After performing the grand ceremony, Jueguang stood up and looked at Simon with a different feeling.
He thought to himself, 'Heaven bless Shaolin, a Buddha Child has descended, and the righteous path in the human world will gain more strength.'
This child is different; he cannot be treated like an ordinary child. Instead, he must be regarded as a treasure left in the world by the Buddha, a Bodhisattva's incarnation on earth.
Jueguang, filled with joy, now realized that dawn had broken. A round, red, and warm morning sun was rising from the gap in the eastern mountains, spreading a vast expanse of golden morning glow, magnificent in its grandeur. To the monks, this was a sign of heaven's approval.
He carefully picked up Simon and, using his Qinggong, returned to the Manor.
He traversed forests and crossed stones, arriving at the destination in less than half an hour. By this time, the early-rising Woman were already searching for Simon. One of them, seeing the child she was looking for in the Bald Donkey Jueguang's arms, hurried forward, complaining about Jueguang while carefully taking the child.
Jueguang clasped his palms together and bowed to her, saying, 'Good believer, this is our Shaolin Buddha Child. After I report to the Abbot, we will take him away.'
Simon shook his head at him. Jueguang was startled, 'Is the Buddha Child unwilling to see the Abbot?'
Simon shook his head again. This time, Jueguang understood, 'That's right, the Buddha Child often stays at Yi Gu Manor; he probably doesn't wish to leave.'
The Woman, hearing such serious words from the Bald Donkey, also felt uneasy and looked down at the child in her arms.
His skin was as smooth as white porcelain, without a single trace of downy hair, emitting a lustrous, precious glow. His eyes were half-closed, his expression serene, like a compassionate Bodhisattva statue, inspiring a heartfelt sense of reverence and distance.
When Simon noticed her gaze, he opened his eyes, revealing a pair of clear, moon-like pupils, and smiled gently at her.
'This child! He…' the Woman cried out in surprise.
Jueguang smiled, 'Good believer, you are blessed to hold the Buddha Child; you will surely not fall into the Evil Taoist after this life.'
The Woman felt both fearful and joyful, and dared not hold Simon any longer, quickly handing him back to Jueguang.
The Bald Donkey sighed, 'His fortune is insufficient after all.'
He placed Simon back on the kang and hurried back to the temple.
The surrounding infants gathered around Simon, staring at him with confused yet innocent eyes.
Simon sat cross-legged, his posture pure and steady. Some clever children followed suit, clasping their small hands and crossing their legs. Some, using too much force, stumbled and fell onto the kang, giggling.
The Woman stood around the edge of the kang, watching the scene with scrutinizing eyes. Such an unusual sight, along with Simon's extraordinary demeanor, gradually led them to accept one thing: this child was a reincarnated Bodhisattva, born different.
With this realization, a sense of satisfaction and awe arose in them.
The Woman quietly exited the side room and began to chat animatedly, their faces beaming with the joy of satisfied gossip. In their eyes, this was a huge talking point that would allow them to stand out from the boring group of Woman in the village.
Among them, a Woman named Sun Wangshi was somewhat restless.
Her companion asked her, 'What's wrong with you?'
Sun Wangshi shook her head and remained silent.
As they chatted, a group of monks hurried to the Manor.
The leader, wearing a kasaya, was a grey-bearded old man, surrounded by a group of middle-aged and elderly men. Jueguang obediently walked at the very end, like a subservient grandson.
The one wearing the kasaya was the Shaolin Abbot. He stood outside the window, peering into the room, and saw Simon on the couch, seemingly half-asleep, emanating a gentle aura.
The Abbot observed him with his Dharma Eye; within the small room, a universe was hidden.
Simon's aura was profound, sometimes like a clear mountain breeze, sometimes like an undercurrent in a river or sea. It was the frost and snow on the petals of a winter plum, the first ray of sunlight absorbed by deep-gorge moss at noon, the gurgling warm blood flowing within an antelope's body—it was all nature, all phenomena in operation.
After witnessing such a wondrous sight, the Abbot nodded to the surrounding monks. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
Next, it was time to meet this Buddha Child. They composed themselves, and after the Abbot pushed open the door, they stepped into the room one by one.
Simon paid no attention to these Bald Donkey. His mind sank into a state of meditation, the innate qi circulating within him. Gradually, he forgot his physical form, as if falling into a beautiful dream.
He repeatedly contemplated the essence of the diamond sutra.
What is a vajra?
Neither increasing nor decreasing, neither stained nor pure—this is the realm of heaven and earth, of the universe.
How is liberation measured?
To liberate sentient beings means in fact that there are no sentient beings to be liberated. All life and non-life exist within the operation of the universe. Since they already exist, they will eventually disappear, leaving behind the causes and conditions of existence, which exist eternally.
How can one give without attachment to form?
To realize that one exists within the cosmic system is to develop the vajra mind, which is liberation, and thus one can give without attachment to form.
This is the second realm, detached from the desire realm, where mountains are no longer mountains, but merely temporary forms of the world's entirety.
Simon faintly felt a vast, immeasurable cyclical system resonating with the small system of his own body. He knew this was the vajra.
This is Buddha.
This is the Tao.
It is the foundation of all origins.
Simon felt gratitude towards the universe. Life is but a ripple, rising from the great sea and returning to the great sea. Since it blooms with light, one should remember the beautiful world from which it originated.
A mass of his innate qi diligently tried to establish communication with the primordial qi of heaven and earth, but the Heavenly Tao was distant and unattainable. Repeated attempts only made him feel further and further from heaven.
He sighed and ended his meditation.
Opening his eyes, he saw a group of old Bald Donkey with eager faces, while Jueguang hid at the back, smiling at him.
The Abbot clasped his palms and bowed, and the other monks followed suit. This was an act of worshiping a Bodhisattva.
'Buddha Child, are you willing to cultivate in our humble temple?' the Abbot said, gesturing towards Shaolin with his hand. His tone was as if speaking to an adult. He understood the wisdom of an enlightened practitioner, so he was not at all worried about whether Simon could comprehend.
Simon looked at the surrounding infants, finally fixing his gaze on one of them. The monks understood and brought that male infant before Simon.
This child had always stayed on the outermost edge, watching Simon through the gaps. He never vied for attention, his presence was very low, so much so that he was sometimes overlooked by the Woman until he cried from hunger.
This child was the smartest.
Simon gently stroked his head. Innate qi flowed into him, enveloping the residual trace of spiritual essence he carried from his mother's womb. Clearly visible, a faint clear light brightened on his brow, flickering a few times before disappearing.
His future cultivation would benefit endlessly from this.
Several monks were overjoyed at the sight. Such a child was a rare martial arts prodigy; normally, finding one was very difficult. If he had good comprehension, they could boast of him as a once-in-a-century talent.
Simon pointed to this child, then pointed in the direction of Shaolin.
The Bald Donkey exchanged glances, and finally, the Abbot spoke: 'The Buddha Child has his own plans. We will first take this child back and nurture him well, so he can serve as an attendant to the Buddha Child in the future.'
'Good,' all the monks nodded in unison.
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