Zhineng wished to smack Zhiyun to death when he saw him in such a state! He could handle two people at a time, but now that something happened, there was nothing he could do! For the first time, Zhineng regretted bringing Zhiyun into the monastery. Wasn't this just asking for trouble?
However, Zhineng also knew that it was best for Zhiyun to remain silent. The more he spoke, the more mistakes he would make! However, Zhineng could not do nothing. He had to do something.
Therefore, Zhineng took a step forward and said politely, "Greetings Zen Master Baiyun. I do not dare admit to what you said. Today, I came out with my junior brother and happened to encounter Venerable Fangzheng and Senior Brother Tongguang having a dispute. All I did was speak up for justice. That shouldn't be too much, right? "
Zen Master Baiyun did not say a word. He looked at Zen Master Southwind and said, "Abbot Southwind, Zhineng is your disciple. It's best you resolve this matter."
Zen Master Southwind nodded slightly with his high cheekbones. He said sternly, "Zhineng, do you still think you can bluff your way out of this? Just now, a few disciples came to us to snitch on you. We already know the ins and outs of this matter. Why are you still trying to quibble? Venerable Fangzheng might have maligned you, and so might Zen Master Hongyan. Do you think those monks you do not know would malign you? "
Zhineng broke out into a cold sweat when he heard that. He originally believed that the matter was between him and Fangzheng. He never expected someone to snitch on him! He cursed the person's eighteen generations of ancestors in his heart. Wasn't he being a busybody!? Who had he offended?
However, Zhineng clenched his teeth and said, "Master, I have no grudge with Venerable Fangzheng. There's no reason for me to target him. However, I know my mistake. I should not have interfered in the matters of others without investigating the matter thoroughly."
Zhineng had admitted his mistake. According to Zhineng's past experience, the matter was coming to an end. There was no way he could escape punishment, but it would not be too severe.
"Are you still trying to shirk responsibility at this point in time?" Venerable Southwind's eyes were filled with disappointment. He said, "I gave you a chance previously, but you remained stubborn. From the looks of it, what Zhiyong and company said in the past was true. Sigh … "
Zhineng's heart palpitated. He knew that many people in the monastery knew of his shady dealings and had snitched on him openly and covertly. However, Zen Master Southwind had never believed them. From Nanfeng's words, it seemed like Zhi Yong and the others had gone to complain about today's matter. While he was furious, he also knew that today was going to be dangerous.
Zhineng hurriedly said, "Master, I …"
"Amitabha." Zen Master Southwind interrupted Zhineng and turned to the slightly plump monk beside him. "Zen Master Sunglow, This Penniless Monk's disciple is stubborn. Please let Tongguang speak."
Upon hearing this, Zhineng jumped in fright. Tongguang knew everything. If he sold him out, there would really be trouble!
Zhiyun was also anxious as he foolishly signaled to Tongguang with his eyes.
Upon seeing this, Zhineng really wanted to slap him to death! With so many people here, who can't see that look in your eyes? At this time, even if Tongguang wanted to help them, he didn't dare. He was walking toward a dead end!
Sure enough, when Tongguang saw the look in his eyes, he shook his head inwardly. How foolish. Why would I cooperate with such a fool? Such people won't last long. Master, you're extraordinarily intelligent. Since there's no way to fool him, I might as well admit it.
With this in mind, Tongguang went forward and said, "Master, I'm at fault. Last night, Junior Brother Zhineng called me and said that he had a request. According to him, he had an argument with a monk last night. He was unhappy and couldn't think straight. He wished to get me to help him punish the monk. Therefore, we discussed and decided to make things difficult for Venerable Fangzheng when it comes to staying in the monastery. It's best if we chase him away and prevent him from participating in the Dharma Assembly. "
Upon hearing Tongguang say that, Zhineng sighed. He knew that everything was over!
After Tongguang said that, Zen Master Southwind looked at Zhineng. "Zhineng, do you have anything else to say?"
"I know my mistake. However, this matter is not entirely my fault. Venerable Fangzheng bullied me and my junior brother last night. I really can't let this go. "
Zen Master Southwind looked at Fangzheng and pressed his palms together. He bowed. "Venerable One, might I ask what happened last night? Can you tell me in person? "
Fangzheng returned the bow. Before he could say a word, he heard someone shout from the side. "Venerable Southwind, we all saw what happened last night. Venerable Fangzheng did not offend your two disciples at all. They were the ones who took the initiative to cause trouble for him. They cursed Venerable Fangzheng for getting a room with a woman, saying that his behavior was improper and that he was a fake monk. They even used the fact that they were from a large monastery like Southwind Monastery to oppress others. Their words were nasty. In the end, Venerable Fangzheng asked them what is a large monastery and what is a small monastery. Zhineng said that those that occupy a large area and have many monks are large monasteries. The opposite is small. "
Upon hearing that, Venerable Southwind's beard nearly went crooked from anger. He glared at Zhineng, his meaning clear: Who taught you that? A mouthful of nonsense!
Zhineng lowered his head in shame.
Zen Master Sunglow smiled. "Then what did Venerable Fangzheng say?"
"Venerable Fangzheng said that he did not know the Buddhist Dharma and turned to leave. Zhineng refused and insisted on getting to the bottom of it. Venerable Fangzheng said, 'How can monasteries be differentiated by size? Paying respects to Buddha is just a small space. All that matters is sincerity. It has nothing to do with the size of the monastery or the number of monks. '"
"Amitabha!" Zen Master Sunglow, Zen Master Baiyun, and Zen Master Southwind exchanged looks and pressed their palms together. They bowed at Fangzheng. "Venerable One, you are wise. We have learned something."
Fangzheng looked around and finally, no one was interrupting him. He hurriedly dodged. He could not accept such a bow. Besides, he did not believe that the trio did not know what he meant. The trio was probably doing this for show. They wanted to take the opportunity to educate their disciples and let them understand the principle of a monastery's size.
Fangzheng returned the bow. "Abbot, you are too polite."
The person continued. "By the way, when Zhiyun and Zhineng went upstairs, they smashed the bags in their hands. There was still beer inside!"
The moment that was said, there was an uproar! A monk could drink alcohol? If it were a foreign monk or a monk from some special place, it would be understandable if they drank alcohol. However, Southwind Monastery clearly did not allow monks to drink alcohol. These two fellows were truly up to no good!
Zen Master Southwind knew that the duo had drunk alcohol. Last night, Zhiyun had admitted his mistake after being beaten up. He originally believed that to be the case, but from the looks of it, the problem did not end there!
At that moment, another person jumped forward and shouted, "Zen Master Southwind, these two disciples of yours are no good. They often bully others!"
"Yes, our monastery's disciples have been bullied by them in the past!"
"They even forced us to pay!"
"These two bastards even went to a bar yesterday. I saw it."
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