The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Tian Xin shook her head. “I just want to see him sooner.”

Fangzheng shook his head and said, “Ding Mu is a hero who saved a life. After he died, he definitely went to the Western Paradise. But you are different. Your heart wishes to die. This is suicide, and suicide means going to hell. This isn’t the way to shorten the days before the two of you reunite, but it is the way to separate yourselves for an even longer eternity.”

Tian Xin was silent for a while before asking, “Do you think there’s really a paradise and a hell in this world?”

Fangzheng shook his head. “I don’t, but I do know one thing.”

“What?” Tian Xin asked out of curiosity. At the same time, she rolled her eyes at Fangzheng and continued. “Also, I just realized that you and Ding Mu are rather similar. Both of you don’t know how to comfort others. At this time, shouldn’t you tell me without hesitation that there is a paradise and a hell?”

Fangzheng shook his head. “I don’t want to lie to you.”

Tian Xin sighed pitifully and said, “I hoped you could lie to me. It’s so tiring to live alone…”

Fangzheng watched as Tian Xin curled up into a ball on the bench. He patted the hero dog beside him and immediately, she went over. She lay beside Tian Xin and leaned on her. When Tian Xin saw her actions, she smiled slightly as though she felt a little warmth.

Only then did Fangzheng say, “I really don’t know if there is a paradise in the sky, or if there is a hell underground. Some people tell me that they don’t exist, but the Buddhist scriptures tell me that they do.”

“Buddhist scriptures? You like reading that?” Tian Xin asked in surprise.

Fangzheng nodded. “I like it very much.”

“Then what do the scriptures say?” Tian Xin asked.

Fangzheng pointed at his heart and said, “A thought is what separates hell from heaven; everything follows the heart. The deceased leaves this world and takes away everything that belonged to them. Especially if no one points out the things that once belonged to them, no one will know what was theirs anymore. The deceased’s legacy becomes like a brush that a great person used. If no one labels it as theirs, would you know who its former owner was?”

Tian Xin seemed to understand something, but she didn’t understand at the same time.

Fangzheng continued. “When people depart, the only thing that can allow them to continue existing and having an impact in this world, leaving behind their shadow and thoughts, is when someone remembers them and thinks of them That way, they can appear in this world again. The so-called paradise world isn’t a world that exists between the heavens and earth. Instead, it is a paradise that is established because of people.

“On the contrary, if you leave this world, who will tell the story about him that only you can tell? Who will remember him? Who will establish paradise for him? If no one remembers him, he will no longer exist and disappear completely. That would be equivalent to eternal death, true death.”

Tian Xin said, “Then… I…”

Fangzheng said, “A thought is what separates hell from heaven. Are you sending him to heaven or making him die a second time?”

Tian Xin smiled bitterly. “You just made me afraid of dying without a reason.”

Fangzheng smiled. “You have to understand that not only are you alive to establish the paradise world for him, but you are also the support of others—Ding Mu’s parents, your parents. Because of your existence, they have hope in their hearts and can continue living. If you leave as well, it’ll be equivalent to dragging them down together with you to hell. Besides, you are not just a single person. You are a firefighter. You need to protect more people. If you save them, they will build a paradise for others. It will make the world suffer less and be filled with more joy. Isn’t that good?”

Tian Xin pursed her lips and said, “Why do I feel like you are telling me ‘Since you’re going to die anyway, why don’t you be of some use to help others first?’”

Fangzheng was left speechless. He thought to himself, “How did this girl’s comprehension ability pass nine years of compulsory education without being beaten to death by a language teacher?”

After Tian Xin said that, she was tickled by her own joke. She jumped up, waved her fists, and smiled. “Forget it, I’ll listen to you. For him, for his parents, and for the people I’m protecting, I’ll work hard to live on. I’ll set a small goal to live a hundred years. How about that?”

Fangzheng looked at the spirited Tian Xin and felt as though a tiny sun had appeared in front of him. His originally heavy heart instantly lit up, and he smiled. “If living to a hundred years is a small goal, what’s a big goal?”

“Break the Guinness World Record of oldest person alive!” After saying that, Tian Xin beckoned for the hero dog to follow her and said, “Let’s go eat! I’m treating today! You can have a huge, sumptuous meal!”

Fangzheng scratched his nose and asked, “Are you saying that to me or the dog?”

“Of course… To the dog!” Tian Xin then ran off.

The hero dog immediately followed. Fangzheng looked around and said, “I’ll find a pole before chasing after you!”

That evening, Fangzheng finally had a proper meal for dinner. He generously spent the last bit of money in his pocket.

Tian Xin, on the other hand, asked for three bottles of beer. She sat there gulping it down.

On the way back, Tian Xin kept swaying, singing, and shouting.

“The river flows to the east, Ding Mu, you’re a block of wood! You leave without a word. Don’t you know to wait for me!? You’re such a big fool; don’t you know to wait for me… Hey, hey, black duck, black duck, black duck, beer duck… If you see injustice on the road, set up a pot. It should be filled with soy sauce if necessary!”

“Ding Mu, you’re a bastard! I have to suffer all of this despite you being gone. You bastard!”

“I’m a wolf from the north. Awoo…”

…

Fangzheng maintained a safe distance from Tian Xin the entire time, in case she got into trouble and attracted a bunch of men ‘who didn’t hit women’ again.

When they reached the ground floor of Tian Xin’s building, Fangzheng was just about to send her home when she pushed him away. Tian Xin waved her arms and shouted. “Everyone, listen to me! Open the windows and see who I am!”

Fangzheng thought to himself, “This is bad! Don’t provoke others like that!” At the same time, Fangzheng began searching for a path of retreat. Once things went south, he would immediately carry Tian Xin and escape.

In the end, Tian Xin shouted. “Look at me and tell me whose family I belong to! I can’t find my home!”

Fangzheng: “…”

In the end, Tian Xin was carried upstairs by her family.

Fangzheng scratched his nose, shook his head, and turned to leave.

“Are you leaving just like that?” At that moment, a female voice sounded.

Fangzheng turned his head and saw the hero dog following him.

Fangzheng nodded. “Yes, it’s time to leave. I’ll leave this lass to you. Stay with her. She’s just like you—pitiful.”

The hero dog said, “She treats me very well. I will follow her forever. Thank you for giving me a home.”

Fangzheng waved his hand. “Go on.”

With that said, Fangzheng vanished with a thought. But he never expected he would regret it the moment he returned to the monastery!