Man in the heavens, wins by lying down to prove the truth

Chapter 322 Discusses Buddhist and Taoist Concepts of Nirvana: Both Buddhism and Taoism Leave Behind a Single Path to Enlightenment
call out!
As the Dharma Lotus Sutra circulated, its most precious Purple-Veined Dragon Flower Fruit naturally fell before Zhou Cheng and other powerful and supernatural beings.

Only the more common exotic flowers and fruits were reserved for the immortals, gods, and arhats outside the hall.

Then His Highness and the crowd outside the hall rose up and paid homage to the Buddha Maitreya, who will descend to earth in the future. They offered prayers and Buddhist verses to praise the Buddha, and the Buddha was filled with joy.

"Whenever the Buddha is invited, he will expound the essence of Zen and the profound mysteries of Mahayana Buddhism."

A Bodhisattva rose from the table and bowed to Maitreya Buddha.

Seeing this, everyone requested the Buddha to expound on the origin and development of the Chan (Zen) teachings, pointing out the profound essence of the Buddhist path.

“Since everyone has invited me, I dare not refuse. However, there is a venerable master present who has laid the foundation for the Chan teachings. I cannot overstep my bounds. I should first invite the venerable master to explain the Chan teachings.”

The Venerable Master Donglai smiled compassionately and spoke these words to the crowd. All eyes then fell upon Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng is nominally the founder of the Enlightenment Chan method. Now that everyone is discussing Chan, Master Donglai naturally wants Zhou Cheng to speak first.

"You flatter me too much. The beginning of Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism was entirely due to Master Boyang's journey westward from Hangu Pass and his coming eastward to understand the profound mysteries of Buddhism and Taoism. What merit do I have?"

"The so-called Zen method is seeing one's true nature and becoming a Buddha, and the mind itself is Buddha. The so-called awakened one is a Buddha. Since there are no scriptures to pass down, the Buddha from the East should write down the true Dharma."

Since this was a grand Buddhist event, and the first time the Crown Prince had displayed his authority, if Zhou Cheng were to give a long speech, it would only annoy people.

Zhou Cheng also planned to discuss the Great Nirvana with the Buddha, but there was no need to do something that would offend people.

Hello, I'm happy, everyone's happy; let's all carry this beautiful sedan chair.

“Since the great master initially did not bestow his virtuous words, then I will presume to speak of the Chan teachings, establish written texts on the Chan path, and transmit the profound mysteries of the Buddhist path.”

The Laughing Buddha clasped his hands in reverence and then expounded the wondrous Dharma.

Suddenly, jewels hung from the sky, auspicious omens filled the void, and heavenly dragons circled around them, while colorful phoenixes sang in harmony with the Buddha's chanting.

……

In the blink of an eye, more than a hundred years have passed.

As the saying goes, it is a debate between immortals and Buddhas that takes place amidst the changing of generations in the human world.

More than a hundred years later, the Buddha from the East finished expounding the Dharma. The crowd rose to pay homage and felt that they had made great progress in the Great Way and had gained new insights.

"Now that the first assembly at Longhua has concluded, we thank you all for coming. Amitabha..."

After the chanting of the Buddha Donglai faded, the crowd rose again, dispersed several times, and finally left in an orderly fashion.

"Please wait a moment, sir."

A voice rang in Zhou Cheng's ears; it was the monk Namo Maitreya Laughing secretly transmitting his voice.

Immediately, Zhou Cheng nodded slightly and, like Yu Yun, sat upright on the lotus platform, watching the immortals and Buddhas depart into the distance.

After all the Buddhas had dispersed, the Buddha from the East smiled and said, "The World Honored One, Tathagata, knows that the True Man desires Great Nirvana, therefore he wishes to discuss the Dao with the True Man."

"It is extremely impolite of the World-Honored One to descend in a golden form to discuss the Dao with the True Man. Therefore, we request the True Man to come to Mount Ling."

As the Buddha from the East was speaking, the yellow-browed boy, being obedient and self-aware, respectfully served tea to Zhou Cheng and Yu Yun.

Zhou Chengsui laughed and said, "You laughing monk, I only told you that I wanted to seek great Nirvana and great transcendence, and you told your Buddha, huh?"

Although it was a joke, the Smiling Buddha hurriedly explained, "Please do not think too much, Master. The World-Honored One has great power and his Dharma Eye can see all the past and present of the four continents. When I attained enlightenment and paid homage, I saw the scene of you talking with me, Master. That is why I know this."

Since arriving in this realm, Zhou Cheng has only been able to display great magical power.

Whether it was the mutual friendship between Mr. Boyang and the great virtuous master whom the Buddha himself described as having great wisdom and perfect virtue, they all inspired awe and made people dare not be negligent.

“Your Excellency need not do this. Do you not know that the Buddha and the Master have been observing me? When I first met Your Excellency, I felt a pair of Dharma eyes looking down from the depths of time, originating from the sacred realm of Mount Ling.”

Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, picked up his teacup and took a sip, then said, "In that case, please, Venerable One, show me to the Buddha."

The World Honored One is the one who governs the world.

Although nominally only one of the Five Elders of the Five Directions, he is the most supreme and noble being among all the heavens and realms in the Three Realms.

Immediately, the Buddha from the East rode on a lotus platform, emitting golden light, and arrived at the scenic spot of Ling Mountain.

……

Meanwhile, at the Western Paradise, on Mount Ling, at the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Not long ago, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who had dispersed from the Longhua Assembly gathered together.

In the Great Hall of the Buddha, the Four Great Bodhisattvas, the Eight Vajras, the Five Hundred Arhats, the Three Thousand Jieti, the Bhikkhunis, the Bhikkhus, the Upasakas, the Upasikas, and all the other great holy beings gathered beneath the Seven-Jeweled Lotus Platform to listen to the Buddha's teachings.

At this time, the Tathagata was expounding the Great Dharma, saying: "There is existence within non-existence, and non-existence within non-existence. There is form within form, and emptiness within emptiness. It is neither existence nor non-existence that is existence..."

As the assembly bowed in reverence and took refuge, and as the recitation was being circulated, the Tathagata descended and scattered heavenly flowers in abundance. He then left his throne and addressed the assembly, saying, "The Venerable One is about to arrive; you should welcome him."

Upon hearing this, everyone obeyed the Buddha's command. Banners and canopies on both sides immediately emerged from the mountain gate, and boundless auspicious light and countless lotus flowers arose in the void, rolling back thirty thousand miles to illuminate the world of Jambudvipa.

In just a moment, the sky was filled with divine light, and the Buddha from the East led the Great Virtue and the Goddess of the Yu Clan to the scene.

"Honoring the great virtue at the beginning, may you enjoy boundless longevity and blessings."

All the people were amazed and welcomed them, and all the Buddhas also paid their respects.

"Please rise, everyone. I am without virtue or merit and dare not accept your homage."

As Zhou Cheng spoke, his words, imbued with the power of the Heavenly Law, became lawful, and the Daoist rhythm of the Zhou Heaven transformed into an invisible force, preventing the crowd from bowing repeatedly.

Immediately, the Bodhisattva of the Sea appeared, holding a golden tablet, and said: "Venerable One, the Buddha Tathagata has been waiting for a long time. Please come to Mount Ling for a chat."

“Good!” Zhou Cheng nodded.

Immediately, the light of the Buddhas and the Lotus Sutra descended upon the summit of Vulture Peak, outside the Great Buddha Hall.

Upon entering the temple, he saw the World-Honored One rise from the lotus platform, put his palms together, and say, "This old monk greets the Venerable One."

Zhou Cheng returned the greeting: "I have long admired the Dharma name of the World-Honored One, and it is my great honor to have the opportunity to meet you today."

Yu Yun, who came with Zhou Cheng, also bowed in greeting.

A supreme being who has attained perfect enlightenment and seeks only great tranquility and liberation deserves our utmost respect.

"Please, Great Virtue Begins, and Goddess of the Yu Clan, take your seats."

As they spoke, a seven-colored lotus platform and a pure white lotus platform bloomed out from the void, and monks and nuns respectfully invited Zhou Cheng and Yu Yun to take their seats.

After Zhou Cheng took his seat, the old monk spoke up: "I heard from the Buddha of the East that you, Venerable One, wish to seek the Great Nirvana. I wonder what you think of the Nirvana method that I practice?"

Zhou Cheng pondered for a moment, then said, "Great wisdom lies in tranquility, detached from birth; true wisdom lies in silence, carefree in extinction. This is what is meant by extinction."

"Up to this point, all is the Lesser Nirvana, which is the Hinayana."

"The Great Nirvana is unknowable, inconceivable, and indescribable; it contains endless mysteries and profound truths, and I dare not make any rash comments about it."

There is a saying that there are three ways for a person to die.

The first death is physical death.

As the name suggests, death is defined as the cessation of life.

For mortals, death is the end of everything.

For those who cultivate, death is not irreversible.

The second death is called death.

All those who remember you will die with you, and from then on, no one in the world will remember you anymore; this is called death in name only.

There are those with great power who, in the blink of an eye, return from Nirvana. Therefore, only the death of a name can truly frighten those with great power.

As for this third death, it is the Great Extinction.

The so-called Great Nirvana is the erasure of all traces of the world.

Ordinary people wouldn't even have a third chance to die.

This is because a truly powerful being can see through the passage of time; how could there be no trace, no cause and effect? ​​Only by practicing the Great Nirvana Dharma can one attain this state.

After Zhou Cheng finished explaining his understanding of Nirvana, he looked at the Buddha and asked, "Venerable Buddha, how do you understand the wonder of transcendence?"

"Those who transcend also have three paths."

On the lotus throne, the World-Honored One stood solemnly, making a subtle hand gesture, emitting boundless light, and pondered, saying: "Teaching, the extinction of the spirit and the leaving behind of the stinking shell in Nirvana, is only a minor form of transcendence."

"Teaching is not the Way, nor is it the Wonder; True Suchness is above, and this is the transcendence of the Middle Way."

"Teaching is neither existence nor non-existence; all is a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or lightning. If one can view it in this way, one will achieve great liberation."

"Great transcendence is the rebirth after great annihilation; it is the true supreme, the true awakening, the true source, and the true nature."

After explaining his own understanding of transcendence, the Buddhist master said, "When the Master speaks of Zen, he says that seeing one's true nature is Buddhahood. Such profound mystery! I wonder what the Master means by seeing one's true nature?"

"By gathering one's mind and body, purifying the six senses, and subduing the five mental states, one can suddenly comprehend all the myriad paths, thus achieving enlightenment and becoming a Buddha."

"good."

"May I ask the Venerable Master, do you know how one attains Nirvana after the Great Extinction?"

Zhou Cheng's words marked the beginning of the debate, bringing it to its climax and the crucial point.

"Great Nirvana, Great Suchness, all existence ceases, all things are illusion. The old monk himself said, only one mind can break through neither existence nor non-existence, neither non-existence nor non-non-existence..."

After explaining his understanding of the Great Nirvana following the Great Extinction, the Buddha and the Master put their palms together in a gesture of respect and looked at Zhou Cheng, asking, "May I ask, Master, what does one seek for the Great Transcendence?"

"Not speaking of seeking, not speaking of cultivation, transcending into stillness, all paths are called delusion..."

Inside the main hall, two supreme beings were seen discussing the Dao, their tongues uttering Daoist sounds and their mouths uttering Sanskrit chants.

A thousand wondrous phenomena of the Tao, ten thousand true lotuses of the Dharma.

They said that the sky and earth changed color, and the heavens darkened; they also said that lotuses filled the void, and the earth lost its color.

Two wise beings, one radiates great light, illuminating boundless heavens; the other raises the flowers of the Great Way, reflecting countless worlds.

The vast energy reversed, and the Great Dao of the Heavens submitted. The two extraordinary phenomena complemented each other, causing all the great beings of the heavens and worlds to feel them.

Mysterious and profound, truly obscure, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas outside the palace were completely mesmerized, feeling boundless spiritual light flashing in their hearts.

"That's it, that's it."

“True Nirvana, Nirvana of True Suchness, I shall attain Lesser Nirvana and achieve the Great Perfection.”

"..."

……

Time flows on, and the path ahead is magnificent.

In an instant, it felt as if we had been discussing the Dao for billions of years.

The truly powerful transcend time and the cycle of reincarnation.

Within this grand hall, the world has changed dramatically, countless eons have passed, and to the outside world, it is but the rising of the golden crow and the reflection of the jade rabbit three times.

"Your wisdom is truly admirable. We have all benefited from Your grace during this discussion at Vulture Peak. This is a great merit. We wish to offer Your Majesty the supreme lotus throne of perfect enlightenment."

The Buddha's face showed a pleased expression, clearly indicating that he had gained a great deal.

The same was true for Zhou Cheng. The two supreme beings who sought transcendence discussed the Dao, and naturally, each of them gained something from it.

"Since the Buddha and the Taoist have invited me, how could I refuse?"

Zhou Chengsui said, “I have an incarnation, every hair and pore is a Tathagata, every Tathagata has a temple and pagoda, the relics are solid and diamond-like, the void can destroy me and I am immortal.”

As soon as he finished speaking, countless lotus flowers intertwined, and countless golden bodies were formed, transforming into the Dharma body of the Buddha. His appearance was exactly the same as Zhou Cheng's, but his expression was compassionate and his eyes were full of mercy.

“Excellent, this humble monk pays homage to the Buddha of the Beginning True Suchness…”

The Buddha, with a solemn expression, bowed respectfully to the incarnation of Zhou Cheng.

Immediately, Zhou Chengna, the golden Buddha, also returned the greeting with dignity, saying, "This humble monk does not accept the courtesy of a senior monk."

One was a great true being, and the other was a great wise man; both of them called themselves "little monks" and regarded others as superiors.

"All of you, come quickly to pay your respects. Today, Namo Elementary True Suchness Venerable King Buddha has returned to his position, and his position is equal to that of the Buddhas of the Three Worlds. Seeing him is like seeing me."

The World-Honored One, Tathagata, spoke in the Brahma language, leading all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats, and others to pay homage to the new Buddha.

……

Before we knew it, it was the next morning.

Auspicious light and rosy clouds intertwined, carrying Zhou Cheng and Yu Yun towards the distance.

“We cultivate the Golden Elixir Method of Taoism. It’s not appropriate for us to act as Buddhas on Mount Ling, is it?” Yu Yun felt that Zhou Cheng beside her was a bit of a traitor.

Zhou Cheng's incarnation obtained a Namo Elementary True Suchness Venerable King Buddha.

Yu Yun, having accompanied Zhou Cheng on this trip, naturally also secured a position on a lotus platform, named: Bodhisattva of Pure Light with Double Pupils of the Sun and Moon.

Zhou Cheng laughed heartily: "Among all the powerful beings in the world, how many are not Buddhas of Mount Ling, and how many are not Heavenly Venerables of the Daoist sect?"

This statement is actually quite straightforward: the vast majority of people are both Taoist deities and immortals, as well as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Mount Ling.

The saying goes, "You are in me, and I am in you." They talk about Taoism and Zen, but all three schools originate from the same source.

"Just watch, either the Jade Emperor will send someone to pay homage, or the Primordial Heavenly Venerable will send a true immortal to deliver a talisman. In short... it is fitting that you and I also have an incarnation sitting in heaven."

Upon hearing Zhou Cheng's words, Yu Yun's lips twitched slightly. Her black-and-white understanding was indeed inappropriate.

As Zhou Cheng and the others were talking, they saw a golden light shining in the distance.

As Zhou Cheng had predicted, auspicious clouds descended from the sky, and the celestial palaces opened wide.

The vast celestial radiance condensed into a divine chariot, with countless immortals lined up on both sides.

A figure dressed in a robe with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams appeared on a cloud. Before even getting close to Zhou Cheng, the figure stopped on the cloud and hurriedly paid his respects.

"By the decree of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the law of the Jade Emperor, we pay homage to the Great Virtue Beginner and invite the Great Virtue Beginner to have a conversation in heaven."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng smiled at Yu Yun beside him.

See, I was right?

"Please lead the way, Master."

As soon as Zhou Cheng finished speaking, the Taoist priest's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said respectfully, "Please come with me, Master."

Immediately, led by the Taoist priest, golden light shot up and headed straight for the South Heavenly Gate.

The distance between heaven and earth is 84,000 li.

Of course, 84,000 is a figurative number, also representing infinity.

In reality, the distance between heaven and earth is less than 84,000, yet various profound laws are engraved in the void.

If one's cultivation is insufficient, then no matter how one flies, one will only feel that one is infinitely far from the sky.

Of course, the requirements for this level of cultivation are very low; otherwise, even the minor celestial beings in the heavens would find it difficult to travel between heaven and earth. As long as one can cultivate magical power and attain the status of a celestial being, one can travel freely between the two.

This is also why those who cultivate magical powers are called celestial beings.

For Zhou Cheng and Yu Yun, it would only take a short while to reach the South Heavenly Gate.

Meanwhile, outside the South Heavenly Gate, all the Heavenly Masters had gathered to welcome the guests.

Although it was said to be on the orders of the Jade Emperor, it was actually the Primordial Heavenly Venerable who sent this Taoist to invite Zhou Cheng.

(End of this chapter)