The Battle in Journey to the West
Chapter 341 - 302: Lapis Lazuli World Speaks of Fate and Fortune

Chapter 341: Chapter 302: Lapis Lazuli World Speaks of Fate and Fortune

The Tathagata sent Wukong to preside over the Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm, lest minor villains cause trouble, as the Medicine Buddha alone could not cope with them.

Upon arriving in the Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm, the Medicine Buddha greeted him, saying, "So it is the Victorious Fighting Buddha who graces us with his presence, my apologies for not having greeted you from afar!"

Wukong sneered and said, "Medicine Buddha, you have quite the gall to kill the Medicine Buddha and seize the Lapis Lazuli World! You may deceive the World Honored One, but you cannot fool me."

The Medicine Buddha’s face turned pale, not having expected the Victorious Fighting Buddha to see through his true identity upon arrival. Nevertheless, he still shook his head and said, "The Victorious Fighting Buddha jests. I am the Medicine Buddha, the whereabouts of the Medicine Buddha are currently unknown, tucked away in hiding. How could one find him? Actually, I would be pleased if he coveted my Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm, for then I could capture him entirely and eliminate future troubles."

Wukong was merely trying to scare the Medicine Buddha and could not help but laugh heartily, saying, "Medicine Buddha, you are indeed cautious, which is excellent, to keep the Tathagata from having doubts."

The Medicine Buddha was terrified and stared at him for a long time without speaking.

Wukong then said, "That Daoist Equal to Heaven is merely a part of myself. I am merely pledged to the Buddhist sect now, like you, serving as an undercover agent."

Realization dawned on the Medicine Buddha, who was now sweating profusely, a difficult feat for beings of their cultivation level, who had closed pores and contained their vital essence without letting it escape.

"So you are the Daoist Equal to Heaven. You have frightened me to death! May I know what brings you to the Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm this time?" asked the Medicine Buddha.

"The Tathagata heard that your mountain gate was destroyed, so he sent me to preside over and lend a hand, ha ha!" laughed Wukong.

The Medicine Buddha could not help but laugh as well, saying, "The Tathagata is indeed kindhearted! Then you may preside here for a while."

Wukong said, "You have killed the Medicine Buddha, and I have gained some insight into the Dao of Karmic Tribulation. I am now preparing to cultivate a divine skill to grasp the true meaning of Karmic Tribulation. I already have some initial leads and need your advice on the key to Karmic Tribulation."

The fight between the Medicine Buddha and the Medicine Buddha ended with one seizing fortune and the other facing tribulation, a manifestation of the Dao of Karmic Tribulation. In the world, all things follow the principle of Yin and Yang, and Karmic Tribulation is also a form of Yin and Yang: tribulation is Yin, fortune is Yang, tribulation is death, fortune is life. Karmic Tribulation is a formidable force, and utilizing such a force to unlock divine skills is extremely terrifying.

Until now, Wukong had been walking the path of others, following the Unified Method of the Three Religions founded by the Leader of Heaven-Penetrating. Now that he had become the creator, he sought his own path. Watching the struggle between the Medicine Buddha and the Medicine Buddha, he perceived the intricacies of Karmic Tribulation entwining life and death and wished to create his own divine skill.

Wukong also possessed Karmic Tribulation; the Tathagata’s attempt to kill him was both a tribulation and a fortune. The intertwining of Karmic Tribulation was the reason for his current level of cultivation.

His journey had been full of continuous Karmic Tribulation, but fortunately, he always managed to resolve the calamities and enhance his fortune. Now, as the creator, he sought to unlock his own divine skills and comprehend his own path, only then could he hope to attain the elusive Primordial Great Way!

Such attainment of the Primordial Great Way is extremely elusive. The Saints of today have existed since the creation of the world. For later generations, the idea of becoming a Saint is as unrealistic as a fantasy.

Becoming a Saint is also a matter of fortune, as well as a tribulation! Saints are known to withstand a myriad of tribulations; this is their Karmic Tribulation.

"This Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm is a matter of cause and effect. Amitabha Buddha constructed it for my birth, and the Medicine Buddha occupied my world. Before my birth, I had already developed significant karma with him. Cause and effect are forms of Karmic Tribulation. As the saying goes, good causes bring good effects, and evil causes bring retribution. The Medicine Buddha’s takeover of my realm was an evil cause, so he received evil retribution. Of course, if he had killed me, that evil retribution would have turned into his fortune. Overcoming a tribulation turns into fortune!" The Medicine Buddha had slain the Medicine Buddha and now slowly revealed the karma tying them together.

Wukong responded with an "oh," saying, "I have acquired the Sutra of the Other Shore from Amitabha Buddha, while the Mosquito Taoist stole and ate from Amitabha Buddha’s Lotus Platform. Furthermore, Amitabha Buddha has disappeared, creating a series of karma. Since Amitabha Buddha could not settle this karma, it fell upon me. If I cannot defeat the Mosquito Taoist, it is my tribulation; however, by defeating him and even obtaining the Third-grade Merit Lotus Platform, I have turned a tribulation into fortune."

The Medicine Buddha said, "Exactly, that is the Tathagata. The Sutra of the Other Shore is Amitabha Buddha’s supreme scripture. The Mosquito Taoist has a profound karma with him, which he could not resolve. Eventually, by the workings of fate, it became your obligation to settle this karma. This is your Karmic Tribulation; if you can resolve it, it becomes fortune, and if not, it remains a tribulation."

"It is often said that mortals fear the effect while Bodhisattvas fear the cause. Because mortals are short-sighted and cannot see the cause, they can only see the effect; their emotions flare up momentarily, leading them to commit evil deeds. When the retribution arrives, they are filled with immense regret and agony, which is why they fear the effect; whereas Bodhisattvas have attained enlightenment and understand the interplay of cause and effect. Their clear minds perceive karmic causes, so they dread acquiring any negative causes that could bring disaster and irreversible ruin, thus Bodhisattvas fear the cause."

Having heard the Medicine Buddha’s explanation, Wukong had an epiphany. Indeed, mortals are short-sighted, acting impulsively and committing atrocities, only to be filled with remorse when the consequences come; Bodhisattvas, comparable to Golden Immortals in the Daoist sect, avoid entangling themselves in the mortal world precisely because such involvements bring excessive karmic entanglements. Being aware of the inevitable negative results, yet unable to avoid them, they fear the cause.

Do you not see how in the Divine Enthronement War, many immortals suffered due to meddling in the Human Path and acquiring negative karma? Then they met untimely ends, as fruitless as trying to fill their bellies with painted cakes. If they had secluded themselves like in the Netherworld Blood Sea, they would not have acquired such causes and thus faced disastrous effects and perished wrongfully.

"Causality, cataclysm, cosmic energy, tangled together, one must observe the pattern of catastrophe, to discern the flow of destiny. Medicine Buddha knew this was his karmic tribulation; if he allowed me to seize the Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm, his death was certain. Therefore, even in his final moments, he attempted to sacrifice the entire world to stop me from taking the cosmic energy. If I can’t reclaim the Lapis Lazuli Pure Light Realm, that cosmic energy will turn into disaster, and a great calamity will befall the heavens and the earth, and I will be slain by the Medicine Buddha," Medicine Buddha Tathagata began to analyze the causality and tribulations of this event for Wukong.

The Buddha Ancestor was most adept at explaining causality, cosmic energy, and connections; Medicine Buddha Tathagata, the future Respectful Ruler of the World, had not experienced as much as Wukong, but his understanding of Buddhist principles had been cultivated to perfection. Even if Siddhartha Gautama Buddha were to debate the Dharma with him, he would not be at a disadvantage.

Wukong said with a sudden realization, "When two Heavenly Daos clash, it is causality, it is catastrophe. If one Heavenly Dao defeats the other and achieves transcendence, then that is cosmic energy! But what is this transcendence, really? The Heavenly Dao is infinite, carefree and at ease, with the Heart of Heaven unfathomable, changing unpredictably; beyond that transcendence, what form will it take?"

Medicine Buddha Tathagata replied, "The Heavenly Dao originates from Chaos; Chaos is the beginning, the Great Dao itself, the Taiyi! To transcend is to transcend the entirety of Chaos, not to be bound by the Great Dao. The Heavenly Dao has no thoughts; everything operates according to order and instinct. The clash between the two realms is because both of their Heavenly Daos wish to be unbound, to achieve true freedom."

"And what would happen if there is no transcendence?" asked Wukong.

Medicine Buddha Tathagata replied, "Chaos is unpredictable; you know that our world was created by Pangu separating heaven and earth, but do you know who performed such acts in other worlds? The Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things. Therefore, the number of the Heavenly Dao is dual, and only through mutual conflict can they return to one, from one to Dao, and then transcend. The clash between realms is destiny! It is only after I slay the Medicine Buddha and grasp the mysteries of karmic tribulation that I have foreseen this; whether it is correct remains unseen."

"The Heavenly Dao is dual, and then came the existence of heaven, earth, and man as the Three Talents; this is three. From three, all things were born," Medicine Buddha Tathagata spoke eloquently.

Wukong was mesmerized. So it was; the realms clashed, the Heavenly Dao was heartless—there was no enmity by nature. Everything aimed for transcendence, and there was no right or wrong, no good or bad, no true or false.

Wukong and others saw Tathagata as a demon, yet Tathagata too considered the people of the Four Great Continents demonic!

"Good and evil, right and wrong, they are all relative. Above the Heavenly Dao is the Great Dao: the Great Dao is heartless, boundless, unpredictable! The Great Dao births causality, the Great Dao births cataclysm! This is my Dao, the Doomsday Great Dao," Wukong gained some enlightenment. He understood the true meaning of the Three Teachings and integrated the Three Talents, fathoming the Doomsday Great Dao.

"The creation of myriad beings through the separation of heaven and earth is cosmic energy; the destruction of the world, all turning to ash, is catastrophe," Medicine Buddha Tathagata said.

Wukong let out a long howl, and with a wave of his hand, he evolved the Eight Trigrams, deducing the mysteries of the tribulation.

"What benefits shall there be after transcendence?" Wukong suddenly asked.

"From what I understand, transcendence means there is no causality, no tribulation, all beings are at peace, all possess compassion, benevolence towards others, living and working in contentment. Below the Heavenly Dao, there would be no more slaughters, immortals hidden in the heavens, mortals living joyously on earth. Immortals and mortals separated, without interference."

Heavenly Dao’s slaughtering tribulation exists because there is too much causality, too much karmic force. It must be cleared up. If one can survive the slaughtering tribulation, then cosmic energy is granted, cultivation improves; fail, and one is bound to be dead or injured.

"Once transcendence is achieved, one will forever accompany the Celestial Venerable, listen to the true Dharma; the spirit will never backslide; there will be no hell, no doomsday tribulation; no invasion by external demons; one will accompany all great True Persons, cultivating achievement together; there will be no Three Miseries or Five Sufferings, but only unending joy and purity; all that is sought will answer; spread the salvation to all beings, rescuing ancestors burdened by eons of tribulations."

"Below the Heavenly Dao, there must be living beings, so the Heavenly Dao is also based upon the Human Path. Its transcendence is to escape the bonds of Chaos and cataclysm for the sake of human contentment, no cause and effect, no more slaughtering tribulation, especially as each slaughter engaged by the Heavenly Dao leaves it immensely weakened."

Wukong began to understand the tribulation, deducing many mysteries, and sat cross-legged. An Eight Trigrams Diagram floated above his head, spinning incessantly, transferring torrents of knowledge and will. It was as if he was communicating with the Heavenly Dao.

"My way is the way of karmic tribulation! To resolve tribulation is to achieve the Primordial Limitless," Wukong said with a smile.

Medicine Buddha Tathagata replied, "Good indeed, good indeed! It seems you have already grasped the mysteries of karmic tribulation and understood the reasons for the transcendence of the Heavenly Dao. Becoming a saint is within your reach."

Sighing, Wukong said, "Everything aims for transcendence; inevitably one realm will perish, with no good or evil, no right or wrong, no true or false. It’s all but the workings of the Great Dao’s tribulation."

"My divine skill shall be named Karmic Tribulation Divine Fist!"

Medicine Buddha Tathagata remained silent, also deep in thought.

If you wish to know what happens next, please listen to the following explanation. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)