The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 308 - 270: Suddenly Hearing the Dao Scripture Awakens the Spirit

Chapter 308: Chapter 270: Suddenly Hearing the Dao Scripture Awakens the Spirit

The Scripture Seeker had obtained the True Mahayana Sutras and traveled east to the Southern Toad Continent to meet with Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Upon seeing Tang Sanzang, who had been retrieving scriptures for over a decade, Emperor Taizong burst into laughter and joyfully said, "Holy Monk, His Royal Brother, I have awaited you eagerly every day. Today, seeing the purple aura coming from the west, I knew a dignitary from the west was approaching, and I secretly guessed it might be your return. Indeed, I was right!"

Tang Sanzang, with tears in his eyes, responded, "Your Majesty, on my journey west, I faced numerous sufferings! Now, I have finally fulfilled the trust you placed in me and have brought back the true scriptures."

Emperor Taizong chuckled, "You have worked hard, His Royal Brother!"

Kneeling, Tang Sanzang replied, "I always remember Your Majesty’s great kindness; naturally, I dare not slacken. It wasn’t about the hardship! Fortunately, I did not fail Your Majesty’s expectations. Soon, I will find monks to translate these Mahayana Buddhist Sutras with me, to spread them both within and beyond Great Tang. Thus, the nation will flourish, everyone will learn goodness, and naturally, peace and prosperity will reign."

Emperor Taizong helped Tang Sanzang to his feet and said, "Very good, very good! His Royal Brother, with your hard work and high achievements, there’s no hurry these next two days. First rest for a while, and then we can start the translation work."

Tang Sanzang said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wukong, seeing that these matters were conclusively settled, sighed inwardly and thought, "The spread of Buddhism will thin our national fortune, and since my master disrupted the Kunlun Dragon Veins, letting dragon qi leak out to the Uttara Kuru Kingdom, those Hu tribes of the north who drink blood might bring calamity to the Central Plains. When that happens, the human path will affect the heavenly fortunes, and a great catastrophe will be unavoidable!"

Returning from the Nine Heavens, where he monitored the world and where no one dared defy heaven, as doing so would provoke the annihilation by the Nine Great Saints. The propagation of the Buddhist scriptures was now a settled matter. However, Tang Sanzang was now a person of high status and power in the Eastern Land, and he could slightly modify the Buddhist scriptures. That indeed would be the true scripture. Otherwise, a direct translation would simply brainwash people, creating a nation full of mindless followers, only knowing how to pray and chant, which could ruin the national destiny.

Wukong then said, "Let’s leave Sandalwood Buddha here to spread the teachings of Buddhism, while we return to Mount Meru to report back to Tathagata."

The three brothers returned to Mount Meru, entered the Da Xiong Palace, and reported to Tathagata that Tang Sanzang had safely reached the Southern Toad Continent and was currently in the Imperial Palace discussing the spread of Buddhism with Emperor Taizong.

Tathagata joyfully said, "Good, very good! My Buddhist law is about to greatly prosper in the Eastern Land, which is truly wonderful."

All Buddhas also said, "Congratulations to Buddha Ancestor, best wishes to Buddha Ancestor! May all sentient beings recognize the compassion of our Buddhist Law."

In his heart, Wukong coldly sneered. Compassion of Buddhism? Tathagata probably harbors some grand conspiracy, some hidden wild ambition!

Tathagata declared, "Victorious Fighting Buddha, Altar Cleanser, and Golden Body Arhat, each of you return to your own places."

After achieving Buddhahood, they were required to come to Mount Meru every day to listen to and teach scriptures. Only after the teachings could they return to their own sanctuaries.

Wukong had achieved Buddhahood, and Tathagata had already commanded his Vajra to establish a shrine for Victorious Fighting Buddha, with offerings of incense for him. However, Wukong, with his newly acquired position, was unlikely to attract many followers, and his incense offerings would certainly fall short of other Buddhas. Yet, Tathagata intended to nurture him, likely granting him some great opportunities in time.

Now that he had just entered Buddhism, Tathagata naturally observed him closely.

Wukong joined his palms and said, "I comply with the Buddhist law!"

After Altar Cleanser and Golden Body Arhat left, Wukong sat down in the Da Xiong Palace, discussing the scriptures with All Buddhas. Having read many Buddhist Scriptures himself, he understood the principles of Buddhism well, and since his cultivation included the Integration of the Three Teachings, there were no barriers for him regarding Buddhist doctrines.

Tathagata... "mostly preaches brainwashing techniques," Wukong thought cautiously. "I must be careful not to let him convert me!"

He had finally become a Buddha but he had to be wary of Tathagata using some secret technique to transform him into a puppet of Buddhism. If he ever came under subjugation, both Daoist Equal to Heaven and Enlightenment Dao would also be subdued!

Kong Xuan’s eyes flickered for a moment as he glanced at Wukong without speaking.

Wukong seemed to perceive something; he listened to the Tathagata preaching and couldn’t help but admire him. Although he disliked the Tathagata’s actions, the principles he expounded were profound and enigmatic. If one could comprehend them, they would gain a great opportunity.

In years past, Great Brahma sought the Tathagata’s teachings and presented fresh flowers. However, Tathagata held the flowers and smiled to signal all the Buddhas. The Buddhas did not understand, but only Kasyapa nodded with a smile. The Buddha Ancestor gave him the flower, and Kasyapa smiled as he pinched the flower. This was the origin of the "Kasyapa pinching the flower" story, which even mortals knew. However, both Kasyapa and Ananda had met their fate at the hands of Zhuang Zhou and had been slain.

Kasyapa pinched the flower, comprehended the Zen mystery, and thus received the true transmission of the Buddha Ancestor, greatly increasing his mana and achieving the status of a Venerable.

The All Buddhas did not understand and asked Kasyapa why he laughed. Kasyapa said that he saw the Buddha Ancestor laugh, so he laughed as well. This is a type of Buddhist law that emphasizes cultivating the mind. The Buddha Ancestor laughed, he laughed—it was a heart imprinting on another heart, allowing one to see the "Tathagata."

"Tathagata" not only refers to the Respectful Ruler of the World but also to the reasonings of the Buddhist sect and is even a synonym for the Buddha—the Medicine Buddha can be called the Medicine Tathagata, the Non-Empty Attainment Buddha can be called the Non-Empty Attainment Tathagata, and so on, including Maitreya Tathagata, Amitabha Tathagata...

Tathagata is hard to see, and only by contemplating its profound mysteries can one truly see it. The Daoist Equal to Heaven, experiencing endless illusory realms in the World of Heavenly Demons, had Amitabha Buddha and Daoist Zhunti’s divine thoughts hidden in the "Sutra of the Other Shore," subtly guiding him, making him understand the truths of "no form of self, no form of person, no form of living being, no form of life" and "all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows," which ultimately corrected his fruition and allowed him to see the Tathagata.

Buddhist law does not cling to "forms"; it values "mind." When one cultivates deeply, everything is empty, and deeper still, emptiness and form permeate each other.

The "Diamond Sutra" can be regarded as a scripture for cultivating the Buddhist sect, containing the quintessence of Buddhism. The phrase "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew and also like electricity, should be viewed as such" encapsulates the true essence of Buddhist cultivation.

"Do not seek me by sound, and you can see the Tathagata; do not seek me by appearance, and you can see the Tathagata..." The Tathagata sat in the Da Xiong Palace preaching, with miraculous phenomena occurring around, Earth-Sprung Golden Lotuses appearing—this was the state of achieving the law through the word, a high level of comprehension of principles.

Listening intently, Wukong’s mind became slightly blurred, but suddenly he heard a voice: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew and also like electricity, should be viewed as such!"

His mind was jolted, and a bit of clarity returned to his eyes. Then he heard a loud shout: "In the ancient azure heavens, vast and empty songs echoed, and Great Fu Li Earth received unlimited superior beings from Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch. Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch proclaimed this scripture, calling from all directions ten times. The beginning was to approach the seat, with the Naive Great God, the Supremely Holy and Honorable, and the Mystically Travelling True Man arriving on clouds, accompanied by countless beings, riding the wind. Flying amidst clouds reaching the heavens, on a green jade chariot. Feathered canopies cast shade, and radiant jade light flowed. Five-colored vibrancy thrived, brilliantly illuminating the heavens. For seven days and seven nights, all the celestial bodies, constellations, and heavenly bodies stopped their movements. Divine winds ceased, mountains and seas hid the clouds. The sky was clear of any hindrances, with the four energies bright and clear. A nation’s lands, mountains, forests, and woods were all uniformly level, without high or low. The ground turned into jade, devoid of other colors. All True Beings served the seat."

This was from "Sutra for Crossing Sentient Beings," a Taoist scripture. The voice first loudly declared all to be like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows and then recited the "Sutra for Crossing Sentient Beings," helping him maintain complete lucidity.

"Tathagata’s teachings are truly frightening; I don’t know who helped me secretly. They even understood the way of dual cultivation of life and essence, studying both supreme profound sutras so thoroughly. A loud shout, like a beckoning from the Heavenly Dao, a vast bell ringing in the ear, made my Primordial Spirit jolt, ready to fly out of my body." Wukong marveled inwardly; the Tathagata’s teachings were formidable, immersing him deeply into those principles.

Wukong silently recited: "Yuan Shi’s profound mystery, the original Chapter of Spiritual Treasure. Superior, wonderful beginning, ten times per person. Hundreds of demons hide in the rhyme, coming together naturally. The Hunyuan crimson scripture, without any supreme truth. Yuan Shi’s ancestral calamity, transforming and giving birth to all heavens. Opening the three realms, thus becoming the heavenly root..."

He continued reciting the "Sutra for Crossing Sentient Beings," thereby stabilizing his mind without being further shaken.

Wukong thought: "Although there are profound mysteries and great wisdom in Tathagata’s scriptures, they also might shake my Dao heart, causing me to truly convert and become a follower. I need to first advance my cultivation to Mixed Yuan Golden Immortal Second Layer of Heaven, stabilizing my own Dao fruits to prevent being stirred again. I don’t know which expert reminded me secretly, but it seems that my Master had laid out a plan within Mount Meru, otherwise, he would not have reminded me at this critical moment."

He also felt quite enlightened. After the Tathagata stopped preaching and some Buddhas discussed their understandings, today’s grand assembly dispersed, and there would be another gathering tomorrow.

Wukong said to Tathagata, "Buddha Ancestor, the disciple has realized the profound mysteries of the laws and needs to enter seclusion to contemplate further. Please approve, Buddha Ancestor!"

Tathagata nodded and said, "Granted!"

Wukong breathed a sigh of relief, exited the Da Xiong Palace, and returned to the Victorious Fighting Buddha Mountain Gate to prepare for seclusion.

To find out what happens next, please tune in to the next episode. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to support by voting for it on Qidian.com (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)