The Three Sects of Western Heaven

The three bodhisattvas of the Western Heaven arrived in Western Penglai one after another. Hearing each other's names, their hearts sank slightly. Why have they come as well?

Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta was originally the attendant bodhisattva of Amitabha Buddha. After Amitabha Buddha left the Earthly Immortal Realm, his position in the Western Heaven became unstable, so he defected to Dipankara Buddha and became Dipankara's attendant bodhisattva.

Bodhisattva Samantabhadra was the attendant bodhisattva of Tathagata Buddha, and Bodhisattva Fahuālin was the attendant bodhisattva of Maitreya Buddha.

The three buddhas in the Western Heaven were divided into three factions. Dipankara Buddha represented the ancient buddha faction, Tathagata Buddha represented the present buddha faction, and Maitreya Buddha represented the future buddha faction.

Though the three factions coexisted in the Western Heaven, they also engaged in covert struggles among themselves.

Presently, the Western Heaven was headed by Lingshan of Tathagata Buddha, which guarded against the other two factions quite warily, while the other two factions were not lacking in ambitions to replace them.

The three bodhisattvas arrived at Biyou Palace and paid their respects to Chen Shi respectively.

Chen Shi offered them seats and got straight to the point. "What brings the three great beings from afar?"

These three bodhisattvas each had monks or shamis following them. The one by Samantabhadra's side was an old monk with benevolent eyebrows and kind eyes—none other than the Golden-Winged Great Peng Eagle, Elder Yun Cheng. Seeing an old friend, Chen Shi felt joy in his heart and nodded in greeting to Elder Yun Cheng.

Elder Yun Cheng, however, wore a worried expression. Meeting Chen Shi's gaze, he sighed again and thought, I lost my disciple. How can I face Master Chen?

Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta smiled. "It has been over a hundred years since our parting in Feng'an County. When