ENG
With an iron trident, a wrathful Vajra stands,
Angry eyes blazing, a fiery fearsome brand.
All beings bear their sins, for that is what they say,
Burn them, guilty all, for peace to truly stay.
The Buddhist scriptures describe the Vajra as a guardian warrior of the Buddha, tasked with upholding justice and eradicating sin.
Since the fat monk in yellow took back the New Thunderclap Temple, magnificent new pavilions and pagodas were built to hold gatherings of his devotees and attract more believers.
During one such gathering, two devotees met for the first time in the main hall. Upon seeing each other, they immediately felt a surge of suspicion and wariness. At that moment, the abbot had a statue of a Vajra carried in. The statue stood on four legs, wielding a steel trident, with a wrathful expression, but it had a peculiar hole in its chest.
The abbot introduced the statue, explaining that it was newly crafted and imbued with a particular spiritual power that could discern right from wrong. One of the devotees hurried to the Vajra and said, "May the Vajra eradicate all deceitful swindlers in the world and grant me justice." This man was known for being gullible and often fell victim to ruses, yet he never dared to seek retribution.
The other devotee quickly followed, saying, "May the Vajra eradicate those who gain unfair advantages and then complain incessantly, granting me peace." This man was a dishonest merchant who frequently sold substandard goods and was often persecuted and cursed by his customers.
Hearing each other's wishes, the two began to argue fiercely in front of the statue. The Vajra's eyes suddenly moved, and with a swift motion of its trident, it killed both men. Flames then erupted from its four legs, incinerating their bodies completely.
News of this event spread quickly, shocking the folks around the temple. Some accused the abbot of using sorcery to deceive people, while others praised his profound Buddhist wisdom and extraordinary powers. Regardless, no one dared to disrespect him.
The story takes place at the New Thunderclap Temple after its restoration by a fat monk in yellow who became its abbot. He rebuilt grand pavilions and pagodas to host gatherings of devotees and attract new believers. The Vajra is introduced in the text as a Buddhist guardian warrior of the Buddha, whose job is to uphold justice and eradicate sin.
At one of the temple gatherings two devotees met in the main hall and immediately felt suspicious and wary of each other. At that moment the abbot had a newly made statue of a Vajra carried in. The statue stood on four legs, held a steel trident, wore a wrathful expression, and had a peculiar hole in its chest.
The abbot told the crowd the statue had been newly crafted and imbued with a spiritual power to discern right from wrong. One of the devotees hurried to the Vajra and prayed for it to eradicate deceitful swindlers and give him justice. The text says this man was gullible and often fell for ruses but never sought retribution for himself.
The other devotee then prayed that the Vajra eradicate those who gain unfair advantages and keep complaining, asking for peace. He was a dishonest merchant who sold substandard goods and was often cursed by customers. Hearing each other’s wishes, the two began to argue. Suddenly the Vajra’s eyes moved, it stabbed both men with its trident, and flames erupted from its four legs, incinerating their bodies.
News of the killings spread quickly and shocked the people around the temple. Some accused the abbot of using sorcery to trick or harm people, while others said it proved his deep Buddhist wisdom and extraordinary powers. Regardless of the debate, nobody dared to disrespect the abbot after the incident.