Chapter 285

In India philosophy, the concept of "self" is divided into the greater self and the lesser self. The lesser self is the opposite of the Flesh body and is the unborn and undying subject, the true individual soul. The "self" spoken of by the Rishi is the greater self, which is similar to the Buddhism concept of self.

"Smaller than a seed, yet more expansive than the sky, like a curtain draping over nature, an inch in size yet the palm of your hand. The Answer to your question may lie within your palm. Look at the flower; how does the flower know when it will bloom? Wisdom resides in the depths of everything, within you, infinite eternity endures, Brahman exists in every part of your body, all things reside within Brahman."

"If infinity is eternal..."

Siddhartha continued, "But I cannot see; I can only see for a moment."

"That was your choice. You are the Wheel-Turning King. What you see is what you think, but it's not a binary opposition. Life or death, rebirth, is just a 'game'."

"No, Master, I cannot accept it, nor can I agree with it."

Siddhartha rose and gazed at the vast expanse of white all around him. "Life, or death, should not be a game, should not be given such a name. Suffering is real; it should not be fixed, but free."

Brahmanism, or the interpretation of the current Dharma, believes that the things that sentient beings see are essentially Brahman, and all things are within Brahman. Recognizing that there is nothing truly real or independent outside of Brahman, one will not pursue unreal things, will not have corresponding actions, and therefore will not generate karma, thus escaping the cycle of rebirth and attaining liberation.

The Rishi Uddaka wanted Siddhartha to know this, but Siddhartha could not agree.

"No, perhaps you only saw the surface, that moment. You are the Wheel-Turning King; what you see and what truly exists are one."

"Master, I am indeed Wheel-Turning King, but my 'eternity,' which views life as a game, resides within me regardless of my identity; before all that, I was a human being—"

In that instant, Siddhartha remembered his Teacher who had accompanied him on that night under the dim light.

The surroundings seemed to be plunged into darkness, an immense space whose exact size was impossible to discern, and above their heads was only a faint white light.

It was as if one were in an eternal Purgatory isolated from the world, when suddenly a faint yet incredibly dazzling light appeared. This made the statues decorating the surrounding Temple seem to smile at times and be angry at others under the darkness and the dim light, as if issuing a silent warning.

At that time, Siddhartha remembered his Teacher gazing up at the 'radiance' and squinting his eyes.

"If this is how I'm greeted, perhaps it's not so bad."

His expression was so natural that Siddhartha didn't know what to say. However, the young man inadvertently felt that these faint lights were somewhat like countless shining stars in the Universe.

Returning to the present, Siddhartha sighed softly as he looked at the Rishi before him.

"I have no intention of becoming Wheel-Turning King, nor do I wish to participate in the game of life. Guru, please allow me to depart."

What remained forever in his heart were his Teacher's words. "Heaven should not create people who are above others, nor should it create people who are below others." He murmured these words over and over again, and they were engraved in his mind, like a guiding star shining in the darkness.

"Well..."

Then, the world before Siddhartha's eyes shifted, and he returned to the darkness where he and Kavia had been.

"... Teacher, I now understand that this illusion is the Root of all my suffering, but how can I break free from it?"

Upon hearing this, Kavia smiled.

"To open the door to liberation for all beings—I do not know the Answer. If you have the Answer, then you are my Teacher."

"A disciple can never surpass his mentor. I am young and inexperienced, but you, regardless of your status, are a guiding light to me."

It is now morning, and the sky is a beautiful azure.

Kavia thought to herself, "If only this were a real sky."

The sun rises.

As if driven by the sharp rays of the rising Rising Sun, many birds flapped their wings in unison, as if attracted by the sky, and took flight. Even the animals on the ground and in the mountains began to cheer.

Then.

"Gautama Siddhartha."

A calm voice rang out again.

"Let's go to the Purified Grove on Mount Dungeshwari."

The moment of enlightenment for Gautama Siddhartha, the greatest Wheel-Turning King, the Ideal King, in the final age, should restore the glory of the Dharma amidst the endless struggle of darkness, is about to arrive.

Rain God Jpg.

Chapter 339 Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others' Emanations Papiyas.

Autumn is coming to an end, and winter is on its way.

On the way to the Purified Grove on Mount Dungeshwari with Kavia, Siddhartha felt the slightly cool breeze and looked at the people who were still working hard, but were regarded as 'human slaves' by Bharata Kshatriya.

This world, this mystery, still exists. The temperature difference throughout the year is not too great. Even if the mystery fades, the food on this land is enough to feed everyone.

However, compared to the pre-existing mystique of the Age of Gods, there were inescapable 'limitations'. The Divinity land of the Brahmin was a place where even dust carefully lay down to eliminate its scent. The wealth and glory of the Kshatriya were unimaginable, and the troubles of the gods were the continuation of the world—so magnificent.

For the lower Caste and the 'Untouchable,' summer is so hot that even standing still will cause them to sweat profusely. The vast land, shrouded in a humid and sultry atmosphere due to the dense population, is enough to make them suffer immensely.

Winter is the season of death; food is scarce, temperatures drop, and the cold is biting.

As Siddhartha walked with Kavia through the war-torn land, it was as if they were walking in darkness, unable to enjoy any comfort. They often smelled mold and slept outdoors every day. But despite all this, Siddhartha felt incredibly comfortable and at ease, a stark contrast to the magnificent Royal Palace.

Because from time to time, the 'words' offered by people suffering difficulties are transformed into the fragrance of flowers. Even compared to the seemingly never-ending scent at the grand festival, the fragrance of flowers is extremely faint, with only a wisp lingering in the nose. But it is the 'heartfelt intention' transformed from sincerity, so there is naturally no reason to dislike it.

Gautama Siddhartha Savior, was born as a human being and possessed the talent to save the world. He held a Supreme Being position and, according to prophecy, was supposed to become the Ideal King who ruled all mankind, the Wheel-Turning King. His martial arts were unparalleled, and he was the founder of the ancient martial arts school 'Kalaripayattu,' possessing the alternative name 'King of Martial Arts.'

But he gave it all up, left the Royal Palace with his Teacher, and traveled through human societies, his footsteps covering the Ganges basin.

Why aren't they human? They shouldn't be like this.

The green-haired youth who thought this way, who should have become Gautama Siddhartha, the Wheel-Turning King, bowed his head and prayed silently for those who, in the present world and in the distant future, still suffer from the inherent suffering of nature.

Siddhartha.

Kavia, who was watching all this with Siddhartha, suddenly asked a question.

"I'm asking you, what's this kind of world like?"

Before they knew it, they were all alone.

Under the scorching Sun, the vast, deserted hermitage cast faint shadows of trees onto the muddy ground. These unnaturally clear shadows were scattered and pointed in different directions.

When Siddhartha came to his senses, he found himself standing on dark mud, which reminded him of the people who had suffered so much. This association filled him with sorrow.

But before he could answer, Kavia continued:

"There's no need to ponder anything, no need to resist anything, no need to bear any pain, because the world is just like this, as it is, everything has been predetermined since the birth of all things, such is the world."

There's no need to think about whether the upcoming Lila is good or bad; just accept it. Even if it's bad for you, you only need to ignore and suppress the pain, because there will always be another cycle, and you'll find the same thing again in the new cycle.

The world thus moves towards Perfection stability within the Issei 'Lila', and that's good enough.

Most importantly, the people we know and the people we love still exist in this Future.

Even so...

"But... is this still considered living?"

Siddhartha listened quietly to Kavia's voice.

Is a world devoid of vitality, dreams, and choices truly the best Future?

As if processing those words, the green-haired youth continued to listen quietly.

So what if it's Perfection? So what if it's full of contradictions? Everyone has dreams, and I still prefer this kind of world.

There was no one around or any sound of voices; everything seemed to fade so much that even the shadows became faint, making it impossible for Siddhartha to even see the expression on his Teacher's face.

"There are no eternally powerful beings, nor are there eternally indestructible kingdoms. Therefore, I do not desire this world as it is now, but I desire all things within it."

For some reason, all he knew was that Kavia showed a faint smile, as if she were enduring pain and swallowing her tears. Although it was understated, she was still smiling.

Therefore, Siddhartha gave his first answer:

"... I see."

In a world ravaged by war, what was it like for the majority of people, aside from the Brahmin Kshatriya?

The persistent clouds obscured the Sun, and the icy wind swept across the land. There was no lush green of plants, nor the abundant red of crops. Even the Ganges, the symbol of the origin of life, had become colorless.

Gray clouds and a land that seemed to have died—this was the world that belonged to the vast majority of people in this world.

Luxury, prosperity, antiquity, grandeur—these have absolutely no connection to them. Heavy labor and a cruel environment are what define these people born lowly; their lives, filled with dust, are unchangeable.

"But then again, isn't this a bit contradictory, Teacher?"

"It's a contradiction... this is definitely a contradiction I hate."

Looking at Kavia like this, Siddhartha smiled and said:

"But this is a very beautiful contradiction."

Humans are complex, intelligent beings whose thoughts and emotions change rapidly and who have many contradictory ideas. Every human being is extremely complex, with different thoughts and needs. No matter how powerful an entity is, it is almost impossible to completely understand the human heart.

The Future Ideal King has already understood this principle.

Moreover, the more powerful a group is, the less likely it is to view the world from the perspective of someone in a subordinate position.

Can one expect a king who rules over all people to see the world through the eyes of a displaced war orphan?

Can we expect the gods, who stand at the highest levels of the world, to see the world from the perspective of the Asura, who live in the harsh Underworld Realm?

Similarly, can we expect the high and mighty Brahmin and Kshatriya to view the world from the perspective of weak, powerless, and Untouchable?

This is incredibly difficult. Who would be willing to suffer needlessly for the sake of others? Who would be willing to give up their existing resources to help people who seem to have no chance of success? Who would dare to defy public opinion and do such a thing?

The gods of the India Age of Gods Divine Love a select few as ordained by the Dharma, which was also what the world expected, and so over time, this practice ceased to exist.

Because of the environment we live in and the people we know, we are alienated by our current situation. Social, emotional, wealth, status, power, and Caste differentiate all things, like an impenetrable wall that defines the inherent nobility and baseness, thus bringing about discrimination among all things.

Anyone who dares to disobey will be turned into an enemy by all the gods, Asura, and everything, including the Aspected God.

But Siddhartha felt that the silver-haired youth before him was capable of doing it.

Since his ascetic practices, Siddhartha had long sensed an aura emanating from his Teacher that was entirely different from the Dharma —in other words, he was one of the Six Schools. However, he had neither inquired nor revealed it. The Answer was actually quite simple—

Regardless, the companionship was genuine, and that's enough.

At the same time, Siddhartha, the born 'Wheel-Turning King', also sensed an extremely high divinity from Kavia. This is why he felt that Kavia was able to possess the power to save the world while maintaining a 'human perspective', choosing to integrate into the human world, willing to overcome all kinds of barriers, and doing her best to understand the human community.

Instead of forcibly demanding that the world or humanity do something, we should understand what people truly need and want, comprehend their true thoughts, and respect their wishes before taking action. Regardless of prosperity or decline, humanity's path should be walked by humanity itself, not dictated by the will of external forces.

Even if humanity has its dark side, what's wrong with that? Even under the Sun's rays there are shadows and scars; glory is created, but darkness also lurks. How can one know the true nature of humanity if one cannot see and bear these things?

In fact, Siddhartha himself was already on the path to doing just that.

He abandoned the Divinity Wheel-Turning King and merged into the human world, seeking truth in order to save the world.

Then, just before the illusory scene became real, Siddhartha suddenly asked:

"Teacher, I've always wanted to ask you, why are you so determined to move forward?"

"Because I'm just like you."

"Yeah."

"Humans possess the power to move forward, which is why I stand here with you now, Gautama Siddhartha."

"... I see."

Then, Siddhartha's consciousness was interrupted. When he awoke, he was already in the Purified Grove of Mount Dungeshwari, and Kavia had vanished.

A gentle breeze caressed my cheeks, and the distant chirping of cicadas drifted over.

Suddenly, Siddhartha felt a warmth on his shoulder, which caused his hand to unconsciously touch another person's hand.

What do you want to know?

There were six people dressed in white Ascetic Robe, sitting under the tree.

How to achieve liberation?

One of them laughed, "Soak the body, fuss with it, melt it, conquer the Desire of the Flesh."

Is that even possible?

"You are a Kshatriya, born into royalty. Don't ask me how I know, for there are Bow and Arrow marks on your shoulders."

The old man in the white Ascetic Robe continued, "My identity is the same as yours. When I was thirty, I met my master and resolved to attain liberation. My secular name is Vardhamana, and people call me Mahavira."

Vardhamana one of the Six Heretical Teachers, and the founder of Jainism.

The six people present were the Six Schools among the Six Schools. They had all come from all over India because they heard from the five Purified Grove that Kavia had left behind that he hoped everyone would go to the Mount Dungeshwari. They met Siddhartha not long after they arrived. They probably understood Kavia's meaning and were willing to answer Siddhartha's questions.

However, just like the Rishi Uddaka expounded the Dharma, even though the Six Schools opposed the Caste System, Siddhartha could not possibly follow the same path as them.

"During my ascetic practice, I discovered that the self is eternal, and one cannot defy time. If you try to catch up with time, everything will become unstable. The self should be liberated from the bondage of karma and reincarnation. Violence is the Supreme Being truth. Other thoughts should not arise. Everyone should walk the righteous path, refrain from evil deeds, abandon Desire, understand that suffering and pleasure are illusions, and not let the body indulge in evil deeds. In this way, one becomes steadfast and thus attains liberation."

Among the Six Schools, Vardhamana further developed into the use of Seven-Valued Logic for judging things, acknowledging the theory of karma, and teaching people to practice asceticism to get rid of old karma without adding new karma. His precepts later developed into the similar Five Vows in Buddhism.

At the same time, he does not recognize the concept of Aspected God, but only recognizes two kinds: Deva and Parameshthi. The former has a limited lifespan and has not yet attained enlightenment, while the latter has successfully broken the shackles of karma and has already attained enlightenment.