The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

A figure appeared not far from where Fangzheng recited the scriptures.

“The fool is actually reciting scriptures to the field. Does the recital make the seeds cold resistant?” Li Xueying looked at everything in front of her, speechless.

The seen was calming on the mind, truly picturesque.

Here one could see the hegemon of the world—man, a savage and wild carnivore—wolf. There was the adorable and tiny squirrel and the lively monkey. Together, it should have looked like a warzone yet the area was harmonious. With the sun behind them, the scenery no longer looked like that of the mortal world. It truly looked like a thing of art.

Li Xueying took out her cell phone and snapped a picture. She subconsciously wanted to share it on her WeChat Moments but stopped when she was asked to confirm.

Looking at the young monk and the few animals in front of her and then the tranquil monastery, she shook her head, “Why should a rare silence be disturbed by bustle?” With that, she tapped cancel.

She did not know that with that tap of hers, it made Fangzheng miss the chance of completing his mission, again. If Fangzheng had known he’d have likely burst out in tears…

Li Xueying walked in front of Fangzheng but he was not aware of her arrival. He continued his recital.

When Li Xueying heard the scriptures and saw the golden glow of the setting sun reflecting off the tiny paddy field onto Fangzheng’s face, she sfelt as though she had seen Buddha. For some unknown reason, her mind calmed. She sat down, ignoring the mud or coldness. She sat there looking at Fangzheng, her eyes calm and peaceful. It was unknown what was on her mind, perhaps nothing. She liked the tranquil, relaxed feeling of not being disturbed and having to think.

It was unknown how long she sat, when Li Xueying felt an itch by her ankles she looked down and was stunned! She saw a few stalks of grass stabbing into her socks. When she moved away, she was astonished to discover that grass seemed to grow faster around her, or more precisely, around Fangzheng!

Li Xueying rubbed her eyes in disbelief. How was it possible? There was no way such a thing should be possible!

Li Xueying was an experienced person. Due to her acting and personal preferences, she had traveled the world. She visited many religious places, met countless monks and reverends but she had never seen someone as capable as Fangzheng.

“It has to be an illusion. Perhaps the grass grows faster here because of the water,” thought Li Xueying. She made a mental note of the height of the nearby grass. She took out her cell phone and began recording. As she continued listening to the scripture, her messy thoughts slowly calmed down.

The sun set as the moon rose, scattering a silvery glow onto the mountain top.

A group of people arrived in the distance as well. Director Yu had returned with a group of the film crew. When they saw Li Xueying, they felt relieved. But they realized she was sitting there motionless, facing the young monk after coming back from dinner.

The monk was dressed in white and was illuminated by silvery moonlight. He had animals around him as he emitted a sacred glow. Anyone that saw it could not help but marvel.

Li Xueying was equally silent. She was dressed in black and sat opposite Fangzheng. The black and white formed a strong contrast. But for some reason, everyone felt that the extremely popular international superstar appeared smaller in stature when sitting in front of the young monk.

It was as though the young monk was Buddha and Li Xueying was one of the masses listening to His teachings. The feeling made most of them uncomfortable. How could their idol be lower in stature than someone else?

Someone wanted to call Li Xueying but was stopped by Director Yu. Finally, Xiaoliu brought a thick cushion over but when she went over, she also sat down and turned motionless.

It left Director Yu dumbfounded. He was confused about the situation. Unwilling to have his beliefs shaken he walked towards them, “I’ll go and listen too. I want to know what the monk is reciting to have such magical powers.”

Just as Director Yu walked over, Old Tao came over. “Director, take this cushion. You will have something to sit on if you do not return as well.”

“What do you mean not return,” berated Director Yu with a laugh. Despite his words, he still took the cushion and walked over.

Director Yu was truly curious. Was it so impressive and pleasant to the ears?

As he approached, he heard the scripture recital. It did not sound any different from what he usually heard. But as he approached, Director Yu realized that the monk exuded a unique bearing that left his mind at peace. All his worries and vexations were wiped clean. The feeling of having the worries that plagued him suddenly wiped away felt like a mountain of stress had been moved from his heart. He felt like he had cleansed himself and felt a lot better.

He turned to look at Old Tao, Lin Dongshi, Luo Li, and company. Then, he waved his hand to tell them to scram. Following that, he placed the cushion he carried and sat down as well. He quietly listened to the Buddhist scriptures and reveled in the rare tranquil moment.

“Odd, odd! Even Director Yu has succumbed. Have they been bewitched?” asked Old Tao.

Lin Dongshi looked at Luo Li. “Luo Li, you are filled with vibrancy and are unafraid of the supernatural. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“F**k off. Why don’t you just say I’m all brawn and no brains? That I’m easily fooled?” Luo Li berated with a laugh. However, he was eager to give it a try. Hence, he rolled his shoulders and approached.

“The wind is blowing and the water of Yi River is cold. The courageous man would leave for his mission…” Lin Dongshi called after him.

When Luo Li heard that, he turned his head and glare. “If you dare shout again, I’ll break your legs!”

Lin Dongshi chuckled and shut up.

Luo Li took a deep breath and walked towards Fangzheng, thinking: “Do such odd things happen in this world? It’s impossible, right?”

Luo Li approached with suspicion and wariness, with the intention to escape at any moment. As he approached… he ended up sitting beside Director Yu. He shared the cushion and chose a comfortable sitting posture and joined in the listening of the scriptures.

“Holy shit, even that blockhead with all his vibrancy has fallen. Isn’t this a little too creepy?” exclaimed Lin Dongshi and Old Tao.

“Should we go over and take a look too? If there are more humans, any demons and ghosts will be chased away,” said Old Tao.

Lin Dongshi gritted his teeth. “Let’s go take a look.”

Therefore, the group of people shuffled over. All of them mustered their courage but when they came near, they collectively turned dumbfounded.

Finally, they were chased away reluctantly. They brought blankets and heaters over. They surrounded Fangzheng and sat down to listen to his recital. No one dared to make a sound the entire time, afraid that they would disturb Fangzheng’s recital.

And at that moment, Fangzheng did not know what was happening around him. He was fully immersed in the enjoyment of watching life grow. It was a feeling of challenging all obstacles and overcoming them. That fearless spirit touched Fangzheng deeply. With his mind immersed in the feeling, his scriptures turned into a subconscious recital. Through this subconscious act, it came from the heart. Whatever the heart thought would be brought to life with the scriptures. It exuded the tranquility of life and the power of growth. Furthermore, the White Lunar Monk Robe had augmented the effect. The Buddha aura that emitted from the Crystal Rice’s growth entranced the crowd into Fangzheng’s epiphany.