Chapter 69: Return to Yuan Temple

  From that day on, Chen Chufan read Buddhist scriptures and, with Yang Tao's guidance, gained insight into the principle of letting go. He put aside his extraordinary circumstances and transcended his thoughts. However, when faced with the opportunity to study abroad, Chen Chufan was once again perplexed: should he leave or stay? This was a choice that had nothing to do with letting go, or rather, which side to let go of?

  The topic is very difficult, and both sides are reluctant to give up. On the one hand, it's a rare opportunity that comes once in a lifetime, while on the other hand, it's an emotional bond that is hard for young people to sever. If Chen Chufan was still the same as before, without great ambitions, content with being an ordinary youth, or if Chen Chufan had a heartless and ruthless personality, then this topic wouldn't be considered difficult at all. The choice could be made easily.

  But now Chen Chufan is neither, so he has to be troubled, difficult to choose, and even toss and turn, unable to sleep. As soon as the sky brightened, Chen Chufan, who had basically not slept all night, got out of bed, changed into a more formal outfit, and left the dormitory alone.

  More than an hour later, at the gate of Huiyuan Temple in W City, a young man appeared. The young man was Chen Chufan, who was staring blankly at the solemn temple gate. Coming to Huiyuan Temple had been on Chen Chufan's mind for a long time. He chose to come today, on one hand, to seek theoretical support and comfort for his physical changes, and on the other hand, to calm his mind.

  This was Chen Chufan's first time coming to this thousand-year-old temple, so he didn't know that it was actually located in the most secular street district of W City. After getting off the car, he walked along the way, passing through the noisy fresh market, passing by the flower market where people gathered, and passing by a row of bustling breakfast shops, as well as an elementary school, bookstore, snack shop, grocery store, barber shop, etc., just when Chen Chufan thought he had taken a wrong turn and was about to ask someone for directions, the solemn Guiyuan Temple suddenly appeared in front of him.

  On one side was the bustling city, and on the other was the serene temple. This was vastly different from his imagined ancient temple, so the young man couldn't help but feel shocked. In the young man's simple mind, the location of a Buddhist temple should be as secluded and quiet as possible. Even if W City didn't have any famous mountains or lakes to choose from, it still shouldn't just randomly pick a small alleyway to settle down in, right?

  After the shock, Chen Chufan still honestly went to the ticket office next to the gate and exchanged a paper ticket for 20 yuan.

  As soon as one enters the temple gate, one becomes pure and clean.

  A simple gate, yet it really separates the bustling secular world from the serene Buddhist door. It was early in the morning, and the monks' chanting voices during their morning prayers echoed within the temple, adding a solemn atmosphere to this thousand-year-old temple. It also inexplicably calmed the young man's mind for a moment. Perhaps I really have a connection with Buddhism? The young man joked to himself, but he didn't stop his footsteps and began to stroll around the temple.

  Perhaps it was because he had a Buddhist body, Chen Chufan felt an inexplicable sense of closeness as he strolled through the temple, smelling the incense and listening to the chanting. His conflicting emotions seemed to calm down as he walked, smelled, listened, and looked around. He passed by the liberation pool, crossed over the Arhat Hall, and paid homage to the Mahavira Treasure Hall. Chen Chufan stopped in front of a small Buddhist temple door.

  What attracted him was a couplet posted on the gate of the Buddhist hall. The upper line read: "When you see it, do it; when you've done it, put it down; what's left undone?" The lower line read: "Wisdom arises from awareness, awareness arises from freedom, and is there really birth or no birth?"

  It seems to be simple and easy to understand, yet it is obscure and difficult to make out. It seems to have a hidden meaning, yet it appears to be saying nothing at all. Chen Chufan was so bewildered that he stood frozen in front of the Buddhist temple gate for a long time without moving his feet.

  "Amitabha, I wonder what the donor is thinking?" After finishing his morning lesson, Master Longyuan returned to his Zen room and saw the young man standing silently in front of the scripture hall. He had been reading Buddhist scriptures in the Zen room for almost an hour and was about to patrol the temple when he saw the young man still standing in front of the scripture hall, seemingly motionless. Feeling curious, Master Longyuan took the initiative to approach him and strike up a conversation.

  When it comes to Master Longyuan, 30 years ago he was just a small monk in charge of cooking at Guiyuan Temple. Now, however, he has become the abbot of the entire Guiyuan Zen Temple. As the abbot, his identity is one of many, such as being a member of the ZH Buddhist Association, secretary-general of the W City Buddhist Association, and a member of the CPPCC. In short, he is a man of great virtue and prestige. Therefore, it was an honor for the young monk to be asked by Master Longyuan himself.

  "What does this couplet mean." Hearing someone ask, the young man seemed to still be in a daze, without turning his head or thinking, and directly spoke out the doubts in his mind.

  "When you see it, do it; when you've done it, put it down. This means that when we see something, we should take action! If we can do it, we strive for perfection; if not, we learn as we go. What's done is done, and what's not done is not worth worrying about. After all, everything in this world is between completion and imperfection. We've seen it, we've done it - what else is there to worry about? This is the meaning of the first phrase!" Master Longyuan didn't know why he was answering the young man's question today, but he seemed to have taken a liking to him and decided to respond voluntarily.

  After a pause, Master Hongyuan continued to explain the next couplet: "Wisdom arises from awareness, and awareness arises from freedom. Here, wisdom refers to our intelligence, which we acquire through reading and learning. This wisdom originates from enlightenment, which in turn stems from our desire for knowledge and our natural state of mind. As we continually question and resolve our doubts, we are undergoing the process of learning. So, is it birth or non-birth? In reality, there is no end to what has been said, and yet, there is an end; there is birth, and yet, there is no birth. It is as if one must let go in order to gain - the more one lets go, the more one gains; without letting go, one will not attain it. Can you understand this, donor?"

  Chen Chufan shook his head slightly, turned around, and took a glance at the monk who had just explained to him in vain. He thought that this monk was ordinary-looking with a square head and big ears, and there was nothing special about him. In fact, although Chen Chufan had read Buddhist scriptures extensively, he didn't understand the significance of the monk's attire at all. As a result, he hadn't realized that the person standing in front of him, wearing a kasaya, was someone with an extremely noble status.

  Ignorance breeds a lack of reverence. Therefore, the tone of youth is often quite casual.

  "After talking for half a day, it still boils down to two words: let go! But can any matter in the world be made clear with just these two words? You say 'letting go' means letting go, and that by letting go, you gain. I'd rather say that not letting go doesn't mean you'll gain, and even if you do let go, it's not necessarily a guarantee of gain. What explanation can this old monk possibly offer?" The tone was somewhat impolite, but the young man was already irritated to begin with. He had come seeking enlightenment from the Buddha, only to hear an old monk ramble on in his usual long-winded way, which naturally made him even more irritable.

  Luo Yuanfang didn't get annoyed, and instead asked warmly: "It seems that young Master Shi has something difficult to decide on, which makes it hard for him to calm down. But the monk still says the same thing, whether to let go or not to let go, because in the end, one must let go."

  Chen Chufan stared blankly at the monk in front of him, who still had a warm and friendly smile on his face. He knew that his previous complaints were unreasonable, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed. With a bitter expression, he said: "Monk, you have a good temper and speak reasonable words, but how can it be so easy to let go? As the couplet says, 'see and do, do and put down.' But now I want to do something, I need to give up first. I don't know how long it will take, if I spend a few years doing it, but then I won't be able to bear to put it down, what should I do? Listening to your words is like the Heart Sutra, 'no attachments, no fears, no inverted dreams, ultimate nirvana.' It sounds beautiful, but has no meaning! Because my heart cannot have no attachments, so I cannot escape fear, how can I achieve nirvana?"

  "Look at young Master Shi, at such a young age, he can recite Buddhist scriptures from memory, could it be that he has specially studied the profound principles of Buddhism?" Monk Longyuan was not annoyed by the youth's sudden rebuke, but instead was amazed that Chen Chufan could recite Buddhist scriptures off the top of his head. These days are different from the past, for a young person to even see a Buddhist scripture is already a rare occurrence, let alone be able to recite it from memory.

  "I've studied, of course I have! The 3,927 volumes of the Chinese Buddhist Canon, I can recite them backwards and forwards. Can the monks believe it?" Chen Chufan said shamelessly, then let out a sigh and exclaimed: "If one is well-versed in the Buddhist scriptures, they can grasp the ultimate truth of Buddhism. I'm afraid that would make me an instant Buddha!"

  "The donor is laughing! But to speak falsely in front of the Buddha is not proper, a sin, a sin!" Master Lung-yüan was somewhat displeased. At first glance, this young man stood silently in front of the scripture hall, seemingly having doubts. He had kindly pointed out something, but didn't get a good response, so he let it go. As the abbot of the temple, being called "monk" by this young man was also forgivable. However, speaking falsely in front of the Buddha made Master Lung-yüan quite unhappy.

  In other words, bragging in front of a monk made him somewhat unhappy.

  "I knew you wouldn't believe me, but that's the truth! Do you think I'm so bored that I'd run to a temple just to brag to a monk like you?" Chen Chufan said with some helplessness.

  "Amitabha, since that's the case, I'll test the donor. If the donor truly understands Buddhist scriptures, then I, a monk, have committed an offense!" Master Longyuan was actually getting somewhat angry, and was arguing with the young boy in front of him.

  "You're not interesting at all, you said you'd test me, I didn't pass, and you just left with a flick of your sleeve. But now that I've passed, you're just one sentence away from offending me, what's the point of letting you test me? Is there any benefit to me?" Chen Chufan said with a pout.

  "This?" Hong Yuandong's status was transcendent, where would anyone dare to negotiate with him like this? He was actually stunned by Chen Chufan's words and didn't know what to say. He shook his head, feeling that his behavior today seemed a bit ridiculous, inexplicably getting worked up over nothing with a young tourist here. He couldn't help but shake his head again, self-mockingly smiling, then opened his mouth to say: "Well, it seems the monk is indeed unreasonable! Forgive me, benefactor, this poor monk won't disturb your sightseeing anymore, farewell, farewell!"

  Having said that, he prepared to turn around and leave, continuing to patrol the temple.

  "Hey, monk, wait a minute! I haven't finished speaking yet!" This time it was Chen Chufan who actively stopped the monk.

  "What else can I do for you?" Master Lung looked at the young man in front of him with some displeasure.

  "It's like this, I'll let you test me. If I can pass, then take me to meet the abbot of this temple, what do you think?" Chen Chufan unexpectedly said something that made Master Longyuan both laugh and cry.