Rabbit Must Die
Chapter 579 - 183 Rabbit Enters the Room_1

Chapter 579: Chapter 183 Rabbit Enters the Room_1

So Xunxiang angrily said, "You’re just making trouble without reason. No matter what you say, eating meat is not allowed on Buddha Mountain; it is a precept! If you eat meat on Buddha Mountain, you are provoking us! Your crime should..."

Xunxiang really wanted to say "be executed," but recalling everything that had happened before, she understood that Rabbit, whom they couldn’t even beat, was impossible to kill. So after much thought, she came up with, "Starve you for a hundred days!"

Qin Shou just sneered, not taking it seriously at all. If eating meat really led to punishment, then Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha wouldn’t have helped him steal an entire kitchen.

Seeing that Qin Shou was not afraid at all, Xunxiang was so angry that she was gnashing her teeth as she said, "Rabbit, do you really treat our Buddhist precepts as child’s play?"

Qin Shou shook his head and said, "It’s not child’s play; I just think... this matter should be left for the Bodhisattva to decide. What you say doesn’t matter."

Xunxiang was so irritated her nose was almost crooked and she turned to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha with a bow, "I implore the Bodhisattva to administer punishment!"

Who knew that Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha would chuckle and say, "Meat and greens are both considered pungent food. The Buddha said that pungent food creates heat and can make a person anxious, irritable, and unable to calm and focus the mind, affecting spiritual practice and even leading to mistakes. That’s why there is a precept against eating meat."

Qin Shou clapped his hands and said, "See, I told you so! You should read more when you have nothing to do, you know?"

Xunxiang glared fiercely at Qin Shou. How could she not be aware of these words? But she understood even more clearly that the meaning of meat had long since changed.

As expected, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha continued, "Buddhism includes alcohol among pungent things for the same reason. As for why meat is considered pungent, it is actually a different rationale. As the saying goes, ’I don’t kill, but yet a life is lost because of me.’ If no one ate meat, naturally no one would kill. Thus, by not eating meat, Buddhists aim to lead others to commit less killing, thereby helping to save them and also to accumulate virtue."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shou nodded thoughtfully, seemingly in agreement.

Xunxiang watched Qin Shou coldly, looking smug and waiting for him to be punished.

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha continued, "However, Buddhist practice is about purifying oneself, influencing others through one’s own actions to emulate, thus achieving self-improvement before leading others. It certainly isn’t about enforcing compliance in others through force or making them change under threat."

Xunxiang felt something was amiss upon hearing this and pointed at Qin Shou, "This Rabbit eating meat in Buddha Mountain..."

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha countered, "He eats meat, which is delicious; do you want to eat it?"

Xunxiang hurriedly shook her head and said, "No, I am devoted to Buddhism; how could I break the precepts by eating meat?"

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha countered again, "Since it hasn’t affected you, then what if he eats his meat and you practice your Buddhism; isn’t that better?"

Xunxiang was rendered speechless, yet she was still unwilling to concede but before she could say anything more, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha continued, "His eating meat is a test of your devotion; your abstention is an influence on him through your actions. Who wins and who loses depends on determination and sincerity. If your heart remains unmoved, then all external things are illusory. If your heart deems them illusory, no matter how long you practice Buddhism or meditate, it’s all in vain."

Upon hearing this, Xunxiang was utterly silent, and after a long while, she respectfully bowed to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and said, "Disciple understands now, thank you, Bodhisattva."

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha nodded with a smile.

At that moment, Qin Shou also stood up, bowed to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and said, "I think what you said makes sense."

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha smiled...

Xunxiang looked at Qin Shou in surprise, thinking, could it be that this damn rabbit has finally seen the light?

Then Qin Shou said, "As the saying goes, ’If I don’t enter Hell, who will?’ Since eating meat and drinking can help Xunxiang, then it is naturally my unshirkable duty! Therefore, starting today, I’ve decided to eat meat and drink wine at Xunxiang’s doorstep for every single meal."

Hearing this, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s smile instantly froze. He realized that after all he had said, it seemed like he had been speaking to the dog, with it having no effect on the rabbit whatsoever. This damn rabbit seemed impervious to reason!

Xunxiang’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She really wanted to curse loudly, but then she remembered what Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha had said. It apparently was also a test of her true heart, so with a stiff neck, she sneered, "Fine! Bring it on! Who’s afraid of whom! For every bite of meat I eat, I’ll call you grandpa!"

Qin Shou immediately turned his head to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and said, "Bodhisattva, you see, this is a challenge, isn’t it? I accept the challenge. You can be the referee, the notary, or whatever, right?"

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, cursing this damn rabbit for seeking trouble out of nothing and suppressing the urge to knock the rabbit dead with a mallet, eventually nodded and said, "Good."

Thus, the bet between Qin Shou and Xunxiang was officially established.

For a moment, all the disciples from Buddha Mountain looked at the rabbit with eyes that seemed as if they could shoot out flames. Clearly, everyone was united in their mutual animosity.

However, there are always exceptions. At least the children present watched Qin Shou with eyes akin to those seeing a savior, fiery and full of endless expectation.

Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha looked at this scene, his brows slightly furrowing. He suddenly had the feeling of having invited a wolf into the house...But he asked himself, with confidence in his disciples and his mastery of the Buddhist Law, he believed that as long as he was present, his disciples would definitely not be led astray by this rabbit.

Thinking this, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha smiled slightly and thought, "Things are starting to get interesting... A bit of difficulty makes things fun. I hope this rabbit won’t disappoint this poor monk..."

Heaven noted this and said, "This rabbit is giving the Bodhisattva a hard time."

The dragon disagreed, "How could that be possible? How devout Xunxiang is to Buddhist teachings, you don’t need me to say; everyone should be well aware. It’s not just that the rabbit is simply using meat to tempt her—even if heavenly treasures were offered, I think, that rabbit is surely doomed to lose!"

Garuda followed with a nod, "Right, the faith Xunxiang holds in our Buddha, how could it be swayed by mere meat?"

Heaven shook its head, "I’m not talking about Xunxiang."

"Then who?" everyone asked.

Heaven looked towards the children in the school.

The crowd was stunned...

Seeing this, Mahoraga wiped his forehead, laughing and said, "Don’t worry about that. These are the children with the best Buddhist nature selected from the millions of arhats on Buddha Mountain. Besides, even if they can’t resist temptation, aren’t we here? We’ve been teaching them day and night for years; they surely won’t let us down."

Heaven nodded slightly and said, "If that’s the case, all the better. Mahoraga, when you have time, keep an extra eye on them."

Mahoraga waved his hand grandly and said, "Don’t worry, I’m here, not a single child will go astray!"

With that, Heaven finally let go of its worries.

"Alright, that’s your seat, sit down," Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha pointed to the seat in the center of the front row, right in front of his own, and said.