Mistaking Shadows for Snakes

Sheng Xian searched the entire temple, startling countless birds, kicking over several young monks' buckets, then sneaking into Master Mengyi's meditation room to lift the cushion and rummage around. Still, he couldn't find Er Kang anywhere. Sheng Xian was utterly dejected.

"Amitabha," Master Mengyi said slowly, surveying his meditation room, now unrecognizable and strewn with debris. "My friend, a grown person cannot hide inside that cushion."

Sheng Xian replied, "Master, as the saying goes, all phenomena are illusory, and all things are empty. Everything before our eyes is but an illusion. A vase can contain three thousand worlds, so why can't this cushion hold a human body?"

Master Mengyi was silent for a moment, then said, "My friend, you will never attain enlightenment in this life. I advise you to turn back before it's too late."

Almost all the characters' names in this story are parodies. Consider it a bonus, perhaps? See if you can guess who they are based on. It's actually pretty obvious...

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