Western Teachings

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Western Teachings (西方教)
Affiliation	Spirit Mountain in the Western Ox Continent; led by Saints Jieyin and Zhunti 610 653
Occupation/Role	A Saint-led great teaching competing with the Daoist Sect and the Heavenly Court for destiny, followers, and influence.
Status	Declined after Spirit Mountain's destruction and a Heavenly Dao Oath; later supplanted at Spirit Mountain by the Buddhist Sect established by Daoist Duobao 656 750
First Appearance	Chapter 67

Background / History

The Western Teachings' Saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, attained Sainthood through great vows. Their teaching's fate was tied to the saying that “the West will surely prosper,” making the expansion of the West essential to their position under the Heavenly Dao 656 728.

Based at Spirit Mountain, the teaching cultivated influence through Incense God Kingdoms and by spreading its doctrines. It recruited fierce beasts, demonic beasts, and other beings burdened by karmic obstructions—figures readily accepted because the Daoist Sect generally exterminated such beings for merit 216 656.

Its expansion repeatedly brought it into conflict with the Daoist Sect, the Dragon Clan, and the Heavenly Court. The teaching sought to benefit from discord among the Chan, Jie, and Human Teachings, while pursuing the Dragon Clan's fortune and influence over the Underworld 193 254 350.

Headquarters and Organization

Spirit Mountain

Spirit Mountain served as the Western Teachings' sacred land, headquarters, and gathering place for its senior disciples.

• Its main hall was built from gray stone, with treasure-filled detailing and a refined interior arrangement 610.
• After the battle with the Jie Teachings, most of Spirit Mountain was leveled; only a damaged summit and the defended main hall remained 655.
• The mountain was later rebuilt with magnificent palaces, though Li Changshou privately regarded its grandeur as a facade 742.

Leadership and Core Disciples

• Saint Jieyin — Saint and principal leader of the Western Teachings; later forced into retirement at Spirit Mountain under the title Amitabha 610 750.
• Saint Zhunti — Saint of the Western Teachings, noted for personally intervening to protect Golden Cicada and resolve crises at Spirit Mountain 314 357.
• Kasyapa — Jieyin's disciple and a principal spokesperson after Spirit Mountain's defeat 656.
• Ksitigarbha — A major disciple associated with the Underworld and the Reincarnation Pagoda; he remained committed to saving souls rather than accepting Duobao's later enfeoffment 653 750.
• Maitreya — A scheming disciple who manipulated Jie Teachings immortals into attacking Du Xian Sect 557.
• Xu Bodhi — A senior disciple identity later assumed by Li Changshou as part of his infiltration of the sect 742.
• Daoist Wen Jing — The Plague Dispelling Envoy, responsible for covert and disreputable work; secretly served the Human Teachings and Heavenly Court 78 183.

Doctrines and Methods

Guiding the Wicked Toward Good

The Western Teachings publicly defended their conduct as guiding wicked beings toward goodness. Daoist Wen Jing argued that taking in fierce and demonic beasts benefited heaven and earth rather than constituting malicious conduct 611.

• This doctrine enabled the recruitment of beings rejected by other major factions.
• The Heavenly Court opposed this justification, maintaining that evil must be punished to preserve order in the Three Realms 611.

Incense, Merit, and Fortune

The teaching used incense and merit to cleanse karmic obstructions from recruits and build its own fortune 78 656.

• It established Incense God Kingdoms to consolidate belief, merit, and destiny 656.
• Its Twelve-petal Golden Lotus suppressed the teaching's fate and the karmic burdens of its followers 217.
• The Golden Lotus could not indefinitely bear the burden of numerous fierce beasts and demons with karmic obstructions 217.

Covert Schemes

The Western Teachings frequently relied on indirect intervention, scapegoats, planted agents, and manipulation of rival factions.

• They secretly sowed discord among the Three Teachings and recruited demons for their own use 183.
• They attempted to provoke conflict between the Chan and Jie Teachings, expecting their mutual decline to benefit the West 354.
• When exposed, they used scapegoats to contain responsibility and preserve the Saints' reputation 357 652.
• They planted supporters and spies within the Immortal Alliance to obstruct or undermine it 503.

Relationships

• Saint Jieyin — Co-founder and leader; his disciples addressed him as Master, and his teaching's future became precarious after its destiny was broken 742.
• Saint Zhunti — Co-founder and defender of the teaching's interests; personally intervened during the Golden Cicada and Spirit Mountain incidents 314 357.
• Daoist Wen Jing — Senior operative and Plague Dispelling Envoy; secretly became a pawn of the Human Teachings while retaining a position within the Western Teachings 78 183.
• Golden Cicada — A figure considered vital to the West's future prosperity; his defeat by the Sea God prompted plans for retaliation 320.
• Dragon Clan — Target of repeated recruitment and partition schemes; the Western Teachings later proposed “carving up the dragon” with the Heavenly Court 193 254.
• Heavenly Court — Strategic rival. The Western Teachings sought to restrain its rise, while the court used diplomacy and military pressure to limit Spirit Mountain 656 611.
• Human Teachings — Long-term opponent, particularly through Li Changshou and Grand Master Xuandu; Daoist Wen Jing's covert allegiance gave the Human Teachings intelligence on Western plans 183 254.
• Chan Teachings — A situational ally during the Great Cataclysm, as the Chan Teachings required the Western Saints' support against the Jie Teachings 677.
• Jie Teachings — Rival faction repeatedly targeted by Western schemes and ultimately responsible for devastating Spirit Mountain 354 655.
• Buddhist Sect — Successor organization established by Daoist Duobao at Spirit Mountain, taking the Western Teachings' place in the West 749 750.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dragon Clan Schemes

The Western Teachings regarded the Dragon Clan as a source of prosperity and sought to use the South Sea conflict to secure its allegiance. According to Grand Master Xuandu, even expendable Western followers could be sacrificed if their deaths helped gain the dragons or relieved pressure on the Twelve-petal Golden Lotus 217.

After the Heavenly Court cleansed Ao Yi's karmic obstruction, the Western Teachings adjusted course and considered dividing the Dragon Clan's benefits with the Heavenly Court rather than openly opposing the Human Teachings 254.

Golden Cicada and Retaliation

Golden Cicada approached the Sea God to discuss dividing the dragons, but Li Changshou used the meeting to extract information on Western plans 260. After Golden Cicada was severely injured, the Western Teachings considered the Sea God to have cut off their future prosperity and began plotting revenge 320.

Saint Zhunti later intervened to protect Golden Cicada from Li Changshou and Grand Master Xuandu 314.

Spirit Mountain Rumor Plot

A rumor scheme linked to Ksitigarbha nearly provoked a major Chan–Jie conflict. The Western Teachings watched the confrontation from Spirit Mountain, hoping the Daoist Sect would weaken itself through internal struggle 354.

The Chan and Jie Teachings instead traced the rumors back to Spirit Mountain. Zhunti eliminated the alleged source through the Great Dao of Karma, but the Daoist Sect departed dissatisfied with the Western Teachings' conduct 355 357.

Conflict with Li Changshou and the Heavenly Court

Maitreya manipulated Jie Teachings immortals into attacking Du Xian Sect. In response, Li Changshou revealed his identity as Taibai Star Lord, confronted Maitreya, and attacked Spirit Mountain directly 557.

The Western Teachings subsequently lost one-tenth of their territory to the Immortal Alliance before Spirit Mountain reinforcements stabilized the front 560. Li Changshou later compelled a diplomatic settlement over the teaching's involvement with fierce beasts and demonic beasts, allowing Spirit Mountain to save face publicly while submitting to Heavenly Court authority 611.

Siege of Spirit Mountain

When the Jie Teachings surrounded Spirit Mountain, the Western Teachings initially denied wrongdoing, then offered scapegoats, and finally attempted to shift blame elsewhere 652. The conflict escalated into a full Daoist Sect assault, with Grand Master Xuandu, Daoist Duobao, and Yunxiao opposing the Western Teachings' defenses 653.

Spirit Mountain was devastated, its fortune severely weakened, and its remaining disciples were compelled to swear a Heavenly Dao Oath not to attack the Daoist Sect 655 656.

Decline and Replacement by Buddhism

After the Great Cataclysm, Saint Jieyin convened the surviving core disciples to address the teaching's broken destiny and swollen number of followers. Li Changshou, disguised as Xu Bodhi, used this position to steer their plans and encourage the spread of Western doctrines across the Five Continents 742 743.

Li Changshou and Daoist Wen Jing then undermined the Twelve-petal Golden Lotus, breaking the Western Teachings' destiny at a decisive moment 750. Daoist Duobao subsequently established the Buddhist Sect at Spirit Mountain with the Heavenly Dao's blessing, assumed the title of Tathagata, and displaced Jieyin from control of the West 749 750.

Trivia

• The Western Teachings' disciples believed their prosperity depended on the decline of the Daoist Sect 354.
• The teaching's core figures were often kept hidden, while more visible disciples could be used to repay karmic debts or serve as expendable scapegoats 558.
• Despite its later decline, the Heavenly Dao's prophecy that the West would prosper continued to shape the actions of its Saints and rivals 656 749.