The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror-Chapter 837 - 387: Heavenly Court (Part 2)
The cultivator on Tianfeng Peak heard that Wuhua hadn't died, and felt a mix of emotions. He clasped his hands together towards Xu Qing and said, "Thank you, Daoist Xu, for helping our temple uncover the real culprit."
He didn't mention the matter of the Abbott of Heavenly Lake returning.
Because he knew, it was false.
Xu Qing smiled slightly, "I suppose I've helped Shaolin Temple a bit. Now, this humble Daoist has an unreasonable request, and I hope the master can accommodate it."
"Daoist Xu wishes to visit our temple's Scripture Pavilion?"
"Haha, master is perceptive."
The cultivator on Tianfeng Peak said, "Our temple's martial arts, compared to the Quanzhen Sect that is the orthodox lineage of this world, truly have nothing noteworthy. Rather, the Buddhist law in our Scripture Pavilion has many mysteries. If Daoist Xu does not have any urgent matters, after reading the Martial Arts Scripture, you can peruse our temple's Buddhist Scriptures."
If it were an ordinary Taoist, the cultivator on Tianfeng Peak's words could easily offend someone.
Because it implies maliciously leading the other to convert.
However, the Quanzhen Sect has the unity of the three teachings, and since Shaolin Temple's law derives from the Zen Sect, the ideas of both sects have quite a lot in common, so these words are genuinely sincere.
Everyone here has cultivated for many years and is not of the ordinary sort.
Discrimination between sects is only for the outside world; in truth, at a certain height, everyone knows that the profound truths of the world at their peak, are simply borrowing from one another.
For example, the Taoists say that Heaven and Earth are impersonal, which aligns with the Buddhist view of equality of all beings.
Even the Confucians say nothing is beyond approval or disapproval.
It is essentially the same meaning.
Only by transcending good, evil, right, and wrong, can one touch the Dao.
Good, evil, right, wrong, public-private distinctions, are all imposed by people and not the Dao.
The reasoning is there, but with Heaven and Earth born, with myriad spirits, good and evil, public and private, cannot be escaped.
...
...
Hundreds of miles away from Shaoshi Mountain.
Wuhua said, "That Taoist is indeed formidable. If it weren't for Buddha, this monk would be thoroughly defeated this time."
"I indeed underestimated him. I didn't expect even the Soul Hooker from the Underworld couldn't take his soul."
"Buddha, where are we heading now?"
"To the west, it is time for you to meet one of my incarnations."
"Buddha still has incarnations in this world?"
"That is an external form of mine, and you know it."
"Who?"
"Shi Guanyin."
Wuhua was extremely shocked.
He knew Shi Guanyin was his birth mother; how could there be such a relationship with the Evil Buddha?
"Otherwise, why do you think I've sought you, my dear son?" The Jade Buddha's voice suddenly became supremely charming.
Yet Wuhua felt chilled to the bone.
The Jade Buddha's voice changed again, "Shi Guanyin is a fish of Guanyin, and also a fish of mine."
Wuhua, well-versed in Buddhist scriptures, understood that Guanyin Bodhisattva stood far above the Buddhas and had indeed already become a Buddha. The question was, how was Guanyin related to the Worldly Free King Buddha?
He only felt like he had stepped into an endless muddy pool.
The Jade Buddha said, "We, the Heavenly God Buddhas, are inherently in each other. What instills fear in us, is only the multitude of living beings."
Wuhua asked, "Living beings worshipping gods and buddhas, how could it instill fear?"
"All are Tathagata, all are Primordial. The true nature of all beings is what gods and buddhas fear and wish to strip away. Cultivators, upon seeing their true nature, congeal their Primordial Spirit; this is merely the first step of cultivation."
"Your words, Buddha, align with the Buddhist teaching of no self-attribute, no person-attribute, no living-being-attribute."
The Jade Buddha said, "The principle is easy to obtain, but the Great Dao does not rely on others to achieve. No matter how much I tell you, the path must be walked by yourself. Unfortunately, due to that Taoist's delay, our quest for the Spirit Child is now impossible. It seems this matter was invisibly influenced by Shakyamuni."
With that said, it let out a cold snort, clearly extremely dissatisfied.
Suddenly, the Jade Buddha laughed again, "Shakyamuni must have been bullied by the Supreme, otherwise how could he leave traces of his actions?"
Tathagata's Buddhism is inherently traceless.
Now that the Jade Buddha could see Shakyamuni's traces, it naturally realized there was an issue with Shakyamuni. What issue could affect Shakyamuni, but not the Supreme?
This world was originally a place of supreme Tao practice sealed by Shakyamuni, and now it seems, it might actually be restricting Shakyamuni?
Understanding this, the Jade Buddha looked at the world again, finding it like Yin and Yang, entangled indefinitely.
The Supreme's Extreme Yin and Supreme Softness, Shakya's Extreme Firmness and Supreme Yang.
Thereafter, extreme Yin births Yang, extreme Yang births Yin—all natural, wondrous effects.
...
...
The martial arts of Shaolin Temple were nothing noteworthy.
Xu Qing quickly finished reading.
The so-called seventy-two skills were just that.
For him, mastering these martial arts with his Heavenly Repairing Tribulation Hand was as simple as eating or drinking.
And Xu Qing did not find the legendary Nine Yang Scripture, a slight regret.
Nothing more, just sentimentality.
As for the Buddhist scriptures treasured by Shaolin Temple, Xu Qing had already read similar texts during the Yu Dynasty.
The Great Dao is easy to know, difficult to practice.
To be honest, reaching this point today, Xu Qing understood very well that seeking the Dao is fundamentally against human nature.
Only by opposing human nature can one cultivate the Dao.
Therefore many cultivators cut off their seven emotions and six desires; it is not an extreme, but choosing an easier path.
However, cutting off is hard to do cleanly.
To be able to go in and out freely, that is the superior practice.
It's easy to say, but hard to master the measure in practice.
"Human" is from within to without, and from without to within.
To determine the division between internal and external, glory and disgrace.
It's too difficult.
Xu Qing, even now, is still feeling his way across the river by touching stones.
He's beginning to understand the deeper significance.
Mortal Transformation reveals the truth.
For him to now become the Heavenly Emperor, to truly establish the Heavenly Court, it's not the power that he lacks, but the heart of a Heavenly Emperor. Unbiased, transcending the division between internal and external.
Without this, he cannot become the Heavenly Emperor.
It is said that three feet above one's head is divinity.
There are heavenly rules and regulations, binding everything to be close to impartial, and resolving the ingrained karma of all beings in the universe.
Building the Heavenly Court with this principle, only then can Xu Qing's Heavenly Court be recognized by all beings, rather than any other domination like that of the Supreme Dao Sect.
Perhaps this is what led to some failures of the past Emperors and Generals, Ziwei Great Emperor and the like.
They failed to achieve this.
Xu Qing contemplated upon certain historical events.
Why have many religions arisen?
Why did many religions find space to exist as organizations resolving grassroots conflicts?
Because they have merely replaced the role of the Government Office.
What common people want is fairness; if the Government Office does not provide it, naturally some other organization will fill that role.
He who wins the hearts of the people, wins the world.
This is the deepest desire of sentient beings.
Ultimately, it's about seeking revenge and gratification—a basic human urge.
Life in this world is all about the two words—joy and satisfaction.
Xu Qing now felt as if he was groping his way across a river by feeling the stones.
He now vaguely understood the deeper meaning of his existence in this world.
To undergo Mortal Transformation and see the truth.
To become the Heavenly Emperor and truly establish the Heavenly Court, what he lacked was not strength, but the heart of the Heavenly Emperor. To be unbiased, beyond the division of inner and outer.
Without the Heavenly Court, the accumulated karma of billions of years will ultimately become unmanageable, triggering a calamitous tribulation, engulfing all beings.
The purpose of the Heavenly Court is truly to reconcile contradictions and resolve them.
Following this concept to establish the Heavenly Court, only then can Xu Qing's Heavenly Court be recognized by all beings, rather than being just another supreme hegemony like the Supreme Dao Sect.
This is probably the reason why the Longevity Great Emperor and Ziwei Great Emperor failed to accomplish this.
They did not manage to achieve it.
Xu Qing pondered some historical events.
Why have many religions managed to thrive?
If people desire fairness and the Government Office does not provide it, some other organization will naturally rise to offer it.
Those organizations simply replace the role of local government offices.
He who wins the hearts of the people will win the world.
Good and evil, if without retribution, is surely partial to the universe.
This is the deepest desire of sentient beings, to speak the truth.
In such a case, to be bullied, but not care, is indeed one solution, but it's too cowardly.
Worldly Society's Dao is about finding justice and satisfaction.
This is the deepest desire of ordinary people.
Living in the world, it's all about joy, those two words.
In life, happiness is paramount.
At this moment, Xu Qing, somewhat understanding, felt as though he had taken a potent Immortal Pill. From within, a sensation of transparency washed over him.
...
...
In the Great Desert.
Wuhua exclaimed, suddenly noticing that his Jade Buddha Pendant became incredibly hot, melting his very flesh.
Indeed, his Jade Buddha Pendant had melted away.
"So, this is it." The Evil Buddha seemed to understand something and burst into maniacal laughter.
With rampant laughter, there was also utter freedom and liberation.
A bizarre and supremely beautiful Buddha figure, of both male and female, yin and yang indistinguishable, appeared in the Great Desert.
