Buddhist Sect

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Buddhist Sect (佛门释教)
Alias(es)	Buddhism; Western Buddhist Sect; Buddhist path
Occupation/Role	One of the two great orthodox lineages of the Earth Immortal Realm 348 353
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 36 36

Leadership and Structure

Rank / Division	Known members and function
Two Buddha Venerables	Great Sun Tathagata and Vairocana Buddha, both Nine Tribulation True Buddhas who stabilize the sect 381
Four Great Bodhisattvas	Great Wisdom, Great Sage, Great Compassion, and Great Conduct. Great Wisdom and Great Sage reached Eight Tribulations; Great Compassion later also became an Eight Calamities Venerable, while Great Conduct remained at the Seventh Tribulation in the recorded period 346 381 529
Dharma Protectors	The Four Guardian Vajras and Eighteen Arhats are Great Vehicle combatants tasked with protecting the Dharma and waging battle 346 353
Senior Arhats	Dragon-Subduing Arhat and Tiger-Taming Arhat lead the Eighteen Arhats; they are respectively Five Tribulations and Four Tribulations Arhats 384
Buddhist lineages	The Buddhist-Brahma Gate is divided into the Tathagata, Bodhisattva, and Wisdom King lineages 330
Western Pure Land	The sect's principal strength is concentrated in Western Ox Continent, where it maintains Western Paradise and the Pure Land of Bliss 348

Doctrine and Practices

Buddhist Momentum

The sect's strength is not drawn solely from cultivation. Its Great Buddhist Momentum is founded on the accumulated faith of worshippers and centuries of institutional growth. During the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism flourished for more than four hundred years, creating a formidable foundation of incense-fire faith. 46

• In the Grandmaster Realm, Buddhist Hearts formed from this momentum are described as clear, transparent, and exceptionally difficult to break. 46
• The Four Great Holy Monks combined their cultivation and faith to form a Buddhist domain ruled by Buddhism itself. 46 48

Dharma Forms and Vajra Methods

The Sixteen-foot Golden Body and Tathagata Dharma Form are orthodox Buddhist Sect Dharma Form divine abilities. Cultivating the Tathagata Dharma Form signifies profound Buddhist attainment and the possibility of eventually becoming a Buddha. 153

• The Sixteen-foot Golden Body is identified as Shakyamuni's Emanation Body method and one of the Buddhist Sect's three Buddha bodies. 475
• Vajra represents invincibility, indestructibility, and the power to sever vexations and evil demons. 469
• Buddhist body-refinement traditions can produce powerful Vajra bodies, though corrupted practitioners may turn such methods toward the demonic path. 472 475

Six Meditative Supernatural Abilities

The Buddhist Sect's six principal meditative supernatural abilities are used for perception, pursuit, and combat analysis. 353

• Heavenly Eye Ability — perceives hidden phenomena.
• Heavenly Ear Ability — hears distant or concealed sounds.
• Mind Reading Ability — reads thoughts and divine-sense communications.
• Destiny Ability — investigates destiny, reincarnation, and heavenly secrets.
• Divine Feet Ability — grants extraordinary movement.
• Exhaustion Ability — the final ability; attaining all six may lead toward the Tathagata Fruit Status. 353

Great Vows and Deliverance

Great vows are sacred Buddhist methods that draw power toward their fulfillment, but only cultivators with sufficient qualification can bear them. 469

• Ksitigarbha's vow—“Until hell is empty, I shall not become a Buddha; only after delivering all beings shall I attain Bodhi”—is regarded as the archetype of a vast Buddhist vow. 469 658
• Buddhist Dharma is particularly adept at suppression; generations of Blood Demon seals were forged through Buddhist methods. 240
• The sect recognizes that Buddha and demon may originate from similar foundations, but regards enlightenment and conversion as a means of turning demonic beings toward righteousness. 669

History

Rise in the Northern Dynasties

Buddhism's influence expanded over centuries, producing renowned figures such as the Four Great Holy Monks: Venerable Dixian of the Huayan Sect, Master Jiaxiang of the Sanlun Sect, Daoxin of the Zen Sect, and Master Zhihui of the Heavenly Harmony Sect. 46

Their combined Buddhist domain confronted Xu Yang, empowering Dixian's Great Perfection Staff Technique, Daoxin's Damo Hand, and Zhihui's Buddhist Heart Palm while Jiaxiang maintained the group’s foremost defensive art, the Profound Zen Meditation Art. Xu Yang ultimately broke their offensive through the Dragon Subduing technique. 48

Later, Duxing debated eminent monks across the capital for three months, united the major Buddhist temples under his leadership, and led Buddhism to victory in nine Buddhist-Daoist debates. 127

The Pudu Cihang Era

After receiving the title of State Protector Dharma Master, Duxing became known as Pudu Cihang, the foremost Buddhist figure in nearly a thousand years. Northern Buddhist sects rallied behind him, while Xu Yang became the corresponding leader of southern Daoist forces. 150

Pudu Cihang presided over the Chen Dynasty's Water-Land Dharma Assembly and displayed the Sixteen-foot Golden Body and Tathagata Dharma Form. His preaching transformed the Imperial Capital Region into a Buddha Kingdom, enthralling commoners, cultivators, and even Daoist True Lords. 153 154

The aftermath was catastrophic: the gathering had drawn eminent monks from major Buddhist temples into the capital, where they perished amid the demonic calamity. Buddhist orthodoxy was reduced to less than one-tenth of its former strength in the north. 155

Plan to Spread Buddhist Dharma Southward

In the Earth Immortal Realm, the Buddhist Sect sought to extend its influence into Southern Jambudvipa. The sect's power was concentrated in Western Ox Continent, leaving it with only scattered Great Vehicle cultivators and limited intelligence networks in the south. 348

The intended expansion served two purposes:

• Establish Buddhist authority and secure the fortune of Southern Jambudvipa. 381 529
• Accumulate enough fortune to help the Four Great Bodhisattvas overcome the perilous Ninth Buddha Tribulation. 381 534

The Golden-Maned Hou, mount of Great Compassion Bodhisattva, was widely regarded as a possible advance piece in this southern strategy after it descended, became a demon, and occupied Kirin Mountain. 345 348 534

Conflict with Wuzhuang Temple

Xu Yang, acting as Great Immortal Zhenyuan, killed the Golden-Maned Hou and seized Great Compassion Bodhisattva's Purple Gold Bell. The Buddhist Sect sent Bags Arhat and Pagoda Arhat to Longevity Mountain to recover it. 345 347

The two Arhats were unable to force the issue during Xu Yang's Mahayana tribulation and Pill Origin Gathering. When Bags Arhat later fought Xu Yang, he was defeated by the Five-Colored Divine Light; Pagoda Arhat declined to continue the contest after failing to identify a weakness. The Purple Gold Bell was left at Wuzhuang Temple. 348 353

The sect later sent the Eighteen Arhats to persuade Xu Yang to ascend to Heaven. After Xu Yang defeated Long-Brow Arhat and overwhelmed their formation, Dragon-Subduing Arhat conceded defeat and withdrew the force. 385

Reconciliation and Southern Defense

Great Compassion Bodhisattva eventually came personally to Wuzhuang Temple, knelt before Xu Yang, and pleaded for forgiveness over the Golden-Maned Hou affair. 534

Xu Yang allowed the future Spread of Buddhist Magic Southward on the condition that the Buddhist Sect protect the Southern Continent from demonic disturbances during his absence. In exchange, he agreed to yield Southern Continent fortune and receive the Tongtian Secret Treasure. 534

Great Sun Tathagata subsequently led Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Buddhist disciples to repel Rakshasa's demonic invasion of the Southern Continent. The intervention won the sect merit for saving the world, though many southern cultivators remained suspicious of its motives. 537

Major Figures

• Great Sun Tathagata — One of the Two Buddha Venerables; a Nine Tribulation True Buddha who personally defended the Southern Continent against Rakshasa. 381 537
• Vairocana Buddha — One of the Two Buddha Venerables and a Nine Tribulation True Buddha. 381
• Great Compassion Bodhisattva — One of the Four Great Bodhisattvas; master of the Golden-Maned Hou and owner of the Purple Gold Bell. She later sought reconciliation with Xu Yang. 345 381 534
• Bags Arhat (Venerable Indragupta) — One of the Eighteen Arhats; bearer of the Universe Pouch and a Mahayana attendant of Great Sun Buddha. 347 353
• Pagoda Arhat (Venerable Subhuti) — Great Sun Buddha's last disciple; possesses the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda and had cultivated five of the six meditative supernatural abilities. 347 353
• Dragon-Subduing Arhat — Senior leader of the Eighteen Arhats and a Five Tribulation Arhat. 384 385
• Tiger-Taming Arhat — Senior leader of the Eighteen Arhats and a Four Tribulation Arhat. 384 385
• Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva — A Bodhisattva who remained in the Profound Yellow Realm to fulfill his vow of saving suffering beings, later leading Ksitigarbha Netherworld Palace against the Demonic Abyss. 658 659 669
• Maitreya Buddha Ancestor — The sole surviving member of the Profound Yellow Three Buddha during the final war against the Desire Realm. 716
• Lingjiu Ancient Buddha — One of the Buddhist Sect's Three World Honored Buddhas in the Divine Continent. 739

Relationships

• Xu Yang / Great Immortal Zhenyuan — Longstanding adversary after Xu Yang slew the Golden-Maned Hou and retained the Purple Gold Bell; later reached a conditional agreement regarding Buddhist Dharma’s southern spread. 345 353 534
• Great Compassion Bodhisattva — One of the sect's Four Great Bodhisattvas; her mount's death created the sect's conflict with Wuzhuang Temple. 345 381
• Heavenly Court — A rival major orthodox power. Though the Buddhist Sect is described as weaker overall, its internal unity allows it to mobilize resources more readily than the divided Heavenly Court. 346 381
• Southern Jambudvipa cultivators — The intended recipients of Buddhist Dharma crossing south, but also a population wary of the sect's pursuit of continental fortune. 348 529 537
• Demonic Abyss — Enemy force opposed by Great Sun Tathagata, Ksitigarbha, Shi Pi King Buddha, and the sect's guardian traditions. 537 669
• Vajra Temple — A Buddha-Demon splinter sect founded by Vajra Venerable after he betrayed the Buddhist Sect and entered the demonic path. 472

Notable Quotes

“My Buddha is merciful and protects all living beings. Naturally, I cannot allow demons and monsters to run rampant and poison the Southern Continent!” — Great Sun Tathagata 537

“The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and there is shore. Lay down your butcher's blade, and become a Buddha where you stand.” — Ksitigarbha 669