Only... Shakyamuni became a Buddha?
How was that possible?
Weren't there so many Buddhas in Buddhism? How could Shakyamuni have been the only one to become a Buddha?
Countless people were stunned, whether they were Buddhists or not.
Then, many Buddhists fell into confusion. Their understanding of Buddhism had come from various forms of प्रचार, superficial knowledge, and beliefs they had accepted along with their faith.
These people all shared one common understanding: Buddhism definitely had no shortage of Buddhas. After all, the saying, "Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot," was simply too famous.
Moreover, one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Journey to the West, had exerted far too much influence. It always gave people the impression that the Western Pure Land was a place where Buddhas walked everywhere and Arhats were as common as dogs.
However, those with a deep understanding of Buddhism knew very well that the many so-called Buddhas of Buddhism had actually been added only after Buddhism emerged, over the passage of time, through people's faith, local legends, and localization.
From the birth of Buddhism onward, there had truly been one, and only one, Buddha who appeared in a pure form: Shakyamuni.
It was precisely because Shakyamuni attained enlightenment and transcended mortality that Buddhism came into being.
Those who later became Buddhas, such as Xuanzang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, were actually products of folk legends combined with the influence of Journey to the West.
Although the historical Tang Sanzang completed The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, translated various Buddhist scriptures from India into Shenzhou languages, and translated works such as the Tao Te Ching and Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana into Sanskrit—achieving the distinction of being a master translator in both the Tang Empire and India—and