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Chapter 5

Alchemy and Precepts of Xend'-zeon

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So, the Novice Monk had secretly reached a decision. He thought that answers to his questions were to be experienced rather than disputed.

During the conversation, strong urge arisen, he knew that he wanted to set off for gurus far away.

He couldn’t bring forth the courage to tell The Second Brother who wept for their fate. He sat up the whole night. But it wasn’t because he took offence of what The Second Brother had said—at least he didn’t think that he was in such a condition.

“I am sorry, My Brother. Please forgive me. Thank you…and I love you…”

He cared too much that The Second Brother would feel his absence if The Younger Brother determined to leave him, probably forever. He couldn’t bear the idea of debating their dissimilar pathway of cultivation. He could feel lonely or sad, or both. He might feel this time they had been totally orphaned. No one to care for now.

But the idea of trapping oneself down in the abyss of attachment to the comfort zone worried him. On top of that, he was afraid of leading a monkhood that would end up with questions unanswered. Deep down in a forest of the unsettling mind, that had seemed too unbearable.

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"What happened, My Young Brother? The Ordination Master sent you here for punishment?"

"Yes, Brother, I raised some questions, again, and…"

There was a time he had an important conversation with his Blood Second Brother, Master Chank’-Jack Monk in the vicinity of the jungle monastery. It was rather a chilly after rainfalls.

"O? I believe it was more than that. Don't be embarrassed; tell me about the Alchemy questions. I will try to clarify for you while you carry fifty buckets of the spring water."

"You sounded like it was a fair punishment. Or you think that it was easy to walk those muddy roads when you have buckets of water on your shoulders."

"You should know that, My Youngest Brother, it's supposed to be for your physique training. And it also co-relates to your mind training as well. I guess you should have already known by now."

"I suppose so...So...and I know why Alchemy of Mages should not be part of our practice."

"O? Would you enlighten me, my little but wise Brother?"

"Well...." He never had a loss of words but realized that he had to tone down his eloquence.

“Well, no eternity in this human flesh and bones. Even certain longevity could be attained, but it is no way the path to eternity.”

“Yes, that’s why it’s futile for The Alchemist to resort to practice and consume the dangerously controversial Alchemy Clay-Pill. Even if they could prove that longevity could be attained, but as My Second Brother had kindly pointed out, that that was no way the path to eternity, nor to revive our Original Enlightenment.“ The Novice Monk felt bliss and paused for a while, and the Second Brother waited patiently, “So, where is it?”

“It’s been in your own heart all the while. Your own heart has been in the state of The Original Enlightenment. It’s been there. Only that our Dark Ignorance has been clouding on it.”

“Okay. That’s why practice for Eternity stems from clearing of the Dark Ignorance, not longevating the Ignorant Body. But…I mean...we still need to take care of this body for the sake of sustaining Mind-Training. That’s why we eat once a day; and we eat before noon because we do not want to upset the hungry ghosts whose throats turned into flames even hearing us eating after noon. In that way, we practice our Original Compassion to re-link to our Original Enlightened State of Mind.”

“You are very learned now, My Dear Youngest Brother. And I pray that you keep up with the ability to make the teaching of the Buddha easy for others who had no chance to get educated. To me, it would be the biggest the compassion of giving that one could give to all beings.”

“Yes, My Second Brother, I am so lucky to have you in my life. I pray that you would attain Buddhahood sooner and later, and I would like you to come back to give a hand…”

He chuckled, “My Brother, looks like that it might be the case of the other way round!”

The Young Monk grinned, and The Second Brother asked, “So, you wanna a hand with the buckets?”

“No, I appreciate it, Brother, I don’t wannna get you into trouble again, thank you, really”

He looked rather pale. He always looked that way since the frightening episodes when he was five years old and witnessing how their sorrowfully ill Father who resorted to the Alchemy with no positive results. He was exposed to rather an array of commoners’ superstitions. But he looked to grow stronger and bring forth a determined mind to follow a resultant pathway in practice for their parents’ sakes, for their own sakes, and their gurus’ sakes.

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“And My Second Brother, looks like I might be ready to leave home like you. I’d like to start with my Novice Monkship soon. What do you think?”

“That’s wonderful, My Young Brother! You are only thirteen years old, but you are a grown-up both your mental and physique conditions. You know what I mean, right! But, you may want to ask the proper questions, you know, about the vows before taking The Ten-Precepts of The Novice-Monk before your Ordination Master will shave your head and make you official to the Emperor.”

“Then, I should start with the Celibacy Precept, then?”

“Certainly. You might wanna know, that, not only any sexual interactions are forbidden, but even a piece off sexual mind arisen anytime in your practice, you will be in breach of your own vow.”

“Yes, I am old enough to know how it feels my age. And I think I have put enough effort to gather mental strength and practical guides of how to conquer our natural urges. But, why is it that we need to fight something that’s natural?”

“Well, because that the source of the Dark Ignorance that brings forth limitless birth and death. That’s the fundamental practice to attain Eternity free from those conditions. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I have read it from the Sūtra and Śāstra-Commentaries in the libraries. I found all the relevant material and studied them attentively while memorizing by heart. I hope that would be enough. After all theories functioned differently from being practical, My Second Brother. I am glad you checked that up with me.”

“And, Brother, you will be educated to counter breaching thoughts and ways to repent in case of mental breach. I am confident you could abide by the fundamental precept for your life. And I am glad you want to walk on this unwilled path for your own sake.”

“Yes, also for others’ sakes.”

“Yes.”

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Over night, he sat in Lotus Position as if fighting Mara, The King of Unsettling Thoughts.

He realized that The Second Brother’s presence was special to him; and vice versa. But glancing at the bamboo rucksack sitting quietly in the corner, he started to gather stuff for the abruptly planned journey. When he saw how simple his luggage could be, he remembered The Poverty Vow he took and he told himself that letting go earthly belonging would cover dearly relationship, or in that matter of fact, reliance on relationship for Enlightenment…

Tears rolled down now and he remembered he didn’t even care for feeling when The Ordination Master was ready to ordain his Novice Monkship years ago.

"My Youngest Brother, you are only thirteen years old, and you have brought forth the Bodhi Mind to take vows to become a Novice-Monk. You should know that isn’t some light decision any one could have made in their life. You should know that I would commend you on that as not even the Imperial Main Lieutenants nor the Chief Ministers could have done it. “

The Young Novice Monk was calm and composed. He felt blessed.

“Now, your Ordination Master The Old Venerable Master Sand’-Huey will proceed with the ceremony, and I am exceited that soon you will be robed and imperially officiated. Come! Go ahead, bid your Final Farewell to our parents to express gratitude the way I taught you before entering the Great-Strength Guru Hall for shaving."

The Novice Monk listened tentatively, thereafter he put up his palms, with all thoughts recluse, mind purified, he faced the East to utter Verses of Gatha.

In the tri-cycle of the reincarnation of the mundane world of the desire, material and material-void; there is no way any kindness could be be repaid nor any mundane affectionate attachment could be escaped;

Forsaking all the worldly possession to enter The State of The Not-Non-Active Enlightenment; is the real way of repaying all kindness from one’s country, parents and sentient beings, and rescuing vulnerable beings in the realms of the animal, hungry ghost and hell.

He felt tears roll down. He recalled the faces of their parents. And he kow-towed three times to the East, repeating another three times for each of the other directions.

Having completed, he changed into monk robe, entered the Main Hall, before The Ordination Monk, he put his palms together and knelt down.

The Old Ordination Monk gave him a condensed reminder.

“My Good Man, human body of ours filled with dispels of body-hair, hair, nails, teeth, skin and the likes; that I want you to visualize such impurities which you should know that existed out of nothing but the hallucination of our Dark Ignorance, so that so you want to disgust and shun away the states of life and death; hence, you bring forth the ultimate determination to leave the househood for the monkhood. “

Then he approached The Precept-Guidance Monk to receive The Wisdom-Consecration of The Tibetan-Abhiṣeka.

“Yes, My Good Man, you come to chop off The Impermanence of the mundane world;

In this truly rare occasion hardly fathomable; you let go of the mundane to approach the path to Nirvāṇa!”

The Novice Monk then knelt for Buddha’s in the ten directions and he uttered:

Paying homage to take refuge in the Great Worldly Worthiness, you save The Three Sufferings;

Also to vow that all sentient beings will universally enter the Nirvāṇa of The Not Non-Active State of Enlightenment.

As such, it wasn’t that the moment of his life went off without struggles.

He remembered he had to let go of the practices of the Mages of Xianxia and Alchemy.

He had secretly learned the Taoist Alchemistry, adoring its Grand Mage of The Pure-Sun and his Book of Outline for The Practice of The Golden Alchemist Blossom.

He could keep the Sensei medicine books, not the alchemy books. And he knew real practice involves the courage to let go appropriately, even to put down the demi eternity.

“Namo Original Guru~Namo Original Guru! Namo Original Guru!” He held his palms together and chanted The Original Guru’s name of The Śākyamuni Buddha.

Now that many years have passed since he left home and guided in physical and mind training. Joining The Second Elder Brother’s lineage, The Novice Monk had been taken great care of by The Brother Monk.

“It’s time, My Second Brother…”

He looked up to the steps made of mountain-stones spiraling up like a crouching dragon attaching and detaching by heavy mist to the waist of the mountains where the lofty Monastery-Temple stood amidst the gentle wind and heavy morning dew. By now, he had walked to the bottom of the steps and he felt rather dizzy after sitting up for the whole night.

"My Brother, I will pay attention to my attitude. I will change the way I interact with people. I will try…I have realized my past mistakes and it’s time for me to leave you, I want to pay the past due visits to gurus in the ten directions.I want to learn from all the great Dharma Teachers.”

Tears bursting out of his eyes, "My Dear Second brother, your loving kindness I could only repay upon my attaining the achievement in my practice, I know you want me to reach that stage…I have lost our Mother when I was little, and I saw how our Father suffered as a consequence. There is only you left to be my closest relative in this extremely fragile world.

"You and the monasteries have supported me, given me precious education, however, I am only a bookish monk, I should heed for my manners and the skills to mingle with others, it was hard for me to interact in a harmonious manner as far as I am concerned. It’s all my personality to blame for, I was just out of tune and I regretted it that I insisted much on my personal opinion thinking that I was wise enough….But, all in all, it’s like water poured out, noway I could retrieve…Now that the time has come, please understand that I had no intention to go against your wishes and I do not intend to judge how people practice, and I can’t bear it to say goodbye to you in person, so…, I will just bid farewell to you here the way I did when I entered the Novice Monkhood, I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you….”

Having said that, he kow-towed on the ground, then he pushed himself up from the ground with his right palm, stood straigt up, placing his Lotus Fingers almost toughcing the central chakra point betweent he eyebrows, made a deep bow, then he turned with determination and stepped on the gravel; walking towards the vine trees passing the pine forests, and the solemn Temple had already left off his eyesight.

He knew, if you let go, what comes next would greet the gentle morning breeze emanating eons of refreshing Qi.

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The Abbot Master Xend'-zeon now sixty years of age saw from his memory mind’s eye his own back of the Young Novice.

After a while he saw that The Young Novice Monk walking slowly over the Scenery-Walls passing the Moon-Gate in the dimming morning lights to exit the outer Moon-Gate of the Monastery-Gate. He walked downward the spiral steps made of stones, from the waist of the mountains and his shoulders carried a rucksack with an indiscernible Dragon-Tongue structure protruding to front and top of his head. After getting off the bamboo bushes, double rows of pine trees, he walked into the jungles filled with vine trees.

From a distance, the Old Monk saw his figure fading away. He had now turned into small a black dot and gradually he had disappeared from his eyesight giving way to the morning sun surrounded by the breeze.

He wondered how a youngster of thirteen years old would resort to such practices.

Not that he had any regrets.

But he saw how human kind worked in his lineage. It mattered to him that the mundane world had looked at at him and Pian G. Monk.

So, the Monk needed to further seek refuge. But where, now?

Where was the answer?

He should have realized that one should and could only answer to his own conscience. But, eventually, mind was at the brink of dying out of sorrow and it got bigger than death itself.