Chapter 9: Dagos and Fuwa (2/2)
”Which one is right?”
Shaw Danon jumped out of the bed and began walking back and forth in the room. His mind was confused but he dared not to ask anyone. Then he finally sat on his bed, sighed, not saying anything.
He was not intelligent originally, as a farmer boy of young age, of course he did not have much knowledge; and now he needed to decide such an important matter. Thinking it over for the whole day, simply wasted time and could not develop a solution. In the end, Shaw Danon told himself: ”Anyway, the master Pozhi did not tell me that from the beginning, I can just practice both, that should solve the problem.” Not thinking anymore, just relieved in his mind, he returned to his bed and began practicing Pure Essence.
He thought it would be easy, but when actually doing it things became entirely different. Pure Essence's refining spirit; open the pores and let the spirit within sky and earth enter into the body and let it run through the veins; doing it to strengthen the vigor and veins within the body. Fawin Wisdom needs a practitioner to enter the state of quietude, block all senses from the outside world, see the self as the world, find the true self, strengthen the vigor.
The method of practice is completely opposite, giving Shaw Danon a pain in the neck. For the next three months, besides cutting down the bamboo every single day, he focused on practicing the cultivation of two factions. But when he had a little success on Pure Essence, becoming able to draw spirit into the body; he then would practice Fawin Wisdom, needing to force himself to block out everything, enter into quietude. All the efforts he had putted in for the previous practice were all wasted.
One day, three months later, Tian Bolis suddenly felt curious and came to see how Shaw Danon is doing in cultivation. After a slight investigation he became angry almost half to death. When normal people practice Pure Essence, as the first level is the easiest, they should have slight success after three months; ability to absorb spirit and cycle them three to five times. Surprisingly the poor quality of Shaw Danon is really rarely found. After three months practice he was still not even able to control pores of the entire body and hardly let any spirit in; of course, he can't cycle the spirit.
Tian Bolis, with eyes wide, stared at Shaw Danon angrily. All the disciples standing nearby feel sorry for him but do not dare to say anything. Xavion wanted to say a few words on Shaw Danon's behalf, but seeing the poor practice Shaw Danon had that had been taught by him, felt he did not have the right to say anything. As for Hidi, she was laughing and seeing it as a joke.
Shaw Danon felt shameful, kneeling in front of Tian Bolis. Thinking that no matter how his master scolded him, he deserved it. Unexpectedly, after a long time, surrounding shixiong and even Tian Bolis did not say a word. He felt strange, secretly looked up and was surprised to find that Tian Bolis' angry face turned into disappointment. Just like the saying: Most sadness comes from disappointment.
Tian Bolis waved his sleeve, then shook his head, began to move his fat body and walked toward the rear hall without saying anything. All the disciples looked at each other not understanding what happened.
Xavion had known Tian Bolis for a long time, he knew what Tian Bolis meant; he guessed that master had given up his hope on Xiao Shidi. For the past three months, beside doing homework and practicing cultivation, Shaw Danon helped others when he had the free time, he is a helpful and honest person. Everyone liked him. Because of the loneliness of living on the mountain, even the usually arrogant Hidi suddenly had a similar aged playmate; although on the surface she often scolded him, she was actually happy about it.
Xavion frowned and lifted up Shaw Danon, said: ”Xiao Shidi, the master is angry for a moment, it doesn't matter. As long as you continue to put effort in, sooner or later he will approve of you.”
Shaw Danon's heart felt shame, nodded, and put more and more effort in since.
He went with Hidi each morning to cut bamboo, normal disciples can chop down one Black Bamboo after practicing Pure Essence for three months, but Shaw Danon cut down his first Black Bamboo after half a year. However, because of doing homework daily, his body grew progressively stronger; at least he no longer grew tired when going up to the mountain.
From that point on, Tian Bolis did not ask anything more about Shaw Danon. At the beginning, Xavion still asked him about his progress in cultivation practice. But as time grew longer, Shaw Danon's progress was as slow as it can be; in the end, even Xavion gave up and did not ask him anymore.
Shaw Danon himself did not mind the issue, he was aware his quality was not good. Although he occasionally thought that it is all because he practiced both incantations simultaneously, every time he thought about it, it reminded him of Pozhi, which encouraged him to continue on. Although practice in this way would be extremely difficult, his stubborn temper supported him.
Practicing Pure Essence by day, Fawin Wisdom at night. Three years passed by fast.
During these years, Shaw Danon achieved the worst record within Jadeon ever: He used three years, which meant he had spent three times longer than normal people, before finally completing Pure Essence's Yu Qing first level and was able to easily control all the pores, absorb spirit and meditate thirty-six times in a row. But what people were not aware of is that he also practiced Fawin Wisdom at the same time, laying a solid basis on controlling energy.
When Shaw Danon timidly announced that at dinner, all Jadeon Bamboo Peak disciples were stunned; as impossible as thousand years old iron tree has just blossomed, then everyone laughed. Xavion threw Shaw Danon into the air a few times.
Tian Bolis coldly looked at him, grunted, whispered: ”Idiot!”
Over three years, Shaw Danon reached the age of fourteen; due to cutting bamboo daily, his body had become fairly sturdy. Although he was two years younger than Hidi, they were already the same height. Hidi had turned sixteen years old from thirteen and had become more beautiful.
Hidi often felt as though all of the six shixiong were much older than her, so she liked to stay with the foolish xiao shidi most of the time. For three years, they became much closer together. Hidi always had the upper hand. Shaw Danon knew shijie is much stronger than himself. Although she was shouting at him all the time, when teased by shixiongs, she was the first one to stand up for him.
Life in the mountain was boring and quiet, Shaw Danon inquired to Tian Bolis and Xavion about Grasstemple Village's massacre several times, but found no clues during the investigation still. As time passed, Shaw Danon's heart finally had calmed.
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This morning, Shaw Danon took his machete as usual and walked toward the mountain alone. Hidi had completed the bamboo homework two years ago and had no need to come. So, for the past two years, Shaw Danon went to the mountain alone most of the time; however, sometimes when Hidi had nothing to do she would go to the mountain together with him.
Today Shaw Danon didn't see a sight of Hidi, nor did he care about the matter, and went alone to the mountain. After another month, his bamboo homework will be complete. He now can cut down two Black Bamboo everyday, but still was far inferior to Hidi. Hidi could chop down a dozen of Black Bamboo by the end of the day.
A month prior, he finally mastered Pure Essence's Yu Qing's first level, then Xavion taught him the second level incantation. He had studied it for a month, although it is a lot deeper than the first layer, he felt it to be easier than the first layer. For example, control of the body's pores from first level took him three years, while the second level needs one to ”Turn spirit into vigor energy,” absorbing the spirit within earth and sky into the body and turning them into vigor. According to Da shixiong, it is ten times harder than the first level, but Shaw Danon had surprisingly found it very easy. It seemed ”Fawin Wisdom” had something to do with his progress. Three years of Fawin Wisdom non-stop practice, he had begun to master the basics of the vigor cycle. Spirit is part of vigor, with the three years of basic practice, Shaw Danon's progress was very fast.
But he himself didn't believe himself; when other people's practice of first level took one year, and he himself needed three years, so he felt this must be an illusion. So he didn't care much because no one asked him about his daily cultivation practice anyway.
Note 1: Phrase from : 诸法空相，不生不灭，不垢不净，不增不减，是故空中无色，无受想行识，无眼、耳、鼻、舌、身意 ，无色、声、 香、味、触法，无眼界，乃至无意识界，无无明，亦无无明尽，乃至无老死，亦无老死尽，无苦集灭 道，无智亦无 得。(Translation excerpted from The Heart Sutra--Rochester Zen Center translation, based on Philip Kapleau's reading)
Note 2: Phrase from 德经第五章>: 道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，中气以为和。
Note 3: Phrase from : 何期自性，本自清净；何期自性，本无生灭；何期自性，本自具足；何期自性，本无动摇；何期自性 ，能生万法!