Chapter 6 Ascetic Monk_3

If the heart is free from miscellaneous thoughts, only then can one truly cultivate the righteous fruits.

This is the cultivation philosophy of the ascetic monks.

They force themselves to endure what ordinary people consider to be suffering to train their stamina and detachment.

In Sanskrit, the term "ascetic" originally means "heat," thus enduring heat is the primary method of these ascetic monks' cultivation.

Thus, the major deserts have become the frequent haunts of these ascetic monks.

This method of cultivation, if truly brought to perfection, might turn a person into a piece of wood devoid of any desires.

Being desireless is indeed steadfast, but at the same time, it also strips away one's humanity.

This is a terrifying thing, for without humanity, one can be called a saint, but equally, a demon.

Lu Qingshan was not afraid of the hardships of cultivation, but he could not agree with this self-imposed suffering.