The Eternal Bodhisattva, and the Big Chef's Dilemma

It really was impossible. Ksitigarbha thought so, and even Tathagata agreed. Ksitigarbha's situation was much like Guanyin's. Both had made Great Vows: one swore not to become a Buddha until Hell was empty; the other swore not to become a Buddha until all suffering had ended. Their vows were equally difficult, yet Guanyin had taken hers a step further.

Settling that Karma would be harder than ascending to heaven. As long as the Six Paths of Reincarnation existed, life would continue without end, and Hell could never be emptied. All living beings suffered, so suffering could never end. As long as people existed, there would be tragedy.

Thus, neither Ksitigarbha nor Guanyin could become a Buddha. They could only remain eternal Bodhisattvas. Karma bound them, and those were the rules of the Heavenly Dao.

It was not a matter of lacking strength. Too much was at stake. Once you made a vow, you had to fulfill it. If you could not, it became a Heart Demon, an obsession you could neither release nor cast aside. Your state of mind could advance no further.

Yet now, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. Where had it come from? Tathagata could not see through the fog.

The change in the sky made one thing plain: a tribulation was coming.

Dark clouds shrouded Haitian City. No one knew why. The sky felt oppressive, but this was unlike the time with the Arhat, and utterly different from Fa Hai's true self.

The heavy black sky brought only a sense of oppression. There was no terrifying spectacle, not even a trace of lightning.

Guanyin gazed calmly at the sky. She understood. She truly understood. Whether this turned out well or badly, she would not worry. A realization rose within her: all of this was