"This isn't an ordinary temple," the novice gatekeeper said.
"Even if it's not an ordinary temple, it's still a temple," Xiaoyao said.
"You can also not consider this place a temple," the novice gatekeeper said coldly.
"Oh!" Xiaoyao smiled and suddenly asked: "Then may I ask if you're an ordinary person?"
"No! I'm a monk of this Lanruo Temple," the novice gatekeeper said very proudly.
"Oh, then may I not consider you a person?" Xiaoyao asked calmly.
"You may... what are you saying!" The novice gatekeeper was still feeling smug when he suddenly realized there was something very wrong with Xiaoyao's words. His face immediately darkened.
"As one who has left home for religious life, you should abstain from ignorance and anger—you've committed both," Xiaoyao shook his head.
"This..." The novice gatekeeper was momentarily speechless.
At this moment, a very pleasant laugh suddenly came from nearby. A cute young lady was covering her mouth with her hand, hiding her laughing lips. She looked very adorable.
The gatekeeper novice first became infatuated—the young lady's appearance made his Buddhist heart waver. Soon, he realized the cute girl seemed to be laughing at him. What was there to laugh about?
Suddenly, the gatekeeper novice's expression changed. He realized he had just been subtly insulted by Xiaoyao again and angrily said: "Poor scholar, what are you saying? How dare you call this Buddha Lord ignorant!"
"Those who have left home for religious life consider all four elements empty. Buddha Lord, you just achieved 'emptiness is form, form is emptiness'—admirable, admirable!" Xiaoyao suddenly changed his tone and began praising the gatekeeper novice.
"Naturally! This Buddha Lord's Buddhist teachings are very profound!" the gatekeeper novice continued proudly.
"Buddha Lord is truly high, Buddha Lord loves form!" Xiaoyao praised.
"Yes... what?! Loves form? Poor scholar, you're seeking death!" Buddha Lord was angry again, though his reaction was a bit slow.
"Buddha Lord, 'form is emptiness'—your love of form equals achieving emptiness. This is praising you!" the cute young lady said with a laugh from the side. By now, the hand covering her mouth had moved to cover her stomach.
This poor scholar was too interesting, And this gatekeeper novice was truly too slow—indeed, ignorantly so.
The gatekeeper novice's face grew even darker. The young lady's attitude clearly showed she was laughing at him, and he felt he had lost face in front of such a beautiful girl—very embarrassing!
"Those who have left home should consider all four elements empty. Monk, your cultivation is still insufficient. If this entire Lanruo Temple is like you, then it has no affinity with Buddha. A temple without Buddha affinity, no matter how golden and magnificent, is just an empty shell! I'm leaving. Going in probably has little meaning—perhaps I have no affinity with this place!" Xiaoyao shook his head and turned to leave. This wasn't posturing—he genuinely didn't want to enter.
Originally, he was just someone randomly looking for a temple to lodge in. Whether he entered this Lanruo Temple wasn't very important—there were many other choices. The suburbs would be suburbs, and quieter too.
"Seeing the body as unreal is the Buddha body; understanding the mind as an illusion is a Buddha illusion. Comprehending that body and mind are fundamentally empty—how is such a person different from Buddha!" Xiaoyao loudly recited a Buddhist verse known to all Buddhist practitioners, which seemed to have special meaning at this moment.
"Benefactor, please wait!"
Just as Xiaoyao was leaving, a voice called out. Along with the voice, a somewhat elderly old monk appeared at the entrance, looking at the gatekeeper novice with eyes that were calm yet carried authority.
"Abbot Master!" the gatekeeper novice said.
"Whose disciple are you?" the old monk didn't ask about other matters but directly asked about the gatekeeper novice's master.
"This disciple follows Master Bujie!" the gatekeeper novice said respectfully.
"Go call Bujie here!" the old monk said to the nearby monks.
"Abbot Master, you don't need to call my master. I know what to do—I'll drive away these boring people in the future!" the gatekeeper novice immediately said.
"Drive them away?! You want to drive people away!" the old monk frowned. "I didn't know our Lanruo Temple had the right to choose its worshippers!"
"Ah..."
"This benefactor, please come inside. This ignorant person doesn't know the rules and has been discourteous!" the old monk said to Xiaoyao with sincere tone and a hint of apology. People at the entrance were confused by this situation.
They wondered who this poor scholar was and why he was worth such treatment from Lanruo Temple's abbot. Previously, only the emperor received such treatment. Even when imperial relatives came, they might not get reception from the abbot.
Actually, seeing only the emperor and no one else wasn't because the abbot treated people differently—it was just because the abbot was generally practicing Buddhism and had no time. Only when the emperor came would he have no choice but to receive him; the rest of the time was spent in Buddhist practice.
Today, he had suddenly wanted to walk outside, feeling that something was waiting for him out there. As a result, he saw his temple's novice actually driving away worshippers.
At the same time, he discovered that this driven-away poor scholar actually had great Buddha nature, and his words made him feel that what he was meant to encounter was this person.
"Master, you're too kind. I'm not a benefactor—I came to seek lodging. You are my benefactor!" Xiaoyao bowed. From the moment this old monk appeared, he understood that Lanruo Temple did have enlightened masters. Indeed, without reaching such cultivation, how could one be chosen by the Great Tang Empire's emperor?
"'Benefactor' is just a form of address. May I know the benefactor's name?"
"Xiaoyao, Le Xiaoyao!" Xiaoyao answered.
"Le Xiaoyao?! His surname is Le?"
At this moment, the surrounding people began discussing again, as if the surname Le made them think of certain things. That cute young lady was also examining Xiaoyao at this time, seeming to have developed some different opinions compared to before.
The old monk didn't care about others' thoughts. He just nodded and said: "Le Xiaoyao—good name! Viewing life with laughter, free and unrestrained!"
"Good name—I chose it myself, seeking a lifetime of joyful freedom!" Xiaoyao smiled, seeming very satisfied with the old monk's praise of his name.
"Haha, Benefactor Le, you're an interesting person!" Seeing Xiaoyao's spontaneous nature—laughing when he wanted to laugh—the old monk suddenly understood why he could be called Le Xiaoyao. Only someone like this could be worthy of such a name.
At this moment, he seemed to comprehend things he hadn't understood before. That feeling of sudden enlightenment made his mood refreshed, and he discovered his mental state seemed to have risen a level.
This seemed somewhat incredible. It appeared the scholar before him was indeed someone with Buddha affinity. His feeling today was correct!
"So-so. Old monk, just call me Xiaoyao—no need to be so polite!" Xiaoyao smiled casually. At this moment, he unconsciously changed his form of address, changing from "Master" to "old monk."
Xiaoyao's words immediately stunned everyone. This poor scholar actually called Lanruo Temple's abbot "old monk"—even when the emperor came, he had to respectfully address him as "Heavenly Master"!
What was even more unexpected was—
"Good, good! This old monk will call you Xiaoyao!" the old monk nodded and said with a smile.
What?! What was this situation?! The abbot wasn't angry and was even smiling while calling himself "old monk"—what was going on? Could it be that this Le Xiaoyao was really...
It's over, it's over! I'm finished this time!
The gatekeeper novice knew he might not escape punishment and would be expelled. He had only been following the rules—the rules had always been like this.
Master, come save me...
Just as the novice was crying out in his heart, his savior appeared. His master, Master Bujie, appeared. Master Bujie glanced at the novice, frowned, then respectfully asked the old monk: "Abbot, what do you need me for?"
"This is your disciple!" the old monk looked at Bujie, then shifted his gaze to the gatekeeper novice.
"Yes, this is a disciple I took in a few years ago. Although a bit slow, he's still dutiful and proper!" Bujie frowned. He didn't know what had happened and could only speak truthfully.
"Dutiful and proper? When did our Lanruo Temple's reception novices become gatekeeper novices? They're only responsible for receiving worshippers who come to burn incense—they have no right to prevent worshippers from entering the temple. In a Buddhist sacred place, there are still distinctions between poor and rich, noble and base—this is simply making Buddha abandon us!" The old monk's tone was calm, but one could feel his anger.
"Abbot, the rules have always been like this. It's not just this disciple doing this!" At this moment, the novice spoke up, wanting to use "everyone breaks the law" to reduce his punishment.
"This is my fault—I actually didn't discover your ongoing rules. I will face the wall in repentance! From now on, no one is allowed to block worshippers from entering the temple. Lanruo Temple has no such rules and no such people!" the old monk shook his head with a bitter smile.
At this moment, the novice seemed to feel he was saved. As long as he could continue staying at Lanruo Temple, rule changes had nothing to do with him.
"As for you, your Buddha nature is too poor—you're not suitable for our Lanruo Temple!" the old monk delivered a thunderbolt while the novice was secretly celebrating.
"No, this isn't fair! Why should I be expelled!"
"I said you lack Buddha nature! Even if the rules made you block people, you shouldn't discriminate against the poor and humble. Even if I let you continue staying here, you wouldn't comprehend Buddhist teachings. Rather than waste your precious time, please leave now!" the old monk said calmly. Today he felt he had spoken a bit too much, so he gave the novice no more chances, letting Bujie take him away to pack and leave.
After handling these matters, the old monk suddenly said to Xiaoyao: "Young friend Xiaoyao, could you throw a copper coin into the pond?"
(End of Chapter)