A clear stream flowed out from the mountain forest, swirling around in front of Meng Qi’s eyes before cascading down the mountainside.
Nearby, lush green trees cast shadows, while a thin mist pervaded the forest. The air was extremely fresh, giving Meng Qi a feeling of joy and serenity.
The sky had not yet brightened when the morning bell rang, startling Meng Qi awake. After learning a small Sanskrit incantation during the morning lesson, he and Zhen Hui were assigned by Xuan Xin to fetch water. Around them were also Zhen Ying, Zhen Guan, and other monks undergoing training in the martial monk academy.
Looking at the stream, Meng Qi inadvertently glimpsed his current appearance reflected faintly in the slowly flowing water.
It was a child with eyes like inked dots and eyebrows like distant mountains, with delicate, porcelain-like features. He appeared about twelve or thirteen years old, just slightly older than Zhen Hui.
“Not bad at all. Must have lived a life of luxury before,” Meng Qi complimented himself, but immediately sighed. What use was this to a monk? He was determined to return to secular life!
He submerged the wooden bucket to the bottom of the stream, intending to test his strength, while reminding Zhen Hui beside him, “Little junior apprentice, only fill it halfway. Don’t push yourself.”
“Okay,” Zhen Hui replied, watching the fish swimming in the stream and licking his lips.
Just as Meng Qi was about to lift the bucket, he suddenly sensed someone watching him. He turned his head and followed the gaze, precisely seeing a group of familiar martial monks. They were the young novices who had been ordained together with him by Xuan Ku. Meng Qi could only remember a few of their names, and one of them was Zhen De.
Zhen De’s eyebrows were rather unkempt, his face thin and elongated. Upon seeing Meng Qi look back, he slightly lifted his head, appearing somewhat arrogant and smug.
The other young novices around him, seeing this, changed from looking gloomy to visibly delighted. It seemed that, upon seeing a “companion” in a worse situation than themselves, the hardships of life in the martial monk academy instantly vanished.
Indeed, they had entered the martial monk academy, while Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui could only serve as labor monks. That was something worth celebrating and being proud of.
Zhen De opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but after glancing at the nearby disciplinary monk, he closed it again and lifted the two full buckets from the stream.
Meng Qi curled his lips, deciding not to quarrel with children. He would eventually enter the martial monk academy and learn Shaolin’s supreme martial arts!
He cleared his mind of distractions and exerted force to lift the two wooden buckets.
As soon as the buckets left the water surface, Meng Qi was suddenly startled. How could they be so light?
He felt as if he hadn’t used much strength at all before lifting them.
“Is it heavy?” Meng Qi asked Zhen Hui in confusion.
Zhen Hui obediently walked over and tried lifting the two full buckets in front of Meng Qi. His veins bulged, his face contorted, and then he nodded: “Yes.”
“Isn’t it the water?” Meng Qi took a deep breath and pondered inwardly, “Could this body naturally possess extraordinary strength? Hmm, judging by the complexion, clothing, accessories, and the mention of a ‘marquis’ by the horse-faced man, this body likely comes from an aristocratic background. Perhaps it had trained in martial arts before, establishing a solid foundation, which explains why its strength far surpasses that of an ordinary child.”
Regardless of the reason, Meng Qi no longer feared fetching water. He bent down, hoisted the two buckets onto his shoulders, and followed the martial monks climbing the stone steps up the mountain.
The line quickly stretched apart. The martial monks, trained for many years, could move swiftly even while carrying iron buckets full of water, quickly disappearing into the forest.
To avoid drawing attention, Meng Qi, Zhen Hui, and a few other labor monks lagged behind. Zhen De and other new young novices of the martial monk academy, having just entered the temple a day earlier without any progress, also stayed at the back with them.
Feeling the gazes of Meng Qi and the others, the young martial monks’ faces flushed red. They all lowered their bodies, adjusted their postures, and strode forward, unwilling to be seen together with this group of labor monks.
Seeing their pace quicken, Meng Qi had an idea and imitated their posture, lowering his body and adjusting his stance. Immediately, the wooden buckets full of water felt even lighter.
“This posture is pretty simple…” Meng Qi experimented with techniques to exert force more effortlessly, gradually quickening his pace. Before he realized it, he had left Zhen Hui behind and overtaken Zhen De.
“Start steady, or you won’t be able to keep going later!” Zhen De muttered resentfully from behind Meng Qi.
Meng Qi chuckled to himself, thinking he should find bigger buckets tomorrow, otherwise there would be no effect from the training.
However, the mountain path was difficult, especially going uphill. Eventually, Meng Qi broke into a sweat and began panting.
“Pay attention to your breathing,” suddenly a serious voice came beside him. Meng Qi turned his head and noticed a patrolling disciplinary monk standing beside him, demonstrating the rhythm of breathing. Surprised and delighted, Meng Qi imitated the adjustment and soon his breath stabilized, allowing him to return to the temple smoothly.
“Tomorrow, use bigger buckets to fetch water,” the disciplinary monk instructed before moving on to meet other young novices.
Meng Qi’s lips twitched. Although he had considered this himself, he still worried about lacking strength.
After a while, Zhen Hui, Zhen De, and other young novices also carried water up the mountain, seeing Meng Qi standing there calmly breathing in the “morning light.”
“It’s just… a matter of… strength,” Zhen De panted, muttering to himself. Like the other martial monk novices, he felt embarrassed that Meng Qi, who seemed inferior to them, had surpassed them.
Without lingering, they hurried away.
“Little junior apprentice, catch your breath. Are you okay?” Meng Qi completely ignored them and asked Zhen Hui, who was gasping for air.
Zhen Hui nodded: “Fine… fine… breakfast!”
…
After breakfast, the sky had just begun to brighten, with a reddish glow in the east.
Meng Qi, however, did not feel soreness from the physical exertion. Instead, he felt more alert and full of energy.
“This body is really great…” Meng Qi looked around the dining hall, where the other labor monks were exhausted and slumped over. Joy welled up in his heart. Regardless of anything else, a good body would be his future asset.
“Newcomers, follow me to the Sutra Lecture Hall,” Xuan Xin stood at the entrance of the dining hall holding a chicken leg, smiling happily. Seeing Meng Qi look over, he slightly nodded and said, “Well done. Don’t give those brats from the martial monk academy any face. Come back tonight, your senior uncle has a reward for you.”
“A reward?” Meng Qi’s heart leapt with joy. Although he somewhat disliked Xuan Xin, who could resist a reward?
Before Xuan Xin could respond, Zhen Hui, with an expressionless face, said: “Master Xuan Xin, one must abstain from meat after opening the orifices. You are breaking the precepts.”
Meng Qi’s mind buzzed. He wanted to turn and cover Zhen Hui’s mouth but was too late.
Sure enough, Xuan Xin’s smile immediately froze on his face.
His lips twitched, and with a forced smile, he said, “Your senior uncle never violates precepts.”
After saying this, he no longer mentioned the reward and walked out of the dining hall with a dark expression.
Only then did a series of quiet laughter ripple through the hall.
Zhen Hui, puzzled, looked at Meng Qi: “Senior apprentice brother, why are they laughing?”
Laughing at how naive and clueless you are… Meng Qi inwardly answered.
But Zhen Hui wasn’t focused on this question. He quickly shifted his attention: “Senior apprentice brother, why did Master Xuan Xin say he didn’t violate the precepts when he was clearly eating a chicken leg!”
“Because he hasn’t reached the stage of opening the orifices yet…” Meng Qi replied vaguely, thinking it was time to teach Zhen Hui some life lessons to prevent him from constantly offending people and dragging Meng Qi down with him.
“Oh! Master Xuan Xin hasn’t attained enlightenment yet.” Zhen Hui suddenly understood, his face lighting up with joy, as if he had unraveled a crucial mystery.
Seeing that Xuan Xin outside hadn’t stopped walking, Meng Qi didn’t bother explaining worldly wisdom and social graces to Zhen Hui. He called him to follow and hurried after Xuan Xin.
Winding past various large and small Buddhist halls and courtyards, Meng Qi could only hear the sound of chanting, ethereal and distant, especially purifying the heart.
“The evening drum and morning bell awaken worldly seekers of fame and fortune; the chanting of sutras and the name of Buddha recall those lost in the sea of suffering…” Somehow, Meng Qi thought of this couplet. The current scene fit it perfectly.
“Hmm, Master Zhen Ding, have you also heard this couplet at the entrance of Shuiyue Nunnery?” Xuan Xin asked with a smile.
Meng Qi’s hair stood on end. Pretending to be calm, he replied, “My father mentioned it.”
He could only attribute it to that inexplicable something.
Xuan Xin wasn’t surprised. With a sigh, he said, “Your senior uncle once visited Shuiyue Nunnery and saw this couplet at the entrance, so it left a deep impression. At that time, the abbess, with her decades-long first place on the Earthly List, forcefully attempted to break through to the Dharma Body realm, hoping to attain the ‘Golden Body of the Compassionate and Observant Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,’ but unfortunately, she failed and entered Nirvana.”
“The Golden Body of the Compassionate and Observant Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva?” Meng Qi exclaimed in astonishment, his heart inexplicably burning with excitement.
Xuan Xin, regaining his composure, chuckled: “The foundation of Shuiyue Nunnery’s establishment is the ‘Heart Sutra of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.’ If one attains the fruit, one can obtain the ‘Golden Body of the Compassionate and Observant Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,’ which is one of the great Bodhisattva and Arhat Golden Bodies. It far surpasses ordinary Bodhisattva and Arhat Golden Bodies, second only to the Tathagata Golden Body, Amitabha Dharma Body, and Bodhi Golden Body. However, throughout history, only the founding abbess of Shuiyue Nunnery has ever attained it.”
“I see…” Meng Qi felt his face flush and heart race. This world actually had Golden Bodies of Bodhisattvas and the Buddha, which was both thrilling and enchanting.
At this moment, everyone entered the “Sutra Lecture Hall.” Xuan Xin’s playful expression vanished. He no longer spoke and led Meng Qi and others into a side hall with a serious demeanor.
“Master Xuan En, these are the new novices from the labor department,” Xuan Xin softly chanted a Buddhist phrase and pointed to Meng Qi and others.
At the front of the sutra hall sat an elderly monk with snow-white eyebrows, thin and withered. He wore a yellow monk’s robe, with books and a wooden fish in front of him, and a ruler in his hand.
“You all sit down separately,” he pointed to the mats that were still mostly empty, each mat having a small table in front.
Meng Qi, Zhen Hui, and others dared not speak and each found a seat to kneel and sit. They waited for another quarter of an hour as young novices gradually arrived, including Zhen De and other “companions” who had entered the temple together.
They looked at Meng Qi and others in surprise, clearly not expecting labor monks to also be able to study in the Sutra Lecture Hall.
Xuan En tapped the wooden fish in front of him, quieting the young novices, and then spoke in a moderate tone: “For the next three years, as long as you do not violate the temple rules, you may come here at this time every day to learn to read. Besides ordinary writing, you must also study Sanskrit to study ancient sutras.”
He paused and continued: “But before teaching you writing today, you must first be guided into martial cultivation.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Qi perked up, subconsciously straightening his back. Could labor monks also receive guidance?
This question puzzled Zhen De and others, who widened their eyes. What was the difference between the labor department and the martial monk academy?
“Whether it is Daoist meditation techniques or secular methods, the first step in martial cultivation is broadly similar yet slightly different. It is called the ‘initial opening of the meridians,’ which strengthens both the spirit and the body,” Xuan En continued, without addressing Zhen De’s confusion.
Meng Qi listened attentively, afraid of missing a single word.
“In Daoism, this step is called ‘Foundation Building in Hundred Days,’ meaning laying the foundation for martial cultivation. The term ‘hundred days’ implies that normally, within a hundred days, the meridians such as the Governor and Conception Vessels will naturally open as the qi becomes full. In our Buddhist tradition, it is called ‘Cultivating the Body in Samadhi,’ because only by calming the mind and entering samadhi without distraction or haste can true qi naturally arise, filling the acupoints and opening the meridians. In the secular world, it is known as ‘Opening the Meridians.’”
Xuan En briefly introduced the key points of “Cultivating the Body in Samadhi” (Foundation Building in Hundred Days): “The human body has 365 major acupoints. After generating one unit of true qi, it must be filled into the acupoints. Each major acupoint requires nine units of true qi to be fully filled…”
“Each fifteen-minute meditation session can generate one unit of true qi. Therefore, depending on the daily cultivation time, this step can generally be completed within a hundred days to a year.”
“During meditation, the six senses are purified, without delusions or impatience. After fifteen minutes, true qi naturally arises. Half of it ascends along the Governor Vessel to the Baihui acupoint at the crown of the head, then descends to the upper palate, forming a unit of ‘Golden Fluid.’ The other half ascends along the Conception Vessel to the lower jaw, transforming into a unit of ‘Jade Liquid.’”
“When ‘Golden Fluid’ and ‘Jade Liquid’ meet, they combine into a clear, sweet saliva known as ‘Amrita’ in our Buddhist tradition. After swallowing this ‘Amrita,’ it is filled into the corresponding acupoints…”
After repeatedly explaining the key points several times, Xuan En said: “Once ‘Cultivating the Body in Samadhi’ is completed, essence, qi, and spirit will be sufficient, meridians initially open, and the body strengthened. Only then can one proceed to the next step, ‘Samadhi for Accumulating Qi,’ also known as ‘Nurturing the Holy Embryo’ in our Buddhist tradition.”
After saying this, he asked each young novice to attempt meditation.
This was not true samadhi; it only required calming the mind, not difficult, especially for children with fewer thoughts.
However, Meng Qi, as an adult, had many distractions and could not calm his mind for a long time, making him increasingly anxious. The more anxious he became, the harder it was to enter samadhi.
When he was sweating from anxiety, suddenly a cool sensation came from his chest, clearing his mind.
“That small jade Buddha?” Meng Qi’s heart leapt with joy. Without thinking much, he gradually calmed his mind and entered samadhi.
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