Chapter 253: Buddha's Heart

Monk Mingxin arrived in Yankang, where the sky was still clouded, and the effects of the snow disaster lingered. Imperial soldiers were busy with disaster relief efforts, and refugees were still fleeing starvation. However, numerous bandits roamed, looting homes, and hungry people scattered in search of survival. The common folk truly suffered immensely.

"Look, a pale, plump monk!"

Some starving people saw him and exclaimed joyfully, "No need to wash, he's ready to eat!"

Monk Mingxin immediately turned and ran. The hungry people, having starved for countless days, couldn't catch him and eventually gave up, saying, "We told you not to make noise. If we'd just waited for him to get close and then grabbed and bitten him, this tender monk wouldn't have escaped."

Monk Mingxin was terrified. After two or three days of starvation, unable to find even a morsel of food, he had been chased by starving people over a dozen times.

Inside Grand Thunderclap Temple, there was profound tranquility, but the outside world was treacherous, plagued by famine everywhere. Such harsh realities were not mentioned in Buddhist scriptures, perhaps because thoughts of them only arose when one was well-fed and clothed.

The Heart Sutra he carried was also useless; it couldn't solve the problem of hunger.

This remote area was teeming with disaster victims, beyond the reach of the imperial court. Corpses of those who had starved to death lay scattered haphazardly by the roadside.

Some wild wolves and dogs, by feeding on human corpses, had transformed into monstrous beings, roaming in packs and preying on the living.

Dogs are normally docile, but in times of disaster, they turn to cannibalism, reproduce rapidly, and become even more ferocious than wolves!

"This is hell..." Monk Mingxin cried, looking at the monstrous creatures and corpses everywhere.

"Monk, do you have a child?"

A gaunt, yellow-faced refugee clutched his robes, holding a child in their arms, hunger etched on their face: "Give me your child, and I'll give you mine. You eat my child, and I'll eat yours..."

Monk Mingxin shrieked, broke free, and fled in terror.

"Tathagata—"

Mingxin ran for an unknown number of miles until he could run no more. He knelt, crying out in anguish, "You are in Grand Thunderclap Temple, can you not see this human world?"

Dazed and stumbling, he continued forward. Ahead, he spotted a temple. Mingxin burst inside, only to see several people hanging from the rafters, upside down and skinned. A few monks were squatting in a corner, eating meat from iron basins. Startled by his arrival, they quickly exclaimed, "Abbot! Abbot! There's a lone monk who just arrived!"

The old abbot hurriedly came out and said, "Where are you from, monk? We don't have much food left here; even the ground has been gnawed bare by the hungry. Yuanding, give him a bowl of food and let him go. My Buddha is merciful."

A basin of human flesh was placed before him. Monk Mingxin stared blankly, then suddenly felt the Buddha in his mind collapse and shatter.

He leaped up, furiously pounding the Buddha statue, pushing it over and smashing it to pieces. The other monks rushed forward to stop him, angrily shouting, "You're mad, monk! You're possessed! Blaspheming the Buddha, betraying your master, and dishonoring your ancestors!"

Monk Mingxin allowed them to beat him without resistance, and he was soon a bloody mess. Just then, a group of imperial soldiers arrived and cut down the monks in the temple.

"These monks are cannibals, utterly lawless... General, there's another monk here, beaten beyond recognition. Huh, he's still breathing!"

The soldiers carried him over. The general glanced at him and said, "He won't die. Monk, I see you have some skill. Why didn't you fight back when they tried to kill you?"

Monk Mingxin replied blankly, "I am full of flaws..."

The general chuckled, "Being full of flaws is good. Who doesn't have a few? Only those who recognize their flaws are true masters. You have some ability; come with me to protect the crops. These vagrants even chew on turf; we can't let them devour the newly planted grain. Men, burn this temple!"

The soldiers stepped forward and set the temple ablaze; soon, it was engulfed in flames.

Monk Mingxin nodded, then suddenly paused, dashing towards the fire. "My scriptures!"

The general ordered his men to restrain him, asking, "What scriptures? How thick are they?"

"Only two pages."

"It's freezing now. Such thin scriptures aren't even enough to warm yourself by."

The general raised a finger, a hint of sorrowful compassion in his eyes: "If we can secure just one season's harvest, and the people of this land have food, no longer suffering from hunger, then this world will truly be a human world, not a hell. Therefore, protecting the crops is crucial; they must not be ruined by vagrants! Once the world is peaceful again, then you can read your Buddhist scriptures. At that time, I'll give you a whole basket of scriptures, and you can read whichever ones you like!"

Monk Mingxin was stunned. Could scriptures only be read when the world was at peace?

If so, how could Buddhist scriptures alleviate suffering and rescue the distressed? How could they deliver all sentient beings?

They were useless during times of chaos. What purpose would they serve to save the suffering and deliver sentient beings only after peace had been restored?

"Sect Master Qin was right; the authors of Buddhist scriptures were indeed not the Tathagata."

Dressed in coarse cloth and straw sandals, his once-white monk's robe now stained with blood, Monk Mingxin departed with the soldiers. "From now on," he declared, "I am my own Tathagata, and I will write my own Buddhist scriptures!"

Grand Thunderclap Temple.

The distant sound of bells echoed. Qin Mu looked to the west, towards the disaster-stricken Great Ruins. Then he looked to the east, towards Yankang, which was enduring a snow disaster.

Grand Thunderclap Temple, nestled between these two regions, was indeed a fortunate place, untouched by calamity or tribulation. The monks on the mountain were carefree, dedicating themselves to studying Buddhist dharma, untroubled by disasters.

"Grand Thunderclap Temple has over four thousand courtyards. The Heavenly Dragon Courtyard and the Heart Meditation Courtyard are among the more advanced ones. Each courtyard is responsible for different aspects and focuses on different insights. Exceptional disciples are taught directly by the elder monks, without needing to move between courtyards."

Master Ma said, "For example, Monk Mingxin was personally taught by Monk Jingming. Those who are directly guided by a master in their cultivation are generally the most outstanding among the monks. And those with the highest talent, comprehension, and Buddha-nature are taught by the Tathagata himself."

Qin Mu looked down and saw mountain peaks resembling lotus petals, encircling the golden-domed main peak in the center. Thousands of temples and monasteries filled the area, with incense burning profusely.

"Grand Thunderclap Temple indeed has its strengths, particularly in its methods of teaching disciples, which share similarities with those of the Yankang Imperial Preceptor," Qin Mu nodded.

Master Ma guided them on a tour, leading them towards a magnificent pagoda. "The first Heaven in the Courts of Devas is the Yamarāja Courtyard, and the second is the Sāgara Dragon King Courtyard. These represent the various states of mind within the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. At the very top are the Śakra Devanām Indra Courtyard and the Brahmā Deva Courtyard. If counted from the top downwards, the Brahmā Deva Courtyard would be the first Heaven."

Qin Mu looked up, his heart stirred. This pagoda was truly awe-inspiring, magnificent and towering, seemingly capable of moving mountains and rivers!

They entered the pagoda and arrived at the first courtyard, the Yamarāja Courtyard, where several young monks were practicing the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. An old monk quickly came forward and greeted, "Master Ma."

Master Ma said, "We'd like to look around here."

The old monk looked hesitant and said, "This is a place for cultivating the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra..."

Suddenly, a voice spoke, "Elder Brother, our Buddha said there's nothing hidden in Grand Thunderclap Temple; they can go anywhere they wish."

The old monk looked over and quickly said, "Buddha Son."

A young monk entered and bowed to Master Ma, saying, "Elder Brother."

The monk then bowed to Qin Mu and said, "Sect Master Qin."

Qin Mu returned the bow and smiled, "So it's Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son. I once saw you outside the Imperial College, though you wouldn't have seen me."

This monk had a perfectly round, shining head, a majestic countenance, eyes bright as jewels, earlobes like water droplets, and a red mark between his brows, making him quite extraordinary. This was indeed Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son.

Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son, had once accompanied the elder Monk Jingming to block the gates of the Imperial College. Qin Mu had approached to observe, but because the young Ancestor didn't offer any benefits and Qin Mu was also planning to drug the Green Ox, he hadn't engaged in combat with him.

When Physician You and others drugged the Imperial College, Si Yunxiang secretly slipped out and fought a battle with him, causing Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son, to retreat.

Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son, observed Qin Mu. He noted that while the Heaven Devil Cult Master was polite, gentle, and appeared to be a gentleman, his gaze was remarkably aggressive. From time to time, a wild and unrestrained aura burst from his eyes, piercing into the hearts of others, causing Buddha Heart to involuntarily flinch. "This person has such strong demonic nature!" he thought.

Buddha Heart told the old monk, "The Tathagata said it's perfectly fine to show Sect Master Qin the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. Without Buddha-nature, one fundamentally cannot cultivate our Grand Thunderclap Temple's Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. Furthermore, Elder Brother Ma also possesses a set of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra; if he wished to transmit it to Sect Master Qin, he could have done so long ago. Esteemed guests, Elder Brother Ma, please feel free to observe."

The old monk relaxed and continued explaining the profound mysteries of the first Heaven of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra, the Yamarāja Heaven, to the young monks, unconcerned by the presence of Qin Mu and his companions.

A moment later, Qin Mu had an epiphany. He activated the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra he had heard, feeling his body fluctuate between extreme cold and extreme heat, as if he had fallen into hell, transforming into Yamarāja.

Buddha Heart saw a sudden radiant glow emanating from Qin Mu and his heart skipped a beat. "That's Buddha light! He just stood here and comprehended the first Heaven of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra? Does he have Buddha-nature? Isn't he a devil?"

Master Ma also saw the Buddha light suddenly erupting from Qin Mu and said, "Mu'er, you've already attained the first Heaven of the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. There's no need to listen to this level anymore; let's go to the next."

Qin Mu followed Master Ma and the Blind to the Sāgara Dragon King Courtyard. Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son, quickly followed as well. Here, an elder monk was also expounding on the various profound meanings of the Sāgara Dragon King Heaven.

Not long after, Buddha Heart, the Buddha Son, noticed that the Buddha light around Qin Mu had intensified.

His heart was greatly shaken. People with demonic nature could not cultivate the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra, yet Qin Mu, the Heaven Devil Cult Master, a devil among devils, had managed to cultivate the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra to the second Heaven just by listening for a short while. This was simply too shocking!

It was important to note that Buddha Heart was called the Buddha Son because he possessed a pure and transparent heart like a newborn. When he first arrived, he too had cultivated the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra to the fourth Heaven in a short period, shaking Grand Thunderclap Temple and earning him the title of Buddha Son.

And it was said that Master Ma, the Horse King God, was similar. Buddha Heart had heard legends about him, that Master Ma had cultivated directly to the fifth Heaven in one go, leading the old Tathagata to place great expectations on him and train him as the next Tathagata.

"A devil from the Heaven Devil Cult cannot possibly possess such deep Buddha-nature as I do!" Buddha Heart thought to himself.

Upon reaching the third Heaven, Qin Mu, without realizing it, comprehended the Moon Palace Emperor state of mind from the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra, cultivating the Moon Palace Emperor Heaven. A Buddha light appeared behind his head, shining like a splendid full moon. Yet, in the Moon Palace Emperor Courtyard itself, only a few monks had cultivated this particular Heaven!

At the fourth Heaven, Qin Mu further comprehended the Sun Palace Emperor state of mind from the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. A Buddha light appeared behind his head, like the blazing sun, making him resemble an enlightened high monk!