English Novel
Chapter 639: 336 Ming Xin
Chapter 639: 336 Ming Xin
“Ming Jing, Ming Jing, I found this wild rabbit on the mountain behind us. Since Master is not here, let’s roast it. Our juniors are so thin, they need to nourish their bodies. It’s so cold this winter, we need more food to get through it.”
The young girl with big eyes, wearing a wide, washed-out robe, excitedly ran in holding an injured wild rabbit.
Ming Jing was kneeling in front of the Buddha statue, her eyes filled with compassion as she looked at the struggling rabbit.
Like a protective mother hen, the girl quickly hid the rabbit behind her back. “Don’t talk to me about how monks don’t kill. I’ve heard it so much my ears are calloused. The juniors are not like you – they didn’t grow up with such abundance, and need nourishment. They’re so skinny, like little chicks. If you don’t care about them, I will.”
“Senior, I’ll recite a passage from the Rebirth Mantra, and you can go.” Ming Jing said.
The girl immediately smiled. Thinking of something, she threatened fiercely, “You must not tell Master. If you do… I won’t talk to you anymore. Hmph!”
——
Two identical-looking young girls knelt on the meditation cushions. The more delicate and frail one choked out a sutra: “…Deliver us from all suffering…Shariputra… Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form…emptiness is not different from form, emptiness is not different from form….”
The girl racked her brain but couldn’t remember the rest.
The girl beside her softly reminded her. The young girl sitting in front of the Arhat statue slightly opened her eyes, and both girls trembled with fear. The more timid one burst into tears.
“Second Senior, I… I can’t recite it. You can hit my hand with a ruler.” The girl shook her little hand, her small face filled with hidden terror.
“Second Senior, Ming Chen’s body is not strong. Hit me instead, let me take her punishment.” Ming Ti rolled up her sleeve and confidently showed her tender palm, prepared to face death.
Ming Jing calmly watched the two girls. Unable to endure the suffocating silence and pressure, at the brink of collapse, a girl rushed in and sheltered the younger girls behind her, cursing Ming Jing.
“They’re still so young! If they can’t recite it, they can’t recite it. Why do you have to hit them? Is your heart made of iron? They recite sutras every day, what does it matter if they don’t know it by heart? Do you really want them to be nuns for life? Don’t cry. When the eldest sister comes of age, she’ll take you down the mountain. Let her devote her life to Buddha. We’ll enjoy ourselves in the world.”
As she spoke, she took the two girls by the hand and left.
The two girls shook off her hand and knelt down on the meditation cushions. “Eldest Senior, the Second Senior is doing this for our own good. We just can’t memorize the sutras. We’re too stupid. Please don’t blame the Second Senior.”
The girl stomped her foot in anger. Her face flushed red from the cold winter, accentuating her lively eyes and eyebrows. Like a small grass sprouting through the cracks in the stone, she emanated a powerful life force.
“What kind of spell have you cast on them? They listen to you so much it makes me furious.”
“Senior, without any skills, education, or family background, how can you survive in this world?” Ming Jing asked calmly.
The girl choked on her words.
“The world is prosperous, but people’s hearts are treacherous. It’s not like the quiet solitude of the temple with ancient Buddha statues. Our juniors are learning discipline and self-improvement; though it is difficult, it will benefit them for their entire lives. Being born in the temple is both unfortunate and fortunate for them.”
“You’re good at preaching, but my mouth can’t beat yours. I hope it all turns out as you say.”
The girl sat down on the meditation cushion, claiming to watch over the juniors to ensure they weren’t punished. But as she listened to the sutra, she soon fell asleep.
The solemn Buddhist hall was no place for a deep slumber, but she alone had the courage to do so.
Her heart was pure and fearless, so full of life and warmth.
Her name was Ming Xin, a disciple of Buddhism who drank wine, ate meat, and didn’t recite sutras. She believed being born in the temple was her misfortune, but she refused to accept her fate. She was determined to leave the monastery and witness the world’s prosperity so that her life would not be in vain.
Outwardly strong but sensitive at heart, she would openly scold Ming Jing, but when there was something tasty to eat, she would always save some for her.
She once said, “You’re the one I carried back. The first time I saw you, I was drawn to those eyes that weren’t like a child’s. Although I’m your Senior and a few years older, do you know? I’m more afraid of you than Master. But don’t get me wrong – my fear of you isn’t the same as my fear of Master….”
THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM
Support us to help bring more chapters to you!