The charade had been exposed, and the middle-aged man lost face. The fact that Zhuang Rui had ruined a deal worth several thousand yuan made him even more furious. He immediately dropped the topic of buying the Thangka and launched into a tirade against Zhuang Rui.
"Alright, sir, some things are pointless if you explain them clearly. You can continue with your stall, and we'll continue buying our stuff. Goodbye!"
Zhuang Rui was too lazy to deal with these local bullies, so he gave a curt reply and turned to call Lei Lei and the others back to the hotel. It was already midday, and not only was he hungry, but even the little white lion was listless and kept scratching itself with its paws in his arms.
"Kid, don't even think about leaving until you explain yourself clearly."
The middle-aged man grabbed Zhuang Rui's shoulder, which happened to be Zhuang Rui's injured left arm. Zhuang Rui winced in pain and slapped the man's hand away with his right hand.
At this point, Zhuang Rui was also furious. He had messed up his acting, and yet this guy dared to keep making a fuss. He immediately turned around, glared at him, and said, "What do you want? Or should we go to the police station and settle this?"
"Han people are beating people! Han people are beating people!"
The stall owner suddenly shouted, and several of his accomplices who were already huddled in the crowd also emerged and surrounded Zhuang Rui.
"Make them pay back the money, don't buy what we agreed on, and don't let them leave."
The stall owner jumped around shouting, and although the onlookers knew what had happened, most of them were tourists from out of town. Nobody wanted to cause trouble, so for a moment, only the stall owner's voice could be heard.
"Pay up! Pay my ass! You want to hit me? Fine, I'll hit you back."
Zhuang Rui's nature is always "I won't offend others unless they offend me," but if you push him too far, he will never hold back when he attacks.
Just now, the middle-aged man had pulled at his wound, and now seeing the stall owner so arrogant, he couldn't hold back any longer. He jumped up and kicked the stall owner across the stall. The stall owner's voice was quite loud, but he was a bit short, less than 1.7 meters tall. He was kicked backward by Zhuang Rui, who was over 1.8 meters tall.
The people surrounding Zhuang Rui were stunned. They hadn't expected that this seemingly quiet young man with glasses would have such a fiery temper. They had originally intended to extort some money, but now it seemed that things were going to get out of hand.
"What are you standing there for? Start hitting him! If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."
The short stall owner, kicked by Zhuang Rui, took a while to get up. Seeing his accomplices surrounding Zhuang Rui but not making a move, he got angry and rushed over while shouting. This guy was also a thug. He grabbed a Tibetan knife from his stall, drew it, and slashed at Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui was surrounded by those people, with a crowd behind him, and there was nowhere to retreat. Just as the knife was about to strike him, a pair of calloused hands reached out and firmly grasped the stall owner's wrist.
"You fucking..."
This stall owner was used to running rampant in the market. Most tourists didn't want to cause trouble, so they would just swallow their anger when they were ripped off, which fostered his bad habits. When the knife that was about to strike Zhuang Rui was stopped by someone, he immediately started cursing at the person who had come up with the words. However, as soon as he saw the clothes on the person's body, he swallowed the rest of his words and reluctantly put away the knife.
Zhuang Rui saw a tall, red-robed lama appear before him. Upon seeing the lama, the few people who had been jeering earlier secretly slipped into the crowd.
"It's the Gegu Lama from Jokhang Temple who's here. These people don't dare to be arrogant anymore. They should be taught a lesson."
Among the onlookers, some who recognized the lama began to discuss him, their faces showing respect. The stall owner stood quietly to the side, not daring to say a word.
“This is a sacred pilgrimage route; you must not cause trouble here. Don’t you know that?”
Gegu Lama, also known as Iron Staff Lama, is in charge of punishments in the monastery and is known for his impartiality. Although there are police stations to enforce the law in modern society, the status of lamas in Tibet remains supreme for these Tibetans. As soon as this Gegu Lama spoke, the surroundings fell silent, and no one dared to discuss it anymore.
“This master first deceived us into buying things, and then threatened to injure us with a knife. I swear in the name of the Living Buddha that everything I said is true.”
Zhuang Rui pointed at the stall owner and said to the lama in front of him, "I know that anything involving religion can become very troublesome if not handled properly."
"oh?"
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Gegu Lama was already somewhat convinced. If he hadn't intervened in time, the young man in front of him would have been injured. Furthermore, he saw the white lion in Zhuang Rui's arms. Tibetans love dogs and treat them as family members, and lamas are no exception. Many monasteries also keep Tibetan mastiffs. Seeing the white lion, Gegu believed Zhuang Rui's words even more.
Seeing the growing crowd blocking the path of the pilgrims, Gegu Lama frowned and said to Zhuang Rui and the stall owner, "Come back to Jokhang Temple with me and explain things clearly."
After Gegu Lama finished speaking, he walked forward along the prayer wheel path, not worried at all that the two people wouldn't follow.
"Xuanbing, Leilei, Yaoyao, you guys go back to the hotel first. I'm going with the master. I was just thinking of visiting the Jokhang Temple, so we can save on the entrance fee this time."
Zhuang Rui handed over the many bags of various sizes hanging on his body to a few girls. There was no point in them following him; it would be better to go back to the hotel and inform Liu Chuan and the others. Presumably, Zhou Rui, who was very familiar with Tibet, would have a solution. Besides, he hadn't done anything wrong.
Although Qin Xuanbing and the other girls were young, they were all worldly-wise. Qin Xuanbing's family even supported a Tibetan Living Buddha, so they knew that they were all kind-hearted and would not make things difficult for Zhuang Rui. However, instead of returning to the hotel, they took out their phones and called Liu Chuan.
Zhuang Rui followed behind Gegu Lama, standing among a group of Tibetan Buddhist believers. He watched them chanting scriptures as they walked clockwise along the prayer wheel path. Although he couldn't understand their scriptures, Zhuang Rui still felt a sense of peace and tranquility.
"Come with me."
After reaching the end of the pilgrimage route, Gegu Lama waved to Zhuang Rui, ignoring the Tibetan stall owner who was still packing up his stall, and led Zhuang Rui into the Jokhang Temple through a side door.
Chapter 81 Jokhang Temple
The most famous Buddhist building in Tibet is probably the Potala Palace. It was built for Princess Wencheng when she came to Tibet. When the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo married Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, the two princesses brought with them life-size statues of Shakyamuni Buddha at age 8 and 12, respectively, as well as a large number of Buddhist scriptures. Under the influence of the two princesses, Songtsen Gampo converted to Buddhism and built the Jokhang Temple and Ramoche Temple that we see today.
Zhuang Rui originally planned to visit the Potala Palace first, but unexpectedly, due to the vendor's interference, he ended up at the Jokhang Temple first, and even saved several tens of yuan in entrance fees.
The Tibetan people have a saying: "The Jokhang Temple came first, then Lhasa city." The Jokhang Temple holds a central position in Lhasa, not only geographically but also in terms of social life.
Many beautiful legends surround the Jokhang Temple. One story tells of how it was repeatedly flooded during its construction. Princess Wencheng explained that the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was a supine demon woman, so she said the Jokhang Temple had to be built by filling in a lake to first subdue the demon's heart. Princess Wencheng then recommended twelve other small temples in remote areas to subdue the demon's limbs and joints, resulting in a total of thirteen temples.
According to the location chosen by Princess Wencheng, the first step in building the temple was to fill in the lake. At that time, the main means of transportation relied on goats carrying bags filled with sand and soil. In this way, the lake was filled in, laying the foundation for the Jokhang Temple. The name Lhasa today evolved from the Jokhang Temple.
The inner circle around the central Shakyamuni Buddha Hall of Jokhang Temple is called "Nangkhor". The outer circle around the Jokhang Temple is called "Barkhor". The streets radiating out from Jokhang Temple are called "Barkhor Street", which is the octagonal street where Zhuang Rui and others shopped. The large circle centered on Jokhang Temple, including Potala Palace, Chakpori Hill, and Ramoche Temple, is called "Lingkhor". These three concentric circles are the routes for Tibetans to perform circumambulation rituals.
Zhuang Rui saw many devout Tibetans outside the Jokhang Temple, prostrating themselves clockwise around the temple, chanting the six-syllable mantra, their hands clasped together overhead, taking a step forward. They moved their hands, still clasped, to their foreheads, taking another step. They moved their hands, still clasped, to their chests, taking a third step. They knelt, prostrating themselves completely, palms down, hands outstretched forward, drawing their hands across the ground. They lightly touched the ground with their foreheads. They rose, and the cycle repeated.
These devout Tibetans, with protective gear on their hands and knees, weathered faces, and covered in dust, prostrate themselves on the ground, their palms making a rustling sound as they rub the earth. Relying on their strong faith, they measure the land with their bodies, taking three steps and bowing once, slowly circumambulating the Jokhang Temple. Even if it's just a clockwise walk around the Jokhang Temple, these are the Tibetan believers Zhuang Rui met on his way to Lhasa.
Tibetan pilgrims from far and wide trek through mountains and rivers, enduring wind and rain, prostrating themselves all the way, and it may take them years to reach their sacred destination. When they encounter rivers, they will prostrate themselves along the riverbank for the width of the river before trying to cross.
Next to the Jokhang Temple, there was a group of Tibetans prostrating themselves in place. Although they did not need to walk, each of them believed that they had to prostrate themselves at least 10,000 times to express their piety. Seeing that the Tibetans who were turning the prayer wheel had already poured into the Jokhang Temple, Gegu Lama waved to Zhuang Rui and walked into the Jokhang Temple through a small door next to the main gate.
Zhuang Rui was quite frank. He hadn't done anything wrong. Although he had started the fight, Buddhism also preached punishing evil and promoting good. He figured these lamas wouldn't do anything to him. Seeing that Zhuang Rui had come with Gegu Lama, the gatekeeper lama put his hands together, smiled, and let him in.
"This is the birthplace of the 'Geshe,' which means 'doctor' among you Han Chinese."
Upon entering the Jokhang Temple, Zhuang Rui saw a courtyard with a skylight. The Gegu Lama clearly did not regard him as a villain and explained the origin of the courtyard to him. On the east side of the courtyard, there were several rows of butter lamps. Even though it was daytime, these butter lamps were still burning continuously, presumably because someone was in charge of adding butter.
Behind the butter lamps is the main gate of the Jokhang Temple. The earliest buildings of the Jokhang Temple all started from this gate. The outer courtyard was built and expanded later. This main hall is the building that was built more than 1,400 years ago. Due to the friction of believers over the years, the stone floor at the entrance has become as shiny as a mirror.
Zhuang Rui saw that the pilgrims who had just passed through the circumambulation path were constantly coming and going, returning to the famous circumambulation path of the Jokhang Temple at varying speeds, circling around and around again. Regardless of age or gender, everyone had a look of piety and solemnity on their faces. At this moment, everything was natural and harmonious.
Upon entering the main hall, Zhuang Rui was immediately greeted by two enormous Buddha statues on either side. The one on the left was Padmasambhava, the founder of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, and the one on the right was the Future Buddha. To the right of the entrance to the main hall's passageway was a mural depicting the story of the Jokhang Temple's construction. The mural vividly portrayed the early Potala Palace in the 7th century AD, as well as the scene of filling in the lake to build the Jokhang Temple.
Gegu Lama seemed to be very prestigious. Several lamas and tourists who passed by him bowed slightly to greet him. After leading Zhuang Rui into the main hall, Gegu Lama said to Zhuang Rui, "Young man, you can look around here. Follow the direction those people are walking and don't wander off."
Gegu seemed to have something else to attend to, and after giving Zhuang Rui some instructions, he left. It was as if he had forgotten the original reason for bringing him here, and he didn't even ask about the dispute that had occurred at the market.
Inside the main hall were many lifelike wooden carvings on the walls. When Zhuang Rui saw these carvings, his heart stirred slightly. He took a few steps and approached the wall. He focused his mind and released the already thin spiritual energy in his eyes onto the wooden carving.
"Huh? How could this be?"
Just as the spiritual energy in his eyes pierced through the wood carvings, Zhuang Rui immediately sensed that these wood carvings contained a vast amount of spiritual energy. Even at its peak, the spiritual energy in his eyes was probably nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to this.
However, to Zhuang Rui's surprise and deep frustration, although he could sense the presence of these spiritual energies, he was unable to absorb them. This was the first time Zhuang Rui had encountered such a situation.
The spiritual energy in those murals gave Zhuang Rui a sudden illusion, as if his own spiritual energy was water, while the spiritual energy in the wood-carved murals was oil. Although water and oil can coexist in the same container, they cannot be mixed together.
"Could it be that the amount of spiritual energy in my eyes is too small to integrate with the spiritual energy in the mural?"
Zhuang Rui withdrew the spiritual energy from his eyes, looked at the mural in front of him, and began to think. Although he had used the spiritual energy in his eyes frequently in the past few days and the amount had become much less, he could still see through the wood to a depth of about one centimeter, which was no different from before.
However, the spiritual energy that had previously been invincible could no longer be absorbed from the mural. This surprised Zhuang Rui and filled him with deep disappointment. It was like entering a treasure mountain only to find that he couldn't take anything out of it; that feeling would drive anyone mad.
Undeterred, Zhuang Rui tried again, but to no avail. Frustrated, he almost shouted out loud. The usually calm Zhuang Rui now wished he could pounce on the murals, smash them, and release the spiritual energy within.
"Waaah..."
Just as Zhuang Rui felt a pang of unease, like being scratched by a cat, the little white lion in his arms started whimpering, its tiny paws frantically clawing at his clothes, seemingly trying to get down to the ground. Zhuang Rui was puzzled. This little creature was always so docile in his arms; why was it acting so agitated today?
Zhuang Rui was so preoccupied with the spiritual energy in the murals that he didn't care about the little guy anymore. Without thinking too much, he put the white lion on the ground.
The little white lion was already walking quite steadily. After getting off the ground, it immediately ran towards a staircase at the corner of the main hall. However, it was too small and couldn't climb up no matter what it did. It was so anxious that it kept whimpering, which made Zhuang Rui, who was already a little irritable, even more upset.
"Alas, perhaps I am simply not meant to be with the spiritual energy of this place."
Zhuang Rui sighed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. Unable to think of any other solution, Zhuang Rui prepared to leave.
"Um?"
Looking around, Zhuang Rui discovered that the little creature had actually climbed a staircase much taller than itself. However, this wooden staircase had more than twenty steps, and the little white lion had only climbed to the first step, unable to go up or down. Its fluffy body paced back and forth on the wide staircase, constantly barking in Zhuang Rui's direction. The little guy's behavior also attracted the attention of many tourists and believers.
Seeing the little guy's mischievous antics, Zhuang Rui's frustration lessened somewhat. This little guy was very understanding; these past few days, he had never troubled Zhuang Rui with his bodily functions, instead going to the spot Liu Chuan had prepared to relieve himself. Coupled with his adorable appearance, he had made Qin Xuanbing and the others extremely envious. However, the little white lion wouldn't allow anyone to touch it except Zhuang Rui. Even Qin Xuanbing could only hold and play with it for a while under Zhuang Rui's forced command.
Shaking his head, Zhuang Rui walked over, thinking the little creature might be hungry. He bent down and picked up the white lion cub, but his eyes glanced over and he was surprised to find that the wooden staircase was actually made of sandalwood. Although it wasn't the rare small-leaf sandalwood, the amount of material used in this row of stairs was still quite precious.
"Clang... clang clang..."
Zhuang Rui reached out and tapped the surface of the stairs, which produced a metallic clanging sound, sparking his interest in the stairs.
Looking at the little white lion cub still tearing at his clothes in his arms, Zhuang Rui hesitated for a moment. Before leaving, Gegu Lama had told him not to wander around. Zhuang Rui didn't know if this was a forbidden area of the Jokhang Temple. He had been standing here for a long time and hadn't seen a single tourist go up, but none of the lamas coming and going had come to stop him or ask him anything.
Ultimately, curiosity about the unknown prevailed. Zhuang Rui picked up the little white lion, held onto the intricately carved stair railing, and slowly walked upwards.
Chapter 82 Living Buddha
Once upstairs, Zhuang Rui discovered that the second floor was also open to tourists, though there were very few people there, but quite a few lamas were busy inside.
From the open-air corridor on the second floor, one can see the crowds circumambulating the prayer wheel below. Listening to the Buddhist chants, Zhuang Rui felt an unusual sense of peace, and the restlessness caused by his inability to absorb spiritual energy was also greatly reduced.
Just as Zhuang Rui was immersed in the Buddhist chanting, a group of tourists came downstairs. They seemed to be a tour group, wearing matching hats and waving colorful flags. Their chattering startled Zhuang Rui, and at that moment, he also heard a "gurgling" sound coming from his stomach.
Looking at the time, it was already past one in the afternoon. Zhuang Rui was also hungry. It seemed that today's matter would be dropped. He picked up the little white lion and prepared to go downstairs and leave the Jokhang Temple. He figured Qin Xuanbing and Liu Chuan must be getting anxious by now.
Just as Zhuang Rui walked back to the stairwell, the little white lion in his arms suddenly jumped to the ground and ran towards the end of the corridor, as if some delicious food was attracting it. The little guy ignored Zhuang Rui's shouts from behind.
Left with no other choice, Zhuang Rui could only follow behind. He couldn't bear to part with the little guy. Most of the laughter in the car every day was caused by this little creature. This wasn't the first time Zhuang Rui had kept a pet, but his feelings for the little white lion were extremely special. Putting aside everything else, Zhuang Rui had saved its life. The little guy's usual dependence on Zhuang Rui also made Zhuang Rui love it very much.
Although it's less than a month old, this little guy is quite fast at running. Plus, there are many corridors on the second floor. If the little guy hadn't stopped to look at Zhuang Rui from time to time, Zhuang Rui probably would have lost him by now.
"Waaah...waaah, waaah..."
The little creature ran to a door, stopped, and scratched at it with its tiny paws, but the heavy wooden door was clearly beyond its ability to open. The little creature was clever; after struggling at the door for a while, it ran back to Zhuang Rui's feet, grabbed his trouser leg, and pulled him towards the door.
"You little rascal, if you run around like this again, I'll abandon you."
Zhuang Rui bent down, picked up the little white lion, and tapped it on the forehead. The little guy stuck out its tongue and licked Zhuang Rui's hand in a flattering manner. Then it turned its head and made a "woof woof" sound towards the heavy red wooden door.
Zhuang Rui felt a little strange. Usually, just one look from him would bring the little guy to his side, but today he was ignoring him. It seemed that there must be something strange behind this door.
Although Zhuang Rui grew up under the red flag, he didn't believe in ghosts or gods and had no particular faith. However, ever since his eye injury and the appearance of spiritual energy, he developed a greater sense of awe for the world. Just because something is unknown doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are many inexplicable phenomena in this world, like the spiritual energy in Zhuang Rui's eyes, which science cannot explain. Buddhism is one such example.
Buddhism, along with Christianity and Islam, is known as one of the three major world religions. Since its introduction to China during the Han Dynasty, it has experienced significant development in subsequent dynasties. Many emperors even established Buddhism as the state religion. Chinese Buddhism has seen the emergence of many schools, mainly eight, which are commonly referred to as the eight major schools of Xingyi, Xiangyi, Tiantai, Xiantai, Chan, Jing, Vinaya, and Tantra.
After liberation, Buddhist academies were established in China, which ensured the continuation of its teachings. However, in recent years, some famous temples in the mainland, such as Shaolin Temple, have focused more on worldly practice and integration with society. As a result, many people have developed some misunderstandings about Buddhism, and when talking about monks, they no longer have the same respect as in the past.
However, Tibetan Buddhism differs from the Buddhism transmitted in Central China. It was introduced to Tibet directly from India in the mid-8th century. Tibetan Buddhism formally took shape in the latter half of the 10th century, and over the next 300 years, various distinctive sects emerged, most of which belong to the Tantric school, one of the eight major schools of Buddhism.
Tibetan Buddhism, which emphasizes ascetic practices, has diverse lineages, complex rituals, and numerous statues, which is a significant characteristic that distinguishes it from Han Chinese Buddhism. Historically, most sects of Tibetan Buddhism have been combined with certain political forces (including local power groups or family forces), forming a theocratic system in which religion follows politics and politics supports religion, with each depending on the other.