The Heavenly Emperor of Chu

Chapter 223: The Buddhist-Taoist Dispute
After being presided over by a great emperor, Buddhism rose rapidly, and the entire world bowed down to it.

Especially in places where the essence of heaven and earth is scarce, mortals are ignorant and cultivators are clueless, so their reverence for Buddhism is even stronger.

However, not all races are willing to submit to Buddhism. Their methods are too terrifying, and once someone is converted, they seem to become a completely different person.

If it weren't for the presence of the current emperor in the Buddhist sect, all the extreme forces of the time might have united to wipe out Buddhism first.

The Buddhist sect was also sensible and did not provoke the extreme forces and those ancient royal families.

Although Amitabha Buddha is powerful, he is not invincible. Besides the two Heavenly Emperors and Divine Emperors who have already achieved immortality, there are several other enlightened beings in the mortal realm who have undergone reverse transformations.

Of the five enlightened beings who attained enlightenment in the last two hundred thousand years, aside from those who passed away after achieving immortality, the other emperors are probably still alive.

There's no need to elaborate on the previous Emperor Xuan Chen. It's only been ten thousand years since he lived his fourth life. His lifespan is still very long. He's probably still cultivating diligently on the Tianji Ancient Star. Naturally, the Buddhist sect wouldn't dare to provoke him.

The fact that the two Holy Emperors, Taiyin and Taiyang, were able to defy fate and return could not mean they would die in one lifetime. Most likely, like Emperor Xuanchen, they discarded the Heavenly Heart Mark at some point, which is what the world deduced from Emperor Xuanchen's actions.

As for the Celestial Phoenix Emperor, there's no need to say more. It is a celestial spirit that has lived for 100,000 years in three lifetimes, which is extremely rare in ancient history. Only a handful of people can compare to it, and people speculate that it is still undergoing transformation in the mortal world.

Besides, not all of those who attained enlightenment in earlier times perished; there may still be a few still striving in the mortal world.

Isn't the God Emperor a prime example? People had long believed that he had vanished for countless years, but he suddenly reappeared tens of thousands of years ago, survived the tribulation to become an immortal, and became the second being to definitively become an immortal.

Throughout the long course of history, with so many enlightened beings born, there will always be a few who embark on the right path.

Amitabha Buddha naturally knows how deep the waters of the human world are. If someone thinks they are uncontrollable and acts recklessly, a great change will likely occur.

Therefore, after attaining enlightenment, Amitabha Buddha spent almost all his time in seclusion in the Western Desert, studying the power of faith, hoping to use the power of faith to walk the path to immortality in the mortal world.

One day, when Amitabha Buddha was in seclusion, he suddenly felt a sudden urge.

He initially ignored it, but as time went by, the sensation became more and more intense, and it began to affect his cultivation.

Left with no other choice, Amitabha Buddha had to end his ascetic practice and head in the direction indicated by his sudden impulse.

Before long, a bright blue star appeared before Amitabha Buddha.

"The ancient, primordial star... it's actually here?"

Amitabha was somewhat surprised. The ancient star had always enjoyed a great reputation in the human world. It was already famous throughout the universe in the mythological era, and many enlightened beings had emerged from this star.

The most recent ones are the Immortal Emperor from 60,000 years ago, the Fuxi Emperor and the Nuwa Emperor from the early ancient times, and the legendary ruler of the Heavenly Court in the mythological era who also came from the ancient star of the primordial world. In addition, there are some ancient mythological deities.

This is a true imperial star; the Dao-proving beings it has produced are unparalleled in the human realm.

Even the Dao-proving beings born from the ancient stars of Beidou, Tianji, and Ziwei are far inferior to it.

Although the ancient star of the primordial era is very famous in the human world, very few people are able to find this star.

Amitabha Buddha could clearly sense that the vicinity of the ancient primordial star was covered with densely packed source magic array patterns, concealing the location of the ancient primordial star.

Unless one is at the pinnacle of cultivation, it is impossible to see the ancient primordial star.

"This must be the work of the Underworld Lord, right?"

As far as Amitabha Buddha knows, the Emperor is not skilled in Origin Arts, but his master, the Underworld Lord, is highly accomplished in Origin Arts and has achieved great success.

Near a large river, a young man dressed in a cassock suddenly appeared.

Is this the place?

Amitabha Buddha stood on the riverbank, somewhat puzzled. In his eyes, this place was neither a magical place nor a treasure; it was just an ordinary place, no different from any other.

Moo!
Just as Amitabha Buddha was wondering, the sound of a blue ox calling brought him back to his senses. He turned around and saw a large blue ox slowly approaching him.

On the large blue ox sat an old man dressed in a black and white Taoist robe, his movements casual and unrestrained. Strangely, however, the old man was sitting backwards on the blue ox.

"Are there really such powerful beings in the human world?"

Amitabha Buddha's pupils constricted sharply; he could sense the terrifying power of this old man. Although he exuded no aura whatsoever and appeared at first glance to be just an ordinary mortal, he was an enlightened being, his wise eyes capable of seeing through the world. How could someone appear before him so silently?

Facing this old man, Amitabha Buddha felt as if he were a mere mortal facing the heavens, unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance.

"The waters of this mortal world are indeed too deep. Even if this old man hasn't become an immortal, he's probably not far off."

Amitabha Buddha felt a chill run down his spine; he sensed the terrifying nature of this old man.

"Greetings, senior. May I ask what brings you here today?"

"No need for formalities. My invitation today was just a spontaneous one. Please have a seat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a large blue stone appeared beside Amitabha Buddha. Without much hesitation, he sat down cross-legged.

Only then did Amitabha Buddha see the old man's face clearly.

"Is it the Celestial Venerable Morality? I didn't expect him to still be alive, and it seems he's about to become an immortal?"

Amitabha Buddha was greatly shocked. The Nine Heavenly Venerables were renowned in the human world, and portraits of most of them have been preserved.

The old man before him bore a striking resemblance to the Taoist deity from the mythological era, and coupled with the aura he couldn't even sense, the answer was obvious.

The old man before us, with his unrestrained manner, is none other than the Moral Celestial Venerable from the mythological era.

However, what puzzled Amitabha Buddha was why this ancient celestial being would personally invite him.

"I heard that you once made a great vow to enlighten the world and save all living beings?" The Celestial Venerable of Morality looked at the young man in front of him and asked.

Amitabha Buddha clasped his hands together and responded, “I see that the world is in constant turmoil, and sentient beings are trapped in the sea of ​​suffering, unable to escape. That is why I established Buddhism, made a great vow, and established the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, hoping to stop the fighting, quell the chaos, and lead sentient beings to liberation.”

The Supreme Lord of Morality nodded slightly. “I once had the same idea as you and established the Supreme Dao to teach and enlighten the world. Later, I changed my mind.”

"These worlds are like this great river. Can the water of a great river flow backward? The water of a great river cannot flow backward; it can only follow the direction determined by the laws of heaven and earth."

Amitabha Buddha seemed to be deep in thought, then cupped his hands in greeting and continued to ask, "In your opinion, senior, can teaching and guiding people not stop the turmoil?"

The Supreme Lord of Morality responded, "The root of the turmoil in the world lies in the human heart, and the human heart is precisely unpredictable."

"The reason why turmoil in the world arises one after another and cannot be stopped is precisely because the fickleness of people's hearts is difficult to reverse."

Amitabha Buddha disagreed with this theory, saying, "It is precisely because people's hearts are unpredictable and filled with selfish desires that I established Buddhism, formulated precepts, reduced people's desires, and led them onto the right path."

The Celestial Venerable of Morality chuckled, “Your precepts may be enforceable for a period of time. But as the stars shift and the sun and moon change, they will eventually lose their effectiveness.”

"Because as time goes by, people will increasingly understand that living is about being unrestrained, going with the flow, and acting spontaneously. But your precepts are binding people's nature, like walking in shackles, leaving them helpless, like birds in a cage or fish in a net. How can they transcend this?"

"Since we live between heaven and earth, we should take heaven and earth as the laws of survival. Why should we deliberately set some harsh rules that go against nature and violate human nature?"

"Human beings should live in accordance with the laws of the earth, the laws of the earth, the laws of the heavens, the laws of the heavens, and the laws of the Tao. Everything should follow the natural order, as evidenced by the irreversible flow of the great river."

Amitabha Buddha shook his head. "I don't think so. Although what you said makes sense, I can't agree with it. The human heart is indeed unpredictable, but that's precisely why it needs guidance and restraint. Without discipline, people will indulge their desires, which will only plunge the world into deeper chaos and suffering."

"The elders used the water of a great river as a metaphor, saying that it can only follow the predetermined direction of the laws of heaven and earth. But I believe that the human heart is not like the water of a river, completely passively following a predetermined trajectory. Humans have intelligence, can distinguish between good and evil, and can choose their own path. Precepts are not a constraint, but a beacon for the world, guiding them away from evil thoughts and onto the path of good."

The Celestial Venerable of Morality raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with interest, "Oh? You say that precepts are a guiding light leading people to the path of goodness. But in my view, they are like ropes, binding people's nature. What you call the path of goodness is merely the path you have decided in your heart. How do you know that this is not another form of imprisonment for people?"

Amitabha Buddha clasped his hands together, his expression solemn. “Senior, the precepts I established are not out of personal selfishness, but based on my insight into the suffering of all sentient beings. Because of selfish desires such as greed, anger, and ignorance, sentient beings commit many evil deeds and are trapped in the sea of ​​suffering of reincarnation, unable to extricate themselves. The existence of precepts is to help them restrain their selfish desires, reduce their evil deeds, and thus be free from suffering and attain happiness.”

"Perhaps in some people's eyes, the precepts restrict their freedom, but true freedom is not about doing whatever you want, but about the liberation of the mind after making the right choice between good and evil. When people can let go of their selfish desires and follow the precepts, they will gain peace and tranquility in their hearts. This is true transcendence."

The Celestial Venerable of Morality waved his hand, “Where there is earth, there is heaven; where there is yin, there is yang; where there is the Celestial Venerable of Morality, there is naturally Amitabha Buddha.”

"If we continue to argue like this, it won't lead to anything. We should each find our own way."

Amitabha Buddha clasped his hands together, turned and left, going in the opposite direction.

(End of this chapter)