Buddhism

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Buddhism (佛门)
Alias(es)	Buddhist Sect; Mahayana Buddhism (major branch)
Classification	Neutral Character (AI); religious and cultivation faction
Affiliation	Western Paradise; Spirit Mountain
Occupation/Role	Spreads Buddhist teachings, gathers faith and merit, and competes for providence across the Three Realms
Leadership	Tathagata, the Buddha Patriarch and Present Buddha; Maitreya, the Future Buddha; Burning Lamp, the Past Buddha 401 411
Status	Active; its great flourishing officially begins after the westward scripture pilgrimage 477
First Appearance	Chapter 103

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Establishment as an independent sect	398	The Two Saints of the West establish Buddhism and draw away numerous disciples from the Exposition Sect, raising its reputation while weakening its rival. 398
Mahayana Buddhism established	400	Shakyamuni, later Tathagata, founds Mahayana Buddhism; Heaven-sent merit rapidly raises his cultivation and he severs his evil corpse, Black-Robed Tathagata. 400
Unified Buddhist leadership	401	Buddhism’s fortune divides between the older lineage and Mahayana. Jieyin and Zhunti abdicate, allowing Many Treasures Tathagata to become Buddha Patriarch; the Past, Present, and Future Buddhas are established. 401
Major Primordial World power	412	At least eight quasi-Saints march with Buddhism against Styx, with Burning Lamp and Kong Xuan as additional recovering quasi-Saints. 412
Entry into the Underworld	414	Following the Blood Sea conflict, Ksitigarbha enters the Underworld under a great vow and immediately severs his second corpse, becoming a quasi-Sage. 414
Heaven-mandated flourishing	423	Patriarch Hongjun declares the flourishing of Buddhism and Daoism necessary to reinforce the Demon Realm’s seal against external threats. 423
Great flourishing begins	477	The completed scripture pilgrimage brings a surge of merit and fortune to Spirit Mountain and formally begins Buddhism’s era of prosperity. 477

Background / History

Early martial-world presence

Buddhism is already a powerful force in the martial world. After the Demonic Cult destroys Daxiangguo Temple, melts Buddhist statues for metal, and loots its religious artifacts, Abbot Yuancong seeks to unite the Buddhist schools against Dugu Qingyun and the Demonic Cult. 103

Its transcendent foundations make even imperial action risky: Li Mu concludes that a desperate Buddhism might not overthrow a dynasty, but could likely assassinate its emperor. Many of its true enlightened masters avoid worldly affairs, while some eminent monks advocate asceticism and reject extravagant temples. 118

When India is occupied, Buddhism in the Central Plains suffers a crisis of legitimacy and faith. It responds through internal doctrinal reform and a costly western expedition, using war against the Ottoman Empire to redirect attention away from the loss of confidence in its origins. 200

Establishment in the Primordial World

The Two Saints of the West establish Buddhism as an independent power, attracting disciples away from the Mystic Gate’s Exposition Sect and diminishing the latter’s prestige. 398

In the western Kapilavastu Kingdom, Shakyamuni matures at an extraordinary speed, abandons royal life after witnessing mortal suffering, and spreads teachings through the Ganges basin. Within a century, his order becomes one of the western lands’ thriving sects. 400

Shakyamuni then founds Mahayana Buddhism, declaring that humans, gods, ghosts, demons, fiends, and devils may enter its fold if they acknowledge the faith. Heaven grants him immense merit, after which he takes the name Tathagata and severs Black-Robed Tathagata as his evil corpse. 400

Unification under Tathagata

Mahayana Buddhism’s recognition by the Heavenly Dao splits Buddhism’s fortune in two, alarming Jieyin and Zhunti. Since the separate fortunes cannot be recombined merely by eliminating Mahayana, they yield leadership to Many Treasures Tathagata. 401

Tathagata merges the divided Buddhist influence and formalizes the offices of Past Buddha, Present Buddha, and Future Buddha. He also dispatches Buddhas and Bodhisattvas into the mortal realm to establish lineages and spread teachings. 401

Organization and Teachings

• Spirit Mountain serves as Buddhism’s central sacred land and the gathering place of its Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats. 411
• Western Paradise is the broader western domain being developed by Jieyin and Zhunti. 401
• Open admission is central to Mahayana Buddhism: Tathagata’s founding vow accepts beings of every race and moral alignment. 400
• Mixed membership is a recurring weakness. Buddhist ranks include former disciples of the Interception Sect, Exposition Sect defectors, native western disciples, and forcibly converted cultivators, producing severe differences in loyalty and quality. 403 411
• Doctrinal adaptation becomes essential for spreading among humans. Tathagata revises teachings using ideas associated with Daoism and the Hundred Schools of Thought while preserving Buddhism’s underlying emphasis on extinction. 424
• Faith, incense offerings, merit, and providence are major practical concerns in Buddhism’s expansion. Its leaders repeatedly treat the spread of scripture as both a religious mission and a contest for resources and fortune. 414 475 477

Internal Politics

• Tathagata’s faction is strengthened by former Interception Sect disciples and by his backing from the Two Saints of the West. 411
• Maitreya’s direct lineage resists Tathagata’s consolidation and expects to replace him as Future Buddha when his prestige weakens. 476
• Burning Lamp’s Exposition Sect faction loses influence after Burning Lamp is defeated, loses the Sea-Calming Pearls, and suffers damage to his Three Corpse incarnations. He therefore aligns with Tathagata for protection and political advantage. 404 411
• Kong Xuan, the Peacock Wisdom King, retains special standing because of his strength despite ranking below the Three Buddhas in formal status. 404
• Buddhism’s rapid expansion gives it large numbers of followers, but its disciples vary dramatically in capability and commitment. 414 464

Major Conflicts and Campaigns

Conflict with Daoism

Buddhism’s conflict with the Daoist sects is rooted in old grievances from the Investiture of the Gods tribulation. The Exposition Sect resents Buddhism for sheltering its defectors, while former Interception Sect disciples within Buddhism resent the Exposition Sect. 403

At the Peach Banquet, Buddhism and the Daoist side choose three representatives each. Buddhism fields Tathagata, Burning Lamp, and Kong Xuan; the opposing side fields Li Mu, Xuandu, and Guangchengzi. 403

The clash ends disastrously for Buddhism when Li Mu captures Kong Xuan and Burning Lamp. Zhao Gongming recovers the Sea-Calming Pearls from Burning Lamp, further weakening the Buddhist side. 404

Buddhism later accepts negotiated terms for spreading teachings eastward. Li Mu releases the injured captives and reserves nine of the eighty-one tribulations for the future scripture-seeking party. 406

Campaign against the Asura Clan

Buddhism attempts to expand into the Underworld by suppressing Styx and the Asura Clan. Tathagata relies on the Saints’ Myriad Buddha Formation, intending to imprison Styx for several hundred yuanhui. 411

The invasion of the Nether Blood Sea becomes a costly battle. Styx’s Blood God Child avatars inflict heavy casualties, and the Myriad Buddha Formation begins to fail before Jieyin and Zhunti intervene with their Three Corpses avatars. 412

The Heavenly Emperor ultimately stops the conflict. Buddhism does not successfully suppress the Asura Clan, but Ksitigarbha is permitted to enter and guard the Underworld, giving Buddhism a lasting foothold in the realm of reincarnation. 414

Eastward Spread and the Scripture Pilgrimage

Patriarch Hongjun reveals that Buddhism and Daoism must flourish to reinforce the seal on the Demon Realm against Chaos Demon Gods and approaching worlds. This decree forces the human race and other factions to tolerate Buddhism’s expansion despite their concerns. 423

Great Qin is initially a major obstacle because Qin law conflicts with Buddhist teachings. Buddhism cannot openly overthrow the dynasty without provoking the Way of Humanity and severe karmic backlash, though its support for Huhai’s succession still incurs heavy consequences. 423 426

At the Ullambana Dharma Assembly, Tathagata proposes a westward pilgrimage to carry scriptures into the Eastern Lands. The pilgrimage team includes representatives connected to Buddhism, Daoism, the Celestial Court, the human race, and the Dragon Clan, and must endure eighty-one tribulations. 427

The journey is repeatedly disrupted by political interference, unusual tribulations, Sun Wukong’s resistance to Buddhist control, and Tang Sanzang’s increasingly unorthodox behavior. 432 451 472

After the party reaches Spirit Mountain, Tang Sanzang receives the Tripitaka Scriptures but later alters their interpretation during their dissemination in Great Tang. Competing Buddhist lineages add their own doctrines and interests, leaving Tathagata’s original Mahayana text substantially distorted. 475 476

Despite these problems, the completion of the pilgrimage produces an immense outpouring of merit and fortune. Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong receive Buddhist fruition, while Buddhism begins its Heaven-ordained flourishing. 477

Relationships

• Jieyin and Zhunti — The Two Saints of the West who establish and support Buddhism; they later yield practical leadership to Tathagata after Buddhism’s fortune divides. 398 401
• Tathagata / Many Treasures Tathagata — Buddha Patriarch and Present Buddha; founder of Mahayana Buddhism and Buddhism’s principal strategist during its rise. 400 401
• Maitreya — Future Buddha and Tathagata’s internal political rival; he represents the direct lineage and pressures Tathagata over rewards and leadership. 411 476
• Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha — Past Buddha and leader of an Exposition Sect-derived faction; weakened after losing his treasures and Three Corpse incarnations. 404 411
• Kong Xuan — Peacock Wisdom King; an exceptionally powerful Buddhist combatant whose defeat severely reduces Buddhism’s military strength. 404 411
• Ksitigarbha — Buddhist representative in the Underworld; accepts the burden of guarding hell and gains a major breakthrough through his vow. 411 414
• Guanyin — Buddhism’s leading diplomat and organizer of the scripture pilgrimage; her standing and faith power rise with the eastward spread. 432 444
• Daoist Sect — Primary religious and political competitor; both sides struggle over disciples, providence, mortal influence, and the eastward spread of teachings. 403 405
• Celestial Court — The orthodox government of the Three Realms that can constrain Buddhism through Heavenly Laws and control over official affairs. 435
• Human race — The essential target of Buddhism’s eastward spread, but also a force whose destiny and Way of Humanity prevent Buddhism from acting without restraint. 423 430

Notable Quotes

“If I do not enter hell, who will?” — Ksitigarbha accepts Buddhism’s task of entering the Underworld. 411

“Today, I establish Mahayana Buddhism to enlighten all living beings beneath heaven.” — Shakyamuni founds Mahayana Buddhism and takes the name Tathagata. 400

Trivia

• Buddhism’s early martial-world institutions include Daxiangguo Temple and Baima Temple. 103
• Buddhist Dharma can be used to beguile hearts and minds, though it has no effect on Li Mu. 322
• Tang Sanzang’s pilgrimage popularizes mahjong in the western lands, where it gradually becomes common among Buddhist disciples. 474