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墨書 Inktalez
For two days, Belden diligently translated scriptures in the Scripture Hall of White Horse Temple. Kairuot, unable to read Chinese characters, could not help and had to find ways to pass the time by himself. Early that day, he wandered around the temple alone.
He meandered into a small courtyard and saw a Little Monk sweeping the yard. Curious about the courtyard, Kairuot wanted to enter and take a look but was stopped by the Little Monk with a broom: "Amitabha, please stop! This is not a place for idle people to wander."
"We are not idle people; we can enter just fine," Kairuot provocatively replied to the Little Monk, then took advantage of the Little Monk's momentary distraction to slip inside.
Unexpectedly, the Little Monk quickly regained his focus, reacting swiftly as he blocked Kairuot's path with his broom and said angrily, "I said you can't enter! You don't even understand basic rules."
Seeing that the Little Monk seemed skilled, Kairuot became excited. With a swift movement, he utilized his Lightness Skill to vanish from sight. He thought he could finally shake off the Little Monk and enter the courtyard, but to his surprise, the Little Monk chased after him, shouting, "You disrespectful person! How dare you barge in? Take this broom!"
With that, he swung the broom forcefully at Kairuot. Kairuot dodged effortlessly, avoiding even a brush from the broom. The Little Monk continued to swing his broom several times with the same result. This infuriated the Little Monk; he dropped the broom and unleashed a series of quick and powerful punches. Kairuot defended himself while asking, "Little Monk, where did you learn your boxing skills?"
"Now you know how formidable I am, right? Hurry up and get out," the Little Monk replied as he threw another series of straight punches.
"You are practicing the Miscellaneous Heart Method and using Bel Fist," Kairuot identified.
The Little Monk was not modest: "You think I'm going to reveal my secrets? Not a chance." He continued to throw punches faster but without much power; they felt like mere tickles against Kairuot. The two of them seemed to be performing on the lawn of the courtyard.
"Huineng, stop!" Just as Kairuot was enjoying himself, Officiate Yan Shou appeared before them, raising his hand to signal both fighters and shouted with authority, "Stop immediately!"
The Little Monk obediently halted his movements and bowed respectfully to his master.
Officiate Yan Shou looked at Huineng, who was sweating profusely, and pointed at Kairuot saying, "Do you know who he is?"
Huineng shook his head, indicating that he did not know.
“He is Great Immortal, a good friend of Immortal Mistress!” Officiate Yan Shou helplessly shook his head and said to Little Monk, “Hurry up and apologize to Great Immortal!”
Little Monk scratched his head and was about to step forward to apologize to Kairuot, but was stopped: “Ignorance is no crime.” He stepped forward and patted Little Monk on the head, “This little guy has a good foundation in martial arts; he is a good candidate for training.”
“Thanks to Great Immortal for the praise. Huineng, why don’t you quickly kneel and take Great Immortal as your master?” Officiate took the opportunity to plead for Little Monk, “Huineng’s body is indeed good material for martial arts training; you should accept this disciple. He can carry on the skills from above.”
Upon hearing Officiate’s words, Huineng hurriedly knelt before Kairuot, bowing his head in respect: “Huineng pays respects to Great Immortal, please accept your disciple’s bow.”
Kairuot had never taken a disciple before, and being at a loss for words to refuse, he helped Huineng up with both hands, nodding in agreement. Huineng jumped up in joy, repeatedly calling out “Master.” It was only then that Kairuot remembered that as a master, he needed to say a few words. Officiate Yan Shou also felt that the apprenticeship was not serious enough, so they both entered deeper into the small courtyard into Officiate’s living room, where Officiate and Kairuot sat on chairs.
Huineng knelt again before Kairuot, who spoke in a masterly tone: “If you want to be my disciple, you must adhere to three points: perseverance, focus, and comprehension. First, if you want to practice superior skills, you must have perseverance and a spirit of persistence; you cannot be fickle or give up halfway. Secondly, practicing internal skills requires calmness of mind, free from distractions, concentrating your attention fully; thirdly, you must reflect and review daily practice seriously so that you can continuously improve. Can you do these three things?”
“Yes,” Little Monk nodded in agreement.
Kairuot then warned Huineng: “Once you take me as your master, do not speak of it outside. If I find out, you will no longer be my disciple. Remember this. Besides practicing martial arts, continue doing what you should do in the temple as before.”
Little Monk nodded and said: “Master, don’t worry; I will definitely not speak of it outside.”
Kairuot added: “There is one more thing you must remember: do not think highly of your martial arts skills and go around seeking fights.”
“Yes. I will remember Master’s teachings.” Little Monk readily agreed.
The Apprenticeship Ceremony ended just as simply.
Yan Shou designated a secluded area behind the Zen Room for them to practice together as master and apprentice.
The chanting and preaching by Belden took place in the Great Buddha Hall, and it was only scheduled for half a day in the afternoon. Many pilgrims had traveled from various places across the country days in advance, eager to witness the Immortal Mistress's grace and listen to the Bodhisattva's teachings. Their arrival caused the inns throughout Luoyang City to be overcrowded, and the White Horse Temple became a bustling place filled with voices.
Belden, with her jet-black hair styled in a coiled dragon bun, her eyes like twin stars and her brows like a crescent moon, sat gracefully on a vast red lotus. The delicate ribbons of her attire floated in the wind, enveloped in an aura of auspicious light. Holding an Amrita Bottle in one hand and a Willow Branch in the other, she descended from the air and settled onto a platform where she would preach, leaving those present in awe.
Sitting on the red lotus, Belden's serene and dignified presence captivated everyone in attendance, bringing instant silence to the hall. Then, her clear and melodious voice began to resonate throughout the Great Buddha Hall. Kairuot, who was watching from the farthest corner of the hall, felt a powerful aura emanating from her and thought to himself: "This is the kind of aura that can only be achieved through supreme internal cultivation."
Belden began her preaching, saying: "What is Buddha? It means wisdom and enlightenment. The word Buddha has both essence and function. In terms of its essence, it refers to wisdom; in terms of its function, it refers to enlightenment."
Monks, nobles, pilgrims, and tourists were all completely focused on every move of the Bodhisattva on stage, listening intently to her teachings.
"There are three kinds of wisdom," Guanyin continued with her magnetic and clear voice. "First is All-Knowing Wisdom. This is the correct understanding of the essence of the universe. To put it more simply, it is the correct understanding of this land beneath our feet. This kind of wisdom is called All-Knowing Wisdom in Buddhist teachings; second is Path Seed Wisdom. 'Seed' refers to the myriad phenomena within the universe; there are countless types of phenomena. How do these many phenomena arise? Where do they come from? What are their processes? What are their outcomes? The wisdom that correctly understands all manifestations of the universe is called Path Seed Wisdom; third is All Seed Wisdom. This is a complete understanding of the truth of the universe and life without any confusion or error at all; such wisdom is called All Seed Wisdom. Those who possess these three kinds of wisdom are known as Homo Sapiens. Those who transcend Homo Sapiens are referred to as Wise Spirits."
Guanyin used various examples to elaborate on her views regarding Buddha and Dharma, enlightening those present that Buddhist teachings are not as profound or difficult as people imagine. Guanyin told everyone: "The two words 'Buddhism' together represent endless wisdom and enlightenment—an awakening to all matters and laws of the universe and life. Buddhism knows no bounds; it is limitless. The objects that can be perceived have no boundaries, nor does the wisdom that perceives them. This boundless awareness of wisdom must be remembered as one's innate ability."
A session on Buddhist teachings turned out to captivate everyone present so much that for several hours not a single person wished to leave midway, demonstrating Guanyin's immense allure.
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