Chapter 99: Always wipe away dust Shiraishi High School is a well-funded school, and the auditorium used for opening ceremonies, entrance ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies is very large. It is only used to accommodate first-year high school students and seems to be more than enough. Hiramiya Chiye stood in the class line, his eyes occasionally sweeping over and landing on Ryoka and Matsuyama. These two people have the most and most serious negative emotions among all the students present. After learning their test results, other students' joy diluted most of the negative emotions that had been suppressed for a long time. "Classmates, our first semester has come to an end..." In a meeting, especially when the leaders are speaking on the stage and you can only listen below, you are not allowed to complain or grumble. This situation can easily cause people's displeasure, not to mention students who are active and playful by nature. It was more like a lecture and command than a speech.
This time, it seems a little different. The more perceptive students have already realized that something might happen today. In the past, each speech by school leaders would last at least two or three hours. This time, it only took less than half an hour before the scholarship awarding process began. After Hiramiya Chiye went on stage to receive the 50 yen scholarship, she felt a little emotional as she looked at the gazes from her classmates below. In this kind of situation, his high school student attributes are particularly obvious. He is not Master Liansheng, not the abbot of Weilian Ancient Temple, and not some great monk who can subdue demons and monsters. He was just an ordinary high school student, but because of his good grades, he received the reward he deserved. When a series of links were completed and it was Hiramiya Chiye's turn to speak and share her learning experience, over in the broadcasting room, Horii Suzune and others who had been paying close attention to the situation in the lecture hall began to take action. There was a distinct clacking sound of knocking a wooden fish, the sound was thick and distant, making people feel very peaceful. On the podium, Pinggong Qianye held the microphone with both hands and chanted the Buddha's name in his heart. Follow the rhythm of the Heart Sutra played in the radio room and recite the Heart Sutra softly. His voice completely overlapped with the chanting sound played from the loudspeaker, and it was impossible to tell whether it was him chanting or the recorded sound. "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, after walking in the deep Prajnaparamita for a long time, he saw that all the five aggregates are empty, and he survived all the hardships. Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, and the same is true of feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness..." The sound of chanting easily lingered in the entire lecture hall, allowing all the students present to hear it clearly. At the beginning there was a burst of obvious discussion, but as the scriptures continued to flow, the discussion was gradually suppressed until everyone was immersed in the sound of the scriptures. Wisps of black air transformed from negative emotions floated out from every student's heart to a greater or lesser extent, and were then dispersed and purified by the repetitive chanting sounds in the lecture hall. The students also had a smile on their faces that they themselves didn't even know why. Being able to truly calm down and listen to the Buddhist scriptures is a joyful thing.
Even though sentient beings are able to escape from suffering and attain happiness only briefly through the sound of the scriptures, it is a real baptism for their spiritual level. Increase wisdom, eliminate karma, accumulate blessings, etc. Outside the auditorium, the sound of chanting could be heard in every corner of the Shiraishi High School campus. The broadcasting system of the radio room completely covers the entire campus, allowing high school students in their second and third years to hear clearly even while sitting in the classroom. Even the cats and dogs wandering around in the school chose a shady place, lay down with their eyes closed, and listened to the scriptures. They cannot understand the profound meaning of the scriptures, but they can gain peace and joy from them. It is enough to make them happy, willing to listen and gain something. The Heart Sutra was finished quickly. In order to achieve the best effect in dispelling negative emotions, Pinggong Qianye recited it three times in coordination with the broadcast. This is enough. For most people, listening to the chanting is not the more times the better. Everything has its limits. Listening to the chanting of scriptures should be done freely and at will, rather than forcing yourself to listen to the scriptures a certain number of times in order to gain a certain amount of benefit. Listening to the sutra with a forceful and stubborn heart is not a blessing, but a poison that will lead to self-destruction. After the Heart Sutra was played three times, there was some movement in the lecture hall. Many people feel confused the first moment they open their eyes, because the principles and mysteries explained in the scriptures cannot be understood in a moment. It is normal to feel confused and puzzled. Then they felt relaxed all over, as if they had just soaked in a hot spring, and there seemed to be warm air flowing in their bodies. Then they noticed subtle changes in their minds, feeling relaxed, free from restraint and pressure. It's like a stone has been removed from the soul, allowing the soul to get a brief respite. This is because the negative emotions have been eliminated, and the long-sealed spiritual platform has been washed by the torrent of sutra sound, becoming clear and dust-free. After all the students' thoughts gradually came back to their senses, Pinggong Qianye on the podium slowly spoke: "The purpose of studying is to understand the world, to know how the world operates and what laws it follows." “Reading the scriptures is to understand the inner self. It is out of spiritual pursuit. It can help you know how to build your spiritual world and how to keep yourself in a good, joyful and complete spiritual state.” "Both are of great benefit to people. Students can also read Buddhist scriptures when they have time besides reading textbooks." …… The campaign to play the Heart Sutra on campus was very successful. Even someone like Horii Suzune, who has never practiced Buddhism, can clearly feel that the people around her and nearby are in a different mental state when walking on campus. Relaxed, joyful, and full of sunshine and vitality. It was like a dark cloud was dispelled, revealing the most dazzling side. "Buddhism is boundless, is this what it means?" Horii Suzune asked in a low voice. Pinggong Chiye, who was standing by, did not take the opportunity to exaggerate the role of Buddhism and Buddhist scriptures, but told Horii Suzune that all this was just a temporary phenomenon. Even Buddhist practitioners who have practiced hard for many years need to wipe it frequently to avoid dust.
Not to mention young students whose desires are flourishing. It can be said that the Heart Sutra that was played three times just now is more of a blessing. This blessing will slowly dissipate over time until their spiritual altars are once again covered in dust and negative emotions gather into black clouds once again. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that it is difficult to save all the people in the world. Even myself and other Buddhist practitioners are struggling to cross the sea of suffering. "It's kind of useful after all." Horii Suzune gave a small comment. The two walked out of the campus, and it was almost twelve o'clock. The school cafeteria was closed today, so Hiramiya Chiye could only prepare to go home for dinner, or find a ramen restaurant nearby. Just one serving of tonkotsu ramen is not enough, you should also have a serving of steamed dumplings and pork chop rice. It can also be a little more sumptuous. After all, I just received a scholarship today. It’s okay to indulge myself a little to reward myself for the hard work I put in studying. "Hiramiya-san, I have gained a lot from listening to your Buddhist teachings today." Horii Suzune suddenly stopped, smiled at Hiramiya Chiye and said, "To show my gratitude, how about a lunch?" "I heard from other classmates that a new buffet restaurant has opened not far from here. These few days are the opening promotion days, and they are offering a 30% discount." Seeing that Pinggong Qianye was interested, Horii Suzune curved her eyebrows and pretended to be distressed, "I have always had a small appetite. I always feel that it is a waste to eat a buffet alone." "Let's go." Pinggong Qianye really had no resistance to such an invitation to dinner. Besides, he was really a little hungry. This should be a good lesson for the boss, making him understand that self-service has risks and he needs to be cautious when opening a store. Seeing that Hiramiya Chiye agreed, Horii Suzune took out her cell phone to search for buffet restaurants, and then found a buffet restaurant in the list that was relatively far away, about 2 kilometers away, and had a nice decoration style. Finally, lead the way according to the navigation route. After walking for about an hour, Pinggong Qianye finally managed to have today's lunch. This is a buffet restaurant with a gorgeous decoration style. The menu is very rich. For two people, the price per person is 8200 yen. As Horii Suzune said herself, she didn't have a big appetite. After eating for about 20 minutes, she put down her cutlery and picked up her phone to take pictures. She seems to love taking photos, but she rarely posts any photos on her Moments, nor does she often show her daily life. The entire circle of friends is clean, without even a selfie. Someone once asked her this question, and Horii Suzune simply replied, "She doesn't like to show her daily life in front of other people. She lives in reality, in front of herself." When Hiramiya Chiye had filled her stomach and began to slowly savor her dessert, Horii Suzune put down her phone, supported her cheek with her right hand, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "Hiramiya-san, you said last time that you were going to travel during the summer vacation. Have you decided where you're going?"
"I'll go to Osaka first." "A journey alone?" "I might go to some more remote places where it's not suitable to travel with others." "Will you come to watch the fireworks display this year?" Hiramiya Chiye looked up at Horii Suzune and said, "The haunted house of the Spiritual Society should also be opened at that time, right?" "Yes, it's near the Sumida River Fireworks Festival." "What date is it scheduled for this year?" "July 7th, in two days." If there were only two days left, Pinggong Qianye would not be in a hurry to go out traveling. Moreover, as the safety consultant for the supernatural society building the haunted house, he would definitely go and check it out that day to avoid any accidents. As for the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, he was not very interested. It is true that the day was very lively and the fireworks were beautiful. But there were just too many people, and it was crowded everywhere, and it was very tiring. The purpose of sightseeing and playing is to relax yourself, not to make yourself more tired. "I'll go see it. It should be near Asakusa Station." There have been many ghost stories this year, and who knows what might happen during such a lively event. And by then, he can also visit Sensō-ji Temple. "Hiramiya-san, it's settled then." Horii Suzune was in a good mood and ate a small extra portion of mousse cake. Hey, what was agreed upon? Do you want to go to Asakusa Station to watch the Sumida River Fireworks Festival? Hiramiya Chiye looked up at Horii Suzune, then continued to eat the dessert that Horii Suzune had pushed to her many times. Does every girl take more food than she can eat at a buffet? (End of this chapter)