The next day, Amon came to the theater again, and in the same position, he saw Vincent Bu again. The two just nodded and smiled, and then continued watching the show. Today's performance was another playwright's work. Each play was relatively short, so it was performed twice in a row.
The first play is called "Ion", and it still tells the story of Apollo. The playwrights in the city-state of Arron seem to be particularly fond of ridiculing this god. As the curtain opened and the actors came on stage, Amon frowned more and more as he watched.
The Apollo on the stage is not like a god, but like a dissolute and shameless powerful man in the world. He is not only despicable but also treacherous and morally corrupt. Apollo came to the world and shamelessly seduced a lovely girl, who gave birth to a son named Ion. Apollo, who only cares about pleasure, abandons the girl and returns to heaven to become his god.
After the girl gave birth to the child and couldn't dispose of it, she put him in a box and sent him to the cave where she had a tryst with Apollo. The god should be able to see his son. Of course Apollo saw it, so he asked Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to do a favor and take the box away and put it in front of the temple of Apollo. The priest took the child in.
This child grew up in his father's temple and played under the altar of Apollo all day long, but he did not know who his parents were. Because of his unique origin, everyone regarded him as a human sacrifice to the gods, and he was born to protect the gods in the temple.
The girl later married a foreigner. She thought Apollo had forgotten her long ago, but this incident aroused the jealousy and dissatisfaction of the gods, and Apollo punished her by never having children. The poor woman didn't know why, so she went to the temple of Apollo to pray to the gods.
The climax of the play occurs when mother and son meet in the temple. The woman recognizes her son and tells the young man the story of another woman in a distant country, but does not tell Ion that the unfortunate woman is Herself.
Ion said sadly in front of the altar: "Noble lady, the fate of your friend is very similar to mine. She is looking for her son, and I am looking for my mother. But don't expect the person on the altar to The gods will give you a satisfactory answer, because you are accusing the gods in the name of your friends, and the gods will not admit your mistake!"
The woman in the play did not tell Ion in front of her that she was his mother, nor did she pray to the gods again, and turned around and left the temple.
The general content of the myths and legends about Ion is this, but the play on the stage interprets the vague myths into various detailed details. The devil is in the details. It interprets a legendary folk tale into an exposure of the evil deeds of the gods. Apollo is not only hypocritical and lustful, but also has a despicable and shameless jealousy.
At the end of the play, there is a long sung narration - "If a god behaves despicably, he is no longer a god! God himself cannot set rules for the world, but he himself violates them! People imitate the evil deeds of the gods, And the gods call it evil!¡±
Vincent Bu suddenly laughed, and a word came from his soul: "God Amon, no one may arrange you like this in the future."
Amon also laughed: "Some of the words in the play are correct. If a god behaves despicably, he will no longer be a god, and a god cannot violate the agreement he has made."
Vincent Bu added: "As you said yesterday, when the gods are no longer transcendent existences, the so-called gods are also humans. But this play is obviously arranging the evil of the gods, and based on this To criticize the evil deeds of gods, although we are only talking about the Apollo in the play, we are not pointing the finger at Apollo in the temple. And the evil of man is the evil deeds of man, no matter who he imitates, it will not be based on evaluation. It changes depending on who the person is.¡±
They were muttering secretly here, and Metanzo and Aesop were also talking quietly over there. During the interval between the two plays, with everyone in the theater present, Medanzo murmured: "Is this playwright sure he is writing about Apollo? And not some of the adults who have offended him? How do I think it looks like this? It¡¯s the story of a folk high priest, and he was given a god¡¯s hat and written into the play.¡±
Aesop chuckled and said: "There are many things like this in the world. If the protagonist is written as a god, more people will be willing to watch it. If the show is a cat and a dog, how can it be so sensational in the audience?"
Metazord: "The gods are really unlucky."
The Aesop people were still laughing: "Who calls them gods?"
Medanzo added: "I found that people love to watch this kind of play, and writing this kind of play also makes it easier for playwrights to get higher evaluations. You can see these people in the theater being excited when watching the play, but many people feel uncomfortable in their hearts. Inexplicably very satisfying.¡±
Aesop sighed: "Looking at the scandalous things that Apollo did, he didn't look like a god at all. He was just a morally corrupt and incompetent person. But people were happy to see that their bad habits andGods also have unspoken desires, so they get a sense of satisfaction alongside the gods. It turns out that the gods share the same dark and despicable human nature as them. "
This time it was Medanzo's turn to laugh: "If you think so, they will never become gods, and there can be no gods in this world."
Aesop sighed again: "If the gods really do this, you really don't need to regard him as a god. God Amon is also watching the show, so let's continue watching."
Metanzo asked curiously: "How would Apollo feel if he saw this play?"
Aesop laughed again: "How do I know? You should ask Apollo. If he really did it, he deserves to be scolded. If he didn't do it, it doesn't matter whether he watches this play or not, it's just human Cats and dogs were replaced by his names. Whatever people would do in the human world, imagine that gods would do the same."
After a short break, another drama was performed on the stage. When the performance reached its climax, Medanzo couldn't help but look at the location of God Amun, wanting to see what kind of reaction this god would have? The play just now was still arranging the evil deeds of gods, but now this play simply denies the existence of gods.
A hero rides a winged horse into the sky to see if gods exist? He found no trace of gods, but looked down from the sky at the proliferation of evils in the world and the trampling of justice by power. The hero sang loudly¡ª¡ª
"Good people,
Please listen to me.
It is said that there are gods in the sky,
But no, really no!
As long as you have a shred of wisdom,
You won¡¯t believe the ancient legends.
There are countless tyrants in the world,
They take away kindness.
Those who worship gods,
How cowardly you are inside!
Please tell me where the gods are?
When I fly into the sky I can¡¯t see them,
Where is the light, warmth, and hope?
I want to declare to the world,
There are no gods in the sky, there really are no gods! "
By the end of the play, many viewers in the audience looked horrified. Aesop turned to Medanzo and said again: "I don't know if there is someone in the sky, but there is one sitting in the theater today."
Metanzo frowned: "If the playwright really sees the world this way, then there are indeed no gods in the world he sees, and the gods are sitting in the audience watching the plays he wrote."
Aesop sighed: "The hero flying up to the clouds can declare that there are no gods in the sky, but when he shouts, is he also examining his heart? Where is the light, kindness, warmth, and hope he calls for?"
In the most crowded place in the theater, Vincent Bu asked in a joking manner: "God Amon, what do you think?"
Amon did not answer directly, but asked instead: "Vincent Bu, I would like to ask you, what would you think if Apollo's name was replaced by Infinite Light in the first play?"
Vincent Bu replied with a smile: "You asked the wrong person. The enlightened ones mentioned by the Buddha are not gods, and they have never claimed to be gods. Infinite light is just a title, and the light of its own nature shines in all directions. It is complete, without beginning or end, neither born nor destroyed, Tathagata and Tathagata, capable of giving birth to all things. It doesn¡¯t matter how you arrange it. Since the infinite light shines brightly in the ten directions, the infinite light cannot be seen."
Amon blinked: "Oh? What about the one I saw in the Syrian desert?"
Vincent Bu replied: "The body that is transformed by chance is just like you I saw in the city of Yalun."
Amon: "I am not infinite light."
Vincent Bu: "You are the driver of the theater."
Amon smiled: "I see! What about the Buddha you are talking about?"
Vincent Bu replied: "Send wisdom to observe and be rewarded. Hearing the Dharma is like seeing my Buddha. Do all good Dharma, observe your own nature and seek for perfection."
Amon nodded slightly and said, "Immortal light has three bodies?"
Vincent Bu also nodded and said: "Dharmakaya, incarnation, and sambhogakaya, the three bodies are one."
Amon stopped talking and entered an ethereal meditative state. He really became a theatergoer, watching the people in the theater silently. The play in his eyes was not only on the stage. Everyone is watching the drama on the stage, and they have also become the performers of this drama in the world, being watched by the gods.
Amon verified his current state. He didn¡¯t know what the name of this state was. He only knew that the angels called him the only god. So above this kind of achievement, is there a higher realm? If so, how should we verify it? ?Meng has not thought about it and has no time to imagine it, because he has not yet reached the current state of achieving various achievements.
But listening to Vincent Bu mention the infinite light today gave Amon an insight - there is indeed a higher realm. He did not accept the guidance of the infinite light, but he could use another way to verify it. . As for the path to verification, Amon is still exploring.
At this moment, Amon suddenly discovered that another god was also watching the show in this theater. If Amon hadn't been watching everyone in this state, he might not have discovered anything. Because this man had been watching a play in this theater for the past three days, but Amon didn't pay special attention to him, let alone recognize him. Only then did he suddenly realize who he was.
It was a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a strong build. He was sitting in the best seat in the theater not far from Aesop. He was wearing a white robe. There were wine and fruits on the small table in front of his seat. . Amon had never seen him before, but there was a mysterious feeling that awakened the familiar mark in his soul.
After the death of King Leoni of Gebadah, Zeus changed his identity and came to the world. He is currently sitting in the theater of Arran City.
The drama on the stage choreographed Apollo to look like that, and Zeus would not be happy. In the myths circulated in the world, Zeus did many things even worse than Apollo in today's drama. He was the most lecherous man in the world, and he was simply the greatest lecher in the world. Compared with the "deeds" of Zeus, Apollo's misdeeds in the play "Ion" are nothing.
The second play that followed was also written by the same playwright. The hero in the play simply rushed to the clouds to curse the gods, and then announced to the world that the gods did not exist. But Zeus didn't look angry at all. He was smiling and drinking and eating at the same time. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but he was a little heartless.
Throughout the theater, Aesop, Medanzo, Vincent, and Amon all showed smiles, but when the second play reached its climax, only Zeus was smiling, and his expression seemed to say: "Since you said no Gods, then why do you blame gods? If you assign all the bad habits in human nature to gods, can people be liberated?"
Amon watched silently without thinking, reading the meaning of Zeus's smile, and Zeus became part of the drama in front of him. I just wonder if Zeus saw Amon? In the eyes of Zeus, does Amon also appear in the human drama?
¡¡
The day after Amon entered the city of Aren, he wandered around the Temple Square, and then watched the show for three days, staying for a total of five days. In the early morning of the sixth day, he said to Aesop: "It's time to see everything. It's time for us to leave here and send you back to your hometown of Miduli."
Metazord asked with some confusion: "Why don't you stay for two more days? I haven't seen enough of the theater yet!"
Amon replied: "If you want to watch the play, you have plenty of time to do so, but I found Zeus in the theater yesterday. He was sitting next to you two, and he has been there for the past three days. I entered Olympus without permission. In God¡¯s Domain, it¡¯s better not to create extraneous problems.¡±
Medanzuo was surprised: "Really? Why didn't I notice it?"
Amon explained: "Zeus's achievements are no less than mine. I only discovered him when the play was about to end yesterday. I haven't noticed him in the past three days. It's normal for you not to notice him."
Metazos: "My God, has Zeus discovered you?"
Amon: "I don't know this either, but it's not like he doesn't recognize me, I'm my true self."
After breakfast that day and paying the rent, Amon drove Aesop and Metanzo followed on horseback. The three "master and servant" left the city of Yalen and rushed to the city of Miduli.
Today¡¯s Miduli city-state has also joined the Yalen League. Most of the city-states in the Yalen League are located in mountainous coastal areas and will pass through many dangerous places along the way. There is no need to worry about large groups of people, but small groups of pedestrians also need to be wary of strongmen. After all, this place has just experienced war, and there are also some soldiers who occasionally do part-time jobs without capital when they are free.
When passing through a dangerous mountain road, there was no one around. Metanzo suddenly heard a few people talking in the dense forest. One person said: "That Aesop came back after making a fortune outside. He must have brought a lot of money with him. No one here knows him, and no one cares about his whereabouts. Kill him with a sword and throw the body down the cliff. , the money is all ours."
The other person seemed to be the leader, but said in a very unhappy tone: "You called us here and said there was a big deal, but you didn't understand the situation! The old man named Aesop is nothing, but his grooms and guards are. It¡¯s hard to deal with!¡±
The man from before said: "What are you afraid of? There are only two of them, and they don't even have weapons, and there are eight of us here."
The leader said angrily: "The eight of us are facing two people"??, I'm afraid it's not enough! Didn't you notice? That carriage was as stable as it was on flat ground when walking on the mountain road. The people in the carriage would not feel bumpy at all. How could an ordinary coachman have such ability? "
Another person said: "Look at that guard again. His riding skills are as good as he wants. The distance and position between him and the carriage never change. He is as light as walking. Can an ordinary bodyguard have such skills?"
The person who spoke first was surprised: "Are they two great warriors? How rich is that Aesop? He can let a great warrior drive his carriage for him!"
The leader then said: "How can a great warrior drive a carriage? You can't hire one even if you have money. It's a matter of status! I think the coachman is a very powerful mid-level warrior, but the guard might really be a great warrior. This deal We absolutely can¡¯t do it, so let¡¯s give up the idea as soon as possible.¡±
Someone next to him suddenly said: "I heard that Aesop came from Salem City. He traveled thousands of miles and passed through many war-torn places. If the guard was robbed long ago without the ability, can he still wait for us?"
This is a group of robbers. The messenger targeted Aesop in the city. They lurked outside the city and attempted to seek wealth and death. However, they came in excitement but unfortunately did not dare to take action. They could only watch the carriage drive away from the dense forest. Pass. Robbers also have a robber's way of survival. If you jump out rashly without understanding the situation, you will only become a little thief who will die quickly.
The carriage had gone far, and suddenly someone in the dense forest exclaimed: "Fire! How could it catch on fire? Pants, oh, my pants!"
Another *** shouted: "Burn me to death¡ª¡ª!" He hurriedly threw the weapon in his hand, and then hurriedly reached out to take off his clothes. "
It turned out that at this moment, the weapons in their hands suddenly turned red, as if they were burned hot in a furnace fire, and their pants were also on fire inexplicably. This robber scalded his hands and body. He threw away his weapon, took off his burning clothes, and rushed out of the dense forest naked. They were all frightened and thought they were being punished by the gods.
Aesop¡¯s carriage had already gone far away, and Medanzo followed the carriage on horseback and laughed happily. He was obviously responsible for what happened just now. Aesop, who didn't know what was going on, asked, "What's so funny?"
Metazos replied: "The weather is so nice and cool!"
Of course Amon, who was driving the car, also heard the conversation of the group of robbers in the dense forest, and knew what Metanzo had done, but he ignored it and was only thinking silently about one question - who was the Zeus he met in the theater yesterday?
? **
ps: I feel a little uncomfortable today. My throat and nose are a little uncomfortable. I feel dizzy when I write this chapter. If there are any mistakes or boring writing, please bear with me:)