Chapter 1430: Chapter 532: Hundred-eyed Child
Zhou Xuan pondered as he glanced at the surrounding statues.
Suddenly, he felt that the statues in the Treasure Hall, except for the Buddha Mother, seemed peculiar.
For instance, in the southwest corner, there was a Buddha statue covering its eyes, and the one next to it covered its ears.
And at the northern temple wall, there was a pregnant Bodhisattva holding her round belly with both hands,
the rest of the statues also emanated a sinister and eerie aura.
The more Zhou Xuan looked, the more he felt something was off.
Having seen some grim Buddhist Temples with peculiar statues before, Zhou Xuan wasn’t unfamiliar with them. The Lotus Temple, being a shrine for spirit monsters and yellow-skinned creatures, made the eerie theme not surprising.
But today, as Zhou Xuan examined closely, he felt these statues hinted at something.
As for what these eerie statues symbolized, he needed to inquire.
He looked to Lady Lianhua and asked, "What are the names of these statues? Can you introduce them?"
Lady Lianhua moved her plump body and pointed to the statue covering its eyes, saying, "This one is called ’Eye Seeing Evil’. It’s said that this young Buddha, when his eyes are open, sees sin everywhere."
"The one covering its ears is called ’Ear Listening Anger’, hearing the sounds of anger caused by humanity’s oppressions."
After introducing two of them, Lady Lianhua walked to the pregnant female Buddha and said,
"This one is ’Body Hidden Ghost’, it’s said that she always nurtures ghost fetuses in her belly."
"That one is ’Desireless Fool’, with a huge head, rumored to have a demon living inside, constantly giving him thoughts of tormenting mankind."
"The one covering its chest is ’Long Resentful Heart’, born with immense hatred, wanting to kill everyone in the world."
"That one, pointing at its legs, is ’Infinite Legs’. His legs act on their own, always walking to the houses of beautiful and charming women to force pleasures."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan counted on his fingers,
’Infinite Legs’, ’Long Resentful Heart’, ’Desireless Fool’, ’Body Hidden Ghost’, ’Eye Seeing Evil’, ’Ear Listening Anger’.
These six statues are inherently flawed, born as perverts and deformities, it’s not out of line to say so.
And each corresponds to a body part—legs, heart, brain, abdomen, eyes, ears.
"How did these six twisted people become Buddhas?"
Zhou Xuan was curious.
Lady Lianhua replied, "These six were born sinners. They shouldn’t have become Buddhas, but fate brought them to meet Samantabhadra Buddha Mother,
Samantabhadra Buddha Mother blinded ’Eye Seeing Evil’.
Deafened ’Ear Listening Anger’.
Removed ’Body Hidden Ghost’s fetus.
Used the Demon-Subduing Pestle to bash ’Desireless Fool’s head, turning him into a foolish child.
As for ’Infinite Legs’ and ’Long Resentful Heart’, one had his feet cut off, the other had his heart replaced with a long fold of Buddhist Scripture."
"From then, these born sinners were rid of their original sins, took refuge with Samantabhadra Buddha Mother, and became the Six Great Sinful Buddhas under her."
Zhou Xuan nodded vigorously, saying, "Samantabhadra Buddha Mother truly is a Thundering Bodhisattva. Her method of clearing sin could make for several suspense films at the Pingshui Cinema."
Lady Lianhua, not sensing the sarcasm in Zhou Xuan’s words, agreed,
"Sometimes a thundering approach shows Bodhisattva’s heart. Samantabhadra Buddha Mother advocates for ’Fearless Giving’, and a fierce approach is a form of fearlessness."
"Ah, Lady, your Buddha Mother is too fierce, so fierce she doesn’t resemble a Buddha, so arrogant she doesn’t either."
Zhou Xuan shook his head and looked up at the giant Buddha Mother statue again, saying, "I feel more like she’s a demon."
"Not quite," Lady Lianhua said. "Even the Buddha Mother felt her methods were too violent, so she could no longer bear seeing those disabled or pregnant, lest she recall the scenes of purging the six Sinful Buddhas of their sins.
Thus, in our temple, there are six types of people who are not allowed entry."
The implication of these words struck Zhou Xuan, who turned sharply and asked, "Which six types?"
"Crippled feet, the blind, the deaf, the mad, the foolish, and pregnant women."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan suspiciously asked, "Does the Buddha Mother not bear to see them, or does she disdain to?"
"Should... should be the former, right?" Lady Lianhua sounded uncertain, after Zhou Xuan’s questioning.
But Zhou Xuan shook the hem of his robe, saying, "What’s the truth, if we bring a few disabled people here, we’ll find out?"
"That... would break the temple’s rules." Lady Lianhua hesitated.
But Zhou Xuan pointed to Zhao Wuya, saying, "Lady, you are not Lady Lianhua, you are ’Contemplation Zen’, what do Lotus Temple’s rules have to do with you,
Listen to me, let’s test them first."
Without another word, Zhou Xuan exited the Treasure Hall gate.
"Sir, suddenly finding a few disabled people might not be easy, shouldn’t we reconsider?"
Lady Lianhua tried to use the difficulty of finding disabled people as a reason to delay Zhou Xuan from violating the temple’s rules,
Only for Zhou Xuan to say, "As long as I’m here, blind, deaf, lame... those six types, I’ll find them immediately, no need to reconsider."
"..." Lady Lianhua hadn’t even processed this when Zhou Xuan, already outside the hall, gently fanning his folded fan, transformed from a young man in a Daoist robe into a blind man with empty eye sockets.
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