I am a fairy in Journey to the West

Bodhisattva Cundi returned to Mount Ling and reported to Vairocana Buddha the passing of Vajrapani.

After listening, the Great Sun Tathagata said, "Cause and effect are predetermined, but calamities are unpredictable. Now that the Buddha's teachings have spread eastward, the cause and effect between my Vulture Peak and the Brahmins, Buddhas and demons should also be clearly defined."

Bodhisattva Cundi nodded slightly. The Brahmanism and the Buddhist demons had long since joined forces to attack Buddhism, and the entire Xiniu Hezhou was in great turmoil.

Then Vairocana Buddha said, "All disciples who have passed away should be reborn in the Eastern Land and re-enter the Buddhist order."

Cundi Bodhisattva put her hands together and said, "Disciple understands."

The Great Sun Tathagata nodded, his gaze falling on the Bodhisattva Cundi, and smiled, "When I examined the heavenly secrets before, I saw that your tribulation had come and you should have passed away. I thought you wouldn't be able to return. But why did the calamity suddenly disappear and you return safely to Mount Sumeru?"

Bodhisattva Cundi said, "Buddha, I was indeed destined to suffer calamity on this journey, but I had a miraculous encounter on the way and received help from a divine being, which is why I was able to avert the calamity and return safely."

The Great Sun Tathagata laughed and said, "This divine being is probably not a mortal."

“Indeed extraordinary, but he has retreated into seclusion, and I cannot reveal his origins,” said Bodhisattva Cundi.

The Great Sun Tathagata laughed and said, "Then there's no need to say anything more. Seeing that your magical power has been exhausted, you should go back to your temple to rest first."

Cundi Bodhisattva bowed and said, "Disciple obeys the Dharma decree."

After the Bodhisattva Cundi departed, a burst of Buddha light appeared on the body of the Great Sun Tathagata, and then he disappeared from the main hall.

Not long after, Vairocana Buddha, seated on a lotus throne, came to the Great Thunder Temple to pay homage.

Upon entering the hall, Vairocana Buddha saw Shakyamuni Buddha seated high above him, with Dipankara Buddha on his left and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha on his right.

Seated on both sides are Maitreya Buddha, Bodhi Sage Tathagata, Amitabha Buddha, Sandalwood Nirvana Merit Buddha, Victorious Fighting Buddha, and other Buddhas, as well as Avalokiteshvara, Mahasthamaprapta, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and other Bodhisattvas.

After the Great Sun Tathagata settled down, the Tathagata Buddha spoke, "I summoned all the Buddhas and the three Bodhisattvas here because Venus just came here and conveyed the golden decree of the Jade Emperor."

Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas present were taken aback. Manjushri Bodhisattva asked, "May I ask, Buddha, what is the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree?"

The Buddha said, "Summon me to Heaven to discuss matters."

All the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas looked at each other, wondering what the Jade Emperor meant by summoning the Tathagata Buddha to Heaven for a meeting.

The Buddha said, “I have a feeling that this meeting is no ordinary one. Therefore, I have summoned you all here. Please wait here. After I go to heaven to meet the Great Heavenly Venerable, I will make detailed arrangements with you all.”

Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas joined their palms in prayer and said, "We will respectfully follow the teachings of our Buddha Dharma."

The Buddha nodded slightly, then stood up from the golden lotus platform, walked out of the Great Buddha Hall, invited Venus to join him on his ascent to the Great Luo Heaven.

The Four Great Emperors, along with all the celestial emperors and immortals, were already waiting at the Western Heavenly Gate. As soon as the Buddha arrived, they were immediately welcomed into the Heavenly Court and brought to the Hall of Universal Brightness.

Apart from the Four Emperors, all the other emperors and deities stood outside the hall according to their respective ranks and status, while the Four Emperors personally welcomed the Buddha into the Tongming Hall.

Afterwards, Wang Lingguan led the other spirit officials to guard outside the hall and personally closed the gates of the Tongming Hall.

All the emperors and immortals stood outside the hall waiting, while inside the Tongming Hall, there were only seven people.

The Jade Emperor sat high in the hall, while Laozi stood on the right side of the hall. After the Four Emperors paid their respects to the Jade Emperor, they stood on the left side of the hall.

The Buddha stepped forward with his hands clasped together and bowed to the Jade Emperor, saying, "This humble monk pays respects to the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Venerable."

The Jade Emperor quickly reached out to help him up, saying, "Buddha, there's no need for such formalities."

After saying this, the Jade Emperor pointed towards Laozi and said, "Buddha, Laozi, please sit down."

The Buddha bowed in thanks, then walked to Laozi's side, and after exchanging greetings, sat down.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor smiled at the Four Great Emperors and said, "You may also sit down."

The Four Emperors bowed and said, "Thank you, Great Heavenly Venerable." Then they each sat down.

After everyone was seated, the Jade Emperor first smiled at the Buddha and said, "The reason I invited you to Heaven is to discuss an important matter with you."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha Tathagata quickly replied, "Please enlighten me, Great Heavenly Venerable."

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "I want to discuss this with the Buddha, not force him to comply. It depends on the Buddha's personal wishes."

Upon hearing this, the Buddha asked, "What is the Great Celestial Venerable referring to?"

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "Buddha, Laozi, and the Buddha have been preaching the Great Dao, educating all beings, assisting in the management of the heavens, and discerning all things since the beginning of time. Their merits are immeasurable and their magical powers are boundless. To me, Laozi and Buddha are both my right-hand men, helping me to stabilize the Three Realms and educate all living beings. However, Buddha has always resided in the lower realm, and I cannot often consult him, which is a great pity. But today, the Dao has changed, and Buddhism has spread eastward, so I intend to invite Buddha to move to the Jade Capital, so that I can consult him day and night and discuss state affairs with Laozi. I wonder what Buddha thinks?"

Yujing, as the name suggests, is the capital city of the Heavenly Court.

The Jade Capital in the Great Luo Heaven is the central hub of the entire Heavenly Court, where the Jade Emperor, the Four Emperors, the Divine Firmament Jade Palace, the Divine Thunder Jade Palace, and so on all reside.

Another poem says: "On the day of the Jade Capital's pilgrimage to the immortals, the heavens are arrayed in the ranks of the immortals."

After hearing this, the Buddha immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "I am deeply grateful for the great Heavenly Venerable's kindness. However, I am a person from outside this realm. What virtue or ability do I have to move to the Jade Capital Holy Realm?"

The Great Emperor Ziwei said, "Buddha is too modest. With your merits, it is only right and proper for you to move to the Jade Capital."

The Great Emperor of Longevity, the Great Emperor of Gouchen, and the Great Emperor of Houtu all said, "The Great Emperor Ziwei is right. The Buddha's merits are immeasurable, and it is only natural for him to move to the Jade Capital."

Even Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) spoke up, saying, "Buddha, do not be modest. It is only right and reasonable to move to the Jade Capital with your merits. Now that you have received the great favor of the Heavenly Venerable, why not obey the will of Heaven, move your Dharma carriage, and enter the Jade Capital?"

The Jade Emperor laughed and said, "If you, Buddha, are willing, you may move the Great Thunderclap Temple to the Great Luo Heaven and reside in the Jade Capital Sacred Realm. What do you think, Buddha?" The Buddha Tathagata smiled and said, "This humble monk thanks the Great Heavenly Venerable for his kindness and is willing to go to the Great Luo Heaven and relocate to the Jade Capital Realm."

"Good." The Jade Emperor clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "In this way, the Dao Ancestor and the Buddha will both be by my side, and I can consult them day and night. From now on, I can operate the Heavenly Dao and rule the Three Realms without any omissions."

The Buddha said, "This humble monk begs the Great Heavenly Venerable to grant me a few more days. After I have settled the affairs of the mortal realm, I will move into the Jade Capital of the Great Luo Heaven."

The Jade Emperor nodded with delight and said, "Very well, we shall do as the Buddha says."

At this point, the Jade Emperor looked at the upper left corner of his desk, where there were eight jade figures. These were the Eight Great Bright Kings Bodhisattvas who had been appointed as "Deities of the Desk" by the Jade Emperor.

At this moment, the Jade Emperor looked at the Buddha and said, "Buddha, since you have come down to the mortal realm this time, please take the eight Bodhisattvas back with you. They have served as guardian deities for me for so long, which is enough to atone for their past sins."

As soon as the Jade Emperor finished speaking, the eight jade figurines immediately transformed into Buddhist light and flew down, landing in the hall and reverting to the Eight Great Vidyarajas Bodhisattvas.

As soon as the Eight Great Bright Kings Bodhisattvas returned, they immediately thanked the Jade Emperor, then paid homage to the Buddha and Laozi, and then bowed to the Four Emperors.

After bowing, the Jade Emperor granted the eight Bodhisattvas permission to rise. The eight Bodhisattvas thanked him again, then stood up and walked behind the Buddha.

At this moment, the Buddha stood up, bowed to the Jade Emperor in gratitude, and said, "Great Heavenly Venerable, then this humble monk shall take his leave first."

The Jade Emperor nodded and smiled, "Please, Venerable Buddha."

Then the Jade Emperor addressed the Four Emperors, saying, "You may escort the Buddha down to the mortal realm on my behalf."

The Four Emperors rose to receive the decree, and then, together with the emperors and immortals, escorted the Buddha from the Western Heaven Gate to the mortal realm.

Upon returning to Mount Ling, the Buddha appeared on the golden lotus platform above the main hall of the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Upon seeing the Buddha, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas present immediately bowed in respect. Then, Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, "May I ask the Buddha, what is the purpose of this audience with the Great Heavenly Venerable?"

The Buddha informed everyone of his relocation to the Jade Capital, and everyone was astonished upon hearing the news.

The Great Sun Tathagata Buddha looked puzzled. "Buddha, why does the Great Celestial Venerable want you to relocate to the Great Luo Heaven?"

The Buddha laughed and said, "The ways of Heaven have changed. I have been living in the mortal realm for too long, which is no longer in accordance with the ways of Heaven."

"Why is this? What changes have occurred in the Heavenly Way?" asked the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta.

The Buddha smiled and said, "This matter cannot be explained in detail. You will naturally find out in the future if you have the opportunity."

Mahasthamaprapta nodded, then asked, "Has the Buddha already received the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree?"

The Buddha nodded slightly and said, "I have received the decree and will soon be moving to the Great Luo Heaven. Now that I have returned, I will make some arrangements for you."

At this point, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas looked solemnly at the Tathagata Buddha.

The Buddha Tathagata spoke first: "After I leave, Maitreya Buddha will immediately go to the Eastern Land of Jambudvipa and establish a Buddhist kingdom in the Great Tang Dynasty. The three Venerables Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Avalokiteshvara will accompany Maitreya Buddha and will no longer concern themselves with the affairs of the Western Continent and the Western Paradise."

Upon hearing this instruction, many of the Buddhas present displayed varying expressions.

Amitabha Buddha was the first to ask: "Buddha, is it appropriate for the future Buddha to leave Mount Ling and go to establish a Buddha-land?"

The Buddha said, "Appropriate."

Upon hearing these two words, Amitabha Buddha fell silent and returned to his seat.

Then the Buddha said, "After Maitreya Buddha and the three Venerable Ones Manjushri, Samantabhadra and Avalokiteshvara go east, Amitabha Buddha will take charge of the Western Paradise, and the rest of them will assist him."

No one objected to this arrangement, since the Western Paradise was created by Amitabha Buddha.

Then Dipankara Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, Vairocana Buddha, and other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas respectfully accepted the decree. At this moment, Tathagata Buddha looked at Tang Sanzang and called out, "Buddha of Merit, Buddha of Ratnasambhava."

Tang Sanzang and the Buddha of the South immediately stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Disciples are here."

The Buddha said, "You two should work together to assist Maitreya Buddha in establishing the Buddha Kingdom in the East, with Maitreya Buddha as the master in all matters."

The two bowed and said, "Disciples receive the decree."

Finally, the Buddha said, "Make a copy of all the Buddhist scriptures in my Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and entrust them to Maitreya Buddha to take to the Eastern Buddhist Kingdom to spread to all sentient beings, so that Buddhism in Jambudvipa may flourish greatly."

Maitreya Buddha, Merit Buddha, Ratnasambhava Buddha, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteshvara, and others bowed and said, "We will respectfully follow the Buddha's teachings."

After arranging all this, the Buddha preached on Mount Ling for nine days before concluding. Then, with the respectful farewell of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the welcoming of countless immortals and gods in the Thirty-Six Heavens, and the greeting of the gods of the Heavenly Court, the Buddha moved the Great Thunderclap Temple into the territory of the Great Luo Heaven Jade Capital.

From then on, the Taoist Ancestor's Tushita Palace was located east of Yujing, the Buddha's Great Thunder Temple was located west of Yujing, and the Jade Emperor's Taiwei Yuqing Palace was located right in the center of these Taoist and Buddha temples.

As the Buddha moved to the Great Luo Heaven, Maitreya Buddha and his followers began copying Buddhist scriptures. After eighty-one days, they had finished copying all the Buddhist scriptures from the Vulture Peak Treasury and then moved them all to Jambudvipa (the southern continent).

Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva also moved to the East with Maitreya Buddha. From now on, they will no longer return to the Western Paradise to worship and manage affairs.

This arrangement by the Buddha not only caused much doubt within Buddhism itself, but also puzzled outsiders.

Doesn't this split Buddhism in two? With two Buddhas in charge, one in the east and one in the west, aren't they afraid of causing a split? Has the Buddha also learned the art of imperial power and started practicing a balance of power?

However, as the Buddha said, "The Way of Heaven is subject to change," and those who can truly understand the profound meaning behind the Buddha's arrangement are few and far between in the Three Realms. (End of Chapter)