Lei Zhengdeng hesitated, saying, "I'm just a clumsy old man, worried that I won't be able to raise this child properly and might ruin his future."
Elder Luokong suggested, "How about we raise him together? You're a teacher, so he can stay with you and get a good education. Who knows, this child might grow up to be successful. We'll both be doing a good deed."
"If you're worried, he can come to the temple to eat, stay, and play as he grows. He can be a lay disciple of the temple. The temple will cover his upbringing expenses."
Hearing this, Lei Zhengdeng felt embarrassed to refuse any further. He also thought about how it would be nice to have someone to take care of him in his old age. Unable to contain his joy, he agreed to take the child in.
Suddenly, there was a soft thud as a leather-wrapped package fell out of the swaddling clothes. Lei Zhengdeng picked it up and opened it, revealing a small jade pendant of a Laughing Buddha.
Lei Zhengdeng said, "Elder, please bless this jade Laughing Buddha and keep it safe for him. When he grows up, it will be returned to him."
Elder Luokong smiled and said, "Why not give the child a name? Since your surname is Lei, the child's surname will be Lei too. But what about the first name?"
"Ka-Ka-Ka… Bang."
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap.
The baby in the swaddling clothes, instead of being startled, started giggling again.
Lei Zhengdeng blurted out, "This is a match made in heaven. Heaven has granted me this child."
Elder Luokong joked, "You might as well say he fell from the sky. Let's name him Tianlai (Heaven's Gift)." They both smiled knowingly, reaching an agreement.
In the days that followed, Grandpa Lei devoted himself to raising Alai, nurturing and teaching him through every step of his growth. Alai, in turn, spent much of his time at the temple, playing with the young monks. Elder Luokong always offered him the best fruits, taught him meditation techniques, and often meditated with him.
To Alai, Grandpa Lei was a kind and gentle school principal, strict and stern at home, yet often more like a friend. To Grandpa Lei, Alai was his precious gem, the embodiment of his hopes, a gift from the heavens. The two of them had lived this way, relying on each other, until now.
Elder Luokong, looking at the jade pendant in Alai's hands, was lost in thought. He explained, "This jade Laughing Buddha has already been blessed."
He recited, "Amitabha."
Then he asked Alai to bow his head as he placed the jade Laughing Buddha around his neck, feeling sentimental. "You were too young at the time, so I kept this safe for you. Now that you're grown, it's time to return it to its rightful owner. I'll also give you the safe."
With that, he handed Alai the key and taught him how to open the safe and the combination.
Alai was secretly thrilled, thinking, "Great! If I have anything valuable in the future, I can store it in here and sleep soundly."
The elder examined Alai's thin frame and repeatedly urged him to continue meditating in the middle of the night as he had taught him, saying it would greatly benefit his physical and mental health and should not be neglected.
Alai, not daring to find the elder's advice tiresome, nodded repeatedly, like a pecking chicken.
When Alai asked about his origins, Elder Luokong only smiled and replied that this was all he knew.
It was strange. Why had the elder waited until today to tell him this?
As Alai followed the elder back to the meditation room, he silently pondered this...
Suddenly, Elder Luokong stopped and looked at Alai with his kind eyes, speaking frankly, "You seem burdened with worries. It looks like you've been through a lot of hardship and suffered many grievances recently, haven't you?"
Alai, like a bamboo tube spilling beans, began recounting everything that had happened at the hospital in vivid detail to Elder Luokong.
The elder listened with a smile, then glanced at Alai's head. Sure enough, he found a scar at the Baihui point, a remnant of the lightning strike. He gently touched it and sensed a faint flow of bioelectricity.
As he carefully probed further, he detected a mysterious spiritual power stirring within Alai, realizing that the lightning strike had opened his Heavenly Gate, allowing the flow of energy to move freely. Moreover, this energy seemed to be in sync with the elder himself.
With a gleam in his eyes, Elder Luokong observed Alai quietly.
"This child possesses an extraordinary gift," he thought, "with an unusual bone structure, and the Buddha has already blessed him by opening his meridians with lightning. He's a once-in-a-century prodigy in martial arts. It seems that this is divine will, and the name 'Vajra of the Bodhi Tree' suits him perfectly."
Realizing that his time was near, the elder reflected on the deep karmic bond he had with Alai. He thought, "Amitabha. If this is heaven's will, Luokong will follow the Buddha's command."
He looked around and then bent down to pluck a flower by the roadside. Holding it in his hand, he smiled and said, "There's more you haven't told me, isn't there? You're worried I might be concerned."
Alai wasn't surprised, knowing this was a reference to the Zen teaching of transmitting wisdom heart-to-heart. He had long been aware of the elder's mystical Zen powers. After all, the deep breath-holding technique he had mastered was passed on to him through the elder's heart-to-heart teaching.
Understanding the elder's intent, Alai smiled like a child and nodded again and again, playfully.
The elder continued smiling and comforted him, "Everything happens for a reason. If you can find peace within yourself, the truth will eventually reveal itself. Don't be impatient. Good and evil will always be repaid, and though retribution may be delayed, it will surely come. Upholding justice is something the Buddha encourages, and I believe you can do it."
Alai nodded firmly and vowed, "Heaven is watching. The gods are three feet above our heads..."
As they conversed, they unknowingly arrived back at the meditation room.
Alai sat down cross-legged next to the elder, with his five hearts facing upward, ready to receive further guidance.
The elder gently extended his arm and placed his palm on Alai's Baihui point, slowly rubbing it in a circular motion.
Unconsciously, Alai began to chant, "Om Mani Padme Hum..." The syllables echoed repeatedly in his mind, flowing naturally from his heart. His body, speech, and mind aligned, and mysterious symbols began to circulate within him.
"Om, arising, perfect heartlight, wisdom complete, white light '*' in the navel."
"Ma, wisdom's silence, unbound and free, auspicious harmony, red light '*' in the left rib."
"Ni, extinction, success in auspiciousness, cleansing mental obstacles, yellow light '*' in the brow."
"Pad, light shines, lotus blooms, pure and auspicious, green light '*' in the right rib."
"Me, birth, disaster subdued, vanquishing poison, red light '*' below the navel."
"Hum, completeness, achieving the three bodies and three studies, thunder roars with fearless power, black light '*' in the crown."
Alai felt strange symbols flowing through his body, and at the same time, he noticed the elder's forehead also emitting the Sanskrit characters for "Om Mani Padme Hum."
Elder Luokong's palm continued to move over Alai's head as he chanted, sending waves of energy into Alai's body.
Alai felt this powerful energy surge through him, overwhelming him. He had no choice but to accept it.
In no time, the symbols formed a vortex around his body, spinning continuously. The sound grew louder and louder, resonating throughout the meditation room, creating a powerful magnetic resonance around Alai.
Soon after, all the monks in the temple, as if guided by an invisible force, clasped their hands together and began chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum" as they lined up and walked around Elder Luokong's meditation room.
Senior monks and the soon-to-be elder, Elder Luchen, entered the meditation room, following one another, and sat cross-legged around Alai and Elder Luokong, chanting in unison.
"Om Mani Padme Hum..."
The chant grew stronger, echoing over Thunder Sound Temple.
"Om Mani Padme Hum..."
The characters transformed into a seven-colored halo that enveloped Alai.
"Om Mani Padme Hum..."
Alai felt six streams of true qi fill his body like a gushing spring, gradually condensing like pearls in his lower abdomen.
Suddenly, Elder Luokong's hand slid from Alai's head, his head drooping slightly. The light in his eyes vanished instantly.
All the chanting stopped abruptly, and a fragrant aroma filled the air, lingering long after.
Elder Luchen stood up and announced, "Elder Luokong has passed away. All phenomena arise due to causes and conditions. I declare them empty. They are mere names and signify the Middle Way."
"Has Elder Luokong passed away?" Alai