Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Bodhidharma, however, was not in a hurry and asked again, "Master, what comes next?"

Li Xiuyuan rolled her eyes at him, but still patiently said, "The world is full of wonders. There are all sorts of things. There are women more beautiful than fairies, and I've seen quite a few. There are monks more devout than Buddha himself. There are endless scenes to see and things to experience, always surprising you. And then there's more and more, it's endless."

You and I both came from the mortal world, cultivated ourselves within it, and ultimately came from this vast world to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Having said that, Bodhidharma turned around, looked at the paradise inside, and asked, "Master, what do you think is inside?"

Li Xiuyuan chuckled and said, "The Western Paradise, the Land of Ultimate Bliss. A place that all living beings yearn for."

"Then, Master, what is in the Pure Land?" Li Xiuyuan was already sobbing when he heard Bodhidharma say this, and he felt very sad.

Li Xiuyuan and Bodhidharma looked inside together and laughed, "The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, inside is still the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Besides the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, there is still the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

As Bodhidharma listened to Li Xiuyuan repeatedly speak of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, he couldn't help but cry, saying haltingly, "Master, then tell me, which one is the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss—the one outside or the one inside the river?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan burst into laughter and said, "To me, the outside world is naturally a paradise. You want to test your master, but don't you see how long your master has stayed in this Western Paradise? I've been enjoying myself in the outside world all day long. Unlike those self-righteous Buddhas who stay in their own little Buddhist kingdom all day long, thinking it's the holy land of the Three Realms."

My disciple, do not be discouraged. It is only natural that you are going through this ordeal. As the saying goes, "Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them, and will first test their resolve." Bodhidharma, remember, the vast world is a paradise. A paradise can also be a mortal realm filled with suffering. You can go wherever you want. But you must have the means to go there, the means to control where you go.

"Look at your master, I can go wherever I want. I'm not bound by any constraints. However, I can't control everything. I can only control a tiny bit. That's why I still need to cultivate to a higher level."

Bodhidharma's mental tribulation was removed with just a few words from Li Xiuyuan. However, Bodhidharma came from the mortal world and then continued to guard the mountain gate as always, which caused his mental tribulation to arise, and he even had thoughts of suicide.

After Li Xiuyuan finished speaking, Bodhidharma felt his mind and body expand, and all the previous smoke dissipated. He wiped away his tears, knelt down and kowtowed three times to Li Xiuyuan, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Master." Li Xiuyuan nodded, and he stood up.

However, Bodhidharma suddenly recalled what Li Xiuyuan had just said and asked, "Master, you just said that I should face this tribulation because I will have an important mission? What do you mean?"

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "Buddha, Dipankara's fate has run out. I originally wanted you to be the ruler of the Western Paradise, but you still haven't grown up enough. So, I let Maitreya Buddha be the ruler of the Western Paradise. After all, he is the future Buddha, and now that Buddha is about to fall, it is only right that he should take over."

Then, the Buddha of the past became Dipankara Buddha. You are the Buddha of the future; as you grow and mature, you will naturally become the Buddha of the present.

However, you are still not fully grown and lack strength. Therefore, I will arrange for a group of people to protect you. Among Tang Sanzang and his disciples, there is your junior brother Sun Wukong, who is now a quasi-saint. There is also Tang Sanzang; the two of them will be your protectors of Buddhism in the future.

Of course, I will also make arrangements for the other Buddhas; I will support you in all of them.

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma was greatly shocked. He had never expected that Li Xiuyuan intended for him to become the future master of the Western Paradise Mountain. Moreover, considering that he was still weak, Li Xiuyuan had made many arrangements for his future. Bodhidharma immediately said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Master! This disciple has no way to repay you."

Li Xiuyuan nodded and smiled, "Alright, alright, you still need to work harder in the future."

Bodhidharma is now deeply grateful to Li Xiuyuan. From initially accepting him as a disciple to later securing him the position of the head of the Eighteen Arhats, and now to supporting and nurturing him to become the ruler of the Western Paradise, this kindness is as heavy as a mountain.

Li Xiuyuan suddenly sensed that his opportunity had arrived. He didn't know where it was, but he could feel that they were very close to him. Very close, and slowly approaching.

Suddenly, the Arhats from a hundred miles away shouted in this direction: "Brother Subduing Dragon! Someone has arrived in the Western Paradise. Who is it? Come quickly!"

Bodhidharma immediately stood up and said, "Master, someone is coming. I need to go and see." Li Xiuyuan also stood up and said, "I will go with you." Then the master and disciple arrived at the mountain gate, which was a hundred miles away.

This is an extremely high place; from here, you can see things stretching for tens of thousands of miles in the distant desert.

At the signal of the other Arhats, Li Xiuyuan and Damo looked northeast. There, the vast yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see, and apart from the setting sun, several figures appeared in the distance.

Li Xiuyuan felt an indescribable joy at this moment. He thought to himself: Ah, my opportunity has finally arrived.

There were four figures in the distance, four black dots. One large one, and four smaller ones. The large one was Tang Sanzang riding the white dragon horse, and the smaller ones were Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing.

Today, the vast desert finally showed some unusual signs of change. One of the opportunities Li Xiuyuan had held in his heart was the arrival of Tang Sanzang and his disciples in the Western Paradise, something he already knew. They had finally arrived, reaching the Western Paradise.

Chapter 613 Tang Sanzang Enters the Palace

As Sun Wukong and the others gradually made their way westward, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but smile. He had been planning this for a very long time. If this plan succeeded, Buddhism would flourish, and he, as the mastermind, would surely accumulate immeasurable merit and reap a large reward of merit points.

Li Xiuyuan opened his mouth and instructed, "Bodhidharma, you stay here with them to welcome your junior brother. I will go and ring the golden bell to summon all the Buddhas of the heavens."

After Bodhidharma agreed, Li Xiuyuan leaped through the mountain gate and arrived at the Western Paradise, within Mount Ling. Li Xiuyuan sped like lightning and arrived atop the Golden Hall.

Li Xiuyuan walked to the golden bell and struck it several times with his fingers. Immediately, the sounds of Buddhist chants resounded throughout the three thousand Buddhist kingdoms. Many Buddhas were helpless; it seemed that just a few months ago, Li Xiuyuan had struck the golden bell once. And now, only a few months later, the golden bell had rung again.

Although the Buddhas were inwardly agitated, they all rose to their feet. Li Xiuyuan then joined the Buddhas at the Golden Hall.

However, in the end, just like last time, it was still Dipankara Buddha and Tathagata Buddha who opened the gates. Both of them seemed somewhat disappointed.

The Buddha and Dipankara Buddha took their seats on the Buddha's throne. The Buddha then asked, "Who is ringing the bell?"

Li Xiuyuan said, "I will ring the bell."

"What is the matter?" asked Dipankara Buddha.

Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly and said, "Tang Sanzang and his disciples have been traveling non-stop and have already arrived outside Mount Ling."

The Buddha nodded and replied, "Yes, it's only a matter of time. But it's best to let them go on their pilgrimage first."

Li Xiuyuan laughed and said, "It wouldn't hurt to meet them first." Tathagata did not want to argue with Li Xiuyuan, so he said, "Alright, let's do as the Heavenly Dragon Buddha says. Send down the order to summon Tang Sanzang and his disciples directly to the Golden Hall."

Then, the Vajra Arhats began to relay the message, which eventually reached Bodhidharma at the entrance of Mount Ling.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples walked up the mountain and addressed Bodhidharma, who had come to greet them: "Arhat, we are monks from the Great Tang Dynasty of the East who have come to the Western Paradise to obtain scriptures. Please trouble yourself to inform the Great Sun Dragon Buddha first."

The reason Tang Sanzang and his disciples said this was naturally because Tang Sanzang had a grudge against Buddha. If they directly informed Buddha, who knew what kind of trouble Buddha would cause them? It was better to inform Li Xiuyuan first; with Li Xiuyuan there, they wouldn't have to worry about Buddha's secret retaliation.

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma smiled and said, "You need not think too much. Master already knew you were coming and has already rung the golden bell in the Golden Hall to summon all the Buddhas of the heavens. There's no need to worry."

After Bodhidharma finished speaking, Sun Wukong said, "Oh, you call the Great Sun Dragon Buddha your master, so you must be Brother Bodhidharma?"

Bodhidharma looked at Sun Wukong and laughed, "That's right, that's right, you must be Senior Brother Sun. Master has already arranged a Buddha seat for you, hurry up and go in. Don't keep Master waiting."

Sun Wukong had heard Li Xiuyuan mention this senior brother Bodhidharma, so he said, "Alright, alright, but this is our first time visiting Mount Ling, so we hope that senior brother will go out of his way to guide us."

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma replied, "Very well."

Then, under the guidance of Bodhidharma, Tang Sanzang and his disciples entered the Western Paradise, Mount Ling. Upon entering Mount Ling, it was the first time for the White Dragon Horse, Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing, and Zhu Bajie to step into the Western Paradise.

They were all captivated by the Buddha's light in the south, the rainbow in the west, the Buddha statue in the east, and the golden clouds in the north within the Western Paradise. Pigsy and the others couldn't help but secretly exclaim: "Truly worthy of being called the Western Paradise!"

The spiritual energy in the air is unmatched, even by the celestial realm. Sun Wukong looked around and said, "No wonder so many Taoist disciples have turned to Buddhism; it turns out that the Western Paradise is much better than the Heavenly Palace."

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma smiled and said, "What you say makes sense, junior brother. However, Buddhism is easy to understand, unlike Taoism, which is obscure and difficult to comprehend. It is easy to grasp the great path. This is why Buddhism is so popular."

As they talked, they were about to enter the Golden Hall. Tang Sanzang and his disciples were quite excited, but Tang Sanzang was filled with emotion. He had once been a member of this Golden Hall, and although he was not a Buddha, he had earned his place through his own strength.

Returning to this familiar place now, I can't help but feel deeply moved. Next, we were about to enter the Golden Hall. Bodhidharma stood in front of the hall and announced loudly, "The chief of the Eighteen Arhats, Subduing Dragon, awaits the arrival of Tang Sanzang and his disciples."

Then, the Buddha's voice was heard saying, "Let them enter the hall."

Upon hearing this, Bodhidharma led Tang Sanzang and his disciples into the Golden Hall. Outside the Golden Hall, all the Bodhisattvas and other figures automatically made way for Bodhidharma and Tang Sanzang to enter.

Upon entering the Golden Hall, Tang Sanzang and his companions looked up to find it filled with Buddhas. They circled the hall in circles, too many to count at once. Sun Wukong then whispered to Bodhidharma, "Brother, how many Buddhas do you think there are in the Western Paradise?"

Bodhidharma replied, “Three thousand. Within the Buddhist community, there are three thousand Buddhas, hence the saying of three thousand Buddha lands.”

Sun Wukong nodded, but inwardly sighed: This Western Paradise is indeed far superior to the Heavenly Palace. Three thousand Buddhas there—truly impressive. I wonder where my master is. It'll probably take a while to find him.

Bodhidharma then instructed, "Alright, you have arrived at the Golden Hall. I will go down first. Guarding the Heavenly Gate of Mount Ling is my duty, and I must return quickly." He then left Tang Sanzang and his disciples there and went out.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples stood in the middle of the main hall, surrounded by three thousand Buddhas watching them, creating a rather awkward situation. Li Xiuyuan was hard to find, but the Tathagata Buddha was easy to spot.

The three most prominent Buddha positions at the very front represent the present Buddha, the future Buddha, and the past Buddha. The present Buddha, Tathagata, remains the ruler of the Western Paradise, wielding great power. On either side are Dipankara Buddha and Maitreya Buddha.

When Tang Sanzang arrived at the Golden Hall again, his heart was filled with turmoil. He looked at the Buddha, who was still sitting high in the Buddha's seat, but he didn't seem to have any respect for him. He even seemed indifferent.

..............................

Chapter 614 Clues

Sun Wukong immediately spotted Maitreya Buddha sitting next to the Buddha Tathagata and greeted him, saying, "Buddha from the East, Buddha from the East, it's been a long time since we parted ways in Little Western Paradise."

Maitreya Buddha chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, you monkey, you've finally come. It's to allow me to be on par with your master, the Heavenly Dragon Buddha."

With the courtyard filled with Buddha statues, Tang Sanzang and his disciples didn't know what to say. They were at a loss when Li Xiuyuan spoke up, saying, "Buddha, Tang Sanzang and his disciples have worked hard and made great contributions. Their only goal was to obtain the true scriptures. Let's quickly bestow them upon them. After they deliver the scriptures to the Tang Dynasty and return on their cloud, we can then bestow titles upon them."

Li Xiuyuan's words startled Tang Sanzang and his disciples. However, seeing Li Xiuyuan there put them at ease.

The Buddha, unwilling to argue with Li Xiuyuan, spoke up, saying, "Very well, summon Venerable Ananda and Venerable Kasyapa."

Then, two Venerable Ones, one fat and one thin, came forward to await the Buddha's decree. The Buddha then said, "You two, take Tang Sanzang and his disciples to the scripture storehouse and hand over the true scriptures to them."

The two venerable ones nodded and said, "We will follow the Buddha's teachings."

Then Li Xiuyuan spoke up, saying, "Tang Sanzang and his disciples, you should go and retrieve the scriptures first. After you have obtained the true scriptures, transport them to the Tang Dynasty in the East. Then return to bestow titles upon you."

The Tang Monk and his disciples then went elsewhere with the Venerable Ananda and Venerable Kasyapa. However, all the Buddhas in the monastery remained, presumably to discuss important matters.

Li Xiuyuan spoke first, asking, "Buddha, have you decided on the titles for Tang Sanzang and his disciples?"

The Buddha Tathagata spoke indifferently: "Buddha of the Great Sun Dragon need not doubt, I have already thought it through."

The White Dragon Horse was appointed as one of the Eight Heavenly Dragons, and Sha Wujing was appointed as a Golden-bodied Arhat. Zhu Bajie was appointed as the Cleansing Altar Messenger.

Tang Sanzang is the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, while Sun Wukong's Buddhist rank is the Victorious Fighting Buddha.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly: It seems that this Buddha is still cunning and treacherous, and he is still unwilling to give up.

Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang were roughly equal in magical power. Moreover, although Tang Sanzang was nominally Sun Wukong's master, the Buddha Tathagata granted Sun Wukong a relatively middling position as the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Tang Sanzang, on the other hand, held the lowest rank among the three thousand Buddhas, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.

Giving Sun Wukong a respectable Buddhist position was, in a way, a gesture of currying favor with Buddha. However, Buddha was still not at ease with Tang Sanzang and continued to suppress him.

It seems he doesn't want to relinquish power, fearing Li Xiuyuan will remove him from the Buddhist altar, and has begun to fawn over me in every way. However, he is wary of everything else. This Buddha seems to have gained some understanding of me as well.

He himself wouldn't stay in the Western Paradise for long, so how could he become the current Buddha? Therefore, it seems the Buddha wanted to support someone else to ascend to the throne. But if the Buddha obeyed, wouldn't Li Xiuyuan have no reason to defeat him?

Li Xiuyuan, however, did not think that way. He believed that the Buddha had to step down. Then, he would put Maitreya Buddha on the throne, and finally, by a stroke of luck, push Bodhidharma into the position. The Buddha was too cunning; no one knew what methods he had up his sleeve.

Moreover, Li Xiuyuan already has his own allies, and if he were to go back on his word, it would likely have a negative impact. Furthermore, Li Xiuyuan's connection with Maitreya Buddha is merely superficial, far surpassing that of Tathagata Buddha.

Li Xiuyuan then said, "I wonder if the Buddha has anything else to say. If not, then let's disperse. We'll come back in a few days when Tang Sanzang returns to bestow titles upon them."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha calmly replied, "Indeed, there is such a matter. For the transmission of this true scripture to the East, we need to send someone well-versed in Buddhist texts to the Great Tang Dynasty in the East to preach, explain, and print it. Only in this way can this Buddhist scripture be widely circulated in the mortal realm. I wonder if the Great Sun Dragon Buddha has any suitable candidate?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan secretly thought to himself: It seems that this Buddha is really trying to please me in every way. This is a lucrative post; sending one of my own people down there will probably earn me a lot of merit points.