An Ill-Fated Fall into Pansi Cave (Thirty-Eight)

Meanwhile, Mahakala Bodhisattva stood Mountain Gate of Thunderclap Monastery, saying that he was not afraid of the Formation, but in reality, he was not without fear.

If he were truly unafraid, he wouldn't have fled here; he would still be standing Mountain Gate waiting for the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta, returning to the source, precisely to avoid having to go back alone and face the Tathagata and the the Monks with difficulty.

The two entered the temple together, and the bells and chimes suddenly stopped.

Upon seeing this, the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva led the the Monks to greet them, saying, "Welcome back, Bodhisattva, after your triumphant Demon Dragon Annihilation! Congratulations!"

After the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva finished speaking, all the the Monks behind him offered their congratulations and praises.

Mahakala Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva could only feel ashamed and avoid the situation.

Upon seeing this, the the Monks realized something was amiss and quickly stopped praising him.

Only the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva was foolish enough not to see it. Seeing that the two were neatly dressed and had imposing appearances, he assumed he had won and leaned closer to whisper:

"You two Bodhisattva are unaware that after you left, someone said that with their Wisdom Eye eye they saw you two Bodhisattva in deep danger, your lives in peril, and they instructed us to go down the mountain to rescue you!" As he spoke, the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva turned and glanced at the Tathagata Buddha.

The Tathagata Buddha sat serenely on Golden Lotus, his Treasure Appearance unchanged and his dignified countenance unaltered.

The Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva asked, "Then why didn't you lead your followers down the mountain?"

The Elephant-Head Bodhisattva laughed and said, "These are deceitful words. How can they fool me? I saw through them at a glance. This is Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain Stratagem away from the mountain. They want to lure me and the the Monks away from Spirit Mountain so that someone can take the opportunity to move Eastern Migration. How can I let them succeed? Therefore, I overruled the objections of the crowd and led the the Monks to stay in the temple to await the triumphant return of the two Bodhisattva!"

Upon hearing this, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva looked at the utterly foolish Elephant-Head Bodhisattva before him, unsure of what to say. He could only sigh and walk inside.

Upon seeing this, Elephant-Head Bodhisattva rubbed his elephant head, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Mahakala Bodhisattva, saying, "Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, what's wrong? Could it be that you two Bodhisattva did not achieve victory on your journey?"

The Monks looked over upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Mahakala Bodhisattva wanted to tell the truth, but fearing it would damage his prestige, he covered up the truth and said:

"That Demon Dragon was indeed powerful, but it was no match for me and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. With our combined strength, we had already wounded the Demon Dragon and were about to win. However, the Demon Dragon had many demons under its command, numbering in the tens of thousands, who set up a large formation. We were outnumbered and did not know the Formation's structure, so we had no choice but to retreat temporarily."

Upon hearing this, the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva laughed and said, "What's so special about that? It's just a matter of having more people! I'll lead the crowd with you, Bodhisattva, to break that Formation, slay the Demon Dragon, and then we'll return to celebrate!"

Mahakala Bodhisattva exclaimed with delight, "Excellent!"

At the call of the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva, many Monks responded, seemingly intending to descend the mountain immediately.

Tathagata Buddha spoke up, saying, "Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Mahakala Bodhisattva."

Upon hearing this, the two Bodhisattva approached and paid their respects to the Buddha.

The Tathagata Buddha asked, "You two went down the mountain to subdue the Demon Dragon, and what was the result?"

The Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva said with shame, "The Demon Dragon was powerful; I was unable to subdue it."

The Tathagata Buddha said, "This defeat should serve as a warning. You two should heed my advice and never disobey again."

The Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva said, "The words of the World-Honored One should be heeded. However, the relocation of the Great Sect is like cutting off flesh and removing bones; how can we make a hasty decision because of Demon Dragon?"

Mahakala Bodhisattva said, "In my opinion, the fault for our failure to subdue the Demon Dragon lies not with us, but with you, World-Honored One!"

Upon hearing this, the Tathagata Buddha couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, saying:

"Mahakala Bodhisattva, I tried to persuade you before, but you insisted on not listening, which is why you failed. How can you blame me now?"

Mahakala Bodhisattva said:

"The Demon Dragon is rampant, challenging our sect. As the Buddha, you should have taken action to slay Demon Dragon, but out of fear, you speak of the path of Eastern Migration —is this not laughable? We two went to exterminate the Demon Dragon to protect your position as the World-Honored One; now that we have failed, is it not your fault?"

Upon hearing this, the Tathagata Buddha turned to the the Monks and explained:

"Although you possess the ability to live forever, have Immortality body, are impervious to water and fire, are immune to Incense Offerings, receive offerings from the people, enjoy the Kingdom of Wang's worship, attain Golden Body, and achieve Right Fruit, you cannot understand the Heavenly Dao, nor can you escape calamities."

Guanyin Bodhisattva asked, "May I ask the World-Honored One, what is the Way of Heavenly Dao?"

The Tathagata Buddha said:

"When mountains collapse, beasts know it first and descend to escape; when floods come, all insects awaken and leave their burrows to migrate. At the winter solstice, geese fly south; when frost arrives, grasses and Grass and Wood wither. When the wind is about to become violent, birds return to the forest; when the waves are about to rise, gulls avoid the shore. These are all the laws of Heavenly Dao. To follow them is to survive, to go against them is to diminish; to avoid them is to live, to not avoid them is to perish. Our Eastern Migration's Heavenly Dao migration is in accordance with the laws of nature and has nothing to do with the Demon Dragon. I stopped Mahakala Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva from fighting the Bodhisattva Demon Dragon precisely to protect their lives. If the two Bodhisattva do not heed my words and are unaware of the impending Calamity Qi, I will be unable to save them."

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva hesitated upon hearing this. He actually wanted to follow the Tathagata's advice, but the Eastern Migration of Buddhism had too great an impact on him, and he found it difficult to accept.

In contrast, Mahakala Bodhisattva did not hesitate at all.

For Mahakala Bodhisattva, the Eastern Migration of Buddhism was almost tantamount to abandoning everything he currently possessed, leaving him only with the title of Bodhisattva. Once he arrived in Southern Jambudvipa, he could reopen his Taoist temple, develop his followers, and accumulate Incense Offerings. At that point, wouldn't his status be even lower than that of junior Bodhisattvas like Guanyin Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva?

There are quite a few people who share the same thoughts as Mahakala Bodhisattva, including Elephant-Head Bodhisattva.

After all, Buddhism originated in the Western Heaven; who could easily agree to abandon its Origin?

Mahakala Bodhisattva sneered and retorted to Tathagata:

"Very well! Shakyamuni! Does not listening to you mean going against the will of Heaven and bringing Calamity Qi upon us? The Demon Dragon is wreaking havoc on the Three Realms, and it is perfectly justified for us to destroy it. How is that going against the will of Heavenly Dao?"

Upon seeing this, the Elephant-Head Bodhisattva was the first to respond and offer his support.

Half of the Monks stood up to show their support.

The Tathagata Buddha saw these people and remembered them.

It's less than before, but not by much.

Mahakala Bodhisattva looked at Randeng Ancient Buddha and said:

"Buddha Randeng, you are also an old deity of the Western Heaven. Shakyamuni has now unilaterally decided on the Eastern Migration, and you remain silent?"

Upon hearing this, the Randeng Ancient Buddha showed a compassionate expression and spoke:

"In this Great Calamity, the will of Heaven is uncertain, and the matter of the Eastern Migration needs careful consideration. You must not contradict the World-Honored One, and all your actions must be carefully considered."

Mahakala Bodhisattva seemed not to have heard this, and it was unclear whether Randeng Ancient Buddha agreed or disagreed with the Eastern Migration Eastern Migration.

Looking at Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Light, this Medicine King Buddha also had close ties with the Eastern Lands. As for Maitreya Buddha beside him, there's no need to say more. Ever since he suffered Dao Wound, he's been like a frightened bird, afraid of the Demon Dragon, and Tathagata.

For a time, Mahakala Bodhisattva found no one to speak for him, and he felt a deep sadness, lamenting that the two Western Heaven Cult Leader were no longer present, and that the foundation of the Buddhist Sect had been stolen by villains.

Left with no other choice, Mahakala Bodhisattva had to step forward himself and call on the the Monks to oppose the Eastern Migration and to exterminate the Demon Dragon.

Elephant-Head Bodhisattva was the first to respond, followed by other Bodhisattva, Arhat, Bhikkhu, Sangharama, Guardian, Vajras from the Western Heaven Regions.