NFBE Chapter 1923 Cause and effect have their own cycle; good and evil will ultimately be rewarded.
Chapter 1923 Cause and effect have their own cycle; good and evil will ultimately be rewarded.
Master Yuantong's words drew everyone's attention to him, including the young monk Jueming.
Abbot Yuantong's gaze returned to the ruins of the Mu family beyond the low wall, his eyes becoming distant.
The Buddha said: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should you contemplate them! Longing for the past is like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water; clinging to appearances may give rise to inner demons. Cause and effect have their own cycle; good and evil will ultimately be rewarded! Sometimes, seeing things too clearly is not necessarily a blessing; pursuing them too hastily can only bring trouble!"
After saying this, he turned his head, his clear gaze falling on Li Xiangnan's face, carrying a deep sense of pity:
"The people in the temple are all monks who uphold the precepts and practice, seeking liberation and freedom. But people's hearts flow into the temple like water, and it is inevitable that they will be tainted by worldly habits."
Li Xiangnan clasped his hands in a fist and said directly, "Master, please enlighten me!"
Master Yuantong then stated frankly: "While some disciples aspire to the Buddha's teachings, others... inevitably linger in worldly desires! This journey is a matter of cause and effect, a necessary tribulation in spiritual practice! Excellent, excellent!"
Li Xiangnan frowned.
He understood what the old abbot was saying.
These words, full of profound Zen wisdom, seemed to be admonishing them not to be too persistent in their investigation, and also seemed to be implying that Pudu Temple was not a monolithic entity, and that there were indeed monks who could not escape worldly constraints.
However, in these words, the old abbot did not name anyone or reveal any specific information. He simply threw out a vague concept about human nature and cause and effect!
Thinking of this, Li Xiangnan was deeply shaken.
This old monk really does know something!
It's even possible that Master Yuantong was aware that some people within the temple were colluding with outsiders and participating in evil deeds.
However, he chose to remain silent, choosing to express in this mysterious way an attitude of "I know, but I won't say, I'll leave everything to cause and effect"!
This is the thought of a truly detached person.
But it could also be a disguised form of condoning evil!
"Master, what do you mean..." Guo Qian frowned, trying to ask for more specific questions.
For example, directly stating the monk's name and position...
Abbot Yuantong withdrew his gaze, regained his calm and composed expression, held his prayer beads, and bowed slightly.
"This old monk has spoken presumptuously! Please make yourselves at home, and if you need anything, you can ask Jueming to find me. Amitabha!"
Having said that, he said no more, turned around and walked slowly away along the path he had come from. His robes fluttered, as if his last words of advice, those words full of hidden meaning, were just an ordinary Zen saying.
Abbot Yuantong's figure disappeared around the corner of the hall, but the peculiar atmosphere that lingered in the courtyard, a mixture of incense smoke and mystery, did not dissipate.
The sun was still shining brightly, and the distant chimes of bells lingered.
But the backyard of Pudu Temple is like an ancient pool where pebbles have been thrown in; the ripples on the surface gradually shrink, but deep inside, there are undercurrents.
"Hey, this old monk... his words are all so cryptic!" Wang Defa clicked his tongue, leaned closer to Li Xiangnan, and said, somewhat speechless, "Little Li, what exactly does this old abbot mean? Is he telling us to investigate, or not to investigate? To me, it sounds like he's advising us to just ignore it, that karma will take care of them anyway?"
Li Xiangnan didn't answer him immediately, but waved his hand and called out, "Please wait for us outside, Master Jueming! We'll be there shortly!"
Jueming looked around nervously, then glanced at Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, who stood at the door like guardian deities. In the end, he didn't dare to go into the backyard. He took a few steps back and waited for Li Xiangnan to instruct Xiao Gan and Xiao Liu to leave with him later.
Seeing this, Guo Qian quickly came over and pondered, "The abbot said that the disciple who lingers in the secular world... it seems he was giving us a message, pointing us in the right direction, but not saying it outright! It seems that there is indeed the person we are looking for in this temple. This person is restless, and the old abbot knows him well!"
"The abbot's attitude is a bit contradictory!" Song Ziming untied the hem of his Tang suit and pondered, "Since he tacitly allowed us to stay and investigate, and gave us convenience, it means that he at least doesn't object to us finding the corrupt elements in the temple! Or perhaps he wants to use us to clean house?"
"But he overemphasizes cause and effect, is unwilling to intervene directly, and even subtly advises us not to be attached! This aligns with the philosophy of many eminent monks, who are insightful about worldly affairs but do not get involved in trouble, and believe in the cyclical nature of karma!"
The group shared their guesses and then looked at Li Xiangnan.
Li Xiangnan did not immediately join the discussion. Instead, he walked to the low wall, lit a cigarette, and looked at the ruins of the Mu family.
Yuan Tong's last words, especially the look in his eyes as he gazed at the ruins, echoed repeatedly in his mind.
Cause and effect have their own cycle, and good and evil will eventually be rewarded.
That's true, but if everyone just sits and waits for cause and effect, what's the point of laws and principles in the world?
What use are the police and consultants who are supposed to pursue the truth?
Isn't the abbot's detachment, to some extent, just another form of indifference towards the victims?
Leaving aside her own ordeal, there was the injustice suffered by the entire Mu family, Mu Zelin's tragic death in the well, the abducted children, the girls harmed by hallucinogenic drugs, Cheng Kui's father being poisoned, and Lan Cuihua's father nearly dying...
Shouldn't someone investigate the underlying causes of these "effects"?
Li Xiangnan turned around, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
“The abbot has his reasons, and we have our responsibilities! Now that we’ve been given direction, it’s not unreasonable for us to leave the rest to us to find out!”
He looked at Xiao Gan and Xiao Liu, who had stayed behind to scout, and Liu Yiming, who was in charge of providing support from the perimeter, and waved to them.
"We'll proceed according to the original plan, but with even greater caution! The abbot's attitude indicates at least two things: first, the temple does indeed have the person or clues we're looking for; second, the abbot won't openly help us, and may even impose invisible constraints on us in certain ways, such as the temple's reputation or deeper concerns!"
He patted their shoulders and reminded them, "Therefore, our actions must be within the rules, but also effective!"
"understand!"
The two nodded.
Xiao Gan raised his hand and said, "Advisor Li, Captain Guo, I will start with the usual methods, review the publicly available blueprints, and visit some senior, seemingly simple monks to understand the changes in the temple's layout! At the same time, I will also pay attention to whether any monks are paying special attention to me, an outsider, or trying to guide or interfere with my investigation!"
Not to be outdone, Xiao Liu revealed her plan: "Gan Ge and I will work together to keep an eye on the temple's daily activities and the comings and goings of people. We'll pay special attention to whether there are any young faces that match the characteristics of a young monk. Of course, we'll also keep an eye out for any monks appearing near the warehouse in the backyard at unusual times!"
"Alright!" Guo Qian patted the two men on the shoulders. "Be careful, stay in touch, and there are comrades providing backup on the perimeter. If anything unusual is detected, send a signal immediately!"
After making the arrangements, Li Xiangnan and Guo Qian decided to leave the temple first to avoid attracting attention.
After leaving behind Xiao Gan, Xiao Liu, and Liu Yiming, the group left Pudu Temple seemingly having gained nothing.
But as they walked out of the mountain gate, through the alleyways, and arrived near the equally quiet ruins of the Mu family, Li Xiangnan pulled Guo Qian into the shadows and said in a deep voice, "Captain Guo, it's probably going to be difficult to find information from the temple now! Go to the nearby police station quickly and conduct a secret investigation into the past of this Abbot Yuan Tong, especially after he took over as abbot, to see if anything unusual has happened here!"
Li Xiangnan squinted as he looked at the deep, secluded Pudu Temple.
"I always felt that Yuan Tong's knowledge of the secret passage's existence might go beyond mere awareness; there might be a deeper connection behind it!"
Guo Qian's eyes narrowed. "You suspect the abbot himself..."
“He may not have been involved!” Li Xiangnan shook his head. “But it could be tacit approval! Or some kind of helpless knowledge! In any case, only by finding out the truth can we determine the basis on which his theory of causality is built!”
Everyone was shocked, realizing that Li Xiangnan had been pondering Abbot Yuantong's attitude.
In fact, when Li Xiangnan arrived at the ruins, he suddenly remembered the scene on the night after the Mu family bombing.
He met Shangguan Wanqing here.
Meanwhile, his other adversary, whom he was pursuing, escaped into the back alley of the Mu family and disappeared.
Li Xiangnan had doubts about the other party's stamina, whether they had made prior retreat plans, and whether they were familiar with the surrounding terrain, but he never doubted the Pudu Temple that was so close at hand.
And now!
Upon closer inspection, Li Xiangnan's scalp tingled with unease.
Abbot Yuantong's figure was strikingly similar to the shadowy figure that had fled that night...