Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 552

“Augh… I feel like I can finally breathe.”

“Me too. I never knew not having cold feet while sleeping could be such a blessing.”

“Truly, the Northern Sea is no place for humans.”

The Mount Hua disciples woke up as sunlight came into their tents. They moved around, cleaning their areas and talking.

“In the Northern Sea, I felt like my body was breaking apart every morning.”

“It makes you realize just how wonderful warmth truly is.”

Everything in the world is relative.

While others might fear the nights in the grasslands, where they say your mouth could twist from the cold, for those who survived the Northern Sea, it was just a bit chilly.

“By the way, where did Chung Myung go?”

“I’m not sure? He’s been missing for a while, hasn’t he?”

Hearing this, Baek Cheon straightened his clothes and went outside to look around.

“Chung Myung?”

Then Baek Cheon saw Chung Myung. He was sitting by the pond, his face turned away.

The bonfire was now just ashes, with thin white smoke curling up into the clear morning air. Chung Myung sat still, staring up at the wide blue sky, his expression empty.

“What are you doing?”

At Baek Cheon’s question, Chung Myung slowly turned his head.

“Huh?”

Baek Cheon stopped and looked closely at Chung Myung. Chung Myung’s eyes were unfocused, and he seemed lost in thought. Baek Cheon tilted his head, a question in his eyes.

“Did someone steal your money or something? Why do you look like that?”

“Sasuk.”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking nonsense and go cook some rice.”

“Oh, you little…!”

Chung Myung sighed deeply and glanced towards the tents where the lamas were staying. Judging by the sound of chanting coming from inside, they, too, seemed to have risen early.

“It’s better to die than suffer like this.”

That little boy, supposedly the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, had rattled off some incomprehensible words to Chung Myung yesterday, only to turn around with a blank face, as if he knew nothing.

He had tried to grab the Dalai Lama as he headed towards the tent, but by then, the spiritual aura and overwhelming presence he had felt were completely gone.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

He couldn’t very well cause a scene with a child whose mind seemed to be wandering, but he couldn’t just ignore it either, not with the boy’s words constantly nagging at him.

Unable to decide what to do, he had spent the entire night awake.

Chung Myung sighed deeply and beckoned with his finger as Hae Yeon emerged from the tent.

“Fake monk! Fake monk!”

“…Esteemed benefactor, my Dharma name is Hae Yeon.”

“Whatever, just come over here.”

“…”

Hae Yeon approached, looking dejected. Chung Myung watched him and asked cautiously.

“What do you think about the story you heard yesterday?”

“Which story are you referring to?”

“You know, the one about reincarnation and the Dalai Lama being reborn or whatever.”

“Amitabha. Ah, you mean that story.”

Hae Yeon glanced towards the lamas’ tents with a slightly troubled expression.

“Both Tibetan and Central Plains Buddhism follow the teachings of Buddha, but those teachings are not entirely the same.”

“Oh?”

“The teachings on reincarnation that Banseon Lama spoke of yesterday are not significantly different from those of the Shaolin. However, the idea that a person can intentionally reincarnate and remember their past does not align with our teachings.”

Hae Yeon quietly shook his head.

“If one could accomplish that, they would truly deserve to be called a Buddha.”

“So, you’re saying he’s a fraud.”

“Th-that’s not what I meant!”

Hae Yeon, horrified, quickly glanced towards the tents, as if afraid the lamas might hear. He lowered his voice and said,

“Esteemed benefactor, you must be careful. The respect for the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism is greater than you might think.”

“I know.”

Chung Myung said nonchalantly.

He had experienced firsthand just how blindly people could worship those they considered gods. Of course, humans and Buddhas were different, and these people were not the same as the Demonic Sect, but still…

‘Can a person really do that?’

In the past, he would have laughed it off as nonsense. Chung Myung didn’t believe in anything he couldn’t see with his own eyes.

But he couldn’t simply dismiss these words. After all, wasn’t Chung Myung himself proof of it?

Chung Myung once again stared blankly up at the sky.

Just then, the tent opened, and the lamas, including Banseon Lama, walked out slowly with their hands clasped in prayer. Chung Myung’s gaze immediately locked onto the Dalai Lama behind Banseon Lama.

Looking at his innocent face, as if he knew nothing, made him feel like his insides were churning.

“Did you all rest comfortably last night?”

Banseon Lama greeted them with a kind smile. The disciples of Mount Hua, who had emerged from the tent in a group, returned the greeting with a unified bow.

“We rested well for the first time in a while. We are truly grateful for the Lama’s consideration.”

“Consideration? We merely offered you a spare tent. Please, don’t mention it.”

Banseon Lama smiled gently with his hands clasped in prayer, his gaze turning towards Chung Myung.

“You seem to be deep in thought.”

“…”

“Would you like to take a walk for a moment?”

Chung Myung nodded silently.

Leaving the lamas and the disciples of Mount Hua behind, Banseon Lama and Chung Myung walked quietly across the vast grasslands.

The grasslands stretched out like a green sea, the tall grass swaying in the wind. The air smelled fresh and earthy, a welcome change.

Breaking the long silence, Chung Myung spoke first.

“The Dalai Lama…”

He paused for a moment, then asked in a slightly deeper voice.

“Is he certain that he is the Dalai Lama?”

“Not exactly.”

Banseon Lama shook his head.

“Om Mani Padme Hum. A Buddha is, by nature, a being beyond humanity. One who has transcended humanity is now trapped within a human body, so he cannot fully maintain himself. The Dalai Lama will now go to the Potala Palace to undergo the process of regaining himself.”

“So, he’s still just a child…”

“That is also not quite right.”

Banseon Lama smiled gently.

“Even if he loses himself, his profound enlightenment does not disappear. He is a child, but also a Buddha; a Buddha, but also a child.”

He couldn’t understand what he meant.

Of course, if he interpreted it literally, it wasn’t a particularly difficult answer. But Banseon Lama’s words seemed to carry a meaning beyond what was expressed in language.

Something different from the mystical aura of a rare sage or the deep cultivation of a devout Buddhist.

“Then…”

As Chung Myung was about to say something, Banseon Lama shook his head first.

“I cannot answer that question.”

“…”

His calm and profound eyes gazed at Chung Myung.

“You likely wish to ask about what the Dalai Lama said yesterday.”

“Yes.”

Chung Myung nodded readily. He had taken some measures, but he couldn’t possibly block the ears of this powerful being with that thin tent.

“Though I am still lacking, I believe I have gained some understanding of Buddhist law. That is why I am able to teach and lead the lamas of the Potala Palace.”

“Yes.”

Anyone who had experienced Banseon Lama would not dare to call his words arrogant or deny them.

“However, I am also a human being bound by worries and karma. I cannot fully understand all the words of the Buddha. To understand is to know, and to know is to realize. If that were the case, wouldn’t I already be a Buddha?”

Watching Banseon Lama burst into a hearty laugh, Chung Myung nodded silently.

“The Dalai Lama is the incarnation of Avalokiteśvara. Although he is still bound by the human form and unable to recognize himself, he will regain his complete self when he reaches adulthood.”

“Around the time he becomes an adult…”

Chung Myung glanced towards the tents, now a little further away. But his head soon returned to its original position.

‘So, he doesn’t even know what his own words mean yet.’

The body couldn’t handle the Dalai Lama’s profound enlightenment. So, even if he spoke with the Dalai Lama again, it was highly unlikely that Chung Myung would get what he wanted.

The reason Banseon Lama had specifically called him out to have this conversation must have been for that reason.

“Chung Myung Dojang.”

“Yes.”

“I cannot presume to know the Dalai Lama’s true intentions.”

“…”

“However, even as one who is insufficient to follow the Dalai Lama’s deep enlightenment, I can tell that Dojang is extraordinary.”

Banseon Lama’s sincere gaze fixed on Chung Myung.

“Extraordinary?”

“I have spent my entire life honing my Dharma Eye to confirm the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. To me, the extraordinariness that Dojang possesses is visible. I cannot define it, but Dojang is clearly different from other ordinary people.”

Chung Myung stopped walking. He looked at the old monk standing beside him and said,

“Lama.”

“Yes, Dojang.”

“According to the teachings of Buddhism, a person reincarnates to gain enlightenment through accumulating practice over a long period, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Could there be other reasons for reincarnation?”

Banseon Lama shook his head.

“I do not know.”

“…”

“The flow of the world is immense. Anything can happen within it. How could I possibly know the solemn will of Atisha?”

Chung Myung nodded silently once again.

“I have only one thing I wish to say to Dojang.”

As Chung Myung looked at him with questioning eyes, Banseon Lama clasped his hands together and chanted a small verse.

“All humans live by enduring suffering. Because there is always anguish within humans.”

“Anguish…”

“Om Mani Padme Hum.”

Banseon Lama said with an exceedingly benevolent smile.

“Those who walk the path of Buddhism learn the Dharma to overcome their karma and conquer their anguish. Even if what Dojang is experiencing is suffering, that suffering will not be in vain.”

It sounded unclear and vague.

But after hearing those ethereal words, he strangely felt a little more at ease.

“So, in the end, I have to do it myself.”

“Is it not the same with the Way of the Tao?”

“…”

“One who has awakened becomes a divine immortal. But no one can force enlightenment upon one who has not awakened. One must realize and understand for oneself.”

“…Do you even know the laws of the Tao?”

“Haha. Of course, I do. When you think about it, the Taoism of the Central Plains was greatly influenced by the Buddhism of Tibet, was it not? And the Amitabha Buddha, whom the Taoists of the Central Plains worship, is originally the Amitayus Buddha of Buddhism, is he not?”

“Oh, is that so?”

Chung Myung glared at him, annoyed by the slight against Taoism, but soon chuckled.

“You used to be so inhuman, but now you seem a bit more like a person.”

“Hahaha.”

Banseon Lama laughed heartily, his eyes filled with warmth as he gazed at Chung Myung.

“Dojang.”

“Yes.”

“The answer is not outside.”

“…”

“When the time comes that Dojang must earnestly seek an answer, simply look within yourself. All the answers will be within Dojang.”

Chung Myung, who had been facing him, slowly clasped his hands together.

“Amitabha.”

Chung Myung, who rarely uttered a Buddhist invocation, made an exception for Banseon Lama. It was the highest form of respect Chung Myung could express.

“Thank you, Lama.”

“You are welcome.”

Banseon Lama, having finished the conversation, turned his head towards the tents.

“I would like to share more stories, but as a Buddhist, I must take the Dalai Lama to the Potala Palace as soon as possible.”

“Yes. I am sorry for taking up your time.”

Banseon Lama shook his head.

“All relationships have meaning. My meeting with Dojang here is also no mere coincidence.”

“…”

“I hope you overcome your anguish.”

Banseon Lama bowed deeply with his hands clasped together, leaving Chung Myung behind and walking towards the tents.

Chung Myung, who had been staring intently at his receding figure, plopped down on the spot.

“A relationship, huh…”