Abbot Liao Wu fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No. You have only found your own path. How could that be wrong?"
"They say there are three thousand great paths. The Buddhist Law is profound and deep. How could mere mortals like us presume to define it?"
"Our way of cultivating Buddhism is perhaps only one among many. Who can be certain that your different path is not also a way of cultivating Buddhism?"
Xie Ningyuan was taken aback. As he carefully savored Abbot Liao Wu's words, he felt a sense of clarity, as if the clouds were parting.
But when he tried to grasp that fleeting insight, it was as if he had caught hold of nothing at all.
After a long moment, he bowed his head gently to Abbot Liao Wu. "Thank you, Abbot, for your guidance."
At that moment, nothing could have made him happier than the Abbot's assurance that he was not in the wrong.
