บท 58: The Fly's Eye and Sutra Retrospective
To live as a Fly was to live as an observer.
That much had always stood true even before the fly within the Scholar's meeting had gained intelligence.
Observe their food from a distance, observe their predator's every twitch to run away from danger. In a sense, flies were highly perceptive 'beasts'.
But they were also nothing more than primitive insects. They could only communicate in a very basic manner, movement and scent.
Even then, it was nothing compared to the complex languages and methods of communication of other species, let alone humans.
They could observe sounds through vibrations in the air, but they could not make out or understand their meaning. Their small brains barely even functioned to move them around, let alone to allow them to try and understand something like a sound.
Yet, when the fly heard the vibrations in the air caused by the Monk's retelling of that small passage of the Lotus Sutra... It felt as if it could fully understand his words.
No, rather, it felt as if its small mind had been expanded endlessly, allowing it to comprehend the very meaning behind said words.
It had stood off to the side, observing for what must have felt like days as its mind and comprehension grew to unprecedented levels. And only then did it rush towards the Monk.
The very core of its being had changed, it had gained an actual understanding of what it was, it had gained and managed to form actual thought, cohesive and unaffected by its base instincts...
It was surreal.
It was at that moment that the fly decided that, for as long as its life would allow, it would stick to that monk.
It would do anything within its rather limited power to assist the strange giant that had gifted upon it the present of consciousness.
For the very first emotion it had learned about was Gratitude.
And it was a feeling that the small creature enjoyed. A lot more than the vapid amalgamation of instincts it had been working on prior.
And when they finally stepped outside, the fly was able to observe the world in a different manner. It could feel and sense the sun washing over its small body, providing warmth.
It could see the cracks in the ground in the gardens, it could see the lush flowers all around the Royal Palace and appreciate them.
Not as spots for perching... But as something truly beautiful. A beauty that it had never been able to discern before through its many eyes.
The monk walked down the boulevards of the Inner walls with a smile on his face, the small fly still clung to him like he was a particularly stinky piece of shit...
But the fly's intelligence was just as distinguishable as before. Its buzzing seemed to attempt to communicate with the monk.
Strangely enough, Mo Yangling could understand the intentions behind said buzzing. His ears could distinguish a certain amount of gratitude rolling off the fly's wings as it beat along.
That emotion had been present in the fly's behaviour ever since it had landed on the monk's fingers. It seemed keenly aware of the person responsible for its sudden increase in intelligence and clarity.
Needless to say, it was a good thing that the Grand Halls of the Royal Palace were kept immaculate so that only one fly would be within earshot of his Lotus Sutra, otherwise, the Monk was worried that he would've had an army of flies and earthworms following him along.
'It would have been cool... But it's better to keep this a secret for now.'
The Monk turned towards the paved roads with a sigh, the fly buzzing around and eventually nestled into his wild hair, seemingly hiding away from cultivators passing by.
Every person who passed seemed to bow to the Monk with respect, many of them had been present during the Family Gathering, so they had personally experienced the power of their Sage's teachings.
The monk made sure to return their bows, keeping his humility intact as he walked towards the middle ring and towards his home, where he still speculated what type of habitat he could build for the fly.
'Amitabha, I can study this friendly fly's behaviour for a while until it eventually decides to travel on its own. If it does, of course. A fly's lifespan can't be that long...'
It was a bit tragic to think about really. A fly could only live for around 2 weeks at most, maybe a maximum of 6 weeks if it was a fruit fly, nothing could really be done about that. The monk couldn't also bestow longevity upon it...
'Or can I? There is a certain Sutra that may have that effect... But I ought to test that behind closed doors.'
The effect of Sutras was already something that the Monk was taken aback by. They were so powerful that he doubted they even abided by the so-called 'Universal Laws' that the cultivators and scholars kept bothering him about.
'Till now, I have discovered the effects of at least 2 Sutras... Or at least the effects of the verses I cited to the people of this world.
Yet none seems to have tried to repeat my teachings to others... Not in the same way anyway.'
If the Sutras' verses were so powerful, then surely those who had attended the Family Gathering would've spread the verse of the Diamond Sutra to others with similar effects and results.
But such a thing would have been impossible to keep under wraps, if such a thing were to happen the entire world would be abuzz, spreading that Sutra like crazy.
Yet that had not happened at all. In fact, the monk was instead still revered as a Sage with boundless wisdom regarding the Laws of the World...
'... It's possible that only when coupled with my enlightenment and understanding that the Sutras gain their effects.'
It was a good thing really. At the very least this meant that the monk wouldn't have to worry too much about teaching an entire Sutra to someone else.
Likely none but those that reached enlightenment would be able to spread it in the manner that he did. And enlightenment was a far-off goal for most, even with lives spanning millennia.
All in all, the Monk felt quite good having confirmed some of his suspicions in that small and annoying detour from his plans.
His good feeling ceased rather quickly though, as he felt his skin tingle for a moment, his instincts warning him of something.
He turned towards the sky for a moment, sensing something strange.
"Hmm...? Is it already migration season for this many birds?"
From the direction of the Chen Luo forest, countless flocks of birds of all kinds were emerging, rushing in the direction of the capital and beyond.
The monk scowled as the fly on his head also buzzed with unease.
'This does not bode well...'
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Heyy, sorry about the lateness. The holiday season is turning out pretty busy for both my jobs. Currently trying to decompress and write a bit more
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