Chapter 14 Consciousness (1)

Tang Seng and Tathagata met at the foot of Mount Everest. Tathagata said: I come from the west. Tang Seng said: I am going east. Tathagata said: Our Dafangbai are consistent. Tang Seng said: There are still differences. Tathagata was surprised: Where is the difference? Tang Seng said: What you study is the relationship between man and God, is that right, my Buddha? Tathagata nodded: Yes, how about you? Tang Seng said: What I study is the relationship between people, right? I am a Buddha! The Tathagata was at a loss: Why is this so? Tang Seng said: The national conditions are different.

Tathagata lamented: On which road did we part ways? Tang Seng said: Don't ask, I am in great pain. Tathagata does not believe: there is a Buddha in the heart, where does the pain come from? Tang Seng said: It's all because of you, it's difficult for others. Tathagata said: pure misunderstanding. Tang Seng said: You want me to be a Buddha, but I want to be a man. Tathagata said: The heart of being a human being is immortal, what a pity! Tang Seng said: It's worth it to be a human being once and then die! Tathagata said: The sea of ​​bitterness is boundless, turn your head and be right.

Tang Seng said: I have no choice, I can only go forward boldly! Tathagata said: Everyone has their own ambitions, let's go, there is no choice but to let the flowers fall! Tang Seng said: let's break up here, cherish the journey. Tang Seng and Tathagata stood still, looking up at Mount Everest. Tathagata asked: What did you see? Tang Seng said: I saw the towering snow-capped mountains, shining with silvery white light. Tathagata said: I didn't see anything. Tang Seng was surprised: There are mountains and snow, why can't my Buddha see it? Tathagata said: In my heart, everything is illusory, nothing exists.

Tang Seng said: I finally returned to the world. Tang Seng turned around, but the Tathagata had disappeared. There are shadows on the snow-capped mountains. Tang Seng bid farewell to Avalokitesvara for the last time. Avalokitesvara looked at Tang Seng a few times, and sighed: "What a pity, what a pity!" Tang Seng said coldly: "There is nothing to regret, don't waste your feelings for me." Avalokitesvara said: Brother, why is your face so cold? Tang Seng said: I learned from you, this is the power of example. Guanyin said: You still have a chance. Tang Seng said: I don't need a chance anymore, my choice is correct.

Avalokitesvara said: Junior brother, you and I are in the same discipline, and we can reach a consensus. Tang Seng said: That was a misunderstanding. In my memory, there is no such history. Avalokitesvara said: My Buddha once said that you and I are both his disciples, and our identities are the same. Tang Seng said: It's different, you have three birthdays every year, but I only have one. Avalokitesvara said: This cannot affect our cultivation in the same sect. Tang Seng said: That is an error in the records. Your ancestral home is Tianzhu, and our ancestral home is Tang Dynasty. It is impossible to practice in the same sect.

Avalokitesvara said: Practice cannot be divided into national boundaries, as long as there is a Buddha in your heart. Tang Seng said: I want to start again. Avalokitesvara said: The shadow of those years follows you, and you will never get rid of it. Tang Seng said: I am not afraid of shadows. Avalokitesvara said: I advise you not to turn, but I will wait patiently. Tang Seng asked: What are you waiting for? Guanyin said: Wait for the next reincarnation. Tang Seng said: If the next reincarnation does not come, you will be waiting for Godot! Avalokitesvara said: I will come to see you often.

Tang Seng said: Don't disturb my life in the end! Avalokitesvara asked: Is there any inconvenience? Tang Seng said: I am married, and I want to live a peaceful life. Guanyin was silent, as silent as an ice sculpture. Tang Seng and Xiao Bailong talked heart-to-heart by the sea. Tang Seng said: Thanks to your help during that journey, I have suffered a lot less! Xiao Bailong said: That's what I should do, and you gave me a chance. Tang Seng asked: How are you doing recently? Xiao Bailong nodded: It's barely okay, living in the sea is always very free. Tang Seng asked mysteriously: Xiaolong, do you know who is the person I miss the most?

Little Bailong was at a loss: I don't know. Tang Seng said: Of course it is you! Little White Dragon was surprised: Why me? Tang Seng said: I have ridden you for so many years, and I have already got the feeling of riding. Little White Dragon blushed; is that strange feeling? Tang Seng said: It should be a kind of feeling, a kind of feeling that cannot be explained clearly. Xiao Bailong was puzzled: You came today to tell me these things? Tang Seng said: I always want to find someone to talk to, and I miss that time very much. Xiao Bailong shook his head and said: Those days have become very far away to me! Tang Seng's face showed a faint disappointment: Xiao Bailong, can we still meet?

Xiao Bailong said: It depends on fate, master, let everything go according to fate! Tang Seng came to Huaguo Mountain. Wukong saw Tang Seng from a long distance: Master also has the leisure to come to Laosun's place as a guest? Tang Seng said: "It's very empty, come out for a walk!" Wukong said: Have you quarreled with Master Mistress? Tang Seng said: No, those who are not married look forward to getting married, but they feel tired after getting married! Wukong said: "Master is getting old, isn't he a little bit powerless?" Tang Seng said melancholy: "Wukong, you live so happily, can you teach me a way?"

Wukong said: Wine, sex, wealth, these four hobbies are indispensable. Tang Seng said: My shortcoming is that every hobby seems shallow. Wukong said: In this way, you can't afford to cultivate passion. Tang Seng asked: Do we have to have passion in life? Wukong said: Without passion, life will be too ordinary, and Lao Sun doesn't like ordinary life. Tang Seng felt ashamed: I lack that kind of spirit! Wukong said: Ambition, love, jealousy, revenge, the four passions, are human nature, dare to love and hate is the master! Tang Seng said: I am destined not to be a man, and I will just live the rest of my life in a normal way.

Wukong said: "Master really can't do it, so let's just earnestly have children, and live a fulfilling life that way." Tang Seng was puzzled: Why do you have so many children? Wukong said: If you have a high IQ, your offspring must be excellent. Tang Seng realized something: In this way, I have contributed to society just by having children. Wukong clapped his hands and said: Master realizes this, he realizes most of life. Tang Seng asked: Wukong, you are happy all day long, don't you have any troubles? Wukong said: There are troubles, there are troubles, it is a pity that a great hero like Lao Sun has not yet married! Tang Seng asked: Wukong, are you planning to get married? Wukong nodded: I must marry a wife and have children, so that I can have offspring of heroes. Tang Seng breathed a sigh of relief: I am relieved now. Wukong was puzzled: what does the master's words mean? Tang Seng said: The four of us, the master and the apprentice, all have descendants, so the story of learning from the West will be passed down forever. Tang Seng came to Gaolaozhuang leisurely. Gao Laozhuang is decorated with lanterns and festoons, and is having a wedding. Tang Seng asked people: Who is getting married again? Someone told him: Zhu Bajie married his daughter-in-law. Tang Seng counted: So soon, Bajie's son has grown up. Bajie greeted him: Master, your old man has finally arrived! Tang Seng sighed and said: Bajie, the matter of you marrying a daughter-in-law seems to be just like yesterday. Unexpectedly, you are also a father-in-law today. How time flies! Bajie said: Master, you can see that I already have several forehead lines on my forehead. Tang Seng said: I am old, I am old, all the hardships of the past are far away from me. Bajie said: Master, as long as the mental age is not old, people will always live in youth. Tang Seng was so surprised: Bajie, you also know how to live, and you have made great progress! Bajie said; learn to live in life. Tang Seng was very envious: Bajie, you really enjoy your life. Bajie said: I suffered so much during the Long March, now it’s time to enjoy it. Tang Seng said helplessly: I don't even know how to enjoy it. Ba Jie said: This is easy to handle, eat what you need to eat, play what you need to play, and never take any chance. Tang Seng said: Bajie, your food blessing is innate and lingering. Bajie laughed loudly: I have to thank the old Jade Emperor, it was he who allowed me to be reborn in the pig's family, so I developed such a big appetite and created the conditions for eating and drinking. Tang Seng said: I understand, how to live, I have to learn from a few apprentices! Bajie dragged Tang Seng into the room: Master, you must sit up today. Tang Seng sat on the VIP seat. Bajie asked his son and daughter-in-law to come and visit Master. Bajie said: Master, please say auspicious words to the bride and groom! Tang Seng held both hands together, and said with blessing: Young people, let your youth be more beautiful! Monk Sha moved a broken chair: Master, you can just sit on it, this is the best chair in my house! Tang Seng asked: Wujing, why did your life become like this? Monk Sha said: Master, this is called chic! Tang Seng asked: Is your wife not at home? Monk Sha said lightly: "Leave." Tang Seng reprimanded: "It's not easy to form a family. How can you say that you leave and leave?" Monk Sha said: It doesn't matter, this is my third divorce, and there are plenty of women in the world. Tang Seng couldn't believe it: how can you treat marriage so hastily. Monk Sha argued: Master, marriage and love are two different things. A marriage without love is a sad marriage. It is better to break up the partnership earlier. Tang Seng said: Wujing, it is not the master who criticizes you, how many women will you hurt by doing this? Monk Sha said: It is a pain for both parties to make peace. Tang Seng shook his head: I don't think you were like this before. Monk Sha said: That’s because I didn’t have the conditions I have now, so I want to cherish today, grasp today, and live every day seriously! Tang Seng glanced at the room and asked: How do you live every day? Monk Sha said with a smile: I started drinking at dawn, woke up heavily after drinking, and went to sleep boldly, and woke up the next morning again. Tang Seng asked: Do you plan to live like this? Monk Sha said: "If one is full, the whole family is not hungry. What's wrong with that?" Tang Seng said: Have you never thought about Ming? Monk Sha shook his head: I don't think about tomorrow. Those who think about what will happen tomorrow just don't know what to do today. They are utopians. Tang Seng asked again: Don't you recall what happened yesterday? Monk Sha also shook his head: If you don’t remember, if you keep immersing yourself in the past, you will be tormented by pain! Tang Seng said: I can't do it. Monk Sha said: So your life is tired and empty, your life is always filled with yesterday and tomorrow, and your today is empty. Tang Seng nodded: profound, well-spoken, and philosophical. Monk Sha said: When I face every real thing, I live with flesh and blood. Tang Seng said: How should I live. Monk Sha said: Don't regard spring as autumn wind, and torture yourself with self-made desolation! Tang Seng pondered and said: Is this a famous saying? Monk Sha said affirmatively: the most reasonable words. Tang Seng raised his thumb: You are stronger than Wukong and Ba, and you are more enlightened. Tang Seng found the Jade Emperor Hall.Yupang quickly gave up his seat. Tang Seng said: Yupang, no need, my title has been cancelled. The Jade Emperor said: You once had a period of glory, and you still have the qualifications to sit. Tang Seng sat down: "It's disrespectful, I want to chat with Yu Pang." Yu Pang asked: What topic? Tang Seng said: Talk about no-mind, this is a very profound concept on the path. The Jade Emperor asked: Why do we have to ignore this difficult topic? It is too heavy to talk about! Tang Seng said: I have been troubled by this subject, and I want to be free! The Jade Emperor said: Come to enlightenment slowly, why ask for the answer for a while? Tang Seng said: This may be the last time I will talk to you. Yupan agreed: Well, I think that when people realize their nature, they are in a state of no-mind. Tang Seng asked: Is it really possible to achieve no-thought? Yupang said honestly: It is very difficult, no thought is just the stubborn emptiness obtained by the sixth consciousness, which is far away from the Buddha. Tang Seng was surprised: How did you come to this conclusion? Yupang said: I got it when I was a big-headed army cook when I was young, and that was the enlightenment given to me by the flame. Tang Seng was more and more puzzled: Is there really such a miracle? Yupang nodded: I am now the Jade Emperor, but when dealing with major events in the upper world, I still think like a mortal. Tang Seng asked: Why is this? Yupang confessed frankly: It is like curing a disease. As long as the disease is cured, even if the disease does not occur, it is not considered real health! Tang Seng nodded: The metaphor is decent, how can we have real health? The Jade Emperor said: To understand this point, one must practice hard at ordinary times, always observe one's own habits and delusions, and earnestly practice the best. Tang Seng asked: Do you usually do this? What is the effect? The Jade Emperor said: I always want to enter the state of no-mind, but it is difficult to do so. Tang Seng said: I used to have a state of no thought, it was a long period of time, unfortunately it is gone now. The Jade Emperor said: It is difficult for me to be in this state. I have governed the upper realm for such a long time, and I have created a lot of unjust, false and wrong cases. I feel chills when I think about it. Tang Seng said: I understand that breaking through Lizhi and realizing the whole body is a temporary phenomenon of central transformation in the process of practice, in which truth and falsehood coexist. The Jade Emperor said: You have cultivated better than me, and your enlightenment is deeper. Tang Seng said: I have now walked out of the illusion and completely returned to the world. The Jade Emperor was a little tired: Tang Seng, do you have anything else to ask? I want to sleep. Tang Seng smiled: Is it because you live too much at night that you are so exhausted? The Jade Emperor yawned: There are too many entertainments! The Taishang Laojun was making alchemy, and Tang Seng came. Tang Seng said: Lao Li, why are you so obsessed with alchemy? Taishang Laojun was a little dissatisfied: what is obsession, why not obsession? Lao Li couldn't understand at all. Tang Seng said: You have practiced this alchemy for hundreds of years, but you still haven't seen any results. Li Laojun said: The beauty lies in the word "slow". I practice slowly, and if I refine the pill for one day, I will live for one day. In this way, I myself become a pill. Tang Seng slapped his nose with his hands: What is this smell, so bad? Li Laoqun said: Marsh. Tang Seng asked: Why do you use marsh gas to make alchemy? I remember you used charcoal fire before? Li Laojun smiled lightly. There are more and more gods in the sky, and the feces excreted are not easy to deal with. Turning the feces into biogas saves energy and improves environmental protection. Tang Seng didn't praise him, but asked: "You don't give up alchemy day and night, do you eat alchemy by yourself?" Li Laojun said: Give it to others, but I will not eat it myself. Tang Seng asked: Will others live forever if they eat this pill? Li Laojun shook his head: I don't know. Tang Seng asked: Why do you continue to practice? Li Laojun said: For his own immortality. Tang Seng asked: How can you live forever? Li Laojun smiled: As long as there is alchemy, the alchemist will live, and if he is alive, he will not grow old, understand? Tang Seng also laughed: Is this the difference between Taoism and Buddhism? Li Laoju nodded: Taoists only look at the process and don't care about the result. Tang Seng nodded: Buddhism values ​​perfection and despises process. Li Laojun said: Taoism pays attention to fate, and we advocate waiting slowly. Tang Seng agrees: But my Buddha pays attention to fate, so he values ​​searching, searching endlessly. Li Laojun said: medicine can never kill a disease, and if you are sick, take medicine, and you can change your destiny. Tang Seng said: There are predestined people in the Buddha's journey, and only those who are predestined can be saved. Not everyone has this opportunity. Li Laojun said: You have no destiny, what a pity! Tang Seng said: I don't want to live forever, I only pursue a real character. Li Laojun said: Taoism also seeks truth and seeks goodness, and also advocates perfection, and perfection is the ultimate. Tang Seng said: Exchange sincerity for sincerity, ignite kindness with kindness, and call for beauty with beauty. Buddhism and Taoism are exactly the same on this point. Li Laojun said: You are a golden elixir of immortality, so there is no need to refine it. Hearing these words, Tang Seng suddenly felt that his whole body was transparent. Tang Seng asked the Queen Mother: Why are all the flat peaches in your garden full of green skins? The queen mother said: Those who were ripe were eaten by the monkey grandson five hundred years ago. Tang Seng asked: When will these peaches be ripe? The Queen Mother said: It will take three thousand years at the earliest, and nine thousand years at the latest! Tang Seng was a little anxious: Will your flat peach banquet be held at that time? The Queen Mother was not in a hurry: Of course, how can raw peaches be served on the table? Tang Seng was even more anxious: By that time, human beings would have already landed on the moon, and there will be more guests. I am worried that your peaches will not be enough to eat. The queen mother said: Don't worry, there is a way. Tang Seng was surprised: Do you have a solution? The earth is worried about the overpopulation! The queen mother said calmly: I can use chemical ripening agents at that time, and some peaches will turn red overnight. Tang Seng said: Foresight, but the quality of the peaches will be compromised. The Queen Mother said: "Tang Seng, you are so well-behaved that you do not become a Buddha, but you want to return to the world?" Tang Seng said: "Your Majesty doesn't know something, but the beauty of the world cannot be seen. Once you see it, you will never forget it." The Queen Mother still feels sorry for him: I have come through the Long March, so why can't I pass the hurdles of wine, sex and wealth? Tang Seng said: Your Majesty misunderstood, you have enjoyed all kinds of pleasures in the world, and then you will become a fairy. Of course, it will be easier to think about it, and it will not take much effort to speak. The queen mother said: Your bright future is lost in vain! Tang Seng seemed calm and divided: I had the glory of becoming a Buddha through decades of cultivation, but now I have been a mortal seriously for a few years, but I have received too much criticism. Madam, do you think this is fair? The Queen Mother was at a loss for words. Tang Seng continued: If you don't have the previous experience of being a mortal, can you achieve the dignity of being a fairy? The queen mother nodded: I understand, you don't have the glory of becoming a Buddha, so you can't understand the difficulty of being a human being! Tang Seng sighed, "It's been so long, I finally met a bosom friend. Tang Seng paid his respects to his wife. The empress is in a panic; how can I bear your worship? Tang's monk: I came to worship you because I asked for something. The lady who sent the child asked: I don't know what the holy monk wants to ask for? You can't receive rewards without merit! Tang Seng said: If you ask for a boy, you will have offspring, and if you ask for a girl, you will have a husband. This is something you can do. The lady who sent the child asked: Why did you come to ask for a child, for others or for yourself? Tang Seng said: For myself, I have a family and have no children yet, so I will walk through the back door for a while! The mother who sent the child was merciful: tell me, are you looking for a boy or a girl? Tang Seng said: A pair of sons and daughters, there is land and soil, Tang Seng's wish is enough. Empress Songzi nodded: I promise you. Tang Seng felt a little embarrassed: This is the first and last private matter that my Buddha's remaining prestige will do. I am really ashamed! The Empress Song Zi said quite humanely: Tang Seng, don't worry about being your mortal, I will provide you with convenience. Tang Seng's eyes were moist: there is true love in the sky! Tang Seng stared at Shancai boy for a long time, and finally recognized him: he is Honghaier. Tang Seng asked: Do you still recognize me? Shancai shook his head: You are a bad old man, how do I know you? Tang Seng asked again: Do you recognize yourself? Shancai shook his head again: I don't know. Tang Seng said: You are so happy that you don't know yourself. This is a good thing! Shancai is strange: Is it happiness not to recognize you? Tang Seng said: It is also happiness, because you forget a history of failure. Shancai asked: Who are you? What relationship do I have with you? Tang Seng said: Have you heard of Tang Seng? If you eat Tang Seng meat, you can live forever. Shancai said: That is a very distant story. I have heard people talk about cannibalism, what a terrible thing! Tang Seng asked: Do you know there is a monster called Honghaier? It is very cruel and wants to eat Tang Seng's meat. Shancai said: Little children want to eat people, no wonder some people want to call: Save the children! Tang Seng asked: You really don't know Honghaier. Shancai shook his head: This name is so strange, I have never heard of it. Tang Seng said: "It's good, those who are close to Zhu are red, those who are close to ink are black, and those who are close to Avalokitesvara are good." Shancai asked: Old man, can you tell me who I am? Tang Seng said: No need, you have been reborn. Shancai said: Old man, where is that red boy, can you tell me? Tang Seng said: Red Boy is dead, he died in the arms of the mountain, and kindness grew again in the mountain. Li Shan's old mother looked at the dusty Tang Monk, and felt a little bit unbearable. The old mother of Lishan asked suspiciously: Tang Seng, why are you so emaciated and old? Tang Seng said: Time is not forgiving, Tang Seng is getting old. Li Shan's old mother asked: It's hard for you to come to see me from such a distance. Tang Seng said: When you went to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures, you have extended your hand many times to help, and today I am here to thank you. Li Shan's old mother said: That was a thing in the past, everything was arranged by the Tathagata, and I was just condemned by the sent. Tang Seng said: I stopped by today to bid farewell to my mother. Li Shan's old mother said with a sad expression: We could have worked together well, but unexpectedly there was an accident in the middle, which is really sad. Tang Seng also became sad: Tang Seng was blessed and had no chance to enjoy merit. Li Shan's old mother comforted and said: If you want to be more open, it's not too late to be a mortal.Mortals have the joy of mortals, gods have the constraints of gods, and each has its own advantages. Tang Seng's emotions were infected: Mother, are you a little tired of living in immortals? Lishan's old mother said: I am also a person who pursues freedom. I chose this remote Lishan for my practice because the air here is relatively free. Tang Seng realized another truth: So there are some differences in practice? Li Shan's old mother said: Look, Tathagata is so smart. He chose the remotest Western Paradise as his practice place. His purpose is to pursue freedom and cultivate individuality. Tang Seng asked: According to what my mother said, the freedom pursued by the Tathagata is the same as the freedom pursued by people. Li Shan's old mother nodded: Tang Seng, if you realize this point, you will also understand the meaning of Buddhism. Tang Seng asked: Does this have any specific guiding significance for my future life? Li Shan's old mother said: Of course, you will never regret returning to the world! Tang Seng bowed to Li Shan's old mother: Thank you for your advice, Tang Seng can be a man everywhere with peace of mind. The old mother of Lishan said in a low voice: You must not spread what I said, so as not to cause unnecessary disputes. People's words are scary, but God's words are sad! Tang Seng and Taibai Jinxing are far away from each other. Taibai Jinxing said: Tang Seng, can you get closer to me? Tang Seng said: No, your position is too dazzling, and I can't walk into your halo. Taibai Jinxing sighed a few times: Everything is predetermined, I don’t know who gave me this position at the beginning, I have been standing for thousands of years, and I have become an idol! Tang Seng said: I understand, this is how idols are formed. Taibai Jinxing's tone is a bit gloomy: Although being an idol is glorious, he lives in fear all the time. Tang Seng has never been an idol, so he can't understand Taibai Jinxing's mood. Tang Seng asked: Why don't you go wandering around? Taibai Jinxing asked back: Why should I go homeless? Tang Seng said: It is terrible to have no wandering spirit, and idols will be smashed one day. Taibai Jinxing said proudly: The person who broke the idol has not yet been born, and I can still be prominent for a long time. Tang Seng said: Your thinking is very bad, it will affect generation after generation. Taibai Jinxing refused to accept: I have no responsibility, I did not choose this position, this position chose me! Tang Seng said: I have already heard the sound of footsteps, and the person who broke the idol is already walking halfway. Taibai Jinxing said: Tang Seng, don't leave in a hurry, I still have something to tell you. Tang Seng said: I don't have time, I'm going to find the person who smashed my dreams. Tang Seng walked farther and farther away, and when he turned his head, he saw Taibai Jinxing still shining brightly in the same position.