劍問蒼天 - 第176章 俗世佛堂 - 清風書屋

Facheng seemed to have expected that Ming Li would ask such a question. He nodded, motioned for Ming Li to follow him this way, and led him toward the rear of the Mahavira Hall. As they walked, he said, "In fact, long ago, the Fanyin Temple, like the Canglan Sect and other great houses, was not open to the secular world. It was only after my master, the Venerable Pucheng, took over as abbot that he, together with three of my other uncles, delved into Buddhist teachings and made a great vow, saying: 'The Buddha is the Buddha of all living beings, not the Buddha of me alone.' And so they decided to open the mountain gate and receive the common people."

At this point, Facheng stopped, turned around, and pointed toward the countless steps leading to the Mahavira Hall. "Do you see that long stone stairway?" he asked.

Ming Li nodded. "What of it?" he asked.

Facheng pressed his palms together. "One of my uncles once saw that the mountain path was steep," he said. "Although the common people wished to pay homage to the Buddha, many were frail and found the way difficult, unable even to climb the mountain and fulfill their vows. So he used great divine powers and, single-handedly, spent ten years carving this broad, level road to the Buddha out of what had been a perilous mountain path. It was an act of boundless merit."

Ming Li could not help but feel deep respect, and his expression grew solemn. "To think there was such a remarkable elder," he said. "May I ask his name?"

Facheng glanced at him and, after an unexpected pause, said in a low voice, "That uncle's name was Puzhao. He has been dead for over ten years."

Ming Li's body went rigid, as if the two words "Puzhao" had struck his mind like a thunderclap out of a clear sky, shattering his spirit to pieces.

Facheng watched Ming Li's face shift unpredictably, now sorrowful, now resentful, then sighed deeply and said softly, "Enough. Let us go. The abbot is still waiting for us."

Ming Li followed Facheng woodenly. His steps, which had been fairly light before, were now impossibly heavy. After walking some distance, he suddenly turned back, his face a tangle of emotions. In the distance, the crowd was bustling—countless people moving along that stone stairway: the old, men, women, children, each with a devout expression, passing over the steps and chanting the Buddha's name, as if by walking this road they had drawn a little closer to the Buddha.

The expression on Ming Li's face was complex and hard to read. His hands clenched into fists and slowly relaxed again. After a long while, he finally turned his head and walked on. Facheng, who had been waiting ahead, pressed his palms together and invoked the Buddha's name, but said nothing more.

The two of them went on together, leaving behind those countless devotees and that silent road to the Buddha—leaving them behind in the mortal world.

This place had once been the mortal world; it was no longer the realm of immortals and Buddhas.

********

After the Mahavira Hall, there was still a long series of halls and shrines. The Fanyin Temple was, after all, a great and famous sect, and its grandeur was beyond comparison with ordinary temples. Yet Facheng led Ming Li all the way through without stopping at any of the halls or pavilions, heading straight for the back mountain.

Ming Li followed behind Facheng the whole way without a word, his face heavy with thought. He seemed not even to see the splendid, exquisite buildings around him.

In the end, however, Facheng actually led him out the back gate of the Fanyin Temple and onto a small mountain path leading up to the summit of Mount Sumeru. Only then did Ming Li frown and ask, "What? Is the Venerable Pucheng not in the temple?"