Just as Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei were discussing in hushed tones how to distinguish the lamas' identities from their attire, a voice sounded from behind them: "Young men, are you here to attend the ceremony as well?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment. Wasn't that obvious? People were already sitting here. Were they here to attend the ceremony or to watch the spectacle?
"Yes, we're here to attend the ceremony..."
Zhuang Rui turned around and saw that the speaker was an elderly man in his sixties. He had strings of Buddhist prayer beads on both wrists and a jade Buddha on his chest, so he seemed to be a devout Buddhist.
"Ahem...Young man, where did you buy your Tibetan Mastiff?"
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't seem to want to talk to him, the old man stopped trying to get close to him and simply asked the question directly. As soon as the old man asked the question, the people sitting next to him immediately perked up their ears, wanting to hear how Zhuang Rui would answer.
The ferocity and loyalty of Tibetan mastiffs need no further explanation. In the eyes of these people, Tibetan mastiffs also have the identity of guardian deities and temple protectors. Owning such a Tibetan mastiff can be considered a sign of respect for the Buddha. Therefore, out of the ten people on the viewing platform, nine were listening to the conversation between Zhuang Rui and the old man.
Zhuang Rui smiled, gently stroked the white lion's neck mane, and said, "I didn't buy it. It was a gift from Buddha, my brother and companion..."
Fearing that these people would bring up the topic of buying the white lion with money, Zhuang Rui simply brought up Buddha directly: "Don't you believe in him? You wouldn't feel comfortable buying it with money since he gave it to me, would you?"
Sure enough, after Zhuang Rui said those words, the old man looked sullen. His gaze lingered on the white lion for a while before he finally looked away. He didn't make any other requests because they all knew that people who could sit here not only had money but also status. Although Zhuang Rui was young, no one dared to look down on him.
In this sacred Buddhist site, no one dared to make a loud noise. Even those who knew each other spoke very softly on the viewing platform. Just as Zhuang Rui was waiting for the ceremony to begin, a slightly noisy sound suddenly came from the stairwell.
Looking back, Zhuang Rui saw an old man being helped up to the second floor by two young men. The person accompanying him was none other than Yang Kaiwen, which surprised Zhuang Rui. Yang Kaiwen's personal reception meant that the old man must be someone of great importance.
Upon closer inspection, Zhuang Rui suddenly laughed. It turned out that he recognized several of the people who came up. The old man, who was over eighty years old, was the head of Zheng's Jewelry in Hong Kong. The young man supporting him was his grandson, Zheng Hua, who was quite familiar with Zhuang Rui.
Upon seeing that it was Sir Zheng, Zhuang Rui felt relieved. This old man was not only a business tycoon, but also seemed to hold the position of vice chairman of the CPPCC, which was quite a high rank. It was understandable that Yang Kaiwen would personally receive him.
"Brother Zheng Hua, I didn't expect the old man to come to the ceremony as well?"
Upon seeing an acquaintance, especially an elder, Zhuang Rui naturally couldn't let the other person greet him, so he quickly stood up to go and greet them.
"Brother Zhuang, hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy with the museum."
Zheng Hua never expected to see Zhuang Rui here. A few days ago, when the museum opened, he personally delivered a generous gift. With his deliberate efforts to befriend Zhuang Rui, they now address each other as brothers.
“I have some connection with the Living Buddha Jampa Lodro. I am deeply grateful for his kindness and he once bestowed upon me a string of dzi beads that he always wore, so I have come here…”
Zhuang Rui smiled, not revealing that he had been invited without permission; otherwise, he would surely have been looked down upon by these devout Buddhists.
"You're Brother Ouyang's grandson, right? I've met you before. How is Brother Ouyang's health?"
Sir Zheng has an excellent memory. He met Zhuang Rui once at a small private auction in Hong Kong last year, and he immediately recognized him after hearing Zhuang Rui's conversation with his grandson.
"Thank you for your concern, Grandpa Zheng. Grandpa is in good health..."
Zhuang Rui answered respectfully, and together with Zheng Hua, helped the old man to a chair at the front desk. Among the people who had arrived earlier, some who were acquainted with Sir Zheng came over to greet him. After chatting with Zheng Hua for a few minutes, Zhuang Rui returned to his seat.
There are many followers of Tibetan Buddhism in Hong Kong. Zhuang Rui did not expect that Sir Zheng was also a devout Buddhist. This was quite different from his business dealings. Perhaps he sought peace of mind through his faith.
The commotion caused by Sir Zheng's arrival quickly subsided with the speech delivered from the makeshift platform in the square.
Chapter 722 Buddhist Chanting (Part 2)
While talking to Zheng Hua and others, Zhuang Rui hadn't noticed the changes in the venue until a sound rang out. Only then did he realize that the platform in the square was now full of people. Yang Kaiwen, who had escorted Sir Zheng to the viewing platform, had somehow slipped onto the platform and was seated quite close to the center.
To Zhuang Rui's surprise, he recognized the person sitting next to Yang Kaiwen; it was Deputy Director Dai from the State Administration for Religious Affairs. It seemed that the ceremony to find the reincarnation of the Living Buddha was of a very high standard.
A man in his fifties, dressed in Tibetan clothing, spoke first in Tibetan, which Zhuang Rui couldn't understand a word of. When he looked at Peng Fei, the man stared at him blankly, looking around nervously, clearly not understanding Tibetan either.
"That's the chairman of the autonomous region, who came specifically to attend this ceremony..."
The Gegu Lama beside Zhuang Rui explained to him that leaders of the autonomous region must attend such ceremonies, and since the Living Buddha Qiangba Luozhu has a great influence in the Tibetan region, the level of the people who come is correspondingly very high.
After the Chairman finished speaking, an elderly lama with a wrinkled face and short stature began to speak. According to Gegu's introduction, this was another Living Buddha of Jokhang Temple, who was already over ninety years old.
The ceremony proceeded step by step. After the old Living Buddha spoke, the earth-shaking Dharma drums sounded. Amidst the drumbeats, chanting and recitation of sutras filled the air, and thousands of people chanted scriptures simultaneously. The entire Jokhang Temple was enveloped in the sound of chanting.
The chanting lasted only about five minutes. When the drumming stopped, the chanting also ceased. Eight high monks dressed in yellow lamas began to offer incense, chanting incantations.
In front of the incense burner was a table with an old set of lama robes on it, along with a prayer wheel and two ritual implements that Zhuang Rui did not recognize. After the incense offering was completed, thousands of monks in the room knelt down in worship before the table.
After completing the ceremony, the monks sat cross-legged on the ground and began to pray and chant sutras. They wanted to feel the Buddha's teachings in the chanting, to find the spiritual light of the Buddha's reincarnation, and to look forward to the Buddha's verses descending upon the Jokhang Temple.
The chanting of scriptures, in unison, grew louder and louder until it seemed as if only this one sound existed in the world. Unlike noise, the chanting was loud but did not make people feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, Zhuang Rui felt a sense of peace and tranquility upon hearing it.
It wasn't just Zhuang Rui who felt this way; everyone on the viewing platform closed their eyes and listened to the chanting. Sir Zheng was even muttering to himself, a baby-like smile on his face, and a faint radiance emanating from his wrinkled face.
"Huh? What's this?"
After immersing himself in the chanting for a while, Zhuang Rui suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, because he noticed that the spiritual energy in his eyes seemed to be agitating. When he opened his eyes, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but be a little stunned.
Above the square filled with chanting lamas, a thick white fog appeared out of nowhere. Although the square was surrounded by courtyards and winds came from all directions, the fog lingered and remained above the heads of the lamas.
"Could this be what Buddhism refers to as the power of vows?"
Buddhist teachings say: magic is no match for supernatural powers, supernatural powers are no match for karma, and karma is no match for the power of vows. The power of vows refers to the original aspirations of the human heart, which can eliminate karmic obstacles, overcome inner demons, and even communicate with heaven and earth, generating great supernatural powers. This is the meaning of the Buddhist saying "the power of vows creates the Pure Land".
Zhuang Rui had never believed in the existence of vows or karma before, but the mist formed by the chanting of thousands of lamas seemed to have no other explanation than the power of vows.
Zhuang Rui tried to let his spiritual energy come into contact with the mist, and immediately felt a warm and pleasant aura enter his body. Moreover, within the mist, it seemed that there were virtuous monks explaining scriptures, chanting Buddhist mantras and speaking eloquently.
The scriptures that were recited very quickly, which Zhuang Rui couldn't understand at all before, suddenly seemed to become clear and easy to understand, with each word flashing clearly before his eyes.
Like the holy water in the vase held by Guanyin Bodhisattva, these sounds and words washed over Zhuang Rui's mind again and again, making his thoughts and ideas increasingly clear and insightful.
"Brother Zhuang, what's wrong? What were you saying just now?"
Peng Fei, who was sitting next to Zhuang Rui, opened his eyes when he heard Zhuang Rui mutter something, but he saw nothing except for the lamas chanting sutras all over the place.
"It's nothing, Peng Fei. We're not going anywhere this morning; we'll just stay here and listen to the high monks chanting sutras..."
After being jolted awake by Peng Fei, Zhuang Rui glared at him unhappily and said, "If you're getting impatient, go outside for a walk..."
Zhuang Rui was afraid of being disturbed by Peng Fei again. To be honest, although Zhuang Rui did not believe in gods or Buddhas, the feeling he had just experienced in the mist had opened his mind completely, and his thoughts were clear. He even saw the spiritual energy in his eyes without reservation, as if there was a virtuous monk chanting scriptures and listening to him within the spiritual energy.
It should be noted that Zhuang Rui has never mentioned his supernatural abilities to anyone since they appeared in his eyes. While this extraordinary ability has brought Zhuang Rui great success and a fortune, it has also brought him a great deal of confusion and pressure.
For more than a year, Zhuang Rui had been deliberately keeping the secret of his eyes. Even in his sleep, he dared not reveal it. Firstly, it was too mysterious, and secondly, Zhuang Rui was afraid that people would not believe him.
For a while, Zhuang Rui did consider seeing a psychologist and confiding in them, but ultimately he didn't go because he was afraid the psychologist would diagnose him with delusions.
This pressure, accumulated over a long period, left Zhuang Rui feeling utterly exhausted and unable to find relief. However, the mist rising from the Buddhist chants just now released this pressure, and the feeling of comfort almost made Zhuang Rui groan.
In just a few short minutes, most of the pent-up frustration in his heart dissipated. Zhuang Rui had decided that today he would become a monk and experience the profound truths of Buddhism.
"This sounds quite pleasant, so I'm not going out..."
After hearing Peng Fei's words, Zhuang Rui glanced at him. It is said that Buddhism can resolve violent energy. Could it be true? However, the chanting of the sutras did bring peace to the heart.
"Do as you please, just don't disturb my experience of Buddhism..."
After saying something that was half-true and half-false, Zhuang Rui closed his eyes.
Opening or closing his eyes had no effect on the spiritual energy in Zhuang Rui's eyes. When the spiritual energy entered the power of will again, the feeling that seemed to make his soul sing returned to him.
The dust in his heart was washed away one by one by the chanting, and the thoughts in his mind became clearer and clearer. Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Zhuang Rui didn't know how much time had passed when all the vows in the sky suddenly dissipated.
"Hmm? It doesn't seem to be the same scripture as before?"
When Zhuang Rui opened his eyes, he found that the lamas were still chanting sutras, but the power of the vows before him had all dissipated. After careful examination, he realized that the sutras being chanted now seemed different from the ones at the beginning.
"How did time fly by so fast?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at his watch and realized it was already afternoon. That meant he had been sitting motionless in his chair for a full six hours, from 9 a.m. to now. After checking the time, Zhuang Rui's stomach rumbled.
Turning his head to look around, he saw that only a few people remained on the viewing platform. The Zheng family had already left, and even Peng Fei was nowhere to be found. However, the white lion was still lying at his feet, its eyes open as it looked at the lamas below the platform, seemingly wondering about something.
"Master Gegu, where are my companions?"
Zhuang Rui saw Ge Gu sitting cross-legged behind him and quickly asked a question.
Gegu stood up and replied respectfully, "He has already left. He said you should call him..."
Regardless of whether the white lion is the guardian deity of the snow mountain, the fact that Zhuang Rui entered a meditative state after hearing the Buddhist scriptures today greatly surprised Gegu. Not to mention that Zhuang Rui is just an ordinary person, even many eminent monks would find it difficult to enter such a spiritual state. This can only mean that Zhuang Rui has a great affinity with Buddhism.
Therefore, Ge Gu stopped Peng Fei and Zheng Hua from waking Zhuang Rui at noon and stayed by Zhuang Rui's side.
"Okay, I understand. I'll have to trouble Master Gegu to take me out..."
Zhuang Rui took out his phone and checked it. He found seven or eight missed calls on his silent phone, including calls from Peng Fei and Zheng Hua, as well as a few from Qin Xuanbing and his family. Zhuang Rui didn't rush to return the calls, since making phone calls in this Buddhist holy place was considered very impolite.
Gegu, who had been staying by Zhuang Rui's side, knew that he hadn't eaten lunch yet, and said, "Our temple has vegetarian food. Would you like to try some, Layman Zhuang?"
Zhuang Rui thought about returning the call, then shook his head and said, "Never mind, let's talk about it another time..."
Gegu didn't force them. He led Zhuang Rui and the white lion through the maze-like corridors and arrived at the entrance of the Jokhang Temple.
Zhuang Rui first called Qin Xuanbing and found out that everything was alright at home. Then he called Peng Fei, who was strolling around Barkhor Street. After receiving Zhuang Rui's call, Peng Fei quickly rushed over.
"Let's go find somewhere to eat something, I'm starving..."
Zhuang Rui waved to Peng Fei and walked towards the Western restaurant he remembered. He had only taken two steps when his phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Zheng Hua calling.
Chapter 723 Buddhist Implements (Part 1)
Zhuang Rui pressed the answer button and said, "Brother Zheng, are you still in Lhasa?"
"Yes, my grandfather went back to rest. I'm strolling around Barkhor Street..."
It was Zheng Hua's first time in Tibet, and everything he saw seemed new and exciting. Being young and in good health, he did not follow Sir Zheng back to his residence. Instead, accompanied by a staff member from the Religious Affairs Bureau, he strolled around the neighborhood.
"My grandfather just praised you for your Buddhist nature, Brother Zhuang. Come over and help me pick out a Buddhist artifact?"
Zheng Hua's voice came from the phone. It was clear that he was very excited to be in Lhasa for the first time. This was understandable, as Zhuang Rui was also dazzled by the many ethnic items when he first came to Lhasa.
"Brother Zheng, I haven't eaten yet. How about this, come find me at the Western restaurant on the east side of Barkhor Street..."
Zhuang Rui's stomach was growling with hunger, so he had no interest in going shopping with him. He needed to be full before he could do anything.
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui led Peng Fei and Bai Shi toward the open-air Western restaurant he remembered. Today, the Jokhang Temple was holding a religious ceremony, and the pilgrimage that usually stopped at noon on Barkhor Street would continue until evening. Zhuang Rui had to avoid the pilgrims along the way, making the journey quite difficult.
Another reason is the white lion. Although Tibetans love Tibetan mastiffs very much, the white lion's size was too huge, and it startled many passersby along the way.
Many self-proclaimed wealthy individuals stopped Zhuang Rui to negotiate prices. If it weren't for Gegu Lama's presence, some might have had malicious intentions. These days, getting a tranquilizer gun in Tibet is incredibly easy.
"Young man, you look very friendly..."
Zhuang Rui walked into the Western restaurant and saw the Hong Kong owner in front of him. He should be about forty-four or forty-five years old, but he still looked like he was in his early thirties.
"Boss, don't you recognize me? I came here last February, with a beautiful lady. She's from the same place as you..."