Red Boy chuckled and said, "My master is quite smart. If he's really forced to learn, he might be able to get a scholarship or grant, and then he can continue studying. Who knows, he might have already gone to university. If he really wanted to leave, given Master's character, he would rather die than return to the mountain to be a monk! My grandmaster was afraid that my master would learn too well and fly away … "
When everyone heard this, they immediately smiled. How could there be such a disciple in this world? What a strange pair of master and disciple …
"Master, am I right?" Red Boy asked when he saw no reaction from Fangzheng.
Fangzheng shook his head. "No."
"Then why?" Red Boy asked.
Fangzheng chuckled. "I had similar thoughts as you in the past, but if that was really the case, your grandmaster wouldn't have sold everything he had to send me to school. Since you sent me there, why would you be afraid that I would study too well? I couldn't figure it out in the past, but after meeting Little Min today, I figured it out. Your grandmaster wanted to leave some inheritance for me … "
"Leave what behind?" Red Boy asked in surprise.
"A free and pure childhood memory," said Fangzheng with a long sigh.
Red Boy was a little confused when he heard this. However, Shao Gang, Shao Chong, Little Min, and Officer Chang revealed looks of envy. Some people left money, houses, and even a wife for their children. But were these things really important to a person? Money could be earned, houses could be bought in the future, wives could be chased in the future. But who could make up for lost youth?
"Master, if you do this, you'll be able to leave behind a beautiful memory. But some people can only sacrifice their childhood to exchange for their future. " He had sacrificed his childhood in exchange for what he had today. Therefore, he didn't believe that Fangzheng's master would do such a thing.
Fangzheng said, "That's right. Therefore, there's no right or wrong. For some children, childhood is a happy, innocent, simple, and happy time. But for some other children, childhood was terrifying, despairing, suffocating, and devoid of happiness. Their childhood was filled with all kinds of homework, cram school, and study classes. They couldn't find any time and space that belonged to them! Everything about them has been hijacked by their parents' ideals and pride. "
"That's for the good of the child," Officer Chang whispered.
Fangzheng shook his head. "How can one know the joy of a fish if one isn't a fish? Every age had its own happiness and its own life. When something that belonged to them was destroyed by an external force, all that was left was pain. There's only one life, and there's no second chance. If you miss it, you'll miss it. The happiness from that time can never be found again. I have to say, this is one of the biggest regrets in life. "
"Master, according to what you said, what do you think the parents should do? This was how the world was now. If you didn't work hard, you wouldn't have a future … The teacher would give you homework, and there would be after-school classes. The child is tired. In this crowded society, it's easy for you to be pushed out. This can also be considered as exchanging the happiness of the present for happiness in the future … "Shao Gang asked.
Little Min sat by the side and listened quietly. She had never heard anyone say such things before, but today, she suddenly realized that the world was different from what she imagined.
Fangzheng pressed his palms together and shook his head. "There's nothing This Penniless Monk can do either. This is a sickness of an era, as well as the pain of an era. My master once said that the world of mortals is a great purgatory. Not being able to let go of the bitterness that created everything. But once we let it go, the world will also stop its advancement. This is a problem that can never be solved. "
Shao Gang and company sighed. "That's right. It's a problem that can't be solved, but one that leaves us helpless. Even if we walk out of the classroom and face the cruel reality, isn't it the same as sacrificing a portion of our happiness to exchange for other needs in life? We are in the business of local specialties. Although we don't need to do homework, it's inevitable to accompany our clients for better sales. What we sacrifice is time with our family and time to relax. "
Fangzheng said, "My master once said that when you can't change the world, you might as well change it from another angle and let the world change you. There's no need to reject it, because regardless of whether you want to or not, you will be changed by the world. It's just that the method, process, and ending of this change can be attempted by you. "
"Oh?" The moment that was said, Shao Gang, Officer Chang, Shao Chong, and Little Min looked at Fangzheng curiously.
Fangzheng smiled. "Buddhism cultivates the mind. Although this is a material world, the power of the mind cannot be ignored. You can't use your mind to change the material world, but you can use your mind to change the way you look at the world. From there, you can give yourself happiness and motivation. To put it simply, it's to turn what you do into interest and pleasure. From there, the achievements you obtain will give you a greater sense of accomplishment, and from there, you will obtain more happiness. Just like Little Min. She doesn't like to study, but she has to study. However, she was wrong from the beginning. She has always been considering how to surpass others, but she has never thought of surpassing herself! She redefined success for herself and redrew the competition schedule. Today, she memorized one more formula and recited one more poem than yesterday. That is success.
When you are tired of competing with others, you might as well calm down and compete with yourself. Sometimes, surpassing yourself is more interesting than surpassing others. Of course, a person's strength is forever limited. If your parents, teachers, and friends were more concerned about your physical and mental health and not your academic results, you wouldn't have jumped today. Officer Chang, I'll leave this matter to you. "
Officer Chang nodded slightly. "Don't worry, Master. I'll definitely do it. The child has suffered enough. Home is the final harbor. If one can't find warmth in that harbor, their hearts will turn cold. "
Fangzheng smiled and nodded. "Amitabha."
At that moment, Shao Gang suddenly said with a wry smile, "Master, after chatting with you for so long, why do I feel that you don't seem like a monk? At the very least, you don't seem like a proper monk. Are you a fake? "
Fangzheng pressed his palms together. "Oh? Then how do I look like a proper monk? "
Shao Gang shook his head. "I don't know. However, many of the monks I've met have told me about the existence of Buddha and the omnipotence of God. Furthermore, they always talk about Buddha and Bodhisattva. I think that's more like a monk. Furthermore, why do I feel that you don't believe in Buddha? "
Fangzheng rolled his eyes. It was true that he didn't believe in Buddha in the past, but now that Red Boy was squatting beside him, he believed in him! However, he was an existence that believed in Buddha. Hence, Fangzheng said, "Saints seek the heart and not Buddha. Fools seek Buddha and not the heart. The wise adjust the heart but not the body. The fool adjust the body but not the heart."
The moment that was said, Shao Gang, Shao Chong, and Officer Chang were taken aback. They frowned as they carefully pondered over the sentence. The more they thought about it, the more they felt alarmed.
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