A life of two souls traveling through time

Chapter 489: No Suffering, No Accumulation, No Extinction, No Wisdom, No Gain

After the heavy snow, most of Xiyue Kingdom was covered by thick snow. The vast sea of ​​snow made it impossible to distinguish between mountains and fields. The thousands of miles of rivers and mountains covered in silver were like a dream and a painting.

The sound of the bell at Anxiang Temple outside the capital city of Shangjing was distant, solemn and ethereal. Luoying walked slowly into a quiet Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall and with the help of her maid Xiaochun, she took off the veil on her head.

"Today I want to pray and recite sutras for the prince who is fighting outside. You all should go out." Luoying bowed three times in front of the statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva before turning to Xiaochun and Helian who were still waiting at the door and gave instructions.

This was nothing more than an excuse to deceive the servants. Today was the seventh day after Chen Ming and the others passed away. At the beginning, she did not have the ability to collect their bodies and bury them, nor was it convenient to ask someone to perform a ritual to help them reach the nirvana. She had to wait until the seventh day after their death, and after Yan Qiao relaxed his vigilance towards her, before she could recite sutras for them under the pretext of praying for them. This was the only thing she could do now.

When the two heard Princess Yi chanting scriptures and praying for Prince Han, they said nothing more, bowed and left.

Luoying then knelt before the Bodhisattva statue again. This was the first time she prayed to the Bodhisattva so devoutly to allow Chenming and the others to be liberated and reborn in the Pure Land.

The sky was gloomy today. It was neither the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month nor the special Buddha's birthday. The Suianxiang Temple was rather deserted. Luoying had finished reciting sutras and dedicated her merits to others. It was already close to noon. As she was about to put on her veil and leave, she suddenly heard singing coming from the backyard of the temple:

"Have you not seen: the idle Taoist who has no learning and does nothing, does not eliminate delusion and does not seek the truth; the true nature of ignorance is the Buddha nature, the illusory empty body is the Dharma body, the Dharma body is aware of nothing, the origin comes from the Buddha of nature, the five elements are floating clouds, the three poisons are bubbles, and they appear and disappear... Who has no thoughts? Who has no birth? If there is no birth and no non-birth, call the mechanical wooden man to ask, and ask the Buddha to help you sooner or later..."

Although she only had a vague understanding of the Buddhist philosophy in the song, somehow it made Luoying involuntarily follow the sound.

"Princess, it's getting late, should we go back?" Seeing this, He Lian hurried to persuade him but was ignored. She had no choice but to follow Xiaochun.

"A poor Buddhist monk may claim to be poor, but in reality he is poor in body but not in the Way. If he is poor, his body is always covered with rags, but if he is in the Way, his heart is filled with priceless treasures. Priceless treasures are of endless use, and he will never be stingy in benefiting others and responding to situations. The three bodies and four wisdoms are perfect in the body, and the eight understandings and six supernatural powers are the seals of the mind..."

When Luoying arrived at the backyard of the temple, she saw an old monk with a kind face and a sweet smile strolling in the snow and singing leisurely. He looked free and peaceful, as if he was able to move freely, his mind free from worries, and he had jumped out of the three realms and gained great freedom.

The old monk also noticed Luoying's appearance and immediately stopped singing, smiling at her kindly. That smile was truly like the Buddha's light, gentle and peaceful.

The old monk's smile moved Luoying, and two tears rolled down uncontrollably. Fortunately, the veil covered her eyes and she didn't need to panic as the sadness that immediately appeared in her eyes was gone.

After a moment of silence, Luo Yingcai stepped forward and bowed to the old monk, then asked, "May I ask what your virtue is, Master? What was the verse you just sang?"

"The upper part is filled with emptiness and the lower part is empty. What was just sung was the Song of Attainment of the Way by the eminent monk Xuanjue." The old monk replied with a kind smile on his face.

"Song of Enlightenment." Luoying murmured to herself, then bowed again and said, "May I ask Master Yunkong why all living beings in the world suffer?"

“All living beings are covered by ignorance and bound by the knot of love. They are trapped in the cycle of life and death and cannot escape. Birth, old age, sickness and death, separation from loved ones, reunion with those we hate, and nothing we desire can be obtained. Suffering is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from suffering. Suffering is emptiness, emptiness is suffering. There is no suffering, no accumulation, no extinction, and no path. There is no wisdom and no gain.” The old monk replied.

"There is no suffering, no accumulation, no extinction, no wisdom, and no gain. If everyone can achieve this state of mind, how can all living beings suffer?" Luoying laughed bitterly. Yes, isn't human suffering caused by one's own greed, anger, and ignorance? Knowing that life is impermanent, one still cannot let go of many obsessions. But if there are no obsessions, what is the meaning of living?

As the winter solstice approached, Yan Han returned triumphantly and brought back the heads of the four main generals of the Western Rong. Xiyue Emperor Yan Qiao was naturally satisfied, and took this opportunity to hold a grand banquet in the palace to reward King Han for defeating the Western Rong, and also to announce the marriage of King Han and Princess Shuyi in front of all the civil and military officials.

After three rounds of wine at the palace banquet, Yan Han, who was worried about his future princess, had no intention of playing tricks on others anymore, so he left on an excuse and rode his horse straight to Ziyuan outside the city.

"Your Highness, the Queen Mother has said that you and Princess Yi are not allowed to meet again as your wedding date is approaching..."

"Go away!"

Seeing King Han coming, the Ziyuan guards hurriedly tried to stop him, but were kicked away by Yan Han before they could finish their words. Seeing this, the other guards had no choice but to make way.

He Lian, who was originally in Luoying's room, was shocked to see King Han appear and couldn't help but become worried. But looking at his evil eyes that were filled with alcohol, He Lian dared not say a word and could only sigh secretly and leave the room.

"Tu Mi, I haven't seen you for several months. I miss you so much!" Finally seeing this girl he had been thinking about for a long time again, Yan Han naturally held her in his arms and lingered for a long time before regaining some reason and letting her go. Then he smiled and said, "My brother has set the date for our wedding today. Ten days later, you will become my true Princess Han."

"Now that the prince has returned, why do we have to wait ten days?" Luoying frowned slightly when she heard this and muttered with a somewhat dissatisfied look. Now she wished she could take revenge tonight.

"Little girl, I'm not in a hurry now, but you are? How can a girl be so unrestrained?" Yan Han couldn't help laughing when he saw the impatience in her beautiful eyes, and he tied her into his arms again, muttering.

"Your Highness, please don't wrongly accuse Tumi. She was just a little girl who knew nothing about the world. It was obviously your fault that she became so unrestrained. Why are you blaming me instead?" Luoying glared at Yan Han coquettishly, and then said aggrievedly.

Yan Han lowered his eyes slightly and watched the beauty in his arms acting like a spoiled child again, but he was extremely happy in his heart. He smiled but said nothing and just stared at her for a long time. When he saw that she had calmed down, he suddenly asked in a serious tone:

"Does Tumi really love me sincerely?"

"Your Highness is a ray of light in Tumi's despair. Heaven and earth can witness my feelings for You. Tumi has nothing to ask for in this life. I just want to grow old with You." Luoying snuggled in Yan Han's arms and smiled gently, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

This answer naturally satisfied Yan Han, but she didn't know that she was also a ray of light shining into his darkness, making him want to seek warmth again.