Chapter 2278: How Do You Feel About the Experience?
“This novice monk would choose to die.”
Ning Shu: …
For a moment, Ning Shu felt that she seriously didn’t have integrity.
However, staying alive was Ning Shu’s biggest desire. As long as she didn’t hurt others on the way, she would always make choices that were beneficial to herself.
Meanwhile, Hui Ji would sacrifice his life for righteousness and choose faith.
Basically, Ning Shu didn’t understand the Buddhist story of sacrificing yourself to feed an eagle.
Then again, everyone had different principles and beliefs.
“Get some vegetarian food for this little monk,” Ning Shu said to the waiter.
“Thank you, Female Benefactor.” Hui Ji sat down and saw Mei Wu, who was guarding Ning Shu but didn’t say anything.
The shopkeeper brought out a bowl of vegetarian noodles, and Hui Ji gave a Buddhist mudra. “Thank you, Female Benefactor.”
The young monk looked very refined as he ate, but he finished a bowl of noodles quickly. He was obviously hungry.
“Why are you alone?” Ning Shu asked while drinking tea.
“I have been learning through experience.”
“Oh, how do you feel about the experience?” Ning Shu asked. The young monk had lost some weight. He was obviously suffering a lot.
“All beings suffer, and the earth is like purgatory,” said Hui Ji. “It is impossible to save everyone.
“But this novice monk still wants to save the world. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva also knew that hell will never be empty, but he resolutely descended into hell to save the people,” Hui Ji said.
“As long as you are happy. Keep working hard.”
Ning Shu had experienced so many worlds and had never encountered a beautiful world.
If there was a fortune, there would of course be misfortune. How could everyone be happy?
Furthermore, some people’s happiness was built on the suffering of others.
However, this boy’s Buddha’s heart was quite firm.
“Are you going to Mount Song?” the young monk asked Ning Shu.
Ning Shu nodded.
“Can this novice monk travel with you?”
“Are you sure?” Ning Shu lightly asked. “I am a member of the Sacred Demonic Cult. Are you not afraid of being seen with us? Others might ask if you are colluding with the demonic sect.”
“This novice monk has a clear conscience.”
“Then just follow us if you want.”
They rested in the inn for a whole night, and then went on the road the next day. Hui Ji walked behind their group.
Ning Shu glanced back at him as she was sitting on the carriage. Hui Ji diagonally wore a cloth bag and his cloth shoes were dirty.
What an ascetic monk. He was so harsh on himself.
When Ning Shu’s group arrived at the small town near Mount Song, they immediately attracted strange and vigilant eyes.
This was a respected meeting of the righteous ways of martial arts. Why did the people of the demonic sect come here? Was it to cause destruction?
“Junior Brother Hui Ji!” Monk Hui Kong teared up when he saw Hui Ji.
For such a long time, there had been no news of his junior brother. The whole Illusory Temple had been anxious because of this.
“Why are you with the people of the Sacred Demonic Cult?” Hui Kong asked Hui Ji. He stretched out his hand and protectively pulled Hui Ji behind him.
Ning Shu craned her head out from inside the carriage. “Just as you can see, this little monk is in cahoots with our demonic sect.”
“Stop with your nonsense,” Hui Kong retorted immediately.
“Senior Brother, I met her on the road. She saved me, and so I followed them,” Hui Ji explained.
Hui Kong was still very on guard. He said to Hui Ji, “Junior Brother, the abbot is here too. Go see him. He has been worried about you.”
“Okay.” Hui Ji performed another Buddhist mudra to Ning Shu. “Thank you for your life-saving grace.”
“You said that you want to save the entire world. Are the lot of us from the demonic sect not human? When you see us, why do you avoid us like we’re snakes and scorpions?” Ning Shu lazily said as she supported her chin.
Translator: Take
#Take’s comments: Storytime! I couldn’t find this story in English, but there is a Buddhist tale that goes like this: Before Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, he was meditating in a forest and saw an eagle chasing a pigeon overhead. The pigeon saw Shakyamuni Buddha and dove into his clothes, seeking shelter. Shakyamuni Buddha asked the eagle to let the pigeon go as to collect more virtues in this life but the eagle countered that if he did not eat the pigeon he would starve and would have no use for these virtues. As a result and because he valued the life of all living things, Shakyamuni Buddha said that he would give the eagle an equivalent amount of his own flesh to save both the pigeon and the eagle. Shakyamuni Buddha cut off his own flesh to place it on a scale with the pigeon on the other side, but the scale never leveled out. In the end, he jumped entirely onto the scale and it finally reached equilibrium. Shakyamuni Buddha closed his eyes, accepted his fate and asked the eagle to eat him.
Editor: Ran
Translator: Kaho
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