372 Forgive Me, Buddha (1/2)
It was difficult to be a serious monk nowadays.
Namo Amitabha.
The monks were chanting in the temple.
Wang Yao stood outside and listened to it for a while.
”They're not sincere,” he said these three words with a smile.
”They're not sincere? What about sincerity?” Chen Ying who was standing to the side asked somewhat doubtfully.
”The monks who are chanting aren't sincere.” Wang Yao pointed to the inside of the temple.
”Do you even know that they're being insincere?”
”Yes. I can hear it by listening to their chanting. They're just reciting it to get through it,” Wang Yao replied with a smile.
A heartfelt voice came from the heart, hence the voice was powerful and full of a certain unique emotion. On the other hand, the voices of the monks who were chanting in the temple were mostly feeble. Furthermore, with Wang Yao's extraordinary hearing ability, he could even hear that some monks were not even reciting scriptures. He did not know what it was.
These people!
He and Chen Ying walked around the temple. Then, they left and went to other places.
The scenery on this mountain could only be regarded as ordinary, but Wang Yao still walked around with great interest. Compared with those cities surrounded by walls and reinforced concrete, he preferred such natural environment more.
The sky had darkened. Wang Yao had enjoyed himself to his heart's content.
”Let's go back.”
”Okay.”
The two of them walked down the mountain. They met a monk who was medium-sized along the way. He brushed past Wang Yao.
Huh?
Wang Yao stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at the monk who was going up the mountain.
”Excuse me.” Wang Yao stopped the monk.
”Yes?” The monk stopped walking and turned back to look at Wang Yao somewhat doubtfully.
”Is it delicious?”
”What?” The monk was startled.
”Mutton!” Wang Yao answered with a smile.
”Amitabha. I don't know what you're talking about,” the monk replied very seriously.
Umm, he looks like it. Wang Yao smiled.
”Take care.”
”Take care, almsgiver.” The monk put his hands together devoutly and bowed to Wang Yao and Chen Ying. Then, he turned around and left.
”This is interesting.” Wang Yao smiled and kept walking down the mountain.
”Sir, how do you know that he has eaten meat?”
”I smelled it. There's the smell of mutton and cumin on his body,” Wang Yao replied.
”Not only has he eaten meat, he has also drunk wine and looked for women,” Wang Yao added.
”Ah. I know that the smell of mutton and wine can be smelled. How can you even know that he has looked for women?”
”Yes. This can be explained easily. There's a fragrance on his body. It's the smell of perfume. A monk should not wear perfume. Moreover, the perfume is somewhat pungent. He's a true wine-and-meat monk.”
”He still looks very much like a monk. His appearance is wasted,” Chen Ying replied.
”Let's go. Why don't we eat some mutton too?”
”Sure!”
The monk who went up the mountain was swearing upon hearing what Wang Yao said to him.
Damn. He's such a busybody, but the woman is quite pretty. Amitabha. This is a sin.
When he passed by the temple, he hurriedly bowed to the Buddha sitting on the lotus.
The Buddha looked at him with a smile.
”Buddha, I broke a religious percept today again. Buddha, I beg for your forgiveness.” After that, he turned around and left.
The Buddha statue behind him was still sitting there with a smile. The smoke of the joss sticks in front of it rose.
This was just a small episode.
…
After going down the mountain, Chen Ying drove Wang Yao to a famous hot pot restaurant to have instant-boiled mutton.
They ordered a few side dishes. The hot pot was the focus.
”On the mountain, he practices abstinence from meat and Buddhism. He looks like he's sincere. Away from the mountain, he drinks wine, eats meat, and looks for women. What a monk!”
Looking at the boiling hot pot, Wang Yao thought of the monk again.
”They're paid wages on the mountain,” Chen Ying said.
”Really?”
”Of course. There are many followers there. They'll burn incense and worship the gods during every festival and on New Year's Day. There'll always be incense money. Sometimes, the first incense can be sold for quite a lot of money. Where did this money go? How much money can the monks spend on their daily necessities? I've seen it before. The tea that they drink are top-grade.”
”Oh. Right. That's really 'free and unfettered!'” Wang Yao was also quite taken aback upon hearing what Chen Ying said.
Are the lives of these monks that great?
”It's no wonder that they have distracting thoughts when they're practicing abstinence from meat and Buddhism every day. It's too dull!”
”Yes.”
”Ah. The meat is here. Why don't we start eating?”
”Sure.”
The dinner was quite enjoyable.
It was already past eight o'clock at night when they returned to the small courtyard.
”I'll make a call. Why don't I take you to try out the guns tomorrow?”
”Sure. It's up to you,” Wang Yao answered.