The moment those words left Qin Feng’s mouth, the chanting paused.
In the dark cave, the strange beast beside the lotus-shaped stone pedestal growled angrily, “Bodhisattva, this boy is ungrateful. Why bother saving him?”
The kind-faced monk on the lotus pedestal smiled and replied, “This man has great aspirations and the seeds of Buddhahood within him. If he were to renounce worldly life, it would be a great fortune indeed.”
“How can a man who cannot let go of women possibly have the seeds of Buddhahood?” the beast sneered.
“He is merely blinded by the dust of the mortal realm. With a bit of guidance, he can achieve great enlightenment. Otherwise, he would not have uttered those words – ‘if I don’t go to hell, who will?'”
As the monk spoke, a brilliant golden glow appeared behind him, and a swastika symbol manifested, seemingly erasing the distance between the monk and Qin Feng.
Qin Feng came back to his senses, the surrounding darkness disappeared, and he saw a clear and empty world. At this moment, he seemed to be suspended in the cloudless sky.
And not far in front of him, there was a monk sitting cross-legged, wearing a golden-red cassock, holding a Zen staff in his hand, with half of his chest exposed.
Qin Feng was utterly bewildered. It was clear that the earlier murmuring and chanting had come from this monk, and the effortless display of spatial manipulation demonstrated his immense power.
‘Just now I called this guy a bald monk. Could it be that he came to settle a score with me?’ Qin Feng swallowed secretly.The monk inclined his head slightly and smiled, “I am Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva*. Seeing that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the living, I was moved and used this technique to guide you, to help you see through the illusions of the mortal realm.”
Hearing the name, Qin Feng paused.
‘That name sounds familiar… I think I’ve heard it somewhere before in my past life.’
Qin Feng looked the monk up and down and asked, “Great Master, have you come from the Western Regions of the Immortal Realm? A divine being from the Immortal Realm once told me that the Western Regions of the Immortal Realm are the domain of the Buddha.”
The monk chuckled, “I did reside there originally, but now this is where I should be.”
“Could it be that the Great Master committed some offense and was punished by the Buddha, causing you to be banished to the Netherworld Realm?”
“Not at all. Everything is due to my vow and aspiration to guide the beings in this defiled and evil world, until the waters of the Yellow Springs are cleansed, thereby attaining Buddhahood.”
At this, Qin Feng trembled inwardly and muttered, “If the hells are not emptied, I will not become a Buddha. I will not become enlightened until all sentient beings are saved.”
The monk’s eyes brightened upon hearing this, “Excellent, the guest truly has inherent wisdom.”
So it is him!
Qin Feng finally recalled where he had heard the name “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva” before. The reason it sounded a bit awkward was that it was originally a Sanskrit term, which in plain speech would be translated as – Dizang Bodhisattva*!
One of the four great Bodhisattvas, a truly awe-inspiring and preeminent figure – an absolute master!
Mm, this person is extraordinary in every way…
“I know you have entered the Ghost Realm to pluck the Farshore Flower and bring it back to the mortal realm to save all beings. This is a great act of compassion,” the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said.
“But you have been trapped by the small love between men and women, falling into the Farshore Flower’s illusion and unable to break free. Although I have drawn your consciousness into this realm, your divine soul remains in the Yellow Springs.”
“If you cannot let go of your attachment to love and escape the illusion, you may be in grave danger.”
‘So my consciousness has been brought here, but my divine soul is still above the Yellow Springs. If I can’t break free of the illusion, I won’t be able to pluck the Farshore Flower and bring it back to defeat that monster.’
Qin Feng’s expression turned grim. At that moment, he suddenly recalled Senior Xuan Yi’s Heart Cleansing Mantra. When he had faced the Ghost Mirage illusion of the Night Wandering Ghost, it was the Heart Cleansing Mantra that had helped him break free.
Perhaps it could also be effective against the Farshore Flower’s illusion.
He reached out to Senior Xuan Yi in the Divine Sea, and received an affirmative response: “Illusions often arise from the greed, anger, and delusion in one’s heart. The Heart Cleansing Mantra can calm the mind and spirit. As long as your mind is clear, you will not be bound by the illusion.”
Qin Feng let out a relieved sigh upon hearing this. He certainly didn’t want to be guided into renouncing the world by the Dizang Bodhisattva.
Seeing that Qin Feng still had not responded, the Bodhisattva thought that he was still hesitating, and continued, “Separating from the loved ones, meeting the hated ones-if you can let go of all that, there will be no more worries or fears. These are just empty flowers in one’s eyes, a complete illusion.”
“It is from love that sorrow and fear arise. When one is liberated from love, there is no sorrow or fear. This trivial illusion, what is it worth?”
His words seemed to carry a mysterious power, causing Qin Feng’s mindset to enter a state of post-clarity.
He suddenly had the illusion – what are women anyway, screw them!
The moment that thought arose, Qin Feng hastily recalled the images of Jianli’s beauty, Feilan’s long legs, and Ningshuang’s bosom, realigning his orientation.
While he understood the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was trying to save him, he was not willing to accept this form of “salvation.” He thus retorted, “Great Master, have you ever experienced the love between men and women?”
Bodhisattva shook his head.
“If you have never experienced it, how can you deem the love between men and women as wrong? “
“Your great compassion to guide the beings in the Ghost Realm includes the love between men and women – all love is part of the great love.”
“It is said, one must have suffered pain to truly know the pain of all beings; “
“one must have been attached to let go of attachment;”
“one must have had ties in order to be free of all ties.”
“Just as you have descended into this realm to save the beings of the Netherworld Realm, if you have never experienced the affairs of men and women, how can you counsel others to let go of it?”
Hearing these words, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fell into contemplation for a moment before replying, “But it is an undeniable fact that you have become trapped in the Farshore Flower’s illusion due to the attachments in your heart. If you were to let go of this attachment, then naturally…”
Qin Feng shook his head, interrupting, “Promises are hard to keep, but it is because of the ties in my heart that I can move forward courageously. Even if I am bound by my attachments, I am willing to trade this lifetime of bewilderment for a single-minded determination, even if it means I die without regret!”
With these words, Qin Feng’s consciousness departed from the Bodhisattva’s domain.
To the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s disbelief, the Farshore Flower’s illusion that had previously ensnared Qin Feng was now effortlessly shattered in an instant!
“The love of all living beings is love. Only when you have been attached can you let go of attachment…” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva repeatedly chanted silently, and his thoughts suddenly became clear in an instant: “Good!”
“Luckily, the Senior’s Heart Cleansing Mantra was effective…” Qin Feng let out a soft sigh, then reached out his hand towards the Farshore Flower.
The stems and leaves felt icy cold, as if they could freeze even his divine soul.
Qin Feng managed to pluck two of the flowers, intending to gather more as a backup, but just holding these two caused him to tremble uncontrollably, unable to take another step.
Fortunately, a golden light shrouded him, and the warmth like spring sunshine swept through his body, making him feel better.
Just as the incense stick’s time was about to run out, a gigantic ghostly hand emerged from the other side of the Yellow Springs, swiftly grabbing Qin Feng and pulling him back.
It was obvious that the Ghost Lord had intervened.
Qin Feng looked at the Farshore Flowers in his hand and wasted no time, immediately communicating with Bai Su in the Divine Sea.
In moments, a channel of life force coalesced on his chest once more.
Without hesitation, he fed one of the Farshore Flowers into it…
T/N:
- Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: The term “Ksitigarbha” refers to meaning “Earth Treasury,” “Earth Store,” “Earth Matrix,” or “Earth Womb.” Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha was foremost a Great Vow to help and deliver all beings. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha was depicted as a Buddhist monk with a shaved head, wearing simple robes, and wielding a staff.
- Dizang Bodhisattva: His name is a translation of the Sanskrit Kshitigarbha (“Womb of the Earth”). Dizang seeks to deliver the souls of the dead from the punishments inflicted by the 10 judges, or kings of hell.
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