Chapter 7, Ascension Ceremony

When I left Qianling Temple, it was already past one in the afternoon. Upon returning to the center, Li Qing told me that Liang Ping was looking for me and asked me to go to his office. The door to Liang Ping's office was open, so I knocked lightly and walked in. He was resting on the sofa, and when he saw me, he quickly sat up straight, rubbed his face with both hands, and said, "Oh, you’re here, have a seat." I sat down on the sofa next to him, and he handed me a cigarette, asking, "Do you have time tonight?" I inquired, "Is there something going on?" He smiled and replied, "It’s nothing much, just going home for a simple meal." I said, "Sure, it’s not your birthday today, is it?" He shook his head, rubbed his face again, and explained that a few students he had previously taught were coming to see him, and he wanted to introduce me to them while chatting with them.

Liang Ping opened the door for me, saying as he walked, "Xiao Zhu, come in quickly." Upon entering, I saw a few people sitting in the living room through the patterned window of the foyer—two men and three women. Liang Ping's wife poked her head out from the kitchen to greet me, saying, "Xiao Zhu has arrived? Please have a seat; dinner will be ready shortly." I smiled and asked, "Teacher's wife, do you need any help?" Although we usually address Liang Ping as Director Liang, I still call him Teacher Liang in private. She quickly replied, "How could I let you into the kitchen? Just sit comfortably and chat with them." Liang Ping's wife poked her head out from the kitchen to greet me, saying, "Xiao Zhu has arrived? Please have a seat; dinner will be ready shortly." I smiled and asked, "Teacher's wife, do you need any help?" Although we usually address Liang Ping as Director Liang, I still call him Teacher Liang in private. She quickly replied, "How could I let you into the kitchen? Just sit comfortably and chat with them."

Today, Juechen is dressed quite grandly, wearing a yellow monk's robe draped with a large red kasaya, his face revealing a hint of excitement. However, Zeng has surprisingly changed into a new outfit as well, donning a red monk's robe and a red ceremonial crown, resembling a lama, yet his face still bears that harmless smile. I shook my head and said, "Did you not say you are not a lama?" He replied earnestly, "But do not forget that I am a living Buddha; in Vajrayana, I am also a great master." I was momentarily speechless. We arrived early at the front, waiting for the ceremony to begin. At this time, Qianling Temple was already adorned with colorful flags, the sound of sacred music resonating, and the atmosphere was filled with joy. Banners reading "Dragon and Heaven emerge, the master of the famous mountains" and "Solemn land, benefiting sentient beings" fluttered in the air. Before long, the Executive Vice President and Vice President of the National Buddhist Association, many leaders from the province and city, as well as presidents of various provincial Buddhist associations, and senior monks and disciples from overseas had all arrived, gathering nearly four thousand people at Qianling Temple, a sea of humanity, with no room to spare. At exactly 9:00 AM, Master Kuxin, under the protection of numerous great masters and living Buddhas, successively offered incense and worshipped in the Three Gates Hall, Guanyin Hall, Mahavira Hall, Dharma Hall, and Abbot's Room, reciting the verse: "Offering this body and mind to the dust and realm, this is called repaying the Buddha's kindness!" Shortly after, the eminent monk Master Fachen from Fujian placed a rosary on Master Kuxin, and Master Chenghui presented a seat to him. The entire enthronement ceremony was conducted according to the rules, solemn and festive. At this moment, I, along with Juechen and Zeng, joined our hands in prayer, offering sincere blessings.

After bidding them farewell and watching them leave, I went upstairs and entered the house. The child was asleep, and my wife was at home engrossed in a soap opera. Upon seeing me return, she said, "In a few days, our company is organizing a trip to Hainan. I will take our daughter along, so you can manage dinner by yourself tonight." I smiled and acknowledged her. She continued watching her television, and after a while, she suddenly turned her head and said, "I almost forgot, I went shopping with Zhang Li today. I feel that her mood is not quite right, but I can't pinpoint what exactly is wrong. You should check on her tomorrow." I suggested that she might just be busy with work and tired. My wife replied, "Regardless, you should show some concern for your friend." I nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, I will go see her tomorrow." Then, I hugged my wife, and she suddenly turned her head again and said, "I almost forgot, I went shopping with Zhang Li today. I feel that her mood is not quite right, but I can't pinpoint what exactly is wrong. You should check on her tomorrow." I suggested that she might just be busy with work and tired. My wife replied, "Regardless, you should show some concern for your friend." I nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, I will go see her tomorrow." Then, I hugged my wife and gently said, "Let's go to sleep." She playfully hit me and said, "Go, take a shower. You smell of alcohol, it's unbearable."

They first dropped me off at my doorstep. When we parted, they expressed concern, saying: "Keep in touch by phone, and remember to inform me if there are any developments in the case. Also, I will come to see you when I have time; I want to join your investigation as I find this case very interesting." Chen Haiping smiled and shook his head: "You need to get used to it; concern is always so curious about everything. Her name is truly fitting."

During the meal, whether intentionally or unintentionally, she happily sat beside me. We were drinking red wine, which also made her cheeks flush. Occasionally, she brought up some topics to chat with me, and I really enjoyed that feeling, as most men have little immunity in front of beautiful women. She asked many insightful questions related to psychological counseling and inquired if I had any interesting clients or cases. I shared everything I could think of with her, and later we discussed the cases of Huang Yu and Wang Qinghan. After listening, she also felt that the mandala had a hallucinatory effect. She asked many insightful questions related to psychological counseling and inquired if I had any interesting clients or cases. I shared everything I could think of with her, and later we discussed the cases of Huang Yu and Wang Qinghan. After listening, she also felt that the mandala had a hallucinatory effect, but she could not explain why Huang Yu and Wang Qinghan experienced the same hallucinatory scene.

Today I woke up very early, as I promised Butzeng and Juechen to attend the inauguration ceremony of the abbot at Qianling Temple. I had previously participated in such an event once before, back when I was in Tibet. I remember it was on November 29, 1995, the 8th day of the 10th month in the Tibetan calendar, which was considered an auspicious day in Tibetan Buddhism. I was fortunate to witness the golden urn drawing and the enthronement ceremony of the 11th Panchen Lama alongside Gesang Rinpoche; the grandeur of that occasion remains vivid in my memory. As a lay practitioner of Buddhism, I naturally would not decline their invitation. I called Li Qing last night to ask her to cancel my appointment for this morning, and I took a taxi up the mountain early to meet with Juechen and Butzeng.

Everyone was engaged in discussions about psychology, and the atmosphere was lively. Liang Ping would nod happily whenever the conversation reached an exciting point. He has a deep passion for his profession and often states that psychology requires a greater degree of human insight. Only those who possess profound understanding, sharp thinking, and keen observation skills can truly comprehend the hidden depths of others' inner thoughts.

We left Liangping's home just before 10 o'clock, as hetushu.com was on the way. I took Chen Haiping's "Qianlima" with Guanxin, while the others took a taxi to leave. On the way, Guanxin was still contemplating the case of Huang Yu and Wang Qinghan; she was very interested and involved Chen Haiping in the discussion as well. Chen Haiping remained reticent, only offering his opinion. He also felt that this case was not simple; if it were as I said, it should be a case of intentional homicide. However, there was no evidence, and even if we reported it to the police, they would not pay attention.

Liang Ping left first, saying he needed to attend to guests. I had an appointment in the afternoon, so I only went over after work. I took a taxi to Zhongtian Garden, not knowing what to buy, so I casually picked two bottles of red wine and some fruit

He took a cigarette and handed it to the gentleman, lighting it and taking a deep drag: "Over the years, I have taught many students, but in terms of insight, I believe there are two who stand out. One is Zhu Yi; although he is quite emotional, his analytical and judgment skills are very strong, especially in identifying problems from subtle details. The other is Guan Xin, who has a high degree of sensitivity in observing things and also possesses strong logical thinking. Of course, her hypnosis skills are among the best in our Guizhou Province." He paused and smiled at me, saying: "Zhu Yi, you can communicate more with Guan Xin regarding hypnosis." I nodded and replied, "I will." He continued: "Guan Xin, you should also exchange ideas with Zhu Yi about behavioral psychology and the capture and analysis of micro-expressions; I believe you will benefit greatly from it." Guan Xin smiled and nodded, saying: "That is certainly the case." Liang Ping then inquired about some aspects of the Shanghai psychological consulting market with Gao Feiyang, and everyone shared some interesting cases they had encountered, exchanging experiences with one another.