573: What is Buddhism?

If Tang Ku's previous words were scolding them, then this sentence was a public accusation that they were going against the Buddha's original intention.

"Tang Sanzang, your words sound suspiciously like you're framing us!"

Vajra Fist Bodhisattva let out a cold snort and said, "We attained the Dao, regardless of our fruit status, with the inherent purpose of saving all living beings and guiding them toward goodness. What is wrong with being their teacher first?"

"Being a teacher first is not a reason for you to stand high above, viewing living beings as worthless, or as monsters full of evil thoughts!"

Tang Ku said solemnly, "The Buddha said, all living beings are equal! Living beings, living beings... regardless of the species, regardless of the level you have reached, you are all within the scope of living beings. The Buddha and the ants, immortals and gods and the humble dogs, are all within the scope of living beings. Whether it is you or me, whether it is the practitioners present or the immortals who have ascended to the immortal path, or even the grass, trees, flowers, and leaves on this mountain, all are within the scope of living beings..."

Tang Ku paused, then said in a deep voice, "Although there are foolish and stubborn people in the world, there are also good people who harbor kindness and never commit evil throughout their lives. How can you treat them differently just because they have not attained the right fruit? The saying goes that all living beings suffer and all sentient beings are plagued by sin. The Buddha speaks of saving all living beings. Is the 'saving' only for the foolish and stubborn people you speak of? Do those who do good deserve to suffer? All living beings have Buddha-nature. Do only you have the right to become Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and attain the right fruit? I, Tang Sanzang, live in this world, and I traveled to the Western Heaven to retrieve the scriptures to our Great Tang for the sake of the phrase 'saving all living beings'... So, what is saving all living beings?"

Vajra Fist Bodhisattva put his hands together: "To transform the foolish and stubborn, to guide the wicked toward goodness, that is saving..."

"What about those who do good but are frustrated and cannot live a good life? Do you just ignore them?"

Tang Ku curled his lips and sneered disdainfully, "Educating the foolish and guiding people to goodness is certainly saving all living beings, but isn't teaching people to read, teaching them a trade, teaching them to farm, teaching them the foundation of standing in the world, and teaching them the tools to make a living also saving all living beings? Saving is not just empty words. Saving means making this world a better place, making everyone yearn for it, making all living things flourish, and guiding values in the right direction. That is what saving all living beings means!!!"

Every word was deafening, causing Li Chengqian to nod repeatedly: "Correct, the Holy Monk is doing exactly that!"

A total defeat, with no chance to refute. Or rather, after hearing this, Vajra Fist Bodhisattva was actually confused for a moment, and then actually asked sincerely: "What is guiding values?"

Tang Ku smiled mysteriously and said: "That is my secret. After this debate on Buddha Dharma is over, you can come and ask me. Now... I still have to face all the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas behind you!"

Vajra Fist Bodhisattva put his hands together and bowed: "Good, good. Your Buddha Dharma is profound, I am not as good as you... Enough... fellow Bodhisattvas, fellow Buddhas, this Disciple is incompetent and needs to study the Buddha Dharma further to seek improvement. I will take my leave now!"

Saying this, he actually flew away without looking back!

"This guy actually even brought out a term like 'guiding values'..."

Among the immortals and Buddhas in the sky, only Compassionate Guanyin could understand what Tang Ku was saying, and she couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake her head.

"Hehe, Sanzang said it well. Since we have mentioned the Buddha Dharma, let us talk about the Buddha Dharma!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva stepped out from the crowd and put his hands together.

"Please speak, Bodhisattva!"

Tang Ku bowed slightly. He still had quite a bit of affection for this Bodhisattva who had helped him many times during his journey to the Western Heaven.

"Since the Buddha Dharma has appeared, it is for the sake of saving the world. That is why you traveled thousands of miles to the Western Heaven to retrieve the scriptures. However, as Vajra Fist said, the world is foolish and stubborn, and there are many people without wisdom roots. If they do not know how to read, do not listen to the teachings, and do not speak of kindness, even if they have great abilities, they cannot be saved..."

Manjushri Bodhisattva sighed, "Although the Buddha once said that there is no one in the world who cannot be saved, however, walking in the world, you should also know that there are many such people. This is a fact, and it cannot be refuted... So, is it that we have not found the right way to save them, or is our Buddha Dharma direction simply wrong?"

This was a question, but it contained a linguistic trap!

Manjushri Bodhisattva used sophistry, completely negating those so-called foolish and stubborn people first, saying that they were hopeless. Then, no matter which of his subsequent questions was chosen, it indicated that these people basically had no possibility of being saved!

A simple logic trap, but few people below could understand it.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly: "This Manjushri Bodhisattva is suspicious of sophistry..."

"Disciples of Buddhism debating the Dharma is itself a technique of sophistry. There is little real discussion of the Buddha Dharma!"

The old Daoist laughed, "Let's see how the Holy Monk responds!"

Tang Ku did not fall into the trap at all. He suddenly asked back: "May I ask, Bodhisattva, what exactly is the Buddha Dharma?"

Manjushri Bodhisattva was stunned, then shook his head and said: "You are also a Disciple of Buddhism. Do you not know this? Buddha Dharma, Buddha Dharma, it is the essence of the Buddha, it is the method to become a Buddha!"

"No, no!"

Tang Ku shook his head and said, "Buddha Dharma... is just bullshit!"

???

All the Buddhas were stunned instantly!

What an outrageous Tang Sanzang!

If there weren't so many people watching, the Buddhist Disciples would have wanted to tear him apart!

"You say the Buddha Dharma is bullshit, so we have studied the Buddha Dharma for so long, but we still haven't studied it thoroughly. Doesn't that mean we are completely ignorant?"

Basically, 99% of people thought this way... This guy was really insulting people too much!

"Sanzang, you must provide a reason!"

Even though Manjushri Bodhisattva's mental cultivation was high enough, his forehead veins were throbbing at this moment, and it seemed like he was about to make a move in the next moment.

"I naturally have my reasons!"

Tang Ku raised his head and sneered, "What is the Buddha Dharma? Is there anyone in this world who can explain it clearly? Is it you, Manjushri Bodhisattva, or Samantabhadra Bodhisattva? Is it Compassionate Guanyin, or Maitreya Buddha, or Dipamkara Buddha? Or is it my mentor, Tathagata Buddha, who has not appeared for a long time? If any of you can still explain clearly what the Buddha Dharma is, I, Tang Sanzang, will abolish my cultivation from now on and fall into Reincarnation forever!"

"Hiss..."

Everyone was silent. It wasn't that they couldn't say it, but there were too many things to say about the Buddha Dharma, but... no one could be sure that what they knew and understood was the Buddha Dharma!

"The Buddha Dharma... is not just bullshit. The Buddha Dharma covers the Dao of all living beings. Bullshit is the Buddha Dharma, the Heavenly Dao is also the Buddha Dharma!"

Tang Ku said in a deep voice, "The principle of survival is the Buddha Dharma, the way of governing a country is the Buddha Dharma; the swimming fish living in the water is the Buddha Dharma, the eagle hanging high in the sky is also the Buddha Dharma, the sun rising and setting is the Buddha Dharma, the ants moving when they hear thunder is also the Buddha Dharma. All-encompassing, saving everything, this is the Buddha Dharma... Or it can be said that all of these things are the Buddha Dharma, and yet nothing is... The Buddha Dharma is just an outer garment we use to save the world, a tool that makes it easier for people to accept... The Buddha Dharma is not a method to become a Buddha, but using this tool to save the world!"