"As you can imagine, there are indeed a group of 'people' who transcend the ordinary world..."
Zen Master Lingyou seemed to be stuck in some kind of memory, and when he knocked on the wooden fish again, he remembered some things from his youth.
At that time, just like Pei Wende now, he was curious about everything in the world and regarded all legal regulations as nothing. He was once called a "crazy monk" by others.
"Alchemist?"
"Mage?"
"Warlock?"
"Qi practitioner?"
"Practitioner?"
"These are what ordinary people call us..."
With the murmur of Zen Master Lingyou, a world of practitioners that was very different from the secular world was revealed to Pei Wende.
"As for the master's skills, most of them come from the secret cultivation branch of Tianzhu, which is a line of ascetic practitioners who focus on subduing demons and crossing the sea of suffering."
Listening silently to Zen Master Lingyou's narration, Pei Wende discovered that the "cultivation world" in his master's words seemed a little different from the "immortal cultivation" in his imagination.
In this real world of spiritual practice, there are no flying immortals who escape to the earth and go in and out of the pure world, nor is there a Buddha who has been dreaming for thousands of years and achieved enlightenment in his dreams.
Perhaps thousands of years ago, there were indeed existences in this world that could be called "immortal Buddhas".
But in today's world of spiritual practice, some are just practitioners who exist dependent on thousands of people, those who seek transcendence but cannot achieve Taoism.
——Acquire a good skill, and then work for the emperor's family.
This sentence is also applicable to real practitioners, even more applicable than ordinary martial artists and scholars.
In the past, Yuan Tiangang changed his destiny against heaven and predicted the history of the Li Tang Dynasty for the next three hundred years, but the result still did not prevent the birth of the "Empress" Wu Zetian.
The current method of extermination by Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty was an attempt to replace Buddhism with Taoism and seek a way to eternal life. However, it eventually led to constant chaos and evil in China.
All of the above reflect the insignificance and powerlessness of practitioners, and also fully illustrate the cruelty of this real world.
Practitioners may be able to possess powers that surpass mortals, but as long as they still have the attributes of "human beings", they cannot escape the natural restraints from human society.
"I know that you have been practicing martial arts with Hui Ji recently."
"In fact, in a sense, this is also a branch of practitioners, but there are only a few who can truly enter the Tao through martial arts."
In a broad sense, everything in the world can be the Tao. The only difference is the end of the "Tao" and the amount of "scenery" along the way.
In a narrow sense, people who possess magic and seek immortality are usually regarded as true practitioners, and the path they follow is regarded as the path of practice.
Zen Master Lingyou does not deny this view.
After all, the current way of practice is the result of thousands of years of exploration by predecessors. It is the closest to the great road and the most effective way of practice.
But Zen Master Lingyou didn't want Pei Wende's vision to be limited to the existing practitioners' methods, so when he mentioned this point, he emphasized the principle of "all things can be the Tao".
"Entering the Tao is the dividing line between practitioners and ordinary people. Once you become enlightened and enter the Tao, even if you are just a blacksmith, you will have your own 'supernatural power'."
Hearing the sound of the string and knowing its elegant meaning, Pei Wende immediately reacted.
"Is the legendary chef's ability to untie the cow the butcher's 'supernatural power'?"
Seeing that Pei Wende had such understanding, Zen Master Lingyou nodded with satisfaction.
"Yes, no matter what people did before entering the Tao, there will be differences that are very different from ordinary people after entering the Tao."
"The so-called 'practitioners' are those who copy the path opened by their predecessors, and through continuous learning and understanding, achieve or even surpass the realm of their predecessors."
This is why the path of spiritual practice is so difficult, because true practitioners are fearless pioneers who are determined to surpass their predecessors and benefit future generations.
At least in today's era, innovating and surpassing the predecessors is the lifelong pursuit of any aspiring practitioner.
"Wait, something doesn't seem right?"
Suddenly frowning, Pei Wende thought of the ghosts in Mulian Temple.
They don't seem to be the "Taoists" that Zen Master Lingyou calls them, but they are still different from ordinary people.
"Aren't all practitioners able to 'enter the Tao'? Then how can those ghosts and monsters in Mulian Temple use magical powers?"
"Those ghosts and monsters don't have magical powers. Their various changes are all external manifestations of 'spells'."
Smiling and shaking his head, he corrected the error in Pei Wende's statement. Since he decided to let the other party truly enter the world of spiritual practice, Zen Master Lingyou would naturally not let him make such a common-sense mistake.
"Spells are a way to communicate with the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth, while supernatural powers are proof of perfect spiritual practice. The two cannot be confused."
In fact, let alone Pei Wende himself, he has already realized this.
Even if he is not aware of this, Zen Master Lingyou will explain the difference between "spells" and "supernatural powers" to the other party in detail later.
"As long as you can concentrate your energy, draw talismans and recite incantations, even ordinary people can use so-called 'spells'."
"But magical power is different. It is proof that the practitioner has practiced to a certain extent, and it is also evidence of the unity of form and spirit."
In layman's terms, magic is to borrow the power of spells, use your own "inner spirit" to communicate with the "outer spirit", manipulate gods and ghosts, and let heaven, earth, ghosts and gods do things for you.
Miraculous powers are the "superpowers" that arise when practitioners strengthen their "inner spirit" and practice to a certain level. This is much more difficult than normal magic.
"But remember, regardless of magical powers or spells, they are just the 'scenery' on your path of cultivation and not the 'purpose'."
Speaking of this, Zen Master Lingyou also paused deliberately to emphasize, using the words Pei Wende himself had just said.
Because in his life, he had seen too many practitioners commit endless crimes in pursuit of the power of magic and supernatural powers, and he naturally did not want his disciples to fall into the same fate as those people.
"At any time, you must keep in mind your original intention of practicing!"
If it were just for those magical powers and spells, there would be no need for ordinary people to practice.
Because those abilities that emerge as a result of practice can be achieved by other means.
This is also the consensus among practitioners - if you want to make fire, you can use flint and steel, if you want to cure a disease, you can see a doctor, if you want to kill someone, you can also use a bow and sword.
In comparison, practicing for many years simply for a certain ability would be a bit sacrificing one's roots in pursuit of the end.
"If you put the cart before the horse in pursuit of magical powers and magic, then no matter what kind of Tao you practice, it will end up being just a heretic."
Faced with Zen Master Lingyou's repeated instructions, Pei Wende naturally did not dare to be careless.
But after listening to the other party's theories, he suddenly felt an inexplicable curiosity.
"Old monk, why did you want to practice in the first place?"
—Recommendation ticket—/—Monthly ticket—
