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

Chapter 349 Single-mindedly cultivating to attain the Great Dao Fruit, breaking through barriers to become a true Great Sage
"You wicked scoundrel, prepare to die!"

"How dare you! How dare you, you monster, impersonate me, Old Sun, to commit evil deeds!"

clang!
The two batons collided, their sound reverberating throughout the world!
Visible ripples swept across the four corners of the earth, shaking the mountains below and causing rivers to flow backwards—what an earth-shattering battle!

The two monkey kings were both clad in golden chainmail, wearing phoenix-winged purple-gold crowns, and lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes. Their bodies were radiating an immortal divine light that was both primordial and flawless.

The two great saints, whose supernatural powers were equally matched, stirred up the clouds and mist in the heavens, making them boil over.

"Demon! Even if you can transform into different forms, how can you know the profound essence of the Victory Strategies?" The Monkey King on the left roared like thunder, his eyes blazing with golden flames, and suddenly reached out to grab.

In an instant, a burst of light shot out from his palm, creating endless wonders.

It is said that when a flower blooms, a vast world rises and falls; when a leaf unfolds, a solemn and pure land appears.

As the supernatural power was activated, the heavens and earth lost their color, and the sun and moon lost their light. A massive hand that covered hundreds of millions of miles of mountains and rivers in the Eastern Continent crashed down!
"Monster, where did you steal my old Sun's signature skills from?"

The Monkey King on the right glared fiercely, his hair standing on end, showing no sign of weakness. He too activated the Victory Strike Technique to its highest level, unleashing a pure land of crystal from his palm. Within this pure land, ten thousand Buddhas chanted, and the sound of sacred music shook the world.

The Monkey King grasped the Boundless Buddha Kingdom in his palm, clenched it into a fist, and charged forward fiercely!

Rumble!
Ancient stars exploded simultaneously, and countless worlds collapsed in unison.

Its boundless power and prestige shook countless gods and Buddhas throughout history, both in heaven and on earth, leaving them terrified and bewildered as to what calamity had befallen the world.

"Good monster, good monster, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. Let's see what Old Sun can do with this divine wind!"

Suddenly, a monkey plucked a hair, which transformed into a handful of golden dust. It opened its mouth and exhaled a gust of wind. The wind was so powerful it shook heaven and earth, making even the most sacred mountains and caves darken, and casting a shadow over the Penglai Island. No wind had ever been seen since the time of Pangu, but none had ever been as malevolent as this one!

"Hahaha! Where did this fool come from? Don't you know that I, Old Sun, have my own way of warding off the wind? Watch my divine fire!"

The other monkey laughed wildly and spat out the Six Ding Divine Fire. The divine fire blazed brightly, burning the spirit of heaven and earth and incinerating the hearts of ghosts and gods.

The two monkeys, one after the other, fought back and forth, with wind and fire swirling and thunder clashing, displaying all kinds of supernatural powers and manipulating countless techniques in their palms.

They fought for over a hundred rounds, yet still couldn't determine who was superior.

The Sand Monk beside him, carrying his magic staff, looked at this and that, feeling dazzled by the sights.

Suddenly, one of the Great Sages stopped fighting. The two monkeys looked at Sha Wujing and said in unison, "Wujing, you can't help us. Tell Master what we've done. Let's fight this demon to the Bodhisattva at Mount Luojia in the South Sea to find out the truth."

His appearance, demeanor, and voice were all exactly the same, making it impossible for anyone to tell them apart.

Seeing this, Sha Wujing had no choice but to say, "Brother, I'll be going now."

After Sha Wujing left, the two monkeys fought again and headed towards the South China Sea, fighting as they went.

Wherever it goes, one can see all kinds of divine light that amazes the universe, and immeasurable auspicious omens that shake the past and present. One step it takes turns the earth and sky upside down, and three steps it takes turns the world upside down.

Behold the might of these two great saints; their vast divine light pierces the heavens and penetrates the earth, sweeping out with a whoosh. Heaven and earth are on the verge of exploding, and all the worlds of the three realms tremble.

The battle shook the heavens and the palace of the Dipper, the battle in the underworld and the palace of the Yama, the thunderous palace collapsed three stories high and the Putuo Peak broke halfway down.

All the gods in the Three Realms were uneasy. Laozi was unable to attend to his alchemy furnace, the God of Longevity put away his dragon-beard fan, the red sun lost its light, and all the stars in the sky became dim and chaotic.

On Mount Luojia in the South China Sea, the Bodhisattva emerged from the Tide Sound Cave, looked at the two monkeys that were stirring up the waves of the South China Sea, and scolded them: "Stop your mischief!"

Upon seeing this, the two Great Sages put away their golden cudgels and ceased their fighting techniques, and bowed to the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva said, "You two stand down on either side and wait for me to take another look."

Upon hearing this, the two Great Sages immediately stood on either side, one saying that he was real and the other saying that he was fake.

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, "Don't be in such a hurry, let me ask you a question."

Immediately, the Bodhisattva used his true power and said, "Wukong, do you know who is real and who is fake?"

Upon hearing this, the two monkeys looked at the Bodhisattva with bewildered expressions and said in unison, "Why do you, the compassionate leader, ask this? If we could explain it, why would we be looking for you?"

"Two minds are intertwined and cannot be distinguished."

Even the Bodhisattvas are helpless. Throughout history, they have never seen anyone who cultivates life without cultivating nature, and who has achieved a false state of primordial unity. It is indeed difficult to distinguish between them.

Immediately, the Bodhisattva remained expressionless and silently recited the mantra for tightening the headband.

The two monkeys, who were about to fight again, glared at each other and threw down their golden cudgels. They felt excruciating pain in their primordial spirits and rolled around on the ground in agony.

"Bodhisattva, do not chant, do not chant."

The two monkeys begged for mercy, which proved that their hearts were originally one, with no distinction between self and other.

"I really can't tell the difference. Let's go to heaven and ask the gods and immortals to figure it out."

Knowing that he could not distinguish between two minds, the Bodhisattva used a clumsy method: he had the two monkeys make a ruckus to release their pent-up frustration. After that, their two minds would naturally become one, and they would attain enlightenment.

Upon hearing this, the two Great Sages bid farewell to the Bodhisattva and began to fight, heading straight for the South Heavenly Gate.

Outside the South Heavenly Gate, the Four Heavenly Generals, Guangmu Tianwang, Ma Zhao Wen Guan, and others, had already witnessed this scene and were all in a panic. They said that Sun Wukong was going to cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace again, so they hurriedly ordered all the gods, big and small, to close the Heavenly Gate.

"What is the Great Sage doing? Why not protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West, but instead cause trouble in the Heavenly Palace?"

After the Heavenly King closed the South Heavenly Gate, he stood on a cloud and questioned the two Great Sages.

“You do not know that this monster has transformed into my appearance to do evil. Even the leader of the South Sea could not distinguish me from the demon. He said that Heaven asked you brothers to help me, the old Sun, to explain.”

The two Great Sages spoke at the same time, leaving the Heavenly King, the General, and the others looking at each other in bewilderment.

Even Guanyin Bodhisattva can't tell the difference, so how can they distinguish them?

The two Great Sages were enraged and, brandishing their sticks, shouted, "Since you can't explain yourselves, then open the door! Be careful, or I, Old Sun, will show no mercy with my stick!"

The Heavenly King and his generals were immediately alarmed and quickly opened the Heavenly Gate.

It is said that the two Great Sages entered the Heavenly Palace, alarming the Supreme Heavenly Venerable.

The Great Celestial Venerable glanced at it and said, "Nonsense, don't disturb the peace of the Heavenly Palace. Go play in the Underworld instead."

Upon hearing this, the two Great Sages dared not be presumptuous. After saying they would obey, they headed to the Underworld.

The journey was filled with battles, from the highest heavens to the deepest hells, with no one able to defeat the other. The commotion terrified countless immortals, gods, and all living beings, making them all aware of the immeasurable divine power of the Great Sage Sun.

After entering the underworld, the two great saints caused a ruckus, alarming Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who then summoned the mind-reading Di Ting.

Di Ting heard Wukong's thoughts and immediately understood the cause and effect, but dared not speak. He only told the two monkeys to go to the sacred Western Mountain.

Upon hearing this, the two Great Sages ascended from the Netherworld and traveled westward. Behold, the jade sky was clear of dust for thousands of miles, and the two monkeys possessed boundless supernatural powers.

On the ground, in a farmer's house, Tang Sanzang, who was resting, was startled and came out of the house with Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie. They saw the two monkeys fighting in the sky. "Wukong..."

The old monk stammered out a sentence.

The two Great Sages did not pause at all, but a voice came from afar: "Master, please be patient. We will go up to Mount Ling and ask the Buddha to explain the cause and effect."

As they spoke, the two Great Sages had already gone far away and entered the Buddhist land of Mount Ling.

Such great supernatural powers and commotion had already alarmed the Western Paradise, specifically the Great Thunderclap Temple.

On the lotus throne, the Buddha opened his eyes slightly, already seeing through the root of the earth-shattering struggle below.

The old Buddha smiled kindly and compassionately, showing no surprise whatsoever. He said to those around him, “You all possess profound magical powers. You should know that there are five immortals and five insects within the heavens. However, there are also four monkeys who roam the world, not belonging to any of the ten categories of beings.”

All the Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajras, and Bhikkhunis listened attentively upon hearing this.

The Buddha slowly said, "The first is the Spiritual Stone Monkey, who understands transformation, knows the seasons, knows the terrain, and can move stars and change constellations. The second is the Red-Bottomed Horse Monkey, who understands yin and yang, knows human affairs, is good at entering and leaving, and can avoid death and prolong life. The third is the Long-Armed Ape, who can grasp the sun and moon, shrink mountains, discern good and bad fortune, and manipulate the universe. The fourth is the Six-Eared Macaque, who is good at listening, can discern reason, knows the past and the future, and understands all things. These four monkeys are not included in the ten categories, nor do they reach the two realms."

As soon as the Buddha finished speaking, the two holy bodies emitted all kinds of divine light, their staffs sweeping away the immeasurable Dharma flowers, directly smashing through the auspicious clouds protecting the Dharma on Mount Ling, and landing in front of the Great Buddha Hall!

It is said that the supernatural power stirred the banners in the hall, causing them to flutter and the incense to flicker.

"Old Buddha!" ​​The two voices overlapped, causing the glazed tiles to vibrate and hum.

"This monster transformed into my old Sun Wukong's appearance, committing heinous crimes and causing chaos throughout the land!"

The two Great Sages glared at each other angrily and simultaneously complained, "The Guanyin of the South Sea, the Great Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court, the Yama of the Underworld, and even Di Ting all said they could not distinguish between them. They only said that only you, with your boundless Buddhist power, can see the source and flow. You must distinguish the truth from the falsehood for us old Sun and restore our innocence!"

Both faces of the Thunder God were identical, displaying arrogance, anger, and murderous intent!
All the gods and Buddhas in the hall were awestruck by this overwhelming divine power, and their gazes involuntarily turned to the World Honored One on the lotus platform.

The Buddha's gaze calmly swept over the two monkeys, penetrating all appearances and revealing their true nature.

The Buddha spoke slowly, his voice grand and serene, dispelling most of the boundless malevolence: "Your divided minds are at odds, and you have given rise to suspicion and distrust, hence this calamity."

Both monkeys were taken aback by these words.

"Two minds vying for power?"

One of the monkey kings angrily shouted, "Buddha, stop playing games! I, Old Sun, am wholeheartedly dedicated to protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West. How could I have any ulterior motives? It is clearly this monster who is causing trouble!"

"Exactly!" another monkey king shouted. "Quickly point out which one is fake, and I'll kill it with my staff so I can go protect Master on his journey to the West!"

The Buddha no longer answered directly who was true and who was false. He simply looked at them with a gaze as deep as the ocean, encompassing all things, and carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation: "Wukong."

This call was not directed at either of them, but rather at both.

As the saying goes, external demons are easy to eliminate, but inner demons are difficult to subdue.

"Today's conflict is actually due to your delusion, anger, and attachment, which are unwilling to be quiet. It just so happens that the two gods of consciousness and desire are causing trouble, and the Six-Eared Macaque took advantage of this to try to seize your position and take your credit."

"Distinguishing truth from falsehood is not up to my words, nor to the eyes of the gods and Buddhas."

The Buddha spoke, chanting mantras that conveyed great compassion and wisdom, possessing many wondrous uses, and enlightened the monkey.

"The truth will remain truthful, and the falsehood will remain falsehood. If your mind is clear, you will know that today's difficulties cannot be resolved by external forces."

"As the saying goes, in the beginning of the universe, there was no nature; to break through the stubborn emptiness, one must awaken to emptiness. Only by awakening to emptiness can one return to true purity."

"Otherwise, even if we kill the demon in front of us, it will cause the demonic obstacles to reappear in the future, and we will fall into the suffering of reincarnation again."

The chanting of Buddhist hymns, pointing directly to one's true nature, and containing profound and mysterious words of tranquility, echoed throughout the temple.

After the Buddha finished speaking, he fell silent, slowly closed his eyes, and entered into meditation.

All three thousand Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, five hundred Arhats, numerous Vajras, countless monks and nuns, and others looked at the Buddha in astonishment.

The two monkeys were also stunned.

"Wukong... Wukong!"

One of the Great Sages seemed to have an epiphany, and in a daze, he remembered that he had entered Mount Taiyi back then.

The patriarch did not bestow upon him a generation name, but only said that he was of his own generation, and called him Wukong.

It seems that... the patriarch of yesteryear, perhaps foresight, gave himself the Dharma name Wukong.

What is emptiness?
The scripture states: all phenomena arise from the combination of various conditions, hence the emptiness of all phenomena.

By breaking free from the constraints of self and law, and attaining a clear, cloudless sky—pure, vibrant, and free—one can return to the true nature of an infant and align with the natural way of the Tao.

Meanwhile, the other monkey, seeing that the Great Sage had suddenly realized the truth, immediately shrieked sharply: "Nonsense! You old Buddha, you are clearly protecting this monster. I, Old Sun, am the real one!"

"I'll deal with this fake after I've killed him!"

The monkey's golden cudgel once again burst forth with dazzling golden light. He used the Victory Fighting Technique and the Initial True Understanding, saying that all supernatural powers are unified into one cudgel, and smashed it down on the Great Sage opposite him.

As the wind blew down on him, the confusion in the eyes of the enlightened Great Sage vanished, replaced by clear light. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, "So that's how it is! This is emptiness, this is me!"

"Laugh at my foolishness, a four-foot-tall monkey who claims to be a saint upon birth, yet knows nothing of what it means to be a saint."

His eyes blazed with golden light, a light of unprecedented clarity and enlightenment.

The Great Sage actually abandoned his golden cudgel, opened his arms, and calmly met the blow. As soon as the shadow of the cudgel reached him, it suddenly dissipated.

"No, how could I let you achieve enlightenment!"

The monkey wielding the staff roared, its form disintegrating like a bubble, transforming into a wisp of primordial chaos that instantly merged into the Great Sage's body.

"Om-"

The Great Perfection of Light suddenly appeared behind the Great Sage's head. It was said that his golden chainmail, phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, and lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes shone brightly, illuminating the pure lands of the ten directions.

At this moment, auspicious omens descended from the heavens, golden lotuses sprouted from the earth, and purple aura swept across the entire universe. This was the true attainment of the Primordial Chaos, and the world rejoiced!
"Snapped!"

With a soft sound, the golden headband around the Great Sage's head shattered, vanishing without a trace like dew or lightning, as if it had never existed.

On the lotus platform, the Buddha opened his Dharma eyes, nodded and praised, "Excellent, excellent. With a single-minded devotion, you have attained the Great Dao and broken through all barriers to become a true sage. When you achieve your goal and return to the Pure Land, you will become a Buddha."

Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the hall suddenly understood and joined their palms in praise: "Namo Amitabha Buddha... Congratulations, Great Sage, for you have seen your true nature, for seeing your own mind is seeing Buddha!"

"Great Sage!" With a wave of his hand, the Red Lotus Flame Cloak fluttered in the wind: "I have been enlightened by the Buddha, and I will remember it forever. I will protect the pilgrims on this journey, and return to the Pure Land to express my gratitude upon their success!"

On the lotus platform, the Buddha smiled and said, "Very well, Wukong, go now. I will have Guanyin accompany you. There is a decree for Tang Sanzang that you shall not be expelled again."

(End of this chapter)