Conferred God: Got cramped at the beginning

Chapter 1043 The Path to Buddhism, the Buddha's Nirvana
Upon hearing Master Xuanzang's words, the Buddha of Compassionate Light also fell silent.

They are Buddhas, they are the Great Buddhas.

Their existence is too lofty, and their perspective is too broad.

With that single glance, all living beings in the world, whether human or demon, were no different in their eyes.

At most, it's just that because humans are the main characters in the universe, they pay more attention to humans.

However, this attention is only focused on the human race as a whole.

If we had to go further, it would only fall upon the human race, upon the human officials, upon the human nobles, and upon the human aristocratic families.

As for ordinary people, those truly mortals, they were never seen by these Buddhas.

The so-called "human race" of Buddhist preachers allowed the Buddhist tradition to take root in the human world—from the very beginning, their target was not the most ordinary people, not those truly mortals.

After all, the vast majority of ordinary people have neither the resources for cultivation nor the opportunity to embark on cultivation.

Their existence meant they could never become a force within Buddhism.

At the same time, the future of humanity does not lie with these mortals.

It is precisely because of this that Xuanzang's perspective on Buddhism, and his interpretation of Buddhism, was completely outside the understanding of the Buddha Ci'en Guangwang.

At this moment, the Buddha Ci'en Guangwang realized that what Xuanzang wanted to do was not only to fight for the right to interpret Buddhist scriptures, but also to change the route of Buddhist propagation!
It is to shift the focus of Buddhism's teachings from the powerful and wealthy who control the human race to the ordinary people who are controlled by them!

Among all intelligent beings in the world, ordinary mortals are undoubtedly the most humble—with short lifespans and weak strength.

They have neither influence nor the ability to drive any change, nor any wealth.

Moreover, there are too many of them, they are too easily replaced, and there is no so-called 'family tradition' or inheritance.

Even if Buddhism were transmitted to them, it would be meaningless—to them, no amount of Buddhism could compare to the extra three or five bushels of produce from the land.

Therefore, even at this moment, the Buddha of Compassionate Light could not see the significance of the Dharma flowing through ordinary mortals.

They are simply incapable of carrying the Dharma!

However, when the Buddha of Compassionate Light wanted to refute Xuanzang and persuade him, he opened his mouth but had no idea where to begin.

Buddhism is a method for universally saving all sentient beings.

What are sentient beings?

All living beings in the universe are sentient beings!
Under the Buddha's teachings, all sentient beings are equal, without distinction of rank or status.

This is the true meaning of Buddhism.

That is why Buddha cut off his own flesh to feed the eagle—if there were distinctions of high and low, noble and base, then why would he cut off his own flesh to feed the eagle?
Therefore, without a doubt, Xuanzang's choice to sink the Buddhist teachings was absolutely correct.

That would make Buddhism more accessible and more in line with the needs of all beings!

Thinking about these things, a nameless fear arose in the heart of the Buddha of Compassionate Light.

Is Buddhism, which has been passed down for so many years, wrong?

Did these Buddhas, who attained great enlightenment through the Dharma, misunderstand the Dharma?
Their interpretations of Buddhism differed from Xuanzang's interpretations, and the paths they chose based on Buddhism also diverged!
In such a divergence, there can only be one correct one.

Xuanzang's statement cannot be wrong.

Are they the ones who are wrong?
The Buddha of Compassionate Light thought to himself.

In that moment of confusion, in that moment of self-doubt, his Dao fruition couldn't help but begin to sway.

Inside the Great Thunderclap Temple, Shakyamuni Buddha immediately noticed the unusual behavior of the Compassionate Light King Buddha and the abnormality in his enlightenment.

As he raised his hand to stabilize the Buddha of Compassionate Light, he was also transmitting his voice to the Buddha of Compassionate Light.

"Amitabha."

"Ci'en, has something gone wrong with your cultivation?"

"Did that grand banquet that brought peace to the heavens truly have such a great impact on you?" Shakyamuni asked.

“World Honored One, this humble monk was not affected by the Great Banquet of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.”

"It was because of the impact on the traditions of my Buddhist sect that it was affected."

The words of the Buddha of Compassionate Light were tinged with sorrow.

"Venerable One, is Buddhism truly on the right path now?"

The Buddha of Compassionate Light asked with immense sorrow.

The answer seems to be a doomed no!

This already caused him immense sorrow.

What saddened him even more was the current state of Buddhism.

There are far too many Great Buddhas in Buddhism!

To a certain extent, the combined will of so many Great Buddhas is the will of Heaven!
Will fate admit its mistakes?
Would the many Buddhas in this Great Thunderclap Temple admit their mistakes?

Will they admit that their interpretation of Buddhism is flawed?
Do they think there's something wrong with the current path of Buddhism?

of course not!

In their eyes, the difficulty for sentient beings to comprehend and uphold the Dharma is not a problem of the Dharma, but a problem of sentient beings!
It's because they lack the right character!
It's because they lack understanding!
Thinking about these things, the Buddha of Compassion and Light became even more sorrowful.

Even though he has now discovered the problems within Buddhism... it is too late for Buddhism to turn back now.

However, the person asking him this question at this moment was none other than a stranger.

It is Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One of Buddhism.

Therefore, when Shakyamuni asked him, the Buddha of Compassionate Light, still in a sorrowful state, expressed his current understanding of Buddhism.

“Ci’en, have you noticed it too?” Shakyamuni replied, his words seemingly conveying a sense of relief.

"Did the World Honored One also realize this?" The sorrowful heart of the Buddha of Compassionate Light seemed to be infused with some kind of power.

Shakyamuni was one of the most outstanding beings in the world, and a renowned wise and decisive person.

His compassionate wisdom was insufficient to find the way forward for Buddhism—but the wisdom of Shakyamuni Buddha was not necessarily so!
Since Shakyamuni Buddha was aware of the problems within Buddhism, did he find a way to reverse its course?
Thinking about these things, a look of anticipation suddenly appeared in the eyes of the Buddha of Compassionate Light.

“Only scraping the bone to remove the poison is possible,” Shakyamuni replied, his eyes filled with compassion—yet within that compassion lay a flame that would burn everything to ashes.

Scraping the bone to remove poison.

These four short words left the Buddha of Compassionate Light almost speechless.

What are the bones and poisons of Buddhism today?
Of course, it refers to those Buddhas who went astray but were unwilling to admit their mistakes or correct them!

And as a kind of bone-scraping treatment—that is, naturally, to remove this part of the Buddha!

No, this is not what it means to clear it!
It was rebellion, it was treason!
Compared to those Buddhas who went astray, the Buddha of Compassionate Light and others were in the minority!
In Buddhism, the existence of the 'majority' of Buddhas is what truly represents and symbolizes Buddhism!
Therefore, this so-called "scraping the bone to remove poison" was actually a rebellion and reform launched by a minority group led by Shakyamuni against Buddhism!

Shakyamuni was the leader of Buddhism! What does it mean that a rebellion against Buddhism was launched under his leadership?
"World Honored One, is it really going to come to that?" The sorrow in the heart of the Buddha of Compassionate Light King was almost unbearable.

This painful process of radical reform—if Shakyamuni and his followers fail, the entire Buddhist community will stray further and further down the wrong path, ultimately leading to its complete downfall.

Even if Shakyamuni and his followers win... if most of the Buddhas in Buddhism are "eliminated," Buddhism will still be in an unprecedented state of weakness.

Can such a weak Buddhist community support the great revival of Buddhism?

In the blink of an eye, a sudden thought struck the mind of the Buddha of Compassionate Light.

He suddenly recalled the scene where the past Buddha and the future Buddha appeared together in the Great Thunderclap Temple, 'coercing' the present Buddha and forcing Shakyamuni to back down.

From the perspective at the time, the Buddha of the past and the Buddha of the present represented the majority of the Buddhist community, forcing the Buddha of the present to make concessions for the greater good of Buddhism—thus setting the stage for the great calamity that would befall Buddhism.

But now it seems... that coercion was clearly a tacit understanding between the three Buddhas of the past, present, and future!
These three Buddhas have all realized that Buddhism has reached a point where change is imperative.

At the same time, they all made their decisions!

but……

but……

The decision made jointly by the three Buddhas certainly symbolized the unprecedented determination of Buddhism.

However, that also means that this painful process of reform within Buddhism has reached its most desperate point—the entire Buddhist community cannot find anyone who can provide a guarantee for this operation!

"World Honored One, is it you who guided the words and deeds of the Venerable Xuanzang in the human realm?"

"What should I do now?"

"Should I continue to cover for him, or expose everything?"

The Buddha of Compassionate Light was almost weeping.

He was unwilling to participate in this transformation within the Buddhist community—and even less willing to be stained with the blood of other Buddhas.

“Ci’en, go and be reborn,” Shakyamuni said slowly.

"Let go of the Buddha's honor and power, and go to the human world yourself."

"Go and see what kind of Dharma all sentient beings need."

Shakyamuni responded, his words laced with utter coldness.

Now that Xuanzang in the human world has raised his questions, then the Buddhist community should also begin its own reforms!
The passing away of a Buddha, the reincarnation of a Buddha.

The ripples this caused, the opening ceremony this triggered, were enough to engulf the entire Buddhist community.

This is enough to guarantee that no Buddha or Bodhisattva in the Buddhist community can remain uninvolved in this storm!

“Ci’en, since Xuanzang has chosen you, then let him know just how serious and terrifying the matter he has touched is!”

"To prevent him from harboring any illusions and making a mistake due to his sexual dysfunction!"

Shakyamuni said with utter coldness.

"This humble monk obeys the Dharma decree!" The Buddha of Compassionate Light clasped his hands together.

Within the Great Thunderclap Temple, his Dao Fruit swayed, and his rituals were also separated from his golden body, completely falling into the mortal world from within the Great Thunderclap Temple.

But it never possessed any power.

"Xuanzang." In the Iron Fork Temple, the little fire-man, an incarnation of the Buddha of Compassion and Light, clasped his hands together.

Flames rolled down his face like tears.

"Are you ready?" asked the Buddha of Compassionate Light.

Immediately, an incomparably brilliant rainbow light rose from his body.

At that moment, the tiny fire figure transformed into an enormous torch.

The rainbow light was brilliant, yet not intense; dazzling, yet not blinding.

This is rainbow body transformation!
It is an image of the Buddha in Nirvana!

"Amitabha, well done, well done." Seeing this scene, Master Xuanzang also put his hands together, and tears welled up involuntarily on his face.

The results of the test were already evident before his eyes.

But this outcome was one he had never foreseen.

He had considered that the Buddha of Compassion and Light would refute him, and he had also considered that the Buddha of Compassion and Light would agree with him.

But he never imagined that the Buddha of Compassionate Light would directly attain rainbow body and nirvana because of this!
Xuanzang, are you ready?

These few words echoed in Xuanzang's mind, making him realize with absolute certainty what a terrifying forbidden zone he was currently in contact with!

For a moment, even Xuanzang couldn't help but feel a slight urge to back down.

But soon, Xuanzang realized that the situation before him left him no room to back down!

If the Buddha of Compassionate Light had not passed away, it would have been fine—but after his passing, the entire Buddhist community's attention will fall on this place!
Then, the words spoken between oneself and the Buddha of Compassionate Light will be understood by all the Buddhas.

I have nowhere left to retreat!

"May Buddha have mercy, merciful Buddha, is this what you wanted to tell me?"

Xuanzang gazed at the brilliant rainbow light before him.

"Buddha, are there really problems with the many Buddhas at the Great Thunderclap Temple?"

"Master Xuanzang, what exactly happened?" In the Iron Fork Temple, the Iron-Clad Monk looked at the manifested Buddha of Compassion and Light, but before he could even rejoice, the Buddha of Compassion and Light had already vanished, turning into a rainbow and disappearing.

Looking at the Buddha statue in the main hall, which had lost all its spiritual light, the Iron-Clad Monk's rationality almost completely vanished.

“What else could it be?” Xuanzang’s eyes were also filled with sorrow.

"Mara has corrupted the Dharma, and demons have become monks."

“The Buddha Ci’en could not bear to see this scene, so he vanished into nothingness and transformed into a rainbow.”

As Master Xuanzang spoke, his face was filled with sorrow, but his will was unwavering.

"Master Xuanzang, you're really stirring things up!" A golden light descended directly into the Iron Fork Temple.

The Monkey King appeared before Master Xuanzang in a battle-ready posture, wearing a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, golden chainmail, and carrying the Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff).

What a pity!

He had just stepped into the Moyun Cave.

And then, this hilarious incident happened right afterward inside the Iron Fork Temple!

(End of this chapter)