Tangmunjeon - Chapter 387



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Tangmunjeon Episode 387

Negative view

“I guess we’ll stay here until spring comes, then join the Jeongpa unmanned forces at the communal area?”

When Hyun-gong asked Dang Mu-jin, Dang Mu-jin nodded.

“That seems best.”

The first favor that Seonna Seung showed to Dang Mu Jin and his group was to send back the Demonic Cult warriors once every five days.

However, after more than a month had passed, the Demonic Cult warriors stopped setting foot on Kunlun Mountain even on days that were not scheduled.

With the awkward situation of facing the Demonic Cult’s unmanned forces almost completely gone and the food problem completely resolved, the atmosphere in Kunlun Mountain became noticeably brighter.

Those who relied on the Kunlun sect were thrilled to be able to eat a lot of meat that they could not normally eat, and the young Taoists of Kunlun Mountain were thrilled to be able to show off their hunting skills in front of ordinary people.

Dang Mu-jin looked at the people and smiled happily.

‘I’m glad things worked out.’

And Dang Mu-jin did not forget that all of this was thanks to Seon Na-seung’s consideration.

‘As expected, it’s rare to find a bad monk.’

There were many good monks by Dang Mu-jin’s side.

The Shinsung who gave the Daehwandan was also a great person, and the current abbot of Shaolin Temple, Wanli Seung, was also a person of outstanding martial arts and character. Wasn’t he the only person that the eccentric doctor considered a friend?

The other monks of Shaolin Temple, including Gyeolwonju, and the monks of the Amipa were all good people.

The same goes for monks who turned their backs on Buddhism, such as Samanbul and Hwayeonshinni. Of course, Samanbul has a bad reputation, but wasn’t he Dangmujin’s most trusted supporter?

Of course, there were some people as crooked as the Ghost King. However, the Ghost King eventually reflected and was locked up in the Confession Hall, so it seems that he was not a person who was rotten to the core.

And now, Dangmujin has come to know another great monk named Seonnasung.

To consider the plight of the people while avoiding the eyes of the leader of the Demonic Cult? Isn’t this also a great virtue?

Dang Mu-jin was secretly greedy.

‘If Seon Na-seung has no place to go after the leader of the Demonic Cult dies, should I ask him if he would like to become the head of the Tang family?’

It is unknown what kind of relationship the Demonic Cult leader and Seon Na-seung have. However, not all Demonic Cult members are close to the leader.

Also, judging from the fact that Sunna Seung seemed to be interpreting the leader’s instructions in a slightly twisted way, it seemed that Sunna Seung did not truly respect and follow the leader.

‘He must have gone to the Demonic Cult because he had nowhere else to turn. He’s a poor guy.’

When Dang Mu-jin confided her thoughts to Hyun-gong, Hyun-gong crossed his arms and touched his chin.

“As the head of the household? Is that okay? I think Elder Sam-an-bul or Hwayeon-shin-ni might find it uncomfortable.”

“why?”

“You can’t think of all Buddhists the same. They are from different denominations.”

“Sect?”

Dang Mu-jin didn’t know much about Buddhism. He wore a thick robe and had his hair shaved.

If I had to recall more, the only names I could think of were the names of several famous monks and a couple of famous phrases from Buddhist scriptures.

Dang Mu-jin knew nothing about the complicated parts of sects and such.

Dang Mu-jin asked back.

“The Shaolin Temple and the Amipa monks get along well, don’t they?”

A faint look of contempt appeared on Hyun-gong’s face.

“Dangmujin, that’s a different sect, not a different religious denomination.”

“Oh, so the problem is that the Thunder God Temple is far away?”

Hyun-gong shook his head.

“That’s not it either. In the past, Sam-an-bul said that the teachings of Dae-roe-eum-sa have a lot in common with those of Shaolin Temple and Ami-pa. However, he said that the teachings of So-roe-eum-sa are very different.”

“In what way?”

“The content is so complicated that I don’t know it well. Perhaps even Elder Samanbul doesn’t know the details.”

Unlike other monks, when he was young, Sam-an-bul was more like a handyman at Shaolin Temple than a monk.

It’s not strange to know at least a little about Buddhism.

Hyun-gong thought carefully and then said.

“What did you say… Ah! You said that the monks of Soreumsa that you met in the Demonic Cult had a somewhat strange atmosphere. Something like that.”

It was a bit of a narrow-minded claim. Isn’t it common for people to criticize things that are different from themselves?

However, Dang Mu-jin decided to be generous and embrace even the narrow-mindedness of Sam-an-bul.

Furthermore, the party leadership did not care if the claim was true.

“If that’s true, isn’t that a good thing? You said that Seonnasung was kicked out of Soreumsa. If he was banished from a group of evil monks, that must mean he’s a good person.”

“···.”

The Dang Mu-jin that Hyun-gong looked at was a guy with a good head on his shoulders. This was even more so when compared to Nam-gung-myeong or Hong-geol-gae.

But there were times when Dang Mu-jin would say such stupid things.

Hyun-gong was worried about where to start to correct Dang Mu-jin’s thoughts, but he gave up. It was annoying, and there was a possibility that it would actually happen.

*

About two weeks later, something unfortunate happened in Kunlun Mountain.

The breath of the Wonpyeong Do-in who was in charge of the formation of the nearby Do-gwan has passed away.

Since the first time they met, Wonpyeong Doin’s physical condition was very serious, so Dang Mujin had expected this.

However, since Dang Mu-jin was a natural-born member of the National Assembly, he would become depressed whenever he heard that a patient had died.

The Taoists of Kunlun Mountain guessed Tang Wujin’s feelings and would approach Tang Wujin to express their gratitude.

“Yi-ryong, don’t be heartbroken. If you hadn’t made me that moss juice, I would have died a month or two sooner. It may not taste good, but it’s very effective.”

“···thank you.”

When Wonpyeong Do-in died, the effectiveness of the formation method was greatly weakened.

As a result, the appearance of the Taoist temple and the people staying in it were clearly revealed. Although the power of the formation made the presence of people somewhat faint, it was not enough.

If everything had gone according to plan, Wonpyeong Doin’s disciple would have immediately inherited his master’s teachings, but no one urged Wonpyeong Doin’s disciple to do so.

There were two main reasons.

First, the fact that the Demonic Cult warriors have recently stopped appearing in Kunlun Mountain.

Second, the fact that Wonpyeong Doin’s disciple is too young.

Dang Mu-jin looked at Wonpyeong Do-in’s disciple. He was a little over twenty years old.

At that age, it was too cruel to sit cross-legged like my master, endure the pain for months, and then die. Of course, Wonpyeong Doin’s disciple also showed his fear and reluctance to spread the teachings.

‘There’s no need to rush.’

No one wants to play the villain. Naturally, people’s attention shifted to Wonpyeong Doin’s funeral.

Meanwhile, Dang Mu-jin heard a peculiar story from Yoo Yoo-do-in.

“Wonpyeong Doin was a monk?”

“Since a boy monk is also a monk, it’s not wrong to say that.”

“I had no idea.”

“They said that his parents were Buddhists. Naturally, Wonpyeong also followed that belief.”

“Did something bad happen to you that made you give up the path of becoming a monk?”

“It didn’t seem like that. Whenever he talked about his days as a young monk, his expression seemed quite bright… I guess he ended up drifting all the way to Kunlun Mountain.”

After talking to Yoo Yoo Do-in, he left for a moment, saying he had something to do.

Dang Mu-jin came out and asked Hyun-gong while he was chatting.

“Hyungong. How do Taoist monks’ funerals proceed?”

“First of all… we should first determine whether or not they were trying to become a corpse-releaser. I think that’s a waste of time, but there are quite a few people who seriously try to become corpse-releasers.”

Shihaeseon is one of the categories of fresh water.

When it comes to death, Taoists tend to end their lives in a place where people cannot find them.

Eventually, when the body is not found, the people who remain believe that the dead person has shed their flesh and ascended to heaven to become a god. Of course, this is not a very believable story.

“It’s too late for Wonpyeong Doin to become a Sihaeseon. What do you do with the funerals of such Taoist masters?”

“It varies. Some people bury their dead, while others choose to cremate or bury them in the open air. I know that the Kunlun School doesn’t have any set standards.”

And then Dang Mu-jin had a brilliant idea. Wasn’t there a virtuous monk nearby?

Although he ended his life as a Taoist monk and not as a monk, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to hold a funeral in the Buddhist way.

Dang Mu-jin went to see Yoo Yoo-do and asked him quietly.

“It’s an impossible method. I don’t know about others, but I think Wonpyeong will be okay. We’re not in a position to prepare a grand funeral, and Wonpyeong missed his days as a young monk…”

I even got permission from the master of the Yoo Yoo Do-in.

The next day, around lunchtime, Dangmujin and Hyeon-gong headed to the birch forest.

Soon, Seon Na-seung appeared. After Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong briefly explained the situation, they asked questions.

“Elder Seonnasung, how do you conduct a funeral at Soreumsa Temple?”

Seon Na-seung smiled kindly.

“This will take a while, but would you like to walk and talk? I also have something to show you.”

“Okay.”

Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong met Seon-na-seung several times and came to trust him to some extent.

The two walked beside Seonnasung.

Seonnasung said as he went west.

“First of all, the most commonly used method in funerals is bird burial.”

“What is a leader?”

“There are many eagles around Soreumsa Temple. They let the eagles eat the bodies of the dead. The dead appease the hungry birds, and in return, the eagles send the soul of the dead back to the high heavens.”

Dang Mu-jin imagined the sight of eagles devouring Won-pyeong’s body. It did not seem like a pleasant sight.

“···That’s a slightly unpleasant method.”

“I don’t think that promotion is a particularly good method either. Well, it’s better than makeup, but…”

As I walked with Seonnasung, I often encountered demonic cult warriors.

The demonic cult members would sneakily avoid the Seonna monk when they found him. Even those who had gone half-insane after having problems while learning the demonic arts were the same.

Dang Mu-jin felt a little proud.

‘It’s only natural since there are three top-notch players…’

Dang Mu-jin said in a pleased voice.

“It seems like you hate makeup.”

“I can say with certainty that this is the worst way to send off a dead person. It is wasteful and definitely not good for the deceased.”

At that time, a strange foul smell began to waft in. Dang Mu-jin breathed through his mouth and asked in a nasal voice.

“Then what do you think is the best way?”

“Have you ever heard of the view of impurity?”

Of course he didn’t know. That’s why Dang Mu-jin looked at Hyun-gong.

Fortunately, since Hyun-gong had never heard of the Jeong-guan before, Dang-mu-jin felt a little relieved.

“What is a negative view?”

Seon Na-seung said with a proud expression.

“It is the name of a practice that Sakyamuni also practiced in the past. It is a practice to let go of greed and attachment and realize the transience of life.”

Dang Mu-jin nodded. Wasn’t Hyun-gong, the embodiment of greed and foolishness, right next to him? He thought that it would definitely be helpful to Hyun-gong.

“How do you do that practice called ‘negative meditation’?”

“Long ago in India, there was a custom of leaving the body of a dead person in a place called Shidarim. It is said that in the past, Buddha stayed in Shidarim and observed how the bodies of the dead changed.”

Dang Mujin and Hyeon-gong did not answer and just nodded. The stench was getting worse and worse, so much so that it was difficult to even breathe through their mouths.

But Seonnasung paid no attention and continued his story.

“A mere rascal, a powerful man with no fears in the world, or the most beautiful woman in the world all go through similar processes and turn into skeletons after death. Facing the afterlife and realizing the transience of life is what is meant by the contemplation of the past. I can confidently say that it is the best practice I know.”

Dangmujin and Hyeon-gong’s expressions became serious. It was because they thought they knew what the stench was.

“This would be the greatest joy for a lion. If, through merit after death, one could leave enlightenment to a monk, and further help the monk enter nirvana and attain supreme, perfect enlightenment, there would be no greater merit than that. Of course, with that merit alone, it would be difficult to break the cycle of reincarnation, but at least one would not fall into the path of hungry ghosts or hell.”

Suddenly, a fence came into view. As Seon-na-seung approached the fence with Dang-mu-jin, the Demonic Cult’s warrior carefully opened the fence and let the three people inside. Now, an unbearable stench filled the entire area.

But now, the stench is no longer a big problem.

Dang Mu-jin and Hyeon-gong looked at the scene unfolding inside the fence.

More than a hundred corpses were neatly placed inside the fence.

The condition of the corpses varied. Some were already reduced to skeletons, while others were rotting and oozing. Many were covered in black worms.

What’s even more bizarre is that the bodies were arranged in order of decomposition.

And the disciples of the great monk sat among the corpses, carefully observing their condition.

Seon-na-seung pointed to the spot next to the body that was in the best condition – or, to be exact, seemed to have died not long ago.

“You said he was Wonpyeong Doin, right? If you place him over there, he will definitely be reborn in paradise.”

“···.”

Dang Mu-jin realized two things.

First, Seonnasung is saying this out of pure kindness.

Second, there is so much empty space inside the fence.

At that moment, Hyun-gong tapped Dang Mu-jin and sent a small message.

– Dangmujin. Look over there.

Dang Mu-jin checked where Hyun-gong’s fingertips were pointing.

There was a fence there.

To be more precise, there were signs that the fence posts had been pulled out.

This is a trace of the fence boundary being expanded.

Why did they widen the fence?

Although no one explained it to him, Dang Mu-jin seemed to know the reason.

When Dang Mu-jin was speechless, Hyun-gong spoke to Seon-na-seung with a look of great admiration on his face.

“It’s amazing. I just followed the high priest, but I got to see such amazing sights and broaden my horizons.”

“You are too kind.”

“It is not an empty word. Where can living beings like us obtain such enlightenment? It must be because the elder’s virtue has engulfed the surroundings.”

“Oh, thank you for thinking of me that way.”

Seon Na-seung spoke like that and smiled shyly as if embarrassed.

Dang Mu-jin, who saw that smile, became convinced. That guy was crazy.

Hyun-gong spoke forcefully to Seon-na-seung.

“I will return to Kunlun Mountain and actively persuade people. Not everyone will agree right away, but no one would want Wonpyeongdoin to reincarnate into hell or the realm of hungry ghosts, so persuading them will not be difficult.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“I will go to the birch forest as soon as I finish persuading you. Please wait a few days.”

“Please do so.”

Dangmujin and Hyeon-gong greeted Seon-na-seung with bright expressions and left the fence.

The two walked slowly towards Kunlun Mountain without rushing.

They didn’t forget to chat with each other, as if sharing the enlightenment they had just gained.

And the moment they were sure that they were out of Seonnasung’s sight, the two ran as fast as they could towards Kunlun Mountain.