Chapter 7750 Lecture Conference

Xiang Chen's voice was like a huge bell, echoing in the square. Millions of monks all looked thoughtful when they heard it.

An old monk in a golden cassock stood up and saluted with his hands together: "Your words are profound. I am stupid. Please enlighten me."

Xiang Chen smiled slightly and raised his hand to pick a Bodhi leaf. The leaf slowly unfolded in his palm, revealing mountains, rivers, cities and villages, and countless tiny creatures living and multiplying in them.

"This is the true meaning of one leaf, one Bodhi."

Xiang Chen explained: "Everything has its own way, and every blade of grass and every tree can become a Buddha. You recite scriptures and meditate every day, but have you ever thought that the bluestone under your feet and the flying birds above your head are also the embodiment of Buddhism?"

The monks looked enlightened when they heard it. Chan Kong was so excited that his white eyebrows trembled: "Your Excellency's words are really enlightening!"

At this time, a young monk suddenly stood up and asked excitedly: "Your Excellency, there is one thing I don't understand. Buddha said that all beings are equal, but why is there still a distinction between rich and poor, noble and humble in the world?"

Xiang Chen heard this, and a trace of praise flashed in his eyes: "Good question."

He raised his hand and waved, and the phantoms of three thousand worlds appeared in the air. There are people of different ranks in each world, but without exception, they are all experiencing birth, old age, sickness and death, love, hate, and hatred.

"Look, this is the true meaning of equality."

Xiang Chen explained: "It is not external equality, but internal equality. Whether you are an emperor, a general or a peddler, you have to experience the same joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, birth, old age, sickness and death. This is what Buddha said about the equality of all beings."

The monks heard this and showed enlightenment.

Some monks even broke through a bottleneck in their hearts, and were so excited that they burst into tears: "Your words are really enlightening!"

At this time, a lama wearing a red cassock stood up, put his hands together and said: "Your Highness, I have a question. The Diamond Sutra says that one should not dwell on anything and give birth to his mind, but when we practice, we must always have a place to stay..."

Xiang Chen raised his hand to interrupt: "Daoyou is obsessed with appearances. Not dwelling on anything does not mean that you have nowhere to go, but that you should understand that dwelling and not dwelling are one and the same."

As he spoke, a golden lotus appeared in his palm. The golden lotus sometimes bloomed and sometimes closed, and each change showed a different world scene.

"Look, where does this lotus live?" Xiang Chen asked: "It is both in the palm of your hand and in the void; it is both in the present and in eternity. This is the true meaning of not dwelling on anything - not clinging to any place, but everywhere."

The monks were fascinated by what they heard, and many of them had an epiphany on the spot, and Buddha's light appeared around them.

At this time, a nun in a white cassock stood up and asked respectfully: "Venerable, I often hear Master say that if you put down your butcher knife, you will become a Buddha immediately. But why can those who have done many evil things become Buddhas just because of a good thought? Is this unfair to those who have done good deeds all their lives?"

Xiang Chen heard this, and a deep flash of light flashed in his eyes: "This is a good question."

He raised his hand and waved, and a picture appeared in the air: a butcher put down his butcher knife and knelt to repent; a monk recited scriptures every day, but he was resentful.

"Look, this is the true meaning of Buddhism."

Xiang Chen explained: "Becoming a Buddha does not depend on what you do, but on what you think in your heart. The butcher put down his butcher knife, which means he put down his evil thoughts; the monk was resentful because he was obsessed with his good thoughts. The Buddha said that all things are created by the mind, which is the truth."

The monks heard this and showed a look of sudden enlightenment. The nun was so excited that she burst into tears: "Thank you for your teachings, venerable, I understand!"

At this time, an ascetic monk in a gray cassock stood up and said in a hoarse voice: "venerable, I have a question. The Heart Sutra says that color is not different from emptiness, and emptiness is not different from color, but when we practice, we must have a color..."

Xiang Chen smiled slightly: "According to my personal opinion, color is not different from emptiness does not mean that you deny color, but that you understand that color and emptiness are one."

As he spoke, a crystal ball appeared in his palm. Countless scenes appeared in the crystal ball, but there was nothing.

"Look, what's in this crystal ball?"

Xiang Chen asked: "It shows everything, but it is empty. This is the true meaning of color is not different from emptiness - not clinging to color, but not denying color."

The monks heard this and showed enlightenment. The ascetic monk was so excited that he trembled all over: "Thank you for your teachings, I understand!"

At this time, a young monk in a yellow cassock stood up and asked timidly: "Venerable, I have a question. The Lotus Sutra you just preached says that all sentient beings have the wisdom and virtues of the Tathagata, but why can't we achieve it after practicing for many years?"

Xiang Chen heard this and looked at the young monk with a trace of love in his eyes: "Good question."

He raised his hand and waved, and a mirror appeared in the air. Countless scenes appeared in the mirror, but there was nothing.

"Look, what's in this mirror?" Xiang Chen asked again.

"It shows everything, but it is empty. This is the true meaning of the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata - not clinging to wisdom, but not denying wisdom."

The monks heard this and showed a look of sudden enlightenment. The young monk was like a wake-up call, and bowed respectfully: "Thank you for your teachings, I understand!"

The lecture lasted for seven days. Xiang Chen talked about the Avatamsaka Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, from "One flower, one world" to "All things return to one", and every sentence directly pointed to the true meaning of Buddhism. During this period, countless monks had sudden enlightenment on the spot and broke through the realm.

On the evening of the seventh day, Xiang Chen was about to finish his lecture when a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky. In the sky full of rosy clouds, a huge Buddha shadow appeared, which was the legendary "Tathagata Dharma Image!"

Zhen Kong was so excited that he trembled all over: "Venerable... this is..."

Xiang Chen smiled slightly: "It seems that it is time."

He said, raising his hand to point to the void. The shadow of the Buddha slowly turned into a golden scripture, which was the "Great Sun Tathagata Sutra"!

"This scripture is the highest scripture of Buddhism, and it will be presented to Yuechan Kingdom today." Xiang Chen said, "I hope you will comprehend it well and don't let this opportunity go to waste."

The monks knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you for the sutra!"

Chan Kong was so excited that he was incoherent: "Your grace, Yuechan Kingdom will never forget it!"

Xiang Chen just smiled indifferently, waved his sleeves, turned around and walked away on the clouds in order to fill the air, leaving only one sentence:

"Remember, the true Dharma is not in the scriptures, but in your hearts."

From then on, Yuechan Kingdom had one more supreme Buddhist scripture, and the charlatan and big liar Mu Chen also completely changed his image in Yuechan Kingdom through this lecture.

Although Xiang Chen did not ask them to create a golden statue for him, Dachan Temple still cast a golden statue of Sun-Swallowing Venerable in the main hall, right next to the golden statue of Moon-Chan Venerable, the founder of Dachan Temple.

The legend of Sun-Sun-Moon Venerable in Moon-Chan Kingdom in later generations came from this.