The Battle in Journey to the West-Chapter 32 - 0 Bodhidharmas Disciples Spread Buddhist

Now that Buddhism is about to be introduced into the Eastern Land, perhaps it has received the approval of the Daoist way. After all, the Journey to the West cannot be too abrupt; it requires a period of preparation. Though the Daoist Equal to Heaven knew this, he still insisted on acting this way in order to change his destiny and avoid falling into the trap of the Journey to the West. If Buddhism could not enter the Eastern Land, then his destiny could be altered, and all the plans laid by Tathagata would become useless.

Indeed, there were times when Daoist masters clashed with Buddhist monks when Buddhism was introduced into the Eastern Land, but it ended with the defeat of the Daoist way. Emperor Ming of Han was overjoyed and thus established the White Horse Temple for the monks to reside in and spread their teachings.

Liu Cang had already been completely convinced by the Daoist Equal to Heaven. Since Emperor Wu of Han dismissed the Hundred Schools of Thought and solely exalted Confucianism, the rule of power indeed became more consolidated, yet he also became an eternal sinner in later ages. He suffocated the diverse civilizations of the Eastern Land in their infancy. If it were not for Emperor Wu exalting Confucianism alone, with the Hundred Schools still contending, even if Buddhism had come to the Eastern Land, it could not have stirred up such a storm, turning Confucianism into a poison that people curse upon mention. Despite Emperor Wu’s martial prowess and grand strategies, his dismissal of the Hundred Schools and sole exaltation of Confucianism was a severe detriment to the culture of the Eastern Land.

“I implore the Great Sage Equaling Heaven to lend your aid. Liu Cang shall be eternally grateful!” Liu Cang bowed deeply in supplication.

“I will naturally intervene, as this matter concerns the reputation of our Eastern Taoist Sects. If we allow the teachings of the Barbarian States to infiltrate the Eastern Land, where would that leave our dignity?” The Daoist Equal to Heaven raised his arm to lift Liu Cang up from the ground.

Liu Cang, grinding his teeth in anger, said, “That Fu Yi feeds on the royal bounty yet introduces foreign sects to harm the Central Plains; he truly deserves to die!”

However, the Daoist Equal to Heaven said, “You mortals are easily blinded by those in the Immortal Abode. Fu Yi’s actions must have been guided by a high-ranking Buddhist, do not worry, I shall rectify this matter and restore our way.”

Yet even the Daoist Equal to Heaven had his worries. Without a suitable magical treasure at hand, although he possessed the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Transformations for protection, facing those Buddhist masters with their numerous magical treasures was a severe disadvantage. Haven’t you seen how even a Little Novice Monk from under Maitreya Buddha’s seat made Wukong repeatedly suffer on his Journey to the West? Naturally, part of that was due to Maitreya Buddha’s indulgence and guidance.

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“Right… We should go to Guan Jiangkou and request the assistance of Yang Jian. Yang Jian is a disciple of the Saint of the Interpretation Sect, an ardent supporter of the Three Pure Ones. If the Buddhist sect intends to spread into the Eastern Land, he will surely do everything he can to obstruct them.” The Daoist Equal to Heaven considered internally, frustrated over his lack of magical treasures and Wukong’s inability to show himself, but Yang Jian was different. With his formidable mana and plethora of treasures, along with his renowned name, there was no one better than him to halt the Buddhist invasion.

However, the identity of Yang Jian was extremely delicate, being the nephew of the Jade Emperor, and it was uncertain whether he would agree to step forward.

Upon closer consideration, the relationship between Yang Jian and the Jade Emperor was very much strained. The Jade Emperor was a great benevolent man from the Ancient Times, Zhang Bairin, who had reincarnated after going through numerous tribulations and once served as a Child under Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch. Perhaps it was due to the constraints of Yuan Shi Immortal Monarch that he gradually developed a sense of rebellion, steadily building his own forces and challenging the Three Pure Ones, even collaborating with Buddhism at the expense of opposing them.

Having said his farewells to Liu Cang, the Daoist Equal to Heaven rode his clouds towards Guan Jiangkou to seek True Lord Erlang, Yang Jian.

As one flower blossoms with two blooms, each showing its own unique beauty. We will leave aside the Daoist Equal to Heaven’s journey for the moment and turn our attention to the movements in the Western Heaven.

There was a Dharma Institute in the West Cow He State, and enshrined within was Patriarch Bodhidharma. This man’s birth was accompanied by portents, and later he cultivated both the Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism seamlessly. His mana was so profound that he likely ranked among the Daluo Golden Immortals. He had two disciples under him, one named Shemoteng and the other Zhufalan. Both disciples had long studied Buddhist law under him. Now, Buddha Ancestor had decreed, that he was to send these two disciples out of the monastery to wander and propagate Buddhism, they would naturally be found by the envoy from the Han Dynasty making his way westwards, and in time, they could spread Buddhism to the Eastern Land.

Although the cultivation of these two disciples wasn’t high, being only at the Elixir Realm of the Taiyi Golden Immortal’s First Heaven, they had just formed their immortal pills and could assimilate more refined innate true qi.

Although their mana was somewhat low, their understanding of Buddhist law was difficult for anyone to match. This was because they had focused on learning Buddhism to the exclusion of cultivation, which was why, with their talents, they only reached such a realm. Otherwise, they might have reached the Daluo Golden Immortal level already.

Wukong’s talent was also not inferior, but in his past life, he mistakenly learned the Seventy-Two Transformations instead of the Thirty-Six Types of Transformations which Nu Wa had specifically left for him. The Seventy-Two Transformations were created by Fuxi, who cultivated the way of divination. These numbers 89 and 72 secretly align with the heavenly principles and the way of divination, perfectly embodying infinite variations. However, without cultivating Fuxi’s Nine Palaces Bagua Method, it’s ultimately like practicing martial arts without cultivating the fundamentals, ending up with nothing. This is precisely why Yang Jian, from ancient times till today, has not made much progress in his cultivation. If he had cultivated other methods, he may even have reached the immortal realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal’s Third Heaven.

Patriarch Bodhidharma said, “Do you two know why I summoned you here?”

Zhufalan replied, “Could it be that our teacher has summoned us to leave the monastery and spread the compassion of our Buddha?”

Patriarch Bodhidharma replied, “Indeed!”

Patriarch Bodhidharma, having attained enlightenment during the Middle Ancient Period, saw that the Buddhist sect was slightly declining at that time. He played a pivotal role in spreading Buddhist law and accruing followers everywhere.

Shemoteng knelt and said, “Teacher, after studying Buddhism for a long time with Zhufalan, I’ve achieved some progress; it’s time to go out, to propagate the compassion of our Buddha, and attract more believers to strengthen the incense offerings.”

Patriarch Bodhidharma was immensely gratified, raised his hand, and smiled, “To hear such thoughts from you warms my heart. Now that your understanding of Buddhism has come to fruition, and you can thoroughly interpret the subtleties of both the Hinayana and Mahayana scriptures, I am satisfied with what you’ve said. A few days ago, Buddha Ancestor came to me in a dream, saying that the current Human Emperor of the Han, Emperor Ming, dreamed of a Golden Man flying in his hall. The grand historian Fu Yi then said this signifies the Great Saint, the Great Enlightened One from the West, the Buddha. With your learning, although your mana is not high, you may also be known as Enlightened Ones, as Buddhas. Buddha Ancestor said you should conform to the heavenly mandate, and so I’m sending you out of the monastery to spread Buddhist law, to wait for the envoys from the Han Dynasty to seek you out.”

Upon hearing this, both Shemoteng and Zhufalan could not help but feel overjoyed. They had not expected that they would be going to the Eastern Land to preach. Such an endeavor would yield boundless merit! If Buddha Ancestor looked favorably upon them and they completed the task, it was possible that they might be invited to become Buddhas in Mount Meru of the Western Heaven.

However, Zhufalan’s face showed a trace of sorrow, “Teacher, our mana may be low, and there are countless experts from the Daoist sects in the Eastern Land. If we act rashly, I fear we might not be a match for them!”

Shemoteng also smacked his forehead, saying, “Indeed! Not to mention that the Kunlun faction is the leader among the Eastern Taoist Sects, even if a group of sword cultivators from the Shushan Sword Sect were to come, neither Zhufalan nor I would be their match.”

Patriarch Bodhidharma formed a seal with his hand and pressed it on his lower abdomen and said with a slight smile, “Be at ease. Since Buddha Ancestor has sent you, you should just go!”

Shemoteng and Zhufalan both felt secretly happy, thinking to themselves, “Could it be that Buddha Ancestor, knowing the difficulties of preaching, will secretly send powerful protectors to guard us?”

Though already extremely powerful as Taiyi Golden Immortals, the two had never fought anyone before. They had no idea how to employ their mana effectively in combat. Perhaps even an Earth Immortal might beat them severely.

Even though Tathagata had reached a consensus with the Heavenly Court and the Three Pure Ones, they did not intervene in the power dynamics of the mortal world’s Daoist sects. This was a cunning move: you Buddhists claim to be so powerful, so let’s see how you fare against our mortal Daoist sects. If you lack the capability, hastily pack your bags and return to West Cow He State, and forget about any agreements concerning the Journey to the West.

The lineage of Daoism in the mortal world was also incredibly formidable, including the Orthodox Unity sect of the Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, with their especially sharp Thunder Magic. Then there was Mount Mao, where the power of Talismans and Incantations was not to be underestimated. There were also some extremely powerful Scattered Immortals, among them Ancestor Chen Tuan, who had already achieved immortality but refused to join the Immortal Ranks. He was known as the “Sleep Immortal” because of his fondness for sleep, often sleeping for hundreds of years at a time, and legends in later generations tell of him pointing the way for Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin.

After bowing and paying their respects to Patriarch Bodhidharma, Zhufalan and Shemoteng returned to their lodgings to pack their bags, prepare their scriptures, and gather their dharma instruments like wooden fish and Buddha beads. Then they set off together to propagate Buddhism in the town closest to the Southern Toad Continent in West Cow He State.

The envoys from the Eastern Han had a long journey ahead of them to reach this place. They could use this time to propagate Buddhist law and broaden their fame, so when the time came, those envoys would come seeking them out of their own accord.

For this departure, whose outcome remains uncertain, please listen to the next part for the resolution.