The most amazing thing was, as Tulku Dapu spoke soft words in his low voice, Little Jianggong saw that the corpse's face, which had previously appeared grim and horrified, slowly calming and becoming serene, like a furious man listening to the persuasive words of a sage and feeling the anger in his heart vanishing like smoke. He shut his furious staring eyes, his gaping mouth also closed and the muscles in his face all eased, so that he looked as if he were a man in sweet slumber.
"Master, can you talk to the dead?"
"Aiya, he's not dead at all, the only thing that has died is his body. I was speaking to his soul."
"Did you see his soul, Master?" Jianggong asked.
"I saw it." Tulku Dapu turned his head towards Little Jianggong and smiled like a child.
"It was like a shadow of the man reflected on the water. His body, which was heavily laden with his previous sins, has been washed clean by the clear water. Come, come over and touch his head, help this poor sinner's soul fly away like a dove."
Little Tulku Jianggong obeyed his master and came over. After death, the person's soul would depart from the acupuncture point at the top of his head and either return to the six paths of reincarnation looking for a place to return to, or be reborn in the Land of Buddha in the Western Paradise. He did not know whether he was able to guide a soul of a dead man, but he needed to act according to his master's request.
He was hesitant and timid, but he still placed his hand and touched the head of the deceased. He felt a chill condense in the centre of his palm which made his hand tremble a little, but his master's encouraging gaze meant that he did not dare to retract his hand.
"Give him a pat, to wake up his soul." Tulku Dapu said as he demonstrated the action, patting the palm of his hand on the acupuncture point at the top of the man's head with a slapping sound.
Slowly, Little Jianggong's hand became less stiff and a feeling of heat sprang up from within his palm. He thought: is the human soul like air that we cannot see?
"Are you afraid of him?" Tulku Dapu asked.
"He is very pitiable." Replied Little Jianggong.
"Ah, death helps a practitioner of good works elevate his compassionate heart."
"But, in the past he was very imposing."
"Human life lasts as long as clouds, running water, lightning and morning dew. Money and wealth cannot buy a reprieve from death and in the face of death, no matter if you are rich or poor, a monk or a layperson, every man is equal. As long as when you are alive, you view all living creatures as your parents, are not selfish or individualistic, and serve all living creatures with such a spirit that you would cut off your flesh to feed the eagles, or sacrifice yourself to feed even the tigers, and are altruistic and charitable, then death will not scare you."
"Master, I am afraid of death. I'm scared that I'll become like Headman Wangzhu." Little Jianggong said, closing his eyes.
"You have only just entered the Buddhist orders. In Buddhism there are two great spiritual techniques. The first is that the seed which gives rise to the Buddha, the rain that grows the Buddha's heart, the nutrition that brings the Buddha's fruit to maturity is a determined, great compassion for the benefit of all living creatures. The second is that the origin of all noble acts, the golden touch behind all achievements of wisdom and virtue, the great treasure of all countless merit, is the bodhi[22]. With these two, you can cut off all thoughts of evil, vileness and fear. As for life, we can be aware of death and make preparations for our own passing. First know death, then know life. This is my teaching. Do you understand it?"
Little Jianggong nodded his head, not fully understanding. At least he was no longer afraid of the dead, and the day after, he would be able to face the grand ceremony sending the headman to the other side without fear.
6
In the pastures, winter turned to spring, the withered grass now grew long and the water of the Nujiang River turned from yellow to green as its shallow waters flowed abundantly. The clouds were always low and bright, the sky was always blue and clear and the mountains were always awe-inspiring and holy. They were like Tulku Dapu; whether he was sitting up on the high ceremonial stage, or whether he was retreating silently in the quiet retreat room, he still stirred up feelings of admiration and adulation in people's hearts.
The secular heart of the reincarnated spirit child was slowly being erased little by little as a result of the temple's rules and prohibitions. He had grown very quickly and his dark red face glowed with a light. People said that he was looking more and more like the Eleventh Tulku Jianggong, with the wonderful appearance that a buddha who came down amongst the people should possess. His 32 auspicious appearances had helped people generate 80 feelings of fondness for him.
These qualities and this temperament were always visible in his speech and deportment. Of course, whether or not he had cultivated the great compassion of his previous life, he still had yet to see his own good fortune. His master Tulku Dapu's teachings were strict and unusual, and from a child's perspective, they were even sometimes a little cruel. Sometimes he would bring Little Jianggong to a retreat in the mountain caves, and once they had shut themselves in, they would stay for seven days and seven nights, not allowed to let anything pass their lips apart from water. The only sound in the child's ears inside the dark mountain cave was his teacher's whispered chanting of the sutras. He was only allowed to listen respectfully and meditate on it and was not permitted to speak a single word. No matter whether Little Jianggong wished for it or not, Tulku Dapu wanted to bring the child's restless, impetuous heart towards the depths of silence and emptiness.