Traveling through time and space.

Chapter 91: The Realization of the Ground of No Remaining Support (V) "The Wonderful Appearance Shows All Beings, and Respect Arises from the Mind"

In the ancient kingdom of the distant Western Regions, there stood a magnificent temple called Guangming Temple. Its spire reached the heavens, gleaming golden in the sunlight, like a beacon between the mortal world and the Pure Land. One day, a grand Buddhist ceremony was underway at the temple, and devotees flocked from far and wide, devoutly praying for the Buddha's blessings and spiritual comfort.

Ah Ming's Dharmakaya sensed the ripening of karma for the sentient beings here and decided to manifest its majestic golden form. At the climax of the Buddhist ceremony, the sky suddenly blazed with light, as if daylight had suddenly arrived. Everyone looked up in astonishment, only to see a gigantic golden Buddha statue suspended in mid-air, radiating a thousand-foot-long light. This light, like golden threads, gently fell upon everyone, dispelling the gloom and fear within them.

The temple's abbot, Master Huikong, a highly virtuous monk of profound spiritual practice, witnessed this scene with a mixture of astonishment and joy. He quickly led the monks and believers in kneeling and prostrating themselves in homage. "This is the Buddha's manifestation! Blessed are we all!" Master Huikong exclaimed, his voice trembling with awe and excitement for the sacredness of the Dharma.

Among the crowd stood a young merchant named Ali. Having traveled the Silk Road for years, he had amassed considerable wealth, but he had also endured countless hardships and dangers. He had once nearly perished in a desert sandstorm, and while aboard his caravan, he faced the constant threat of bandits. Now, gazing at the golden Buddha statue, he felt a surge of awe. He recalled his own pursuits in the mundane world, his reckless pursuit of profit, and felt a surge of guilt. "I may be rich, but my heart is empty. I never knew there was such a great power in this world that could bring me true peace," Ali muttered to himself, tears welling in his eyes. He vowed to follow the Buddhist teachings and be a kind and upright merchant.

However, not everyone immediately grasped the profound meaning of this revelation. In a corner of the temple, an old man named Batu, a man with a life of hardship and skepticism, gazed at the golden Buddha statue and wondered, "Could this be a trick, a temple trick to attract worshippers? How could such a miraculous thing exist?" Batu's son, Bater, a young warrior, was brave but reckless. Heeding his father's words, he stepped forward and shouted, "If this is a hoax, I will expose it!" With that, he rushed toward the statue, long sword in hand.

As Bater approached the Buddha statue, he suddenly felt a powerful force blocking him, preventing him from moving forward. That force, like an invisible wall, was filled with compassion and tolerance. Startled, Bater began to realize that this was beyond human control. At that moment, the Buddha's light gently enveloped him, and a sense of peace and tranquility he had never experienced surged within him. He lowered his sword and slowly knelt, his eyes filled with regret: "I was wrong, great Buddha. Please forgive my recklessness."

Batu was deeply shocked by his son's transformation. He began to reflect on his own stubbornness and prejudices, and slowly approached the statue, prostrating himself before it. At that moment, his doubts and struggles gradually dissipated, replaced by a deep reverence and yearning for the Dharma.

In a small, waterside town in the East, Ah Ming's Dharmakaya transformed into the form of White-robed Guanyin. By the riverbank of the town, a woman named Ah Xiu lived. Her husband had tragically died in a flood, leaving her and her young child to depend on each other. Ah Xiu wept daily, the burden of life nearly crushing her. She felt utterly hopeless, unsure of her future path.

One day, Ah Xiu went to the river to wash clothes for her family. When she looked up, she suddenly saw a white-robed statue of Guanyin emerging from the water. Guanyin had a kind face, her eyes filled with endless love and compassion. Ah Xiu thought she was hallucinating. She rubbed her eyes, then looked again. The Guanyin statue was still there, seemingly smiling at her.

"Avalokitesvara, are you here to save me?" Ah Xiu cried out excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes. The pain and despair in her heart seemed to have found an outlet at this moment, and she felt an unprecedented sense of comfort and hope.

The White-robed Guanyin statue nodded slightly, and a few drops of nectar from the purifying bottle in her hand fell into the river. Ah Xiu watched as the murky water suddenly became crystal clear, and the fish swam happily. Something clicked in her heart, as if she had grasped something. "The Bodhisattva is telling me that even with suffering in life, there is still beauty and hope. I can't give up. I must live on bravely, for my children and for myself."

After returning home, Ah Xiu's mental state underwent a profound transformation. No longer consumed by grief, she embraced life with positivity. She began learning handicrafts, and through her hard work and wisdom, she gradually improved her family's living conditions. She also frequently taught her children to cultivate compassion and to believe in the power of Buddhism.

In an ancient temple deep in the mountains, a young monk named Wuchen was practicing in his meditation room. He had long been puzzled by the profound teachings of the Yogacarabhumi Sutra. Despite reciting the text day and night, he could not break through the bottleneck of his practice. One day, while in meditation, he felt a powerful force calling him. He stood up, walked out of his meditation room, and entered the temple courtyard.

Standing in the courtyard was a white-robed statue of Guanyin, emitting a gentle glow. Startled, Wu Chen hurried forward to pay his respects. Before the statue, he felt his heart become profoundly calm, his previously chaotic thoughts gradually becoming clearer.

The White-Robed Guanyin statue seemed to come alive, explaining to Wuchen the wisdom of the Yogacarabhumi Sutra. "The path of spiritual practice is like climbing a mountain; you must take each step carefully. You've become too fixated on the outcome, neglecting the process of cultivating your mind. In each moment, maintain mindfulness and awareness of your inner self, finding the balance between a 'mindful state' and a 'mindless state'." Guanyin's voice was soft and ethereal, yet resonated like a resounding bell in Wuchen's heart.

After hearing this, Wuchen's mind suddenly became clear. He began to reflect on his own practice methods, realizing that in his pursuit of spiritual attainments, he had forgotten the original purpose of practice: inner enlightenment and liberation. He vowed before the statue of Guanyin to recalibrate his practice and explore the realms, practices, and results of the Yogacarabhumi Sutra with a more peaceful and determined mind.

Amin manifested himself before various sentient beings with various extraordinary and auspicious forms. Whether it was a merchant and an old man from the Western Regions, Axiu from the East, or Wuchen in an ancient mountain temple, each experienced inner transformation and growth through these manifestations. These auspicious forms, like keys, unlocked the door to compassion within sentient beings, allowing them to draw strength from the Dharma and cultivate reverence in the face of life's difficulties, the perplexities of practice, and inner struggles, embarking on the path of liberation and enlightenment. Throughout this process, Amin, always guided by the enlightened state of no remaining support, skillfully employed these manifestations according to the conditions and nature of each being, imparting the wisdom and compassion of the Dharma to each predestined individual, motivating them to advance on the path of practice and realization as embodied in the Yogacarabhumi Sutra. Like a lamp illuminating a path in the darkness, it illuminated the path toward light and liberation.