Is the Ship of Salvation still the same Ship of Salvation?

On the edge of the dojo, a monk, shirtless in the heavy snow, beat a leather drum with two wooden mallets, his eyes fierce like a Vajra.

Outside the dojo, in a bronze censer, a young Taoist in a blue robe lit a tall stick of incense. One stick of incense marked an hour; if the respondent could not answer before it burned out, they would concede, and the next person would take their turn.

The drumming stopped, the bell chimed, and people began to move.

Among the monks, a young monk who had been sitting with his eyes closed suddenly opened them, holding prayer beads, and looked towards the dojo.

Snowflakes danced, revealing Chen Ji sitting quietly on a meditation cushion.

A gust of wind swept in from outside the manor, dusting his shoulders, head, and knees with fine snow, yet he remained perfectly still.

The young monk murmured, “The Bodhisattva lowers his brows.”

With that,

He closed his eyes again, quietly fingering his prayer beads.

On the stone steps bordering the dojo, scholars, grey-robed monks, and blue-robed Taoists silently watched the young man in the dojo. They conversed among themselves.

A young Taoist on the steps scratched his head. “Senior Brother Zhang Li,” he said, “I think the Ship of Salvation is certainly no longer the Ship of Salvation.”

Another young Taoist interjected, “No, it’s still the same Ship of Salvation.”

“It’s not that simple. Let’s hear what the monks say…”

Zhang Li stared intently at Chen Ji’s back, hesitant to answer the question rashly.

At this moment, the monk on the meditation cushion in the dojo slowly began to speak: “The Ship of Salvation is no longer the Ship of Salvation. The Platform Sutra states that the true meaning of sentient beings is self-nature, or the soul, while the true meaning of non-sentient things is their physical manifestation, or simply, their components. If this Ship of Salvation has its planks replaced, it means its physical manifestation changes. With a changed manifestation, the Ship of Salvation naturally ceases to be the Ship of Salvation.”

On the steps at the edge of the dojo, some nodded, while others shook their heads.

Zhang Xia, supporting Bai Li, stood to the side, his brows tightly furrowed.

The Prince asked curiously, “Why are your brows so furrowed?”

Zhang Xia hesitated, “I’ve watched dozens of debates, and this is the first time I’ve seen a question with such widely differing opinions. Look, even those monks don’t necessarily agree with their Third Senior Brother’s point.”

The Prince said dismissively, “Such debates are all idle talk, merely about who can argue more cunningly. They’re of no benefit to the common people or the nation.”

Zhang Xia, however, simply frowned, remaining silent.

The debates had adjudicators, and everyone’s gaze turned to the scholars on the stone steps. A middle-aged man in a scholar’s robe shook a small brass bell in his hand and announced loudly, “Questioner, do you have a response?”

No sooner had the words fallen than Chen Ji, without lifting his head, his eyes still lowered, asked, “Then if I were to replace only a single plank, that would also be a change in its physical manifestation. Would the Ship of Salvation still be the Ship of Salvation?”

The monk was taken aback. “This…”

He frowned, pondering deeply, recalling scriptures to support his claim.

But time passed, the tall incense stick burned shorter and shorter, and the monk remained speechless.

Suddenly, a thud.

Someone at the side of the arena struck a wooden fish.

The monk on the meditation cushion suddenly startled awake. “Wait, the Ship of Salvation is still the Ship of Salvation, I…”

Chen Ji said calmly, “Step down.”

The young man’s words were firm and unquestionable.

The rules of the debate were clear: once a viewpoint was stated, it could not be changed. If one wished to change it, a new person must step forward.

Next to the large bronze bell in the dojo, a young Taoist, his face alight with excitement, pushed aside the young novice monk guarding the striking log, pulled the log, and forcefully struck the bronze bell.

The resonant sound of the bronze bell echoed far, shattering the monk’s drumming.

The scholars from Jiangnan exchanged glances, scrutinizing Chen Ji in the arena, and quietly asked, “Who is this young man?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps a reclusive young master from some prominent family?”

“Unlikely. Look at his attire…”

The monk on the meditation cushion slunk away from the dojo.

A moment later, Enyue Temple sent another monk, who sat on the meditation cushion and confidently stated: “The Ship of Salvation is still the Ship of Salvation. The Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states that the essence of non-sentient things lies in their structure, purpose, and function. Although the materials of the Ship of Salvation may change, its structure and purpose do not, so it remains itself.”

Chen Ji remained silent. The opponent’s answer seemed right, yet also seemed wrong.

As the silence stretched, the monk’s confidence waned. He instinctively glanced towards the group of monks.

Just as Zhang Li was about to speak, he saw Chen Ji turn and look at him fixedly, without blinking.

Zhang Li hesitated for a long time, then suddenly understood Chen Ji’s meaning.

With a wry smile, he handed the gourd-shaped white porcelain bottle to Bai Li. “He’s already won one round, so this pill is yours.”

Bai Li was taken aback. “He…”

Zhang Li urged, “Eat it quickly, quickly! Can’t you see he’s waiting? He won’t speak until he sees you improve after taking the medicine. This kid!”

Zhang Xia quickly took the pill and gave it to Bai Li to consume. In an instant, Bai Li’s complexion returned to normal, and she no longer needed assistance.

Zhang Li looked at Chen Ji, mouthing silently, “Is that good enough?”

The monk on the meditation cushion also urged, “Young man, do you have anything else to say?”

Seeing Bai Li’s improvement, Chen Ji finally turned back and looked at the monk on the meditation cushion. “If I were to remove all the planks and every single part of the Ship of Salvation, and then reassemble them into a new ship, would that ship still be the Ship of Salvation?”

The monk was stunned. “This…”

Nearly half of the scholars on the sidelines stood up, pulling silk handkerchiefs from their sleeves and tossing them into the arena. “Brilliant!”

In debates, if the audience found a point brilliant, they would throw their handkerchiefs into the arena. The more handkerchiefs thrown, the greater the support.

At that moment, amidst the cheers of hundreds, Chen Ji suddenly felt the fifty-six furnaces within him flicker again, growing brighter, almost shifting from a faint crimson to a pale yellow.

The young Taoists exchanged bewildered glances. “Senior Brother, does that count as a win?”

Zhang Li at the side let out a long breath. “The question the young man posed is easy to argue but hard to refute. It’s both offensive and defensive, a complete paradox.”

The monk on the meditation cushion racked his brain, searching through scriptures for Buddhist teachings to support his argument, but found none.

Finally, he cast a pleading look towards the group of monks on the sidelines, but no one dared step forward to challenge.

In the wind and snow, on the stone steps, the young monk who had been sitting motionlessly, fingering his prayer beads, slowly rose and walked into the dojo.

The scholars on the sidelines gradually quieted. Someone whispered, “This unknown individual has actually startled Wuzhai into joining the debate again!”

Wuzhai, using the hand that held his prayer beads, patted the shoulder of the monk on the meditation cushion. “Step down. I will answer this question.”

The monk on the meditation cushion flinched, then looked up, saying with a hint of grievance, “Senior Brother, I…”

Wuzhai, holding his prayer beads, smiled gently. “It’s alright.”

He sat down on the meditation cushion but did not rush to answer the question. Instead, he gently touched his thumb to his prayer beads three times.

Zhang Xia whispered, “This is Wuzhai, the head disciple of Enyue Temple. He began debating with Taoist courts at the age of twelve, and in seven years, he has won all the properties of the Taoist courts and temples around the capital. Now, there isn’t a single Taoist temple left in the capital.”

The Prince exclaimed in astonishment, “This is a monk groomed by the Buddhist sect from a young age specifically to win the assets of the Taoist courts!”

Zhang Li was silent.

Zhang Xia, looking at the prayer beads in Wuzhai’s hand, said, “I’ve observed his debates before. He once claimed that each touch of his prayer beads represents 900 thoughts. He’s currently choosing the most advantageous angle from which to speak.”

The Prince pouted, “What rubbish is he spouting!”

Zhang Li chuckled in agreement, “Exactly, what rubbish!”

At this point, silence fell over the dojo. When Wuzhai touched the fourth bead, he spoke steadily, “The Ship of Salvation is no longer the Ship of Salvation. The Benevolent King Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says that a snap of the fingers contains sixty kṣaṇas, and in each kṣaṇa, there are nine hundred cycles of arising and ceasing. When time slows sufficiently, you would perceive all things in the world arising, ceasing, and reassembling like particles in an instant. After a single thought, you are no longer even yourself, and the Ship of Salvation is no longer the Ship of Salvation.”

Wuzhai smiled and said, “One cannot step into the same river twice. Whether you change it or not, after a single thought, you are no longer yourself, and the Ship of Salvation is no longer the Ship of Salvation.”

Zhang Li muttered a curse under his breath. “Damn it, the monk is playing dirty.”

The Prince asked, puzzled, “What do you mean?”

Zhang Li explained, “This is the essence of Buddhist ‘non-self.’ It speaks of letting go of all dharmas and all attachments to self. According to this Buddhist doctrine, all things in the world cease to exist after a single instant, only to be reborn anew, thus rendering them invincible in argument.”

The scholars rose one after another, and another half of them threw their handkerchiefs from their sleeves into the arena.

Everyone looked at Chen Ji.

The tall incense stick in the bronze censer slowly burned out. A monk looked at the young novice monk nearby. “Aren’t you going to strike the bell? This round goes to the Buddhists.”

However, Chen Ji finally raised his head and calmly looked at Wuzhai. “If there is no self, then who experiences reincarnation? Who needs liberation?”

Wuzhai froze.

Zhang Li abruptly stood up.

If there is no self, then who experiences reincarnation? Who needs liberation?

The final blow was hidden right here.

Non-self versus self — this has been the logical foundation of Buddhism that has remained inexplicable and ambiguous for thousands of years, striking directly at its core.

It wasn’t that the eminent Buddhist monks truly couldn’t explain it; rather, it was something that could not be spoken.

Buddhism speaks of ‘non-self’ to encourage letting go of attachment to past and present lives, and to release all dharmas.

However, the rhetoric Buddhism uses to attract worldly devotees involves worldly achievements, fame, and fortune, and the concept of a ‘self’ within the karma of rebirth and retribution.

For instance, cultivating good deeds to avoid falling into evil realms or the animal realm, or to accumulate merit for a future life, is all for the sake of the ‘self.’

These are fundamentally two different concepts.

Zhang Li excitedly rubbed his hands. “Wuzhai can’t answer!”

The Prince asked, “Is that question very difficult?”

Zhang Li’s eyes gleamed. “It’s not that Wuzhai *can’t* answer, but that he *must not*. Many people are attending this literary gathering, and the debate will certainly be recorded and spread. If he were to say that ‘non-self’ is the correct view, then he would be admitting that the Buddhist concept of ‘reincarnation and karmic reward’ they propagate is merely a means to delude and control followers. They themselves wouldn’t believe in it.”

He exclaimed admiringly, “This is pulling the rug out from under them, striking at their very heart!”

Wuzhai looked at Chen Ji, feeling as though fire danced in the young man’s eyes.

Chen Ji asked, “Is there anyone else from the Buddhist sect who wishes to step forward? Do you want to change speakers?”

Wuzhai looked back at the group of monks behind him, but the young monks exchanged glances, none daring to step forward.

Wuzhai set down his prayer beads, placed his hands on his knees, and, smiling gently in a meditative gesture, evaded the question. “Benevolent patron, I perceive you have a karmic affinity with Buddhism. Why not join Enyue Temple for cultivation? The Taoist court is in decline; rather than being a registered disciple of the Taoist court, it would be better to become a direct disciple of our Buddhist sect.”

Zhang Li pointed at Wuzhai’s nose and burst out cursing, “What utter nonsense are you spouting!”

Wuzhai glanced at him. “Crude!”

End of chapter.