Life of Bāo - Chapter 22
June 23, 2023 (Evening)
In the previous chapter, Bāo, Yan, and Master Zhao flee Chengdu and begin their quest for a second ‘text stone’. The Red Dragons Incense Master, Shang Yao, is determined to find Bāo and the gold bracelet. Now, Yan’s savior, Juān, encounters the Red Dragons and makes a decision that will change her life path most unexpectedly. Bāo, unburdened by secrets, is awaken. Chapter 22. Enjoy
Chapter 22
June 23, 2023 (Evening)
The Wu Tea House Manager waived Juān into her office. “Very important diners will arrive in fifteen minutes.”
“Who?”
“I do not know, but they advanced ¥2,000 to be seated in the back of the teahouse and said another ¥10,000 would be given if nearby tables remained empty.”
“Okay, I wondered why reserved signs were on so many tables.”
The manager remarked, “This is a party of two. You will wait at that table tonight. You will have no other tables.”
Juān’s face reflected her apprehension. “Why me?”
“You are polite and discreet. I don't hear you gossiping like the other servers.”
At 6 p.m., four men entered the restaurant. Two younger men studied the guest’s tables. The two other men walked directly to the back of the tea house and sat at the table set for two.
The manager got Juān’s attention. “They are here.”
Juān approached the table, thinking the two men could not look more different. The older man wore gold-framed glasses and had a slight build. The other man could be described as a giant. He must easily be six feet four. Everything about him was large. His large frame made the chair he sat on look like a child's. Before Juān reached the table, the bespectacled man said, “Jasmine tea.”
Juān did not say a word but walked through the kitchen and into the manager's office, demanding, “You should have told me they were the Red Dragons!”
The manager shrugged, “I didn't know.”
Juān snapped back, “Well, now you do. I hope there isn't any trouble.” She stormed out of the office, set the jasmine tea on the tray, composed herself, and walked to their table. Her knees bent when she overheard the older man ask, “Are you sure they are in Luoyang?” Juān set the cups on the table.
The giant man said, “Yes, I am sure I found this on the kitchen floor at his residence.” He removed a paper from his pocket and set it on the table.
Juān nervously filled their cups. Her hand began to shake. I hope they don’t notice.
The older man asked, “What are these numbers handwritten in a column?”
The giant picked up his napkin and placed it in his lap. “At first, I couldn't figure out what they were, but then I recalled that Luoyang is quite far from Chengdu. The only logical way to get there is by train.”
After pouring the tea, she asked, “Would you like to order?”
The older gentleman ordered for both of them, “Dim Sum.”
Juān moved slowly as she walked away, still able to hear their conversation. The giant man said, “I checked, and those are train schedule times to Luoyang.”
In the kitchen, she leaned on the counter for support. Minutes later, she walked out of the kitchen with Dim Sum. As she placed the food on the table, the giant man said, “They are not in Chengdu. I am sure of it.”
“Can I get you anything else?”
The older gentleman said, " No,” and then he continued to talk to the giant as if she wasn't there. He said authoritatively, “Go there and retrieve our property.”
Juān ended her shift and drove to her apartment. How did this happen? I have to warn them. How would I find them? I have to warn them. I have to try. They are in danger. I must go. Once there, she immediately started packing. Will I find them? They are heading to Luoyang. It’s not too late to catch the last train. She found her hiking boots, tied them to the backpack, and closed the apartment door behind her.
***
The trio arrived in Luoyang at 6 p.m. Master Zhao approached a monk and asked about accommodations at his monastery. The monk learned Master Zhao was a Shaolin monk. He bowed and was happy to accommodate them. Introductions were made. “The young woman will stay in the nun's quarters at the monastery.”
They arrived at the Rising Sun monastery and were given a short tour. A young Buddhist nun, hair cut short and dressed in yellow robes, introduced herself as Mei (pronounced May) and recounted the monastery's history. When finished, she told Yan and Bāo, “You can meet in the common room after I show Yan to her room.” As they walked to the nun’s quarters, Yan said, “My name is Yan. “I don't want to be impolite, but can I ask you how old you are?”
Mei said, “I welcome the question. We rarely board lay people at the monastery. I am twenty years old.”
Still curious, Yan asked, " How long have you lived here?”
“My parents died in an automobile accident. I was twelve years old and was sent to live with an uncle, who turned out to be very cruel. I ran away to this monastery and never went back. He never bothered to report me or try to find me. I have been here ever since.”
Yan did not share that she was also orphaned by a flood. She didn't understand how someone could live in a monastery secluded from the world. Curious, she asked, “And you enjoy being here?”
Mei smiled big and said, “Yes, very much.”
Yan was shown to a sparsely furnished room. It had a bed, a desk, and a trunk at the foot of the bed. A woven grass mat covered the floor.
Mei asked, “Would you and your young companion like to join me for meditation in the prayer room? I assure you it will be something to experience.”
Yan answered, “Yes, of course, I am sure we would enjoy that. We want to see how you live. Like you, we are orphans and have only read about Buddhist monasteries. It will be interesting to see behind the veil, so to speak.”
After Yan had unpacked, she exited her room, followed the nun's directions, and found the common room. Bāo was waiting. She sat on a chair opposite Bāo, who immediately apologized, “Yan, I am so sorry. I made a mess of everything.” Yan sighed. Bāo tapped his finger on the arm of the chair. “I wasn’t thinking. I will not blame my behavior on the orphanage or my age. Yan. It was me. It was my fault.” He opened his hands and said, “I have nothing to hide. I feel guilty and ashamed. I can only promise that I will never steal again. Please believe me. Please forgive me.”
Yan placed her hand gently on his cheek. Her eyes looked intently at Bāo, and she said, “I was so angry with you, and I am willing to give you a second chance. I know you understand the consequences of your actions. I believe you. I forgive you. Together, we need to see this through. This is much bigger than both of us.” They both stood and hugged each other tightly.
Bāo said, “Thank you for believing in me.”
Yan asked, “Mei asked us if we wanted to meet her in the prayer room. I told her we would.”
They found the prayer room and entered. A large brass Buddha statue sat cross-legged and displayed a faint smile. The Buddha’s eyes, slightly open, looked out over the room. The statue’s right hand rested on the right knee with its palm down. The left arm rested on the other knee, and that hand was pointing up, and the fingers of that hand gestured to the right wrist, which rested on the right knee. The brass appeared tarnished and had a greenish-brown patina. One foot off the tiled floor, a short table held incense sticks. Incense smoke climbed slowly and swirled in front of the Buddha statue. The scent of jasmine and sandalwood filled the air. There were four rows of cushions. Twelve dark violet cushions in each row faced the altar. Only six of the cushions were randomly occupied. Each of the six nuns in yellow robes sat perfectly motionless, facing the Buddha. Mei was in the back row and gestured for Yan and Bāo to be seated beside her on one of the cushions in the back row. Mei sat cross-legged with hands resting in her lap. In nonverbal communication to begin, she looked at Yan, and then Bāo nodded and looked forward.
Yan and Bāo crossed their legs and rested their palms on their laps. Bāo, with his eyes slightly opened, watched streams of incense-filtered light as they danced on the Buddha's face. He was overcome with emotion. The events in the past four weeks replayed in his mind like a movie. In a trance, he saw the man in the leather jacket seated on the bus, Big Eddie behind the pawn shop counter, walking in the rain with Lu, the janitor, Master Zhao as he carefully held a calligraphy brush, and Yan as she stood and watched sailboats on the Jin River. Then, a bright light concentrated his focus on the statue. His vision followed the Buddha's left arm down to the opened hand. It traveled along that open hand in the direction of the gesture toward the right wrist.
Bāo gasped. The gesture was not to the hand but to the wrist, where a vague outline of a wide bracelet was once adorned. A transcendent state revealed itself like a pebble slowly falling through a pond. It gently touched the sandy bottom. No self. Detached from all that surrounded him, the only sound was his heart beating. His thoughts transformed into emptiness. An awareness slowly spread through his entire body like a drop of blue dye in a glass of pristine water. A feeling of utopia, of knowing all the answers, of enduring peace, filled him. His eyes closed slightly. His vision, unfocused, stared straight ahead. His breath settled in his lower abdomen. His mind’s eye observed a white feather float aimlessly. This new transcendent reality eliminated all desire and all concepts of time.
The sound of a bell entered his consciousness. He had found his true self as if he had returned from a long journey and was now home. A second bell sounded, and he became aware of his breath, which flowed in and out of his lungs like a gentle breeze at sunrise. A third bell sounded, and Bāo opened his eyes slowly. Light no longer streamed through the window. The evening had replaced the day, and candlelight reflected off the Buddha's face. In a divine command, incense smoke ascended toward heaven.
All of the cushions were empty except for two. Mei stood. Bāo slowly rose to his feet. Something extraordinary has just happened. I was sitting, and now I’m standing. What had just happened? I meditated with Master Zhao, and my mind raced. Something is different. Why is it dark outside? Where is Yan?
“Yan left hours ago.” Mei sensed that something had happened. She led him out into the courtyard. They walked along a stone path to a wooden bench under a jasmine tree.
Confused, Bāo asked, “Hours? What time is it? More importantly, what just happened?”
Mei informed him, “Three hours have passed. Other nuns and monks came and departed while you meditated. Mei explained, “Some call it nirvana, others enlightenment.” Mei faced him and said, “You have been touched.”
Bāo asked, “By whom?”
Mei answered, “By your consciousness at the most basic level.”
“Who does that Buddha statue represent?”
“This is the second replica of the original statue. The first replica resides in the prayer room. It represents Prince Yijun of the Wei Dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms. The Buddha of Loving Compassion is a human, like you or me. Legend says that after he experienced Nirvana, he opened the food stores to the common people, the peasants. He could not return to his previous privileged life. His family denounced him, and he lived near an undisclosed cave in one of China’s tallest mountains for the remainder of his life.”
Bāo asked, “What is he gesturing to with his left hand?”
Mei disclosed, “After his life-changing experience, the peasants of the Three Kingdoms melted down the gold they possessed and made a solid gold bracelet as a gift. After his death, the original statue was molded of bronze, and the gold bracelet was fixed to the statue's wrist. The statue was placed in a circular room in an undisclosed cave, but bandits stole the gold bracelet. Out of respect, the circular room was sealed. The statue you're looking at is only a replica. Legend foretells of a ‘treasure’ that will find the gold bracelet. Once found, it will be returned to this very monastery. However, the legend also tells us it will not be returned until four souls fleeing a dragon find an unknown treasure in a mountain cave. Odd, but in addition to the gold bracelet, it is written that ‘A treasure will find a treasure.’ The four souls must first meet with an unexpected one, pass through the dragon's gate, and escape the dragon's claws.”
Bāo considered telling her about the gold bracelet they possessed. I cannot share this with her. I must trust Master Zhao and not be impulsive. It’s not the right time to reveal. Instead, he said, “It is just a legend.”
Mei acknowledged, “You're right. Legends may be fairytales. The legend also foretells that this new treasure will be kept secret from the world for an unspecified time. She escorted Bāo to his room. Bāo remained at peace and suspected that the experience had changed his life.
***
Master Zhao met at the monastery library. A Buddha statue graced the entrance. Master Zhao asked the attendant, “Can you tell me about this Buddha statue?”
“This is the second replica of the original statue, and the first resides in our prayer room. He is the Buddha of Loving Compassion. Prince Yijun was unofficially appointed by the common people, mainly peasants, as Prince of the Three Kingdoms. He was the son of Emperor Jia, who denounced him. Rejected by his family, Prince Yijun fled to a cave in one of China's five great mountains. The name of the mountain has been forever lost to history. A legend speaks of four souls that will find another treasure while being pursued by a dragon.”
Master Zhao lit an incense stick, bowed three times, and prayed aloud, “May the legend be fulfilled in its proper time. May the four souls remain safe and the dragon defeated.”
The attendant lifted his hands in prayer, “May your words reach the heavens and be answered.” They entered the library, and the attendant asked, “What are you seeking?”
Master Zhao replied, “A bronze statue of a Buddha from the Wei dynasty located at the Longmen Grottoes.”
The attendant chuckled, “Bronze? The Hidden Cave of Thousand Buddhas, carved from limestone, is at the Longmen Grottoes. I suggest traveling to the Hidden Cave of Thousand Buddhas to expedite your search. The deep recesses of the Hidden Cave are rarely visited but were used during the Wei dynasty. Caves are still being discovered to this day.” The attendant was curious and asked, “How will you recognize the specific Buddha statue you seek?”
“I don’t know. We need to be guided by the heavens.”
“In that case, I will light incense and pray daily for your success.” The attendant bowed to Master Zhao and then departed.
Master Zhao located detailed maps of the Longmen Grottoes and studied the Hidden Cave of Thousand Buddhas section. He used a small pointer to point out a section showing tunnels and unidentified caves. This may be where the Buddha statue resides. It corresponds to the area described in the Archaeology Journal. We continue our journey tomorrow.”