Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

In Indian philosophy, the concept of "self" is divided into the greater self and the lesser self. The lesser self is the opposite of the physical body and is the unborn and undying subject, the true individual soul. The "self" spoken of by the immortals is the greater self, which is similar to the Buddhist concept of self.

"Smaller than a seed, yet more expansive than the sky, like a curtain covering nature, an inch as small as the palm of your hand. The answer to your question may lie in your palm. Look at the flower; how does the flower know when it will bloom? Wisdom is in the depths of everything, within you, infinite eternity endures, Brahman exists in every part of your body, and all things reside in Brahman."

"If infinity is eternal..."

Siddhartha continued, “But I cannot see it; I can only see it for a moment.”

"That is your choice. You are the Holy King of the Wheel. What you see is what you think, but it is not a binary opposition. Life or death, rebirth, is just a 'game'."

“No, Master, I cannot accept it, nor can I agree with it.”

Siddhartha rose and looked at the white expanse around him. “Life, or death, should not be a game, should not be given such a name. Suffering is real, and should not be fixed, but free.”

Brahmanism, or the interpretation of the current Dharma, believes that the things that sentient beings see are essentially Brahman, and all things are within Brahman. Recognizing that there is nothing truly real or independent outside of Brahman, one will not pursue unreal things, will not have corresponding actions, and therefore will not generate karma, thus escaping the cycle of rebirth and attaining liberation.

The sage Uttaka wanted Siddhartha to know this, but Siddhartha could not agree.

"No, perhaps you only saw the surface, that moment. You are the Holy King of the Wheel of Life. What you see and what truly exists are one."

“Master, I am indeed a Chakravartin, but my ‘eternity,’ which views life as a game, resides within me regardless of my identity; before that, I was a human being—”

In that instant, Siddhartha remembered his teacher who had accompanied him on that night under the dim light.

The surroundings seemed to be plunged into darkness, an immense space whose exact size was unknown, and above their heads was only a faint white light.

Just as if it were in an eternal purgatory isolated from the world, a faint yet incredibly dazzling light suddenly appeared. This made the statues decorating the surrounding temples seem to smile at times and be angry at others under the darkness and the faint light, as if issuing a silent warning.

At that time, Siddhartha remembered his teacher gazing up at the 'radiance' and squinting his eyes.

"If this is how I'm greeted, perhaps it's not so bad."

Because of his natural expression, Siddhartha was at a loss for words. However, the young man inadvertently felt that these faint lights were somewhat like countless shining stars in the universe.

Returning to the present, Siddhartha sighed softly as he looked at the sage before him.

“I have no intention of becoming a universal monarch, I have no intention of participating in the game of life, Master, please allow me to leave.”

What remained forever in his heart were his teacher's words: "Heaven should not create people who are above others, nor should it create people who are below others." He murmured these words over and over again, and they were engraved in his mind, like a guiding star shining in the darkness.

"Ugh……"

Then, the world before Siddhartha's eyes shifted, and he returned to the darkness where he and Gavia had been.

"...Teacher, I now understand that this illusion is the root of all suffering, but how can I break free from it?"

Upon hearing this, Gavia smiled.

"I do not know the answer to opening the door to liberation for all beings. If you have the answer, then you are my teacher."

“A disciple can never surpass his teacher. I am young and inexperienced. You are a guiding light to me, regardless of your status.”

At this moment, it is dawn, and the sky is a beautiful azure blue.

Gavia thought to herself, "If only this were the real sky."

The sun is rising.

As if driven by the sharp rays of the rising sun, many birds flapped their wings in unison, as if attracted by the sky, and took flight. Even the animals on the ground and in the mountains began to cheer.

then.

"Gautama Siddhartha".

A calm voice rang out again.

"Let's go to the meditation grove on Mount Tankashiri."

The moment of enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, the greatest universal monarch, the ideal king who should restore the glory of the Dharma in the midst of the dark struggle of the final age, is about to arrive.

Rain God Jpg.

Chapter 339 Mara, the Lord of Others.

Autumn is coming to an end, and winter is on its way.

On the way to the monastery on Mount Tankashri with Kavia, Siddhartha felt the slightly cool breeze and looked at the people who were still working hard, but were regarded as 'human slaves' by Bharata Kshatriya.

This world, this mystery, still exists. The temperature difference throughout the year is not too great. Even if the mystery fades, the food on this land is enough to satisfy everyone's hunger.

However, compared to the pre-existing mystery of the divine age, there were inescapable 'limitations'. The sacred land of the Brahmins was a place where even dust carefully lay down to eliminate its scent. The wealth and glory of the Kshatriyas were unimaginable, and the troubles of the gods were the continuation of the world—so magnificent.

For the lower castes and the 'untouchables,' summer is so hot that even standing still will cause them to sweat profusely. The vast land is shrouded in a humid and sultry atmosphere due to the dense population, which is enough to make people suffer.

Winter is the season of death; food is scarce, temperatures drop, and the cold is biting.

As Siddhartha walked with Kavia through the war-torn land, it was as if they were walking in darkness, unable to enjoy any comfort. They often smelled mold and slept outdoors every day. But despite all this, Siddhartha felt incredibly comfortable and at ease, a stark contrast to the magnificent royal palace.

Because from time to time, the 'words' offered by people suffering difficulties are transformed into the fragrance of flowers. Even compared with the seemingly never-ending scent at the grand festival, the fragrance of flowers is extremely faint, with only a wisp lingering in the nose. But it is the 'heartfelt intention' transformed from sincerity, so there is naturally no reason to dislike it.

Siddhartha Gautama was born as a human being with the ability to save the world. He held a high position and, according to prophecy, was supposed to become the ideal king who ruled all mankind, the supreme Chakravartin. His martial arts were unparalleled, and he was the founder of the ancient martial arts school 'Kalalipayat', and had the nickname 'King of Martial Arts'.

But he gave it all up, left the palace with his teacher, and traveled through human societies, his footsteps covering the Ganges River basin.

...Why aren't they human? They shouldn't be like this.

The green-haired youth who thought this way, who should have become Siddhartha Gautama, the Chakravartin, bowed his head and prayed silently for those who were suffering from inherent suffering in the present world and in the distant future.

"Siddhartha".

Gavia, who was watching all this with Siddhartha, suddenly asked a question.

"I ask you, what's this kind of world like?"

Before they knew it, they were all alone.

Under the scorching sun, the vast, deserted hermitage cast faint shadows of trees onto the muddy ground. These unnaturally clear shadows were scattered and pointed in different directions.

When Siddhartha came to his senses, he found himself standing on dark mud, which reminded him of the people who had suffered so much. This association filled him with sorrow.

But before he could answer, Gavia continued:

"There's no need to think about anything, no need to resist anything, no need to bear any pain, because the world is just like this, as it is, everything is predetermined from the moment it is born, such is the world."

There's no need to think about whether the upcoming lira is good or bad; just accept it. Even if it's bad for you, you only need to ignore and suppress the pain, because there will always be another cycle, and you'll find the same thing again in the new cycle.

The world thus moves towards perfect stability within the unchanging 'lira', and that's good enough.

Most importantly, the people we know and the people we love still exist in this future.

Even so...

"But... is this still considered living?"

Siddhartha listened quietly to Gavia's voice.

Is a world devoid of vitality, dreams, and choices truly the best future?

As if processing those words, the green-haired youth continued to listen quietly.

"So what if it's imperfect? ​​So what if it's full of contradictions? Everyone has dreams, and I still prefer this kind of world."

There was no one around or any sound of voices. Everything seemed to fade so much that even the shadows became faint, making it impossible for Siddhartha to even see the expression on his teacher's face.

"There are no eternally unchanging strongmen, nor are there eternally indestructible kingdoms, so I do not want the current world, but I want everything in this world."

For some reason, all he knew was that Gavia showed a faint smile, as if she was enduring pain and swallowing her tears. Although it was understated, she was still smiling.

Therefore, Siddhartha gave his first answer:

"...That's it."

In a world ravaged by war, what is it like for the majority of people, aside from the Brahmins and Kshatriyas?

The persistent clouds obscured the sun, and the icy wind swept across the land. There was no lush green of plants, nor the abundant red of crops. Even the Ganges River, the symbol of the origin of life, had become colorless.

Gray clouds and a land that seemed to have died—this was the world that belonged to the vast majority of people in this world.

Luxury, prosperity, antiquity, and grandeur have absolutely no connection to them. Heavy labor and a cruel environment are what define these people born lowly. Their lives, filled with dust, are unchangeable.

"But then again, isn't this a bit contradictory, teacher?"

"It's a contradiction... This is definitely a contradiction that I hate."

Looking at Gavia like this, Siddhartha smiled and said:

"But this is a very beautiful contradiction."

Humans are complex, intelligent beings whose thoughts and emotions change rapidly and who have many contradictory ideas. Every human being is extremely complex, with different thoughts and needs. No matter how powerful an entity is, it is almost impossible to completely understand the human heart.

The future ideal king has already understood this principle.

Moreover, the more powerful a group is, the less likely it is to view the world from the perspective of someone in a subordinate position.

Can one expect a king who rules over all people to see the world through the eyes of a displaced war orphan?

Can we expect the gods, who stand at the top of the world, to see the world from the perspective of the Asuras, who live in harsh lands?

Similarly, can we expect the high and mighty Brahmins and Kshatriyas to view the world from the perspective of weak and powerless untouchables?

This is incredibly difficult. Who would be willing to suffer unnecessary hardship for others? Who would be willing to give up their existing resources to help people who seem to have no chance of success? Who would dare to defy public opinion and do such a thing?

The gods of the Indian pantheon loved a select few as ordained by the righteous law, which was also what the world expected, and so over time, this practice ceased to exist.

Because of the environment we live in and the people we know, we are alienated by our current situation. Social, emotional, wealth, status, power, and caste distinctions differentiate all things. They are like an impenetrable wall, defining the inherent nobility and baseness, and thus bringing about discrimination among all things.

Anyone who dares to disobey will be turned into an enemy by all the gods, asuras, and everything, including the gods of transformation.

But Siddhartha felt that the silver-haired youth before him was capable of doing it.

Since his ascetic practices, Siddhartha had long sensed an aura emanating from his teacher that was entirely different from the true Dharma—in other words, he was one of the six teachers. However, he had never asked or revealed this to anyone. The answer was actually quite simple—

Regardless, the companionship was genuine, and that's enough.

At the same time, Siddhartha, the born 'Chakravartin', also sensed an extremely high divinity from Gavia. This is why he felt that Gavia was able to possess the power to save the world while maintaining a 'human perspective', choosing to integrate into the human world, and being willing to overcome all kinds of barriers to understand the human community to the best of her ability.

Instead of forcibly demanding that the world or humanity do something, we should understand what people truly need and want, comprehend their true thoughts, and respect their wishes before taking action. Regardless of prosperity or decline, humanity's path should be walked by humanity itself, not dictated by the will of external forces.

Even if humanity has its dark side, so what? There are shadows and scars under the sun's rays. Glory is created, but darkness also lurks. How can we know the true nature of humanity if we cannot see and bear these things?

In fact, Siddhartha himself was already on the path to doing just that.

He abandoned the sacred Chakravartin and merged into the human world, seeking truth in order to save the world.

Then, just before the illusory scene became real, Siddhartha suddenly asked:

"Teacher, I've always wanted to ask you, why are you so determined to move forward?"

"Because I am just like you."

"Yeah."

“Humans possess the power to move forward, which is why I stand here with you now, Siddhartha Gautama.”

"...That's it."

Then, Siddhartha's consciousness was interrupted. When he awoke, he was already in the monastery of Mount Tankasri, and Kavia was nowhere to be seen.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, and the distant chirping of cicadas drifted over.

Suddenly, Siddhartha felt a warmth on his shoulder, which made his hand move unconsciously and touch another person's hand.

"What do you want to know?"

There were six people dressed in white monastic robes, sitting under the tree.

"How to achieve liberation?"

One of them laughed: "Soak the body, fuss with it, melt it, conquer the desires of the flesh."

"is it possible?"

“You are a Kshatriya, born into a royal family. You don’t need to ask me how I know, because there are arrow marks on your shoulders.”

The old man in the white ascetic robe continued, “My identity is the same as yours. When I was thirty, I met my master and resolved to attain liberation. My secular name is Vadhana, and people call me Mahavira.”

Vedamana was one of the six heretical teachers, and the founder of Jainism.

The six people present were the sixth of the six teachers. They had all come from all over India because they heard from the five lotus flowers that Kavia had left behind that he hoped everyone would go to the monastic forest on Mount Tankasri. They met Siddhartha not long after they arrived. They probably understood Kavia’s meaning and were willing to answer Siddhartha’s questions.

However, just like the sage Uttaka who expounded the true Dharma, even though the six teachers opposed the caste system, Siddhartha could not possibly follow the same path as them.

"During my ascetic practice, I discovered that the self is eternal, and one cannot fight against time. If you try to catch up with time, everything will become unstable. The self should be liberated from the bondage of karma and reincarnation. Non-violence is the highest truth. No other thoughts should arise. Everyone should walk the right path, refrain from evil deeds, abandon desires, understand that suffering and happiness are illusions, and not let the body indulge in evil deeds. In this way, one becomes steadfast and thus liberated."

Among the six teachers, Vadhana used the parable of the blind men and the elephant, which further developed into the use of a seven-value logic for judging things, recognized the theory of karma, and taught people to practice asceticism to get rid of old karma without adding new karma. His precepts later developed into the similar Five Precepts in Buddhism.

At the same time, he does not recognize the concept of a savior, but only recognizes two kinds: Deva and Paramesti. The former has a limited lifespan and has not yet attained enlightenment, while the latter has successfully broken the shackles of karma and has already attained enlightenment.