Kong Yin’s identity was not as sensitive as that of Sun Zhidong.
Therefore, in Lin Wan’er’s view, visiting Kong Yin at the Kinkaku Temple was far simpler than going to Yanjing to see Sun Zhidong back then.
When Lin Wan’er asked the monk at the gate to pass on a message, the other party did not react with the same vigilance and caution as Sun Zhidong’s guards in Yanjing had shown.
Upon hearing that Lin Wan’er claimed to be a relative of Master Kong Yin and had come on an elder’s orders, the monk instinctively believed her words.
Japanese Buddhism originated from China. Jianzhen’s voyage to Japan brought Chinese Buddhist theories to the country, which Japan adopted wholesale. However, after the Meiji Restoration, Japanese Buddhism and the precepts for monks underwent significant changes.
Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan strictly followed the bhikkhu precepts from India and China: monks were forbidden from consuming meat or marrying. But after the Meiji Restoration, Japanese Buddhism gradually became secularised. Most monks could now marry and have children.
In this broader context, it was commonplace not only to visit relatives at a temple but even to come see one’s father or grandfather there.
Although Master Kong Yin had never married, he was over one hundred and twenty years old after all. Who knew if he had any relatives or friends in the secular world? This seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl, wearing a mask, had eyes so large that one could tell she was pretty and endearing. Her twin ponytails gave her an air of playful mischief, yet she seemed utterly sincere and innocent at first glance. It seemed unlikely she would lie in a sacred Buddhist site.
Thus, the monk said: “Please wait a moment, miss. Our abbot is currently receiving a guest and has instructed that he must not be disturbed. Once his meeting ends, I shall inform the elder at once.”
Master Kong Yin spent the first three hours of every morning discussing Buddhist teachings with Master Jingqing and had made it clear that no one was to disturb them. The monks in the temple all adhered strictly to the rules; none dared interrupt at such times.
Lin Wan’er, however, said: “The matter is urgent. Please inform him as soon as possible. Master Kong Yin will absolutely not hold it against you once he knows. But if it is delayed, he might truly reprimand you.”
“This…” The monk hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Lin Wan’er did not seem to be joking at all, he nodded and said: “In that case, please wait a moment, miss. I shall go and notify him right away.”
Lin Wan’er nodded and cautioned him: “Please convey everything I said just now in full.”
The monk replied: “Miss Zhengping has arrived, correct? I understand.”
As he spoke, he pondered inwardly: Zhengping is clearly a man’s name. Could this young lady possibly be Miss Zhengping? It does not match her cute temperament at all.
Lin Wan’er cautioned him further: “Also, please tell Master Kong Yin that given his advanced age, he must not come to greet me personally. I shall go in to see him myself.”
The monk grew even more puzzled, thinking: Little miss, even if your family has ties to Master Kong Yin, at his age of over one hundred and twenty, it is impossible for him to rush out to welcome a young girl like you! What a dreamer…
Nevertheless, surprise aside, he turned and left briskly, heading towards the main hall of the temple.
At that moment, atop the main hall.
Master Jingqing had just finished reciting the sutra. Master Kong Yin, dragging his weary body, clapped incessantly and sighed: “The profundity of Buddhist teachings lies in how each person gains different insights upon reading them. The greater one’s perspective, the vaster the world one discovers. I have read this sutra for decades, in Japanese versions, Chinese versions, and even Sanskrit originals, yet I never grasped it as deeply as Master Jingqing has. Many details eluded me my entire life. Now, with Master Jingqing’s guidance, it feels as if cool water has washed over my mind and the fog has lifted. I am truly and deeply grateful!”
Master Jingqing replied with great humility: “Master Kong Yin, studying Buddhist teachings sometimes relates to one’s state of mind, sometimes to one’s environment, and sometimes to sheer chance. This monk’s insights are not due to any profound understanding on my part but largely to fortunate timing. If Master Kong Yin encounters his own such chance, he will surely gain even deeper comprehension than this monk.”
For ordinary people, Buddhist teachings are mere scriptures. For monks, they are doctrines. For those who have entered the Dao through Buddhism, they become guides to cultivation.
Some things cannot be deciphered until one reaches the corresponding level, much like intelligence hidden in newspaper articles during wartime: to the uninitiated, it is just an article, but only those who know the specific codes can extract the core message.
Buddhist teachings are the same.
After attaining enlightenment, Jingqing naturally gained a deeper layer of insight upon revisiting the sutras. Kong Yin, never having attained it, could read them for a lifetime and still miss that layer Jingqing perceived.
Master Kong Yin could not help but sigh at that moment: “Chance may be a simple word, but many pursue it their whole lives without finding it. Especially a great chance like Master Jingqing’s, one in ten thousand, how could I dare aspire to it?”
Master Jingqing’s expression froze.
His description of his own chance had been a vague notion.
Almost akin to luck.
Yet Master Kong Yin’s words seemed to convey that he knew precisely what that chance entailed.
