Chapter 5: The Taoist Descends the Mountain (Part 2)

As the only clue to his own origins, Fang Yi naturally places great importance on this Gabala. In the past, when his master was alive, Fang Yi refrained from wearing it out of consideration for his master's feelings. However, now that the old Taoist has passed away, Fang Yi naturally intends to keep it close to him.

According to the old Taoist's account, when he discovered Fang Yi at the entrance of the Taoist temple many years ago, Fang Yi was completely naked, without even a swaddling cloth to cover his body

The term "Gabara" refers to prayer beads or ritual implements made from human bones. Among all religions, it is only used in the esoteric tradition of Buddhism.

Beads made from finger bones are generally easier to produce, typically requiring the bones of ten fingers to create a set of beads. In contrast, brow bones are relatively hard, so a set of beads may require the brow bones of more than ten high monks to be crafted.

Alright, is it not possible for Fat Master to come here with you to redo this in the future

Alright, let's go and pay our respects at the master's grave, and then we can descend the mountain

Only bone beads made from phalanges and brow bones can be called "Gabbala," while beads made from other human bones, such as the tibia, can only be referred to as "human bone beads" and cannot be termed as "Gabbala." Furthermore, Gabbala made from the bones of high monks is exceedingly rare.

Moreover, the production of bone prayer beads or ritual implements is exceedingly complex, as they are entirely handcrafted. Therefore, the monks must possess exceptional skills, and they must polish them daily to achieve a luster, which may take over a decade. Simultaneously, to assemble a complete set of prayer beads, it is necessary to wait for the passing of several high monks, which means that a single set of prayer beads may take fifty to sixty years, or even up to a hundred years.

Due to geographical constraints, prior to the 1970s and 1980s, the contact between Tibet and the mainland was relatively limited, and Tibetan Buddhism has always been perceived as quite mysterious by the public. If it were not for the old Taoist priest's extensive travels and experiences throughout his life, he might not have been able to recognize that this was a Kapala made from the bone of the forehead.

Having put away the gabbala, Fang Yi clapped his hands. Both he and his master were individuals detached from worldly possessions. Aside from a few strings of prayer beads used for daily practice, they had only a few tattered Daoist robes. Even the small wooden box left to him by his master could not be filled.

Fang Yi was raised by his master since childhood and was very filial to him. Therefore, although he knew that this Gabbala artifact had a significant connection to him, he had never worn it. He would only occasionally take it out to play with during the quiet of the night.

Carrying the box and accompanied by the stout man, Fang Yi turned back to glance at the temple, a hint of reluctance appearing on his face. Although living here day by day felt lonely and cold, at this moment, as he was about to depart, the thoughts of leaving home surged in Fang Yi's heart

At that time, the only thing on Fang Yi was this pendant hanging around his neck, which he was currently holding in his mouth and swallowing down, his little face flushed red from the effort. If the old Taoist priest had discovered him a moment later, who knows if Fang Yi would still exist now

Hearing the words of the fat man, Fang Yi said with a mix of laughter and tears: "This item is a magical tool, called Gabala, made from human bones. Do the girls in your village send this kind of thing as a token of love?"

Seeing Fang Yi not allowing him to touch the pendant, the chubby man couldn't help but shout, saying: "Fang Yi, have you hooked up with some girl while I was away serving in the army for a few years? Be honest, is this a token of affection given to you by a girl?"

Token of affection? I can't believe you came up with that...

During a drinking session, the old Taoist revealed to Fang Yi that this pendant, which was slightly larger than a thumbnail and carved with seemingly simple lines, was actually a ritual object of the Buddhist faith, specifically a special instrument of the Esoteric Buddhism, referred to in Tibetan as "Gabara"

Fang Yi was too lazy to engage in further conversation with the chubby man, who was a chatterbox and utterly confusing. He took the gabbara in hand, carefully stroked it for a moment, and then hung it around his neck.

Although the person known as Fatty appears to be carefree and easygoing, he is actually quite thoughtful. After noticing the reluctance on Fang Yi's face, he put his arm around Fang Yi's shoulder and said, "Let's hurry and go take a look at the old man's grave. I am curious to see what kind of auspicious location he chose for himself"

The words of the fat man are not entirely baseless, as their clan possesses a genealogy that can indeed be traced back to that period. The old Taoist priest had also gone to examine that genealogy in the past and returned to inform Fang Yi that the people in the village at the foot of the mountain are very likely descendants of Cao Cao's lineage

Well, when the old fellow passed away, we were not there; we should have gone to pay our respects with a few bows...

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, the attention of the chubby man was immediately diverted from Gabala. Although he verbally showed little respect for the old Taoist priest, he had consumed a considerable amount of the priest's food and drink since childhood, and thus held a deep respect for him internally

Ah, I said Fang Yi, don't wrong me, how could I have such thoughts..." After being slapped by Fang Yi, the chubby man immediately exclaimed: "If I wanted to engage in that line of work, I would go find our own ancestor. Just look at that old Taoist's poor appearance, what good burial items could he possibly have?

You better not entertain any improper thoughts

Imagine that a small prayer bead contains the connections of more than ten eminent monks; for a Buddhist, this would be incredibly precious

I am a genuine disciple of the Daoist school, wearing Buddhist ritual implements, which indeed seems somewhat unreasonable

The胖子 has also grown up alongside the old Taoist priest, knowing that although the old priest appears a bit eccentric at times, he is actually a highly skilled individual who keeps a low profile. The old priest possesses many things that ordinary people do not understand, which is why he considers this gabbala to be something passed down to Fang Yi by the old Taoist priest

According to Master Fang Yi, this Gabala contains pure mental energy and is likely crafted from the brow bone of an enlightened monk or even a living Buddha. However, since Buddhism and Daoism are distinct paths, the old Daoist, despite his open-mindedness, is reluctant to allow himself, as a disciple of Daoism, to wear a Buddhist artifact

Seeing the chubby man's eyes spinning around, Fang Yi couldn't help but slap him on the head, saying irritably: "My master once set up a formation; anyone who dares to trespass on his tomb will die without a burial place. Moreover, there is nothing in my master's tomb, so you should stop having any ideas..."

"Alright, your ancestors probably don't even know who they are, so stop talking nonsense here..." Fang Yi laughed at what the chubby guy said. The chubby guy's surname is Wei, and his full name is Wei Jinhua, while his nickname is Jin Hua. He often got into fights as a child because of this nickname.

The fat man quickly withdrew his hand that was reaching for the gabbara, hurriedly saying: "The old Taoist is always messing with these strange and bizarre things. How can he dare to hang something as sinister as human bones on himself? I say, you should take this thing away from me..."

Feeling a slight coolness emanating from the talisman on his chest, Fang Yi also experienced an indescribable discomfort in his heart. The reason for this was that the old Taoist priest had often criticized the current Buddhist sects when he was alive, labeling them as mere charlatans who sold false pretenses. Truly enlightened monks had become a rarity.

"Made from human bones? Damn, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Vajrayana, also known as the Mantra Sect, is one of the schools of Buddhism, prevalent in regions such as Tibet and Qinghai. It is characterized by highly organized rituals, mantras, and the worship of deities in its practices, which has contributed to its enduring mystique.

However, according to the fat man's account, their clan originally did not bear the surname Wei, but rather the surname Cao. They are descendants of Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms period. After the Wei state was destroyed by Sima Yan during the Western Jin dynasty, they changed their surname from Cao to Wei to avoid disaster and sought refuge in this small mountain village

However, the old Taoist priest seemed rather indifferent to this bone pendant. Although he informed Fang Yi that the pendant was found on him, he never allowed Fang Yi to wear it. This left the young Fang Yi quite puzzled, and he inquired indirectly to uncover the origins of the pendant

It is quite strange that Fang Yi, who grew up in the mountains, often accompanied his master into the deep mountains to gather herbs, enduring the hardships of wind and rain. Yet, Fang Yi has a fair complexion and handsome appearance, and apart from the calluses on his palms, he does not resemble a child raised in the mountains at all

A few years ago, the ancestral hall in the village suffered a fire, which reduced all the family genealogies within to ashes. This deeply saddened the stout man, who was then serving in the military, as he had aspired since childhood to seek out the seventy-two tombs of his ancestor Cao Cao. However, this great fire extinguished his ambition.

Vajrayana ritual implements often utilize human bones. However, the human bones used for prayer beads are not sourced from just anyone; they must be the remains of high lamas. This practice is akin to the Tibetan custom of sky burial, where the deceased's body is offered to eagles, achieving a Buddhist state akin to that of the historical Buddha who fed eagles with his flesh. The physical body has thus become sustenance for other beings, and the bones are donated for the creation of ritual implements

Why are you so nervous? By the way, what is it that I haven't seen before?

When Fang Yi and the others were around thirteen or fourteen years old, Fatty and San Pao would sometimes bring some of the village's young girls to play with Fang Yi. Without exception, those girls who were relatively more precocious would express some affection for Fang Yi, which made Fatty quite jealous, thus leading to such a saying

The old Taoist often lamented during his lifetime that he possessed the skills of geomancy and acupoint selection, yet he suffered from the lack of disciples. Even if he chose a site with excellent feng shui, it would still be of no benefit to future generations

"What do you know..." Listening to the fat man ramble, Fang Yi couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Gabala is made from the bones of enlightened monks, capable of warding off evil and avoiding calamity. How did it turn into something sinister when it came out of your mouth..."

When I have money in the future, I will definitely return to rebuild the Shangqing Palace

The most commonly used bones for human bone prayer beads are the finger bones and the brow bones. This is because Buddhism emphasizes the concept of causality. Monks naturally use their fingers the most when performing rituals, while the eyes serve as the means to read Buddhist scriptures and understand worldly matters. These two areas can be considered the most causally connected, representing bones with enlightenment, and thus can serve as tools to unlock the wisdom of future generations