On the Path to the Great Dao

"At that time, the Yaksha made an agreement with the king, and before countless hundreds of thousands of millions of beings, he spoke this sublime verse: From love arises worry, from love arises fear. One who is free from love has neither worry nor fear."

Saintess Xuan glanced up and saw that she had already arrived at Bodhi Monastery. She closed the sutra in her hands, stepped up the mountain, and came to see Huìyīn Bodhi.

Her master, Elder Miaoyin, was also there, along with a group of junior and senior masters, each sitting solemnly in meditation.

Since parting ways at the Western Capital, Saintess Xuan had grown into a graceful young nun, exuding a captivating charm, with a figure that was elegant and curvaceous.

Her lineage cultivated the Red Dust Meditation, experiencing the mortal world, retreating from the height of emotion, and thus entering meditation to attain true enlightenment. Therefore, she did not need to shave her head.

After returning from the Western Capital, for some unknown reason, Saintess Xuan had gone into seclusion for cultivation. Unconsciously, she had entered the Red Dust Meditation, and her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. She had now severed the Three Corpses Gods and cultivated to the Refining Spirit Realm.

Huìyīn Bodhi said she possessed a Bodhi heart and would surely attain true enlightenment in the future.

The Buddhist Sect emphasized sudden enlightenment. As the saying goes, "A butcher laying down his knife can become a Buddha on the spot." The realm of cultivation was not as important; therefore, those who achieved sudden enlightenment often progressed at a terrifying pace.

Originally, after failing to have a romantic relationship with Young Master in the Western Capital and not participating in the grand examination there, many monks in Bodhi Monastery believed she would lose favor and her title as Saintess.

But Saintess Xuan's cultivation had advanced greatly, yet she seemed to have experienced a love tribulation, which truly baffled everyone. — Young Master had been killed; with whom could she have experienced a love tribulation?

Saintess Xuan had never spoken of this matter, not even when her master, Elder Miaoyin, questioned her. She merely smiled and remained silent.

Saintess Xuan paid respects to Huìyīn Bodhi and recounted the encounters of her journey down the mountain. She narrated her experiences in detail, describing the suffering of the common people and the hardships of the masses, and told of how she had healed the sick, saved lives, and subdued ghost gods.

She also spoke of how the human heart had turned into a demonic heart, with man-made disasters being even more severe than those caused by ghost gods.

Having weathered many hardships, she appeared even more captivating, saying, "Now, the human world has become a hell. Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva vowed not to attain Buddhahood until hell is empty. I fear this hell will never be empty."

"Well said, well said."

Huìyīn Bodhi and the others responded in unison, "In this current world, even our Buddhist Sect can only focus on self-cultivation. You should not blame yourself. All souls come from the Buddha Realm, entering human bodies to become life. The myriad affairs of the mortal world are merely a trial for these souls. Some souls undergo hundreds or thousands of trials before achieving great enlightenment and returning to the Buddha Realm to attain true enlightenment. Others can achieve sudden enlightenment in a single lifetime and return to the Buddha Realm to attain true enlightenment. We practitioners of the Way must seek sudden enlightenment in this present life."

Elder Miaoyin smiled and said, "The Bodhi is guiding you, telling you not to be confused by the suffering of the world. The suffering they endure is their trial. We practitioners of the Way should observe the calamities they face and achieve sudden enlightenment to attain true enlightenment."

Saintess Xuan said, "Thank you, Bodhi, for your guidance. Thank you, Master, for your instruction."

She withdrew from the monastery, looked toward the human realm shrouded in Yin energy, and felt a sense of confusion in her heart. Even with Huìyīn Bodhi's explanation, it was still difficult to resolve.

Did the Buddha Realm truly exist in this world?

If the Pure Lands of the Buddhas were so wonderful, why would the souls living there come to this dusty world to endure suffering? Was the Buddha Realm not beautiful enough?

"Sister."

A few novice monks approached, chatting and laughing. When they saw her, they immediately stopped smiling, placed their palms together, and bowed in greeting.

Saintess Xuan smiled and said, "What are you talking about? Relax, don't think of me as Huìyīn Bodhi. I'm not as serious as she is."

One of the novice monks relaxed and said, "When we went down the mountain this time, we encountered talisman masters from the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Master Association saving people. I went to help, escorting those people to a nearby temple. That temple rose up, like the dome of the sky, and inside, a deity was enshrined. They said the light in the temple was the light of the Ancestral Land, the Divine Continent, where crops could be planted and there would be harvests."

Another novice monk laughed and said, "Those talisman masters also said that their Instructor Chen had revived these deities. They invited us to join the Talisman Master Association, and since we were all saving people, we joined. That very night, we met that Instructor Chen. The other talisman masters said we were very lucky."

"Instructor Chen."

Saintess Xuan was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said, "Is this Instructor Chen named Chen Shi?"

The novice monks nodded repeatedly, and one of them laughed and said, "Sister knows Chen Shi? He's also the top scholar..."

Another novice monk kept tugging at his robe, signaling him to stop talking. The novice monk didn't understand and was about to ask when he suddenly remembered something: "Damn it! Young Master was killed by Chen Shi! This Instructor Chen is that top scholar Chen Shi who killed Young Master! Young Master was Saintess Xuan's lover..."

He secretly lamented, not knowing how to explain himself. Saintess Xuan smiled and said, "Chen Shi and I are also old acquaintances. Feel free to speak."

The novice monks dared not say more and hurriedly took their leave.

Saintess Xuan wore a smile on her face, silently thinking, "When I hear the name Chen Shi again, my heart is no longer disturbed. Master is right. One who is free from love has neither worry nor fear. I have let go, and thus I was able to sever the Three Corpses and achieve divine abilities."

She walked toward her meditation chamber. At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind her: "Xuanxuan, long time no see. Are you doing well?"

Saintess Xuan's mind shook violently. The inner peace she had tempered through countless meditations suddenly collapsed into chaos.

She thought she had already broken free from love, severed the Three Corpses, and was free from all desires. Unexpectedly, that single call caused a hundred tangled emotions to coil around her heart.

Saintess Xuan turned around. Chen Shi stood under the mountain gate of Bodhi Monastery, waving to her from afar.

Saintess Xuan stood in the wind, radiant and dazzling, gazing at the man under the mountain gate. Behind him was a majestic white jade statue of a great Buddha, towering and overlooking all beings.

"Donor Chen, if I offer my body to you in bodily almsgiving, would you give up competing for the top scholar position?"

"What is bodily almsgiving?"

"It's giving myself to you!"

...

Saintess Xuan revealed a smile and walked down the mountain.

After a moment, the two walked along the white jade steps and arrived at the Buddha Light Platform of Bodhi Monastery. It was said that from here, one could see the Buddha Light from the Buddha Realm. With luck, one might even see the phantom images of great Buddhas in the sea of clouds, as if they were sitting in the Buddha Realm, giving lectures, causing heavenly flowers to rain down.

However, Chen Shi's timing was unlucky; he only saw an endless sea of clouds. The various peaks of Bodhi Monastery were like golden summits, or like unsinkable islands in the sea of clouds.

"Donor Chen, did you come specifically to see me?" Saintess Xuan asked.

Chen Shi shook his head and said, "No. I was nearby, reviving the Chinese deities, and I thought of you being here, so I came by. I didn't come all the way just to see you."

Saintess Xuan was still very happy and smiled, saying, "The fact that you came shows you have me in your heart."

Chen Shi really wanted to explain to her that he was just passing by, but after thinking about it, he decided not to bother.

Meeting an old friend naturally meant there was much to talk about.

Nearly a year had passed since the Catastrophe, and many things had happened to everyone. Saintess Xuan told Chen Shi about her travels during this period, speaking of the confusion and hesitation she felt from seeing the suffering of the world. She also mentioned Huìyīn Bodhi's words, saying, "Now I don't know whether I should go down the mountain to save more people, or sit in meditation, comprehending the Red Dust and retreating from emotion to attain the Way."

Chen Shi looked up at the white jade Buddha statue behind her, pondered for a moment, and said, "If there is a compassionate heart, why adorn with white jade? Bodhi Monastery is resplendent in gold and jade, piled high with jewels, with golden Buddhas everywhere. The great monks and elder nuns sit in meditation, with no worries about food or clothing. How are they any different from this white jade Buddha?"

Saintess Xuan said angrily, "You're saying that my Bodhi Monastery has no compassion!"

Chen Shi laughed and said, "I didn't say that. I said Bodhi Monastery is worthy of being a sacred land!"

Saintess Xuan said, "You did say that!"

"I did not! Don't slander me!"

Saintess Xuan glared at him angrily. After a moment, she suddenly deflated, all anger gone, and smiled, saying, "And you? What have you been doing this past year?"

Chen Shi then told her about his experiences during this period. He spoke of his search for the ancient temples, his clashes with Despair Slope, his demonic transformation, and his efforts to save people. He talked about many, many things.

Saintess Xuan didn't interrupt. She just quietly watched him and listened, her heart completely calm, without a single ripple.

She seemed to enter the Samadhi of Neither Thinking Nor Not Thinking, with no thoughts in her mind. Chen Shi's words were like pictures, taking her through various experiences in the mortal world, letting her experience the joys and sorrows of human life.

This was a wondrous form of cultivation. In the Buddhist Sect, it was called the "Sutra of the Six Realms of Rebirth." By following a person's thoughts, it felt like undergoing cycles of reincarnation, gaining insights.

Chen Shi finished speaking and stared blankly into the distance.

Saintess Xuan woke from the wondrous samadhi of the Sutra of the Six Realms of Rebirth and asked, "Donor, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking, can a single person truly turn the world around and change the course of events? Sometimes, I feel too insignificant. Like a mayfly floating between heaven and earth, a single grain in the vast ocean."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "I worry that one day, I might also be ground to dust."

Saintess Xuan looked at his profile and found that he had matured a lot since his time in the Western Capital, with less childishness.

"What do you need me to do?" she suddenly asked, as if possessed.

Chen Shi's spirits lifted, and he turned to face her directly, smiling, "I need you to come down the mountain, join the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Master Association, use your Buddhist teachings to help more people, save more people, search for more ancient temples, and revive more ancient Chinese deities! Xuanxuan, I need you to gather more people to do this, to step into the wind and fire, into the Catastrophe, to fight ghost gods and battle the human heart."

His eyes were blazing, and he said loudly, "Xuanxuan, leave the Buddha on the mountain. I need you to come down the mountain and subdue demons and protect the Way!"

"Alright! I agree!" Saintess Xuan said decisively.

Before long, a novice monk came running frantically to see Huìyīn Bodhi, Elder Miaoyin, and the others, shouting, "Bodhi, something terrible has happened! Chen Shi came up the mountain and, with a few words, whisked Saintess Xuan away! Saintess Xuan has also taken many of our brothers and sisters, saying they're going down the mountain to subdue demons and protect the Way!"

"Outrageous!"

Elder Miaoyin slammed the table in anger and said, "Chen Yindu once came to this mountain and almost whisked someone away. Now his grandson has followed suit and come to our mountain to steal people! Now he's stolen my disciple!"

Huìyīn Bodhi said, "Miaoyin, let them go."

"The person who was almost whisked away back then was you, so of course you'd say let them go!"

Elder Miaoyin rushed out of the golden hall, sneering, "I'm going to drag that foolish disciple of mine back!"

Saintess Xuan led the many monks of Bodhi Monastery into the vast human world. She turned back to look at the main peak of Bodhi Monastery and waved.

"Donor Chen, I give you a volume of scripture. I hope you will study it often." She pressed a scroll into Chen Shi's hands, then led the monks and nuns away into the distance.

Chen Shi climbed onto the Wooden Cart and opened the scroll. There was a Bodhi leaf tucked between the pages, likely where Saintess Xuan had been reading.

"From love arises worry, from love arises fear. One who is free from love has neither worry nor fear..."

After reading this, Chen Shi flipped to the book cover, which bore the words, "The Buddha's Discourse on the Causes and Conditions of King Wonderful Form."