In an ancient temple on the border of China, eight old monks in red kasaya sat around a marble lotus altar. They formed a Nirvana silent seal with their hands and chanted the mantra of Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra[1].
Na mo a mi duo po ye. Duo Tuo qie duo ye. Duo di ye tuo. A mi li du po pi. A mi li duo. Xin dan po pi. A mi li duo. Xi dan po pi….[2] The abstruse scriptures, accompanied by the percussion of the wooden fish, linger in the majestic hall. The voices of the ethereal Sanskrit penetrates the air and thick brick walls and merges into the atmosphere of the vast and distant blue sky outside the hall.
In the inner corner of the hall, a tall man in a black suit knelt on a futon. His palms were pressed together, his eyes closed, and his pale lips recited scriptures with a solemn expression.
A young monk in a mahogany red kasaya, who was in his early twenties, sat beside him, as he looked at him in the dim light from the corner of his eyes.
The man’s stature is very tall. He also has very healthy complexion, but his slightly purplish lips revealed the secret of his recovery from a serious illness. As early as half a year ago, there was a rumour that the man had serious heart disease and would die soon. The man’s family is one of the most prominent families in the country. He is also a prodigy with extraordinary ability. At the age of 25, he surpassed his father and several uncles and took the position of head of the family. He pulled his family back from the edge of death and pushed them to the top.
The weak disappear like smoke while the strong would die like a mountain. This man’s life and death determines the prosperity and decline of the family, and will also change the fate of many people. As soon as this news was spread, it attracted many people’s attention. However, the man had not refuted the rumours. Instead, he completely disappeared in the public’s sight.
Half a year later, when everyone thought that the man was no longer in the world and when they were ready to make moves against his family, the man suddenly appeared in a high profile and settled with those that were discontented forces very quickly. The rumours were refuted without doing anything.
But the young monk next to him knew it wasn’t a rumour. Even though the monk is still young, and his cultivations were not comparable to those of the eight elders, the simple skill of face reading wasn’t difficult for him. Half a year ago, the man had a face that showed he was facing death, but a year later, it disappeared, and his life span was long. However, there was a dark and ominous spirit that lingered between his eyebrows. This was a sign of being possessed.
He stole someone’s predestined length of life and changed his life and fate. Thus, he was stained with the fruit of evil ah! The young monk chanted a Buddhist scripture towards the man on the TV screen.
Half a month later, when the man came to the door with the authentic Buddhist relic, the most precious treasure of Buddhism, he knew that it was not others who extended his life, but it was his younger sister. The legitimate younger twin sister of his whose blood is thicker than water. She gave her heart to her elder brother and passed away quietly.
The monks didn’t want to know about the dark and dirty inside stories there were. The authentic Buddhist relics are the holiest in the temple. After it was lost two thousand years ago, they finally returned. They can’t refuse any request from the man. Even if the man wanted to use the life-long cultivation of eight elders to send their younger sister to reincarnate, live a happy life in the next life, and be peaceful and happy.
The life accomplishments of the eight elders added up to four or five hundred years of fortune. How dare you, benefactor! The monk frowned at the thought.
The percussion of the wooden fish stopped, and the ethereal Sanskrit reverberated in the open hall for a long time. The strong Buddhist fragrance that diffused from the ice jade box placed in the middle of the Dharma altar was refreshing.
The eight elders slowly opened their eyes. As they have lost most of their cultivations, their wrinkles on their faces became more prominent, and the posture of their bodies was slouching.
“Amitabha, we lived up to the benefactor’s trust.” The oldest monk stood up and went to the altar of the dharma to pick up the ice jade box.
The man also opened his eyes and said nothing. After three kowtows, he went to the front and took the bone that was as cold as bones.
The old monk took the lead to walk out of the main hall, and the rest of the people followed him to stand under a huge bodhi tree deep in the temple.
“Just put the lotus seeds in the water.” The old monk pointed to a small pond five feet away from the tree.
The man didn’t ask any questions. He carefully opened the lid of the box and held the lotus seeds with strong Buddhist fragrance in his palm. His solemn and devout expression seemed as if he was holding the whole world up.
But she is indeed his whole world, the reason for staying alive, and he is reluctant to let go.
After half an hour, the monks waited quietly, but the impatient young monk comforted in a low voice, “Let go of it, Mr Yu. There are eight uncle-masters[3] who have devoted their lives to cultivation. Miss Yu would be able to live a happy life in the next life, and everything will go well.”
The man turned a deaf ear, he placed the lotus seeds tightly to his chest. His expression seems to show restraint. After several minutes, he walked to the pool step by step and bent down to release the lotus seed into the clear water. If it wasn’t for the cremation of his sister’s body when he woke up, how could he be willing to just send her into reincarnation. Even if the heavens were against him, he would revive her life again.
The surface of the water was rippling, which can be known as a miracle. Only a few pieces of green lotus leaves grew quickly after disrupting the ripples in the water. In two or three seconds, they are lush. There was a long thin stem of a pink flower bud swaying in the wind. It was stained with a few drops of crystal clear water, which looked lovely.
The fragrance of the Buddhist joss sticks in the ancient temple was replaced by the elegant lotus fragrance in an instant. Eight old monks placed their hands together and said “Amitabha”.
The man who is well-known for his knowledge returned to his sense after a few seconds of stupor. For the first time, he softened his cold expression and sincerely said, “It took several masters all their lives. Yu Mou[4] is ashamed.”
“Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed an eagle and renounced his body to feed a tiger. When one pursues what he desires without being covetous, who will repine? [5] We are the same. The female benefactor has been reincarnated and will be blessed with good luck, she would be born under the lucky star. It’s late. Please return, benefactor.” The old monk spoke expressionlessly.
The man thanked them again, stood for a long time at the edge of the pool and left reluctantly. When he walked out of the temple, he saw his mother waiting at the door, her expression was uneasy, and the dark and ominous spirit gathered between his eyebrows again. He will not let anyone who has persecuted her or caused harm to her, off!
Eight elders walked into the pagoda and sat around the authentic Buddhist relics. The heavy tower door creaked shut, and it was several years later that it opened again.