Chapter 161.1
As long as you study Buddhism and worship Buddha, you can escape the sea of suffering as soon as possible and go to the Western Paradise! There, there is no hunger or disease, no poverty or cold! Everyone is equal and born free! the old monk said with a smile.
Really? Just by practicing Buddhism and worshiping Buddha, theres a chance to go to the Western Paradise?
Is it a place without hunger and disease, without poverty and cold, where everyone is born equal and free?
Old monk, youre not deceiving me, are you?
The old monk brought his hands together in prayer, his demeanor solemn, and said, A monk does not speak in jest!
Under the old monks persuasion, these farmers gained a profound understanding of Buddhism.
They expressed that, given the chance, they would sincerely worship Buddha and strive to escape the sea of suffering as soon as possible.
Master is the most virtuous, Amitabha! the young monks said, bowing in admiration.
The old monk returned the gesture with a smile and said, Disciples, let us continue on our journey! Persuade the Great Xia Emperor to help us propagate the Buddhist teachings!
Amitabha, how commendable, how commendable!
They continued on their way, heading towards the capital city.
Lin Beifan, who was watching from the shadows, chuckled.
This old monk not only wants to beguile my people but also thinks to beguile me?
His perception of Buddhism was not very favorable.
Because this group of people excelled at deception, they often tricked others into becoming monks, which led to a waste of much labor to the detriment of the nation and its people.
These monks mainly relied on donations from believers and the rental income from lands surrounding their temples to make a living, and these sources were often tax-exempt. This resulted in them becoming increasingly wealthy while the states coffers dwindled.
Moreover, Buddhist institutions were often havens for filth and corruption.
After committing their crimes, many murderers and fugitives would flee to Buddhist temples to become monks, thereby changing their identities and making it virtually impossible to bring them to justice.
Of course, there were also positive aspects to Buddhism.
Its teachings promoted goodness, encouraging people to abandon evil and do good, leading to a peaceful mindset, which was beneficial for maintaining social stability.
Therefore, throughout history, imperial courts both suppressed and courted Buddhism.
According to Lin Beifans knowledge, Buddhism is a very formidable force in this world.
It was mentioned that Buddhist is a coalition of many temples, not just a religion, but also a transcendent alliance of rivers and lakes, spread across the world, with numerous experts within its ranks, and is known as one of the Three Great Sects alongside the Taoist Sect and the Demon Sect.
Because they are so transcendent and their power so immense, capable of influencing the rise and fall of nations, even the emperors of dynasties must show them respect.
However, Lin Beifan would not indulge them.
You wish to come to Great Xia to proselytize and spread the Buddhist teachings? I will not give you this opportunity!
Lin Beifan unleashed the Hand of God.
The old monk and his companions, who were continuing on their journey, suddenly felt the earth shake beneath them.
Whats happening? Why is the ground moving?
Could it be the earth dragon turning over?
Everyone, stand firm, dont run around!
With a thunderous roar, the ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed, revealing a massive black hole.
Caught off guard, they all fell into the black hole, their screams echoing out, and then everything went silent.
After a while, another voice came through.
It was the old monks voice, and he asked anxiously, My disciples, are you all alright?
Master, Im fine, cough cough!
Just knocked out a tooth and a bit dazed from the fall!
My clothes are a bit torn, but Im alright!
The old monk counted heads and found that everyone was present.
Because he fell into a pit and suffered some minor injuries, his clothes also became dirty and torn.
But its good that hes not hurt.
The old monk brought his hands together in prayer, his faith unwavering as he said, Amitabha! Although we have encountered a calamity, the Buddha has blessed us in the unseen, allowing us to turn danger into safety! Thank you, Buddha, for the blessing!
Amitabha, thank you, Buddha, for the blessing! everyone said in unison.
Now, lets check the surrounding environment to see how we can get out of here!
Yes, Master!
At that moment, they all looked up and were stunned.
Because there was only a small opening above, the sunlight shone through intermittently, allowing them to barely make out their surroundings.
By estimation, they were at least a hundred zhang away from that opening.
In other words, they had fallen to a depth of a hundred zhang underground.
Some of the monks panicked.
Master, what do we do now?
Such a deep hole, can we climb out?
I wont die here, will I?
The old monk, having seen much of the world, spoke with great composure, Disciples, do not panic. This is merely a minor difficulty! Although I sincerely devote myself to the practice of Buddhism, I have also acquired a set of martial arts skills for self-protection, which are more than enough to leap out of this pit!
In times of war and chaos, how could one dare to go out and preach without possessing good martial arts skills?
The old monks martial arts were not top-notch, but he had reached the level of Acquired Realm first-rate master.
Compared to true experts, he might not amount to much, but his skills were sufficient to deal with petty thieves and to protect himself.
With these martial arts abilities, leaping out of the deep pit was not a problem.
My dear disciples, please wait patiently. Once Master gets out of this deep pit, I will come to rescue you!
Thank you, Master! the crowd said in unison.
The old monk nodded, took a leap, and jumped seven or eight zhang high.
Then, with his feet pressing against the walls of the pit, he climbed up with remarkable agility.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he had already climbed 60 zhang and was looking down from the top.
The old monk was secretly delighted: This pit is no challenge for this old monk at all!
Lin Beifan chuckled, Now that youre here, dont even think about leaving!
Waving his hand, he moved a big stone over.
Just as the old monk was about to reach the summit, he was struck by a big stone. With a cry of pain, he fell straight down from above.
Boom
A huge deep pit was created by the impact.
The little monks below were all dumbfounded. The Master was climbing just fine, how did he fall down?
Falling from such a height, could he have perished on the spot?
Two monks were just about to reach out to help the old monk up from the pit when another large rock came tumbling down, striking the old monk squarely.
Boom!
Ouch! the old monk cried out in agony once more.
The monks were baffled again!
Hit by such a massive stone, it was over!
Their Master was truly done for this time!
The monks immediately became sorrowful, wailing loudly in grief.
Master, why have you left us so soon?
Dont go, I still want to serve you!
Master! Master!
Truly, those who were present were heartbroken, and listeners shed tears.
At that moment, the old monk in the pit struggled to stretch out a hand: Stop crying, your Master is not dead yet, quickly help me up
Its great that the Master is not dead! Everyone was overjoyed beyond measure.
They helped the old monk up from the pit with all hands on deck.
Master, how are you feeling?
Is it serious?
I have some medicine here, let me apply it to you!
At this moment, where was the old monks original dignified and solemn appearance?
With a bruised nose and a swollen face covered in cuts and bruises, the once splendid kasaya he wore was now torn to shreds, looking utterly pitiful.
The old monk coughed up blood as he spoke, Thankfully, the Buddhas blessings are with us, otherwise this poor monk would have gone to the Western Paradise to meet the Buddha! My disciples, do not worry. Master just needs to catch his breath and heal his injuries with some internal energy!
Understood, Master!
***
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