Simultaneous travel: I am proving the great way in the heavens.

Chapter 531 The Relics Transformed by the Tathagata Buddha! Has the Dharma-ending Age Arrived?
While Bodhisattva Pilanpo could say such a thing, Luofu dared not respond so casually.

Don't assume that just because the Buddha's status is higher than that of a Bodhisattva in the Western Buddhist system, this is an ironclad rule.

There are also differences between different fruition positions.

Among the Bodhisattvas and powerful beings in the Western Paradise, there are countless who are even stronger than the Buddha.

Putting aside other things, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in the underworld, Guanyin Bodhisattva in the Purple Bamboo Grove of Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Manjushri Bodhisattva, two of the three saints of Huayan, are all superior to ordinary Buddhas.
It should be known that in each of the three kalpas—past, present, and future—there is a list of a thousand Buddhas, which together make up three thousand Buddhas.

But which of these so-called three thousand Buddhas can compare to the four great Bodhisattvas?
Although Luo Fu, this Ru Zhen Buddha, has been destined for a future fruition, let alone the fact that it has not been fully realized yet, even if he truly attains the fruition of Namo Ru Zhen Buddha.

Even before this Bodhisattva Vimalamitra, Luofu still dared not be arrogant.

In the strictly governed world of Journey to the West, being cautious and meticulous is the true wisdom.

As for the arrogant one, the last one who did that was imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain for five hundred years and is now serving as a beast of burden for Tang Sanzang, escorting him on his journey to the West.

Although the Bodhisattva Virupa is not well-known in Buddhism and Taoism, or in the heavens and the underworld.

The fact that the son of the Bodhisattva Pilanpo was able to secure a position as the Pleiades Star Lord among the Twenty-Eight Mansions is enough to make people feel the unfathomable nature of this Bodhisattva.

Don't forget that as a Buddhist bodhisattva, even when the Buddha preached at the Ullambana Festival, the bodhisattva Vimalamitra refused to attend and did not show his face for three hundred years.

Ordinary Buddhas, who would dare to so openly disregard the present Tathagata Buddha?
After taking her seat, Bodhisattva Pilanpo smiled and looked at Luofu, appearing like a kind and gentle old woman. However, she spoke in a clear and melodious voice: "The true Buddha should follow the Buddha who came from the East and manifest in the future. However, it is not appropriate to presume to transmit the true Dharma now. The Tripitaka is the true Dharma now. It should be transmitted eastward with the pilgrim to Jambudvipa to show the glory of our Buddhist sect. This is the destiny of Heaven, and there is no room for error."

“What the Bodhisattva says is very true.” Luo Fu nodded as if it were a matter of course.

This couldn't be clearer. It was telling Luofu that since he had chosen to stand with the future Buddha, the Buddha of the East, and since the current Buddha was in charge, he should behave himself, not try to make his presence known, and not interfere with the great plan of spreading Buddhism to the East.

The current official is more powerful than the one in charge.

The future Buddha and the present Buddha may have disagreements, but that is a struggle between the higher-ups in Buddhism over their respective paths. However, the banner of Buddhism still needs to be upheld by everyone.

To paraphrase Station Chief Wu, what we Buddhists need to do now is to unite our will and protect our leader. Of course, protecting our leader is a matter for later. Our current leader is the great plan of spreading Buddhism to the East. The only leader who is in the open is the current Buddha, the World Honored One Tathagata.

"I entrust the Yellow Flower Temple and the Spider Cave to you. I hope you will not mishandle them." After giving these simple instructions, Bodhisattva Pilanpo got up, looking as if she was about to leave.

Luo Fu was truly surprised that the Bodhisattva Pilanpo would only exchange a few words with him in this seemingly tactful but actually warning manner before preparing to leave.

Just as the Bodhisattva Pilanpo was about to step out of the meditation room, a sudden inspiration flashed in Luofu's mind.

In an instant, I realized the profound meaning of the Bodhisattva Vimalamitra.

This is not a warning not to disrupt the great plan of spreading Buddhism to the East; it is clearly telling oneself that in the present Buddhist community, the World Honored One is the Tathagata Buddha.

Even if one is destined to become a future Buddha, one still needs to go to Mount Ling and pay respects to the Buddha.

The banner of Buddhism is now being carried on the head of the Buddha.

His conversion to the Buddha of the East is one thing, but paying homage to the local patron is another.

The former can only be considered as communication and exchange between small private groups and factions, while the latter is the one that has truly gone through the official channels.

Realizing what was happening, Luo Fu quickly said, "Bodhisattva, please wait."

As expected, Bodhisattva Pilanpo stopped and looked at Luofu with a smiling and benevolent expression.

"This humble monk wishes to travel to the Western Paradise to pay homage to the Buddha, but I am ignorant of etiquette and hope the Bodhisattva will guide me."

"The Buddhist path is vast, and all sentient beings are saved. The Buddha from the East has his own plans for this matter, so why do you ask me?" With these words, Bodhisattva Pilanpo did not linger any longer.

The moment the door was opened, it transformed into a dazzling stream of light, enveloping the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord before disappearing into the sky.

Although the Bodhisattva Pilanpo did not seem to directly give Luofu any advice, he did remind him how to get to Mount Ling.

Unlike the Bodhisattva Vimalamitra, there are also many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats on Mount Ling today.

Luofu is the future Buddha, who will follow the Buddha who came from the East and manifest in the world in the future.

When the future Buddha visits Vulture Peak, even if Bodhisattva Vimalamitra, a member of the current Buddha's small group and faction, knew about it, he couldn't directly give guidance. Moreover, Bodhisattva Vimalamitra had been in seclusion for three hundred years, and even ignored the Ullambana Festival where the Tathagata Buddha preached.

How could he possibly instruct Luofu to go to Lingshan to pay homage to the lord?

The only one who could guide, or rather, truly lead Luofu into the Buddhist order of Mount Ling was the Buddha Donglai.

However, the Buddha who came from the East did not have a fixed place of worship.

Although he was stationed in the East, he should not forget that the East was outside the influence of Buddhism; otherwise, there would have been no need for the process of Buddhism spreading eastward.

However, Luofu did have a way to contact the Buddha of the East.

Isn't Huang Mei from Xiaoleiyin Temple the attendant of the Buddha who came from the East?
After bowing respectfully with his hands clasped together in the direction of the Bodhisattva Pilanpo, Luofu gave instructions to the seven spider demons, and then his figure suddenly transformed into a stream of light, heading straight for the direction of Xiaoleiyin Temple.

When Luofu arrived outside Xiaoleiyin Temple again.

Huang Mei, however, seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing the avatar of Luofu Flowing Light from afar, they hurriedly came to greet it.

"Uncle-Master, you've kept me waiting for so long." Huang Mei smiled and looked at Luo Fu, then tossed a Buddhist bead onto the ground with a flick of his wrist.

Before it even hit the ground, the prayer beads seemed to burst open, and a little novice monk emerged from them.

The young novice monk was only about an inch tall, but his features were exquisite and exceptionally lively, resembling the Buddha Maitreya, the Buddha who came from the East.

After chuckling at Luofu, the young novice said, "The true Buddha should test the pilgrims on their journey to the West, so that their merits may be fulfilled."

Although this young novice monk was clearly an incarnation of Maitreya Buddha, and was obviously left here specifically to guide Huang Mei.

But Luo Fu always felt that there was something wrong with it.

After all, it should have been a simple matter of saying a few words, but instead, it was Bodhisattva Vimalamitra who subtly reminded him.

When Luofu returned to Xiaoleiyin Temple, he was once again confronted by an incarnation of a Buddhist bead, who tasked him with setting up eighty-one tribulations. Luofu knew that the so-called Journey to the West, though an unavoidable calamity, was also an opportunity ordained by Heaven for the great flourishing of Buddhism.

But this calamity is different from all the calamities of ancient times.

Compared to the previous Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods and the Great Tribulation of the Lich King, the First Tribulation of the Dragon and Han Dynasty, although it involved scheming, ultimately what truly determined everything was the cultivator's own strength. This strength included cultivation level, fortune, merit, opportunities, and even comprehension, wisdom, and scheming.

In this tribulation of the Journey to the West, the true essence of these past eons has become unimportant. Instead, the powerful backers and schemes behind them have become invaluable.

While Buddhism seemed to be flourishing, Taoism did not suffer any losses during the Journey to the West. In fact, the most difficult challenge in the Journey to the West came from Taoism. In the end, it was only through the personal communication between Buddha Tathagata and Laozi that the most difficult challenge was successfully overcome.

As for Luo Fu, his identity as the future Buddha is no longer a secret in Buddhism. Now, all that's left is to complete the formalities, and then Luo Fu will be the fully enlightened Namo Future True Buddha.

Of course, as the future Buddha, as the Bodhisattva Virupa said before, it is not yet the time for the future to propagate the Dharma; it is the era of the present World Honored One.

Therefore, it becomes intriguing to see how Ruzhen Buddha, who is under the banner of the future Buddha of Luofu and whose status is not yet fully established and whose name is not legitimate, would set up obstacles for the westward journey team.

First of all, the difficulty level cannot be too high, otherwise Sun Wukong would have to search for help from all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, which would be tantamount to making the internal conflicts within Buddhism public.

Neither the Buddha nor the Buddha from the East wanted to see this.

Secondly, it is essential to fully demonstrate the presence of the future Buddha in this stage.

To some extent, the timing and intensity of the challenge set up by Luofu are crucial.

This long and winding journey fully reveals the profound meaning of the Tathagata Buddha, the Buddha of the East, and even the Bodhisattva Vimalamitra.

This is like when leaders in the mortal world speak, they often speak in a cryptic and confusing way, leaving people bewildered.

The purpose of doing this is to test the subordinates' comprehension.

As a subordinate, one must not only fully understand the leader's true intentions, but also be prepared to take the blame at any time.

If you do well, it's because of the good leadership above; if you do poorly, it's because of your own misunderstanding.

In short, it has nothing to do with the above; the above is a standard non-stick pan.

Of course, such a task, once completed, is the one that will be most valued by the leadership.

Even a direct ascension is nothing unusual, just like the little novice monk who is now transformed from a Buddhist rosary. The nameplate directly tells Luo Fu that as long as he grasps the timing and completes the task of testing the pilgrim, he will be able to achieve perfect merit and smoothly become a true Buddha.

This is also because of the powerful backer behind Luofu.

Otherwise, with his mere past status as a minor Taoist disciple at Huanghua Temple, Luofu could hardly dream of becoming a Buddha, let alone ascend to the Thousand Buddhas List of the Future Star Tribulation of Buddhism.

Within the Buddhist system, among its vast population, Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Sangharama are all waiting to advance further.

In an instant, Luo Fu realized his current predicament and finally understood.

This era is quite different from the barbaric world before the Investiture of the Gods, when strength was truly revered.

With the conclusion of the Investiture of the Gods, order has now become an ironclad rule that countless powerful cultivators in the Three Realms uphold together.

Just like any organization or system in the mortal world, when it is first established, it must be courageous and diligent, overcoming all obstacles. While it may not be possible to say that it is completely selfless, it is certainly united.

After laying a solid foundation for the organization's prosperity, it's time to divide the spoils. There may be some chaos at first, but that's a necessary process in establishing order.

Looking at dynasties in the mortal world, at the beginning of a dynasty, after the establishment of order, there will inevitably be an internal upheaval within one or two generations, or thirty to fifty years. After this upheaval ends, the dynasty will move towards the cycle of birth, growth, prosperity, and decline.

The so-called decline is nothing more than the fact that the organization has become a closed upper structure, and no matter how much internal strife there is, other lower-level members can forget about getting a share of the pie.

This is why in the world of Journey to the West, countless demons are single-mindedly focused on attaining enlightenment.

In reality, Heaven, Hell, Buddhism, Taoism, and so on have already divided everything up.

Yet they possess the most powerful and unshakeable force.

In this situation, if you want to go further, you can only follow the rules, otherwise you will become the target of public criticism.

Didn't you see that even Tang Sanzang's previous incarnation, Jin Chanzi, the second disciple of the Buddha, had to be banished to the mortal realm and undergo ten lifetimes of cultivation before finally ascending to the position of the Sandalwood Merit Buddha through the Journey to the West?

Even though Luofu has the backing of the Underworld Witch Clan, and even the lineage of Subhuti, the incarnation of the Western Saint Zhunti, he still has to abide by the rules.

These rules are established by the Way of Heaven, by sages, and by powerful beings from all sides; no one can transgress them.

In this day and age, it's no longer about pure spiritual cultivation or practice; it's clearly moving towards the Dharma-ending Age, or rather, the era of worldly affairs and human relationships.

Having understood all this, Luo Fu was not too disappointed.

After all, he was born in Rome, and the Buddha of the East, or even the Tathagata Buddha, had paved the way for him. All he had to do was to carefully manage the situation and set up obstacles for the westward journey team so that he could achieve perfect merit.

This is something that countless demon kings and great saints would beg for but could not obtain.

To a naive young man, this series of twists and turns seemed like a trap, but Luo Fu was no naive young man.

He knew very well that whether it was the Buddha from the East, the Buddha Tathagata, or even the errand boy, the Bodhisattva Pilanpo, they all had good intentions towards him and were happy to see Luofu ascend to the position of Namo Ruzhen Buddha.

It's just a small test. Even the Old Mother of Lishan was able to test the Zen mind with the Three Great Bodhisattvas. If the Four Saints were to test the Zen mind, Luofu could certainly follow suit.

Having understood everything, Luo Fu clasped his hands together and bowed to the young novice monk who was the Buddha in the form of the prayer beads, saying, "This disciple thanks the Buddha for his guidance. I will now return to Huanghua Temple to arrange the tests for the pilgrims."

With a smile and a nod, the little novice monk who had been transformed from the prayer beads transformed back into the tiny prayer beads amidst a burst of dazzling light.

It was only then that Luo Fu truly realized that these were not Buddhist beads at all, but a relic.

Huang Mei stepped forward, picked up the relic, and said to Luo Fu, "This treasure is a relic transformed from the sixteen-foot golden body of the Tathagata Buddha. Although it is empty and void, it is of special benefit to the wonderful Dharma of the Golden Body of my uncle."

Although Luofu recognized the relic, he never imagined that it was actually an incarnation of the Buddha.

As the attendant of the Buddha of the East, Huang Mei said with a touch of arrogance: "Back then, the World Honored One Tathagata was invited by the Great Heavenly Venerable to go to the Heavenly Court to subdue the demon monkey. Unexpectedly, the demon monkey defiled his golden body. That sixteen-foot golden body was then destroyed by the Tathagata Buddha and became a golden body relic."

(End of this chapter)