sinovels Chapter 31 The Great Sun Tathagata
Chapter 31 The Great Sun Tathagata
After seeing Li Qingde off, Shen An slowly sat back down behind the large desk.
He stopped thinking about the potential repercussions of the theft and treated it as a pebble thrown into a lake; once the ripples had spread, he let them go.
At this moment, he gathered all his chaotic thoughts, calmed his mind, and picked up the slightly yellowed copy of the Mahavairocana Sutra that he had just put down.
Ever since Qu Feiyan revealed her identity that day, she has been fully and enthusiastically throwing herself into this marketing plan that she sees as "extremely fun".
She used her talents to disguise herself every day, mingling with all sorts of people, spreading all sorts of rumors and gossip about "K-On!" with great enjoyment.
In this way, Shen An no longer needed to accompany her to practice swordsmanship outside the city every morning, and instead gained some leisure time. He simply spent the mornings in this study, immersing himself in studying the esoteric Buddhist texts collected by Li Qingde. Feng Changrong simply assumed that he was planning to rest for a while after submitting his interim results, and didn't think much of it.
Hengyang is located in south-central China, far too far from Tibet and the Western Regions, the birthplace of Tantric Buddhism. Li Qingde, despite his best efforts, only managed to collect this copy and another copy of the *Vajrasekhara Sutra*, these two being the two fundamental scriptures of Tantric Buddhism. As for the *Dragon Elephant Prajna Sutra*, he hadn't even heard of it, which didn't surprise Shen An.
Ironically, before reading the Mahavairocana Sutra, Shen An always thought that "Dragon Elephant Prajna" meant "like a dragon and an elephant." It wasn't until he opened the sutra and saw the Sanskrit and Chinese translations that he realized that "Prajna" meant wisdom.
He opened the scripture and his gaze fell on a line of Sanskrit and Chinese translation annotations.
"What is Bodhi? It is knowing one's own mind in its true sense."
The heart is the root of everything.
Shen An's thoughts began to drift away from this verse.
The core of the Mahavairocana Sutra lies in regarding Mahavairocana Buddha (Vairocana Buddha) as the fundamental Dharmakaya of the universe, whose light shines everywhere and is omnipresent. It is not a specific deity or Buddha image, but an ultimate, all-encompassing truth and wisdom.
So, what about the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill"?
Dragon and Elephant... Prajna... Merit.
Shen An's breath hitched slightly. After understanding the meaning of Prajna, he regarded "Dragon and Elephant" as the "body" of power, the foundation that needed to be cultivated diligently; and "Prajna" as the "application" of power, the method to control this power.
Previously, I had only focused on the words "Dragon and Elephant," pursuing the power of the dragon and elephant, and the might to split mountains and shatter rocks with a single punch or kick. However, I neglected the true core of this technique, which is also the most difficult part—"Prajna."
Looking back now, I was completely wrong!
If that's all there is to it, why was the Golden Wheel Monk so insistent on taking Guo Xiang as his disciple?
The Mahavairocana Sutra states that the mind is a skilled painter, capable of depicting all kinds of things.
Therefore, when cultivating the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, what you should be cultivating is this "heart" and this "prajna"!
"Dragon and Elephant" is not the goal of cultivation at all; it is just a "manifestation" that naturally appears after the growth of "Prajna" wisdom!
Just like Vairocana Buddha, whose true nature is the omnipresent Dharmakaya and wisdom light, the thousands of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vidyarajas that people see are merely "incarnations" that He manifests to teach different sentient beings.
The so-called first layer has the power of one dragon and one elephant; the second layer has the power of two dragons and two elephants... This is not a linear superposition of power at all!
Rather, when your "prajna" wisdom reaches a level sufficient to understand and control the power laws of "one dragon and one elephant," your body will naturally possess this power. As your wisdom continues to grow, sufficient to understand and control the deeper level of power laws of "two dragons and two elephants," your body will transform once again.
Strength is a projection of wisdom.
It is your "heart," this "artist," who has drawn a pattern called "Dragon and Elephant" on the canvas of your body.
Therefore, the essence of cultivation lies not in how to "train" the power of a dragon and elephant, but in how to "enlighten" and increase the "wisdom" that is sufficient to bear and govern this power!
This is the true meaning of "using wisdom as a boat to cross the sea of suffering."
Having figured this out, Shen An felt a sudden sense of clarity.
It takes Prajna as its essence and uses dragons and elephants as its application.
With the wisdom to see through all things, one can harness the immense power that already exists in the universe. This is the true nature of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill! It is not merely a physical cultivation technique, but a supreme mental cultivation method that directly points to the source of "wisdom" and "power"!
"call……"
Shen An exhaled a long, deep breath, as if releasing all the pent-up confusion in his heart. He slowly closed the scripture, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.
He had a premonition that he might be able to start practicing the "Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill".
Just then, there were two soft knocks on the door.
"Tap, tap."
"Come in."
The door was gently pushed open, and a figure carrying a tray walked in with her head down; it was Wang Xiaocao.
After these days of recuperation, her complexion has become much rosier. Although she is still thin, the timidity and unease between her brows have largely dissipated.
She gently placed the small white porcelain bowl on the corner of the table, her voice barely audible: "Young master, I see you've been sitting in the study all morning; you must be tired. I... I've made some white fungus soup; please soothe your throat."
"Have you finished today's lesson?"
Wang Xiaocao nodded slightly: "Yes, the gentleman has already left."
"I just heard the sound of a zither," Shen An said with a smile. "Although I don't know anything about music, I thought it sounded very nice."
This undisguised praise instantly flushed Wang Xiaocao's cheeks. She subconsciously lowered her head even further, but her words, though spoken with courage and tinged with shy joy, said, "If you like it, young master... Xiaocao... Xiaocao can play for you often in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shen An's smile deepened.
Just now, he had realized that "the heart is the painter." Now, listening to Wang Xiaocao's words, he felt differently. Wasn't that music a reflection of her current state of mind? Clean, pure, with a touch of trepidation and heartfelt goodwill.
Instead of responding directly, he used a more easily understood approach: "Okay, the music reflects the heart. Your playing is good, which means your heart is at peace, and that's good too. Listening to it will also calm my mind."
The young master did not refuse! And it seems that the young master meant... he was listening to my inner thoughts?
Wang Xiaocao couldn't take it anymore; her face burned terribly.
Seeing her somewhat bewildered and adorable expression, Shen An chuckled, realizing he had gone a bit too far. He stopped talking about it and turned his gaze to the bowl of steaming white fungus soup. The soup was clear and bright, the lotus seeds were plump, and the red dates were scattered throughout, making it quite beautiful.
"Thank you for your trouble." He picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.
The mild sweetness was just right, sliding down my throat instantly and dispelling the slight fatigue caused by sitting for a long time.
"Your skills are excellent," Shen An praised sincerely.
Overwhelmed by the repeated praise, Wang Xiaocao was overjoyed. She nodded vigorously, but couldn't utter a single word.
Shen An put down the spoon and said gently to her, "I'll take the soup. There's nothing else here, you can go and do your own thing."
"Yes, young master."
Wang Xiaocao bowed respectfully, turned back several times as she left the study, and gently closed the door behind her. Outside, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall, her small hands stroking her burning cheeks and pounding heart, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.