Chapter 625 — The Crown Prince of Moonlight
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Chenghuai said hastily, "Brother Shen has offended the venerable Buddhas; this disciple begs pardon! " Dharma King Molun frowned slightly and was about to speak, when Chenghuai hurriedly bowed low to one of the great Buddhas and cried, astonished and delighted, "This disciple pays his respects to King Yama!
" That great Buddha smiled.
"You know me?
" "The Tingming Mahayana Sutra contains the dharma-image of King Yama, and so this disciple knows you!
" said Chenghuai. "This disciple bows to the Dragon King Sagara! " Another great Buddha smiled faintly and nodded.
Chenghuai bowed again to Dharma King Molun. "This disciple bows to Dharma King Molun, Deva of the Moon Palace!
" Dharma King Molun smiled.
"You have already bowed to me just now. We should come to the matter at hand—" "This disciple bows to the Deva of the Sun Palace!
" "This disciple bows to the Deva King Marici!
" "This disciple bows to Queen Hariti!
" ".
.
.
" The monk Chenghuai bowed his way down the row, until he came to the Deva King Indra; he looked up, but the Deva King Mahabrahma was nowhere to be seen, so he gave it up, thinking, "I can stall no longer.
" Dharma King Molun said with patience, "Little monk, you came to study and to seek the Buddha-dharma, not to bow to Buddhas.
Your brother here struck my disciple the moment he arrived, and spoke words of demons and outside ways; if I do not set ears and eyes right, will this mountain of mine not turn foul with smoke? How then shall the Buddha-dharma be spread?
" The monk Chenghuai, all reverence and honesty, said, "Buddha-Lord, this disciple is slow of tongue and poor at words. Better to let Brother Zhankong speak to the reasoning here. Brother Zhankong, come and debate with the Buddha-Lord. " Zhankong, the demon ape Xuanliao, stepped forward, planted the Brahma-Quiet Twelve-Ring Zen Staff at his side, raised a great hand before his breast in salute — and said nothing.
Dharma King Molun frowned deeply, glanced at the heavens and Buddhas about him, then suddenly laughed aloud. "Little Brother Zhankong, you need not open your honored mouth — I understand it all already. " Shen Mu and the monk Chenghuai exchanged a look, and each let out a breath.
Dharma King Molun also let out a breath, thinking, "By imperial decree I hold office in the Buddha realm, a Buddha-official; in ordinary days I read little of the Buddha-dharma and have pondered it but scantily, and I am no equal to the Buddhas of this realm. This black monk Zhankong has an unimpeded tongue — he has debated his way from King Yama's heaven all the way to Mahabrahma's, and none could stand against him.
Even the Buddhas call him Brother; to debate the Dharma with him would surely shame me! " Dharma King Molun smiled.
"In this matter the layman Shen is indeed not to blame; you have come to seek the Dharma and to study, and truly you should not have been barred.
Yet debate of the Dharma in the Buddhist gate is but a quarrel of tongues; one must also look to each one's cultivation and insight. Black— Brother Zhankong's attainment in the Buddha-dharma is matchless, and his divine powers must be fearsome indeed. Many Buddha-sons of the Buddha realm have tasted Brother Zhankong's eloquence; now they would taste his divine powers as well. " The monk Chenghuai was about to speak, but Dharma King Molun went on of himself: "This is Prince Moonlight. Prince Moonlight is of my line.