madnovel Chapter 642 Supreme Dharma
Chapter 642 Supreme Dharma
Chapter 642 Supreme Dharma
Pingcheng, the Prince Huaiyang's Palace.
Yuan Zhong, along with his wives and concubines, chanted sutras in the Buddhist hall. The chanting was melodious and continuous, and a pale golden aura of Buddhism enveloped the hall, giving people a rare sense of peace and tranquility.
Yuan Zhong sat cross-legged on the futon, tilting his head slightly to look at the golden Buddha statues in front of him, and sighed softly in his heart.
In this world, who knows when another true Buddha will appear.
In the previous dynasty, the religion flourished while Buddhism declined, until the establishment of the Great Wei Dynasty, when Buddhism revived.
However, after all these years, no one has attained enlightenment or become a Buddha.
"Our Great Wei Buddhist sect has thousands of members, yet not a single true Buddha has emerged?"
Yuan Zhong's eyes flickered, feeling that this shouldn't be the case.
He often prayed to Buddha, but Buddha never appeared to him or gave him any instructions.
Was his cultivation insufficient? Yuan Zhong pondered, for it was rumored that some gifted individuals could see the true meaning of the Buddha and receive enlightenment from him.
Yuan Zhong felt he had been sincere enough, holding grand ceremonies every year during festivals, but he received no response from worshipping heaven and Buddha.
He even began to doubt whether his method was wrong.
Just then, a steward from the manor came to report.
Upon learning that Master Mingxin had returned from the Northern Region, Yuan Zhong slowly rose, tidied his appearance, and went to meet Mingxin.
They arrived at a luxurious reception room at a leisurely pace, where Yuan Zhong saw Ming Xin standing inside.
Yuan Zhong greeted him with a smile, "Master Mingxin, you must have had a hard time making the trip to the Northern Region. Did you manage to meet Lu Zheng?"
Mingxin nodded slightly, "This humble monk is fortunate to have met Benefactor Lu. This young man is truly a dragon among men..."
Yuan Zhong was slightly surprised upon hearing this, as it was rare for him to see Ming Xin evaluate someone in such a way, especially a young person.
Yuan Zhong quickly said, "Master, please sit down and tell me in detail."
Yuan Zhong was curious about what kind of person Lu Zheng, who was being talked about, really was.
Previously, these were all hearsay stories. Now that Mingxin has seen the real person with her own eyes, she can surely find out some of the truth.
Yuan Zhong smiled and gently helped Ming Xin to her seat, then had some fine tea served.
Mingxin calmly recounted the circumstances of her meeting with Lu Zheng.
When Yuan Zhong heard the two poems, he was astonished, feeling that they contained great wisdom and profound Buddhist teachings, and he couldn't help but sit there and ponder them.
Knowing that Yuanzhong was also well-versed in Buddhism, Mingxin kept quiet and sat aside, waiting for Yuanzhong to come to his senses.
After a long while, Yuan Zhong finally came to his senses and said with a hint of apology, "I suddenly had an epiphany, which has taken up your time, Master."
Mingxin smiled and said, "It is a joyous and commendable thing that Your Highness can glean Buddhist teachings from poetry..."
Yuan Zhong laughed heartily, then stroked his beard and said, "Speaking of which, I have read so many Buddhist scriptures, yet I did not know that these two profound poems were probably lost works from ancient times. I did not expect that young man to have such a deep understanding of Buddhism..."
The Buddhist community has experienced several periods of great rise and fall, resulting in the loss or damage of many ancient Buddhist texts.
As a result, there is no unified standard for Buddhist practice in the Wei Kingdom today. When practicing Buddhism, various sects have added their own interpretations to the Buddhist scriptures, thus forming many different schools of thought.
Yuan Zhong agrees with Lu Zheng's sharp criticism of Buddhism today to some extent.
In his opinion, it was truly rare for a young man to see things so clearly.
Perhaps what Lu Zheng said is also the reason why the Buddha's true intentions are not manifest?
After all, many Buddhist sects today have probably deviated from the original intention of the Buddha when he founded Buddhism.
Yuan Zhong's expression hardened slightly, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
After a while, Yuan Zhong looked at Ming Xin and asked, "What else did the master talk to him about?"
Mingxin recounted Lu Zheng's earth-shattering words.
Not only Yuan Zhong, but also the group of servants beside him were astonished.
Such words could resonate with heaven and earth, demonstrating that his heart is as clear as the sun and moon.
"What a fine young man! Behind him are the people of the world and the sages of all ages..."
Yuan Zhong clicked his tongue in amazement, thinking how bold those words were.
Even he couldn't say such a thing; it would be against his conscience, and he wouldn't have the courage or confidence to do so.
Mingxin said softly, "He can be described as a rare genius among our human race."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing that Ming Xin was trying to put in a good word for Lu Zheng.
Next, Mingxin described what she had seen and heard in the cities of the Northern Region.
After Mingxin bid farewell to Lu Zheng, she went to the nearby area to learn more about Lu Zheng's many management policies. It seemed that he really wanted to create a different world, the ideal country of the sages.
When Yuan Zhong learned that Lu Zheng had managed those places so well, he was amazed. Could this person really be a genius?
He's now quite curious and wants to go to the Northern Region to see for himself.
"It is said that he has received commendations from several emperors of different dynasties. He is truly a talented man. It's a pity he's not from our Wei Kingdom."
Yuan Zhong stroked his chin and shook his head with considerable regret.
"Since he is not under Anguo's command and has such lofty ambitions, let him cause trouble in the Northern Region. I am curious to see how far he can go..."
Anyway, the Northern Regions are not under the jurisdiction of their Wei Kingdom, and have little to do with him as a prince, so he might as well just watch the show and not deliberately target them.
As for how the imperial court would react when it learned of the situation, that was none of his concern.
It's none of your business, just hang it up high.
If it weren't for the fact that he had received some benefits and that he was also a little curious about Lu Zheng, Yuan Zhong wouldn't have cared so much.
Seeing Yuan Zhong's attitude, Mingxin breathed a sigh of relief.
If Lu Zheng suffers as a result, he will be unable to escape the karmic consequences and sins.
Karmic consequences and sins are minor matters; the real fear is attracting retaliation from some powerful figure. Although Lu Zheng's actions in the Northern Region are not directed by anyone, Mingxin does not believe that Lu Zheng truly has no backing.
Lu Zheng has a treasure that can isolate his supernatural powers; it couldn't have fallen from the sky, could it?
Moreover, Lu Zheng is very knowledgeable and can govern a region well in a short period of time. If he had not been taught and guided by many experts, no one would believe it.
Just then, someone rushed over.
"Your Highness, a new Buddhist scripture has been published!"
The visitor, beaming with joy, excitedly presented a Buddhist scripture.
Yuan Zhong's subordinates knew that their master was fond of Buddhism, and they would send him any Buddhist scriptures as soon as they came.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong curiously took it and glanced at it. His expression immediately changed, and he subconsciously sat up straight, his gaze becoming serious.
It is a very short Buddhist scripture, and even incomplete, but its contents contain the great Dharma, which is profound and mysterious. It is probably a sacred classic, an unsurpassed Buddhist scripture.
"Where's the back?"
Yuan Zhong frowned immediately.
He was engrossed in reading it and was about to enter a profound state of enlightenment when the text became incomplete, abruptly interrupting his experience.
He was stuck between going up and coming down, which made him feel quite uncomfortable and awkward.
The visitor hurriedly replied, "That's all we have. We've already sent people to search for the missing parts. This Buddhist scripture appeared suddenly; it was a spirit bird chanting the scriptures, which was overheard by the monks in the temple..."
Yuan Zhong looked slightly surprised. "Is that so?"
The messenger said, "We have already sent someone to bring the person in question here. They should arrive in Pingcheng in less than three days."
"so long?"
Yuan Zhong frowned, but didn't say much, since that border town was indeed quite far from Pingcheng.
Yuan Zhong glanced at the Buddhist scriptures in his hand again, then handed them to Mingxin to read.
Upon seeing the contents, Mingxin was deeply moved and found it difficult to control himself. The Buddhist power within him surged, and he could not calm down for a long time.
"This sutra is the supreme and wondrous Dharma..."
Mingxin's eyes sparkled with joy, her heart filled with delight.
But seeing that the scriptures were missing, I felt a sudden emptiness in my heart and thought it was a pity.
"The precious sutra has been published, yet the complete Dharma has not been attained?"
Mingxin immediately got up, preparing to go to that border town to find out what was going on.
However, before he could take his leave, someone came to deliver good news, saying that a new scripture had been found and was being presented to King Huaiyang.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong's expression became somewhat subtle.
Soon, another scripture was delivered, almost identical to the previous incomplete Buddhist scripture, differing only by one or two words.
Yuan Zhong inquired and learned that a noblewoman had dreamt during her afternoon nap that a Bodhisattva was riding on a seven-colored lotus flower, coming from the east on waves, and constantly chanting this mysterious Buddhist scripture.
The woman was greatly surprised and dared not keep the scriptures to herself, so she presented them to the emperor.
"East?"
Yuan Zhong blinked; the area to the east was rather vast.
Based on the woman's location, there were no famous Buddhist monks or major rivers and lakes in the east of Wei.
Further east lies the land of Yan and Qi, where Buddhism does not flourish.
Further east, you'll reach the sea, where the ocean stretches endlessly.
overseas?
Yuan Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly. Legend has it that there are immortal mountains overseas, where some great masters and profound Buddhist cultivators may exist.
Of course, this is all speculation on his part.
The truth remains unknown.
Seeing this, Mingxin gave up the idea of leaving.
Mingxin felt that this matter was probably not over yet.
Sure enough, news of Buddhist scriptures appearing in the world soon came one after another.
The sudden appearance of a fragmented Buddhist scripture in various places seems rather odd.
Yuan Zhong muttered, "It seems someone is playing tricks behind the scenes. But what are they trying to do by bringing out such a scripture?"
This incomplete passage is quite unusual; the fact that someone has brought it out clearly indicates a purpose.
"Could it be that someone obtained an incomplete version of the scripture and wants to obtain the other part?"
Yuan Chongsheng guessed that there were some incomplete scriptures in his mansion, and some of the texts could not be completed by anyone.
Perhaps someone made the incomplete scriptures public, hoping that everyone could work together to complete them.
On the other hand, Mingxin thought of Lu Zheng.
But then I felt that Lu Zheng had no reason to do such a thing. Even if it was just an incomplete Buddhist scripture, it could still benefit many Buddhists.
Given Lu Zheng's prejudice against Buddhism, how could he possibly produce such a scripture?
Moreover, in terms of time, Mingxin deduced that Lu Zheng didn't seem to have the time.
Of course, no matter what, such a passage would certainly cause a great uproar throughout the entire Wei Kingdom.
As he pondered, Mingxin turned his attention back to the scriptures, intending to delve into their profound mysteries.
(End of this chapter)