The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 43: The Four Great Elements Are Empty

A bizarre scene unfolded at the Dharma King Temple. First, Li Xuan challenged Huo Yuanzhen, questioning the miracles of the Shaolin Temple, only to be met with a fierce counterattack from Huo Yuanzhen. He was soundly defeated and has remained silent ever since. Afterward, the abbot of Dharma King Temple, Dharma King Likong, stepped into the fray himself. Capitalizing on home-field advantage and relying on his profound knowledge of Buddhist teachings, he attacked Huo Yuanzhen from a technical standpoint. However, not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but he also ended up humiliated and is now in a very awkward position. Seeing the two men make fools of themselves, Zen Master Lizhi finally could not sit idly by any longer. Originally, he had thought that Huo Yuanzhen, a mere young monk, was utterly insignificant—not even worthy of a second glance. But now he could see that was not the case at all. This young monk was not only eloquent but also quick-witted, and he was able to get right to the heart of the matter. Although Zen Master Lizhi was well aware that Yi Jie was deliberately putting on an act of compassion, there was nothing he could do—the performance was convincing. You might not believe it, but as long as the common people believed it, that was enough. Seeing that neither Li Kong nor Li Xuan could keep the situation under control, Li Zhi knew he had to step in himself; otherwise, today’s consecration ceremony at the Dharma King Temple would likely be a failure, and his authority would be completely undermined. Clearing his throat, Li Zhi stood up. Though it was just a single cough, everyone present heard it clearly. Some even wondered why they could hear an old monk coughing from so far away—had their senses become more acute? Guan Shanyue’s expression, however, shifted slightly. He turned to Huo Yuanzhen and said, “Abbot, this old monk… possesses tremendous inner strength.” “How strong exactly?” “Compared to me, he’s at least on par.” Huo Yuanzhen knew exactly what level Guan Shanyue was at—he was a master at the peak of the “Post-Heaven” realm, with one foot already in the “Pre-Heaven” realm, and ranked among the top martial artists in Henan. And for Guan Shanyue to say that Zen Master Lizhi’s internal energy was “no less than mine” meant that this monk was at least at the Perfect Post-Heaven realm—and very likely a master of the Pre-Heaven realm. However, even if he were an innate master, Huo Yuanzhen wasn’t afraid. First of all, today’s occasion wasn’t suitable for a fight, and even if it came to that, he was confident that with his “Crossing the River on a Single Reed” technique, he could easily make his escape. Zen Master Lizhi stood up, motioned for Li Kong to sit down, and then turned to look at Huo Yuanzhen. “Amitabha Buddha. This Humble Monk, Li Zhi, is the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple in The Capital. It is an honor to meet the Abbot Yi Jie of Shaolin.” Although Master Li Zhi was the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple, he was not yet the head abbot of the Shaolin Temple, so it was only proper for him to speak to Huo Yuanzhen with a tone of respect. But the reality was that the Daxiangguo Temple was the foremost temple under heaven, while the Shaolin Temple was merely a small monastery with a handful of monks; Huo Yuanzhen’s status could never be on par with that of Zen Master Lizhi. Li Zhi spoke this way on purpose—merely to display his magnanimity before the crowd and win their favor right from the start. Huo Yuanzhen saw right through this, and returned the bow, saying, “The Daxiangguo Temple is the national temple, and Zen Master Lizhi is a highly enlightened monk. This Humble Monk is unworthy of such a greeting from Zen Master Lizhi.” “Since you’ve been so courteous to me, I won’t try to steal the spotlight. When you make your move, I’ll simply counter it,” thought Huo Yuanzhen, determined not to give the crowd the impression that he was frivolous. Seeing that Huo Yuanzhen hadn’t taken the bait, Li Zhi’s expression grew even more solemn, but he still spoke: “Just now, this old monk heard Abbot Yi Jie’s words—every sentence was a profound truth, like a refreshing shower of nectar, truly opening my eyes. As the saying goes, ‘Heroes have always emerged from the young,’ and this applies just as aptly to our Buddhist community.” Huo Yuanzhen smiled without responding; there was no need to answer every one of these empty platitudes. After exchanging a few polite remarks, Zen Master Lizhi changed the subject: “However, This Humble Monk has a question as well. I would ask the Abbot to enlighten me.” “Please speak, Zen Master Lizhi.” The elderly Monk Lizhi said, “In the Buddhist Order, we emphasize that the Four Great Elements are all empty. I wonder what Abbot Yi Jie believes the Four Great Elements to be?” This Humble Monk thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I do not know.” Upon hearing that Huo Yuanzhen did not know, the elderly Master Lizhi wore a smug expression and said, in a somewhat pedantic tone, “In our Buddhist tradition, the ‘Four Great Elements’ referred to in ‘the Four Great Elements are all empty’ are earth, water, fire, and wind. These four encompass nearly all phenomena. As the Buddha once said, all things are illusory; therefore, only when you truly disregard the existence of these four do you truly comprehend the true meaning of ‘the Four Great Elements are all empty.’ ” Huo Yuanzhen said nothing, but turned to speak with Guan Shanyue, seemingly not having heard what Zen Master Lizhi had said. The elderly Monk Lizhi felt a bit displeased, but he continued nonetheless: “There is also a school of thought that holds that the ‘Four Great Elements are Empty’ refers to the four properties of hardness, moisture, warmth, and movement. They are called ‘Great’ because they are universally present in all objects—that is to say, the ‘Four Great Elements’ are the inherent properties of every object itself, rather than referring solely to the earth, rivers, sunlight, and wind in the natural world. They also encompass the inherent characteristics of human beings, which is a more fitting interpretation than the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. Do you understand?” Zen Master Lizhi spoke these words with great satisfaction, but when he looked at Huo Yuanzhen, he saw that he was still joking and laughing with Guan Shanyue—he had no idea if Huo Yuanzhen had even heard a word he’d said. He had intended to lecture him, but the man hadn’t listened at all—it felt as frustrating as punching a pillow. Old Monk Lizhi was seething inside, but he persisted: “However, This Humble Monk believes there is another interpretation of ‘the Four Great Elements are empty.’ These are the mind, the Buddha, the self, and sentient beings. All four are empty; the true nature of phenomena is emptiness—there is no enlightenment, no delusion, no saints, no ordinary beings, no giving, and no receiving! Those who have grasped this true doctrine are qualified to expound the sutras and deliver the Dharma, thereby saving all sentient beings.” Clearly, Zen Master Lizhi believed he had already attained this level of enlightenment, which is why he claimed this was his own realization. He had originally thought that this lengthy discourse would thoroughly intimidate Huo Yuanzhen, but upon looking again, he saw that Huo Yuanzhen and the monk beside him were actually slapping each other on the shoulders and laughing heartily, without so much as giving him a second glance. Although Li Kong and Li Xuan, as well as the others standing nearby, were all looking at him with admiration, they were not, after all, the ones he intended to instruct. In this situation, it would only be meaningful to teach Huo Yuanzhen. Unable to contain his anger any longer, the old monk Li Zhi couldn’t help but bellow, “Yi Jie! What are you doing? Are you even listening to This Humble Monk?” Unexpectedly, Huo Yuanzhen slowly raised his head and said to him, “All is empty—where does such intense anger come from? Master Lizhi, your cultivation is still incomplete.” That casual remark struck him like a blow to the head, leaving the smug old monk dazed and standing there in a daze, unable to speak for a long moment. It was nothing short of a colossal irony. How ridiculous that he had been prattling on here, proclaiming that this was emptiness and that was emptiness, only to lose his temper on the spot after the other man made a few lighthearted remarks. In the end, a single sentence from the other left him speechless. All those years of arduous cultivation had gone to waste—could there be anything more humiliating in the world? The commoners in the audience had initially been impressed by the old monk’s words and were even about to applaud him. But now they saw that the Abbot of Shaolin was indeed on a higher spiritual plane. This old monk from The Capital turned out to be nothing more than a smooth-talking charlatan who couldn’t keep his composure when push came to shove. The crowd’s contemptuous glances fell upon Li Zhi and the other two monks, stinging them like needles. If the consecration ceremony hadn’t been about to begin, they would have turned on their heels and walked out immediately, rather than face Yi Jie’s loathsome face any longer. Seeing that the three monks had completely lost their authority, Lu Xuezhang, the Prefect of Zhengzhou—the only one left on the stage—could no longer sit still. He hurriedly stood up and said, “Let’s not dwell on these issues. The auspicious hour is almost upon us; if we don’t begin the consecration now, it will be too late.” Li Xuan also hurriedly added, “Exactly—the time has come. Just now, I was so caught up in exchanging pleasantries with the Abbot of Shaolin that I nearly forgot the main event. Haha, let’s hurry, hurry—let’s begin right away.” Thanks to this diversion, Li Zhi and Li Kong had regained some composure. After all, they were men of a certain age with thick skins honed through years of practice. Although they knew today’s consecration ceremony was largely a formality—and that the Dharma King Temple wouldn’t gain much prestige from the consecration of this divine relic—they still felt it was important to see it through to the end. Li Kong stood up and announced loudly, “The auspicious hour has arrived. The consecration of the Dharma King Temple’s sacred site officially begins. We humbly invite the Buddha’s sacred presence.” No sooner had he finished speaking than Li Xuan hurriedly signaled for someone to remove the red silk drapery covering the Great Hall of the Buddha, and the drums and music prepared to play once more. Just then, Huo Yuanzhen spoke up again. “Esteemed masters, This Humble Monk observes that the sun has shifted slightly from its zenith. The consecration must be performed at the exact moment—typically right at noon. Have you perhaps missed the auspicious time for this ceremony? If so, beware lest the Buddha hold it against us.” Abbot Li Kong shot Huo Yuanzhen a glare, his expression now completely frosty, and said to him, “How could the Buddha possibly hold our Dharma King Temple accountable? The time hasn’t even arrived yet. Besides, even if the time has passed, any blame from the Buddha has nothing to do with your Shaolin Temple or you, Yijie. Just stand there and watch quietly!” “It has nothing to do with This Humble Monk, is that right? I agree. Very well, then. This Humble Monk will stay here and watch—and I won’t say another word.” After saying this, Huo Yuanzhen sat down and watched with a smile as the people from Dharma King Temple pulled back the red silk drapery covering the Great Hall of the Buddha.