Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 87 Bodhicitta Sutra
Yunfeng Temple, originally named Baofu Temple, was built by imperial decree during the Zhenguan era. The encased body statue is also known as the fleshy bodhisattva, or commonly referred to as the whole-body relic.

Those eminent monks fasted and abstained from water at the end of their lives. If their bodies did not decay after death, their disciples would wrap them in clay and paint them.

There are more than a dozen Buddha statues with wrecked bones on Mianshan Mountain, used to suppress the five dragons that once contained malevolent energy.

It was quite interesting when the three religions of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism were discussing this. The Buddhists produced the dead, while the Taoists produced the living. Even if the Taoists wanted to say something, they couldn't bring themselves to speak and could only curse the monks as cunning in their hearts.

How can this be said?
They brought out all the relics of the patriarch after his death. Does that mean the Taoists are going to follow suit?

Given the volatile tempers of the Celestial Masters throughout history, they must be turning in their graves!

As Han Yun stepped through the gate of Yunfeng Temple, he saw the ancient temple solemn and majestic, with the sounds of morning bells and evening drums drifting in, bringing a sense of tranquility to his mind.

Just then, an old monk in a kasaya slowly approached. He was the same Buddhist elder we had met before in front of the Yalong Cave. He put his hands together and smiled, saying, "Amitabha, Benefactor Han has indeed arrived."

Han Yun returned the greeting and directly stated his purpose: "I have long admired the true form of the Buddha Kongwang and wish to see its true appearance. Is that possible?"

The old monk, with a kind gaze, stepped aside to lead the way: "Please follow me, the true image of the Buddha of Emptiness is inside the hall."

Han Yun followed the old monk through the deep corridor, flanked by ancient cypress trees, with occasional fallen leaves adding to the solemnity. Incense smoke curled from the incense burner in front of the hall, and the sound of chanting could be faintly heard.

Stepping into the main hall, one is greeted by the fragrant aroma of sandalwood. A clay-sculpted Buddha statue sits solemnly on a lotus pedestal, its countenance dignified and its features lifelike, as if it were merely in deep meditation rather than having passed away a thousand years ago.

The old monk clasped his hands and lowered his head, saying, "This is the true image of the Buddha Kongwang. Zen Master Kongwang passed away here in meditation. His body did not decay for seven days, and thus this image was formed."

Han Yun stared intently at the clay statue with gold, feeling that the white hair between its eyebrows emitted a faint light, which then gave rise to various kinds of Buddhist light, such as immeasurable light, wisdom light, and pure light.

It gives people a feeling of emptiness, which is stubborn emptiness, annihilation emptiness, analytical emptiness, physical emptiness, and wondrous existence emptiness!
All dharmas are empty in nature, neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.

In the beginning of time, there were no names; to break through the stubborn void, one must awaken to emptiness!
In a daze, Han Yun's mind seemed to enter a world as illusory as glass, in which there was only a Bodhi tree and an old monk sitting peacefully under the tree.

It gives people a sense of harmony and balance, as if this scene was meant to be this way.

The old monk sat there cross-legged, seemingly the entire world, yet everywhere he was ethereal and elusive.

"You're here?"

The old monk slowly opened his eyes.

Han Yun hesitated: "You are...Kongwang Buddha?"

"It is him, yet it is not him; I am merely a wisp of his thought."

The old monk chanted a Buddhist prayer, then looked at Han Yun and smiled, "Benefactor, you possess the direct lineage of Taoism and have entered this realm of thought that I have set up. What a predestined connection! What a predestined connection!"

Han Yun asked in confusion, "Since you know that my Taoist foundation is already established, and you have led me into this realm of thought, what guidance do you have for me?"

The old monk smiled slightly, his withered fingers gently stroking a Bodhi tree leaf: "Does this benefactor know why this Bodhi tree remains evergreen for a thousand years?"

Han Yun stared intently, and saw that there were fine golden runes flowing between the veins of the leaves. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What is this...?"

The Buddha of Emptiness explained: “Thoughts arise from the mind. This Bodhi tree is rooted in the mind. As long as my thoughts remain, it will naturally remain evergreen.”

Han Yun's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that this Void King Buddha has not truly died after a thousand years?" As if seeing the doubt in Han Yun's heart, the Void King Buddha smiled and said: "I have long since died. The reason why the Realm of Thought exists is because of the special method I practiced."

"Does the benefactor know the extraordinary benefits of the Mahayana Bodhicitta teachings that I practice?"

Han Yun shook his head.

The Buddha of Emptiness held up three fingers and said, "Besides naturally opening the door to Mahayana practice, it has three benefits!"

“Those who practice my Buddhist teachings can purify and transform their karma, and can cleanse the sins accumulated since beginningless time in an instant.”

“Those who cultivate my Dharma will accumulate immeasurable merit. Their merit surpasses the vastness of space, and the merit arising from Bodhicitta transcends the accumulation of limited good roots, like a drop of water entering the ocean that never dries up; they will quickly attain Buddhahood, become the successors of the Buddha's true Dharma, and directly plant the seed of Buddhahood.”

“Those who practice my Dharma can cultivate both wisdom and compassion. Through Bodhicitta, they can quickly realize the wisdom of emptiness and naturally increase their great compassion, achieving the ultimate altruistic state of exchanging self and others, treating enemies and friends equally, and having universal compassion.”

Upon hearing this, Han Yun couldn't help but ponder something.

No wonder the Buddha of Emptiness chose this place as his sacred site, and after his death, his physical body was made into a relic to suppress the five dragons. With such power to purify sins, it was the perfect place.

Moreover, the concept of universal compassion refers to taking the suffering of all beings as one's own, feeling their pain, and liberating them from the sea of ​​suffering, based on the shared origin of the Dharma body.

Moreover, great compassion naturally increases, which is equivalent to giving one's spiritual cultivation a self-regulating cheat code. With an infinite mind, one's wisdom is also infinite, and one's spiritual growth is also infinite.

Buddhists say that the physical body is a precious raft for crossing the world and a vessel for carrying the fruits of spiritual practice, while wisdom-based practice is the foundation. Now, seeing this, it is indeed true.

Even though the physical body of the Buddha Kongwang has been destroyed, his mind can still persist for a thousand years and he still needs to temper the malevolent energy of the five dragons.

Truly worthy of being called Mahayana Buddhism!
Just then, the Buddha of Emptiness said again: "Benefactor, you have removed the stagnant water from the earth's veins and subdued the five dragons. This old monk can be considered to have completed his merits. There is no reason for this realm of thought to exist here anymore."

"At this moment of passing away, I have a gift to offer."

Upon hearing this, Han Yun's heart skipped a beat. He had already become the founder of Taoism; would he also inherit the legacy of Buddhism?

As if to confirm Han Yun's thoughts, the Buddha Kongwang waved his hand, and the golden runes in the Bodhi tree turned into countless points of light, which entered Han Yun's "body".

In an instant, Han Yun felt a cool sensation in his mind, and countless golden Sanskrit characters flowed through his sea of ​​consciousness like water. Although he could not recognize the form of those characters, he naturally understood their meaning; it was the complete transmission of the Mahayana Bodhicitta Sutra.

The figure of the Buddha of Emptiness gradually faded, but his voice grew clearer: "Benefactor, do not be attached to appearances. The Buddha is the Way, and all things return to one. Since you have already received the true teachings of Taoism, you should know the principle that different paths lead to the same destination. Consider this Bodhi Mind Dharma a small gift from this old monk to you..."

Before the words were even finished, the entire crystal world suddenly trembled violently.

Han Yun's vision went black, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in the main hall. The statue of the emaciated body was still sitting solemnly, but the white hair between his eyebrows had dimmed.

"Benefactor Han?" The old monk called softly when he saw him suddenly freeze.

When Han Yun came to his senses, he noticed a faintly visible Bodhi sapling in the spiritual platform of his Divine Court Purple Mansion.

He calmly put his palms together in return and said, "Thank you for the introduction, Master. The true form of the Buddha Kongwang is indeed very mysterious."

(End of this chapter)