Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 927 The Illusory and Real Flowing Sand River

"Let's take a look together."

Chu Tai patted the back of the white horse that the green lion had transformed into, and continued forward with Ming Tiao.

Along the way, the nine-headed green lion became increasingly puzzled. In his eyes, the cicada was constantly doing good deeds and often preaching to people.

Each time he gives a sermon, he depletes his own Buddha-light, and the resulting phenomena attract people to invite him.

Mingtiao would go every time, but before each lecture, he would ask for incense offerings.

Some families are poor, and some families are rich.

Most of the poor could only afford a vegetarian meal, and some of the destitute even had only a bowl of gruel.

The wealthy mostly possessed gold, silver, and precious metals, as well as jade and jewelry.

According to Qing Shi's understanding, poor people can speak as long as they are sincere enough, while wealthy people can collect more money as their travel expenses.

But the cicada is different; whether it speaks or not, regardless of its wealth or status, seems to depend entirely on its own mood.

Unable to understand, the blue lion couldn't help but reveal its true form, shaking its nine heads as it pondered the matter. Still not understanding the reason, it asked Chu Tai.

Chu Tai simply smiled and said, "Then why don't you go and ask him yourself?"

After saying this, as the cicada left a town and set off alone, he led the green lion, who had once again transformed into a white horse, forward to greet it.

"Where has the master gone?"

Mingtiao glanced at Chu Tai, then stared at the white horse for a long time, chanting Buddhist mantras, and said, "Let's go to the Western Paradise Spirit Mountain to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."

"That's perfect, we're going the same way. I'm also planning to head west. Shall we travel together?"

Mingtiao shook his head and said, "If you really want to travel together, it would be my good fortune. But since you have no intention of going west, please speak frankly."

As he said this, Mingtiao looked at the white horse beside him and said, "I see that this gentleman has some doubts. Did you come here for him, senior?"

The nine-headed green lion was startled and spoke in a horse's bark: "You were able to see that?"

When Mingtiao heard Baima speak, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and said, "It's not that I saw it, but rather a feeling that you have doubts in your heart."

"That's pretty awesome too."

After a sigh, the nine-headed green lion voiced his question: "My question is, you are clearly preaching the same scriptures, so why is it that some people spend money to invite you, but you refuse, while others only need a bowl of water? If it were just because of wealth or social status, that would be one thing, but I have seen that you only need a bowl of water for some rich people, while ignoring some poor people even when they beg and plead..."

“At first I thought they had accumulated merit, virtue, or good deeds, or some karmic debts or sins from their past lives, but upon closer inspection they didn’t seem to have. I couldn’t understand it after thinking about it, so I asked you to bring me here to ask you.”

Upon hearing this, the cicada laughed and said, "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that Buddha helps those who are destined to be helped."

What is meant by being destined to meet? And what is meant by not being destined to meet?

"That's not easy to explain. The most basic thing is that sincerity means there is a connection, and insincerity means there is no connection. Going a step further, there must be a connection, and the next best option is no connection..."

"How do you judge sincerity? What is essential and what is a secondary option? Can you tell the difference?"

Cicada laughed and said, “Sincerity is naturally invisible. Or rather, even if he is sincere now, he may not be sincere in the future. He may not be sincere now, but he may be sincere in the future. We cannot deny the present because of the future, but we also cannot ignore the possibility of the future. My purpose in preaching to him is to make him more connected with the Buddha, not to make him disconnected from the Buddha.”

"As for whether it is necessary or secondary, it is whether preaching is the last hope for him, or the best choice he has made after making many choices, rather than choosing me because he has heard of my name and thinks I am the best."

The nine-headed green lion was still somewhat confused upon hearing this. He shook his head for a long time but still couldn't figure out the reason.

However, the Nine-Headed Green Lion was grateful to the Cicada for enlightening him, and advised him that if anyone asked him to preach, it would be better to politely decline.

"Why?"

The horse face that the nine-headed green lion had transformed into showed a "Are you stupid?" expression and said, "You go whenever someone asks you for help, but it takes a day or two to get there. Isn't that a waste of time? At this rate, when will you ever reach Mount Ling?"

"Moreover, every time you chant sutras, you are consuming your own Buddha light. If this continues, your Buddha light will be exhausted, and your lifespan will also be affected."

"When the time comes, I will naturally reach my destination. As for my lifespan, if my lifespan is reduced due to the consumption of Buddha's light, then the part that disappears is probably due to the increase brought by Buddha's light, which was an accidental gain. What is there to regret about losing it?"

The cicada's words made the nine-headed green lion even more upset. He looked at Chu Tai, only to see his master smiling without saying a word. He couldn't help but feel a little impatient and said, "How can you be such a blockhead!"

After saying that, she sullenly looked to the side, while Mingtiao apologized to Chu Tai, saying that she had not answered Bai Ma's question.

Chu Tai laughed and said, "What you've said is enough for him. Compared to my horse, I'm actually more curious about why you want to go to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."

"Actually, I don't know why either, but I think I should go to the Western Paradise to ask."

As Mingtiao spoke, a rare hint of doubt appeared in her eyes: "I grew up in a temple. I could recite Buddhist scriptures at the age of three and had already attained enlightenment at the age of ten, revealing the light of Buddha. All the masters in the temple said that I was a descended Buddha and would surely be able to spread Buddhism, but I did not think so. In addition, I always had a desire to go to the Western Paradise, so I had the idea of ​​going to Mount Ling to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."

A hint of curiosity appeared in Chu Tai's eyes as he pressed, "Then how do you think Buddhism can be propagated?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it should be me."

"why?"

A glint appeared in Chu Tai's eyes, and the idea in his mind became clearer.

"Because I am not an ordinary person, the Buddha's light on me does not come from my own enlightenment, but from my past life. If those who spread Buddhism must be extraordinary people in their past lives, then where do ordinary people stand?"

"So that's why you abandoned your Buddha-light on your journey to the Western Paradise?"

Chu Tai spoke in a questioning tone, but Ming Tiao nodded and said, "That's right. And it's not just the Buddha's light; I should also give up the compassion, fearlessness, and egolessness that I inherited from my previous life."

"In the end, it should be an ordinary person who goes to Mount Ling."

Upon hearing the cicada's words, Chu Tai sighed, while the nine-headed green lion was completely dumbfounded.

As a gift of a golden elixir from Laozi and also the divine beast under Chu Tai's command, the Azure Lion possesses a certain ability to observe the cycle of life and death, and the workings of cause and effect.

After the cicada finished speaking, the green lion saw the monk before him, who in this life had given up the light of Buddha, in the next life he had given up fearlessness, and in the life after that he had abandoned great wisdom...

After nine lifetimes, in his tenth life, he became a mortal. A somewhat cowardly mortal, easily deceived, afraid of death, and prone to taking his anger out on others.

But he is also an ordinary person who has his own principles and is willing to put his ideals into practice.

The nine-headed green lion seemed to understand something. He looked at Chu Tai, then at Ming Tiao, and slowly bowed his head to the master to show his respect.

Upon seeing this, Mingtiao simply smiled and said, "It seems that this Lord Baima has gained some insight. That's truly wonderful, and I'm much more relieved now."

After saying this, he bid farewell to Chu Tai and the others, and slowly headed west.

As the cicada disappeared from the sight of the man and the lion, the nine-headed green lion suddenly asked, "Master, will he become a Buddha?"

What do you think Buddha is?

Chu Tai countered with a question, and the Green Lion paused for a moment before replying, "An enlightened being and a great supernatural being?"

"So where do you think he originated from?"

"world?"

Chu Tai smiled and said, "Buddha comes from all living beings. And all living beings are made up of ordinary people."

After saying that, a green branch appeared in Chu Tai's hand. He shook it at the white horse, causing it to transform into its original form. He then sat on the horse and said, "Let's go back."

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Headed Azure Lion, though not understanding why Chu Tai wanted to return directly, dared not delay and used his feet to create clouds to bring Chu Tai back to the Azure Profound Palace.

Back at the temple, Chu Tai sat on a lotus throne and fell into deep thought.

The brief exchange between the cicadas, or rather, the golden cicadas, deeply moved Chu Tai.

Chu Tai saw some problems that he had overlooked in the past.

His Taiyi Dao has always operated on a grand concept, but how does it apply to his own life?

How can he guarantee that he will always be himself?

Or, after the separation of heaven and man, is the self that is observed by countless people still the same self?
This point was similar to the evolution of the Chu Tai during the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

The final result was the creation of a force akin to the unknowable.

Although at that time, Chu Tai deliberately took out his own observations and anchors, which were the result of repeated observations from the perspectives of countless people.

But how can Chu Tai guarantee that, over a long period of time, he won't become unlike himself due to the observation, interference, and influence of countless people?

Even with the protection of the Eastern Emperor Bell, wouldn't that be considered a flaw in his Dao Fruition?
The Taiyi Treasure Wheel appeared before Chu Tai's eyes, then split into two, manifesting as the Heavenly and Human Wheels. The Heavenly Taiyi encompasses the past, present, and future of the universe, while the Human Taiyi exists among all living beings.

'Although the Way of Taiyi has the concept of perfection and unity, it is ultimately lacking, or rather, without the blessing of the Eastern Emperor Bell, its defense is somewhat strained in battles between equals…'

'So, may I broaden the concept of the One of the Ones?'

Chu Taixin's thoughts kept changing, and many ideas kept emerging. In the end, he still got a little hint from Jin Chanzi.

'Can I further anchor my existence through the concept of the Oneness of Humanity?'

Just as Jin Chanzi did, he shed all his past accumulations and traveled westward as a purely mortal, completing the symbolic process of human enlightenment.

'Am I also able to find my core by constantly peeling away my own preconceived notions?'

'After all, my core strengths are inevitably different from others.'

'I am not a being born of two worlds; I too have been stripped of the primordial spiritual light of the Supreme Being, and then reclaimed it, thereby gaining enlightenment on the meaning of "One."'

'Therefore, why can't I become the one in essence of all beings? The one that symbolizes the self of all beings? Isn't this precisely the perfection of the Way of the Great One, and also the perfection of the Great Way of the Original Deity?'

As soon as this thought arose, Chu Tai's body radiated a dazzling light, with layers upon layers of brilliance. In the darkness, it seemed as if a radiant light descended from the sky, and within it, an ancient and precious bell protected his body.

Inside the Qingxuan Palace, the nine-headed lion was somewhat bored because of Chu Tai's seclusion. Recalling his previous conversation with the cicada, he lay down at the entrance of the Heavenly Palace and observed the scene in the human world.

He saw the cicada die in the Flowing Sand River, swallowed by a river monster.

The nine-headed lion couldn't help but mutter to itself, "I told you not to abandon the Buddha's light. Now look what's happened! You foolishly fed yourself to the river monster. Wait, why does this river monster's aura look so strange? It doesn't seem to be a simple monster, but some kind of fallen deity?"

The nine-headed lion's eyes gleamed with divine light as it surveyed all directions before exclaiming in surprise, "It is the Curtain-Raising General who shattered the Heavenly Palace's glazed lamp when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc there! This guy is so unlucky. That glazed lamp was originally a treasure that suppressed the turbid air of the Heavenly Realm. After he overturned it, it was tainted by the turbid air that surged out and could no longer remain in the Heavenly Palace, so it fell into the mortal world."

"But why has this guy started eating people? If it were just the cicada, it wouldn't be so bad; it's destined to be like this, and it will have some kind of connection with the curtain-roller in the future. But if it starts eating other people..."

The nine-headed green lion narrowed its eyes slightly. In the current world, the difference between eating people and not eating people is still very significant.

When ordinary people consume the flesh and blood of heartless beings, a breath of turbid air remains in their abdominal cavity. However, this can be gradually reduced through spiritual practice, fasting, and changing one's diet.

However, once one begins to consume sentient beings, the impure qi in one's abdominal cavity will inevitably become deeply ingrained and extremely difficult to expel, making it much more difficult to turn to the right path in the future.

The Nine-Headed Green Lion recalled the records about the Curtain-Raising God General that he had seen in the Three Realms and Ten Directions. He felt that this person was not particularly bad. It would be a pity if he fell into an abyss of no return because of a momentary craving for food.

Therefore, the Nine-Headed Green Lion summoned a child, wanting him to inquire about the punishment imposed on the Curtain-Raising God and the true nature of the Flowing Sand River.

Before the boy could leave, Chu Tai called the nine-headed green lion back.

"Sir, what brings you here?"

"Don't worry about the Liusha River. Juanlian will only eat the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi. Let Jin Chanzi's Buddha-light, great wisdom, great fearlessness, and great compassion remain in the Liusha River. Let these things be completely separated from Jin Chanzi by the intertwined reality and illusion of the Weak Water."

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Headed Green Lion asked with some surprise, "Master, since Jin Chanzi is preparing to travel west in the form of a mortal, why is he being asked to form a bond with Juanlian? If I am not mistaken, Juanlian will definitely become Jin Chanzi's disciple in the future and protect him."

"Having a former divine general protect him on his journey to the west seems to conflict with his idea of ​​traveling to the west as an ordinary person."

"Why do you regard them, master and disciple, as individuals instead of a group? Furthermore, if a team is mainly composed of mortals, with immortals and Buddhas merely assisting, then is the core of this achievement the mortals or the immortals and Buddhas?"

Chu Tai's question left the Nine-Headed Green Lion puzzled once again, to which Chu Tai simply told him to take another look.

(End of this chapter)