Chapter 623 — The Supreme Esoteric Truth of the Buddhist Order
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
This universal radiance of Buddha-light startled the assembled monks, one and all: "What profound cultivation in the dharma this Buddha-son has!
" The demon ape raised a hand and held it before his eyes; the great hand blocked the Buddha-light, and its shadow fell across his face.
The Buddha-son who had just sat down was about to speak and open the debate; seeing this, he was greatly shocked, and suddenly his throat turned sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Your attainment in the dharma is so high? " he cried. "Before I could even speak, you have already refuted me! " With that he fell backward, his breath faint as a gossamer thread.
Behind him the several great Buddhas hurried to save him, and at last brought him back. One Buddha praised him: "The Buddha-son Puzhao meant this time to debate what 'illumination' is.
Little did he expect this young Buddha-son to break his thesis outright. Truly his eloquence is unimpeded!
Admirable, admirable! " Shen Mu was struck dumb. He wrenched his gaze away from the demon ape with difficulty and looked at Grandpa Huo with misgiving. This kind of debate he could no longer understand at all.
Grandpa Huo explained, "Puzhao opened his thesis with 'illumination,' and light blazed from his whole body, Buddha-light shining everywhere. But Zhankong raised a hand to block it, and what lay beneath that hand was darkness — telling him that where there is light there is darkness, that the two depend upon each other. And so Puzhao's debate was cut off at the root; the words he had stored up could not come out, and he choked upon them until he spat blood. From this you may see Zhankong's root of wisdom.
" Shen Mu was speechless too. He could tell that the Buddha-son Puzhao's cultivation had been exceedingly high, most likely a master of the dharma at the Heaven-Human realm; even if Shen Mu himself had crossed words with him, he might not have won.
And yet the demon ape had merely shaded the light a little, and Puzhao had vomited blood and nearly died!
The demon ape had now debated his way up to the Heaven of Great Merit among the Twenty Heavens; the next heaven was the Heaven of Great Eloquence. From the Heaven of Great Eloquence came the Buddhas and a young Buddha-son, who took his place facing the demon ape. The young Buddha-son seated himself slowly and said little; he formed a mudra with his fingers, holding a lotus, and said: "Nothingness. " The demon ape said: "Existence. " The young Buddha-son frowned, laid down the lotus, and said: "Existence.
" The demon ape said: "Nothingness.
" The young Buddha-son rose. "Are you a common mortal? " he demanded.
The demon ape shook his head. "I am a sage.
" The young Buddha-son put a deafening question: "Are you a holy Buddha? " The demon ape shook his head again.
"I am a mortal. " The young Buddha-son's face flushed red with rage. "When there is something in my hand you say nothingness; when there is nothing in my hand you say existence.
I ask whether you are a mortal, and you say you are a holy Buddha; I ask whether you are a holy Buddha, and you say you are a mortal!
What exactly are you trying to say?
" The Buddhas behind him frowned, summoned several vajra warriors, and had him hauled away.
One Buddha apologized to the demon ape: "Forgive him, junior brother; he has lost his original mind.
Nothingness he calls existence, yet existence is nothingness; when the mind would be sage, the sage is yet mortal.
Your attainments in the dharma, junior brother, we all admire.
" (Note 1) The demon ape returned the salute, but said nothing.
Shen Mu was horror-struck, his head swimming. He pressed his forehead. "Grandpa Huo, I no longer understand any of it. I have no such root of wisdom; I had best stop coming to these lectures.