That was the old man at Ban Yan Temple halfway up the mountain, telling stories to passersby, especially children!
Compared to the last ti she saw him when he seed relatively healthy, he was now much thinner, like a withered tree in his entirety, wearing a gray robe washed to a pale shade. The robe hung on him as if draped over a dead tree, and he walked with a wobbly gait, still keeping his short hair, with his beard and hair streaked with white, walking behind a group of monks, appearing neither monk nor layman.
He unexpectedly ca to Dayan Temple.
Moreover, he had entered the Scripture Pavilion to participate in the Inner Altar Dharma Assembly?!
Shang Ruyi was amazed, watching him with wide eyes as he stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion, muttering sothing about "drawing a dragon," and "true dragon," as he walked along the corridor.
As he looked up, he saw Shang Ruyi.
Despite her surprise, Shang Ruyi smiled at him.
Since coming to Luoyang with Mr. and Mrs. Shen, she had gone to pray at Ban Yan Temple almost every year and would stop by the pavilion to listen to the old man’s stories. Though they had never conversed, there was a strange sense of familiarity.
When the old man looked up and saw her, he was montarily stunned, then smiled in recognition.
Yet the two had never really t. eting like this was strange, but not entirely unfamiliar, making it awkward to converse.
But after considering, Shang Ruyi took the initiative to greet, "Old sir."
The old man dipped his head, reciting a Buddhist prayer.
Shang Ruyi smiled and asked, "Old sir, why did you leave Luoyang?"
The old man sighed, "Luoyang is in turmoil, so I brought my family to Daxing City."
"Oh."
Shang Ruyi nodded.
The old man looked at her again and asked, "You, lady, are—"
Shang Ruyi replied, "I am the second daughter-in-law of Duke Sheng."
On hearing this, the old man widened his eyes in surprise, and there seed to be a complex emotion in his astonished expression as he imdiately cupped his hands in a salute, "Greetings, Young Madam."
Shang Ruyi quickly motioned for him not to be overly polite and then laughed, "Old sir, there’s no need for formalities. I grew up listening to your stories. But, you’re not of the Buddhist Sect, so why are you attending this Dharma Assembly, especially the Inner Altar Assembly?"
The old man laughed, "Though I’m not of the Buddhist Sect, I am inseparable from the Buddhist Scriptures. This assembly welcos both monks and laypeople, so I ca specially, and inside there—"
As he spoke, he glanced back at the now-empty Scripture Pavilion and then smiled, "The host said he wished to hear from both monks and laypeople, so I was allowed to enter."
The host of the Inner Altar Dharma Assembly, wasn’t it Yu Wenqian?
He had allowed this old man into the Scripture Pavilion to participate in the Inner Altar Assembly?
The old man chuckled, "This Young Master Yu Wen is still so approachable, and his profound cultivation makes , a layperson, feel humbled."
Still?
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi was taken aback, "Have you t before?"
The old man smiled, "Of course, the young master had once visited Ban Yan Temple."
"Oh..."
Shang Ruyi nodded, almost forgetting she had heard the monks at Ban Yan Temple ntion Young Master Yu Wen had stayed there, and the living quarters she and Yu Wenye stayed in at Layman Forest were his forr lodgings.
Shang Ruyi thought for a mont and asked, "Old sir, what were you reciting just now? Sothing about drawing dragons and tigers?"
The old man imdiately laughed, "Oh, it was the verse just recited by the young master."
"Oh?"
Shang Ruyi quickly asked, "Could you recite it for ?"
The old man smiled, "Certainly."
Saying this, he stroked his beard and began to recite in a deep voice—
Studying the Way without cause, drawing the dragon, originally not finding the trace of the brush.
One day proving the true dragon, only then realizing the past efforts were in vain.
Hearing this verse, Shang Ruyi unexpectedly felt her heart sink.
After finishing the verse, the old man sighed softly and said, "I find this verse well written, so clear and bright. However, there are still so aspects I cannot comprehend."
Shang Ruyi asked, "What does the old sir not understand?"
The old man replied, "What I don’t understand is what exactly the young master has realized. If he truly attained the true dragon, then why—"
At this point, he seed to realize it was inappropriate to question Young Master Yu Wen in front of soone from the Yuwen Family, and closed his mouth, smiling at Shang Ruyi.
anwhile, Shang Ruyi’s brows furrowed as well.
Yes, the first two lines rely mocked the world, perhaps even oneself for not being enlightened, and having an unclear mind. This was the tone of most verses, a self-deprecating tone of so spiritual practitioners; the fourth line, also self-deprecating, reflects the irony of past ignorance once enlightennt is achieved.
The strange part is the third line—one day proving the true dragon.
To experience such an insight, one must achieve complete enlightennt and realize Bodhi.
Did Yu Wenqian compose this verse because, as Aunt Hui ntioned earlier, he had ’awakened’?
Since you’ve attained enlightennt, why return to this vexing worldly realm? And why, after this Dharma assembly, return to everyone’s sight?
The "true dragon" he realized, what exactly is it?
The more Shang Ruyi thought about it, the more confused her mind beca. Soone else’s enlightennt had beco her three thousand strands of troubled thoughts, almost entirely entangling her, causing relentless agitation. She couldn’t help but mutter softly, "True dragon? To suddenly realize the true dragon...?"
When she looked up again, she t the elder’s smiling eyes.
Shang Ruyi realized that she was now almost indistinguishable from him, who had just been mumbling as he walked on.
She smiled sowhat awkwardly.
This elder, however, did not say much, rely cupped his hands and said, "Madam must have important matters to attend to, so I shall not disturb you. As for this verse, I need to contemplate it further."
He finished speaking and turned to leave.
Shang Ruyi quickly called out, "Elder, please wait, there’s sothing I’d like to ask you."
The elder smiled, "Young Madam, please ask."
Shang Ruyi said, "Last ti — half a year ago, I was at the pavilion in Ban Yan Temple and heard the elder telling a story about borrowing a corpse to return a soul to the passing children."
The elder’s eyes flickered for a mont, and he imdiately nodded, "I rember, I rember."
Shang Ruyi asked, "This story, is it true or false?"
The elder’s eyes flickered again, taking another look at Shang Ruyi, then smiling, "What does the Young Madam think?"
Shang Ruyi pondered for a mont, "This story is too mystical."
The elder imdiately laughed, "The stories of this world, however mystical, are no more mystical than human affairs. People mired in this mundane world cannot speak words beyond it. So, what can be spoken naturally must have happened."
Shang Ruyi’s breath tightened, "So, elder, do you believe in the existence of borrowing a corpse to return a soul in this world?"
"..."
The elder did not imdiately answer her. Instead, he smiled and looked at Shang Ruyi. Although his eyes were clouded, there was a hint of clarity in his gaze, making Shang Ruyi feel sowhat uneasy, causing her to instinctively lower her head. The elder imdiately smiled and said, "Young Madam asking this seems like you hope I would deny it."
"..."
"Hoping for denial, is it because the Young Madam is aware of such occurrences?"
"..."
For a mont, Shang Ruyi didn’t respond to his words.
Not because she didn’t know how to answer, but because, at that instant, she felt as if soone was constricting her throat, almost suffocating her.
The elder seed not to need her response, only smiled and said, "Young Madam, whether I acknowledge such things or not is rely the talk of a useless mouth speaking useless words. What’s truly important is the heart of the Young Madam herself."
Saying this, he lowered his head, softly chanted a Buddhist prayer, and was about to leave.
Just as he was about to pass by, Shang Ruyi thought for a mont and decided to ask, "Elder, after all this talking, I haven’t asked for your esteed surna and big na yet."
The elder smiled, "Not esteed at all; my na is Jiang Yu, also called Wuban."
Jiang Yu? Wuban?
Shang Ruyi silently repeated the nas in her mind, quickly grasping their essence. "Prajna" aning wisdom, while his na, Wuban, implied she had no wisdom. The great na Jiang Yu straightforwardly bore the aning of self-deprecation on his face.
It seems that this elder is indeed very carefree. The world sees him as reluctant to part with wine and at, nor with the Buddha. But now, it seems he has obtained both wine and at, and the Buddha as well.
Thinking this, Shang Ruyi felt her own heart seem to loosen slightly.
She said, "Safe travels, Mr. Jiang."
Mr. Jiang gave her a salute and continued walking forward, murmuring and smiling as he went, "Why are so many people concerned with borrowing a corpse to return a soul?"
Before long, he descended the corridor.
Shang Ruyi stood motionless, watching the shriveled figure disappear beyond the mountain gate before turning back. When she glanced again at the Scripture Pavilion, she suddenly saw a figure flicker past behind it.
At the sight of that figure, all the hairs on Shang Ruyi’s body stood on end.
Almost instantly, the feeling of her soul being about to be pulled away ca over her once more, nearly suffocating her!
But this ti, she was not overwheld by the near-drowning suffocation. Instead, she gritted her teeth, lifted her foot, and gave chase!
Just as she reached the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, the figure had already disappeared. She looked anxiously to the side, only to see a hem of clothing pass behind the Heavenly King Hall ahead.
Shang Ruyi steeled herself and followed.
Like wind chased by clouds, she walked through one grand hall after another and passed one long corridor after another, unknowingly becoming lost within the grand structures of the Buddhist Temple.
Her breath was heavy, her heart thundering, but she refused to give up.
Finding herself in a nearly deserted part of Dayan Temple, with no one around, Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth and continued forward, lifting her skirt as she went.
Just as she passed by a Buddhist Hall, suddenly a breeze blew the ajar door open.
Involuntarily, she glanced inside—
A mass of pure white clouds drifted in gracefully.
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