Daoist Letian walked out of the yard and looked at the teapot on the table. There wasn't much water left, so he poured away the water inside and washed the teapot and teacups before filling them up again. Then, he leisurely returned to the yard. This was a tiny rule among Daoists. Many cultivators consecrated the Three Pure Ones, while others consecrated the Heaven and Earth. However, they all had a unique characteristic. They did not open their doors to receive incense offerings. Instead, they lived in seclusion and did not like outsiders disturbing them. If anyone passed by the Daoist monastery and was thirsty, there would be tea at the door. They could drink it and then leave without disturbing the owner's cultivation.
Similarly, one could give some gifts to Fangzheng when they came to One Finger Monastery. Fangzheng would typically give them some pointers in return. However, most cultivators did not have the Heavenly Eye to see if one was lucky or not. Therefore, they would absolutely not want anything from you. This was also a rule. Asking for something would result in karma. If one had a request in the future, they would have to make a trip down the mountain no matter what.
Therefore, many Daoists would not owe anyone favors unless it was absolutely necessary. They severed all karma and stayed on the mountain to experience nature and live a carefree life. That was what they pursued.
Perfected Letian was leisurely plucking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence when he suddenly heard the gong of a bell from afar. Perfected Letian was taken aback! Following that, a look of enlightenment flashed in his eyes as he roared with laughter. "Haha! I've finally figured it out! I've figured it out! If This Penniless Priest knew it was that simple, why would This Penniless Priest need to think so much? Hehe, this won't do. I had a heated argument with that scholar because of this matter. I have to apologize to him today. "
Meanwhile, on the other side of Mt. Tongtian, a man dressed in traditional Chinese attire was sitting on a straw mat outside a cave. He was reading an ancient book with relish. However, when he saw a sentence, he said unhappily, "Letian is spouting nonsense. How can that be explained? If everyone in the world is happy with their fates, how can there be any progress in this world? This won't do. I have to reason with him. Even if I have to compete with him for a decade, I have to determine a victor. "
With that said, the man got up and walked out. At that moment …
Dong!
A bell sounded. The scholar was taken aback as he frowned and looked down at the book in his hand.
Dong!
Another bell chime rang out. The scholar's brows relaxed as a smile of understanding appeared in his eyes. "Forget it. Things are naturally seen differently from different angles. Because of the collision of thoughts, there will be sparks, and because of the sparks, the light of wisdom will be ignited. If everyone had the same thought, that would be truly terrifying. The day before yesterday, I gave him a good scolding. Today, I should go to him and apologize … "
At the thought of this, the scholar also went out. In the end, the two of them bumped into each other halfway up the mountain. Their gazes met, and in the end, they didn't say anything. They laughed at the same time, exchanged greetings, and returned home. The two of them were obviously in a better mood, but they were still very curious about the bell.
"It's thought-provoking and calms people's resentment. The sound of the bell is like the sound of Buddhist scriptures. It's really amazing. If I have the time, I should go out for a walk and see where this bell sound is coming from. "The scholar muttered.
As for Le Tian, he flicked his sleeves and nimbly descended the mountain like a monkey. He had a pure heart, so he did as he wished. He did not procrastinate or wait. When he heard the bell chimes, he guessed that it came from Mt. One Finger's One Finger Monastery. Listening from afar wasn't satisfying, so he naturally had to go up close to listen.
Fangzheng didn't know that every time he struck the bell, the scriptures on it seemed to glow. The sound seemed to be mixed with the countless scriptures as it spread out, persuading people to do good, to let go of their grudges, and to calm their resentment … Although the bell's chimes couldn't really change people's thoughts, it could still calm them down and allow them to carefully consider problems.
Many things were done in a moment of impulsiveness, only to end up being wrong.
With more time to think, listen, ask, ponder, and reflect, many conflicts, dangers, and troubles that shouldn't have existed naturally turned into nothingness.
However, Fangzheng knew one thing. He was dying of exhaustion! The bell hammer was different from other bell hammers. It became heavier the more he struck it. Even with his astonishing strength, he felt like he was running out of strength after striking it more than ten times. But with every strike, Fangzheng felt a sliver of enlightenment. Things that he couldn't figure out in the Buddhist scriptures suddenly became clear. He understood everything. At the same time, there were countless scriptures on the bell's body. When Fangzheng looked carefully, he realized that there were several sets of scriptures engraved on it! On the outside were the Famous Sutras of All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Venerables, and Divine Monks, Amitabha Sutra, and the Twelve Karma Mantra. On the inside was the Mystic Dharma Lotus Sutra. On the bell's lip was the Diamond Sutra, and on the bell's nipple was the Shurangama Mantra. There were a total of 27 types of sutras! Tens of thousands of words!
As Fangzheng struck the bell, he read the scriptures. Strangely, the bell's body was round with an inside and outside, but every time he struck it, Fangzheng could see something different. As he struck it, he was surprised to see a complete scripture! Furthermore, he didn't need to circle the bell, nor did he need to crawl inside! That feeling was as though the text was automatically turning pages. It was extremely magical.
At the same time, Fangzheng secretly decided that the bell could only be struck by people from the monastery. No one else was to touch it. If word got out, it would be troublesome.
Fangzheng clenched his teeth as he struck the bell again and again. He maintained a steady rhythm as the bell's gongs resounded through the entire mountain forest.
It was as though this was the only sound left in the world …
The sound grew louder and louder. Even Songwu County, which was more than a hundred kilometers away, could hear the bell's gongs. The sound was melodious and pleasing to the ear. Instantly, it attracted countless curious gazes. People on their WeChat Moments were also trying to find out the source of the bell's gongs. Eventually, they locked onto Mt. One Finger. One Finger Monastery once again became a topic of conversation after meals. Unknowingly, One Finger Monastery's reputation increased. More and more people specially went to the southeastern suburbs to listen to the bell's gongs. Gradually, a strange habit formed in Songwu County. Every morning, everyone would quiet down. They would either lie on their balconies, sit by the roadside, or stand on the rooftops. They would quietly listen to the gongs that came from the distant mountains and enjoy the day's tranquility.
As they could hear the bell's gongs, people began to move southeast when they bought houses. Many developers saw a business opportunity and invested in property in the southeast. Instantly, the southeast, which was an old city district, experienced a second spring. There were more and more people, and the business circle became more and more active. It made the government have no choice but to abandon the development plans in the northeast and take advantage of the situation to develop the southeast's economy. They jokingly called it the "Buddha Bell Economy."
Fangzheng obviously didn't know that his gongs would eventually cause so many changes. He was gnashing his teeth and using all his strength to strike the bell with all his might.
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