Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 950 The Three Bodhisattvas Residing in the World

As the changes in the Eastern Celestial Realm stabilized, Chu Tai also calmed his mind. He was given a Buddhist seal by the Buddha, and then was knocked away by the Taiyi True Lord with a palm strike. Amidst the changing light of the universe, he kept going back to the past.

In Chu Tai's eyes, he could see an aura of primordial chaos, primordial and primordial, pure and impure, flowing together, contained in front of him. From there, countless waves of cosmic light surged forth, turning into raging river water, trying to take Chu Tai back to his original position.

But the Eastern Emperor Bell swayed, and the Taiyi Dao Qi changed, steadily pushing it back to the past. Throughout the process, all concepts of time, the universe, the void, time, and history became blurred. Amidst the turbulent waters, all sorts of bizarre and fantastical images vaguely emerged: people, objects, palaces, fields, mountains and dense forests, ocean beds, war and horses, family joy, and deep-seated hatred...

Numerous concepts of fortune and misfortune, life and death, impermanence and destiny manifest, yet converge in the vast, ancient and vicissitudes of the long river, unifying into a boundless, eternal, and surging force that blends with all things, constantly eroding the essence of Chu Tai.

The first-grade Dao Fruit of the Xiangjun and Xiangfuren system, [Zhoushi (Taishi)], shines brightly and is constantly being improved.

When the [Tai Shi] returned to calm, Chu Tai only saw boundless Buddhist light illuminating the ten directions of heaven and earth.

This is a vast Buddhist kingdom, surrounded by countless novices, monks, and nuns who prostrate themselves in worship. Precious trees made of seven treasures grow all around, and three outer walls are constructed of countless jewels and vajras.

Solemn and inviolable, yet imbued with compassion, mercy, peace, and tranquility from within.

It appears to be a pure land, a paradise.

But upon closer inspection, Chu Tai saw that within the city walls constructed of countless treasures and vajras, there were faint traces of white bones, and countless twisted lives, in distorted postures, bowing and worshipping towards the center.

The immense, twisted, and eerie power of will reminded Chu Tai of the Buddha and demon he had encountered years ago.

Of course, the other party's aura did not seem as strong as he remembered, and it seemed to be in a dormant state.

Investigating the source of the change, Chu Tai looked up and saw three Bodhisattvas standing in the void, suppressing an illusory Buddha.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, excellent! Excellent! My two fellow practitioners, is there any way to convert this Buddha-demon back to the right path?"

"No, its foundation is [Earth Transformation], and we cannot completely transform it back."

Upon hearing this, a Bodhisattva spoke, and Chu Tai frowned, quite surprised: '【Transformation into Earth】? Such a principle can be used as a foundation for a first-grade cultivator?'

Transformed Land is one of the three types of land in Buddhism: Dharma-nature, enjoyment, and transformation. It is a pure or impure land that the Buddha manifests according to the good and evil karma of sentient beings through his inconceivable supernatural powers.

Essentially, the transformation of the Pure Land is a way for the Buddha to adapt to the nature and needs of sentient beings, creating various incarnations to open up some Pure Lands that are more inclined towards supernatural manifestations and have inferior Dharma and spiritual meaning.

The Buddhist community claims that this was a special transformation created by the Buddha to more effectively guide sentient beings toward enlightenment.

In the eyes of some cultivators who dislike Buddhism and Taoism, "transformation into the Pure Land" is a means by which Buddhism assimilates the divine and immortal paths, regarding concepts such as the heavenly kingdoms of the divine path and the spiritual realms of the immortal path as subordinate to the Pure Land of Buddhism.

Within Buddhism and Taoism, there are certain differences in the definition of the Transformation Land. Some extreme Buddhist and Taoist practitioners regard the Transformation Land as the City of Doubt, the Womb Palace, the Borderland, or the Realm of Sloth, referring to the final rebirth place of those sentient beings who recite the Buddha's name with doubtful minds, and directly deny the existence of gods and immortals.

However, in Chu Tai's view, who had condensed fragments of the [Bodhi Tree God] Dao Fruit and grasped a little bit of the concept of earth transformation.

The claim that he dislikes Buddhist and Taoist practitioners is not entirely wrong, as Huatu does indeed exhibit this tendency in his actions.

Some extreme Buddhist and Taoist practitioners have a point, since the concept of "transformation into earth" is an internal Buddhist and Taoist explanation, and is naturally more suitable for terms like "city of doubt," "fetal palace," "borderland," and "realm of laziness." Forcibly linking it with immortals and gods is not a good idea.

We must get Chu Tai to give a definition.

The Pure Land is like the sun, while the transformed land is like the rainbow light surrounding the sun. In the process of propagation, it reveals various colors. Although it is magnificent, it is not the sun itself. However, its brilliance is not too dazzling, making it more suitable for the public to observe.

This shows that when the concept of "transformation into earth" is placed within the realm of Dao fruit, it feels like it exists in an empty space, without any substantial substance.

Therefore, it's acceptable to use it as the foundation for the third grade of Dao fruit, but it's a bit difficult for the second grade. Chu Tai finds it hard to imagine how such a concept can support the first grade of Buddha-demon fruit position.

As he pondered, the three Bodhisattvas above also seemed to be deep in thought, their eyes radiating Buddhist light that illuminated the surroundings. Finally, one of the Bodhisattvas put his hands together and said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, may I ask which fellow practitioner is here? Please show yourself so we can have a chat. Otherwise, my two fellow disciples and I will have to apologize for our rudeness."

As they spoke, the three bodhisattvas changed their hand gestures, and the Buddha's light condensed into three mudras along with their hand seals.

Their meanings are respectively: "all things are impermanent", "all phenomena are without self" and "Nirvana is peace".

As these three Dharma seals were formed, a Buddha's light descended from the sky, and the suppressed Buddha fell into an even deeper state of silence.

Chu Tai was also on edge. The Three Dharma Seals of Buddhism and Taoism were regarded in the past as the foundation of all Buddhist teachings and as proof of whether Buddhism was true and effective.

There is a consensus within most Buddhist and Taoist traditions today.

If any dharma contradicts the Three Dharma Seals, even if it is personally taught by the Buddha, it is not the true dharma.

If a Dharma is in accordance with the Three Dharma Seals, even if it is not spoken by the Buddha, it is equivalent to the true Dharma spoken by the Buddha.

Therefore, with the formation of the Three Dharma Seals, the Buddhist destiny naturally converged, and the Buddha's light from the Western Paradise also descended from the darkness.

Seeing no reaction from their surroundings, the three Bodhisattvas exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward, and the power of the mudra in his palm spread outwards, transmitting his message.

The impermanence of all things means that all phenomena in the world, arising and ceasing in an instant due to the coming together of causes and conditions, cannot remain constant or permanent.

This seal is the easiest of the three seals to understand, yet it also restrains all acquired methods.

Under this seal, all acquired methods of concealment and hiding become ineffective, and many Dao fruits of [immortality], [indestructibility], and [eternity] will also be restrained.

However, Chu Tai, with the help of the Eastern Emperor Bell, was not afraid of the "impermanence of all things".

Upon seeing this scene, the three Bodhisattvas' expressions changed drastically. The second Bodhisattva stepped forward, and the power of the Dharma seal enveloped the ten directions.

The concept of "no-self" refers to all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, and can also be seen as all existence, emphasizing that nothing has an independent and unchanging essence.

This seal has the concept of breaking the "self", which is quite similar to the [Victorious Fighting Buddha] that Chu Tai previously condensed. From a certain perspective, it is also somewhat similar to the [Transformation] Dao Fruit of the Heavenly Demon.

However, the two are only superficially similar; their foundations, manifestations, and target different situations are different. This Dharma seal not only restrains all acquired methods but can also break through the method of "discrimination." From a certain perspective, it is a natural counter to the Heavenly Demon Path Fruit.

Chu Tai gained some insight from the Eastern Emperor Bell, but the three Bodhisattvas immediately noticed something was wrong.

The third person stepped forward, and the three mudras came together.

Nirvana, or tranquility, refers to the extinguishing of greed, anger, and delusion, entering a state of complete liberation, undisturbed and undisturbed, transcending the cycle of birth and death.

This seal, when placed within the realm of immortals, is the supreme method that leads directly to the innate realm. Even with Chu Tai's current control over the Eastern Emperor Bell, he cannot remain completely unaffected by this seal.

Therefore, Chu Tai did not hesitate to mobilize the power of the Cloud Lord Dao Fruit system, generating a thin mist that enveloped himself and manifested in the Buddha's light.

The three Bodhisattvas looked at Chu Tai with a hint of surprise in their eyes. They had not expected that someone could conceal their form under the Three Dharma Seals.

Although they were able to dispel most of the fog, allowing Chu Tai's figure to partially appear, the ancient bell above his head instantly caused countless Buddhist scriptures to circulate around it, suppressing the changes in the Three Dharma Seals. No matter how the three of them activated it, the vast Buddhist light swept back and forth, but they could not make the bell shake even slightly.

"Who are you?"

Upon realizing this, the three Bodhisattvas took a half step back, blocking the path of the Buddha formed by the Buddha and Demon Lord, staring at Chu Tai with wary expressions.

Chu Tai did not answer, but looked at the Buddha-Demon Dao Master with a hint of doubt in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I heard the three of you say that this Dao Fruit is [Transformation into Earth], I wonder if the three of you could explain it to me."

"Amitabha, this is a matter of our Buddhist sect. Please do not interfere."

"You won't let me get involved, but this guy is clearly beyond your capabilities. Suppressing him now is just a temporary fix; sooner or later he'll break free of the seal and wreak havoc on the world. How can you expect me to stand idly by?"

As he spoke, Chu Tai recognized the three bodhisattvas before him. They were the three surviving bodhisattvas of Buddhism, and the greatest force restraining the Buddha and the demons. But recalling the past battles, these three seemed like dead men, hardly ever lifting a finger.

If he hadn't sensed a trace of their power, Chu Tai would have suspected that the three of them had already passed away peacefully or achieved enlightenment.

Now, facing Chu Tai's questioning, the three Bodhisattvas clearly didn't have a good way to refute him.

All three are very clear that Buddhism and demonism have now formed their own lineage, relying on the concept of "transformation into earth" to create another way to distort the concept of Buddhism.

From the perspective of spiritual practice, the concepts of Buddha and Mara completely suppress Buddhist teachings.

Furthermore, its heretical doctrines rely on the concept of "transformation into earth," encompassing almost all changes in conditioned phenomena, and even regarding it as its core.

From this perspective, it completely contradicts the concept of "impermanence of all things".

However, one of its core concepts is "transformation into earth," which is itself in a state of neither birth nor death. It also completes the interpretation of "non-self of all phenomena" and "Nirvana" from a very ingenious angle.

Furthermore, this led to the fact that what was originally a completely unorthodox doctrine that went against the principle of "impermanence of all things" actually aligned with the concepts of "impermanence of all things" and "non-self of all phenomena" in terms of the results of cultivation. After all, the Dharma forms that the Buddha, demon, and Taoist masters ultimately attained were not eternally permanent, but rather contained the concept of change.

This directly resulted in the three Bodhisattvas' many methods being completely useless against this former fellow practitioner.

According to their perceptions, the Buddha-Demon Lord had, in a sense, taken a different path and had been granted the Buddha's seal by the Buddha, which made the three of them hesitate.

Hesitating for a lifetime, [Huatu], under the power of Buddha and demon, developed many methods targeting the three Bodhisattvas, even eroding the Pure Land Buddhist Kingdom they built together with countless Buddhist disciples, causing countless white bones to emerge within it.

However, the three bodhisattvas could not speak openly in front of Chu Tai. They could only put their hands together and say, "Our Buddhist sect is vast and has countless wonderful methods. We can naturally guide our disciples. There is no need for you to worry. On the contrary, you are hiding your true intentions, which is really hard to believe. If you do not leave, don't blame us for being impolite."

As they spoke, the Buddha's light emanating from the three Bodhisattvas intertwined, connecting with the surrounding Buddhist Pure Lands to create the illusory image of Mount Sumeru.

Chu Tai had seen this move several times in the Immortal Manifestation and Transformation Heaven before, and knew its profoundness. He had already reacted before the unparalleled suppressive power manifested.

He smiled and raised his right hand as if he were picking a flower.

A nine-petaled golden lotus appeared at his fingertips. With a push and a tremor, the lotus petals fell off, and boundless light burst forth from his empty fingertips, reaching everywhere and encompassing all.

Under the light, everything around was a vast expanse of clear, lustrous glass, bright and transparent everywhere, without any obstruction or barrier.

The three bodhisattvas were astonished by the serene scene before them.

They can feel that all the causes and conditions around them are fading away, and all impermanent changes are dissipating, and their minds involuntarily fall into a state of purity, clarity, selflessness, and non-attachment.

Before the three could react, Chu Tai spread his five fingers and flipped them downwards.

The divine power of Mount Sumeru, which had been gathered by the three Bodhisattvas, was immediately reversed. As his palm fell, the three Bodhisattvas fell silent.

This silence is no different from the methods the three of them used to suppress the Buddha and the demon. In essence, it is by using the word "Nirvana" in the three great seals to forcibly suppress the greed, anger and ignorance in people's hearts, eliminate all distracting thoughts, and artificially interfere with the innate spiritual light and acquired consciousness, so that they fall into silence.

In terms of supernatural power, this action forcibly silences a person's spiritual light, achieving the effect of temporarily lowering their cultivation level.

If this method is taken to its extreme, it may be possible to forcibly force certain great principles of the universe into a state of annihilation.

Of course, compared to the three Bodhisattvas, Chu Tai also referred to some of the methods he used when he encountered the Buddha Tathagata from the Three Pure Ones Heaven.

At that time, the Buddha Tathagata used the supreme Dharma to send people into the Buddhist path to the highest and purest state, and then withdrew the blessing, causing them to fall back into the mortal world, repeatedly falling into the cycle of the five grains, thereby disturbing their minds and destroying their spiritual nature.

The method Chu Tai used to interfere with the three Bodhisattvas' perceptions was this kind of blessing technique.

That's why the three Bodhisattvas didn't have time to resist and were directly suppressed under Chu Tai's palm with a slap.

However, the three Bodhisattvas showed no anger at all. Instead, they were pleasantly surprised and said to Chu Tai, "So that's how it is. The solution to this predicament lies with you, senior brother."

(End of this chapter)