The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 18: The Miracle of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda

After practicing the Lion’s Roar, he unexpectedly discovered there was a mysterious figure on the Shaolin Temple’s back mountain, which filled Huo Yuanzhen with some concern. Clearly, the person on the back mountain was a master, but for some reason, he was unable to leave that place. However, just because he couldn’t leave now didn’t mean he’d never be able to. Perhaps one day he’d emerge—and that would be a source of trouble. If possible, Huo Yuanzhen wanted to eliminate this potential threat, but not right now—he would have to wait until his martial arts skills were stronger. Muttering to himself that he hoped this fellow would stay on the back mountain for a few more years, Huo Yuanzhen returned to Shaolin Temple. At present, several construction projects at the Shaolin Temple were nearly complete. The Shaolin Temple Compound, spanning several li, had taken its full shape, with bluestone paving the temple grounds. The only remaining tasks were a short section of the mountain path and the temple gate, both of which were expected to be finished within three or two days. Upon returning to the temple, Huo Yuanzhen did not go to sleep but instead quietly made his way to the rear courtyard. According to Huo Yuanzhen’s plan, the Shaolin Compound was currently divided into four sections. The first section, as Huo Yuanzhen had planned, consisted of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, and the Hall of the Heavenly Kings. Behind the Hall of the Heavenly Kings lies the second area, where Huo Yuanzhen planned to locate the Guanyin Hall, the Vajra Hall, the Amitabha Hall, the Vaisravana Hall, the Manjusri Hall, the Medicine Buddha Hall, the Ten Halls of Reincarnation, and the Great Hall of the Buddha, among other Buddhist halls. The first and second sections were primarily intended for pilgrims to burn incense and for tourists to visit. The third section was the Inner Shaolin Temple, mainly comprising the dining hall, dormitories, the Arhat Hall, the Bodhi Hall, the Prajna Hall, the Bodhidharma Hall, and the Shaolin Martial Arts Arena. The fourth section was the core area of Shaolin, primarily consisting of the Shaolin Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, the Shaolin Sutra Hall, Muren Alley, the Council of Elders, the Discipline Hall, and the Abbot’s Quarters. Once you exit Muren Alley, you’ve officially left the Shaolin Temple. Behind the main compound lies the rear mountain area. Logically, there should also be a Stupa Forest on the back mountain—the burial site for eminent monks who have passed away over the generations—but since Elder Xuanming of the Shaolin Temple has recently passed away, this Stupa Forest cannot be constructed for the time being. Even so, there are still nearly a hundred buildings of various kinds. Several areas have already been divided according to Huo Yuanzhen’s vision, and the bluestone steps and the vegetarian dining hall have been completed. Huo Yuanzhen went straight to the fourth area, as it was the highest point and the most suitable location for the only construction token currently available—the construction token for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. Erecting the pagoda at the highest point, where it can be seen from afar, would make it the future landmark of the Shaolin Temple. Earlier that day, Huo Yuanzhen had told the story listeners that they would witness the Buddha’s miraculous appearance the next day—in reality, he intended to construct the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda in the middle of the night. Upon arriving at the site he had chosen for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda, Huo Yuanzhen felt a surge of excitement. This was his first time using a construction token, and he had no idea what the pagoda would look like once it was built. “It should have at least five stories, otherwise how could it house ten thousand Buddhas?” Huo Yuanzhen silently prayed to himself as he pulled out the Construction Token he’d been keeping tucked in his robe all along. “Are you sure you want to use the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda Construction Token?” A system prompt sounded, and Huo Yuanzhen confirmed his choice. The construction token in his hand vanished, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that drifted to the location Yuanzhen had chosen. A vague silhouette of a pagoda appeared, rising story by story. Three stories, four stories… The pagoda continued to grow until it reached nine stories. The ethereal form gradually solidified, and in just about ten minutes, a nine-story pagoda materialized out of thin air before Huo Yuanzhen. Huo Yuanzhen stared in astonishment at the scene before him. This system’s construction token was truly miraculous—a massive pagoda had simply appeared out of thin air. The sound of “ting-ting, clang-clang” echoed through the night sky, and Huo Yuanzhen looked up. Calculated by later-era standards, the pagoda’s first story covered an area of about 300 square meters. Blue stone steps led up to it, and each story featured white marble railings. The eaves curved upward, adorned with wind chimes that swayed in the breeze, producing a crisp, pleasant sound. The main gate was painted red. By the light of the moon, Huo Yuanzhen climbed the steps and pushed the door open. It was pitch black inside, so Huo Yuanzhen lit a torch. The walls inside were densely covered with Buddhist statues. In the center stood a massive statue of Guanyin, flanked by statues of The Boy Good Fortune, Shoushan, and others. There were also many oil lamps nearby, though Huo Yuanzhen did not light them. After a quick count, he estimated there were about 1,500 statues on this first level, with the ones at the bottom being larger and those at the top smaller. After looking around for a while, he climbed the stairs to the second level. The interior was similar to the first level, except that the massive statue in the center had been replaced by Bodhisattva Lingji. Huo Yuanzhen then made his way through each subsequent floor; the large statues varied from one to the next, while the smaller ones were countless. After touring the entire structure, Huo Yuanzhen left the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda with a sense of satisfaction. Viewed from the outside, the pagoda stood dark and imposing atop the mountain peak, seemingly within reach of the clouds, and a sense of pride welled up in Huo Yuanzhen’s heart. Tomorrow—when those people arrived on the mountain—it would be a truly thrilling sight. A pagoda rising from the ground overnight—no one would consider that normal. By then, the number of Buddhist followers would undoubtedly increase significantly. With a solid grassroots following, recruiting disciples in the future would be much easier. By then, the first light of dawn was already appearing in Dongfang, and Huo Yuanzhen quietly slipped back to his room to rest. Early the next morning, the four Shaolin monks—Yikong, Yijing, Huizhen, and Huiming—woke up and were stunned to discover that behind the newly completed Shaolin Compound, in the direction of the rising Sun, a hundred-zhang-tall pagoda, bathed in the morning light, stood majestically between heaven and earth. The monks rubbed their eyes frantically, pinched their thighs, and walked toward the magnificent pagoda in disbelief. Standing at the base of the pagoda, they felt its grandeur even more keenly; it seemed to pierce the clouds. They had seen Buddhist pagodas at other temples before—even the Dharma King Temple, also on Shaoshi Mountain, had one—but compared to this one, those were nothing more than tiny toothpicks. A miracle! This is nothing short of a miracle! Although the abbot had mentioned yesterday that there would be signs of the Buddha’s manifestation, and no one had taken it seriously, now that they saw it, wasn’t this truly the Buddha manifesting? Otherwise, where on earth had this pagoda come from? And there was another question: How did the abbot know that the Buddha would manifest? Could it be that the abbot is already able to communicate with the Buddha? Or did the Buddha appear to him in a dream? A few people, overcome with emotion, knelt down and bowed their heads, repeatedly exclaiming that the Buddha had appeared and was bestowing his blessings. Soon, a large crowd from the valley below began rushing up the mountain. The reason was simple: after daybreak, the people at the foot of the mountain had also spotted the pagoda. Shaolin is situated on the central peak, which is already at a high elevation, and the site of the Shaolin Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda chosen by Huo Yuanzhen is the very highest point—visible even from the valley below. The sudden appearance of such a massive pagoda left the people below utterly stunned. Not even the story of the Kingdom of Women that they’d heard the day before had drawn such a crowd, yet today the number of people coming up the mountain was more than double that of yesterday. By the time it was fully light, nearly ten thousand people had gathered on the mountain, and more were still streaming up in a steady stream. People flocked frantically around the pagoda, burning incense and praying for the Buddha’s blessings. In their minds, this was the work of the Buddha—there was no other explanation. Many demanded that the stupa’s gates be opened immediately so they could enter and witness the Buddha’s miracle. Unfortunately, the vermilion-lacquered gates of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda were locked, so they couldn’t get in—and since Yikong and his companions didn’t have the keys either, they were also unable to enter. With such a major incident having occurred, Yikong and the others naturally had to report it to the abbot. However, Huo Yuanzhen seemed to think it was no big deal; after glancing out the window, he simply said he understood and would go take a look after he had a little nap. It was already mid-morning, and he was still taking a nap? At this rate, by the time he woke up, it would probably be dark outside. In the end, Yikong and the others could no longer hold back the frenzied crowd and had no choice but to drag Huo Yuanzhen out of bed. Huo Yuanzhen reluctantly got dressed and took out the key to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. The moment Yikong and the others saw Huo Yuanzhen pull out the key, their eyes widened in astonishment. How could it be… that the key to the pagoda—created by a miraculous manifestation of the Buddha—was actually in the abbot’s possession? When did he get it? Could it be that the Buddha had also appeared to him in a dream? Huo Yuanzhen had no intention of explaining this, so he followed Yikong and the others to the pagoda. He first bowed several times, then turned to address the fervent crowd: “Dear benefactors, fellow villagers, and everyone here.” Standing nearby, Yikong, Huiming, and the others quietly shifted their feet, putting a little distance between themselves and Huo Yuanzhen. This abbot was great in every way, but his way of speaking was a bit off—what did he mean by “lads and gals”? Did he think he was a street performer? To be honest, standing next to him was a bit embarrassing. “The Buddha has manifested His divine power and bestowed a pagoda upon our Shaolin Temple. Moreover, the Buddha has said that there will be plenty more wonderful gifts to come for Shaolin in the future. Look—this is the key the Buddha gave me last night.” As Huo Yuanzhen spoke, he jingled the key in his hand, making it clatter loudly to prove the story’s authenticity. “Abbot, let’s go see the Buddha’s miracle!” “Yes, let’s go inside and take a look!” Many people below joined in the clamor, eager to go inside the pagoda. Huo Yuanzhen looked down at the dense crowd and thought to himself that if they all went in, they’d surely collapse the pagoda. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, ““Look, you can’t just go in as you please. The Buddha has given me a direct command: there are ten thousand Buddhas inside the pagoda, capable of protecting ten thousand households. Only those who have purchased their own personal Buddha statue within the pagoda may enter to burn incense and pay respects; everyone else must burn incense and observe from outside.” The crowd looked around and saw that, sure enough, there were indeed some small Buddha statues surrounding the pagoda where they could also offer incense. When the topic of money came up, the crowd’s fervor subsided considerably, and many fell silent. However, such a miraculous sight had already convinced most people of the Buddha’s existence. Those lacking faith were eager to find spiritual solace, so someone asked, “Abbot, how much silver does it cost to buy a Buddha statue?” “It’s not about buying—it’s about inviting,” Huo Yuanzhen said with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, thinking to himself, Finally, someone asked. That’s good—that’s very good! I’ve had a detailed plan ready for a long time; I’ve just been waiting for you all to take the bait.