One is the present, the other is the past, which me do you love more
He replied: Not you.
There was a moment of silence in the Thousand Buddha Hall.
The demoness seemed to be stunned for a moment, and then she burst into laughter as if she had heard a huge joke. When she turned around and looked at Xie Buchen, there was an indescribable feeling in her eyes.
"It's not me, hahaha..."
She was stunned, not because the answer was unexpected, but because he faced his feelings and inner demons so calmly and rationally!
She smiled, not because the answer touched her heart, but because she loved him so deeply that when it came to letting go, she was ruthless and cruel to the point of chilling one's teeth.
It took her a long while to stop laughing.
There was now a strange warmth on that originally cold face.
The banshee Jianchou paced on the steps, and this time she finally turned to the other side where Jianchou had been watching coldly for a long time. Her future as a banshee, the real Jianchou's present.
"Congratulations. When you kill him in the future, you will be able to let him feel the pain of being killed by his beloved."
This is the truth, but Jianchou doesn’t care that much.
Killing Xie Buchen was not because of the strong hatred, but because there was a cause and effect between the two that needed to be resolved. Everything should have a beginning and an end.
Whether Xie Buchen was in pain or not, what did it have to do with her
The banshee Jianchou was looking at her, and she was also looking at her.
Jianchou stood there without moving, just smiled slightly and went straight to the point: "Why am I here today? You should know, right?"
How could it not be clear
After all, in a sense, she was indeed the Jianchou of the past, and had once been a part of her emotions. Even if she was not fully aware of the current Jianchou, a person's character and temperament would not change at will.
As early as when she appeared in the temple, the enchantress knew why she came.
only…
"I also have a question that I would like to ask you."
"Oh?" Jianchou's voice rose slightly, as if he was interested, but didn't seem to care. "You and I have a long history, but it's okay to ask."
It's more than just a connection
The banshee still remembers the scene. She slashed with her axe, cutting off the past and the present, and standing on this side of the chasm, watching her walk away from afar.
The look in her eyes at that moment was her first memory as a banshee.
"You wanted to ask him why and on what basis. I also want to ask you, why and on what basis?"
Her smile had turned cold, and every word she said was full of questions!
"I am your past, the love you once had, the hatred you once deeply had, and the bond and concern you have. Why can you let go of me, and on what basis can you let go? Is it just because I blocked your way forward in the cause and effect gate that day?"
"… "
She was the one who was abandoned, and Jianchou thought that he should have given her a gentler answer. But the truth of this world is often cruel, so how can it be associated with the word "gentle"
So she was silent for a moment, and gave an answer that was even colder than Xie Buchen's answer just now: "Yes."
yes.
yes
ha.
The female demon Jianchou couldn't tell whether she was surprised or angry.
She is the embodiment of the emotions and ties that Jianchou has abandoned and given up along the way. Although she symbolizes Jianchou's past, her appearance, character and temperament seem to be the same as Jianchou. However, because of these emotions and ties, they are completely different in subtle ways.
For example, her unwillingness and her resentment.
"yes?"
The sharp sarcasm in the banshee's expression was even more intense than when she questioned Xie Buchen just now!
"What a 'yes'! What a 'yes'! You've let go of your past; you've let go of your ties. But what about your child... Is your heart made of iron or stone? Can you even let go of it?!"
child.
These two words pierced my heart. I hadn't heard them for a long time, and I hadn't even thought about them for a long time. Now that I heard them from my past self again, it was inevitable that there were a lot of complicated things.
At this moment, she actually felt a moment of weakness, as if someone had pried open her hard shell.
But it was only for a moment.
The banshee's sharp questioning only pried the shell open for a moment. The next moment, it closed silently, wrapping all the soft flesh inside, like an indestructible fortress.
No one except herself could notice this moment of weakness.
Standing in this Thousand Buddha Hall is still the powerful, peaceful and calm Jianchou, the Jianchou of today.
She looked back at the witch without hiding anything, and her words were frighteningly calm: "… As you said, I can even give up you, so what else in the world can I not give up?"
This sentence was originally said by the witch when she questioned her yesterday, but now Jianchou used it to answer her current question.
How ridiculous is that feeling
But what was even more terrifying was that such an answer was the most normal and correct one. After all, when she asked these questions, didn't she already have the answers in her mind
Suddenly, tears appeared in the eyes of the witch Jianchou, but she smiled and asked her, "So, you don't think you are terrible? You have abandoned the past and cut off your love. Now you are standing here, what is the difference between you and the clay puppets, heartless gods and Buddhas in this hall?"
the difference
Jianchou raised his head and looked at the gods and Buddhas in the Thousand Buddha Hall as she asked. Although they had compassionate faces and solemn appearances, they were indeed as she said, heartless and emotionless clay puppets.
But, "Who told you that I am ruthless?"
This answer finally caught the banshee by surprise.
She was stunned for a moment, feeling that her words were totally unfounded.
Jianchou smiled and looked at her with calm and gentle eyes, as if he was not looking at a witch who almost killed her, but a close friend he had known for his whole life.
Sincere and genuine.
"I have indeed abandoned the past and given up love."
"But what has passed should be abandoned. Life is so long, how painful it would be if the past entangled us forever? Love can indeed be abandoned, but that is only the love of the past."
"It's better to say 'let go' than to say 'give up'."
At some point, Monk Yichen and Abbot Wujiu had arrived outside the temple gate.
But at this moment, they did not go in, nor did they interrupt. They just looked at each other with their own thoughts, just like the other two, listening quietly.
Jianchou didn't care about being heard.
All her feelings came from her heart, and all her words came from her heart. She stood there, and every word she said was like she was confessing her most secret self.
There is neither hypocrisy nor reservation.
"I am your future now."
"I am here, before your eyes."
"Let go of ties, and there will be new ties; let go of love, and there will be new love; let go of the past, and there will be a new past. It's just that the former is what I give up, and the latter is what I take."
All of this is what Jinchi realized yesterday.
There were two very famous gathas in Buddhism.
One says: The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a bright mirror; wipe it diligently from time to time and do not let it accumulate dust.
One said: There is no Bodhi tree, nor is there a mirror stand; originally there is nothing, so how can dust collect
Whether it is a Buddhist disciple or a monk in the world, they all think that the latter realm is higher. It can be seen that Chou considers himself an ordinary person with a worldly mind and does not agree with it.
Buddhism regards the emptiness of all dharmas as the highest state, and therefore favors the latter.
But where in this world do so many great monks who have reached the state of emptiness and color come from
Ordinary people are mediocre and busy, but one who can "wipe diligently" is already an extraordinary person.
There is no difference in the realm between these two gathas.
It’s just that one is worldly and the other is out of the world.
The Lantern Sword in her hand seemed to sense her current mood. A faint light emanated from the sword and penetrated the scabbard.
Jianchou kept looking at the banshee and did not move his eyes away.
"Love has never left, just like what you see in me now, there is true love and great love. The way to choose is in my heart. Love, hate, sorrow and joy are still there, and love, hatred, separation and reunion are also moving."
"But what about me? What am I?"
The banshee Jianchou finally understood her words, but what came over her next was a faint sense of despair.
"What am I in your eyes?"
"You are you, and I am me."
"You are my ashes, my past, and my bond. Nine parts are me, and one part is a demon. However, the moment you gained intelligence, you no longer have anything to do with me."
"You in the past cannot affect me at this moment, but I at this moment exist because of you."
No one can truly abandon his past. Even if all the memories are erased, the world that has been experienced will not change because of the erasure of memories.
To be more precise, Jianchou has never let go of the past.
What she abandoned was the ties with that past, but she never denied the real past.
However, all these love, hate and ties depend on the past. If the past does not exist, love, hate and ties will not exist.
The banshee is her past love, hatred and ties.
But if she wants to exist, she must rely on the past and the past.
Jianchou finally sighed: "I came here today just to ask you a question and give you a choice."
"Aren't you here to kill me?"
Is there anyone in this world who can tolerate the existence of another evil being exactly like her
The demoness Jianchou looked at her, and her gaze gradually calmed down. It seemed that it was the first time that she looked at Jianchou standing in front of her so seriously and carefully.
Jianchou shook his head: "Without you, without the me of the past, how could I be who I am now? I will not kill you, but there are three paths before you."
The banshee saw that she was sorry and said nothing.
Jianchou continued, "You at this moment are nine parts of my past self, and one part a demon created by my past. As my past self, you cannot defeat me now, because I am not a mediocre person, and I have not turned back. Therefore, you will never be able to kill me even if you spend your entire life."
She never concealed her murderous intention towards herself and Xie Buchen.
They all knew this very well.
Jianchou smiled slightly, his eyes were clear and transparent, reflecting the figure of his past self in front of him, then he stretched out his palm and opened it gently.
In the palm of his hand, there was a silver lock tied with a red rope, which looked a bit old!
At this moment, the banshee Jianchou suddenly trembled all over.
Those eyes, completely different from Jianchou's, were panicked and sad, and they looked at her, as if shocked by her ruthlessness and heartbroken by her indifference.
"How dare you..."
"You and I have the same name, mine is Jianchou, and yours is also Jianchou. Isn't it a disgrace to my name to be so self-degrading?"
"You have plenty of choices—"
"Give up one and take nine, and from now on it will become my past, following me like a shadow; give up nine and take one, and from now on I will become a free demon, having nothing to do with my past, present and future..."
“Or, give up all nine and all one, and become the real me, the me of now.”
There is nothing I am afraid of when I see sorrow.
Sometimes she felt that she had already made the decision long ago. For example, she had been to the extreme realm and the underworld. As long as she was willing to think, there would always be a thousand or ten thousand ways to check reincarnation, the past, and the child.
But she didn't go.
It was just a vague feeling at that time, but now it is completely clear.
To the banshee and to her past self, this silver lock was the object of affection, love and hatred. But to her now, it was just an ordinary silver lock. Maybe it contained affection, love and hatred, but it was not something that could not be let go.
All the past is reduced to ashes.
So at this moment, she just handed the palm with the silver lock to the witch, and looked at her with clear eyes: "At this moment, the choice is all in your heart."
Monk Yichen outside the hall saw this scene and heard these words, and his face suddenly changed.
That originally calm face suddenly revealed a bit of complexity.
It was directed at both the banshee and Jianchou.
But in the end he held back and did not go in and interfere.
The sunlight outside has already covered the entire mountain.
Some sunlight now shone into the Thousand Buddha Hall, which originally seemed dim. It was very bright and dazzling.
The silver lock in Jianchou's hand seemed to still carry the warmth of the past under this light.
Seeing Sorrow, the witch almost immediately stretched out her hand, as if she was about to pick up the small silver lock. But just as her fingertips were about to touch it, she couldn't help shaking!
Just stop at that line.
It’s just a thin line, but it’s also like a chasm!
The choice is entirely up to her.
Become a free demon, become her past, or become the real her, her at this moment
She slowly raised her eyes and her gaze returned to Jianchou.
To Jianchou at this moment, the banshee is her past; to the banshee at this moment, Jianchou is her future.
Wearing a moon-white robe, he is open and honest.
She has calm eyes, gentle features, a long sword in hand, and a heart that cares about the world. She has a very high level of cultivation and a very high state of mind...
Strong, calm, and peaceful.
So dazzling, so outstanding.
Just one glance is enough to make you fall in love!
How could anyone in this world reject such a future
The demon girl looked at him and suddenly laughed out loud, but a tear fell from her eyes: "As expected of me..."
The raised hand was about to touch the tip of the silver lock, but finally it dropped dejectedly.
The banshee took a step back.
At this moment, the silver lock on Jianchou's palm turned into ashes in an instant! Even the gods and Buddhas enshrined in the temple seemed to sense her choice -
Whether it is the majestic Buddha or the compassionate Bodhisattva; whether it is the angry Vajra or the smiling Maitreya...
Hundreds and thousands of Buddha statues were shaking violently at this moment!
The Tathagata's lotus fell, Guanyin's pure bottle fell, Bodhidharma's hanging beads broke, and the Arhat's lotus platform collapsed. In their hands, all kinds of instruments and butcher knives fell and collapsed!
In the Thousand Buddha Hall, smoke and dust rose up.
The face of the demon in front of Jianchou suddenly became blurred. Unexpectedly, a line of golden Buddha light shone from her brows, like a spark, and instantly spread throughout her body.
Then the body, like the silver lock, turned into golden ashes!
Put down the butcher knife and become a Buddha instantly!
This is just a legend and a metaphor in Buddhism. Even Yichen had never thought that one day he would see it with his own eyes!
But it's a bit bitter after all.
At this moment, there are auspicious clouds in the sky and the Buddha's light is shining everywhere.
But on the steps inside the hall, there was only a glass-like shadow floating in the air.
Everything about the demon girl was like a withered statue, completely frozen in the moment of her choice. The traces of tears were still there, but her eyes were filled with relief.
After a moment, the Buddha's light faded and the shadow disappeared.
The golden ashes fell to the ground one after another, and were blown away by the wind from outside the palace in the blink of an eye...
"I am..."
Jianchou stared at him in a daze, with a vague sense of melancholy, but a slight smile hung on the corner of his lips, and he only spoke softly.
"Thank you very much."
Thank you for your past, you have made me who I am now;
Thank you for the present you, who has made my future complete.
I am also grateful to myself for never looking back or retreating from the beginning to the end, and not letting down the storms and pains I have experienced along the way.
It is said that the ancient Buddha Dipamkara is a Buddha from the past who can save all sentient beings in the world from suffering. The so-called "Dancing Lamp" means, first, to burn the past and preserve the present, and second, to illuminate the world and eliminate darkness and ignorance.
But she is just a mortal after all.
Her heart lamp cannot save all living beings in the world, it can only save herself.
The ashes of the silver lock in his palm also dissipated with the wind, and the ashes in Jianchou's heart also dissipated. He suddenly felt lighter, and for a moment it was clear as water, bright and lucid.
When all confusions are removed, the Tao will emerge.
Then, that state of mind suddenly broke through a certain barrier, and the cultivation accumulated over four hundred years poured out like a flood, destroying all the restrictions she had set for herself!
The level of cultivation increases rapidly, and the realm becomes higher and higher!
From Nascent Soul to Out-of-Body, and from Out-of-Body to Entering the World, in just a blink of an eye, he has reached the pinnacle of entering the world, and is only one step away from returning to the Void!
How earth-shattering, how horrifying!
Yichen and Wugou have both been practicing for thousands of years, but they can become Buddhas on the spot just like the banshee. This is the only scene they have ever seen in their lives!
Abbot Wuqiu had a solemn expression on his face.
Monk Yichen looked at Jianchou with a complicated expression and some appreciation.
When the demon girl saw sorrow, she became a Buddha instantly.
One is because he laid down his butcher knife, and the other is because he sacrificed himself.
The moment she saw Jianchou, she was already impressed by this future self.
She chose to become the current Jianchou, to become her true self. But the current Jianchou has already abandoned the past and its shackles...
If you choose to be her, you have to give up the past.
But the banshee was originally Jianchou's past, her bond, and existed because of this past. To abandon the past is to abandon oneself, a true "sacrifice of oneself".
One thought makes you a demon, one thought makes you a Buddha.
Although Yichen is not a female demon, at this moment, looking at Jianchou, he can completely see through and understand her choice: nine parts of the past and one part of demon nature, she can't resist the temptation to become such a person...
He sighed deeply, clasped his hands together, and finally smiled slightly: "Congratulations, Donor Jianchou."
Jianchou turned around and returned the greeting, but said nothing more.
She just took a step and walked out of the Thousand Buddha Hall, letting the bright sunlight shine on her body. Standing on the open ground outside the hall, she raised her head and looked towards the distant sky.
At this moment, the heaven and earth seemed to be angered by her gaze!
“Boom!”
With a loud thunder, the clouds moved in all directions!
That oppressive and mysterious aura instantly spread to the entire land of the Nineteen Continents...
The catastrophe is coming.