Mysterious mirror hanging high

Chapter 1048 A Hundred Million Tribulations Prove the World Honored One

Guo Tingshu was somewhat stunned: "The power of incense offerings and prayers... can increase like this?"

"This is what makes Buddhist practice unique."

Luo Zixuan explained, "In Buddhism, the power of incense and vows is both a resource for cultivation and a foundation for supernatural powers. The deceased Buddhist disciple was already exceptionally talented, and with the support of this boundless and powerful power of vows, his cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds."

Jing Yu pondered: "He survives tribulations and his faith feeds him back... This has almost created a cycle where he becomes stronger with each tribulation, and the stronger he becomes, the more believers he gains. No wonder you said his birth chart is strong; this cannot be explained by simple luck."

"exactly."

Luo Zixuan nodded: "Therefore, within the Buddhist community, it is now almost universally accepted that as long as the deceased Buddhist disciple does not perish prematurely, the chances of him becoming a Buddha in the future are very high! Some Buddhist practitioners who are extremely optimistic about him have even begun to worship him as a 'Young World Honored One'."

She glanced at Jian Yunyuan, who was meditating with his eyes closed not far away, yet still seemed to be the focus of the entire audience, and added, "If that Buddhist disciple were here today, and at the Cave Heaven Realm, with his unfathomable Buddhist supernatural powers, especially that strange quality known as 'invulnerable to all laws and untainted by all calamities,' he might truly be able to compete with Jian Yunyuan's unpredictable swordsmanship and even force him to unleash his eighth natal sword."

But at this moment, Jing Yu inexplicably recalled the discussion she had heard among the Dao Venerables in her dream at the end of the era, and thought of the previous generation's Buddha son who had endured over a hundred million calamities and ultimately perished. She then sighed softly:

"To survive more than ten thousand calamities is indeed a miracle, but how long can such a miracle last? Although Buddhism has created a legend, whether the legend can continue is still unknown."

Luo Zixuan retorted, "A miracle is a miracle precisely because it continuously breaks the perceptions of others."

“The first massacre was a lucky escape for the Buddhist disciple, and people just thought he was lucky.”

"When he passed the hundredth tribulation, the major powers of the Immortal Realm finally acknowledged that this person possessed great fortune and an indomitable spirit, and was a prodigy who had the potential to become a Buddha."

"But after he experienced the thousandth calamity of killing, even the most skeptical immortal kings and supreme beings had to admit that this person was destined for greatness."

"When the ten thousandth calamity is overcome, people will no longer talk about the Manifest Mandate of Heaven, because even those who are destined by Heaven will die, and there will be a day when they lose their Mandate of Heaven."

"But the Buddha's disciple will not lose his destiny, because the Buddha's disciple will not die. He will live forever and create miracles again and again, just like the two Buddhas who attained enlightenment through miracles."

Jing Yu countered, "If you can overcome ten thousand tribulations, what about one hundred million, one billion, or one hundred billion?"

Luo Zixuan laughed and said, "How do you know that Buddhism already has a corresponding prophecy?"

"Since the Buddha's appearance in the world, the Buddha himself composed the [Sutra of the Future Auspicious Kalpa], in which he said—"

"When the Buddha's disciples have completed one hundred million kalpas, all those in the world who believe in the Buddha should deeply believe that this body is an indestructible diamond body, and this thought is an inexhaustible lamp without leakage. When the fires of kalpa burn the sky, the lamp's flame shines brighter; when weapons cleave the world, the golden body becomes more solid. It is not that it is immortal, but that wherever the power of sentient beings' thoughts reaches, there is no word 'death' that can hold its form."

Jing Yu frowned: "You mean, Buddhism believes that after passing through a hundred million calamities, all Buddhist believers in the world will believe that he is immortal?"

Luo Zixuan shook her head and said, "That's not all..."

"The Sutra of the Future Auspicious Kalpa also says that when ten billion kalpas of slaughter are completed, all sentient beings in the ten directions will see the true nature of reality. They will be neither gods nor humans nor ghosts and spirits, but will witness the sky filled with crystal."

"When this state appears, the blood-soaked seas of the Nine Netherworlds will transform into lotus ponds, and the thunderous roars of the Thirty-Three Heavens will become praises. Asuras will wield swords, but their swords will break on their own; heretics will cast curses, but their curses will be reversed and their names will be chanted. Why is this? Because deep within the minds of all sentient beings, the seed of the indestructible reality has already been planted. What they see and hear is nothing but proof of the Buddha's presence in the world; every thought and action becomes an inextinguishable offering of incense."

Jing Yu exclaimed in surprise, "To pass away, one must undergo ten billion tribulations? And after ten billion tribulations, all living beings in the world will believe that he is immortal? That's no different from attaining enlightenment!"

Luo Zixuan hesitated and said, "A ten billion killing tribulation sounds terrifying, but if it's a deceased Buddhist disciple? Maybe there's really hope."

"The Sutra of the Future Auspicious Kalpa states in its final section that at that time, the calamities of killing will not be external, but will remain constant like a necklace; the calamities will not be suffering, but will be adorned like a robe."

“There are beings in the world who do not believe in immortality, and the killing spree continues.”

"There is no living being in the world who does not believe in immortality, and the killing will not stop."

"What is not merely a calamity is the breath of the Dharma body, the sound of the ocean of vows."

"This is the very last thing we're talking about. All the calamities that hinder the existence of the Buddha's disciple will not only not disappear, but will instead merge with the Buddha's disciple and become an eternal existence. Whether the beings in the world believe it or not, it doesn't matter to the Buddha's disciple... He will transcend cause and effect, transcend everything, accompany the calamities, and attain the ultimate state of immortality."

"Isn't that the realm of the World Honored One?" Jing Yu exclaimed in astonishment.

Luo Zixuan shook her head: "This scripture does not specifically point out whether the ultimate state is the Buddha or the World Honored One, but based on the scripture's description, I'm afraid the Buddha cannot achieve it, so it must be the World Honored One."

Jing Yu found it hard to understand: "I think I can understand what Buddhism means. They promote the deceased Buddhist disciple. Perhaps it is out of necessity, or perhaps it is to follow the trend... That is not important. What is important is that every time the deceased survives a calamity, the faith of the world's people in him increases, and the incense offerings and vows he receives also increase."

"And the increase in the power of incense offerings will in turn enhance his cultivation level, making it easier for him to overcome tribulations and transcend realms."

"Thus, a positive cycle is formed, and more and more believers will come to believe in this miracle, until all beings in the world firmly believe in this in order to transcend it?"

“Not bad, isn’t it crazy?” Luo Zixuan stuck out her tongue: “At first, everyone felt sorry for this deceased Buddha, but after he survived one tribulation after another, our faith gradually wavered. Perhaps all of this was in the hands of the two World Honored Ones? Perhaps the Buddha’s enlightenment was predestined?”

Jing Yu thought to herself, "It's hard to say... It seems more like a gamble, maybe it'll work out? If everything is under the World-Honored One's control, would the previous generation's Buddha have died?"

These words couldn't be said openly, so Jing Yu could only sigh: "I just feel that this is too unfair to the Buddhist disciple. Did he really choose this path willingly?"

"Once you succeed, the path to immortality will be smooth sailing. Don't forget, there are countless cultivators in this world who can't even find the door to immortality! With a ready-made path, why would they care whether they chose it themselves?"

"Regardless of whether you chose this path yourself, shouldn't you at least have some control over the process of walking it?"

Jing Yu suddenly felt that the Taoist masters were far too lenient towards him compared to the two Buddhist saints. Although his path of destiny was somewhat predetermined, the process was at least relatively easy and pleasant. They covered his tracks and let him grow freely, allowing him to cultivate immortality happily. He hadn't even encountered any serious life-or-death crises along the way.

Having survived over ten thousand calamities, he dared not even consider whether his current mental state was still normal.