"This is not very likely!" Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One shook his head without hesitation and said, "The present-life Maitreya Buddha World Honored One would claim all his karmic obstacles and merit for himself. He would not give him any chance. Moreover, the present-life Maitreya Buddha World Honored One chose a Buddha form rather than his true form precisely to prevent such an oversight, and to cut off any possibility of him harboring such intentions."
"Unfortunately, Great Snow Mountain was shrouded in the phenomenon of attainment that day. Even with our divine abilities, we could not clearly see what happened within..." Rāgaratna Tathagata's voice grew increasingly faint.
Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One replied, "Though we do not know the process, we already know the result! I believed Chun Zang was Ananda's reincarnation, so I arranged for him the merit of Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land. Yet I never expected that he was actually the present-life fleshly body of Namo Maitreya, the Future Buddha. Furthermore, he had originally attained fruition in Little Linglong Temple on Great Snow Mountain and was returning to Thunder Sound Temple, only to have his Buddha position seized by the present-life Namo Maitreya Buddha World Honored One. Though his Buddha fruition was taken, he cultivated the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, blocked Ananda's Buddhist path, and was fulfilled by the countless merits of Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land. By the time he reached Changsheng Town, it was also the time of his attainment. His merit was worthy of Buddha fruition. But I am puzzled—where is Ananda?"
"Yes! Where is Ananda???" Rāgaratna Tathagata's face was equally bitter. Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land had originally been arranged for Ananda, but who could have known that Jiang Liuer, who cultivated the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, was