Chapter 1, Bodhisattva and Names

The third brother does not possess martial arts skills, but he has acquired a comprehensive knowledge of medicine. In the military, he is referred to as the "Doctor of Death," someone who competes with the King of Hell for lives

The county magistrate was the last to leave; he sat beside the young man for a long time, while the young man knelt before the grave for a long time

The county magistrate said: "She has just left, do not make a fuss, it is undignified."

The grandmother said, the Shoushanku is not large, if you are locked in this storehouse, you will never be able to escape this area of several dozen zhang for your entire life

However, in Wuwei County, if you ask the Bodhisattva how old they are, anyone who is not a child who has yet to understand will casually tell you that the Bodhisattva is seventy-six this year

The master glared at them, just about to speak, when he heard someone outside the county office hall shouting that the Bodhisattva was gone, the Bodhisattva was gone

The young man was taken aback

The crowd gradually dispersed, while some continued to grumble, feeling that this young man was truly unworthy, as the Bodhisattva had guarded the treasury of goodness for so many years, yet he did not wish to protect it

My mother-in-law said, in these fourteen years, I have raised hundreds of children, both big and small, but I have kept only the youngest son, not for me to raise him, but for him to take care of me

You know that she has been bedridden for two and a half years, but do you know that she curls up in pain day and night, and despite my efforts to massage her and promote blood circulation, she remains tense and unyielding

The county magistrate turned around and glanced at the person cursing, asking: "Why don't you keep watch instead?"

The Bodhisattva is gone, the Bodhisattva is gone

The second son is a lieutenant of the Fearless Camp, where there are no cowards; each one is the best scout.

What the Bodhisattva says is undoubtedly correct, and no one questions it

If you were to say that Bodhisattvas have an age in other places, you would surely be laughed at

The mother-in-law said that the hardships endured by the youngest son over the past three years should be divided into several hundred portions and distributed among you all. He has borne it himself, and you all can manage from here on out.

The Bodhisattva resides in Nanshan Village, and the entire Yunzhou, with its two hundred and eighty-one counties, is well aware of this; even a three-year-old child can recite the name of the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva's children are all gone, and on that day, the Bodhisattva became a Bodhisattva

The poor let go of eggs, while the rich let go of gold and silver

However, the words that followed were not spoken, as the county magistrate intervened.

The individuals kneeling in the hall exchanged glances, then helped each other to their feet. The plaintiff supported the defendant, while the defendant assisted the plaintiff, and the two groups hurriedly left the county office to head home

She also said, how can a person who does good deeds and accumulates virtue not be dignified

So she decided to give the young man a new name. She said: "You shall be named Ye Zhi Luo, for when it is time to fall, one must know how to fall, what do you think?"

However, after such a long time, the items in the shed have not only not decreased, but have increased day by day

The young man nodded: "You are not a Bodhisattva, but I will listen to you."

Throughout this lifetime, the Bodhisattva has adopted several hundred children, starting fourteen years ago, at which time the Bodhisattva's hair had just begun to turn white

All are clad in white garments, and everyone is a filial child

Thus, some began to scold him again, saying that he had forgotten his roots

The clothes on the body have never been soiled, and the hair has never been disheveled

"The Bodhisattva has departed, do you still wish to be a guardian of goodness?"

When the Bodhisattva was present, no one came to seek her assistance; instead, there were occasional visitors who would leave some items and then depart without even entering the door

In the second month, someone came to guard the善库, took something but did not return it.

Everyone in Quanyun Prefecture knows that the Bodhisattva is called Liu Popo, do you say that if the surname is Lin, then it is Lin

Every day, new gifts appear at the door of the Bodhisattva's home, including firewood, rice, oil, and salt, as well as silk and satin.

Yunzhou is a border region, where there are many conflicts and many orphans.

In the county office, the magistrate sat in the main seat, while the plaintiff and the defendant knelt below. The two parties had come to blows over who had first used the irrigation ditch to water the wheat, resulting in bruised faces and swollen noses.

Bodhisattvas are always destined to return to the heavens, thus the earthly physicians cannot cure the ailments of the Bodhisattvas, and no one blames the physicians

She said: "I am a Bodhisattva, do you not want to listen to me?"

In two days, if someone is in need of gold and silver at home, they may take as much as they require

Upon hearing the news that the Bodhisattva has passed away, the first thing everyone does is rush back home

The young man nodded: "I believe."

Only a very few people say that the Bodhisattva saves too many lives, contending with Yama for souls. Yama is very angry, thus punishing her to live an additional fourteen years, day and night, the thought of her loved ones becomes a torment

The small and great acts of kindness serve two purposes: one is to understand the warmth and coldness of life, and the other is to save all living beings

In the third month, everyone came to the Shougan Warehouse to take things, but it was not... it was theft, and thus, the Shougan Warehouse was no more

The Bodhisattva, upon hearing this, became anxious and said, "How can good and evil not be distinguished by size? One is one, two is two, and there are also three, four, five, six, and seven"

In the first month, someone came to guard the Shankou and took the East www.hetushu.com.com back.

At first, the young man remained silent, but as more people began to criticize him, he ultimately could not suppress his youthful spirit due to his age

But before putting pen to paper, I was momentarily stunned and turned my head to ask: "Little Yao, what name will you use in the future?"

The county magistrate said: "She said she would give you everything, so it shall all be yours. She has raised hundreds of children, hundreds of blessings. If you can take it, it is all yours. No one can doubt her words"

The young man let out a heavy sigh, then knelt down and bowed to the crowd, saying: "Thank you for coming to see her off"

The Bodhisattva said: "Changing one's surname is to forget one's roots, is a lack of respect, and is unfilial."

She may be aware of her lack of attractiveness, which is why she wants to find a topic to circumvent this unattractiveness

The county magistrate remained silent, his head bowed, his fingers trembling

People have become accustomed to it; today, if someone is short of three feet of cloth at home, they come to the shed to pull some.

They want to go home to change their clothes

The county magistrate stood up and patted the young man's shoulder once more: "If... if I could bring myself to do it, I would want to kill her with my own hands. I have tried; the thought weighs heavily on my heart, and my heart feels like it is being torn apart. I succumbed to the pain of my heart..."

The county magistrate gently patted the grave and said: "She must not have told you, I was also supported by her. That year when I fell ill, if it weren't for my mother-in-law saving my life and taking care of me for a year, I wouldn't be here. It's just that she has never been willing to say much about it."

People had never imagined what the world would be like without Bodhisattvas

The young boy was also taken aback, as he suddenly recalled the scene from a year ago when his grandmother had just experienced a bout of pain, lying on the bed in a state of exhaustion, which was truly unappealing

Whoever is in urgent need of something at home may come to take it from this awning, without needing to speak to her. The Bodhisattva says that everything in this shelter is good, and she is at most a guardian of goodness

The young man shook his head: "I will not do it anymore, that Shoushanku has nothing to do with me, it is only related to her and me"

Some say that there is no distinction between great and small acts of kindness, nor between great and small acts of evil, for both great and small kindnesses accumulate virtue, while both great and small evils accumulate karmic obstacles

He asked the young man: "Can you read? Can you write?"

The young man said: "I only mentioned changing my surname, not that I want to discard 'Ye'. I will keep 'Ye' as part of my name; I will be called Lin Ye."

The youth no longer refused, for he looked into the eyes of the county magistrate and the *illustrated* book, and the words of refusal could not be uttered.

In the crowd, someone whispered, saying how can one be so emotionless, how can there be no sorrow at all

He looked at the county magistrate and said, "The old lady said that the treasury is indeed large, and it has made her, this old woman, unable to stand up straight. She cannot even take a break because everyone is watching her; she has to hold on."

The people walking turned to look at the young man, their eyes filled with anger

The husband had already died outside the pass before the four sons fell in battle. The Bodhisattva had just erected a grave marker for the husband and also established graves for the four sons

Many people say that the Bodhisattva suffers greatly, so Heaven shows favor and allows the Bodhisattva to live for seventy-six years, which is rare among humans

In terms of status, the fourth brother is the least accomplished, as he only lived to the age of 21 and was merely a minor figure. On that day, he single-handedly held the rear and killed 69 enemies

The magnitude of evil is twofold: one is the suffering of all beings, and the other is the harm caused to others through words

Everyone calls this young man "Yao'er" because he is the youngest son of the Bodhisattva

The people of Wuwei County all know that the Bodhisattva is a person who values cleanliness, even though she has been unable to move for some time, confined to bed and unable to turn over.

The young man did not answer directly, but said: "My grandmother once asked me, is the Shoushanku large? I said it is large, the things in the Shoushanku are too numerous to count."

After a long while, the county magistrate said: "I will write you a letter of recommendation. You should go to Yunzhou City. If this letter proves to be of some use, at the very least, you can serve as a clerk under that prominent figure..."

My mother-in-law also said, I am tired, always tired, so do not exhaust yourself like this, go seek fame and fortune, pursue an official position, and enjoy wealth and splendor. Some say that doing good deeds accumulates virtue, and accumulating virtue brings blessings, but I do not want that, I give it all to you

That year, the four sons of the Bodhisattva successively died on the battlefield. The eldest held the rank of a fourth-grade general, commanding a force of one thousand two hundred men, all of whom were elite among the elite

The Bodhisattva is gone

More than two years ago, the Bodhisattva said that he could no longer sustain himself and that it would be sufficient to sustain just one more being, thus this young man was granted life

Every household prepares filial garments for the Bodhisattva, yet no one finds it strange

Whether it is the kindness borrowed or the kindness returned, neither belongs to her; it belongs to all sentient beings

On this day, it is said that there are thirty-six places like Yunzhou, but it is unknown whether the other thirty-five states have such Bodhisattvas.

The youth said: "She is not a Bodhisattva, never has been. She is merely a person of misfortune. If it weren't for my inability to act, I would truly want to kill her. I have tried; I couldn't even get past that mental barrier..."

Everyone fell silent

You say that she lives a long life because of her good deeds and merits, which is a blessing. However, do you know that in her later years, she often said she saw her husband and four sons by her bedside at night

Mother-in-law smiled, she could still smile, she said: "Only you, have never regarded me as a Bodhisattva."

In the fields, the farmers are bending over to work, while someone runs past on the path through the fields, shouting in a hoarse voice

Only the children she raised know how much she has suffered. She has always been so particular about cleanliness, because she says, I must appear presentable.

The Bodhisattva said she is the guardian of the virtuous, and the people thought, then this store shall be named the Store of Virtue

In the county town, the streets are bustling with people, and shops are numerous. Someone ran past a shop, shouting that the Buddha is gone, the Buddha is gone.

In fact, the county magistrate is already aware of this, as the mother-in-law had previously entrusted someone to deliver a letter to him, not long ago

The county magistrate was about to write a letter of recommendation in front of this grave, and he surprisingly brought paper and pen, clearly having thought it out in advance

The Bodhisattva does not quite speak in terms of reason, for she is a unique Bodhisattva. She expresses her belief that goodness and evil, in all their forms and magnitudes, are essentially...

The grave is at the location he chose, which was decided long ago, and there was not much difficulty in selecting it, next to the tomb of the Bodhisattva's husband

All the pedestrians stopped upon hearing the sound, all the merchants were taken aback upon hearing the sound, and then the pedestrians returned home while the shops closed their doors

The Bodhisattva desires nothing, yet she fears that things may break, so she took the initiative to construct a rain shelter

The Bodhisattva was already sixty-two that year, and she began to travel to distant lands. There were orphans who had no means to survive, so the Bodhisattva took them in.

Wuwei County has one hundred and twenty-seven villages, varying in distance, thus the time taken to receive news differs.

The county magistrate was among the crowd; he walked up to the young man and patted him on the shoulder.

Thus, a very large warehouse was added outside the Bodhisattva's home. People from four or eight villages came, bringing their own food, and after thirty-two days of construction, they completed it and left

The farmers were all taken aback, and then silently put away their hoes and turned to head home

The young man heard it, but did not argue; he simply walked on in silence

One should not speak of books in such a manner. Look at those who do good deeds and accumulate virtue; they appear disheveled and unkempt, lacking any semblance of dignity or grace.

No one would think about what the world would be like without Bodhisattvas

The young man nodded: "I will, but..."

The county magistrate asked: "Where are you going?"

On the day of the funeral, the young man walked in front of the coffin, not bowing his head, not shedding tears, and even lacking a look of sorrow on his face

Tomorrow, if someone is short of oil and salt at home, they may come here to take some

The young man looked at the dispersing crowd and shouted: "Please remember, the Bodhisattva is not called Liu Popo. Even if everyone in Yunzhou knows her as Liu Popo, that is still incorrect. Before she got married, Popo's surname was Lin. Remember, she is Lin Popo"

But they do not know that it is this young man who serves daily, that the Bodhisattva sleeps very little each day, and when in pain, it feels as if insects and ants are gnawing, while this young man sleeps even less each day

They all know that the Bodhisattva loves cleanliness, having been in bed for such a long time, yet the hair has never been disheveled, and the clothes have never been soiled

From the first day to the fifth day, a total of three hundred and eighty thousand people visited Nanshan Village, both inside and outside, from all directions.

To send off the Bodhisattva, everyone changed into the filial garments that had been prepared long in advance, for it had been heard from the physician some time ago that the Bodhisattva might not last much longer

The general personally left the camp, gathering three hundred men to form a death squad, and retrieved his body. From that body, one hundred and twenty-one arrows were extracted.

The grave pit has been dug out, and the strong young man is lowering the coffin into it. The youth kneels down to bow his head, one bow after another, causing his forehead to turn red, yet he still does not shed a tear

After the funeral was over, someone finally stood up and accused the young man of not being filial enough

On that day, the Bodhisattva was gone

The young man said: "Actually, it's not that the name is bad; the main issue lies with the Ye. Therefore, it would be better to change the surname."

The person immediately fell silent and said no more, not out of submission, but simply because it was the county magistrate.

The crowd remained silent

The master sat there for quite a while without moving, forgetting what he wanted to say, his face appearing somewhat pale

So this is what the world looks like without Bodhisattvas

However, only that young lad who has just turned fourteen this year can hold the statue of the Bodhisattva with one hand while carrying the filial piety banner with the other hand

The youth was originally named Ye Fuyao. The Bodhisattva said, "Leaves are inherently light; a gust of wind can easily lift them up, which is not necessarily a good thing"