Tao Ling was stupefied. Seeing that Wen Qingying was asking in earnest, he pondered for a moment and ignored the question first, typing: “This kind of relationship between man and God, to put it simply, is when man has a strong faith in, as well as devotion towards God. As such, man gets blessings from God. The so-called self-religion is similar to what we said about how the main purpose of religion is life. Highest Clarity Daoists are faithful towards immortals and receive their messages via spirit mediums, all for the sake of eradicating challenges in survival. Various kinds of phenomena are found in self-religion.”
Wen Qingying watched his hands move. He saw him pause, turning his head.
Within a close range, their gazes intertwined for a second. Meanwhile, Tao Ling’s heart was racing so fast he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He quietly averted his gaze and continued to type: “The matter of whether some groups can be regarded as religion requires valid judgment. Many scholars have done their research and defined them, but since you are asking it this way, in fact… it may be possible for feelings akin to religious experience to emerge between the two people. I can only say that they are similar in experience because there are not enough prerequisites for starting a religion.”
“The above-mentioned is a more rational explanation. An encounter of personalities in religion can only happen between man and God, which is decided by power. If you apply this to cults, then it’s much easier to understand. When cults form a group, they are always inclined to mold a type of wicked power first. Even if they are consecrating to a certain individual, they will still glorify this person’s one trait into something divine.”
“Since one cannot truly entrust themselves to some else, it is neither possible for one to truly protect another person.”
Tao Ling finished typing these in one sitting. In the end, he said: “The lack of objective conditions for forming a religion is the answer. The rest are just my own views and thoughts.”
Wen Qingying calmly looked at the notepad on his phone. After a long time, he finally raised his eyes, smiled, and nodded lightly.
This one smile seemed no different than usual. However, Tao Ling felt that Wen Qingying wanted to say something. Or maybe he had a different idea.
But for some reason, he did not choose to say anything for the time being.
Tao Ling pressed back firmly the unnecessary thoughts he was getting. He averted his gaze from him and just moved on to the question below.
This one was short, just four words: “how God looks like.” But it was already crossed out. Tao Ling smiled and asked: “You already solved this question?”
Wen Qingying nodded.
Tao Ling watched him with amusement. Wen Qingying knew he wanted to know how he got the answer to it. He raised a grin, lowering his head to type: “I came across it when I was studying religious experience. I can use the ideas of critical realism to explain. In those who have faith, God is their external realism. Although Daoist mediums can perceive immortals, they are just humans after all, and it’s impossible for humans to really behold external realism with the original visage. Upon being influenced by the inner and hidden desires of humans, the visage that immortals show to mediums comes from their cognitive mechanism. “
At that time Tao Ling did not major in western religion when he was studying in college, and it was already too late when he realized this matter. How coincident, he also learned it when he was studying religious experience.
Both cell phones were placed next to each other. You ask, I answer.
After thinking for a moment, Tao Ling wrote: “You see, it is impossible for humans to fully understand God, nor is it possible for humans to fully understand humans. There will always be distance and delusion, and there will always be hidden directivity.”
He had no idea why he’d decided to write these extra words. Wen Qingying did not ask either, and just replied: “I can’t fully understand mister, and neither can mister fully understand me. But this can’t certainly stop us from sitting next to each other right now, shoulder to shoulder.”
Does Wen Qingying know what he is exactly saying? Tao Ling felt doubtful. But whenever he turned his head to look at him, his eyes would always appear so sincere and gentle.
In this instant, Tao Ling suddenly felt that perhaps Wen Qingying was a central air conditioner.1
T/N: the nickname “central air conditioner” (中央空调) is used for those who always radiate warmth and are amiable towards everyone.
He can always express those gentle words in a very natural manner. But because of his sincerity and serenity, because of his gentlemanliness, and because he is isolated from the world by silence, these intimate, ambiguous words have, too, become immensely open-hearted. Such a type of consideration then becomes timeless and, instead, does the opposite——
It is too bewitching.
Even if it was mere speculation, logically, Tao Ling felt that this was impossible, and yet he felt his heart grow bitter for a second.
When he tried to probe deeper, he pinched himself with the hand that was hanging down to control his drifting mind.
Their communication style has confirmed that the pace of their discussion will be slow, although it is precisely because of this unhurriedness that Tao Ling can think carefully while giving his own explanation. These were clearly things that he had learned before, and now they seemed more profound with Wen Qingying’s questions.
It was already the afternoon by the time they finished going over just a few questions.
Seeing that Wen Qingying was reading the words he had written a moment ago, Tao Ling stood up and stretched himself at the small path between the flower pots. After moving a few times, his gaze suddenly fell upon Wen Qingying.
Wen Qingying’s side profile was facing him, looking down carefully at his phone while writing on the notebook from time to time.
His legs were too long. As such, they were placed outside the table, as if he had nowhere else to put them. His back curved slightly when he lowered down his head, looking like it’d be very nice to lean on.
Perhaps deaf-mute people are born with a quiet aura around them. Wen Qingying just sat there, a place which then turns into its own world.
After watching for a long time, his eyes became a little gritty somehow. Tao Ling forced back the reluctance that was getting more and more obvious. When he turned aside, he felt a tint of tingling pain rising in his heart.
After a long time, he crouched down to observe the pot of succulents in front of him.
Soon afterward, Wen Qingying walked up to his side. Tao Ling looked up, Wen Qingying bent down and passed over his phone.
When Tao Ling took a look at it, he saw that he had received a text message.
Xia Chaoyang, who has not contacted him for a good while, said: “Tao-shidi, I will be paying a visit to Wuzhou tomorrow. May I have a meal with you?”
Tao Ling frowned, asking, “Does Mr. Xia have any important matters to discuss with me?”
As he wrote the reply, he got up to his feet and saw that Wen Qingying was standing beside him.
Unread messages are shown at the top of the screen. Just now, Wen Qingying must have already read them.
The other end said: “Nothing of the sort, I just happen to pass by. Are you free?”
Tao Ling lowered his head. He could see that Wen Qingying was still standing near him from the corner of his eyes. As though possessed, he replied: “Sure. At what time?”
After finishing scheduling the meal for tomorrow noon with Xia Chaoyang, Tao Ling turned his head again. Wen Qingying had already sat back to the table, continuing to draw on the cards.
Tao Ling walked over and sat down, placed both hands on the table, then raised his phone to type: “I’m heading home.”
Wen Qingying nodded upon reading these words. He stood up and pressed his shoulder lightly, gesturing for Tao Ling to wait for a moment.
Tao Ling therefore remained seated and watched Wen Qingying pull out a bundle of bayberry-looking flowers from the flower bucket. He smiled, dropping his eyes to his phone.
Several minutes later, Wen Qingying held up the flowers and came over. Tao Ling got up and took it, nodding.
When Wen Qingying reached the entrance, lifted the roll-up door, and pushed open the glass door, it was only then that Tao Ling realized that the sky had already fallen dark.
Knowing that Wen Qingying has to stay in the flower shop for a little longer, he held the flowers and bid him goodbye.
When he reached the backstreet, Tao Ling drew out a small card from the flower stems and opened it. On it, was written:
“Mister, this is gomphrena, an amaranth species. It is long-lasting and tough. Trim the stems straight across before inserting them into the water. If the petals dry up, remember to pluck them off.”
“Wen Qingying” these three characters were once again hidden among the flower patterns on the lower right corner.
When he reached the crossing, Tao Ling’s chest began to feel heavier and heavier. He could not paint that feeling in words, and only knew that he in fact did not want to leave.
After standing on the walkway for a very long time, when he came back to his senses, the sky had become deep black. The green light in front was flickering, and the people at the crossing were moving in a rush.
After two seconds, Tao Ling turned around, striding his way to the flower shop.
Tao Ling was stupefied. Seeing that Wen Qingying was asking in earnest, he pondered for a moment and ignored the question first, typing: “This kind of relationship between man and God, to put it simply, is when man has a strong faith in, as well as devotion towards God. As such, man gets blessings from God. The so-called self-religion is similar to what we said about how the main purpose of religion is life. Highest Clarity Daoists are faithful towards immortals and receive their messages via spirit mediums, all for the sake of eradicating challenges in survival. Various kinds of phenomena are found in self-religion.”
Wen Qingying watched his hands move. He saw him pause, turning his head.
Within a close range, their gazes intertwined for a second. Meanwhile, Tao Ling’s heart was racing so fast he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He quietly averted his gaze and continued to type: “The matter of whether some groups can be regarded as religion requires valid judgment. Many scholars have done their research and defined them, but since you are asking it this way, in fact… it may be possible for feelings akin to religious experience to emerge between the two people. I can only say that they are similar in experience because there are not enough prerequisites for starting a religion.”
“The above-mentioned is a more rational explanation. An encounter of personalities in religion can only happen between man and God, which is decided by power. If you apply this to cults, then it’s much easier to understand. When cults form a group, they are always inclined to mold a type of wicked power first. Even if they are consecrating to a certain individual, they will still glorify this person’s one trait into something divine.”
“Since one cannot truly entrust themselves to some else, it is neither possible for one to truly protect another person.”
Tao Ling finished typing these in one sitting. In the end, he said: “The lack of objective conditions for forming a religion is the answer. The rest are just my own views and thoughts.”
Wen Qingying calmly looked at the notepad on his phone. After a long time, he finally raised his eyes, smiled, and nodded lightly.
This one smile seemed no different than usual. However, Tao Ling felt that Wen Qingying wanted to say something. Or maybe he had a different idea.
But for some reason, he did not choose to say anything for the time being.
Tao Ling pressed back firmly the unnecessary thoughts he was getting. He averted his gaze from him and just moved on to the question below.
This one was short, just four words: “how God looks like.” But it was already crossed out. Tao Ling smiled and asked: “You already solved this question?”
Wen Qingying nodded.
Tao Ling watched him with amusement. Wen Qingying knew he wanted to know how he got the answer to it. He raised a grin, lowering his head to type: “I came across it when I was studying religious experience. I can use the ideas of critical realism to explain. In those who have faith, God is their external realism. Although Daoist mediums can perceive immortals, they are just humans after all, and it’s impossible for humans to really behold external realism with the original visage. Upon being influenced by the inner and hidden desires of humans, the visage that immortals show to mediums comes from their cognitive mechanism. “
At that time Tao Ling did not major in western religion when he was studying in college, and it was already too late when he realized this matter. How coincident, he also learned it when he was studying religious experience.
Both cell phones were placed next to each other. You ask, I answer.
After thinking for a moment, Tao Ling wrote: “You see, it is impossible for humans to fully understand God, nor is it possible for humans to fully understand humans. There will always be distance and delusion, and there will always be hidden directivity.”
He had no idea why he’d decided to write these extra words. Wen Qingying did not ask either, and just replied: “I can’t fully understand mister, and neither can mister fully understand me. But this can’t certainly stop us from sitting next to each other right now, shoulder to shoulder.”
Does Wen Qingying know what he is exactly saying? Tao Ling felt doubtful. But whenever he turned his head to look at him, his eyes would always appear so sincere and gentle.
In this instant, Tao Ling suddenly felt that perhaps Wen Qingying was a central air conditioner.1
T/N: the nickname “central air conditioner” (中央空调) is used for those who always radiate warmth and are amiable towards everyone.
He can always express those gentle words in a very natural manner. But because of his sincerity and serenity, because of his gentlemanliness, and because he is isolated from the world by silence, these intimate, ambiguous words have, too, become immensely open-hearted. Such a type of consideration then becomes timeless and, instead, does the opposite——
It is too bewitching.
Even if it was mere speculation, logically, Tao Ling felt that this was impossible, and yet he felt his heart grow bitter for a second.
When he tried to probe deeper, he pinched himself with the hand that was hanging down to control his drifting mind.
Their communication style has confirmed that the pace of their discussion will be slow, although it is precisely because of this unhurriedness that Tao Ling can think carefully while giving his own explanation. These were clearly things that he had learned before, and now they seemed more profound with Wen Qingying’s questions.
It was already the afternoon by the time they finished going over just a few questions.
Seeing that Wen Qingying was reading the words he had written a moment ago, Tao Ling stood up and stretched himself at the small path between the flower pots. After moving a few times, his gaze suddenly fell upon Wen Qingying.
Wen Qingying’s side profile was facing him, looking down carefully at his phone while writing on the notebook from time to time.
His legs were too long. As such, they were placed outside the table, as if he had nowhere else to put them. His back curved slightly when he lowered down his head, looking like it’d be very nice to lean on.
Perhaps deaf-mute people are born with a quiet aura around them. Wen Qingying just sat there, a place which then turns into its own world.
After watching for a long time, his eyes became a little gritty somehow. Tao Ling forced back the reluctance that was getting more and more obvious. When he turned aside, he felt a tint of tingling pain rising in his heart.
After a long time, he crouched down to observe the pot of succulents in front of him.
Soon afterward, Wen Qingying walked up to his side. Tao Ling looked up, Wen Qingying bent down and passed over his phone.
When Tao Ling took a look at it, he saw that he had received a text message.
Xia Chaoyang, who has not contacted him for a good while, said: “Tao-shidi, I will be paying a visit to Wuzhou tomorrow. May I have a meal with you?”
Tao Ling frowned, asking, “Does Mr. Xia have any important matters to discuss with me?”
As he wrote the reply, he got up to his feet and saw that Wen Qingying was standing beside him.
Unread messages are shown at the top of the screen. Just now, Wen Qingying must have already read them.
The other end said: “Nothing of the sort, I just happen to pass by. Are you free?”
Tao Ling lowered his head. He could see that Wen Qingying was still standing near him from the corner of his eyes. As though possessed, he replied: “Sure. At what time?”
After finishing scheduling the meal for tomorrow noon with Xia Chaoyang, Tao Ling turned his head again. Wen Qingying had already sat back to the table, continuing to draw on the cards.
Tao Ling walked over and sat down, placed both hands on the table, then raised his phone to type: “I’m heading home.”
Wen Qingying nodded upon reading these words. He stood up and pressed his shoulder lightly, gesturing for Tao Ling to wait for a moment.
Tao Ling therefore remained seated and watched Wen Qingying pull out a bundle of bayberry-looking flowers from the flower bucket. He smiled, dropping his eyes to his phone.
Several minutes later, Wen Qingying held up the flowers and came over. Tao Ling got up and took it, nodding.
When Wen Qingying reached the entrance, lifted the roll-up door, and pushed open the glass door, it was only then that Tao Ling realized that the sky had already fallen dark.
Knowing that Wen Qingying has to stay in the flower shop for a little longer, he held the flowers and bid him goodbye.
When he reached the backstreet, Tao Ling drew out a small card from the flower stems and opened it. On it, was written:
“Mister, this is gomphrena, an amaranth species. It is long-lasting and tough. Trim the stems straight across before inserting them into the water. If the petals dry up, remember to pluck them off.”
“Wen Qingying” these three characters were once again hidden among the flower patterns on the lower right corner.
When he reached the crossing, Tao Ling’s chest began to feel heavier and heavier. He could not paint that feeling in words, and only knew that he in fact did not want to leave.
After standing on the walkway for a very long time, when he came back to his senses, the sky had become deep black. The green light in front was flickering, and the people at the crossing were moving in a rush.
After two seconds, Tao Ling turned around, striding his way to the flower shop.
