Chapter 290

"Do you think about whether every decision I made was appropriate?"

"You bear a heavy responsibility, because if we want to walk that path, we must first become that path."

"I once said, 'Our Dharma door is open to anyone who wants to hear the truth, without discrimination based on any status.'"

"I have also said, 'I am like a stream in the long river of the Dharma, and now all the streams have flowed into it.'"

Siddhartha recalled the past and looked down at the feet of all those who were here. What had once been a gentle plain with roads made of grass, where he had spent years traveling across the Land of Bharata, was now in ruins.

... But even so, there are still people who tenaciously survive on this land.

Suddenly, a violent tremor accompanied by a rumbling sound caused the ground to collapse everywhere. The crustal movement from deep underground caused cracks tens of meters deep to appear in the earth. Even the man-made rural areas gradually crumbled and broke apart. Some places no longer resembled rural areas at all, let alone this Forest.

At the same time, Siddhartha also understood that it was only because Shiva, Vishnu, Aspected God Brahma exerted all their strength to resist the wrath of the Supreme Brahman that it remained "just like this." Otherwise, everything would probably have collapsed and turned into nothingness long ago.

In reality, Siddhartha knew that the three Aspected God were no match for Supreme Brahman, because as creators, they could not defy the will of their creator. The reason they were able to have these few decades was probably because, for such a being, decades and milliseconds or less made no difference.

If anyone in this world could rival the Supreme Brahman, it would probably be someone who has transcended himself and Kavia.

Thinking of this, for some reason, Siddhartha sighed, then looked down at the monks and smiled slightly.

"Today, I have witnessed how a single drop of water can become an ocean. There are three truths that everyone should uphold."

"A vast heart."

"Friendly words."

"Dedicate your life to compassion."

"These three truths will reshape the essence of humanity, enabling all beings to have love. Regardless of poverty or wealth, all life involves suffering; the only difference lies in the degree."

"Bhikkhu and Bhikkhu, the knowledge I have imparted to you today must be carefully studied, cautiously observed, and continually practiced. Only after you have personally experienced its truth can you share it with others. From this day forward, you will shoulder the heavy responsibility of propagating the supreme truth throughout your lives, in the many cycles of rebirth."

As an enlightened Savior, having attained true Universe- level awakening, is a miracle in the India Age of Gods, a miracle that occurs only once in countless cycles of rebirth. Therefore, Savior can see the 'Future', even before Parinirvana and leaving this Universe, still sees the Future.

The 'reboot' of the India Age of Gods will be broken, but it will still have to go through many cycles.

Ancient constraints will be buried in the past and inherited into a brand new era.

At the end of that endless glory, life will continue forever.

"Do not readily believe anything, not even what I have said, until you have used your knowledge and Wisdom to reason and verify it, and are convinced without a doubt."

"All phenomena are impermanent; they are born and then die, arise and then cease. You must constantly strive within the many cycles of rebirth in order to attain liberation."

At this point, Siddhartha closed his eyes under the tree, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself in the Universe, surrounded by various Bharata and Rishi Kshatriya at him, as if they wished to devour him alive.

"You're saying the exact opposite; you believe in an afterlife, but you don't believe in your own existence!"

"Without a self, how can there be an afterlife!"

"You are not the Wheel-Turning King at all; you are an evil being even more Adharma than the Six Schools!"

"You're right, but that doesn't contradict each other."

Faced with the angry rebukes of the Rishi, Siddhartha remained calm and slowly explained.

Even without a self, there will be an afterlife.

Why?

Have you ever seen Mango? We can replant it in the soil, and it will grow into a Mango tree, bearing many fruits. Isn't this the Mango's reincarnation?

The Rishi was speechless and could only lower his head.

"You're denying individuality!"

At that moment, another Rishi walked over and pointed fiercely at Siddhartha.

"Buddha, your first Noble Truth is 'All things are suffering, the world is suffering, birth is suffering, death is suffering.' Life is suffering everywhere, isn't this a negative thought?"

"That's right, but after the first Noble Truth, I also said the second one, 'Suffering has an end.' When I talked about the end of suffering, I first explained what suffering is and how to overcome it. How can this be entirely negative?"

"Fart!"

An enraged Rishi burst into a tirade, "You've come to destroy this world! Since your arrival, the Aspected God has vanished without a trace, the world's Order is on the verge of collapse, and everything is about to be destroyed! You send young people to become Bhikkhu, disregarding the Future!"

"This is not about destroying the world. What I want people to abandon is the false pleasures of this world, leading them to seek the source of life. It takes immense courage to embark on this path, and only the brave can do it. In this vast world, holding the alms bowl and focusing one's mind on oneself is like walking on a knife's edge. An unawakened child may elevate his family, but he may also bring great loss. Similarly, a Bhikkhu regards the whole world as his family, and an awakened Bhikkhu will also elevate the world."

"You're right, but your principle of non-killing has turned the Warrior into Renunciant, leaving them yearning for justice yet burdened by guilt."

"That's right, but not killing is a shift, not a demand to immediately lay down arms and give up resistance. It can only be implemented from an equal perspective. Violence can never end violence. Everyone fears death. If you recognize that others share the same thoughts, you will also consciously give up violence."

Siddhartha opened his eyes again. It was already daylight, and only a few hours remained before his Parinirvana.

At this moment, among the disciples who had been silently surrounding him, Golden Cicada suddenly spoke:

"Tathagata, do you know what I'm reminded of? Once, when you were giving a sermon, you remained silent, not uttering a single word. You simply plucked a lotus flower from the pond and presented it to the Bhikkhu. The lotus's roots were still covered in mud. You smiled at them, but only Kashyapa laughed and cried... Later, everyone called that 'the Flower Sermon.'"

Golden Cicada continued.

"None of us understood, except for Kashyapa, who comprehended your meaning..."

"Some of what I have given you can be expressed in words, while others cannot be described in words. I have passed it on to Kashyapa."

The Savior smiled and looked at his disciples around him, "If this miracle of the flower blooming is seen through our meditative eyes, that lotus flower's life journey begins in the water, blossoms, grows, and then stands gracefully in the water. Similarly, I have established that supreme truth in the cycle of reincarnation."

Kashyapa, in the story of the Savior's "Flower Sermon," was the disciple with the least attachment and is recognized by China Zen Buddhism as the "first patriarch of the Western Paradise."

A moment later, facing the sunlight, Siddhartha said again:

"Next, I'm going to Dīpaṃkara; I'm going to witness the Future of my Teacher."

In the past.

"The very nature of all dharmas is 'Tathagata'."

"All things come from 'Thus'."

"Thus the lotus arises from 'Thus,' and all people arise from 'Thus.' Thus, all are born 'Thus.' Since they arise from 'Thus,' and then return to 'Thus,' this can be called 'Thus-gone.' All phenomena neither arise nor disappear; all phenomena are permanent, just as they were in the past."

Siddhartha preached in this way, and the monks called him Tathagata in order to remind themselves that they all possess the nature of 'Tathagata'.

Afterwards, many monks followed Siddhartha to the place where the Dīpaṃkara Kavia was at that moment.

The withered branches swayed in the wind on the sunlit ground, the fragile branches that would break at the slightest touch made a dry sound, and they were like a mountain of needles attracted by a magnet, all stuck together.

If you look up, you can see Rishi and Deity flying in the sky, a dreamlike scene that would have been difficult to see in the past.

It was at this moment that the monks who had come with Siddhartha saw Kavia sitting under a tree, surrounded by countless couples listening to his teachings.

"Equality is essential in married life."

"When husband and wife are united in love, the family will be vibrant and prosperous, and this prosperity can spread, bringing joy to everyone."

"The union of two loving people in this world should transcend the physical and material desires."

"A husband should give his wife respect and honor, and should not let her be shamed in public. A wife should not violate the principles of being a wife, and a husband should also uphold the Dharma, stay away from all evil habits. Every decision a husband makes should take into account his wife's wishes. It is a wife's responsibility to deeply love her husband, to regard her husband's family as her own, to always be a haven of love, to care for and cherish the members of her husband's family, to treat guests with respect, and to trust each other. The supreme truth will belong to such a couple."

In fact, Kavia did not stay indoors all day and never come out to see people. He would occasionally go out into the world, and whenever someone happened to meet him, they would pray to him, the Buddha known as the 'Dīpaṃkara', for guidance. For example, today, these couples hoped that Kavia would tell them the 'essence of living at home'.

"Your Excellency has mercy."

Everyone clasped their hands together in prayer.

"Between virtuous friends and create an environment conducive to life. When your mind is pure and undefiled, your work will align with the Dharma. Whatever you do, whether it's your business or daily chores, understand them first and do your best to complete them. For example, when cooking, don't see it as a job, but as an opportunity to take care of yourself, your in-laws, your children, and any positive connections in life."

"Never be selfish. If possible, share your happiness and success with your loved ones. Stay away from gambling and drinking. Be humble, polite, kind, and frank. Remember, when we open our eyes in the morning, we see a new dawn. It is important to clearly understand what you need to do."

"People must remember what they owe, and by thinking and living in this way, they will bloom like beautiful flowers in this world."

Below Kavia, who was speaking in this way, were countless quiet shadows, and the sincere faces of people emerged from the sunlight filtering through the Leaf.

"Good."

Siddhartha, who waited for Kavia to finish speaking before speaking, immediately caused a commotion among the previously quiet crowd. After all, Siddhartha was the founder of the Dharma of the Buddha, and it was perfectly normal for the poor couple to react this way upon seeing the arrival of the two venerable ones and the many monks behind them.

So they invited Kavia, Siddhartha, and the monks to lunch together.

However, Siddhartha, sitting side by side with Kavia, smiled slightly as he looked at the mushrooms that people had brought him, which he had picked individually.

Although it was only for a brief moment, it was enough for Kavia to see it, so he stopped Siddhartha from eating the mushroom.

"Teacher, today is the day I Parinirvana."

Siddhartha responded in this way.

"If that's the case, why suffer such pointless pain?"

"I am helping all sentient beings, and all sentient beings are also helping me. How much more so for someone like you, Teacher! This is extremely meaningful."

According to many Buddhist Scriptures, on the day Gautama Siddhartha Passing into Nirvana, at noon he was invited by his followers to eat mushrooms despite knowing they were poisonous. As he had decided, he Parinirvana under the Sal Trees.

"Teacher, there are three meals in my life that I will never forget. The first is the meal I had with you and the people in the New City after my journey through the four gates. The second is the meal I had before I attained the supreme truth. The third is this meal I had before entering Great Nirvana."

Although Siddhartha's eyes remained open, it was as if he had been having a very long dream of recollection in just a few seconds.

The dream's details were incredibly clear, yet a strange, lingering sense of loneliness and nostalgia still lingered in my heart.

"So, Teacher, let's cross the Golden Railing River together, we're almost there..."

The green-haired youth still remembers that at this time that year, on the Sal Trees across the Golden Railing River, countless beautiful flowers bloomed, like amber, those bright and colorful flowers.

And so, the group strode forward towards the other side of the Golden Railing River.

The brilliant sunlight streamed down from the azure sky, but the closer one got to the Forest across the Golden Railing River, the more intricately the shadows of the branches and leaves intertwined, accompanied by countless shimmering lights, creating dazzling ripples of shadow.

On Kavia's face, on her yellow clothes, and on the shimmering earth, shadows and light intertwined, swaying and dancing in vibrant colors.

Upon arriving at a certain place, Siddhartha naturally stopped. He stood amidst the swaying shadows, and before him stood the enormous Sal Trees. Sunlight and wind swirled in the treetops, as if on a preordained day. The branches and leaves rustled, and the shadows swayed.

Gautama Siddhartha smiled.

He lay down on his right side, head facing north, under the Sal Trees, in his old posture, with one hand supporting his head.

"Look, spring hasn't arrived yet, but the red flowers on the Sal Tree have already begun to sway. These flowers are like drops of rain, dripping onto our clothes. As the Sun sets in the west and the evening glow illuminates the earth, can you hear the music of the Sal Trees swaying in the wind?"

"Life is inherently a path toward death; gathering foreshadows separation; tides rise and fall; without death, how can there be birth?"

"My path is not meant to lead you to despair and renounce the world. I firmly believe that people can be transformed by the good or bad deeds of others. This hope rests on noble souls. We are born of this earth, and all we suffer is pain. The cycle of reincarnation is filled with sorrow and grief, but this world is not a place for suffering to linger."

"This world is the abode of the enlightened, but the enlightened must awaken. For the insomniac, the night is exceptionally long; for the weary, the destination is always far away; for those who live blindly, without understanding the Dharma, life is full of suffering."

"Ignorance gives rise to suffering, sorrow Pride Greed, conceit, and jealousy all arise from ignorance. Illusions lead people astray. Although they are two separate phenomena, life and death are inseparable; they are one. We Obstruction by delusions, but once these obstacles are removed, we can live independently."

"The precepts, concentration, wisdom, and the Noble Eightfold Path can break through all kinds of false views. Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration—all knowledge must be verified by one's own learning and guidance; one should not blindly follow it."

At that moment, Siddhartha looked at Kavia to the side and smiled.

What remains forever in my heart are the words my Teacher left me, words I have read again and again and imprinted in my mind, words that are like guiding stars shining in the darkness.

On that night, the lamps of the poor burned dimly, illuminating their way forward.

If this is how I'm greeted, perhaps that's not bad.

Yes, Teacher. Everything is in flux. There are no eternally unchanging strongmen, nor are there eternally indestructible kingdoms. All things in the world, like the Sal Trees, bloom and wither, in an endless cycle.

The place you reach and decipher, all living beings will surely reach there.

"Now is the tomorrow of all living beings; the Future will surely come."

In an instant, countless brilliant rays of light rose from the shattered earth, soaring like fireflies, illuminating the dim world one last time before fading away— the Savior, Gautama Siddhartha, as a human being, Passing into Nirvana.

Then, in that instant, time seemed to truly stand still. As Kavia, who could see that 'room,' felt as if she had sensed something, a Great Gate in the room opened by itself.

As it opened, the endless colors contained within, something like the Universe, appeared.

After the door was fully opened, in an instant, the interior of the "room" was filled with something, as if sensing Siddhartha's Parinirvana and Kavia's thoughts. Something was growing within the "room," something that could almost be called "will."

Within the shell of the Supreme Brahman, which transcends human comprehension and is neither human, nor beast, nor thing, the thriving will manifests itself in the form of the historical process of the India Age of Gods.

At the same time, the Stars trembled, a storm swept across the Myriad Universes, everything rapidly dissolved, the sky faded, and the earth cracked.

As if millions of years had passed in an instant, a jet-black flame, powerful enough to destroy an entire Universe of the India Age of Gods, entered the world at this moment. Under the shroud of dazzling illusory light, everything seemed to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into dissolving particles.

Countless Maya are born and die in the Universe Sea. As the Supreme Being will operates, they expand or contract, and when they converge, they form an invisible, endless wheel of rebirth.

However, viewed from a breathtaking macroscopic perspective, even a wheel powerful enough to sever Planet tens of thousands of kilometers in diameter becomes as soft as a thread, rapidly worn away and silently extinguished through random tearing and rotation, as if assimilated.

Finally, when he arrived before Kavia, only a gentle breeze stirred his Silver Hair.

What stopped and shattered the attack of the Supreme Brahman was a golden light emanating from outside the 'room,' from the other Universe, Parinirvana from Siddhartha's passing.

And so, the world of Kavia gradually lost its 'information,' and everything seemed to turn into a blank sheet of paper.

But those clear blue eyes firmly grasped the will within the 'room,' without any confusion or contradiction; the sole purpose was to kill the Supreme Brahman.

And so, looking upon this thing that had existed for millions of years since its birth in India, traversing what seemed like an endless night, yet disrupting the Perfection workings of the first world, finally—