread Buddhism. Who could have thought... who could have thought that the sacred object would be desecrated like this? We are truly guilty of a deep sin and will surely fall into the Avici Hell after death, suffering endless torment."

  "Ancestor Buddha's Adam's apple relic?" Liu Bian thought to smile, but didn't smile. He took the nine-section staff from Zhi Qian's hand and examined it carefully, only then discovering that one section of jade was inlaid on top, rather than being a single piece. It was just that the craftsman's skill was exquisite, and if you didn't look closely, you really couldn't tell.

  First update, seeking recommendations, seeking collections!