The Foundations of the Western Heaven

Li Qi believed that these mortals were born in a daze and died in a daze, and their lives were over. This was Li Qi's view. After a person dies, they are truly dead, and they are not the same person in the next reincarnation. This was also the view of most Shaman. When Li Qi first read the book "Zhu", he said that ghosts were no longer the original people, but a different kind of beings, only with the same memories.

So he didn't quite understand at first.

However, he has a strong ability to understand, and after Shakya Zaba reminded him, he immediately realized something.

Buddhism does not consider death to be the end.

They believe that life is a continuous cycle of reincarnation, and that you are still yourself when you are reborn.

So...

These people, these events, these constantly reborn lives, are actually just a fleeting moment in their long lives, a very brief instant.

Li Qi suddenly realized where the Buddhist concept of 'compassion' came from.

In this Western Paradise, all people... no, all life, including the cattle and sheep, including the tenacious grass, are essentially the same.

Under the Buddha's gaze, all life is equal, and all existence is treated equally. Their current forms are only temporary, and they will continue to learn, try, and have new lives in the endless cycle of reincarnation.

In the endless process of trying, one day they will realize that they are in a cycle of reincarnation and that they retain their memories in each life.

Then they continue, and eventually they will achieve 'results', attaining the first fruit, that is, reaching the 'Sotapanna Fruit' stage, temporarily escaping the cycle of rebirth, attaining immortality, and truly embarking on the path of spiritual practice!

Therefore, the suffering of these mortals is only temporary. They may very well be reborn as cattle or sheep, or as plants or trees, or even as monsters in their next life, but it doesn't matter.

These changes are all temporary, merely a brief component of the endless cycle of reincarnation. One lifetime is utterly insignificant. As the cycle of reincarnation progresses, they will all gradually improve and eventually step into the gate of spiritual practice.

All of this is for the sake of enlightenment and awakening.

"What is enlightenment?" Shakya Zaba said, "Recognizing the reality of the world, seeing clearly the illusion of this moment, awakening the wisdom of past lives, and merging the memories of countless reincarnations into one. You are the cows, sheep, cats, and dogs; you are the insects and butterflies; you are the trees and weeds; you are the demons, ghosts, and evil spirits; you are the men, women, young, and old; you are the slaves and laborers; you are the kings, generals, ministers, wise men, and sages; and you are the ultimate enlightener."

"All beings are equal, and all beings are you."

"Senior, if such a blessing can be bestowed upon everyone in the Western Paradise, can this not be considered 'compassion'? If this cannot be considered 'compassion,' is there any action in this world that can be called 'compassion'?"

As Shakya Zaba asked a question, Li Qi took a deep breath and looked out at the countless mortals who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, as well as all living beings.

After being explained by a true Buddhist practitioner, he truly realized the significance of the Buddhas' work.

As expected of a top-tier brand, this is truly a grand gesture!

Li Qi could fully imagine just how much of an advantage such enlightened beings, or those who had attained the first stage of enlightenment, truly possessed.

The cycle of six realms of reincarnation combines the memories of all past lives to create 'enlightened consciousness'. Practitioners who go through this process are naturally suited to longevity.

Because they are the product of countless reincarnations, they can easily control their long lives and possess extraordinary vision and wisdom.

This "ordinary person" refers to the other seventh-rank individuals.

For example, Li Qi is only a little over a hundred years old now. In terms of vision, he is probably no match for a seventh-rank cultivator who has grown up like this. No wonder the Chanzhi is so strong. He was able to defeat all the seventh-rank cultivators in Guangyang by fighting three against one, and even forcibly suppress the Mountain and Water Formation.

There's a reason for all of that.

"Indeed, Buddhism... has something to offer." Li Qi nodded. "You're absolutely right. I've certainly broadened my horizons. Well... I have another question. People like you are called 'Zhu Gu' by them, right?"

Shakya Zaba put his hands together and immediately replied with remorse, "That is indeed the case, but this name is just a fabrication and should not be taken seriously. He cannot even attain enlightenment now, so how can he be called a Buddha? It is just the flattery of ordinary people."

Li Qi waved his hand, not caring about such things, and asked instead, "Leaving aside the name, according to your statement, 'Zhu Gu,' does that mean that in your previous life, you were also a cultivator?"

Shakya Zaba nodded. "Yes, reincarnation should always be better than the last. In my previous life, I embarked on the path of cultivation and achieved the ninth rank, which allowed me to retain some of my memories. Before I died, I specified the location so that the temple could find my reincarnation, which is the body I am using now."

"As our cultivation improves, we can come into contact with more and more of our past lives. I can now see my previous ten lives and vaguely sense where my next life will be. I can point out the location of my reincarnation so that others can find me."

"Awakening past life memories as cultivation improves... In other words, the mystery of the womb is not a difficult thing for you?" Li Qi asked.

This thing is really powerful.

As is well known, even many powerful beings are unable to decipher the mysteries of the womb, resulting in memory loss and an inability to cultivate again after reincarnation.

But does Buddhism allow these people to glimpse part of the mysteries of the womb even at the ninth rank?

Shakya Zaba explained, "This is the meaning of opening consciousness. What is delusion? It is the confusion and unclearness before one's eyes. The so-called delusion in the womb and the mystery of the five aggregates are all like this. The so-called opening consciousness is to open the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, mind consciousness, manas consciousness and alaya consciousness."

"Among them, the five senses are sight, hearing, speech, tongue and body, which represent the basic sense of touch. By opening these true senses, one can see through illusion and see the true Dharma. The manas consciousness is like one's true nature. By opening the manas consciousness, one can see the true self. The self in the past life, the self in this life and the self in the next life are all the true self. If one can see the true self, what difference does it make which life it is?"

"As for the Alaya consciousness... please forgive my ignorance, senior. I haven't even opened it myself, so how can I describe it to you?"

After listening, Li Qi did not force him, but instead praised him and asked, "The Buddhist methods are indeed wondrous, so you will only progress and not regress?"

Upon hearing this question, Shakya Zaba shook his head. "How is that possible? If one is trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, experiencing countless confusions and sufferings, and cannot see through them, but remains trapped in a particular lifetime, then one is attached to appearances, unable to recognize one's true self, and naturally regresses."

"In fact, many of my fellow disciples are like this, caught up in the illusions of this life, believing that the past life is unreliable and the future life is untrustworthy. They focus on enjoying life in this world and neglect their cultivation, which is a great pity."

"I see." Li Qi nodded, finally understanding the reason for the current situation in the Western Paradise.

Indeed... amazing.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are truly amazing. Although Li Qi still believes that once a person dies, they are gone, and the newborn is no longer the original self, Buddhism clearly has a different perspective on 'self'.

Just as Li Qi had an answer of "I am who I am", Buddhism is constantly facing the invasion of heavenly demons, so any Buddhist practitioner will think about "I am who I am" from the very beginning.

And that is their answer.

In their view, reincarnation is a continuous transformation of the self. Apart from the 'true nature,' everything else is illusory and not the real self.

In this life, family, feelings, memories, reputation, and wealth are all fleeting. It is very possible that in the next reincarnation, there will be other family, other memories, other feelings, and other wealth.

Therefore, there is no need to dwell on current hardships, care about current pain, or enjoy current happiness and indulge in momentary pleasure.

Because all of these are 'emptiness', 'nothingness', fleeting clouds, and unreal. With each cycle of reincarnation, these will disappear and be gained again. To 'true nature', this is like a continuous dream.

Everything is like a dream, a shadow in a bubble, as unpredictable and ever-changing as mist. At the same time, it changes as quickly as lightning. That is why we must maintain our true nature, using it to sustain ourselves at all times, calmly viewing everything in this world, not clinging to it, and even more so, not letting these things bind our true nature.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should you contemplate them." Li Qi clasped his hands together and recited a Buddhist Scriptures to Shakya Zaba.

This was his realization after listening to the other person's story. At this moment, the Buddhist Scriptures that Li Qi had read merged with the events that were happening in the real world.

Everything in this mortal world, the cycle of birth and death, is a gift from the Buddhas to the Celestial Host. In this cycle of reincarnation, they are able to experience life again and again, and ultimately attain enlightenment.

This is the Buddha's compassion.

It is not about bestowing pleasure or material enjoyment, but about giving them the opportunity to truly understand themselves. The suffering and backwardness at this moment are not important at all; they are just fleeting clouds. One must see through all of this and eventually reach the state of enlightenment to escape this cycle of reincarnation and truly embark on the path of spiritual practice.

That makes sense. Given the current state of Buddhism, perhaps only those who recognize their true nature at the seventh rank can resist the erosion of the Heavenly Demon.

Upon hearing Li Qi recite Buddhist Scriptures, Shakya Zaba immediately returned the greeting and recited the Buddha's name to Li Qi: "Namo Vairocana Buddha".

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, young master. If you need anything else, please feel free to ask, as this is my way of repaying you," Li Qi said with a smile to Shakya Zaba.

I definitely benefited a lot. Indeed, some things can't be seen in books; you have to experience them for yourself.

Shakya Zaba replied, "Since you have said so, senior, then it would be impolite of me to refuse. Let me then form a good connection with you."

"Oh? What good deed?" Li Qi asked, puzzled.

"Today's encounter is a good cause," Shakya Zaba replied. "Perhaps a thousand years from now, it will bear good fruit?"

"Haha, then so be it, Shakya Zaba. My name is Li Qi, and I come from Wushen Mountain. If you are not deluded by reincarnation, perhaps you can truly reap good results." Li Qi laughed heartily, then walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

The conversation with the young monk was very valuable, but now that his doubts had been resolved, he should set off again.

As he flew over the mortal world once more and saw those ordinary people living their own lives, Li Qi couldn't help but start to speculate...

When will they remember this day, or the cycle of the past?

Of course, it wasn't really that important to Li Qi.

In his view, life only happens once.

Can an endless cycle of reincarnation truly guarantee 'true nature'?

Li Qi's understanding of "who I am" is essentially a connection of cause and effect; it is the self that is composed of countless causes and countless effects in life.

If this connection can be maintained, then whether it's reincarnation or amnesia, it's still him.

But reincarnation... that involves tearing a person to pieces, mixing them with others, and then throwing them out.

Once or twice, you might be able to say that you've retained most of yourself, but if you lose a little bit each time, after thousands or tens of thousands of times, can you really say... that you're still yourself?

Li Qi dared not speak.

However, the Buddhist community dares to speak out.

Well... everyone has their own opinion. You can't just say that others are wrong. If you insist on saying that others are wrong, then you're just arguing about right and wrong.

It's a fight to the death.

Having learned why the Western Paradise was the way it was, Li Qi no longer found anything strange about what he encountered on the road.

He approached the situation with a calm mind and began to learn about the local customs and traditions along the way.

In the places he passed through, there was a Magadha Kingdom, which was different from the rocky desert he had traveled through. The land was fertile, and there was a special kind of Lord's Offering Rice.

With ample food, this place valued learning and respected Buddhism. Li Qi passed through more than fifty monasteries and had over 100,000 monks. Li Qi also met a seventh-grade monk who had attained the first stage of enlightenment.

After leaving this place, Li Qi continued forward. After traveling for thousands of miles, he saw many people paying homage to a ruin. Among them were many cultivators, and even some of the same sixth rank as him.

Li Qi was curious and went to visit it. He discovered that the site was called the "Tathagata's Footprint Stone". It was located not far from the stupa. There was a large stone with two footprints on it, which were said to be the footprints of the Buddha. The two footprints were still there, and they were 1.8 inches long and more than 6 inches wide.

Both footprints have wheel-like features, all ten toes are decorated with patterns, and fish-shaped patterns are reflected in the light.

Like the other tourists, Li Qi pondered the meaning for a while, but gained nothing.

Three thousand miles further ahead lies Malaya Mountain, where sandalwood trees and sandalwood trees grow. The sandalwood trees are of the same species as the white sandalwood trees and contain a fragrance that resembles mica and is the color of ice and snow. This is called Dragon Brain Incense, which has a miraculous effect on calming the mind. Large snakes coil around the trees and can speak human language. It is said that they can also perform divination, but they can only speak the local dialect. Li Qi was unable to communicate with them and left in a huff.

After traveling another seven thousand li, they arrived at the Sinhala Kingdom, a place of extreme luxury. The king was a devout Buddhist and poured perfumes and fragrant woods on the Buddha Statue, or washed or burned them, striving for the most rare and precious items, and making offerings accordingly.

The Buddha Statue was a hundred feet tall, adorned with pearls and rare treasures, its radiant light shining brightly day and night, appearing as dazzling as a star from afar.

Li Qi observed that there was a beggar below the Buddha Statue, shook his head and left.

It's still under review all night, and I don't know what went wrong. It might be released soon, so please be careful.