Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 220 Defying Heaven, Five Elements Converging at the Origin

Under the setting sun, Zen Master Huijing exuded a tranquil atmosphere, his eyes reflecting a myriad of thoughts before returning to emptiness.

"The first time this humble monk traveled was more than 30 years ago, at the turn of the new century."

"But at that time, it was less the arrival of a new century and more the remnants of the old era."

"Having emerged from the temple, I have witnessed the suffering of all beings along the way: birth, old age, sickness, death, lust, wealth, and desire..."

“The scenes described in Buddhist scriptures are actually happening before my eyes. The Buddha said that all beings suffer, but he did not explain the meaning of suffering clearly.”

"The records of famine and chaos in history books are merely superficial, becoming just ink marks on paper."

At this point, Zen Master Huijing closed his eyes and said, "If we say that black and white words represent the impermanence of the world, then there is a third color between black and white."

"That is the blood and tears of all living beings."

"The vivid red gloom and the murky bitterness seemed to bring the black and white words on the paper to life amidst the chaos of the world, turning them into the simplest sentence."

"The humans were no longer human; they all seemed to have turned into jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, and the world had become a land of ferocious beasts and demons."

"I ask myself if my cultivation is insufficient, and although Buddhism claims to save all people, it actually only teaches people to save themselves."

He reopened his eyes, and at that moment he seemed to transform into an angry Arhat.

There is no Pure Land in this world!

"The gilded bronze Buddha statues in temples have deceived the world!"

He cried out, "This humble monk knows he cannot save this world, but the sight of blood and tears fills me with resentment!"

"A person who cultivates himself should not be moved by external things, nor be disturbed by external appearances."

"Single-mindedly cultivating one's own path is the most fundamental thing for a practitioner."

"However, this humble monk still lost his composure."

Zen Master Huijing sighed deeply, unsure whether it was because of his own disturbed spiritual resolve or because of the chaotic world he witnessed.

"Call me a young monk impetuous and unable to see the world's affairs, or call me foolish and stubborn and unable to see the truth."

"But at that moment, I abandoned my original path and took the opposite path from the patriarchs of all ages."

"That is what it means to help people!"

"This humble monk cannot save the entire world, so I will save those I encounter who are destined to cross paths with me. Wherever I go, all places will be pure lands and crystal jewels."

Zen Master Huijing clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer. “It is laughable that my Dharma name is Huijing, yet I have now become a disciple who is neither wise nor quiet.”

"Being obsessed with worldly affairs and having a troubled mind, I feel somewhat ashamed of the monk's robes I wear."

Looking at the middle-aged monk who was acting crazy, Lü Qian saw a familiar figure in him.

The three grandmasters of Wudang Mountain lived mad lives, and in the end, they resolutely embarked on the path of proving their Dao by dying.

Grand Master Fang Dongtian of Baiyun Temple lived a mundane life, but in the end, he decided to take a gamble and openly seek enlightenment.

This Zen Master Huijing is also on his own path to enlightenment, although the path he takes is different from that of ordinary practitioners.

Practitioners emphasize self-awareness, self-reflection, self-cultivation, and self-improvement; to put it bluntly, it means not meddling in other people's business and focusing solely on cultivation.

Just like in "Journey to the West", the Bodhi Patriarch used the four unorthodox methods to test Sun Wukong at the beginning.

The art of Yin-Yang dual cultivation (movement), the art of meditation and concentration (stillness), the art of sutra interpretation and strategy (flow), the art of divination and fortune-telling (techniques)...

Those with significant influence can govern a country, while those with lesser influence can simply make a living.

But Sun Wukong, who symbolizes a cultivator, doesn't want anything but the technique to achieve immortality.

Logically speaking, this is the most reasonable choice for practitioners.

But Zen Master Huijing was different; he abandoned the practice of seeking immortality that could only fulfill his own desires and turned to unorthodox methods.

Thinking of this, Lü Qian couldn't help but smile, because cultivators are often unconventional people, and he himself was one of them.

Many patriarchs and predecessors even directly challenged the laws of fate and common sense!

Zhang Jiao of the Way of Peace proclaimed, "The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise!" This phrase has been passed down for two thousand years, and even in this dreamlike era, some people still use the name "Taiping" (Peace).

Zhuge Liang, the Marquis of Wu, went even further, using the arts of divination to defy the prevailing trends of the world.

There are many more people and events like this...

To paraphrase a Taoist saying, "Going with the flow avoids misfortune, while going against the flow brings true merit."

We practitioners love to deviate from conventional wisdom. If we can find a way to succeed through unorthodox methods, we can be considered a patriarch!

Thinking of this, Lü Qian felt that the pent-up anger in his chest from the sweeping up of Northeast China had been released, and his mind became light and clear.

As he exhaled this pent-up breath, the five elements and five directions that had been entrenched in his abdomen suddenly became connected.

The fire and water essence emanating from his heart and kidneys circulate among the five internal organs according to the principle of mutual generation of the five elements, and five-colored radiance shines from his body.

"A single thought connects the mind and spirit; a single breath permeates the five elements."

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Lü Qian, sitting cross-legged on a pile of straw in a dilapidated hut, seemed like a celestial being.

Five-colored aura emanated from his body with each breath, gradually coalescing and condensing beneath his seat to form a seven-petaled five-colored lotus flower.

"No, you've already achieved the Five Elements Gathering?"

Sitting to the side, Zhang Zhiwei stared wide-eyed at his usual playful and joking friend in disbelief.

According to his estimate, Lü Qian would need to be at least around thirty years old to accumulate enough Qi of the five internal organs and the five elements, thereby connecting the five internal organs and attaining the Five Qi Returning to the Origin.

This was based on his speed, but now Lü Qian was about ten years ahead, which really surprised him.

But what Zhang Zhiwei didn't know was that Lü Qian was not the same age as him.

Long before the dream of wealth and power began, Lü Qian was already 26 years old. Now, with the added experience of wasting time in the dream, his five internal organs had accumulated enough Qi, just waiting for the day when he could breathe a breath of pure Qi.

The other two Buddhist monks in the thatched hut were also quite surprised.

After all, reaching the realm of Five Qi Converging to the Origin requires not only a deep understanding of the Dao and the tempering of the mind, but more importantly, sufficient accumulation.

The Five Elements converge at their origin; "convergence" signifies the beginning of growth and development.

Without the polishing and setting off of a long night, how could there be the vibrant brilliance of the morning?

Without sufficient accumulation, and with the five internal organs and five vital energies not accumulating enough, where can one gather and generate the last bit of "original" energy?

At this moment, Lü Qian was oblivious to the changes in the outside world. As the five colors of aura—red, white, blue, black, and yellow—flowed, his aura became increasingly profound and natural.

On his abdomen, five-colored light shone brightly, swirling and flowing among each other, gradually converging into a dazzling, blazing white light.

The moment this ray of light was born, its brilliant radiance traveled along the meridians throughout Lü Qian's limbs, bones, and internal organs.

This light, as formless as water and as invisible as air, nourished Lü Qian from the inside out, making him feel relaxed and comfortable, as if he were lying in a pool of warm water.

Within the spiritual platform, the primordial spirit, seated cross-legged in the center holding a golden sword, became even more ethereal under the illumination of the light, and the immortal golden radiance intertwined with the light.

The little primordial spirit, which had been closed and silent, suddenly opened its eyes, its pupils reflecting a dazzling interplay of golden light and blazing white light.

As the primordial spirit opened its eyes, the outside world also changed.

The body radiates brilliance!

Outside, Lü Qian's body was radiating a dazzling light, a light that carried immense vitality, like the primordial energy within chaos, making people feel peaceful and serene.

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Chapter One!

Congratulations to Little Master Lü for attaining the Five Elements Unity!

Please give me a congratulatory gift!