Chapter 526 - 525
The fourth person was a man with a beard, a thick snake coiled around his neck, baring one shoulder, and wearing a gloomy expression. Ye Tian looked at this person and found him somewhat similar to the Thai witch. As for the last one, it was the Esoteric Master.
These five were only the ones currently visible. As far as Ye Tian could remember, there were still two people missing – one holding the Bodhi seed from the Bodhi Tree, and the other, the Great Zen Master. Unless these two showed up, the Seizing Body Conference was nothing more than a sham.
With this thought, Ye Tian felt slightly relieved. But the thought of the inevitable fight with these people made him feel a tinge of cowardice. After all, they were veterans with decades of Cultivation, while he had barely opened his spiritual sense two days ago. In an actual fight, he might only have the ability to parry and no power to counterattack. Moreover, Ye Tian felt a constant worry about the whereabouts of the Thai State Preceptor; an enemy in the open was not terrifying – at worst, one would only take a beating. But the idea of that person hiding in the shadows was troublesome. The feeling of a venomous snake lurking behind one was unbearable; nobody wanted to be suddenly stabbed while walking down the street.
The debate onstage had already begun, with various schools of thought taking their turns. Ye Tian glanced up and caught the Esoteric Master looking at him; he nodded slightly to signal her not to worry.
Since ancient times, there has been a tradition of Confucian Scholars writing books and establishing theories. Scholars who do not practice martial arts and cannot gain merit on the battlefield would nevertheless be indispensable for the completeness of a country. Ancient scholars attending banquets and floating wine-cups on the winding stream were all ways for them to discuss knowledge and express their refinement. Debate competitions held at fairs or temples had become another path for scholars to advance their careers, aside from the imperial examinations.
With just a word, one could talk about all things under heaven. Even if one could not be in that situation, they could still speak eloquently based on the books. Those who made sense were considered wise men; those who spoke nonsense were considered sycophants. The so-called ’scholars leading the country astray’ is the rationale for this.
The debate that was unfolding with their eloquent tongues, was fundamentally no different from the scholarly debates. The Buddhists were also part of the secular world, with none of the many monks in the audience unwilling to participate in the debate. It would be incredibly difficult to have a chance to debate with the masters, even for just a few sentences. Even if one could not become famous across the world, one would still establish a place for oneself in the realm of Buddhism. Yet, no one dared to take the stage. It was not that they did not dare; it was because they lacked the breadth of mind as vast as the universe.
Eloquent speech, although used in a derogatory sense, applied to those who couldn’t even utter a few petals of the lotus or its leaves, and should refrain from making a fool of themselves onstage.
The current topic of the debate was the relationship between Buddha and all sentient beings. A middle-aged lama, wearing a Tibetan brocade lama hat, was speaking passionately,
"Everyone believes in Buddha, but they all think that Buddha is the omnipotent god who relieves suffering and difficulty. Perhaps there are truly people who believe in Buddha, but this feeling also encompasses their own selfish motives. I pray to Buddha, hoping that Buddha will bless me to accomplish what I wish to achieve. With such a mindset, Buddha naturally becomes more distant. The more sincere one is, the more they lose the meaning of Buddha Heart. As the saying goes, ’Buddha Heart is originally without heart; human affairs are also without substance.’ That’s the principle."
The person who countered this lama was a bald monk, who looked quite young with delicate features – even somewhat handsome. The little monk brought his palms together and chanted "Amitabha," and Ye Tian understood that he was from within the country.