Chapter 783: Chapter 156: The Embryo of Saint Path, Long Time No See_2
If it’s about the foundation of the other side’s Saint Path, once the dialectics fail and the Saint Path collapses, the cultivation will also plummet, and the Incense Fire will be extinguished. Returning from being a Saint to the Dao, it’s imaginable how tragic that is.
Buddha Venerate heard Li Hao’s counter-question, his expression still passionate and gentle, unable to fathom his emotions:
“The Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra says, there are four kinds of demons: first, Aggregate Demons. Second, Trouble Demons. Third, Death Demons. Fourth, Heavenly Demons.”
“The so-called Aggregate Demons are the form aggregate, sensation aggregate, perception aggregate, volitional aggregate, and consciousness aggregate, which are our body and mind.”
“Trouble Demons are all the troubles of the world, desires, lust for form, and no-thoughts, etc., all have troubles.”
Buddha Venerate softly said, “Demons reside in the hearts of all beings. Heart Demons breed and will ravage, kill, and cause chaos in the world, no different from Demons.”
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“The Demonic Path is the same, rushing for quick success and seeking power without considering the consequences, and in the end, it will inevitably backfire.”
“To cultivate in fort is to never achieve Buddhahood!”
“Only by severing all thoughts and penetrating the sea of suffering can one transcend and attain Buddhahood. This is the difference between Buddhists and demons.”
He is both answering Li Hao and preaching, spreading the Buddhist Law to everyone in the Canglan Realm.
Li Hao’s thoughts surged, and at this moment he didn’t mind being used by others as a tool to promote Buddhism, and said:
“If that’s the case, all beings are demons, and within even the Buddhists’ hearts there are unsevered demons. I’m afraid the countless disciples of Buddhism are also on the path of slaying demons.”
Buddha Venerate smiled and said, “Slaying the Heart Demon is a lifetime of cultivation, but for them, it’s an inner demon, whereas benefactor, you have been deeply influenced by the Demonic Path and have pletely fallen.”
Li Hao sneered inwardly; he knew very well what it meant to absorb the resentment from slaughter, and this Buddha Venerate must know better than anyone yet still insisted on saying so, wiping away any reverence he had in his heart.
Knowing that the other party was fabricating, he wouldn’t let this preaching affect him.
“The Buddha often says, all beings are equal, but in my view, beings have never been equal!”
Li Hao’s eyes were cold as he said, “Scholars and noblemen, paring them with moners and beggars, can they be equal?”
“The titleholder pared with the scholar, can their status be equal?”
“Dragon Clan Demons, pared with spirits of flowers and trees, can their strength be equal?”
“Sun and moon, can their brilliance be equal?”
“Some are born with stunning beauty, cherished by the world, while others with unsightly features are despised and scorned, where does equality e from?”
Buddha Venerate smiled slightly, as such questions could even be answered by a Semi-Saint of Buddhism for Li Hao.
“It’s all because of the havoc of the Heart Demons, that it feels unequal.”
Buddha Venerate said, “Scholars and noblemen, all will die, no different from moners and beggars. Learned scholars whether a titleholder or a mere scholar are all scholars. It’s only the differences in fame and wealth that lead to greed and envy, and the desire to outdo others. The Dragon Clan Demons and the spirits of plants all have spiritual nature, all can cultivate, what difference is there?”
“Sun and moon shine together; if there were no moon, who would know the brilliance of the sun?”
“Beauty and ugliness are mere flesh; you too are attached to appearances.”
Li Hao laughed and said, “You avoid the important and dwell on the trivial. If beauty and ugliness are but flesh, then why does Buddhism insist on the Golden Body?”
“Scholars and noblemen and moners all will die, but their lives are worlds apart!”
“Some are born strong, others weak and frail; you speak of equality, where does this equality e from?”
Buddha Venerate indifferently said, “What benefactor speaks of is all influenced by greed, hatred, delusion, and desires. Once all attachments are released, one will see that all is true nature, and true nature is the heart. Those born strong may be cowardly; those fragile in body may have a strong spirit.”
Li Hao said, “Is that so, then even cowardice and firmness have differences, how can there be equality?”
“You view everything as the work of Heart Demons and desires, but the things of the world inherently have differences. There are countless types of flowers, each with its beauty. You don’t see winter plum blossoms in early spring, nor fresh bamboo shoots in the winter snow.”
“If they are not the same, how can they be equal?”
Buddha Venerate slightly furrowed his brows. Li Hao’s words were previously just mon discontent of worldly people, but now his words carried some profound reasoning.
Especially this “If they are not the same, how can they be equal?”, setting aside levels of desires like greed, anger, delusion, and striking to the core.
“The world is an ocean of suffering, all hardship stems from not having transcended to the other shore. Standing in the ocean of suffering, naturally life is suffering; if you stand on the shore, you’d realize the ups and downs of the sea of suffering are all beings’ appearances,” said Buddha Venerate.
Li Hao shook his head and said:
“If the world is an ocean of suffering, some are indulging and struggling, while others are building ships to wander leisurely; the flowers on the other shore may be dazzling, but those sitting on the boats might not even want to go ashore to pick them.”
“The world is inherently unequal, the eagle and the sparrow by nature are predator and prey.”
“The local tyrants and the wealthy exploit the moners, it’s the same.”
“But the eagle has its sharp talons, the wealthy have their means, and the power of kingship has its strength.”
“If you seek equality, you can only pluck the eagle’s talons, break the hunting dog’s fangs, otherwise, how can you make them docile like rabbits? This is like you wanting to rid the world of Heart Demons, making the powerful humble themselves, seeing them as ordinary folk, and having the moners also worship Buddha. In Buddha’s world, there’s no power or hierarchy, but paradoxically it has Bodhisattvas and Arhats, and differences among Buddhas.”
“When your disciples meet you, how can they not bow?!”
Hearing the back-and-forth dialogue between the two, countless people were stunned, feeling bewildered.
The words of Buddha Venerate resonated with the Great Dao, and they understood them very well, but Li Hao’s words seemed abstruse to them, leaving them somewhat confused, yet they vaguely felt there was some profound truth to them.
Literary Saint’s corner of the mouth held a smile, with a look of appreciation in his eyes.
He was the Literary Saint, who did not believe in Buddha. The All Heavens Saints all regarded their own Saint Path as the supreme Dao. What they cultivated in their lives was to plete this Dao.
In layman’s terms, other than one’s own Saint Path, everything else is nonsense.
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