Rewriting the Gods

Seeing Bodhi Patriarch nod, Jiang Haofeng also smiled and nodded, saying, "Good!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Haofeng waved his sleeve, and the Tripitaka Sutra, which the pilgrims had obtained with great difficulty, silently turned into dust, leaving not a trace.

Immediately afterwards, scrolls of scriptures reappeared and were piled up in the book box. On top of the books were three scrolls: one on Zen, one on Tantra, and one on Vinaya.

This is the Tripitaka Sutra that Jiang Haofeng prepared for his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

The Bodhi Patriarch's gaze swept over the three volumes of scriptures, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "May I take a look?"

"nature."

Jiang Haofeng spoke calmly.

Bodhi Patriarch scanned the Tripitaka scriptures before him with his divine sense, and in an instant, all the contents of the scriptures appeared in his mind.

Zen Buddhism emphasizes enlightenment, focusing on understanding one's true nature and taking the universe as one's teacher. It emphasizes meditation and enlightenment, reaching the inner self in order to achieve great transcendence and freedom!

Esoteric Buddhism focuses on the physical body, cultivating the three secrets of essence, energy, and spirit, and advocates attaining Buddhahood in this very life.

The Vinaya school, with upholding precepts as its core, emphasizes strict adherence to the precepts, regulating behavior, purifying the mind and body, and striving for transcendence.

Bodhi Patriarch slowly opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Haofeng in front of him, and sighed, "It really is poisoned wine."

The three sacred scriptures each have their own unique and wondrous aspects, and their meanings are also different.

On the surface, the Tripitaka is closely related to Buddhism, and the ultimate goal of practicing the Tripitaka is to attain Buddhahood.

The problem is that these three Buddhist scriptures each have their own understanding of what Buddha is.

Zen Buddhism believes that realizing one's true nature is Buddhahood; Tantric Buddhism believes that achieving the three secrets (body, speech, and mind) is Buddhahood; and Vinaya Buddhism believes that perfecting one's precepts is Buddhahood.

However, none of these three Buddhas are from Mount Ling.

Moreover, these three Buddhas are completely contrary to the Buddhas of Mount Ling.

The Lingshan Buddhist sect cultivates the future and speaks of cause and effect. Suffering in this life is to atone for the sins of the previous life, and the hardships we endure now are for the happiness we will enjoy in the future. Today's result is yesterday's cause, and today's cause is tomorrow's result.

But the Tripitaka scriptures before us are for cultivating this life, for seeing the present moment.

Both sides appear to be Buddhist, but in reality they are completely different things.

Most importantly, the Tripitaka Sutra that Haofeng took out makes a lot of sense. If this Tripitaka Sutra were to spread to Xiniu Hezhou, I'm afraid a large number of people would come to practice it.

It's no exaggeration to say that drinking poison to quench thirst is an understatement.

If this Tripitaka is passed down today, Buddhism will inevitably be torn apart in the future. I'm afraid it won't be long before Buddhism splits into four factions.

Most importantly, three of these factions are all among the human race. Once the news spreads widely, it's hard to say who is the true orthodox Buddhist sect.

But he had no choice but to drink this poisoned wine; if he didn't, today would be the day the Buddhist community would be wiped out!

Jiang Haofeng smiled and raised his hand, saying, "Fellow Daoist, please return. As for the pilgrim, just leave Tang Sanzang behind!"

"As for the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit, it will be delivered to your door within ten days. If it does not arrive by then, I will go to Mount Ling to collect it in person."

Without saying much, Bodhi Patriarch led Marshal Tianpeng, Sha Wujing, and the Jade Kirin away from the Southern Continent, leaving only Tang Sanzang and the Tripitaka scriptures behind.

Seeing Tang Seng standing alone again, Jiang Haofeng waved his hand, and four figures silently appeared before him.

The four Taiyi Golden Immortals of the human race were all among the original three thousand human ancestors, and they made significant contributions to the human race.

As the main executors of the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, the pilgrims will ultimately receive a considerable share of the merit. This amount of merit is nothing to Jiang Haofeng, but it is a great opportunity for Taiyi Golden Immortal.

There is no reason to waste anything.

These four were chosen by Jiang Haofeng from among the human race as the four ancestors of humanity, and they would later become the four guardian deities of Buddhism!

After doing all this, Jiang Haofeng's figure transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the void.

Thus, the eighty-first ordeal has been overcome!
On the journey to the West, all eighty-one tribulations were overcome, and the pilgrimage to the West was successfully completed!

The four primordial ancestors glanced at Tang Sanzang, said nothing, and carefully protected the Tripitaka scriptures.

The group then flew on clouds toward Chang'an, the core city of the human race. At this time, Emperor Taizong of Tang was already waiting at the gates of Chang'an, not to welcome Tang Sanzang, but to welcome the scriptures left by the ancestor.

If humans were asked to study Buddhist scriptures, practice Buddhist supernatural powers, and understand Buddhist reverence, no one would be willing. That's just how human society is; nobody likes the bald head of Mount Ling.

But if it's about studying the classics left by Ancestor Haofeng, everyone will be eager to read them, even if the classics are Buddhist scriptures!
As the pilgrims approached, Li Shimin listened casually to Tang Sanzang's polite words, then waved his hand dismissively and said, "I know."

Immediately afterwards, he led a group of ministers to greet the Tripitaka Sutra and respectfully invited it into the palace.

The moment the Tripitaka Sutra entered the human race, the entire world changed. Golden lotuses of merit suddenly appeared in the void, and thick streams of merit power fell from the void.

Spreading the Way throughout the world and enlightening all beings is a great service to Heaven and Earth, and merit will surely descend upon you!
The merit in the void was divided into several parts in mid-air, of which seven parts were larger. About 30% fell to the West and were collected by two Western saints to repay part of the loan.

Twenty percent was divided into hundreds of portions, which fell on the five pilgrims below, the four pilgrims who withdrew midway, and everyone who had helped them on the journey.

Among them, Tang Sanzang received the most merit, about half a percent. Next were Sun Wukong and the other three. Although these people withdrew from the pilgrimage midway, they still received a lot of merit. Heaven's justice is just, and that's not just a saying.

Next came the four pilgrims chosen by Jiang Haofeng, each receiving approximately one percent of the merit. Finally, there were all those who had helped on the journey.

As for the remaining 40% of the fortune, 20% was directly integrated into the Tripitaka Sutra below. Under the blessing of merit, the eighty-one volumes of the Tripitaka Sutra instantly underwent an unknown transformation, evolving into a merit-based spiritual treasure.

The final 20% went directly to the human race and was collected by Jiang Haofeng.

Thus, the journey to the West came to a complete end.

Judging from the outcome, the pilgrimage to the West was a success and Buddhism won, but looking at the underlying reasons, it was humanity that won.

Western Buddhism has merely gained a respite.

Despite their painstaking efforts, the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures yielded only thirty percent of the expected merit; the rest remained elusive. Humanity's immense and enviable fortune remained firmly in their hands, leaving them unable to share even a fraction. On the contrary, the journey itself sowed the seeds of even greater calamity.

In Jambudvipa, three earth-shattering troubles have already been left for Buddhism.

·······
After the Tripitaka Sutra arrived in the human race, under the deliberate promotion of Zhonghuang Mountain, the feudal lords and kings of various countries sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty to seek the sutra. Even the human race, which was far away in the Three Thousand Great Worlds, sought the sutra through the Thirty-Six Fire-Burning Cities.

For a time, the Tripitaka became a hot topic among humans, and everyone was discussing the Buddhist scriptures.

In an instant, the fortune of the Buddhist sect on Mount Ling in the Western Paradise soared, and the fortune of the entire Buddhist sect was raised several levels, reaching its peak.

But Maitreya Buddha, seated on the lotus throne, showed no joy whatsoever, nor did the two Buddhist saints in the chaos show any delight.

This is nothing but a temporary, illusory prosperity.

The reason for this is entirely because the Tripitaka scriptures in the human realm are still being spread and developed. Buddhism has not yet been established among the human race, and its fortune has not yet been accumulated. Therefore, the fortune belonging to these three lineages of Buddhism has temporarily fallen on the Buddhist sect of Mount Ling.

This is only temporary.

As everyone predicted, in the third year after the transmission of the Tripitaka, a monk named Bodhidharma comprehended the true scriptures, realized his true nature, and founded the Zen school!

In an instant, 20% of the Buddhist fortune was taken away by the Zen sect, and a massive amount of fortune flowed towards the human race.

Moreover, as Zen Buddhism was established, more and more great Zen masters emerged from seclusion, built temples, and spread the teachings of Zen. As Zen Buddhism flourished, its share of fortune also increased.

Ten years after the completion of the pilgrimage, a monk named Padmasambhava, who called himself Padmasambhava Master, attained the three secrets of the human body and established the Tantric school in the Himalayas.

Thirty percent of the fortune of the Western Paradise was once again diverted to the Tantric sect.

Strangely enough, perhaps because there are more people practicing martial arts nowadays, compared to Zen Buddhism which emphasizes enlightenment and Vinaya Buddhism which requires adherence to precepts, humans prefer Tantric Buddhism, which focuses on cultivating the three secrets of the human body. Among the three schools, Tantric Buddhism has the largest number of practitioners and the greatest share of fortune.

Forty years later, a high-ranking monk named Daoxuan comprehended the true meaning of the scriptures and established the three major precepts for novices, monks, and bodhisattvas, thus establishing the Vinaya School!

It once again took away one-tenth of the fortune of Mount Ling.

Thus, the Tripitaka Sutra passed down by Jiang Haofeng was completely spread among the human race, and the three sects also took away 60% of the fortune of Mount Ling.

This 60% was merely the fortune that was divided up when the three sects were first established. As the three sects flourished among the human race and temples appeared one after another in the nine provinces and three thousand great worlds of the human race, the fortune of Mount Ling was constantly lost.

To put it simply, if we consider Buddhism as a whole, all the fortunes are placed together, and the four lineages compete with each other. The lineage that spreads the widest and has the deepest influence will have the strongest fortune.

However, the Buddhist sect of Mount Ling in the Western Paradise only occupies Xiniuhezhou, and its territory is small, far from being comparable to the human race, which occupies the Southern Jambudvipa and the Three Thousand Great Worlds.

As for the number of living beings under its rule, it is not even in the same league.

Therefore, even though Mount Ling is the birthplace of Buddhism and has a large number of powerful Buddhas within it, its fortune is still not as great as that of the three major human sects.

After the journey to the West was completed, which is 129,600 years later.

Of the four major schools of Buddhism, the one that occupies the most fortune is the Tantric school, which accounts for 35% of the fortune. Next is the Vulture Peak school, which accounts for 30% of the fortune. Then comes the Chan school, which accounts for 20% of the fortune, and finally the Vinaya school, which accounts for 15% of the fortune.

At this point, the fortune of the four Buddhist lineages has finally stabilized.

In the past era, it was a chaotic period in which the four lineages of Buddhism vied for power and fortune.

The bet made during the journey to the West was considered a victory for Buddhism, thus granting it the right to spread its teachings to Jambudvipa (the southern continent).

After completing their pilgrimage, Buddhism spread its teachings to Jambudvipa and the surrounding three thousand great chiliocosms.

The reason we didn't dare spread the word before was because we were worried that if we took action, it would provoke a strong counterattack from the human race, and we would end up losing more than we gained.

Now that such an excellent opportunity has presented itself, the Buddhist community will naturally not hesitate in the slightest.

However, the Buddhist sect underestimated the human race's control over its own people. From the birth of the human race to the present day, Zhisheng has recorded all of the human race's history, and Jiang Haofeng has promoted all of this history in its entirety.

Even though the human race no longer harbors hostility towards Buddhism after the arrival of the Tripitaka, this Buddhism refers to the three major Buddhist sects native to the human race, not the pseudo-Buddhist sects of Mount Ling!

Indeed, among the human race, many people have given the Buddhist sect of Mount Ling a name: False Buddha.

The true lineage of Buddhism lies in the three major schools of Buddhism within the human race, not in the false Buddhism of Mount Ling.

Therefore, even though the people of Mount Ling are qualified to preach the truth to the human race, almost none of them are willing to listen.

The work of spreading the Dharma in the human world yielded little result. On the contrary, as the three sects gradually grew stronger, many immortals from the three sects resolutely stepped into Xiniu Hezhou to spread the Buddhist teachings to the people of Xiniu Hezhou.

Unlike the Southern Continent, which is ruled by humans, Xiniu Hezhou is inhabited by a diverse mix of creatures, and humans do not hold an absolute dominant position there.

Of course, there are also a large number of humans in Xiniuhe Prefecture. In terms of the number of living beings, it is still the largest in Xiniuhe Prefecture!

There was no other way. The human population was too large, and they reproduced very quickly. If you randomly picked tens of thousands of people from the Southern Continent or even from the Great Thousand Worlds below, they could multiply in a few hundred thousand years.

However, the humans who grew up in Xiniuhe Prefecture had never been exposed to the orthodox history of the human race, and their sense of belonging to the human race was not particularly strong. They only knew that in the far south, there was a powerful force dominated by humans.

This place is more about the Buddhist teachings of Lingshan.

As the three sects of the human race developed, they began to spread their teachings back to Mount Ling.

Unlike humans, who, in addition to their own consciousness, have their own race as a bond, a single human can unite the entire Jambudvipa and the three thousand great worlds closely together.

But Xiniu Hezhou is different; the only unifying ideology in Xiniu Hezhou is the Buddhist scriptures.

When the new message spread, it unexpectedly achieved a very good result. Although the scale of the three Buddhist sects in Xiniu Hezhou was far smaller than that of the Lingshan Buddhist sect, they still managed to gain a foothold in Xiniu Hezhou and divert a large amount of Buddhist fortune.

Of course, during this process, the Buddhist sect of Lingshan would not watch their fortunes decline. They used many methods to cause a lot of trouble for the human race, but they had the support of countless human immortals and the backing of Jiang Haofeng.

In the end, they managed to pull through.

After a century, this battle for fortune came to a complete end. The fortune of Mount Ling only accounted for 30% of the entire Buddhist sect's fortune. Although the journey to the West greatly boosted the Buddhist sect's fortune, none of this fortune fell into the hands of the Buddhist sect of Mount Ling. Instead, a considerable amount of it was lost.

The current fortune of Mount Ling is even worse than before the pilgrimage! (End of Chapter)