Journey to the West: Demon Emperor: Beginning as a Little Toad

Chapter 506 The Buddha's Passing Away
skyline.

At this moment.

At the grand court assembly in the Lingxiao Palace, the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

Laozi had no objection to the eastward transmission of Buddhism from the Western Paradise, which can be considered as giving face to the Jade Emperor and the Buddha.

Then, the Jade Emperor wanted to kill Donghua Dijun.

However, Laozi stepped forward to protect Donghua Dijun, stating that Donghua Dijun and he had a master-disciple relationship.

Even the Buddha spoke out in support of Laozi.

The situation instantly became complicated.

……

In these three realms, there are never eternal friends or eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

When interests align, even former enemies can become staunch allies; when interests conflict, even the strongest allies may stab each other in the back.

……

The Jade Emperor's face was ashen and extremely ugly. He and Laozi faced each other, neither willing to give way.

The Buddha sat calmly on the high platform with his hands clasped together, neither sad nor happy, twirling the prayer beads in his hands, seemingly pondering something in his heart.

The Lingxiao Palace was deathly silent, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

All the celestial beings in the Heavenly Court concealed their auras, not daring to utter a sound.

Immortals fight, mortals suffer.

To the mortals, the celestial beings are high above, omnipotent deities who control their fate.

However, in the face of the Jade Emperor, Laozi, and Buddha, these top giants of the Three Realms, the celestial beings of the Heavenly Court are just as insignificant as mortals.

In this delicate situation, they dared not speak out easily, and could only silently observe this power struggle between the big shots.

Just as the atmosphere between the Jade Emperor and Laozi reached its peak, as if a conflict was about to erupt at any moment.

Zhang Tianshi, looking hurried, jogged to the front of the hall, bowed respectfully, and reported urgently:

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother of the West from Kunlun requests an audience."

"The Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun..."

"What is she doing here...?"

Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor frowned slightly. Although he was somewhat displeased, he did not say anything more.

After all, the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun has an extremely special identity.

Of course, her strength should not be underestimated.

Looking back, the first ruler of the Heavenly Court was the Eastern King Duke, and the one who succeeded him was the Western Queen Mother.

Although the Eastern King Duke was reincarnated as the Eastern Emperor, times have changed, and he is no longer the powerful and influential Eastern King Duke who once ruled the Heavenly Court.

However, the Queen Mother of the West remains the same Queen Mother of the West, the former Queen of Heaven and the head of all female immortals in the Three Realms.

She is also the true form of the Queen Mother of the West.

Although the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun has lived in seclusion in Kunlun and has not appeared in the world for a long time, her status remains unchanged.

Of course, now the Queen Mother of the West and the Queen Mother of the West have severed their entanglements and become independent.

But since they share the same roots, they are still inextricably linked.

We might as well understand the Queen Mother of Yaochi today as the beautiful and gentle younger sister of the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun.

The Queen Mother of the West, who had been seated behind the Jade Emperor, immediately broke into a radiant smile upon hearing of the arrival of the Queen Mother of the West from Kunlun. She gracefully rose and said:
"It's rare for my sister to venture into the Kunlun Secret Realm."

"Now that we have arrived at the Heavenly Court, it is only right that I go to greet you."

Say it.

The Queen Mother of Yaochi then gracefully stepped down from her throne and left the Lingxiao Palace to greet the Queen Mother of the West from Kunlun.

With the departure of the Queen Mother of the West, the atmosphere in the Lingxiao Palace eased slightly.

But all the celestial beings in the Heavenly Court knew that this apparent peace was only temporary, and the arrival of the Queen Mother of the West from Kunlun might bring new variables to this complex situation.

……

Not long after.

The Queen Mother of the West then led a graceful female immortal, whose beauty exuded an untamed wildness, into the palace.

The female immortal was dressed in a leopard-print fairy robe. The leopard print on the robe was so lifelike that it seemed as if it might leap out of the robe at any moment, carrying a primal, wild power.

Behind him, a leopard's tail swayed gracefully, tiger teeth were faintly visible, and a head of unruly hair spread out like clouds. He wore a madman's head ornament, exuding mystery and majesty, and his whole body radiated a chilling killing aura.

This person is none other than the Queen Mother of the West, who is in charge of Kunlun.

The Queen Mother of Yaochi and the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun have similar appearances, yet each has her own unique charm.

The Queen Mother of the West is compassionate and serene, with unparalleled beauty and a face that could launch a thousand ships. She is as magnificent and noble as a peony blooming in the heavens, a paragon of goddess beauty, and every gesture she makes exudes gentleness and grace.

The Queen Mother of the West in Kunlun is wild and unrestrained, exuding a unique wild charm, like a wild and thorny rose, dangerous yet irresistibly captivating.

The two stunningly beautiful women standing together looked just like twin sisters.

One is an intellectual, elegant, and gentle woman.

One is the wild and ruthless "leopard print auntie".

Upon seeing this, some of the female immortals in Heaven bowed to the Queen Mother of the West in Kunlun and said:
"I have met the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun."

The Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun slightly raised her hand, her voice clear, cold, and majestic:
"Get up!"

After saying this, the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun waved her hand, signaling the female immortals to dispense with formalities.

Subsequently.

The Queen Mother of the West then looked directly at the Jade Emperor and said bluntly:

"I heard that the Eastern Emperor was suppressed by the Buddha of the West, and the Great Heavenly Venerable is discussing how to deal with him."

"Donghua Dijun's previous incarnation, Dongwanggong, made some contributions to the construction of the Heavenly Court."

"When the Heavenly Court was first established, the Eastern King Duke traveled far and wide, recruiting immortals and gods from all directions, and made great contributions to the prosperity of the Heavenly Court. This is how the basic framework of the Heavenly Court today was built."

"I hope that the Great Celestial Venerable will spare the life of the Eastern King Duke in consideration of his past contributions."

"The Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun..."

The Jade Emperor glanced at Laozi, the Buddha of the West, and the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun, and secretly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

After all, the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun is a genuine innate deity, an embodiment of primordial yin energy, and a goddess who advocates killing and warfare.

Her strength far surpasses that of the Queen Mother of the West.

Tracing back to its origins, the Queen Mother of the West was nothing more than a benevolent corpse of hers.

Just like the relationship between Laozi and the Sage of Taiqing.

If things were to fall apart today, the Buddha of the West might choose to stand by and do nothing.

But Laozi and the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun joined forces to confront the Jade Emperor.

The outcome is now uncertain.

Politics has always been about fighting first and then diplomacy. If all else fails, everyone fights to settle the matter with force, and then the two sides sit down at the table to discuss the follow-up matters.

The Jade Emperor glanced at Laozi, then at the Queen Mother of the West in Kunlun, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two. After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke slowly:

"I can spare Emperor Donghua's life. But..."

At this point, the Jade Emperor paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled immortals, and said in an unquestionable tone:
"I wish that there would be no more Emperor Donghua in this world!"

"This is my bottom line!"

Laozi and the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun exchanged a glance.

The Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun nodded.

She knew in her heart that Emperor Donghua was no longer the same Duke Dongwang he once was.

Moreover, she had already severed her karmic ties with the Eastern King Duke, ending all karmic ties.

She has no connection with Emperor Donghua.

Her visit this time was merely out of consideration for the past Daoist bond she shared with the Eastern King.

As for what Donghua Dijun would become later, she didn't care.

Seeing the Queen Mother of the West's stance in Kunlun, Laozi also spoke up:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this old Taoist priest has a 'Bagua Furnace' that can reshape the soul, transform a person, and make them forget their past life."

"Its power is no less than that of the Descendant of Sendai."

"This way, there will be no more Donghua Emperor in this world."

The Buddha also clasped his hands together and chanted:

"Excellent, excellent! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

"it is good!"

Although the Jade Emperor was unwilling, well...

The three—Laozi, the founder of Taoism; Tathagata Buddha, the Buddha of the West; and the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun, a former descendant of the Heavenly Court and the head of the female immortals in the Three Realms—have all expressed their opinions.

There was nothing he could do.

After all, if he completely falls out with these three, his position as the ruler of the three realms will likely be unstable.

The Jade Emperor then ordered the Curtain-Lifting General to remove the Eastern Emperor from the Heavenly Prison and hand him over to Laozi. Laozi accepted the order and led the Eastern Emperor to the Tushita Palace in the Heaven of Separation from Hatred.

……

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Lingxiao Palace remained solemn, but all the immortals knew in their hearts that the fate of Emperor Donghua had been decided in the discussions of these giants of the Three Realms.

Although the Jade Emperor made concessions, he also set his bottom line. Laozi offered a solution, and Buddha Tathagata chimed in. It seemed like everyone was happy, but in reality, a delicate balance of power was hidden behind the scenes.

……

Seeing that the matter had been resolved, the Queen Mother of the West smiled and said:

“Sister, now that we have arrived in the Heavenly Court, why not stay a while longer in my Jade Pool so that we sisters can catch up?”

The Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun smiled and said:
"Alright, it's been a long time since we've met, let's have a good get-together today."

After saying this, the Queen Mother of Yaochi took the hand of the Queen Mother of the West of Kunlun, bid farewell to the Jade Emperor, and went to Yaochi together.

……

Meanwhile, the An Tian Conference had already concluded.

The grand celestial assembly has already concluded.

After bidding a solemn farewell to the Jade Emperor, the Buddha of the West and Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea, accompanied by the Venerable Ananda and Kasyapa, rode on auspicious five-colored clouds and leisurely headed towards the Thunderclap Temple.

In the Western sacred mountain, there is a holy place where two Sal trees stand side by side, their branches and leaves intertwined, as if they were one. This is the "Sal Tree Twin Grove," also known as the "Sal Tree Twin Trees," which is the sacred place where the Buddha attained Nirvana.

According to the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha completed his final practice between two Sala trees near Kushinagar, an ancient city in India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India), and peacefully entered Nirvana.

The Buddha's Last Teachings also record: "(The Buddha) gave his final teaching, liberating Subhadra; all those who were to be liberated had been liberated. He was about to enter Nirvana between the twin Sala trees."

It was under the twin Sala trees on the banks of the Kushinagar River that the Buddha completed his mission and peacefully passed away.

These two sal trees grow in each of the four directions, hence the name "Sal Trees in a Twin Grove" or "Sal Trees in a Twin Grove".

Looking back, under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha attained enlightenment; now, among the Sal trees, the Buddha returns to silence and passes away here.

The Buddha attained enlightenment under a tree and passed away under a tree; this is truly the cycle of cause and effect, a wondrous and ineffable phenomenon.

But the sacred mountain was surrounded by auspicious light and mist, as if heaven and earth knew that the Buddha was about to pass away, and specially created this solemn and sacred atmosphere.

Before his departure, the Buddha instructed all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of Vulture Peak:

"You all remain seated in the Dharma Hall and do not disturb the meditation positions. I will go to subdue the demon and rescue you!"

however.

All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats, and so on on Mount Ling seemed to sense that the Buddha was about to pass away.

They did not follow the Buddha's instructions, but instead came out to greet the Buddha.

There are the ancient Buddha Dipankara, Maitreya Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Vajra-indestructible Buddha, Amitabha Buddha... Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, the Great Assembly of Bodhisattvas, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Lotus Pond Assembly...

The Vajra of Great Supernatural Power, the Vajra of Immeasurable Power, the Vajra of Mighty Strength, the Vajra of Indestructible Venerable King... the Arhat Who Subdues Dragons, the Arhat Riding a Deer, the Arhat Who Crosses the River, the Arhat with Long Eyebrows...

These Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats... all holding banners, canopies, rare treasures, and celestial flowers, are arranged beneath the Sala grove to respectfully welcome the Tathagata Buddha.

At this moment.

"Sand, sand, sand..."

"Sand, sand, sand..."

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the sal trees, as if bidding farewell to the Buddha.

……

"Sala" is the name of a tree native to the Indian subcontinent and considered one of the sacred trees in Buddhism.

Looking back, when the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang (Chen Xuanzang) traveled west to obtain Buddhist scriptures, he endured countless hardships and personally planted the twin Sal trees.

Time flies, and in May 2016, the only existing twin Sal trees in the world planted by the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang, after years of careful cultivation, were successfully transplanted to the Da Ci'en Temple in Xi'an, continuing the legend of Buddhist culture.

……

The Lingshan Scenic Area is solemn and majestic. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, one can almost hear the soft chanting of Buddhist hymns, as if it were telling a story of endless Zen and compassion.

The ancient Sal trees, towering and lush, seemed to silently witness this solemn and sacred moment.

Although the Buddha Tathagata possessed great supernatural powers and boundless magical abilities, it still took him considerable effort to subdue Donghua Dijun, a figure of the highest rank in Taoism.

Emperor Donghua, the Wood Duke of the primordial world, the reincarnation of the former King of the East, is not someone to be trifled with.

and.

Along his journey, the Buddha subdued the Peacock, suppressed the Styx Ancestor, and then suppressed the Eastern Emperor...

His body also suffered some damage from the series of battles.

Although the Buddha ultimately triumphed, he felt his health was failing and knew that his time of passing away was approaching.

The Buddha, riding on auspicious clouds, slowly descended beneath the Sal tree.

With a compassionate expression and profound gaze, he looked upon the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats… and began to explain to the Buddhas of Vulture Peak the path of life and death that he had now come to understand:
"Flowers bloom and wither, the moon waxes and wanes, diseased trees wither and flourish; all conditioned phenomena are impermanent."

"With profound wisdom, I have observed the three realms. The fundamental nature of reality is ultimately quiescent, like the void, devoid of anything."

"The affairs of this world are complex and complicated, and all have their own cause and effect. My suppression of Emperor Donghua may seem like a victory over an external enemy, but in reality, it is also a link in my cycle of life and death."

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and lightning, they should be viewed in this way."

"All sentient beings are adrift in the sea of ​​suffering of birth and death, clinging to everything in the world, yet unaware that everything is like a dream, a bubble, fleeting and transient. Only by letting go of attachments can one attain the joy of liberation."

“I have long warned you that all the people, things and things you love will eventually come together and you will eventually part ways.”

Nothing in this world is permanent; gathering and parting are the norm.

“You should take the Dharma as your guide and the precepts as your teacher. Only by keeping the precepts pure can you purify your mind. Only with a pure mind can you see the nature of the Dharma. Only by seeing the nature of the Dharma can you attain liberation.”

"Liberation is the state of Nirvana."

All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, Arhats, and others of Mount Ling listened respectfully with their palms together.

After the Buddha finished his sermon.

They thanked them in unison:

"Amitabha Buddha, thank you World Honored One for expounding the Dharma to us."

Subsequently.

The Buddha came to the twin Sala trees and addressed the Venerable Ananda and Venerable Kasyapa:
"Make me a bed with my head facing north and my face facing west."

The two Venerables, Ananda and Kasyapa, carefully prepared the bedding as instructed.

The Buddha lay down on his right side, with his feet crossed and his head resting on his right hand, his expression serene, as if he were asleep.

Then, a miracle happened.

Suddenly, the two sal trees were covered in pure white flowers. Although it was not the flowering season, the branches were full of blossoms.

Petals fell one after another, scattering around the Buddha, like a sacred rain of flowers.

The Buddha gazed at the fluttering petals and sighed softly:
"Trees take root in the earth, grow upwards, flourish, blossom and bear fruit, and finally return to dust."

"A person's life is just like this, from birth to death, experiencing it as it is, without adding or subtracting anything."

"My enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and my passing away under the Sal tree was also a perfect process."

"The tree witnessed my awakening, and it also witnessed my departure."

……

"Relics" are traditionally believed to be bead-like objects formed after the cremation of Shakyamuni Buddha's body, and later came to refer generally to the remains of Buddhas and eminent monks. This phenomenon is explicitly recorded in Buddhist scriptures as a sign of "the great sage of the West entering Nirvana."

As recorded in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra: "The relics emitted light, which was extraordinary."

"A white rainbow pierces the sky, connecting north and south," which is a magnificent scene of Buddha's Nirvana.

The Guang Hongming Ji records: "In the afternoon, the sky was overcast and dark. Twelve white rainbows appeared in the west, passing through from north to south... At this time, the Buddha entered Nirvana."

……

In the sky, celestial music played, and celestial beings scattered flowers as offerings, as if bidding farewell to the Buddha.

suddenly.

"Swish!"

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the Sal tree.

The Buddha emitted the light of his relics and passed away.

At the very moment of the Buddha's Nirvana, a beam of light seemed to flash between the twin Sala trees, and forty-two white rainbows filled the sky, connecting north and south.

The earth trembled slightly, and a mournful thunder rumbled in the sky, as if heaven and earth were grieving for the passing of the Buddha.

……

The Buddha of the West has now passed away.

……

Beiju Luzhou.

Some secluded place.

While the Demon Ancestor Wutian was quietly cultivating, his mind was suddenly jolted, as if he were being pulled by an invisible and powerful force.

In an instant, his eyes were filled with joy.

A smug and arrogant smile curled at the corner of the Demon Ancestor Wutian's lips as he muttered to himself:
"The Buddha has passed away..."

(End of this chapter)