Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

The enlightened one answered in this way.

"I take refuge in the Buddha..."

Devadatta clasped his hands together, feeling the divine light of the enlightened one, and tried to force himself to smile.

"The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha reside within each person's heart. The ability to awaken is the Buddha; the path to awakening is the Dharma; and those who dedicate themselves to the Dharma are the Sangha. These three words reside in your heart and in the hearts of all things in the world."

"I take refuge in the Dharma...I take refuge in the Sangha..."

Finally, the enlightened one closed his eyes.

Returning to the present, the Enlightened One looked at his disciples and smiled slightly:

"With yellow eyebrows, there's naturally nothing to worry about, Golden Cicada."

"What if, what if Huang Mei accidentally dozes off and thinks of some strange things that might cause something to happen to Master Randeng? There's always a possibility."

"hehe."

The enlightened one smiled again, "Then let me ask you, why did you doze off during my sermon a few days ago?"

"This, this..."

"Waaah, I really want to see Master Randeng!" Of course, Jin Chanzi would never say such a thing in front of his master.

During the brainstorming session, Jin Chanzi quickly explained with a 'serious' expression:

"Maybe, maybe I'm just missing a light to light..."

The Awakened One had many disciples, and Jin Chanzi was able to rise to become the second disciple thanks to Gavia's help.

After all, she wasn't a person. She was just a cicada at first. By chance, she heard the enlightened one's teachings at the place where Siddhartha first gave his sermon. She followed him ever since. After who knows how many years, she was enlightened by the many teachings and was able to transform into a human body.

"From today onwards, you will be called Jin Chanzi. Remember, treat the weak with kindness and never abandon those in distress, understand?"

"……Eh?"

Jin Chanzi, who had just transformed into a human, clearly didn't understand what it meant. Then, in a daze, she was unknowingly called "Second Senior Sister" by the people around her. It wasn't until later that she learned that it was because Master Randeng had said, "Jin Chanzi has listened to the Buddha's teachings for a long time, and she was already there when the Dharma was being taught. She is the Buddha's second disciple."

And his own master, the Buddha, did not deny it, so things gradually became like this.

Upon learning this, Jin Chanzi immediately went to Randeng to request the removal of her title, because she was an ignorant being and could not compare with the many wise people, so it would be better to remove it.

Gavia looked at Jin Chanzi with surprise, his expression resolute.

"You mean you're an idiot?"

Although Jin Chan didn't understand what "idiot" meant, he still nodded frantically in agreement with Gavia's words.

Seeing her reaction, Gavia smiled and continued:

"Although you think you are a hopeless fool and always make mistakes, Buddha does not make mistakes. Whether you are weak, foolish, or a misguided person, Buddha will give you guidance equally. So believe in yourself, believe in yourself as a disciple of Buddha, and I absolutely believe in you too."

In that instant, Jin Chanzi felt his soul tremble and almost burst into tears.

"Today, Golden Cicada, I have something to tell you."

The awakened one's sudden words shattered Jin Chanzi's memories, startling him.

"Be your own light. More important than defeating others is defeating yourself. That victory belongs only to you, and no one can take it away from you, whether it is a god or an asura, whether it is in heaven or hell."

"Thank you for your teachings, Master! I understand now! I will definitely strive for victory!"

For some reason, Jin Chanzi seemed very happy, and then he disappeared in a flash.

Looking at Jin Chanzi in such a state, the Awakened One's smile remained unchanged.

For him, the future was already in sight: his disciple Jin Chanzi would become the future Buddha – the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.

However, that future is in the distant future. If we must specify a time, it is after thousands of cycles of reincarnation, after the complete end of the Hindu pantheon of Bharata. In other words, the cycle of reincarnation will continue for thousands of times, and the mysterious power will cycle through prosperity and decline thousands of times before finally reaching its true end in the myriad universes of Bharata.

Jin Chanzi, the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, embarked on this path of Buddhahood in a land on the other side of the Himalayas after the complete end of the Age of Gods. Speaking of which, I almost forgot, the monkey-like Wuzhiqi's true form will also be suppressed under the Himalayas in the future...

The ancient and mysterious pantheon of India is remarkably isolated from the many pantheons around the world. Perhaps only in the final cycle of reincarnation will it have more contact with the surrounding pantheons, which is why the Himalayas, which should be the sacred mountains of India, have been relegated to another region.

That night.

Outside the thatched hut where Gavia was, Huang Mei raised an eyebrow, looking at Jin Chanzi who was smiling with great joy, and asked with some displeasure:

"What are you doing here?"

“Senior sister, today I followed Master’s advice and carefully observed every tree in the forest.”

"Oh? So what?"

“And in every tree, I can see the image of the monk Ran Deng.”

"……hehe."

The yellow-haired, yellow-browed girl was always annoyed by Jin Chanzi, who loved to come and visit her master every day. She found her annoying and talkative, and more importantly, she could talk to her master until the end of time. In Huang Mei's opinion, this was completely delaying important matters and hindering her master's cultivation.

Huangmei was abandoned by her parents not long after she was born. Then she happened to be born into a chaotic and dark age where Buddhism and the true Dharma clashed. She was not of a high caste, so she was easily subjected to suffering. However, after being encountered by Gavial, she was taken in as a virgin and a disciple.

The reason she was called Yellow Eyebrows was because her eyebrows were yellow when Gavia took her in, hence the name. The reason she turned yellow-haired was because she sometimes saw a yellow-haired woman at her master's door, so she changed her hair to a similar color.

"If there's nothing important, you should get some rest. It's getting late."

Although he was extremely annoyed with Jin Chanzi, Huang Mei still wore a very appropriate smile as he prepared to see Jin Chanzi off.

"No, no, no, Senior Sister, don't be in such a hurry. Let me go in and tell Master Ran Deng what I've learned, and see if I can have any different insights..."

"boring."

Just as Huang Mei was about to close the door, Jin Chan glanced back at the way she had come, then her smile faded, and she calmly continued.

"Senior sister, a few days ago you asked what the meaning of life is."

"Oh? You have an answer?"

As Jin Chan expected, Huang Mei, whose interest had been piqued, loosened his grip on the door.

"Naturally, it is about seeking the truth."

"What is it?"

"The way in which all things operate, the fundamental law of the universe."

Huang Mei raised an eyebrow and picked a flower from the garden planted by Gavia. The petals were initially withered, but then they bloomed and became beautiful and vibrant.

“Then look at this flower, cicada. It has transformed into something so wondrous simply because it followed its own nature.”

As she spoke, she lowered her head, looking utterly captivated, and inhaled the fragrance of the flowers.

"Every flower, when it blooms, emits a unique fragrance, which is the essence of life that it releases in order to reproduce itself."

Feeling immensely pleased with himself, Huangmei released the flowers, letting them scatter in the gentle breeze:

"To fully savor this moment is the ultimate experience—"

The conversation suddenly stopped not because Jin Chan had said something profound, but because he had vanished in an instant. Only then did Huang Mei realize that he had been fooled by Jin Chan again. That guy didn't care about winning or losing the debate with him at all. He only said this to pique Huang Mei's interest and then find the right opportunity to run in.

"...Jin, cicada, son..."

Huang Mei, who was guarding the door, gritted her teeth and growled. As it was her duty, she took it very seriously and naturally wouldn't rush in like Jin Chanzi did out of anger. She could only stay outside the door and exude an atmosphere of anger.

At this moment, Huang Mei had made up his mind that one day he would make Jin Chanzi know the consequences of daring to do this!

……

The next day, Jin Chan and the Awakened One walked out of the forest together to give their daily sermons.

For some reason, Jin Chanzi seemed somewhat absent-minded today, as if he had been shocked by something, but the Awakener did not ask any questions.

The two walked for a while, surrounded by bushes and thick fog, with fragrant blue lights floating on the light green grass.

The valley's shoulders gradually revealed their stern and unforgiving appearance. Nearby, the exposed shallows were tinged with blue by the faint light of the rising sun. On the blue riverbed, small round stones slept like sleeping gems.

Leaving the riverbank, we continued along the road. As the fog gradually dissipated and the sky cleared, the surrounding scenery became increasingly treacherous, and the trees became sparse. Soon, as if unable to withstand the blowing wind, the withered branches became more and more conspicuous.

The further you go along the road, the more desolate, cold, and dry the surroundings become.

Finally, approaching the open gate, the two strode across; this was their destination, Vaishali.

As the dawn broke, the ridgelines of the mountains, shimmering with a pale purple glow, unfolded before the enlightened one's eyes, bringing a smile to his face.

"Vishali is so enchanting, even the temples are shining..."

The enlightened one's words brought the somewhat lost Jin Chanzi back to her senses. She was puzzled as to why her master was suddenly sighing about this.

"Jin Chan, I need to rest in that temple for a while."

A few minutes later, after laying out a red mat for his master in the temple, Jin Chan clasped his hands together and said to the Enlightened One:

“Please rest here, Buddha, I’m going out to beg for alms.”

The enlightened one nodded, then lay on his side on the red cushion, supporting his head with one hand, gazing at the sky as always, seemingly lost in some kind of contemplation.

"Why are the birds so quiet..."

Jin Chanzi, who was begging for food elsewhere in the city, looked at the birds that were sitting motionless and silent on the tree and was suddenly a little confused.

After all, logically speaking, the place where his master, himself, and the other monks had arrived should not be so quiet, no matter what...

Just as Jin Chanzi was so confused, suddenly, the world shook violently, as if an earthquake that had split the earth had occurred without any warning.

"Earthquake... Buddha, I hope my master is alright..."

Although such a disaster was actually unlikely to cause any harm to his master or himself, Jin Chanzi still naturally became worried for a moment.

When Jin Chanzi hurriedly returned to where the Awakener was, he saw him still lying on his side as before, gazing at the sky, as if the earthquake had no effect on him at all.

"The birds suddenly stopped chirping, everything became quiet, and then the earthquake struck..."

Jin Chanzi, slightly out of breath, quickly asked, "Is this an omen of some kind of disaster?"

Upon hearing this, the enlightened one stood up and patted the red carpet beside him.

"Jin Chan, come here and sit here."

“You said, Tathagata.”

“Originally, it was Ananda and I who came today, but now it is you.”

The enlightened one smiled and said, "But whoever it is, I have made my decision at this moment."

"……Decide?"

Then, Jin Chanzi heard the words of the Awakened One. At first, she thought she had misheard, but then she felt a tremor run down her spine—

"After three months, I will enter Mahaparinirvana."

That is, entering Nirvana and attaining perfect peace.

Golden Cicada (Jpg).

Chapter 343 The Day Will Eventually Come.

"Birth is destined to death."

The world seemed to be completely silent.

Many monks, gods, or immortals listened quietly to the enlightened one speaking under the tree.

"Even if I have attained enlightenment, my body has reached its limit, and I am already standing at the end of this journey of life."

"Over the past eighty years, I have witnessed countless sunrises and sunsets, births and deaths."

It was now the third month since the Enlightened One had told Jin Chan that his moment of passing away had arrived, and it was the night of the last day.

During this time, countless people who heard the news rushed from all over Bharata, hoping to see the enlightened one, Siddhartha Gautama, again. Since they had this inner desire, they also made countless pleas.

“No, did you hear our complaints? Did we fail to serve you well? Lord, how could you leave this world…”

“You are so compassionate, how could you abandon your monks…”

"Please have pity on us, have mercy on your disciples..."

The cries of supplication echoed after the words of the enlightened one.

“You all, come and look at me.”

The bright moon hangs in the sky; it is a crescent moon as slender as a fingertip.

The clouds, once tinged red by the setting sun, have vanished. The blue sky, a mix of shades of cyan, azure, ultramarine, and purple, blends seamlessly with the white clouds. Scattered lights dot the forest across the river, clustered together, yet the riverbank remains shrouded in darkness.

However, in such a scene, the enlightened one shines on everything like a ray of sunlight. Therefore, all beings present, whether human or divine, subconsciously obey his words, suppressing all emotions on their faces and looking up at him earnestly.