The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

“Ding! Congratulations on receiving a huge temple gift! The temple will undergo a round of renovations. You will obtain more spots for the consecration of Buddha. In addition, you will be randomly given a Buddha statue!”

“Renovation? Buddha statue?” Fangzheng beamed the moment he heard that! He was still worrying about expanding the temple through renovations but now, the System was doing it for him! There was also a Buddha statue. All the temple had at present was a child-giving Guan Yin. There was a lack of choice! Now, a new Buddha was finally coming to his temple! Instantly, all his unhappiness was gone. There was only happiness!

“System, which Buddha will be coming this time?” Fangzheng felt a little excited.

“I don’t know. When the temple is renovated, a Buddha will randomly descend. As for who it exactly is, it’s uncertain,” explained the System.

“Then what are you waiting for? Begin the renovation!” Fangzheng laughed as he rushed out the temple. He still remembered the scene of the temple’s renovation back then. The effects were better than an American blockbuster!

“Are you sure you want to begin renovating now?” asked the System.

Fangzheng thought for a moment. Many of his personal items had been thrown away by the System during the last renovation. He hurriedly returned and moved the tables, chairs, and benches out, afraid that they would be thrown away.

After he was done with everything, Fangzheng said, “Begin the renovation!”

Fangzheng held his hands close to his chest. He felt mixed emotions and excitement. He nervously and solemnly watched the scene before him. He wanted to know what the temple would become after a renovation.

Although Fangzheng was burning with anxiety, nothing happened to the temple.

After waiting for ten minutes of inactivity, Fangzheng turned anxious as he asked, “System, why haven’t you begun?”

“Begin what?” asked the System.

“Begin the temple’s renovations!” cried Fangzheng.

“It has already been renovated. Why should it need more renovation?” answered the System matter-of-factly.

“Pfft!” Fangzheng nearly spewed a mouthful of blood. He bellowed angrily, “That’s all? Isn’t your construction a little too perfunctory and overly careless? Do you think I’m a fool? I clean the temple daily. How can I not know what it looks like? The temple has clearly not changed!”

“Then what transformations do you want? It’s only a renovation, but you expected it to be an expansion? The renovation was done for you back then. This time it’s only some refinement. Only a few things have been changed. In addition, the new Buddha has arrived and is currently in the main hall. Moreover, the System will not help you expand and develop the temple. The appearance of a new building will only bring you endless trouble. Therefore, it’s best you think of means to expand and develop it yourself,” said the System slowly.

Fangzheng: “@#$!”

Fangzheng truly wanted to curse, but the System was right. If the System were to give him a Mahavira Hall, there was no way he would be able to explain it away. A miracle that fell from heaven? Even if the country didn’t care, there would be endless trouble.

Upon coming to this realization, Fangzheng felt a little better. He looked up and finally noticed something different! The words ‘One Finger Temple’ had transformed to ‘One Finger Monastery’! Furthermore, the three characters were more solemn and magnificent than the previous characters. At a glance, it felt like a dragon was coiling around the text! Fangzheng stared at it intently immediately. It was the Dragon Buddha Epithet! A true Dragon Buddha Epithet!

“This is a bonus from the renovation. It is a plaque written by Buddha himself with the Dragon Buddha Epithet. It can repress evil and calm the mind. It is impervious to damage, waterproof, and fireproof. How is it?” asked the System gleefully.

Fangzheng rolled his eyes and said, “What are you bragging about? It’s not like it was written by you!”

However, Fangzheng was feeling extremely pleased. Back in the day, One Finger Temple did not consecrate a child-bearing Guan Yin but ghosts and deities! In that era, ghosts and deities were more widespread than Buddhism! Later it declined and One Finger Temple was smashed!

Later, Zen Master One Finger supposedly came to the temple and expelled the pagan ghosts and deities. That’s when he apparently instituted a child-giving Guan Yin, resulting in the current One Finger Temple. However, that was only a rumor. Fangzheng was not clear about the actual history. After all, it was something that had happened years ago. No one was willing to talk about that era. Fangzheng had asked a few times, but it was in vain. In the end, he stopped asking.

However, Fangzheng was clear on one thing. A place that consecrated Buddha and Bodhisattva was known as a monastery. Those places that consecrated ghosts and deities were known as temples. However, Fangzheng was unsure why Zen Master One Finger always hung a plaque that said ‘One Finger Temple’ instead of changing it. Perhaps it was because he was poor. If he switched it, he could not replace it with something new…

At last, it had been completely changed. Although it was more orthodox, Fangzheng felt a little uncomfortable about the matter. That plaque was a form of remembrance after all.

After shaking his head, Fangzheng entered the temple and came to the hall’s entrance.

There was an additional plaque sitting above the hall. A few characters resembling a divine dragon were written on it. They were the Dragon Buddha Epithet—Ten Thousand Buddha Hall!

“Ten Thousand Buddha Hall? Nice, that sounds mighty. However, this tiny hall of mine is already in quite a squeeze to consecrate one Bodhisattva. How am I to get ten thousand Buddhas? Heh heh, Buddha would probably turn pregnant from the squeezing,” Fangzheng began having naughty thoughts.

However, Fangzheng was immediately stunned the moment he stepped into the hall. Following that, he cried out in shock!

“System! Come out here! Where’s my Buddha statue? Where is the Buddha statue? Where is the Buddha statue? Did you eat it?!” cried Fangzheng.

“Why the panic? The hall is too small, so the Buddha statues have been removed. You were given a Ten Thousand Buddha plaque,” replied the System.

Fangzheng looked up and down before his eyes rested on a wall behind the offering table. There was a large golden cloth hanging there! On the cloth, there were three portraits. In the middle was a white-dressed person with an extremely benevolent look. She carried a child in her bosom. She was none other than the child-giving Guan Yin Bodhisattva! The boy and girl standing beside the Bodhisattva looked lifelike with ruddy skin. The boy was handsome and the girl was pretty. They were the boy and girl attendants of Guan Yin.

And beside the child-giving Guan Yin Bodhisattva, there was another portrait! The Bodhisartva on it had a thousand arms and eyes. Her body emitted boundless light with a face of benevolence as though she wanted to watch over and protect millions of people! Fangzheng instantly recognized the Bodhisattva’s identity. It was the Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Guan Yin Bodhisattva!

“System, I think this hall’s name should be changed into the Guan Yin Hall…” Fangzheng said with a wry smile. He never expected that the random draw would be another manifestation of Guan Yin. Guan Yin had thirty-three manifestations. Based on what had happened, Fangzheng guessed that he would be able to gather all the Guan Yin Bodhisattva manifestations to summon Buddha…

However, that was only a passing thought. Fangzheng had a good impression of this manifestation of Guan Yin. After all, Guan Yin was one of the most consecrated Bodhisattvas in the world. Regardless of the manifestation or what it represented, it was a good one.

The Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Guan Yin Bodhisattva was also known as Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Compared to the child-giving Guan Yin, who only had one power, the Thousand-armed and Thousand-eyed Guan Yin Bodhisattva had many more abilities. It basically was able to fulfill all requests! However, her main ability was one of protection, to watch over all life.

Fangzheng held his palms together and voiced an Amitabha. Then, he looked at the hall and noticed that there were no other changes.

After he stepped out of the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall, Fangzheng smiled.

In the past, One Finger Monastery only had a child-giving Guan Yin. Many wishes could not be fulfilled. Now with the Thousand-armed Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the awkward problem was finally resolved.

He returned to the backyard and found no changes. However, Fangzheng was surprised to discover a plaque placed on his bed when he returned to his room. He walked over and saw the three words—One Finger Temple!