"As long as we can get in, let's go..."
Zhuang Rui interrupted the lama somewhat rudely, saying, "Stop talking to me about those guardian beasts and such. Even if you call it Erlang Shen's Howling Celestial Dog, in my eyes, it's still a white lion."
The attendant lama was clearly not fully accomplished in his spiritual practice. He glared at Zhuang Rui before pushing open the half-closed door behind him, allowing Zhuang Rui and the others to enter.
This is a room that is about 40 to 50 square meters in size. The walls around the room are covered with various Buddha images and thangkas. On the Tibetan cabinet near the door, there are stacks of neatly wrapped scriptures.
Besides Zhuang Rui and the others who had just entered, and the Panchen Lama sitting cross-legged on the thickly cushioned meditation bed, there were several other people standing in the room. Two attendant lamas stood on either side of the Panchen Lama, and then there was Director Yang Kaiwen.
Behind the Panchen Lama hangs a thangka depicting a fierce-looking Vajra, holding a vajra, with disheveled hair and wide-open eyes, looking extremely menacing.
"Isn't this just trying to scare people..."
Looking at the Thangka, Zhuang Rui muttered something under his breath. However, he didn't know that the Panchen Lama's residence was not in the Potala Palace, but in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.
Tashilhunpo Monastery is located west of Shigatse City. It was founded by Gendun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, and is one of the four major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It was the residence of the Panchen Lamas and its historical status is second only to the Potala Palace, where Zhuang Rui is currently located.
It was only because Jampa Lodro was the teacher of the 11th Panchen Lama that he came here to participate in this ceremony and bestow blessings upon the members of the search team.
"This is our second time meeting..."
To Zhuang Rui's surprise, as soon as he entered the room, the 11th Panchen Lama greeted him and even seemed to wink at him.
"Yes, I didn't know it was you yesterday, please don't take offense..."
Zhuang Rui clasped his hands together and bowed to the great living Buddha of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Today, he finally got a clear look at the Panchen Lama's face.
Erdeni looked to be about the same age as he was actually, with a slightly youthful and immature face, a thin mustache, and wore a bright yellow lama robe with a pointed lama hat on his head.
"I feel that the teacher should have been reincarnated in the north. You are someone with a great affinity for Buddhism, and I hope you can find the teacher's reincarnation..."
Erdeni was going to bless many people by touching their heads today. He didn't say much to Zhuang Rui, but after saying a few words, he asked Zhuang Rui to come closer.
"Um... is it okay if I don't kneel?"
On the ground in front of the 11th Panchen Lama was a prayer cushion, presumably for believers to kneel and worship.
However, when Zhuang Rui knelt before the Living Buddha Qiangba Luozhu, the old Living Buddha was old enough that Zhuang Rui had no psychological barrier. Now, asking him to kneel before a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child, Zhuang Rui really couldn't bring himself to do it.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the attendant lamas standing on both sides were immediately filled with anger. The Great Living Buddha personally bestowed initiation and blessing, something that countless believers would dream of, yet this person was unwilling.
The young Panchen Lama was not angry. He waved his hand and said with a smile, "You are not kneeling before me, you are kneeling before Buddha..."
"Can I sit on a futon like you?"
Zhuang Rui was still a little unwilling. In all his life, apart from kneeling to his mother and that old living Buddha, he had never even knelt to his maternal grandfather. He was really embarrassed.
"Like me? Heh, if you can do that, of course you can..."
Upon hearing this, the Panchen Lama laughed and pulled up the lama robe covering his legs, revealing them.
"What's so difficult about that..."
Zhuang Rui pursed his lips, walked to the futon in front of the bed, put his right foot behind his left foot, and sat down.
After sitting down on the cushion, Zhuang Rui stretched out his hands, placed his right foot on his left thigh and his left foot on his right thigh, like tying a bow, with his feet crossed and the soles of his feet facing upwards, his upper body straight, just like the Panchen Lama sitting on the bed.
Zhuang Rui's display of skill not only stunned Yang Kaiwen standing to the side, but also left the two attendant lamas staring at him in disbelief. This was no ordinary task.
This practice is called the lotus position, a method of attaining enlightenment in Buddhism. It is the most representative of the various sitting postures in Buddhism, and few people, except for those who are practicing, can sit as naturally as Zhuang Rui.
The Panchen Lama was somewhat surprised to see Zhuang Rui sit down so easily and asked, "Have you practiced yoga?"
"No……"
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Didn't you say I have an affinity with Buddhism? If I can't even handle this little thing, what kind of affinity do I have?"
Zhuang Rui is a typical example of someone who takes advantage of others and then acts innocent. His body has been repeatedly processed by spiritual energy, making his ligaments very flexible, which is why he was able to sit down. If it were Zhuang Rui from a year ago, let alone sitting in the lotus position, he would have been unable to even do a full split.
The Panchen Lama shook his head and said nothing more. He extended his right hand and touched Zhuang Ruitian's head, chanting incantations as he began to bless him.
After a little over a minute, the Panchen Lama removed his hand, took a snow-white hada (ceremonial scarf) from the lama beside him with his left hand, and hung it around Zhuang Rui's neck.
Chapter 729 Buddhist Supernatural Powers
After the High Living Buddha bestowed blessings, Zhuang Rui stood up and walked to the side, followed by Peng Fei.
Is that so?
Peng Fei was a man who disrespected ghosts and gods, and heaven and earth. He was always incredibly audacious. He walked to the prayer mat and sat down cross-legged, in the exact same posture as Zhuang Rui had just done. Zhuang Rui almost burst out laughing when he saw this.
"Uh, the Great Living Buddha, he's a Party member..."
Since neither of the two people had shown much respect to the Living Buddha, Yang Kaiwen felt a little embarrassed and quickly offered an explanation. As for Peng Fei's file, he had already reviewed it. Searching for the reincarnation of the Living Buddha Qiangba Luozhu was a very important matter, and not just anyone could participate.
The young Living Buddha laughed and said, "It's alright, all wishes are equally beautiful, he is also a person with a karmic connection to Buddhism..."
"Pfft..."
Upon hearing the Living Buddha's words, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but turn his head and burst out laughing. He couldn't believe that Peng Fei, who had taken countless lives, was also someone with a connection to Buddhism. Zhuang Rui would never believe it.
"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot. Moreover, Buddhism also speaks of Vajra wrath, and there is also greed, anger, and ignorance. The principle is the same..."
The Living Buddha's words surprised Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei at the same time. No one should have told this young Panchen Lama about Peng Fei's background. Could it be that he really figured it out?
Peng Fei also put aside his contempt and waited for the Panchen Lama to touch his head and bestow blessings upon him before standing up and respectfully bowing to the Panchen Lama.
Next to receive the initiation was the young lama Basang. He was much more devout than Zhuang Rui and the others. He respectfully bowed to the Living Buddha, then put his hands together and knelt on the prayer mat in front of the Living Buddha to receive Boding's blessing.
After the three of them had finished bestowing blessings, Yang Kaiwen said to the Panchen Lama, "Erdene Living Buddha, we'll take our leave now. We still need to make some preparations..."
The search for reincarnated children is conducted in extreme secrecy, for fear of interference from foreign forces. The list of the search team is known only to a very few people, and meticulous arrangements are made.
There are five teams in total, each with only three to five people. They will be going into the pastoral areas of Tibet and the remote mountainous areas where herders live. The environment is extremely harsh, so they must make sufficient preparations beforehand.
As Zhuang Rui and the others were saying their goodbyes, the Panchen Lama suddenly said to Zhuang Rui, "Layman Zhuang, if you have time in the future, you can visit the new palace in Shigatse. The Buddhists also possess supernatural powers..."
"Thank you, Great Living Buddha. I will definitely go to hear your teachings when I have the opportunity..."
Zhuang Rui politely bowed to the Panchen Lama and left the room, but he didn't quite understand what he meant. What did Buddhist supernatural powers have to do with him?
After leaving the room, Zhuang Rui nudged the young lama Basang who was walking ahead and asked in a low voice, "Master Basang, what kind of supernatural powers did the Living Buddha talk about?"
“Layman Zhuang, you are a person with great affinity for Buddhism. You can just call me by my name…”
Basang, being rather honest, blushed deeply when Zhuang Rui addressed him as "Master." After correcting Zhuang Rui's form of address, Basang said, "The supernatural powers that the Great Living Buddha spoke of should be the five supernatural powers of Buddhism. However, we do not advocate cultivating supernatural powers. The eminent monks of the past did not become great masters because of supernatural powers... Many great monks and accomplished masters became great masters because their character, morality, and behavior surpassed ordinary people. This is the fundamental principle we should cultivate..."
Basang didn't seem to care much about supernatural powers; when they were mentioned, he looked rather dismissive.
"What exactly are these five supernatural powers?"
Zhuang Rui felt that the 11th Panchen Lama's last words seemed to have some deeper meaning, so he couldn't help but ask further.
Basang glanced at Zhuang Rui. Although he didn't want to say it, he wasn't good at refusing people. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The Five Supernatural Powers can also be called the Five Eyes. It's a kind of skill in Buddhist practice, referring to the physical eye, the heavenly eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye..."
"What? Five Eyes Insight?"
Zhuang Rui was shocked upon hearing this and involuntarily stopped in his tracks. He knew that he was where he was today because of these eyes, but he had never understood where the special ability in his eyes came from.
Hearing the young lama's words, Zhuang Rui felt as if a tidal wave was surging in his heart, and his face turned bright red with surprise and excitement.
"Brother Zhuang, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
Peng Fei, who was walking behind Zhuang Rui, almost bumped into Zhuang Rui. He was still thinking about what the Living Buddha had said earlier about putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot, and didn't pay attention to what Zhuang Rui and the little lama were talking about.
"It's alright, it's alright, Basang, we'll talk again later..."
Zhuang Rui realized he had lost his composure. Now was not a good time to talk about this. Since he already knew he would be assigned to the same search team as Basang, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
"Is one's own eye one of the five kinds of supernatural powers?"
Even after leaving the Potala Palace, Zhuang Rui remained somewhat absent-minded, his mind constantly preoccupied with this question.
Upon arriving at the square of the Potala Palace, Yang Kaiwen looked at Zhuang Rui and said, "Brother Zhuang, we're setting off tomorrow. Do you have any preparations or requests?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "I don't have any requirements, but I can only stay for about a week at most. After that, I have to go back to Beijing..."
If Qin Xuanbing hadn't said that this trip would increase his merit and bless his unborn children, Zhuang Rui wouldn't have come at all. Besides, his family is currently preparing for his wedding with Qin Xuanbing.
Although the wedding was only for close relatives and was a simple affair, the Ouyang family, the Qin family from Hong Kong, and Hu Rong from Myanmar would definitely be attending. Roughly speaking, there would be several dozen people.
It would be too unreasonable if Zhuang Rui, the master, were not around, so he had to go back a week later. He couldn't leave all the things to his pregnant wife and elderly mother.
Yang Kaiwen knew that for Zhuang Rui, given his status, to say such a thing was already a great favor to him, so he nodded and said, "Don't worry, brother, this search will take at least two or three years. It won't end so quickly. You can go back to Beijing a few days after we set off..."
The search for a reincarnated lama usually takes one or two years, but if it's slow, it could take six or seven years or even ten years. For example, the 11th Panchen Lama, whom they had just met, was searched for for a full six years. Yang Kaiwen did not believe that Zhuang Rui could find the reincarnation of the Living Buddha just by going out.
"Okay, come pick us up when we leave tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui felt relieved and got into the car arranged by Yang Kaiwen, returning to the villa area.
At noon, the waiter brought over roasted meat with a unique Tibetan flavor. Even Bai Shi, who doesn't usually eat cooked food, ate a few pieces with great interest.
After finishing his meal, Zhuang Rui packed his luggage. There wasn't much in it, just a few clothes and some sunscreen that Qin Xuanbing had given him. She said that if Zhuang Rui didn't want his cheeks to turn red like big apples, he should use it every day.
As for the Tibetan silver jewelry and ashtrays made of yak bone that Zhuang Rui bought yesterday, he has already handed them over to He Shuang to take back to Beijing.
"Brother Zhuang, are you there?"
Zheng Hua's voice came from outside the door. This guy knew Zhuang Rui was in the room, but he still asked a question on purpose.
"Brother Zheng, weren't you going to receive the Living Buddha's blessing?"
Zhuang Rui casually stuffed a few pieces of clothing into his backpack and turned to look at Zheng Hua.
"Don't even mention it. The old man said he needed to take a bath and burn incense. I haven't eaten anything all morning, but you can smell the fragrance all over me..."
Upon entering, Zheng Hua stared blankly at the leftover roasted meat that Zhuang Rui and the others had finished eating. People in the high-altitude area are prone to hunger, and the old man wouldn't let them eat anything, which made Zheng Hua extremely hungry.
Zhuang Rui followed Zheng Hua's gaze and said with a mischievous grin, "Yeah, that's what the white lion ate, there's still a little left..."
"Damn it, stop making me angry. Alright, I came here to say goodbye. After meeting the Panchen Lama this afternoon, my grandfather and I will go straight back to Hong Kong..."
Zheng Hua sniffed the aroma of the roasted meat. This young master Zheng, who had always lived a life of luxury, never imagined that he would one day go hungry.
"Okay, have a safe trip, Brother Zheng. Come visit Beijing sometime, and I'll show you around..."
Zheng Hua has a good personality and doesn't have the spoiled habits of those rich kids. Zhuang Rui gets along with him quite well. Compared to the Bai siblings, whom he met first, Zheng Hua actually makes a better impression on him.
“Brother Zhuang, I know your wedding is in a few days. This is a gift from my father. Please accept it…”
Zheng Hua came to see Zhuang Rui today not only to say goodbye, but also because he had other business to attend to. As he spoke, Zheng Hua took out a heart-shaped jewelry box from his pocket.
“Brother Zheng, you can’t accept this. This wedding is just a family dinner; we didn’t plan any special arrangements, so we didn’t inform you. I can’t possibly accept this gift from the old man…”