The examination was over. Only then did Xie Zhong lead Zhu Yanli and her sister out. Their destination was naturally the Guanyin Temple.
At this time, the Guanyin Temple did not have many people. Although there were drums beating and firecrackers popping, the number of visitors varied by village. Since it was also market day, most of the people present were from Zhuangyuan Village itself, with only a few from neighboring villages.
Xie Zhong held one hand of each girl, leading Zhu Yanli and Zhu Yanyi slowly into the temple. They met many acquaintances along the way, and everyone entered the temple together. Looking at the newly built Guanyin Temple, Xie Zhong felt a sense of emotion. He confirmed that life was gradually becoming stable. As long as they continued on this path, their days would surely get better and better.
While Xie Zhong thought about life, Zhu Yanyi was also observing the Guanyin Temple.
Humans need faith. The people’s faith helps them hope for a better life, but faith differs across cultures. In Huaxia, religion is mainly Daoism and Buddhism, with Buddhism being widely spread. However, Huaxia Buddhism is primarily Mahayana, focusing on the next life. This is different from the Theravada Buddhism in T Country, which focuses on the present life. Therefore, people in T Country spend more than they earn, while in Huaxia, people do good deeds in this life to ensure a good next life. Thus, most money is used for charity.
In her previous life, Zhu Yanyi did not believe in Buddhism at first. But perhaps due to age, she gradually started to believe in this life and the next. Of course, when doing good deeds, she did not think about the next life. She just felt that since she had earned money, she should do more good deeds. After all, you can’t take anything with you when you die, so it is good to let everyone enjoy life.
Zhu Yanyi looked at the main Guanyin statue in the main hall. The main statue held a pure vase in one hand and made a flower gesture with the other. Her eyes were slightly lowered, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, showing a compassionate expression. It seemed as if she had seen all the suffering in the world and held it in her heart. The background above, below, left, and right was carved with small images of Guanyin’s thousand forms. It is said that Guanyin has a thousand hands and a thousand faces, so she has countless incarnations, such as Guanyin with a basket, Guanyin dripping water, Guanyin giving children, and Guanyin with a thousand hands. These are all part of her myriad forms. In people’s hearts, Guanyin is the one who saves people from suffering and difficulty.
Zhu Yanyi knelt down with Xie Zhong, bowed three times devoutly, then clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Her mind, however, was on other things. People trust Guanyin in their hearts. Why? Because among all gods and Buddhas, Guanyin is closest to humans. It is said that she has saved countless mortals, so she is respectfully called the Great Compassionate, Great Merciful, Suffering-Saving, Difficulty-Relieving, Vastly Inspiring Avalokitesvara. Guanyin Bodhisattva is the short name humans use for her. Guanyin’s saving of people from suffering is similar to Zhu Yanyi’s study of medicine. Zhu Yanyi wants to save people from critical illness, while Guanyin saves people from suffering. Zhu Yanyi’s skills are not as good as Guanyin Bodhisattva’s, but she has the Ruyi Space and the three springs. So, can she use Guanyin’s name?
Thinking of this, Zhu Yanyi bowed again before Guanyin’s seat and prayed in her heart: "Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, this believer, Zhu Yanyi, has been reborn thanks to the great grace of heaven and earth. In this life, I want to study medicine to save people from suffering. Although I cannot compare to the Great Master in saving people from suffering, I also want to follow the wish of Her Majesty Azure Sovereign Qingdi to heal the world. However, I am young now, and if I study medicine, people will see me as strange. People trust the Bodhisattva, so this believer boldly borrows the Bodhisattva’s name, only to save people from critical illness. Please, Bodhisattva, forgive this believer’s presumption."