Chapter Twelve: All That Is Pale... (Part 2)

  Jing'er's eyes were clear and bright, and the light that shone from them, though invisible, seemed to envelop Longbiao. Longbiao turned his head in a complex movement, gazing intently at the incense smoke that lingered on the Buddhist altar, watching as it swirled and expanded in the empty space with a mixture of agitation and indifference. He remembered telling Shi Wei that he could predict the shape and changes of this smoke even in the darkest darkness where one couldn't see their own hand, but now he found himself to be incredibly shallow back then. The smoke's every movement was not mimicking its usual patterns, but instead weaving an incomprehensible pattern, no, not weaving, but shining like a group of mountains in the clear wind, or like a waterfall flowing down a cliff. In this Buddhist hall, among these clay and wooden Buddhas, amidst these old and young monks with shaved heads, being held by hands that were both existent and non-existent, it was as if they were praising the lotus flower that the Buddha sat upon.

  "Is this Zen?" Long Bao murmured to himself, and then answered again, "This is the leisure of wisdom in the desert, escaping the dryness of the yellow sand. This is Zen. Zen says that leisure is Zen, the desert is Zen, even the yellow sand is Zen. I just don't know if dryness can also be Zen?"

  "Zen has no answers, no words, no logic, and no cause-and-effect relationships. The sharpness of the teachings is to enlighten the mind and see one's nature," Jing'er said softly as usual. "Dragon, Zen has no distinguishing heart, it treats all things equally. The most important thing is to pursue oneself, to return those who have lost their way to the original position of the self-natured heart. Desert does not necessarily mean desolation, yellow sand does not necessarily mean sand, dryness does not necessarily mean lack of moisture. The Zen of words and the Zen of language are both Zen and not Zen. Zen is in the heart, not in the distinction of Zen. Therefore, everything is Zen."

  She gazed quietly at the crowd, from Shi Weimou and others who were worldly people to Jue Kong and others who were monks, and then focused her eyes on Long Bao's face. In Long Bao's pupils, she saw herself, and Long Bao also saw himself in her pupils. She said quietly: "There is confusion only when there is distinction. Your Zen is contradictory, because you are still intentionally clinging to distinguish your heart, your eyes, your thoughts, and the things you understand. You have forgotten that the most fundamental thing about Zen is what the Sixth Patriarch said, 'I have something, no head, no face, no name, no words.' Now I will say a sentence, which may be helpful to you."

  Jing'er stood up, turned her back, and gently combed the waterfall-like hair on her shoulders, saying: "The dead are not dead, the living are not alive; the high mountains shake the small boat; the east wind breaks, the west wind rains again, only to resist the north drought and south flood; empty-handed, holding a hoe; in the vast wilderness, there is no one, yet someone is there, you are there, I am there too, each getting their own spring and autumn; curses are not water, but water is in the ground, heaven is low, water is in the middle, crying and laughing freely.

  After finishing this sentence, Jing'er looked around and gazed at everyone.

  Meng Yuan was puzzled, Shi Wei's eyebrows were raised and his eyes were narrowed as he whispered: What a smooth tongue twister! Little monk thought Jing Er's voice was like singing, really nice to hear. Ming Sheng monk grasped the broom with closed eyes, Master Jing De's eyelids drooped slightly, body swaying gently, hands clasping Buddhist beads. Master Jue Kong had a kind face and a smile, while Long Bao stood still, staring fixedly at beautiful Jing Er.

  Jing'er walked up to Long Bao, who was staring blankly ahead, and gently took his arm. "Let's go," she said softly, "we'll cook dinner."

  "Haha! What a 'Let's go cook!'! Good, good!" Suddenly, Master Juekong burst out laughing loudly. His laughter made Long Bao's whole body tremble. This old monk, who was always aloof and detached from worldly affairs, would occasionally use his Zen words to make Long Bao thoroughly reflect on his own methods, making him want to transcend the mundane world, and using Zen principles to purify his polluted mind. For three years, Long Bao had been trying to reach Master Juekong's state of emptiness and clarity. But Master Juekong had never laughed like this before, nor had he ever praised someone so highly. What was the reason for Master Juekong's unusual behavior? Long Bao's mind was filled with Master Juekong's Zen words, doubts about this question, and doubts about all things.

  Master Juekong stood up with a smile, walked to Longpo's front, and stroked his head with his aged hand. His aged voice was like a bell ringing in the Buddhist hall: "Is it clear? Is it not clear? Can you tell what is clear or not clear? Naturally clear, naturally not clear, naturally yes, clearly no, clearly yes, clearly no, not this clear, not that clear, clear and unclear, unclear and clear, naturally so, without a single thread to hang on, why hide? Clear or not clear? Haha!"

  ……

  Who is the dead person? Who is the living person? Who is the undead dead person? Who is the unlived living person?

  The boat on the high mountain is swaying, swaying, and has arrived at the Outer Grandma Bridge.

  The east wind blows, the west rain falls, the north drought, the south flood, there are no hands holding a hoe, but the hoe is in the handless hand.

  Water is everywhere between heaven and earth, cursed not to be water yet still being water. The earth is higher than the sky, the sky is lower than the earth.

  Laughing or crying, it's all up to you, tears and laughter are free and self-sufficient, naturally so, without a care in the world, like an open field, what can be hidden? What can be concealed?

  This is not that, that is not this, then who am I after all?

  Hehe, I know this answer, but I won't say it, can't say it, and don't know how to say it.

  Long Wanru was struck by lightning, standing there like a mud Bodhisattva or a wooden puppet, completely unaware of how much time had passed before suddenly bursting out laughing, laughing like a child, mischievously grabbing the snow-white beard of Master Juekong and saying: "Little monk, why is your hair growing under your mouth? Have you been cursed too?"

  Juekong Master was like a playful child, and he even used his hand to mischievously pat the top of Longpo's head, laughing and saying: "Old Monk Juekong, why don't you have a beard?"

  Long Bao became even more mischievous and said loudly: "I'm not wearing shoes, my beard has gone to be a shoelace."

  Master Jue Kong had a very believing expression: "Terrible, my teeth were made into shoe heels by your shoelaces, you have to go to the moon to find my socks back."

  Jing'er was so excited that she couldn't help but burst into tears. She looked at the two monsters and said, "What a wonderful empty bowl! I've turned your things into chopsticks and stuck them on this mountain. Do you want them?" She pointed to the pillars of the Buddhist temple beside her.

  Jue Kong Master and Long Bao exchanged a glance, both of them deliberately walked to the front of the beam, Long Bao said: "What a Buddha Bodhisattva! Turned rice into stone like this."

  Master Jue Kong waved his hand and said, "Haha, I've found it. Isn't this your beard? It turns out the mountain is not a monk, it doesn't pretend to be a monk."

  Long Wan deliberately bumped his head against the beam and said, "This is cow dung. You planted it in the river yesterday. Have you forgotten?"

  Master Juekong scratched his head and said, "I'm blind, deaf, and mute. Obviously this is gold, but you say it's silver. Are you talking about what you pulled out when you were sleeping?"

  Long Bao rolled on the ground, then propped himself up with both hands and stood upside down, saying: "You little girl really said Amitabha, do you know that I eat when I take a shit? I'm wearing autumn wind sprinkling a bubble of urine from Luo Han!"

  Master Juekong laughed and lay down on the ground, posing like a sleeping arhat, saying: "Wearing rice, eating clothes, sleeping while walking, speaking with a closed mouth - those are all your own business. You go and make it clear to your wife yourself, don't ask me for help. I still need to go down the mountain to buy a river tomorrow, and then we'll go swimming together yesterday!"

  Long Bao burst out laughing loudly, then started crying loudly. In the midst of his loud laughter and tears, he put down his hands and feet, lay on the ground and said: "I was lying on the ground sleeping but I farted as if I were walking!"

  Master Juekong laughed and said: "Why are you sleeping in the sky? Aren't you afraid of being drowned by water? No wonder there's thunder in the sky when you fart."

  After a while, Long Bao stopped crying and laughing, stood up and walked to Jing Er's back, held Jing Er's beautiful hair with both hands, lifted it into the air, and slowly let it fall. Jing Er's beautiful hair fell down strand by strand, like flowing clouds and clear wind, like a mountain stream and a secluded spring.

  Jing'er quietly listened to the soft breathing of the dragon scales behind her.

  Long Bao, wearing a monk's robe with his head shaved, gently put his arm around Jing'er's shoulder and said softly, "Let's go cook." Jing'er looked at Long Bao's deep and affectionate eyes with tears in her own, and replied softly, "Okay, let's go cook."

  The Buddhist hall was now lit up with dim yellow lanterns, outside the temple were dense stars in the sky, the moon hung high, and there were only a few clouds floating in the sky. These clouds were faintly visible, but they could not block the bright and eternal light of the moon and stars. Everyone including Master Juekong watched as Longbiao and Jing'er walked hand in hand towards the kitchen, under such circumstances, everyone felt an unprecedented sense of emotion for this scene.

  Shi Wei was completely bewildered, and until his death, he couldn't understand what these guys were saying, or what the hell they meant. He asked Little Monk, "What's going on?" Little Monk said, "Master is like a child, it's really fun." He asked Meng Yuan, but Meng Yuan was even more confused than him, saying that during his days of protecting Long Bao on the mountain, Long Bao had never behaved like this. Usually, he would just sit alone, facing the sky, the earth, the mountains, and the waters, to meditate. He asked Ming Sheng Monk, but Ming Sheng turned around and asked him, "Who is the living person dragging a dead body?" He asked Second Master Nun Wu Suo Da Shi, and she shook her head, saying "Sin, sin." He asked Nun De Da Shi, and she pinched her Buddhist beads, muttering to herself, "Why must one know? Why must one cultivate? Why must one attain enlightenment suddenly?" He even asked Jue Kong Da Shi, but Jue Kong just smiled silently, and actually told him, "Wait for dinner."

  He looked silly for a while, then muttered and questioned: "Nana's, is this the Zen that monks are keen on? How can there be such great magic power? This is simply the idealism of a madman!"

  Although Shi Wei was confused by what happened today, he wouldn't go ask Long Bao and Jing Er now because he's extremely happy in his heart. The reason for this happiness is very simple: he thinks Long Bao has finally gone crazy to the point where he can't be any crazier and had no choice but to become a normal person. Of course, Jing Er is undoubtedly the reason behind this.

  In the temple, there was only vegetarian food, and it was light and tasteless. However, Shi Wei ate with great relish. As he ate, he observed Long Bao's expression and thought to himself about finding an opportunity to figure out what was going on. Finally, when Long Bao went to wash his bowl and chopsticks, Shi Wei asked Jing Er: "Jing Er, I feel like Old Six has been completely changed by you after being tossed around like this. Look at him now, he's all smiles, serving me dishes, and being so affectionate with you. What's going on?"

  "Stone, Longbiao is too familiar with human nature and has seen too much of the world's desires. He has experienced too many setbacks, especially the shadow of curses that forces him to be cold, ruthless, and venomous in protecting what he cares about. The utilitarianism of the business world has eroded him, but his true heart is actually yearning for all things good and beautiful. However, his deliberate concern has led him to suppress himself too much, burying his natural nature under misunderstandings, and becoming a slave to artificiality. Chan (Zen) is an extremely high wisdom that explores the meaning of human life, like a gentle breeze or a sweet spring that can lead people astray back to their true path. It's a road to spiritual liberation, where one can realize 'all troubles are empty, karma has no end, the mind is extinct, and separation from delusions' through quiet contemplation, suddenly awakening to guide the spirit into a state of freedom and transcendence. This is why I didn't stop Longbiao when you told me he wanted to become a monk. It's just that I myself didn't understand Chan or Buddhism at the time, so I couldn't help him. But now that I've grasped the essence of Chan, I must come to advise him."

  "Dizzy! Jing Er, since you quarreled with him again three years ago, you have been appearing and disappearing in front of him. What's the reason for this? Stone Wei finally understood a bit and asked again, "You don't care about his life or death, following his temper, what's the reason for this?"

  "Actually, I've always been by his side, and he knows it too. He's just not willing to take the initiative to resolve the misunderstandings between us. You know how proud he is, especially in front of me," Jing'er said with a happy gaze, smiling sweetly. "He's suffered so much hardship and injustice, but he won't vent his frustrations on you or the company employees. So for the past three years, I've been arguing with him online, using this method to release his pent-up emotions. His feelings are quite peculiar - the more he loves someone, the more he wants to hurt them. It's as if he needs to prove that his love exists in destruction. I can only guide him along and lead him into a dead end, then strike him with a wake-up call when he's at his most vulnerable. That's when he'll find a way out. Shi Wei, actually, he was never crazy - it's just that the curse has trapped his emotions in this contradictory whirlpool, making him unable to escape."

  "Three years ago, I was just a naive and self-centered kid. I thought I understood him, that love was all about selfless devotion, and that it meant putting the other person's perspective above everything else. But back then, you didn't know how he humiliated me with his words after Wen Li passed away, forcing me to leave him again. I found a letter my grandfather had left for me at our old home, where he told me about his own experiences with grandma. I finally understood what he was trying to tell me."

  Jing'er's skin took on a faint red hue in the dim light as she continued: "Actually, I was wrong back then. Love should be viewed from the perspective of two people walking hand-in-hand through life, not just about helping each other resolve temporary conflicts and difficulties. Love isn't about never doubting, but about maintaining clarity after doubts arise. For me, love is also a form of Zen, the highest kind of Zen."

  "In these three years, I've worked hard to persuade Jiao Siwei, helped Qiu Ya open up her heart, even helped Xue Bingying get married and become friends with me. Ouyang has also come to understand things, and I've done some persuading work on those people he felt guilty towards, resolving everyone's emotional knots. That way, Long Bao only needs to face this one conflict - do you think he wouldn't know the Zen meaning behind it?"

  "Awesome! High! I didn't expect, I didn't expect, however," Shi Wei exclaimed, while expressing his confusion, "You only told me yesterday that you were going to engage in a Zen debate with him and these monks. How did you use these vague words to make these bald guys cry and fuss like children? And even the 80-year-old Master Juekong became muddled! What's going on? Does Zen have such great magical power? I just can't figure it out!"

  Jing'er laughed, laughing like a three-year-old girl, and said: "Do you know? Chan's style is unique, without words, not everyone can understand it. The sharpness of the machine is to teach and transform, all in one's own heart nature. But it is also to enlighten the mind and see the nature depending on human nature, one question and one answer changing with each person's root nature, time and place. It's like a goat hanging its horns, leaving no trace to be found. Like thunder on a clear day, stunning and deafening. Every word, every sentence does not follow human emotions, does not conform to knowledge, violates common sense. Using negation to transcend negation, in a higher realm, alone and joyfully understanding deeper meanings. Chan is the absolute negation of general discriminative consciousness, not allowing conscious discrimination to mix in. So everyone naturally puts down all the knowledge and words' delusions, even completely ignoring all external phenomena, to return to seeking the natural self-mind. This is unimaginable for you."

  Shi Wei listened with his soul shaken, nodding repeatedly in agreement. Jing Er continued with a smile: "Chan is very mysterious. Once you understand it, you will return to your natural state, unencumbered by desires and external restraints. You'll dance with abandon, answer questions irrelevantly, or not answer at all. Every word, every laugh, every movement will be full of primitive vitality. All the weakness caused by survival worries will disappear without a trace. In short, it can make people transcend the five desires and six sensual pleasures, reaching a more harmonious tranquility. Don't look at Long Bao practicing Chan, but he's confused about it. Don't look at the masters cultivating it, but they're foolishly obsessed with it. I was just following my heart to do and say things, but actually, I was targeting Long Bao's confusion and the masters' foolishness. You see, when facing the true intention of Chan, can Long Bao not cry and make a scene? Can the old monk not get confused? Moreover, Master Jue Kong had already seen through Long Bao's problem and used his humor to enlighten him in a timely manner!"

  "Grandma's, so it seems that what they call Zen is just a bunch of nonsense? Playing the piano randomly and talking gibberish is okay? This is Zen?!" Shi Wei was stunned, shaking his head nonstop. "'I'm standing on the ceiling drinking a cup of not-wine Maotai, I don't have a computer but I'm online', this kind of logic is Zen? Can this crazy talk cure this guy's mental illness?! Mom's, why didn't I go crazy earlier?! It's been years and I've been careful in front of him, afraid to say the wrong thing! Only reporting work to Old Hai, not daring to say a word more! Stupid me, I'm so stupid!" Shi Wei forcefully knocked his own head several times, showing deep regret.

  Jing'er burst out laughing, and Long Bao, who had been standing behind Shi Wei listening to most of their conversation, patted Shi Wei's shoulder and said: "Third Brother, the confused speak with their mouths, but those who understand act with their hearts. There is a path, yet no path; nowhere is not connected. You, ah, why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

  The mountain night is a good evening, the most beautiful of the night is the moon under the starry sky, and the greatest joy of the night is the wind that blows through the mountains and valleys. This night, the moon is bright and the wind is cool, looking out at this night, it's like a faint mist, thin but far-reaching, the lights in the valley below are flashing on and off, the moonlight shines through the trees in front of and behind me, even the grass is swaying in the wind, casting sparse and unclear shadows, the leaves rustling occasionally, but more often than not, it's the sound of Master Ming and his fellow monks chanting their evening prayers that fills the air, accompanied by the chirping of frogs that flows like a gentle breeze.

  Jing'er and Long Bao sat side by side on this large stone, Jing'er leaning lazily against Long Bao's chest, Long Bao gently wrapping his arm around her, Jing'er breathed softly, while Long Bao's eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.

  Under such a starry night, there is no need to say anything more, especially for them now. Their hands were tightly clasped together, and Long Bao occasionally put Jing Er's hand to his lips, tenderly kissing her, while Jing Er quietly felt the prickling of Long Bao's mustache on his lips. Two hours passed before Long Bao finally spoke: "The mountains are like a surging tide, the moonlight is like a flowing ribbon, the night air is cool as water, Jing Er, you are water, I am also water, we blend together, water and water for life."

  Jing'er deeply felt Long Bao's true love, and two clear tears rolled down her cheeks, falling onto Long Bao's chest. She continued softly: "Everything is like water, life is like water, eternity is like water."