Alex's insightful words elicited a nod of complete agreement from the Drunken Sword Immortal.
Although Senior Brother Sword Saint had confessed his love for Qing'er after successfully entering the Dao, in his enlightened heart this so-called love was actually love for all living beings equally. It was not simply the intimate love between a man and a woman.
Later he had even helped Qing'er enter the Dao herself, allowing her to sacrifice herself willingly for the so-called greater good of the common people.
Deep down the Drunken Sword Immortal had always longed to enter the Dao himself. This was a profound realm every Mount Shushan disciple aspired to achieve. However after witnessing the so-called unwavering love between Senior Brother Sword Saint and Qing'er, he felt a certain fear of entering the Dao himself.
He feared becoming like them and transforming into a heartless person.
Heartless yes. They all harbored a deep love for the entire world. But in actual reality they could appear far too heartless toward those closest around them. This was the Drunken Sword Immortal's honest thought.
And today Alex's explicit statement of this troubling matter perfectly captured what the Drunken Sword Immortal truly felt in his heart.
"If you have affection for the entire universe then the people around you are naturally part of it. How could you possibly be heartless toward them?" The Sword Saint shook his head firmly at Alex's challenging words.
"Love is a way of being and its value lies in its devoted focus. Just like the love between a man and a woman, the most precious thing about it is undivided devotion. If as you say I have affection for every single woman in the world then is that even genuine love? Would that not just make me like central air conditioning?" Alex shook his head while disagreeing completely with the Sword Saint's words.
Alex's pointed analogy silenced the Sword Saint completely.
While he did not understand the specific meaning of central air conditioning, he understood perfectly well what Alex meant by the comparison. Indeed he had to reluctantly admit that Alex's words made considerable sense.
"You are talking about personal romantic affection while I am talking about universal love for all things in the universe. The meanings are fundamentally different" the Sword Saint said after a long moment's thoughtful silence.
"Great love for the world is certainly love and personal affection for those around you is also affection. Why does entering the Dao emphasize letting go of personal affection entirely?" Alex looked at the Sword Saint seriously and asked directly.
Having said this challenging question, Alex paused slightly before continuing "Let me tell you a story. There was once a little beggar who had never had enough to eat or warm clothes since he was a small child. So he vowed from a young age that when he grew up he would have a comfortable life without worries about food and clothing."
"Then he grew up and got married and had children. He had to support his aging parents and young children. The burden of the family was suffocating him. So in order to live a good life without worries about food and clothing he finally decided to abandon his family and children and live alone. Without the burden of the family he did live a life without worries about food and clothing."
Alex's story could not really be considered an elaborate story at all. But when this so-called simple story was spoken aloud it shocked the hearts of both the Drunken Sword Immortal and the Sword Saint deeply.
They understood the profound meaning of this simple story quite clearly.
Beggars are like oneself and the burden of family is actually like a person's feelings. The so-called good days are a metaphor for entering the Dao...
In order to enter the Dao one abandons personal feelings. This is exactly the same as the beggar in Alex's story who abandoned his family in order to live a life without worries about food and clothing.
The Sword Saint was completely silent. He asked himself honestly that after entering the Dao all he had was the great love between heaven and earth. He had indeed abandoned all personal feelings.
Moreover his master's teachings to him all along were to let go of the so-called attachments and so-called personal feelings in order to achieve the Dao. The Sword Saint had always thought that he had done exactly that correctly.
But Alex's words today with such a very appropriate metaphor made the Sword Saint's previously unshakeable heart waver significantly.
Is entering the Dao really the right path?
"Then as you said is not entering the Dao completely unnecessary?" After a long moment's uncomfortable silence the Sword Saint spoke directly to Alex.
In a tone of philosophical discussion regarding the profound Dao, Senior Sword Saint stopped simply answering Alex's questions. Instead he adopted a tone of equal discussion. The Sword Saint's changed attitude startled the Drunken Sword Immortal beside him tremendously.
"Of course it is still necessary. As in the story I just told you there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing a life of ease and comfort. However I disagree completely with abandoning your family and children. Why can you not bring your family along and achieve a life of ease and comfort together? Is this not a simple principle?" Alex asked the Sword Saint matter-of-factly.
Are those who spend their days pondering the Dao of Heaven and Earth and the philosophy of life so much that they fail to understand even the simplest principles?
Things in the world are not always profound and complex. Sometimes they can be quite simple and obvious.
"Can you actually pursue the Dao while harboring personal feelings?" Alex's logical response touched the Sword Saint's heart deeply and he murmured to himself with growing wonder.
Alex's words deeply moved the Sword Saint to his very core.
Because of the constant influence he had received as well as his master's strict teachings, he had been told repeatedly to let go of his obsessions and personal feelings in order to enter the Dao. And he had finally succeeded.
But could one actually enter the Dao while clinging to personal feelings and obsessions? No one had ever told the Sword Saint this alternative possibility. The Sword Saint himself had never even considered it.
Although this statement was completely unorthodox in relation to the Sword Saint's traditional philosophy, it had to be said that Alex's metaphor was quite appropriate. And based on Alex's metaphor his words made perfect sense.
"The Dao that the Sect Leader spoke of in my honest opinion is a ruthless Dao. It has affection for everything in the world but it is ruthless to itself and to its relatives and friends. This Dao of Heaven and Earth should not be like this. There must be a compassionate Dao as well" Alex said while watching the Sword Saint sitting in deep thought.
"A ruthless Dao and a compassionate Dao..." the Sword Saint murmured softly to himself.
Today's conversation with Alex had deeply moved him more than anything in decades. He had always firmly believed in the Way. It was a Way he had always believed could be infallible and perfect. But suddenly someone told him that it could be wrong. This was something the Sword Saint had never considered and no one had ever even dared to mention to him.
"The Way of Compassion? The Way of Compassion!"
The Drunken Swordsman who was standing next to him also had an initial look of confusion in his eyes after hearing Alex's revolutionary words. But then his eyes slowly became firm with new conviction and understanding.
...
At the foot of Mount Shushan a fast horse was galloping toward this side quickly and moving as fast as lightning.
Lin Yueru whipped the horse's rear without any regrets or mercy. She made the fierce horse run forward like it was crazy while panting like a cow.
After a long time of hard riding the horse's legs finally softened completely and it fell down directly onto the ground.
Fortunately Lin Yueru was also quite good at martial arts. At the critical moment she jumped up gracefully and landed safely on the ground.
She looked back at the fierce horse that was already foaming at the mouth from exhaustion. Then she turned around quickly. Fortunately she had already arrived at the foot of Mount Shushan.
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