dognovel Chapter 146: Riot at Jin'an Temple (Part )
Chapter 146: Riot at Jin'an Temple (Part )
Last time, we talked about how the monk Fase raised his hand to teach Li Yi a lesson. So how will our great scholar Li Yi respond? Let’s read on.
Fase raised his hand to attack. Li Yi stretched out his hand and used the Golden Bell Cover to protect himself. Fase hit the barrier with his palm, making a golden sound. He looked at Li Yi in astonishment and asked, "How can you know my Buddhist Vajra Magic Skills! You didn't shave your head to become a monk! How did you learn my Buddhist Magic Skills?"
Li Yi said unhappily, "What do you mean by stealing and learning? Don't you know the method of the Vajra Divine Art? Is this a skill that can be learned secretly?"
Fasese said angrily: "The Vajra Divine Art is never passed on to outsiders except monks. You must have deceived Bodhisattva Guangsheng to obtain this skill. I will take you back to the Bodhisattva to apologize!"
Li Yi said helplessly: "You fat monk are so unreasonable. The Bodhisattva is a person who has attained great enlightenment. How can I deceive him?"
However, Fashe ignored him and attacked with his Vajra Divine Art. Li Yi did not choose to passively take the beating this time, but summoned the Acala Dharma Image to grab Fashe with his arms behind his back and knocked him back with one punch. Fashe covered his chest and was unable to get up. Seeing Fashe injured, the monks came forward. Two of them helped Fashe up, and four of them protected him. Fashe looked at Li Yi's Acala Dharma Image and was shocked and angry: "Acala Bodhisattva?"
Li Yi smiled and said, "Since you know the Immovable Bodhisattva, it means you can still be saved! Fashe, whether it's the Hu family or the abbot of Jin'an Temple, no matter who sent you here, please bring a message to me. There are true practitioners in the thousand-year-old temple, and there have been saints riding green bulls. If you have evil thoughts for selfish desires, don't raise your head when it's cloudy or rainy."
The young monk asked Fasai what to do, and Fasai replied, "There is something strange about this man. Let's go back to the temple and ask our uncle first. Let's go!"
The young monk helped Fase to leave. Yu Jiu followed behind them and cheered, "Now you know how powerful my young master is? Hurry up..." Before Yu Jiu could say the word "get out", Li Yi knocked him to the ground with a headbutt.
Yu Jiu covered his head and held back his tears and said, "Master, why did you hit me?"
Li Yi waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I was woken up for no reason and I'm a little upset. I can't take it out on the monk, so I can only let you down."
Just as Yu Jiu was about to complain, Master Li patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Xiao Yu Jiu, your master is not taking his anger out on you. He is teasing you. He is teaching you etiquette. You should not bully the weak and you should not be unreasonable."
Li Yi waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, I don't mean that. Master, may I ask how Yi Ling is doing?"
Master Li stroked his beard and said, "Junior Sister Yi Ling's injury is not serious, but she was exhausted and lost too much blood, so she is temporarily unconscious. She will wake up tonight after taking the Blood-raising Pill."
Li Yi bowed and said, "Thank you, Master. May I go and see her?"
Master Li waved his hand and said, "I should thank you, Master Li. Please come this way."
Master Li took Li Yi to the alchemy room in the back hall. On the way, Master Li asked, "Master Li, as a Buddhist, you actually uphold justice for my small temple. This is really precious."
Li Yi smiled and said, "I think the temple master is not good at fighting. If we continue to fight, I'm afraid he will suffer. Besides, we came to the temple to disturb him, so we should help him. What's more, he is not in the right, and I am just doing a favor."
Master Li shook his head and sighed, "Yes, I am good at fortune-telling, refining elixirs, and making magical instruments, but I am really bad at fighting with others."
Li Yi suddenly stopped and said seriously: "Master, I think there is something wrong with this matter!"
Master Li asked in confusion, "What does Master Li mean?"
Li Yi replied, "When I entered the temple earlier, I heard from the tone of the Hu family that there was no possibility of letting it go, so I decided to go to Jin'an Temple to clarify the matter and see how the Hu family was involved with Jin'an Temple."
The abbot shook his head and said, "Master Jingchan, the abbot of Jin'an Temple, is a Buddhist Vajra. This Jin'an Temple is quite prestigious in Yangcheng, and no one dares to cause trouble there. Therefore, the noble families around Yangcheng and even in Xuyi County deposited their valuables in the temple to prevent trouble. The incense of Jin'an Temple is naturally prosperous. The Hu family is the largest family in Yangcheng, so it is normal for them to have friendship with Jin'an Temple."
Li Yi said unhappily, "Buddhism is a quiet place. How can it be filled with the stink of money? It seems that we have to teach the monks of Jin'an Temple a lesson!"
The temple master was surprised and said, "Master Li, please don't be impulsive! Just explain the matter clearly, and don't do anything!"
Li Yi waved his hand and said, "Master, don't worry. I know what I am doing. Please take good care of Yi Ling. Jin'an Temple is too dirty. I will help them clean it! Yu Jiu, follow me to Jin'an Temple!" Yu Jiu said "oh" and followed Li Yi to Jin'an Temple.
Jin'an Temple is located on a hanging mountain in the northwest suburbs of Yangcheng. The temple alone covers an area of 100 acres and has more than a thousand monks. The seven-courtyard building has a tower and a pavilion, yellow walls and black tiles, and buildings and pavilions. It can be said to be quite magnificent. However, even such a grand temple can only rank third in the Southern Dynasties, which shows how prosperous Buddhism was in the Southern Dynasties.
Arriving at the mountain gate, Yu Jiu looked at the tall mountain gate and sighed: "Sir, is this what the imperial palace is like?"
Li Yi shook his head and said, "The gate of the palace is more magnificent than this. I will take you to see it."
Yu Jiu said excitedly, "Really? Sir, you can take me to the palace? Sir, I have followed you for such a long time, but you have never told me who you are and why you are so powerful."
Li Yi walked into the mountain gate and said as he walked: "When the time comes, you will know it naturally! Now just follow me!"
As soon as Yu Jiu entered the room, he saw a bronze square tripod that was at least ten feet long and five feet high. Before he could even shout out "wow" in amazement, Li Yi covered his mouth with his hands. Li Yi whispered, "You can shout as much as you want, but you have to keep it to the point. I didn't bring you here to embarrass me. There are some things I can't say, so I have to borrow your words. Do you understand?"
Yu Jiu nodded, pulled Li Yi's hand away and asked in a low voice: "What do you want me to say, Master?"
Li Yi smiled and said, "Just follow my instructions and speak out loudly about anything you think is weird or unfair!"
Yu Jiu nodded and said, "Just wait and see, sir! But I think everything here is quite strange, but I don't see anything unfair."
Li Yi rubbed his temple and said, "Oh, if I had known I wouldn't have brought you here, it's useless!"
Yu Jiu said sadly: "This is my first time in the temple. I have never seen anything. You don't teach me, so what can I see?"
Li Yi pointed to an old man sweeping the floor and said, "Look, the cleaning of the temple should be done by the monks in the temple, but that old man doesn't look like a monk in the temple. Look at those two young and strong monks, they are not helping the old man to clean but are still chatting and laughing, isn't that strange? Look at that old man, he is so thin, while those two monks are so strong, isn't that strange?"
Yu Jiu nodded and said, "Oh, it does sound strange when you put it that way."
Li Yi nodded and said, "Remember this first. There will definitely be more strange things as we go in."
Arriving at the Heavenly King Hall, Yu Jiu pointed at the Four Heavenly Kings and asked, "What is this?"
Li Yi immediately pulled down Yu Jiu's hand and said sternly, "When you get to the temple, the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats can all see your words and deeds. Although these four are not Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats, they are the Four Heavenly Kings who guard Buddhism. They are Dhritarashtra, Virūdhaka, Vipassana, and Vaisravana."
Yu Jiu pointed at the Dhritarashtra holding the pipa again. This time, Li Yi directly hit him on the hand and said sternly, "I told you not to point! This is disrespectful!"
Yu Jiu rubbed his hands and said, "I know. I won't dare to do it again."
Li Yi asked: "What do you want to say?"
Yu Jiu scratched his head and said, "I forgot what I wanted to ask."
Li Yi shook his head helplessly and continued to walk forward with Yu Jiu. After walking out of the Heavenly King Hall, Yu Jiu shouted, "Sir, I remember now, your name is not the name of the Venerable Miaoyin? Is that Heavenly King the Miaoyin Bodhisattva you mentioned?"
Li Yi hit Yu Jiu on the head with a headbutt and said, "Idiot, you are definitely not destined to be with the Buddha! How can a Bodhisattva be the same as a Heavenly King? See? There are four palaces here, which are dedicated to the four Bodhisattvas Guangsheng, Manjusri, Ksitigarbha, and Avalokitesvara. I don't have time to take you to each palace today. Besides, if I enter the palace and don't bow, it will be rude. Let's go directly to the Great Hall."
Yu Jiu looked around and asked, "Is there anything strange about this?"
Li Yi replied: "We have come all the way here, but we haven't seen a single monk come to talk to us. This is very strange. Maybe the incense is too popular, and the monks here don't care about us at all."
Yu Jiu put on an angry expression and said, "They look down on us too much, sir, should I go find them?"
Li Yi waved his hand and said, "No need, let's go to the Great Hall and take a look first."
The two men walked into the main hall and looked at the tall golden statue of Tathagata. Yu Jiu subconsciously wanted to kneel down. Li Yi pulled him in front of the statue and taught him the etiquette of kneeling.
Li Yi knelt in front of the Buddha statue with his hands clasped together and said: "Buddha, I don't know if you are watching me. I am sure you know the situation, but it is inconvenient for you to show up. So I will be the bad guy. If I have offended you, please forgive me." After that, he kowtowed and Yu Jiu followed his example and kowtowed too.
After the salute, the two continued to move forward. When passing by the golden statues of the Eighteen Arhats, Li Yi suddenly stopped. He vaguely felt that the golden statue of the Pagoda-Holding Arhat was waving at him.
Li Yi stepped forward and saluted, "I wonder what you have to teach me, uncle?"
In the dark, he heard the words "Buddha does not hide filth". Li Yi put his hands together and saluted, saying: "Disciple does not understand what Master means. I wonder if Master can..."
Li Yi looked at the Pagoda-Holding Arhat statue again and found that the Buddha's light had disappeared. He could only bow again and said, "I am stupid and failed to understand Master's teachings. Please forgive me."
Li Yi retreated to Yu Jiu, who said, "Young Master, I find something strange. You are the only one talking to these statues here, and they don't say anything! Isn't this very strange?" Yu Jiu was hit on the head again and was pulled out of the hall by Li Yi.
Behind it is the Jin'an Pagoda, a seven-story high pagoda that houses Buddha relics, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas. Behind the Jin'an Pagoda is the Jushan Pavilion. There are very few pilgrims here. In front of the pavilion is a nearly three-meter-high seven-story bronze tower furnace. Yu Jiu could no longer hold back and shouted, "Oh my God! Young Master, this tower furnace is too tall! It must be very valuable!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a round-faced monk smiled and said, "Of course it's valuable, more than a thousand gold coins!"
Yu Jiu blinked and asked, "More than a thousand gold? Oh my God, aren't you afraid that someone will steal such a valuable thing if you leave it here?"
The round-faced monk laughed and said, "Young donor, you are joking. Even if we let them steal, they can't move this seven-tiered merit tower. It contains the merits of the pilgrims of Jin'an Temple. It is very heavy!"
Yu Jiu was surprised and asked, "Merit? What is that? Is it very important?"
The round-faced monk smiled and said, "You will know if you try it, young donor."
Yu Jiu walked to the tower furnace and pushed it with all his strength, but the tower furnace did not move at all. Li Yi smiled and walked forward, patted the tower furnace and asked, "Can I try?"
The round-faced monk extended his hand and said with a smile, "Please, benefactor."
Li Yi walked to the tower furnace and pushed it hard. It was indeed as stable as a mountain. The round-faced monk smiled and said, "How is it? Even a dozen young and strong people like you can't push this merit tower. Since you are here, do you want to offer sacrifices to your ancestors or deposit your belongings?"
Li Yi patted the tower furnace and said with a smile: "Providing for the ancestral tablets? How much does that cost?"
The round-faced monk shook his head and laughed, "Donor, what you said is vulgar. We don't talk about money, it all depends on the Buddha's fate!"
Li Yi smiled and said, "I know this phrase well! Is it 18,000 yuan?"
The round-faced monk shook his head and smiled, "No, no, no, it depends on where you want to place your ancestors. Those who have a connection with Buddha should be closer to him. Please follow me."