"So, how could worshipping one's own faith be suffering?" Bai Shan said, "I heard that the monks of the Guardian of the Nation Temple lease their farmland to the common folk for cultivation instead of farming themselves. They are monks and therefore exempt from taxes. This means that their sustenance is entirely provided by the followers; the concept of diminishing their food and clothing doesn't apply, as these offerings are intended for the Bodhisattvas they represent, not them."
The emperor was taken aback, saying, "Aren't they the incarnations of Bodhisattvas in this world?"
"If they are, there seem to be too many of these incarnations; isn't that uncertain?" Bai Shan asked. "Your Majesty can't even tell if they're incarnations, so how are the numerous, ignorant people in the world supposed to discern? If they're not incarnations, how does Your Majesty know that they act according to the Bodhisattva's decrees?"
