Chapter 620 — The Sagely Way Handed Down Twenty Thousand Years
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The Woodcutter Sage accepted his bow without ceremony and said, "I have taken few disciples. In the past I taught princes and crown princes, and princes and crown princes have no need to bow to me as their master, so my formal disciples number only two: you and your Senior Brother. Set beside your Senior Brother, you seem rather green. You truly must learn diligently. I am not teaching you to be wicked; I am only teaching you not to be taken advantage of. " Shen Mu blinked.
This was hardly what a Sage Master ought to sound like — it was more like the old folk of Yincan Village.
"Sage Master, what is a sage?
" Shen Mu asked.
"A sage is a state of mind. " They came to the foot of this God-Slaying Platform. The Woodcutter Sage surveyed the divine mountain and said, unhurried, "I once told your Senior Brother that there are three establishments to becoming a sage: to establish words, to establish teaching, and to establish merit. Accomplish all three and one becomes a sage. Do these three, and your state of mind rises to a lofty realm; in state of mind alone, none can rival you. A sage has words, and only with words can one establish edification, and edification transforms the multitude — passing on the Way, teaching the craft, resolving doubts, clearing away the brambles, opening the broad road.
" Shen Mu started, and blurted out, "Establish edification?
Not found the Heavenly Sage Sect and spread the Way? " The Woodcutter Sage shook his head. "Not found a sect — establish edification. To found a sect is to start a school, and that is far too shallow. Found a school and you have strife between schools; with strife between schools you have strife of words, and then the establishing of words no longer exists. Would that not rot your own foundation?
So when you told me you were the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sage Sect, I knew your Senior Brother's path was very likely wrong. " Thunder rolled through Shen Mu's mind.
He suddenly thought of the Sect Masters of the Heavenly Sage Sect down the ages, dwelling there in Fengdu, and could not help picturing them, faces streaming with tears. They had taken pride and glory in the title of Heavenly Sage Sect Master, never knowing that in the Woodcutter's eyes it was all wrong.
The Woodcutter Sage walked along the divine mountain, now and again seizing a boulder; the boulder melted at once under his dharma power and became a stone pillar covered in ridged patterns, which he planted at the foot of the mountain in a marvellous formation. "To found a sect is to establish edification. How does one establish edification? Open schools, raise academies, broaden talent, do solid work, study the arts of the Dao and the divine powers, and turn them to the daily use of the common folk.
" He spoke softly, refining the teleportation pillars even as he spoke to Shen Mu. "When the kingdom is weak, reform the law and seek strength, to strengthen the kingdom.
" His refining skill was no finer than the Silent Artisan's, but it was extremely swift. He turned the runes of the teleportation divine power into imprints and branded them onto pillar after pillar.
"When the people are weak, spread the Way for the people's benefit, to strengthen the people. " "When the army is weak, reform the weapons of war, to strengthen the army.
" "When the ruler is muddled, remonstrate once, set out the case clearly, and urge him to mend his ways.
If the ruler will not mend, remonstrate a second time.
If he still will not mend, depose him and enthrone a new ruler. " "When Heaven is without the Way, reform once — change the laws of Heaven to accord with the world.
If Heaven will not change, seek to change the Way through reform. If it still will not change, make war upon Heaven and establish the Way.
" .
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