Chapter 5: The Game of Lankao Chess

It is Zen

How is this possible

How did he break the deadlock

You know

to give up

Xia Ji asked: "How do we play? Is it a game where you play black and I play white, taking turns to place one piece at a time?"

But are you truly willing to do so

He couldn't help but shake his head, trying to make himself more alert

This is the legendary story of the ancient Lanke people, which I have heard

The old monk uttered four words: "Realizing the mind and seeing the nature"

The old monk said: "The sea of suffering is boundless; turning back is the shore... I see that you have a great obsession, but I advise you, there are countless beings in this world who are busily toiling, suffering more than you can imagine. Why not cut off the threads of your troubles and sever your attachments? After all, this worldly life is but a fleeting dream."

Who will feed me?

Is this not life itself

Still not cutting the meat

To give and to gain

However, as the black child joined in, a strange and mysterious thought surged directly into his mind, causing everything around to transform.

Xia Ji said softly: "Because I have no compassion."

And the eagle, seeing this situation, reasoned: "You protect it and saved the dove's life, but can you bear to let me, the eagle, starve to death?"

You understand

The identity of the Seventh Prince of the Great Merchant seems to have become a dream of yesterday, completely unrelated to his current self. The journey on foot to Mount Sumeru and the game of chess played with the hands seem to have also turned into an absurd dream

Still reluctant

The old monk clasped his hands together and uttered the words "Amitabha Buddha". Regardless, the courage of the seventh prince is indeed commendable. Once he sat down, he became one of the participants.

In this game, it is not about where the pieces are placed

At the summit of the Ninth Peak of Mount Sumeru, the old monk sits observing the prince across from him, who has his eyes tightly shut, his eyebrows twitching incessantly, while the black piece he holds in his right hand is slowly descending

Suddenly, the old monk's expression changed, for the seventh prince named Xia Ji had cut off three pounds of flesh, feeding the eagle and the tiger. Then, his eyes abruptly opened wide, his black hair danced wildly, and with a single sound of "pa," he landed steadily in the position where he was meant to be.

The old monk does not believe that this prince can succeed, for he has sat atop the mountain for twenty years. This prince is not the first to come here; every other person has been a renowned figure, possessing greater intelligence, courage, and strength than him. Yet none of those individuals succeeded. Before each of them approached the challenge, they all knew where this step should be placed, but once they entered the game, they found themselves unable to retreat.

The only way is for him to cut off meat equivalent to the weight of the pigeon and the rabbit, and give it to the eagle and the tiger. In this way, he sacrifices himself, yet saves the only two lives in this world, which can be considered an immeasurable act of virtue

Old monk: "Do you not wish to cut flesh to feed the eagle?"

The eagle circles above the head of the summer solstice

With its words, those two thoughts grew increasingly intense, transforming into a powerful mental assault that struck towards Xia Ji's mind

The eagle also spoke in human language: "I am now extremely hungry; if I do not eat you, you will not survive."

Once upon a time, there was a woodcutter who went to the desolate mountains to chop wood. However, upon reaching the mountain peak, he saw two people engaged in a game of chess. The woodcutter, who also enjoyed playing chess, approached to watch the game. He became so engrossed that he lost track of time. When the game finally concluded, the two players urged the woodcutter to hurry back, lest he miss seeing his wife for the last time. The woodcutter was taken aback, not understanding the situation. Only when he turned his head did he realize that the axe he was holding had a wooden handle that had rotted away.

This one foot, however, is the end of the world

cutting flesh

Still reluctant

Xia Ji smiled and pointed out: "Is it to place oneself in a situation of certain death before seeking rebirth?"

Thus, the black piece that Xia Ji is holding is no more than one foot away from the chessboard

You always know certain things you should do, very simple things, tasks that require little effort, yet you still fail to accomplish them

In an instant, the dove had already flung itself into Xia Jihui's embrace

Xia Ji retorted: "Why must we sever?"

Xia did not respond, but simply focused intently on the chessboard before him

The old monk, seeing that he did not respond and did not ask, simply said: "If the benefactor has made up his mind, then picking up the black piece will truly mark the beginning of this game"

The Buddha smiled while holding a flower, yet I am not like that

Xia Ji directly reached out his hand, pinching the black piece with two fingers. After finishing the game, he still had to hurry back to the palace

Two immense thoughts suddenly surged into Xia Ji's mind

In the blink of an eye, what was in my arms transformed into a rabbit, while the eagle that lingered in the sky turned into a gaunt tiger

The old monk said: "Do you know, benefactor, that this mountain is the very desolate hill where the game of chess has long since rotted? This is the ninth peak of Mount Sumeru. Although the immortal has departed, he has bestowed upon this chessboard a vast spiritual power. Once seated, one will be deeply immersed in it, and the various chess formations woven together will make the player feel as if they are truly present, experiencing it firsthand, unable to extricate themselves. A single game of chess seems capable of encompassing an entire lifetime, and only those with great willpower and wisdom can navigate the game. Even so, do you still wish to play, benefactor?"

Is that scripture still available for borrowing

If I do not like it, then not a single flower in this world is allowed to bloom

He has become a traveler walking on the wasteland, and at this moment, he is hurrying back home

The old monk finally opened his eyes for the first time, surveying the young man before him. No matter what, he had already taken a seat; he had already made a choice. Thus, this is the cause and effect of his destiny.

but whether you can make a move

Old monk: "But you did."

Xia did not answer, but merely asked in return: "Has the situation been resolved?"

This is the end of the world, also known as the sea of suffering

In this world, only he remains, along with those two beings

Gradually, the wasteland also vanished, everything disappeared

The two cries became increasingly straightforward

Zen appears simple, yet it is actually quite difficult; it seems to be right before our eyes, but when we truly take a step forward, we find it is far away in the distance

Ordinary

It is Zen

The old monk remained silent for a long time before replying, "It is broken. However, I would like to ask, if the benefactor has attained clarity of mind and insight into one's true nature, what is it that one sees if not the turning back from the sea of suffering?"

The most crucial aspect is that this decision is not made by your hands, but rather determined by your Zen mind. No one can engage in deception; it is not about skill for the immortal, but rather about Zen.

In mid-air, a hungry eagle is pursuing a poor pigeon

Xia Ji took a step forward, without a second thought, and directly sat down on one side of the chessboard enveloped in ethereal mist, and said lightly: "If I have already understood my heart and seen my true nature, what if what I see is not the turning back from the sea of suffering?"

No," the old monk said with his head bowed and eyes closed, "this game is called 'Precious Mist,' also known as 'Sea of Suffering'

Xia Ji: "To live towards death, what I hold is the obsession that even if I die, I will return from the underworld."

And at this moment, the battle of Zen began

What is Zen

What is that benefactor

The old monk gazed into the prince's pupils

But can you do it

Only those who have traversed this sea of suffering are qualified to consult the secret scriptures of the Buddhist gate at Leiyin Temple, the "Past Lamp Sutra"

This intensity continues to accumulate until it transforms into two cries, compelling him to make a choice

The pigeon suddenly spoke in human language: "Please spare me; you can still find food after missing me, but I only have one life."

The old monk asked: "What did the benefactor see?"

To give and take

To be willing to part with something, one must be prepared to place a piece in a dire situation, sacrificing three pounds of one's own flesh

The situation is actually quite simple, with two great dragons of black and white interweaving in battle, seemingly surrounded on all sides, with enemies closing in from every direction...

Please speak

In the blink of an eye, this scene began to change incessantly, and with each transformation, the thoughts in his mind grew stronger.

Benefactor ... ... truly is a demon among Buddhas

Clearly, this is a breakthrough, not a layout

A moment

Borrow.

After finishing this sentence, Xia Ji suddenly emanated a vast aura of Buddhist enlightenment. Even without deliberately using it, the current Zen of the Tathagata had already shielded him from the recent mental shock; otherwise, he would not have been able to break the deadlock so easily. At this moment, as the aura spread out, the old monk could only ask in astonishment: "So you have comprehended the Buddha, how did you come to understand the Buddha?"

but did not see the compassion he wished to see

The old monk was taken aback for a moment, then asked: "If you are willing to cut flesh to feed the eagle, to sacrifice yourself to nourish the tiger, this is indeed an act of great compassion. But why do you not possess any compassion yourself"

This is the essence of Zen.

Reluctance signifies a mere struggle for survival, observing how many more steps can be taken, yet ultimately leading to a complete defeat, and this defeat will leave one feeling desolate.