Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 462 The Buddha's Invitation, Passed Down Through Generations

Now, beneath the Dragon Flower Tree, the Three Assemblies of Dragon Flower would begin. This was the first assembly. The Dharma feast was set up in a hall beneath the Dragon Flower Tree, with seven-jeweled steps adorned with golden lotuses, and jeweled nets playing wondrous music. Countless Buddhas, bodhisattvas, nuns, arhats, and many other immortals and deities, seemingly real people, were all present.

The True Man sat at the very front, above all the Buddhas. Since none of the Three Pure Ones had arrived that day, he was the one in the highest position.

The True Man, sitting here, knows the meaning of this arrangement. This Dharma assembly is more about the Buddha handing over the position of World Honored One to Maitreya Buddha.

From this day forward, Maitreya Buddha will be the World Honored One, and Chan Buddhism will be the Dharma of this world. He has always been recognized as the patriarch of Chan Buddhism, so his position is naturally among the highest.

The immortal looked down from his seat, watching Sun Wukong and the others. He smiled as he saw them talking amongst themselves, but did not interfere further.

Just as he was observing, a sound suddenly arose beside him.

"Master, is there anything inappropriate about placing the seats here?"

Upon hearing this, the immortal looked around and saw Maitreya Buddha approaching with a beaming smile.

The master rose, bowed, and said with a smile, "Venerable Maitreya Buddha."

Maitreya Buddha quickly stepped aside and said, "I dare not accept the respect due to a True Man. Please do not bow to me."

The master said, "Why does Maitreya Buddha not accept my salutations?"

Maitreya Buddha said, “The True Man is the Patriarch of Zen. How can someone of such status teach me, a practitioner of Zen, to accept your greeting? Therefore, I absolutely cannot accept this greeting.”

The Master said, “Even if I were the Zen Patriarch, you would still be able to receive my respect, because the Zen teachings were spread and developed by you, and have little to do with me.”

Maitreya Buddha shook his head and said, "That is not how it should be said. Even without discussing the matter of the Zen Patriarch, you, Master, once enlightened me and taught me how to cultivate Zen. You are my teacher, and it is only natural for me to bow to you."

Upon hearing this, the True Man had no choice but to accept it. He knew that no matter what he said, Maitreya Buddha would still bow. So he said, “Enough, enough, enough. I will accept your bow. But today is an assembly for Maitreya Buddha, so do not talk to me too much. Let’s focus on the important matter.”

Maitreya Buddha responded and said no more. He walked to the Dragon Flower Tree and sat down. He wore a five-Buddha crown, held a golden wheel vase, and the white hair between his eyebrows revealed a vision of the future. Immeasurable Buddha light appeared from behind him.

After he took his seat, he suddenly began to speak, reciting scriptures on Zen.

After the scriptures were read, all the followers gained something and were all amazed by the profundity of Maitreya's Dharma. However, those who gained the most were the tens of thousands of Buddhist disciples outside the Dharma hall. These Buddhist disciples were all disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha in the past. Now, they were here to hear the Dharma and all gained something.

When the true man saw this, he understood that it was the work of the Buddha, the Tathagata, and that these disciples were his followers. Now, having heard the Dharma of Chan, they became disciples of Maitreya. After their Nirvana, they would continue to practice the Dharma of Chan. This was the first of the three assemblies at Longhua.

The true man remained unmoved, listening attentively as Maitreya expounded the Dharma.

……

Time flies, and more than a decade has passed since this lecture began.

After Maitreya Buddha finished speaking, all those former disciples of Nirvana knelt before Maitreya Buddha, and from that moment on, they became disciples of the Chan school.

Upon seeing this, Maitreya Buddha smiled and rose to bow to the four directions, saying, "I hold three assemblies here, and this is the first one. It is my honor that you, the True Man, the Immortals, the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, the Holy Assembly, and the Worthy have come. Now, let us begin the second assembly."

Say it.

Maitreya Buddha then expounded on a new method of meditation, which was even more refined than the previous one.

Those who listened were all those who sincerely wished to take refuge in the Dharma of Chan, and they listened attentively.

The real person listened attentively to this.

This Maitreya Buddha preached the Dharma at the two assemblies for more than ten years.

More than a decade later, Maitreya Buddha preached three times.

These three gatherings marked the passing of twenty years.

The true man heard it all and understood it clearly in his heart. Maitreya Buddha's three assemblies at Longhua are: the first assembly is to teach Shakyamuni's old disciples; the second assembly is to lead those with a Buddha-nature to take refuge; and the third assembly is to recite it for those in the sea of ​​suffering. If in the future those with a Buddha-nature and those who are enlightened can use this to save themselves.

Just as Maitreya Buddha finished expounding the Three Assemblies, immeasurable Buddha light suddenly shone throughout the ten directions. At that time, the Dharma body of the Tathagata appeared beside the Dragon Flower Tree, with a bright moon behind him, a lion king seat on his right side, his left hand forming the Dharma Mudra, and his right hand hanging down in the Earth Mudra. His whole body was overflowing with rainbow light, and the Buddha's Dharma was boundless.

During the Dharma assembly, apart from the True Man, no one else possessed the power to contend with him. Seeing the divine light emanating from the True Man's body, he was in no way inferior to the Tathagata, and even surpassed him in the vigor of his Dharma.

When Tathagata saw him, he smiled and nodded without making any statement. He knew that the True Man's magical power was boundless. In the past, when the True Man had not yet achieved great magical power, he had competed with him. It was not easy to win then. Now that the True Man had achieved great magical power, he was full of vigor, like the blazing sun at dawn, while he was like the setting sun. It would be difficult for him to win now.

When all the Buddhas and immortals saw the arrival of the Tathagata's Dharma carriage, they all rose and bowed deeply in respect.

The Buddha rose with a smile, bowed to all the Buddhas and immortals, and without much pleasantry, said, "I have something to say, please listen to me. The Buddha's teachings are inconceivable, arising from dependent origination and empty of inherent existence, and are fundamentally without birth or death."

“Now that I have manifested Nirvana, the Dharma of the past and the Dharma of Nirvana have gradually faded away. Now, in the Dharma-ending Age, sentient beings are deeply afflicted and shallow in wisdom, demons are strong and the Dharma is weak, the lamp of Dharma is dim and almost extinguished. The Dharma of Nirvana has no coming or going, but sentient beings have little merit and cannot bear it; the wonderful Dharma lotus has become a secluded orchid in a deep valley, and those who know it are becoming increasingly rare.”

“I cannot bear to see the demons strong and the Dharma weak. I am deeply moved. After my passing, in the next five hundred years, in this turbid and evil world, the Buddha’s teachings will find it difficult to protect sentient beings. Therefore, I will choose to protect sentient beings.”

"Maitreya means 'the Compassionate One,' who guides sentient beings with compassion and attains Buddhahood through meditation. He is currently preaching the Dharma, guiding beings from all directions. Sentient beings in the Saha world who wish to be reborn there will all see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and never regress from Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi."

"In the Dharma-ending Age, the Chan (Zen) school is particularly timely. Why? Chan is the mind-based school of Buddhism. It does not rely on written words, but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures. It directly points to the mind, enabling one to see one's true nature and become a Buddha. It is perfectly suited to the capacities of sentient beings in the Dharma-ending Age: they do not seek extensive learning, but value practical practice; they do not rely on written words, but on Prajna (wisdom); they do not seek externally, but reflect on their own mind. Therefore, it is said: Chan is the key to Buddhism in this world."

"Now I entrust the position of the World-Honored One to Maitreya. May the compassionate Maitreya descend to the Saha world soon and widely deliver sentient beings. May all sentient beings also cultivate their minds through meditation, realize the Buddha's wisdom and vision, and see their own Amitabha nature without being separated from the present moment; and without being separated by a single thought, meet the future Maitreya face to face."

The Tathagata then handed over the position of World Honored One to Maitreya Buddha before all those present.

Maitreya Buddha put his hands together in prayer, bowed, and said, "I hereby make a vow on behalf of the World Honored One: I will never abandon the suffering of this world of five turbidities, I wish to transform this Saha world into a pure land, I wish to continue the karmic connection of Shakyamuni Buddha, and deliver all beings from this virtuous kalpa."

The Buddha smiled and said, "Excellent."

Say it.

The Buddha suddenly looked at the True Man and said, “I have long admired your profound and divine teachings, your adherence to the principles of Zen, and your compassionate heart. You have a history of subduing demons, saving the world, and opening your own temple to guide people. Now that I see you here, I, this old monk, humbly request that you be named Buddha, ‘Namo Immaculate Wondrous Wisdom Buddha.’ This Buddha ranks above all Buddhas, on par with the World Honored One, and can hold the key to all Buddhist teachings, oversee the treasury of Buddhist cause and effect, teach all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, be a teacher who resolves doubts and transmits the Way, monitor the progress of the great vows, preside over the merits and demerits of Buddhism, provide methods for dealing with calamities, and connect all religions. Please accept this title, this old monk will be eternally grateful.” Having said this,

Ignoring the astonished expressions of the Buddhas and immortals around him, Tathagata insisted on bowing to the True Man.

However, the Buddha could not complete this bow. Before he could finish his bow, a gentle breeze came and supported him. No matter how powerful the Buddha was, he could not bring himself to complete the bow.

The Buddha sighed inwardly, "The true man's teachings far surpass those of others."

The Master shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Venerable One, but my cultivation is shallow and my wisdom is scarce. I am not worthy to serve the Buddha. Please forgive me for not being able to accept it."

The Buddha said, "It was I who spoke too much; please forgive me, Master."

The person in question laughed and said they dared not.

All the Buddhas and immortals at the Dharma assembly were astonished. First, they were astonished that the Tathagata would actually appoint this Buddha and entrust him to the True Man. Second, they were astonished that the True Man remained unmoved in the face of this Buddha's position, truly demonstrating that his immortal heart was as firm as the mountains and could not be swayed by a little power.

The Buddha wanted to give Maitreya Buddha another encouragement.

Suddenly, they saw black smoke rising into the sky, which was a sign that a demon had appeared in the world.

The source of the black aura was precisely the sacred mountain.

The Buddha smiled slightly and said, "The day of my passing will be here."

The True Man looked at Mount Ling and sighed. He already knew what had happened. It was because the Demon King had broken free of his seal and transformed into a black lotus, which the Peacock King had mistakenly swallowed. As a result, the Peacock King had used his magic power and gained some fortune. Now, the Demon King's magic power was high, but his heart was in a sea of ​​suffering, with no peace. The calamity of Mount Ling had just begun.

The group waited there for a while, and then they saw a dark aura spreading out and heading towards the Dragon Flower Tree.

A moment later, someone came over. The person was dressed in black and wore a black crown. His eyes were like deep pools. He held a black lotus in his palm. The lotus emitted a dark purple light and spewed out demonic flames. There was even a Buddha-nature in the flames. He was like a demon and a Buddha. He was truly a strange person.

All the Buddhas were terrified and exclaimed, "Mara!"

Mara looked at Tathagata and said, “I am no longer Mara, but Wutian. Tathagata, you can suppress me for a time, but not forever. Now that my magic power is profound, it is your death day.”

The Buddha smiled and offered no rebuttal.

Mara did not speak with Tathagata again, but looked at the True Man and said, “True Man, I know you have great magical power. I heard your decree when you established your palace at the foot of Mount Ling. Your skills are superb, and I am no match for you. But I have not done any evil. I am seeking the Buddhist path to resolve the cause and effect. I hope you will not interfere. I would be very grateful. If my coming to seek Tathagata today has caused any disturbance, please forgive me and do not interfere.”

The true man did not speak, but looked toward the Buddha.

The Buddha said, “True man, this is a matter of Buddhism, and you need not interfere.”

Upon hearing this, the True Man said no more. He rose to leave, but then looked at the immortals and sages at the banquet and asked, "Is there anyone who wishes to leave with me?"

All the immortals responded in unison, saying, "We are willing to leave with the True Man."

The True Man smiled and responded, then led the immortals and sages away. Moro dared not obstruct him, and even bowed respectfully as the True Man departed. In the past, when his magical power was weak, he dared to contend with the True Man, but now, with his power greatly increased, he dared not. Upon seeing the True Man, he knew he was no match, let alone with the Nine Cauldrons aiding him. If he were to provoke him, even the likes of Bodhi Patriarch and Laozi would appear; how could he dare to be his enemy?

The immortal rose and departed from India. After leaving India, the assembled immortals and sages thanked the immortal and then left.

The true man then returned to the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.

After the true master returned to his place, he went to the patriarch's quiet room to meet the patriarch.

The master and disciple were talking in a quiet room.

The patriarch smiled and said, "Child, your presence here is enough to show that you have not interfered in this matter."

Jiang Yuan replied, “Master, this matter is none of my concern. It is a Buddhist matter. It would be strange if I were involved. As the saying goes, ‘The Way of Heaven changes, and each thing has its own nature and destiny.’ I should not have interfered. Therefore, I have returned.”

The Patriarch said, “I am pleased that you have this intention. Since you have not interfered in this matter, you should cultivate diligently in your residence. Now that you have completed the establishment of your residence, I expect that the Jade Emperor’s decree to return you to your position will arrive soon.”

Jiang Yuan said, "Master, although I have no intention of interfering in this matter, it is Wukong's destiny, and I have some concerns. Therefore, I intend to wait until it is accomplished before going to the Heavenly Palace."

The Patriarch said, “I know of your compassion, but if the Jade Emperor sends an imperial edict, you must not refuse it. Since the Jade Emperor went through countless hardships to ascend to his high position, no one has ever refused his decree. You have received the Jade Emperor’s repeated invitations, which is a great favor to you.”

The master said, "Master, I understand the intricacies of this matter. Please rest assured."

The patriarch smiled and nodded, saying, "It's good that you know the situation. You should also know the state of your disciples today."

The Master replied, “Master, I have five disciples to leave behind: Zhengwei, Zhengyuan, Zhengci, Xinjiang, and Lihuan. Zhengwei and Lihuan have diligently cultivated the Golden Elixir without error. Zhengyuan is secretly cultivating in the mortal realm. Zhengci’s meditation is continuous. Xinjiang’s cultivation of the mind has not ceased. Each of my disciples has their own path.”

The patriarch said, "It's good that you know."

The master bowed and said, "Master, but in time I shall return to the Heavenly Court. I originally intended to entrust the mansion to Zhengwei. However, Zhengwei's cultivation is shallow and he is unable to support the mansion. What should I do?"

The Patriarch laughed and said, “You child, you are a bit confused. In the past, before you achieved great magical power, I was in charge of the mansion. Even after the mansion was established, there was no need to pay attention to it. The mansion was just a bit deserted. I just held on until you achieved your goal, and then I handed the mansion over to you. You don’t need to say such things now. Just hold on to the mansion and hand it over to him when Zhengwei achieves his goal. There is no need to think about it.”

The master responded, "Master, I understand."

The patriarch sighed and said, “It is truly a tradition here that the mantle is passed down from generation to generation. In the past, you inherited my mantle, and I passed the mantle on to you. Now that you have established your own mantle, you have made Zhengwei your disciple, and one day you will pass the mantle on to Zhengwei.”

The master laughed and said, "Master, my Crescent Moon Three Stars Cave will never run out of resources."

The patriarch said, “The words that are not extinguished are false. All dharmas are not extinguished. Heaven and earth will perish, and so will dharmas. You child, you are just saying this to please me.”

The man smiled but said nothing more.

The master and disciple then discussed many aspects of Wukong's destiny.

(End of this chapter)