Chapter 41: Exorcism? Or Buddhism?!

Chapter 41: Exorcism? Or Buddhism?!
Du Long Temple.
A narrow path made of green stones leads straight to the temple.
Under the guidance of an old monk, Lu Chuan arrived at this place.
His ears were filled with the chanting of Buddhist scriptures by monks, but as he reached the destination, the chanting ceased and a profound silence remained.
From afar, in between the dense trees, there is a pavilion.
A young monk dressed in white as snow, has already burned incense, paid respect, and sat in the pavilion with his eyes closed, waiting in tranquility.
As he sits there, behind him appears faintly a Buddha's image, with kindly countenance and compassionate eyes, full of mercy for all sentient beings.
Buddha’s disciple, Shen Zhu!
After leading Lu Chuan to this place, the old monk disappeared without a sound, leaving only an environment for the two to discuss quietly.
Lu Chuan walked slowly into the pavilion and sat down at the seat prepared for him.
As soon as he sat down, the monk on the opposite side slowly opened his eyes. Two lines of white light shot out like divine rainbows, as if a real Buddha had awakened, with a majestic appearance.
"Amitabha Buddha, Om Mani Padme Hum!"
With the utterance of this sacred Buddhist chant, the magnificent essence of Buddhism is manifested. Golden Sanskrit script emerges from the top of Shanjue's head, like a natural manifestation of the Great Way.
Discourse begins!
"As the ruler of a billion beings with unparalleled might, Your Highness is the son of an immortal emperor. In this discourse, I dare not overstep my bounds. Please proceed, Your Highness..." said confident Monk Shenzhu.
However, Lu Chuan smiled and said nothing, just looking at the opposite Shen Zhu, sizing him up and seeming to be thinking about something.
One moment, two moments, three moments...Lu Chuan still smiled and said nothing.
神竺也不急切，陪他耗着。
很快，就是一个时辰过去了。
陆川还在打量着神竺，似乎被后者身上的什么东西给吸引了一番。
Two hours had passed, and Shen Zhu furrowed her brow in confusion as she locked eyes with Lu Chuan across from her.
The two of them gazed at each other for a long moment before Lu Chuan finally spoke:
"You remind me of a friend of mine."
“？”
Shenzhu was puzzled, but he responded to Landingchuang:
"Friend? His Highness has friends among my Buddhist people?"
"A friend who died a very long time ago, even before we ever met."
"Oh?"
"That friend of this prince, also called 'Shenzhu,' has the same Buddhist name as you. Is it a coincidence?" Lu Chuan smiled.
He remembered the simulation he had received as a reward for the Magic Heart Bead not long ago, and the incident was still fresh in his memory.
"That's quite a coincidence..." Shen Zhu remained unperturbed, thinking that Lu Chuan was starting a topic and preparing to respond.
Sure enough, Lu Chuan asked:
"Do you know about past lives and present lives?"
"As the Buddha said, all things in this life are the result of past cause and effect," Shen Zhu replied.
"If everything in this life is the result of past cause and effect, then what is the purpose of our current hardships and cultivation?" Lu Chuan guided the conversation.
"Practice hard in this life to cultivate for the next, until the next life becomes this life, this life becomes the past life. Flowers bloom and fall, reincarnation is endless, but eventually, in one life, attain enlightenment and become a Buddha. May you achieve success in your practice!" answered Shen Zhu.
Luchuan laughed, his smile exceptionally brilliant, his youthful heroism and eloquence:
"There are three thousand realms of existence, with immortals, gods, saints, demons, and devils... Each has its own merits and characteristics. Why do we have to pursue the elusive Buddha life after life?"
"Amitabha Buddha, whether immortal or god, sage or demon, if compared with Buddha, all beings are rooted in illusions. The path is elusive, but with single-minded devotion to Buddha, our hearts will become true. Isn't it better to seek one Buddha instead of pursuing many paths? The Buddha resides in our minds, while immortals and divinities are often near him. Demons and monsters are beyond the path and cannot be spoken in the same breath."
神竺静心而论，身后佛陀虚影更加凝实了一些。
反观陆川这边，毫无动静，不像是在与神竺论道，反而像是一个凡人在向佛陀谈论世俗一般，一点仙朝皇子的气概都不见，显得平平无常，未脱俗世，似乎落了下风。
可陆川却一点也不在意，反而继续带着话题走向道：
"Why are demons outside of the Dao? Demons are also members of all sentient beings, with past and present lives, standing between heaven and earth, and living and dying in accordance with the will of heaven. They can be placed alongside immortals and buddhas. Why must the beings of demons be excluded?"
"The demonic beings are born with deep-rooted sins. However, if one day they can attain enlightenment, renounce their sins, and convert to Buddhism, it's not impossible for them to become immortals."
Shenzhu's arguments were smooth and seemed flawless.
This is exactly what Luchuan wants.
"Okay, as a former demon in my past life, can I become a Buddha in this life?"
"Yes, by repenting for my past sins, resolving karma, I can cultivate myself to become a Buddha in this life!"
"Oh? As a Buddha in my past life, now I am a demon. How should I deal with myself?"
Luchuan started to exert his strength, and behind him appeared a sun and a moon, representing the passing of each day and month respectively. The scorching sun and shining moon alternated to imply the simplest essence of the Dao.
神竺顿了顿，没有第一时间，应答，而是花时间思索了一会儿，才道：
"In my past life, I was a Buddha, to save sentient beings. In this life, I am a demon, to save myself! Whether it is for the benefit of sentient beings or for my own sake, it is all a matter of reincarnation. To settle the debts of sin and karma, I will eventually become a Buddha!"
Luchuan's words were sharp and pressing, but Shenzhu held his ground.
Suddenly, Luchuan let out a sigh and said,
"If that's the case, what about those who achieve enlightenment but then turn to evil? How should they be judged?"
Shenzhu frowned, he had never heard of or seen anything like this before. It was difficult for him to decide what to do.
However, he was not without resources, and after a moment of reflection, he said:
"I have only heard of transcending demons to become a Buddha, but never have I heard of transcending a Buddha to become a demon!"
"Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"If it exists, where did Your Highness hear about it?"
"No one can transcend a Buddha to become a demon, but what about... transcending oneself?!" Lu Chuan said calmly, not giving a direct answer.
"I have never heard of a Buddha who has become a demon!" insisted Shen Zhu without backing down.
"If there is such a thing, would Your Majesty please let me see it?"
"Oh... is there such a thing?"
"Even if there is such a thing, it must be a Buddha's inner demon. If one is not troubled by inner demons, and transforms into a demon, it is truly unfortunate!" Shenzhu clasped his hands together and said.
Luchuan laughed, knowing that his opportunity had come.
"I have something that can make people see Buddha and self-enlightenment, or become demons. Would you like to take a look?"
Naturally, Shanzhu didn't believe it and thought that Luchuan was just talking nonsense. He laughed and said,
"Since you have such a unique thing, why don't you take it out and let me have a look?"
"If you take out this item, you may glimpse your past life and become a demon on the spot!" warned Luchuan.
"Amitabha Buddha, as the Buddha says, the Buddha is in his own heart. As for my heart, I can only become enlightened on the spot," replied Shenzhu confidently.
Although the monastic people are not supposed to tell lies, but... turning into a demon on the spot?
It's really an unprecedented thing.
As the saying goes, only Buddha can save demons, there is no reason for demons to save Buddha.
Shenzhuo was so confident, and Lu Chuan naturally could not suppress the other party's momentum, so he slowly took out a black bead that had been rebellious under his suppression for a long time. This bead was like a child who had been abandoned and eagerly wanted to see his father. It just popped out directly.
Magic Heart Pearl!
When Luchuan took out this pearl, Shen Zhu appeared somewhat puzzled, because... he felt a sense of familiarity from the Magic Heart Pearl, as if it was...
Like in a past life!
"Past life..."
Shen Zhu's face became trance-like, as if he had entered a dream, and memories that were not originally in his mind began to surface.
As these memories appeared, Shen Zhu's confident expression began to slowly solidify on his face, and the Buddha shadow behind him gradually dimmed until...
Disappeared completely!
For some unknown reason, a devilish thought quietly bloomed in the heart of Buddha.
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(End of this chapter)