The Abbot was leisurely sweeping fallen leaves in the courtyard. Hearing a commotion, he turned his head, his narrowed eyes resting on Amamiya Rin for a moment.
"Benefactor, have you gained anything?"
Amamiya Rin, leaning on his crutch, slowly walked to the veranda. He pressed his palms together and bowed to the Abbot.
"A great harvest. I have cultivated four of the Six Wonderful Gates and attained the state of Mindfulness in Motion."
The so-called Mindfulness in Motion meant extending the awareness cultivated during sitting meditation into walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—maintaining awareness while performing tasks. Amamiya Rin could now maintain [Dhyana] for thirty minutes in a daily, non-meditative state.
"The Gate of Contemplation? Mindfulness in Motion?" The Abbot's eyes widened, and he asked in astonishment, "Overnight?!"
The Abbot had been cultivating for over fifty years and had long since reached the higher realm of Daily Life [Dhyana]. Even so, hearing that Amamiya Rin had mastered the Gate of Contemplation in a single night, his mind inevitably swayed with shock.
"Exactly. Thank you, Abbot. The breathing methods and the Gate of Contemplation have been of great help to me."
Amamiya Rin looked sincere as he thanked the Abbot once again.
"The Sutra on the Secret Essential Methods of Dhyana, the Diamond Sutra, the Heart Sutra, and the Six Wonderful Gates are all common Buddhist scriptures. Any monk in a legitimate temple, as long as they aren't just idling their days away, could probably teach you. That you have gained so much is due to your own karmic affinity and perseverance. This old monk has done nothing special and truly cannot accept your repeated thanks."
The Abbot shook his head and leaned his broom against a nearby pillar. He returned the bow with palms pressed together, a look of gratification flowing from his eyes as he regarded Amamiya Rin.
"I only wish that you hold this pure heart and walk in the world. When seeing suffering, give rise to compassion; when meeting those who have lost their way, lend a helping hand. The Buddha's Dharma is vast; it saves others as it saves oneself. The suffering in this world is deep and heavy. If one lamp can light another, until ten thousand lamps are all bright, that is boundless merit."
"I have taken the Master's teachings to heart. As the old saying goes, 'If poor, attend to one's own virtue in solitude; if advanced in dignity, make the whole world virtuous.' If I have the ability and see others in distress, I will not stand idly by."
Amamiya Rin listened quietly, bowed slightly, and spoke with sincerity.
Since transmigrating here less than two weeks ago, he had truly received a lot of help.
Dr. Kuroda's [Long Dream] substance, although somewhat life-threatening, had indeed helped his body escape its vegetative state.
Professor Matsuura helped him learn [Hypnosis] and master his own [Dream World].
Indou Ranko introduced him to [Kikoku Temple].
The Abbot helped him cultivate the [Dhyana] method of the Six Wonderful Gates.
Although the world of [Junji Ito] was a universe shrouded in darkness, that single point of light that always resisted the dark ensured that Amamiya Rin met no shortage of good people in this world filled with bizarre horrors.
Speaking of which, although [Junji Ito]'s works are very despairing, the underlying tone still emphasizes that good and evil have their retribution.
Why not repay others with kindness?
*
"Ugh... disgusting!"
The morning sun slanted into a luxurious apartment, refracting faint spots of light on the dusty crystal chandelier.
[Tomie] lay paralyzed and askew on the genuine leather sofa, clutching a bottle of expensive red wine in her hand. Wine stains soaked the carpet like an ugly scar, and the air was thick with the heavy smell of alcohol.
"Damn Amamiya Rin! Damn his noisy sutras!"
She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to fling the scriptures lingering in her brain out.
A [Nightmare] lasting ten years, involving two years of mandatory sermonizing—it was more torturous than dismembering her. She had been awake for over two hours, and her muddled brain had returned to normal, yet Amamiya Rin's voice seemed to still linger by her ears, making her exceptionally irritable.
Synchronously, the more than thirty other [Tomie]s also finally shook off the aftereffects of the [Nightmare]. Vanity, arrogance, self-centeredness—their ugly nature was restored to its original state in the blink of an eye.
It seemed Amamiya Rin's two years of preaching had absolutely no effect on these women.
Scattered in various places, the consciousnesses of the [Tomie]s became active again through that invisible network.
(Ten years! Do you know how I spent those ten years?!)
(Chanting, chanting, chanting! My ears are getting calluses!)
(It's all because of you fakes! If not for you, how would I have gotten dragged into this bad luck!)
(Who are you calling a fake?! I'll kill you!)
(Enough! The most important thing now is settling the score with that man! Don't fight among yourselves!)
(We absolutely cannot let this slide!)
(And if we don't let it slide, what can we do? Do you have a way to deal with him?)
(...I'll go find another man to test my charm first.)
(My charm is definitely fine. I just winked at a store clerk, and he paid out of his own pocket to buy me a designer bag.)
(I have a pretty decent man over here. He's about to get married. I'm going to break up this engaged couple now. Family, am I doing the right thing?)
(Well done! You're doing great!)
(Hehehehehe!)
The afternoon sun shone warmly through the paper sliding doors, illuminating the Japanese-style room. The tatami mats emitted the faint scent of straw, mixed with the light aroma of camphor wood and tea—a scene of simple, classical elegance.
[Tomie] sat listlessly on the tatami. Her fingers pinched a piece of exquisite yokan, and she slowly delivered it into her mouth. The cloyingly sweet taste melted on the tip of her tongue, but it did nothing to dispel the annoyance in her heart.
Beside her, a middle-aged man nearing forty was spitting flying saliva as he boasted about his recent business ventures. [Tomie] wasn't listening at all; her gaze swept lazily over the man and woman sitting opposite them.
The man directly across was about twenty years old, wearing a plain linen shirt. His brows and eyes were clean and gentle, his nose bridge straight. He was indeed quite handsome—the type that would make ordinary girls blush and their hearts race.
The woman kneeling beside him kept her eyes lowered. Her short black hair made her face appear even paler. Her features were somewhat delicate, but her eyes were lifeless, lacking any luster. According to [Tomie]'s assessment, she was an ugly woman.
Seeming to notice that no one cared how much money he made, the middle-aged man finally changed the subject. "By the way, Toshiyuki, you're getting married soon too."
"Yes, Uncle. The wedding for Hinako and me is set for half a month from now."
The young man smiled. His gaze, full of love, fell gently on the young girl beside him, his tone carrying obvious joy.
The girl's fingers curled slightly, but she did not pull away.
"Congratulations, Miss Hinako. You will be the mistress of the Tsuneyoshi household in the future. This is a good fortune that many women couldn't envy even if they tried."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, looking at the girl named Hinako with a gaze of slight contempt.
The girl's spirits were low. She simply gave a generic "Mhm." Her fingers unconsciously picked at the edge of the tatami mat, as if she felt stifled by her current situation.
"I'm the one who should be congratulated."
The youth called Toshiyuki took over the conversation, his smile warm. He naturally took the slightly cool hand of the girl beside him, closing his fingers to wrap her hand in his palm.
"I have been working hard all this time just to be together with Hinako again, to become husband and wife with Hinako. That Hinako accepted my proposal... that is my good fortune."
____
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