"If I attain Bodhi, then in the Age of Dharma Decline, everyone will become a Buddha!"
"If I attain Bodhi, I will not ferry living beings across, save the world's final age, or seek the future!"
His grand, solemn voice echoed between heaven and earth. White waves surged from the crown of Maitreya's Golden Body Buddha of the Future, tossing two relics that symbolized the past and the present. The future, however, remained dim, with only a few scattered Buddha-lights shaped like white lotuses flickering within it.
At that moment, the living beings in the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth seemed to perceive something in their hearts. They all sat cross-legged, worshiped the Buddha devoutly, and chanted Maitreya's honored name in unison:
"Namo Maitreya, the Buddha Who Will Be Born in the Future!"
The voices of countless billions shook the heavens and resounded through the myriad worlds. They became one pure, liberated white lotus after another, flying to the crown of Maitreya and gathering into a brilliant river of stars, together illuminating the future!
The illusory River of Time and Destiny emerged in turn, seeming both real and unreal. It spread to every corner of the Real Realm, the distant past stretching on, the future uncertain.
Within the Western Pure Land, the Golden Body Buddha seated upon a twelfth-grade azure lotus throne suddenly lowered His left hand, forming the Abhaya Mudra. His voice brimmed with compassion and mercy as He said:
"Excellent, excellent."
Before His words had faded, boundless light burst from His entire body. It illuminated the Western Pure Land, the dark and mysterious Chaos, the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, and the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth, causing lotus after lotus to bloom and spring after spring to gush forth.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha!" Across countless eons and many epochs, cries