Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2026 - 1481: Buddhist Ships Head North, Tiantai Sect Arrives!

"The Bodhisattva saw the hungry tiger, pitied its suffering, and aroused great compassion, saying: ’I shall offer this body to this tiger to preserve its life.’ So he ascended to a high place, leaped down, and sacrificed his body to save the lives of all beings..."The somber scriptures echoed on the large ship adorned with the five-colored scripture flags, carrying the compassion of saving all beings. Afterwards, dozens of believers repeated the chant, devoutly and loudly reciting.

"I shall offer this body to this tiger to preserve its life!..."

"I, with this body, offer it to this tiger to fulfill its life!..."

The chanting within the cabin reverberated across the Sea of Ezo under the clouds. Most of the voices bore accents from the Capital Region and Omi, mixed with sobs and cries. As this chant drifted out of the cabin, it circled the tip of the cold naginata before freezing into the icy October wind, much like the fate ordained by Buddha...

"Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Namu Shakyamuni Buddha!..."

Master Juehui finished reciting the scriptures, chanting two Tiantai secret sect Buddha names. Then, with eyes lowered, he climbed from the cabin onto the deck. Two monk soldiers approached, one taking his Zen staff, the other humbly lifting his Buddha beads and kasaya. Master Juehui stood quietly in a plain monk robe on the five hundred stones flagship "Lotus Flower Maru." He stood silently, turning his hand beads, gazing at the North Sea of Ezo for a long time before releasing a sigh-like chant.

"Namu Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva! Great compassion in the same body!..."

Mori no Kiyoshi stood respectfully beside him. Upon hearing this chant, he stepped forward, observed Master Juehui’s expression, and softly spoke.

"Brother Juehui, is this compassion you feel, unable to bear it in your heart? These craftsmen heading to the Shandan Golden Tribe won’t suffer much, and may even fare better than in the Capital Region and Omi..."

"..."

Master Juehui’s expression remained unchanged, silently observing Mori no Kiyoshi, his junior brother from Miao Courtyard mingling among merchants. After a moment, he calmly replied.

"Compassion born from life, compassion born from Dharma, great compassion without conditions, great compassion in the same body..."

"Sen, you’ve misunderstood. It is not I showing compassion to these devotees. Rather, it is the devotees sacrificing the body to feed the tiger, who show compassion to me..."

"Their departure from their homeland to the tribes of Shandan Mongolia is truly for the Buddhist sects, offering flesh to the fierce tiger. And by seeing them off, we are merely escorting Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, chanting scriptures to seek wealth!..."

"..."

Hearing these frank words, Mori no Kiyoshi was momentarily at a loss, feeling awkward. The Tiantai Sect fleet taking these craftsmen north truly was "feeding them to the Shandan Tiger," in exchange for "golden riches." In plain terms, these craftsmen were nothing more than "goods," wrapped under the guise of Buddhist law for appearances.

But Brother Juehui’s earnest chanting and gratitude elevated the craftsmen and common people too high, while belittling themselves too low, didn’t he?...

"Ahem! Brother Juehui, the journey of these craftsmen indeed aligns with the teachings of our Buddha. Yet, in our Tiantai Sect, monks and virtuous ones like you possess profound Buddhist law...I presume, we Tiantai monks never lack the great compassionate heart to sacrifice the body to feed the tiger, do we?..."

"..."

Master Juehui looked into Mori no Kiyoshi’s eyes quietly for a moment, then shook his head.

"Mori no Kiyoshi, even though you cultivate in the worldly realm, you are still a disciple of our Tiantai Sect. Since you belong to our sect, your heart must be clear, without self-deception. ’Sincerity’ and ’Clarity of Heart’ are fundamental to our sect’s Buddhist law..."

"You and I. I am one of the monk masters of Nan Rui Mountain, overseeing various temples in Omi, traveling north with the monk soldiers and fleet. You operate below Nan Rui Mountain, overseeing the Omi Business Group, responsible for this Shandan ’trade.’ Neither of us will ’sacrifice the body to feed the tiger,’ nor will we sacrifice ourselves for ’Buddhist law!’"

"For our Tiantai Sect, the foundation is ’Buddha,’ ’law,’ and ’monk!’ ’Monk’ as guardians and transmitters of the path cannot be easily relinquished. If we monks sacrifice the body to feed the tiger, who will guard our Tiantai Sect?"

"Therefore, the sect is above Buddhist law, monks are above believers, this is the ’Buddhist law’ we adhere to. Neither you nor I have the great compassionate heart to sacrifice the body to feed the tiger or walk the path of great compassion without conditions. Our path of cultivation cannot compare to these believers with great compassion, wholeheartedly devoted to Buddha. In fact, they are closer to Buddha, and the road is easier to walk... Therefore, Sen, you must break your own barriers of perception and see yourself clearly!"

"My Buddha is compassionate! My path of cultivation, to offer more to believers, keep the clarity of heart, cultivate a small compassionate heart born from Dharma connection, to have achieved the fruit of cultivation. Your path of cultivation, to forge a golden body for Buddha, provide money and grains for the temples and monks, cultivate a small compassionate heart born from the connection of life... is more challenging than for the believers, more difficult than for me, more likely to stray onto a misguided path."

"...!? These craftsmen have great compassion, you Juehui have small compassion, while I Mori no Kiyoshi have no compassion? The more I do for the sect, the farther I stray from Buddhist law, the harder it is to achieve fruition?!..."

Upon hearing Master Juehui’s words, Mori no Kiyoshi’s expression froze, a surge of ’anger’ rising and falling within his heart, further highlighting the utter defeat of his ’Buddhist Law.’ But Juehui’s straightforward ’truth,’ stating boldly that ’the Sect is above Buddhist Law, and monks above believers, neither can sacrifice the body to feed the tiger,’ made it difficult for him to refute, leaving him speechless.

What’s more, the opponent was a genuine ’Monk Master’ from Nan Rui Mountain; discussing neither Buddhist Law nor power and status, he was still a cut above. This could not be debated at all! It truly felt like they’d invited down an ancestor from the mountain, who immediately involved himself in the Shandan gold trade...

"..."

Mori no Kiyoshi lowered his head and eyes for a moment, maintaining composure on his face, and smiled as he spoke.

"Juehui, are you saying that the benefit lies in justice? If the Kaozaki samurai families on the shore hear this, it might not be beneficial for our sect’s foothold in Ezo land!..."

"Sen, what is benefit? What is justice?..."

Master Juehui raised his eyebrows, gazed at Mori no Kiyoshi for a while, and then answered his own question.

"If gold is the benefit, Buddhist Law is justice. Naturally, ’justice is above benefit,’ Buddhist Law is more precious than gold. But if gold can sustain the Sect, maintain the Sect’s continuation. Is the Sect the benefit, Buddhist Law the justice? Then our small path of compassion can only answer, ’benefit is above justice,’ gold is more precious than Buddhist Law!"

"Understand this, for Tiantai Sect to continue, only then can Buddhist Law exist! Sen, does our sect’s Buddhist Law continuation require gold?"

Upon hearing this candid question, Mori no Kiyoshi’s expression turned solemn, nodding as he spoke.

"Yes! Monks’ needs, the construction of Buddhist Halls, the forging of Golden Bodies, all need gold!"

"Sen, is the Shandan people’s gold abundant?"

"Yes! Last year Shandan trade totaled 223 pounds of gold, excluding the portion given to the Kaozaki Family, the cost of goods, the rice house’s net profit was 140 pounds of gold. It converts to 12,000 coins, as the annual income of a hundred thousand stones fief, doubling our sect’s income last year!..."

Upon hearing this, Master Juehui nodded solemnly. The entire Tiantai Sect Nan Rui Mountain, including the hundreds of subordinate Temples and Shrines, controlled lands amounting to a hundred thousand stones. Of these, the annual surplus was very small, possibly only one-sixth. This means that last year’s single Shandan gold trade yielded almost the surplus of five to six years of tenant rents from Nan Rui Mountain!

It was exactly this immense benefit that sharply shook Nan Rui Mountain up and down, stirred this vast temple system entrenched in the Capital City, and drew genuine attention and force...

"Namu Amitabha! Our sect needs gold, the Shandan people have gold... then go ahead and do it!!"

Master Juehui pressed his palms together, once again chanting the Buddha’s name. But this time, it was not in a low voice but as loud as a great bell!

"Namu Miao Fa Lotus, Namu Shakyamuni!..."

Upon hearing the master’s chant, the fifty monk soldiers on the ’Lotus Flower Maru’ halted their naginata, loudly following.

"Namu Miao Fa Lotus, Namu Shakyamuni!..."

The resounding chant drifted towards the icy Sea of Ezo! Around, ten Tiantai Sect large ships began to sound the same overwhelming prayers. This moment felt like a tide ready to surge, ultimately converging to crash against the rocks of the North Sea!

"Namu Miao Fa Lotus, Namu Shakyamuni!!"

"!!..."

Recognizing the killing intent in this prayer, Mori no Kiyoshi shuddered with fear, goosebumps instantly rising on his neck. He turned to look, a row of ten large ships, with five hundred elite Tiantai monk soldiers, and the array of blades glistening on the warships!

At this moment, every Tiantai monk soldier held a naginata and Japanese Bow, clad in Iron Wood Armor, revealing a face of fervor, devotion, and lean intensity, shouting passionately to Buddha!

"Praise to the Buddha! Namu Miao Fa Lotus, Namu Shakyamuni!"

"Namu Amitabha!!..."