harleyscars Chapter 62 Breakthrough of Mental State
Chapter 62 Breakthrough of Mental State
"Huh!? Krillin, Yamcha, your techniques are all controlled by mental power. Can you combine them? That way, you can control the direction of the Spirit Slash like you control the Spirit Ball, wouldn't that be even stronger!" After Krillin and Yamcha shared their techniques, Shang Yun raised a question that he had been curious about in his previous life.
"Yes!" Upon hearing Shang Yun's suggestion, the two suddenly realized and clapped their hands in agreement.
So the group began to learn combat skills and conduct fusion experiments, which took two days but failed.
Since both of these combat techniques require strong mental power as a foundation, combining them would require even stronger mental power. With their current strength, it would be difficult for them to simultaneously condense a high-speed rotating energy slash and then freely control its direction.
This is why Krillin's "Destructo Slash" is very powerful, but its attack direction is too singular and it is easy to dodge, while Yamcha's "Destructo Blast" is very flexible, but its attack power is insufficient.
Speaking of mental strength, Dumpling's mental strength is very strong, after all, mental strength is what he mainly cultivates. However, although these two combat techniques can only be used with strong mental strength, the most basic thing is still one's own strong "qi". Dumpling's strength is not enough, so even if he uses them, they are weak versions with no offensive power.
However, it wasn't without its gains. Krillin and Yamcha borrowed each other's combat techniques, allowing "Demon Slash" to slightly adjust its direction after being unleashed, which is already quite impressive. "Demon Bullet" has also been compressed and condensed, making it smaller, more powerful, and more agile.
Of course, Shang Yun's mental strength was enough to allow him to use two combat techniques at the same time. However, after trying to use them, Shang Yun discovered that the internal energy in his dantian had not been fully converted into true energy. No matter which type of "energy" he used, his attack power was not as good as Klin's.
Just as the group was talking, Shang Yun suddenly had a flash of inspiration. As if he had thought of something, he quickly sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, put his hands together, and even used the "Zen Mind - Three-Foot Divine Power" technique.
"Shang Yun, what's wrong?" Seeing the faint light three feet above Shang Yun's head, everyone was puzzled, and Kelin quickly stepped forward to ask.
"Kling! Don't disturb him. Shang Yun should have gained some insight." The Celestial knew Shang Yun better and quickly stopped Kling when he saw Kling reaching out to push Shang Yun.
What was wrong with Shang Yun at this moment? What was he thinking?
It turned out that Shang Yun had realized his current state of mind—the emptiness of the five aggregates. The five aggregates are form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.
Form (rupa) encompasses all material phenomena, including our bodies and all things in the external world; it is the tangible existence we can perceive. However, Zen Buddhism believes that form is empty, meaning that these seemingly real and solid substances do not possess an independent, eternal, and unchanging substantiality. For example, our bodies are composed of countless cells that are constantly metabolizing. From birth to old age, the body is always in a state of change, and there is no fixed and unchanging entity that can be called a "body."
The aggregate of feeling (vedana) refers to the sensations we experience through our sensory contact with the external world, including pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings. When we taste delicious food, we feel pleasure; when we encounter setbacks, we experience pain. However, these sensations arise from the coming together of causes and conditions and are fleeting. They depend on external stimuli, our mental state, and the interaction of various conditions; they have no independent nature and are therefore empty. For example, the same cup of tea may taste fragrant and sweet when we are in a pleasant mood, but may seem bland and uninteresting when we are in a bad mood. This shows that the aggregate of feeling is not inherently unchanging.
The concept of "thought" (想蕴) refers to mental activities such as cognition, imagination, and concepts that arise from feelings. We name, classify, and judge things, constructing various concepts and thought systems. However, these ideas are formed based on subjective consciousness and past experiences, and do not represent the true essence of things. For example, different people may have different perceptions and associations with a flower due to cultural background, personal preferences, and other factors. The concept of "flower" is merely an artificial designation, not an absolute and fixed "flowery nature" inherent in the flower itself; therefore, the concept of "thought" is empty.
The aggregate of volitional formations (karmic actions) primarily involves mental activities and behaviors such as will and behavioral tendencies. It motivates us to take action, pursue goals, and make choices. However, these behaviors are driven by numerous causes and conditions, and are not autonomous or eternally existent. For example, a person's pursuit of fame and fortune is driven by a combination of afflictions such as greed, anger, and ignorance, as well as various factors including social environment and family background. When these causes and conditions change, the motivation and manner of behavior also change. Therefore, the aggregate of volitional formations also lacks substantiality and is empty.
The aggregate of consciousness (vijnana) is the mental entity that identifies and distinguishes various phenomena, including eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness. The aggregate of consciousness depends on the other four aggregates for its existence, playing a crucial role in perception and cognition, but it is not an independent entity. For example, in deep sleep or a coma, the function of the aggregate of consciousness temporarily ceases or weakens, indicating that it also depends on specific conditions for its existence, and its essence is emptiness.
However, the concept of "emptiness of the five aggregates" reveals emptiness from the spiritual level of human physical and mental feelings, cognition, and will. Therefore, Shangyun's cultivation has always focused on spiritual transcendence at the level of thought, while neglecting material transcendence at the level of the physical body.
This exchange with everyone made Shang Yun realize that the spirit and the body are inherently one and must be cultivated together. This made Shang Yun understand why his spiritual level had been slow to improve, because his understanding of the Heart Sutra was still superficial. Within the concept of "emptiness of the five aggregates," there is also "emptiness of the four elements"! The "four elements" in "emptiness of the four elements" refer to earth, water, fire, and wind.
The four elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—represent the properties of hard, solid matter, such as bones and rocks; water symbolizes moisture and fluidity, like blood, body fluids, and rivers, lakes, and seas; fire represents warmth and heat energy, such as body temperature and the sun's heat; and wind manifests as movement and the flow of air, such as breathing and air circulation. Zen Buddhism believes that all things in the world, including the human body, are formed by the combination of these four elements. Take a house as an example: it is composed of wood (earth), nails (earth), paint (water), the heat generated by the inhabitants (fire), and the air circulation within the house (wind), among other factors. There is no single, permanent entity called a "house" independent of these elements. When these elements disperse, the house ceases to exist. The human body is similar; the four elements depend on and interact with each other during life. Once life ends, the four elements separate, and the body gradually decays and dissipates. Therefore, it is said that all four elements are empty.