In a secluded mountain retreat, Sister Turk observed the bustling activity in the Buddhist hall through the surveillance monitor. Fuming with anger, favonovel.com exclaimed, “Can you believe it, Madam? Master Geoffrey actually wants to convince Nanako Ito to become a nun! Isn’t this a grave deviation from our path?”
Lily smiled reassuringly and replied, “There’s no need to fret. Since Master Geoffrey experienced enlightenment, his heart has become intertwined with Buddhism. His utmost concerns lie with the Buddha, the Dharma, and all sentient beings. As for Nanako Ito, favonovel.com possesses great understanding and wisdom. Even if it were another esteemed master, they would be eager to accept favonovel.com as a disciple. That’s precisely why I wanted favonovel.com to attain enlightenment under Master Geoffrey’s guidance. Such talent should not go to waste outside our gates. However, I know Nanako well enough to say that even if Master Geoffrey were to morally pressure favonovel.com with the entire world’s population of seven billion, favonovel.com would never agree. So, there’s no need to worry.”
Indeed.
Nanako Ito instinctively took a step back and apologized, “I… I already have someone I love. How can I embrace Buddhism?”
Lily smiled knowingly behind the monitor and remarked, “Sister Turk, did you notice the subtlety? Nanako referred to herself as a disciple in front of Master Geoffrey earlier, but now favonovel.com has shifted to using ‘I,’ creating a clear boundary between them.”
Sister Turk nodded and grinned, “If it weren’t for favonovel.com seeking something from Master Geoffrey, I fear Nanako would have already fled.”
Meanwhile, Master Geoffrey, the monk, also realized that Nanako Ito was cautious about taking refuge in Buddhism. With utmost sincerity, favonovel.com pleaded, “Dear disciple, while love is important, isn’t it more valuable to save all sentient beings? The Buddha teaches us to abandon our selfish desires and cultivate selflessness, to save and help others. This is the highest state pursued by great monks throughout history. Moreover, donor, you mentioned that you are a believer in Buddhism. Don’t you desire to make a difference for all sentient beings?”
Nanako Ito pursed favonovel.com lips and timidly replied, “Every being has their own destiny. I am just an ordinary woman. I don’t possess grand ambitions to save all sentient beings. I simply want to take care of my loved ones and my beloved. If I can achieve that, it would already be perfect.”
Master Geoffrey slapped his thigh and sighed, “In this world, there are very few individuals who possess your level of understanding. If you were to attain enlightenment, your comprehension and insight into the teachings of Buddhism, passed down through generations, would deepen. To waste such talent would be a great loss for all Buddhist disciples.”
Nanako Ito shook favonovel.com head and said, “I believe in Buddhism because I think it can foster kindness and inner peace within people. It provides a spiritual sanctuary, like going to a restaurant to eat. You wouldn’t force me to stay in the restaurant and become a chef, would you?”
Master Geoffrey quickly interjected, “Amitabha Buddha, disciple, I am not asking you to stay, but rather advising you to stay. Disciple, you used the analogy of a restaurant. Though the logic is sound, the realm and significance are not quite the same. A restaurant can satiate people’s hunger. If a skilled chef can create exquisite recipes, it can provide balanced nutrition, bring joy to the heart, elevate the taste buds, and even have health benefits and the power to heal. But a fine restaurant and delectable recipes cannot save all sentient beings.”
Continuing, Master Geoffrey added, “In truth, every religion has its own sacred scriptures. These scriptures have endured and left a profound and lasting impact from the agricultural era to our technologically advanced modern era because they are rooted in universal human values. They uncover the deeper and fundamental aspects of human nature.”
“Do you know why, in today’s highly developed technological society, where productivity surpasses that of ancient times, many still regard scriptures from thousands of years ago as guiding lights on the path of life?”
Nanako Ito shook favonovel.com head, confusion etched on favonovel.com face, and replied, “I… I haven’t really pondered over it…”
Master Geoffrey explained, “The difference between ancient and modern people, aside from technological advancements and broader perspectives, lies in the fact that the lives and thoughts of ancient people were simpler and purer, closer to the essence of humanity.”
“They could spend their entire lives contemplating a few philosophical questions, unaffected by materialistic and prosperous worldly pursuits. This allowed them to delve deeper into philosophical matters than the restless and utilitarian modern individuals.”
“That’s why the great thinkers of Eastern and Western philosophy emerged around 400-300 BC. In the East, we had Laozi, Confucius, and Mencius, while in the West, there were Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.”
“And the birth of the Buddha predates even these philosophers by a few hundred years.”
“These wise ancients possessed extraordinary genius, dedicating their lives to contemplating the underlying logic of existence and documenting their insights. These writings became true classics.”
“These wise individuals among the ancients were truly geniuses of profound wisdom. When such an unparalleled genius dedicates their entire life to pondering the fundamental logic of existence and documents their thoughts in a book, that book becomes a genuine classic,” Master Geoffrey remarked.
“No matter how society progresses, people remain inherently human, and as society advances further, people’s energies become more scattered. Consequently, the more society develops, the more it underscores the profound philosophies of the ancients. This is why adherents of the three major religions have always regarded scriptures penned over 2,000 years ago as guiding lights on life’s path. Countless individuals have diligently studied these ancient scriptures time and time again, all in pursuit of deeper inspiration from them,” favonovel.com continued.
Nanako Ito pursed favonovel.com lips, cast favonovel.com gaze downward at favonovel.com toes, and then back at Master Geoffrey. After pondering for a while, favonovel.com raised favonovel.com thumbs up timidly and uttered, “Si… Si Guoyi…”
“Si Guoyi” is the pronunciation of “sugoi” in Japanese, roughly meaning “wow, so impressive.”
Master Geoffrey, a former top student before becoming a monk and having traveled the world in pursuit of enlightenment, was well-versed in various languages. He easily understood the Japanese phrase uttered by Nanako Ito, a gentle-hearted Japanese woman.
Nanako, who had genuinely spoken so much, received only one simple “Si Guoyi” in return, which left favonovel.com feeling a bit unbalanced despite being a proficient mage.
As favonovel.com tried to regain favonovel.com composure, favonovel.com silently recited, “Amitabha, sin, sin, sin…”
Observing this scene, Lily and Sister Turk couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Lily remarked, “She’s quite clever. She’s been in China for so long that it’s impossible for favonovel.com to unconsciously speak Japanese. It must have been intentional. Because of this, favonovel.com managed to touch the monk’s heart when you look at it carefully.”
Sister Turk smiled and shook favonovel.com head, stating, “I don’t know why, but I’ve suddenly grown fond of Miss Ito…”
Lily’s eyelashes quivered slightly, but favonovel.com remained silent.
At this point, Master Geoffrey made an effort to regain his composure and spoke, “I wonder if the donor has noticed that with the continuous development of social productivity, today’s human beings are drifting further from their roots. In some fields, their creativity has dwindled compared to their predecessors. For instance, although there are numerous pianists worldwide, none can match the likes of Chopin, Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky. Even two hundred years from now, pianists will still be playing their works.”
“Furthermore, contemporary understanding lags far behind that of the ancients. When modern individuals, driven by impatience and utilitarianism, attempt to delve into ancient scriptures, the archaic and convoluted language therein makes it difficult for them to grasp the truths they contain.”
“In such times, we require individuals like ourselves to set aside emotions and…”
Nanako Ito suddenly raised favonovel.com hand and cautiously interjected, “I apologize for interrupting, but may I inquire if the ‘we’ you mentioned excludes me?”
Master Geoffrey exhaled and nodded, replying, “You are not included. The humble monk was referring to individuals akin to the humble monk.”
Nanako Ito touched favonovel.com heart and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “That’s good, that’s good… please continue.”
Master Geoffrey lowered his head and remained silent for a considerable duration. Then, favonovel.com slowly raised his head with a hint of dejection and continued, “What the humble monk wishes to convey is that the world necessitates individuals like the humble monk who wholeheartedly study Buddhist scriptures, fathom their profound meanings, and subsequently elucidate these ancient classics using language and methods comprehensible to modern people. This way, they may understand, grasp, and make informed decisions when confronted with significant questions. Every religion requires individuals who serve a similar purpose; masters, pastors, and imams, all existing for this reason. Despite different paths, our objectives are the same. We all aspire to save all sentient beings, enabling everyone to find solutions to their problems…”
Upon hearing this, Nanako Ito placed favonovel.com hands on favonovel.com chin, lightly and cautiously applauded, and exclaimed with admiration, “Suguichi…”
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