Chapter 624 — First Show of Might
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
And this was likely why Ma Rulai insisted that he go!
Xuanliao the Demon Ape, Zhankong, had roots of wisdom deep-planted, but roots of wisdom in excess and experience too little. The young monk Chenghuai's experience was sufficient — yet in the past, when he entered the red dust to temper himself, he had only joined the army, and his tempering in the army left him far behind Shen Mu in stratagems and in meeting danger with presence of mind.
Shen Mu had lived through far more perils, had even stood face to face with a demon god like Vajra; his gift for improvising was foremost among the younger generation.
Ma Rulai's purpose in sending him was, beyond comprehending the supreme Buddha Dharma, to guard the safety of Zhankong and Chenghuai.
"Must I shave my head?" Shen Mu asked.
Ma Rulai laughed: "Do you see me with a shaved head?"
Shen Mu looked up at his head. His hair had turned into flesh-crowns, each one a pearl of wisdom refined by the Buddha Dharma out of the three thousand strands of affliction.
Ma Rulai said: "Some take affliction as their own obstruction, a limit on their cultivation, and so they shave off the afflictions that cover their heads. But the Buddha turns affliction into his own wisdom. The more affliction before Buddhahood, the greater the wisdom after. The Tathagata has not shaved his head — why should you?"
Shen Mu smiled: "I am taught."
The heavens of the Buddha realm blazed with light, hanging high above Licheng.
Layer upon layer, these heavens looked illusory and misty, yet looked at closely they were profoundly deep, holding space beyond measure. In the Twenty Heavens, one great Buddha after another appeared, Buddha-sounds wreathing about. One Buddha stretched out a finger, and a thread of Buddha-light shone down from the Twenty Heavens; the other Buddhas pointed one after another at this temple in Licheng, and the Buddha-lights gathered into a stream and became a pillar of light.
Ma Rulai led the monks to the great pillar of Buddha-light, nodded to Shen Mu and the others, and said: "Take care on the road."
Shen Mu nodded, and stepped with Xuanliao the Demon Ape and Monk Chenghuai into the pillar of light. The pillar of Buddha-light rose slowly and soon vanished into the Twenty Heavens of the Buddha realm; Shen Mu and the other two, treading its base, were carried into the Twenty Heavens with it.
Shen Mu, Xuanliao the Demon Ape, and Chenghuai set foot on solid ground and looked up. Before them stood a vast complex of temple buildings, pagoda after pagoda, great Buddha after great Buddha, and countless monks.
Beneath their feet was a wondrous, resplendent mountain; looking down, they saw Buddha-lands everywhere, gold and glory.
A single heaven alone held a domain as vast as Jingping, with Buddha-lands standing in peace one beside another.
A monk came out to welcome them, bowed, and said: "Three senior brothers come up from the lower world, Mituo Temple lies ahead. Please!"
Shen Mu and the others returned the greeting: "We trouble you to lead the way, senior brother."
The monk led the way ahead and said with a smile: "Senior brother Zhankong's attainments in the Buddha Dharma are unfathomable; I too listened all along the way, and admired them greatly. And these two young senior brothers are...?"
Chenghuai gave his dharma name, then said: "This is Layman Shen of Datingming Temple."
The monk's gaze fell on Shen Mu: "Layman Shen? No wonder he cultivates with his hair unshorn."
Shen Mu smiled faintly: "May I ask which great Buddha founded this Mituo Temple?"
The monk laughed: "Layman Shen does not know — Mituo Temple was founded by Dharma King Molun. Dharma King Molun is an enlightened Buddha of the Heavenly Court, with countless disciples and profound Dharma. Many senior brothers, having sampled Senior Brother Zhankong's attainments in the Dharma, now wish also to sample his attainments in divine powers."