Banishing demons at Lion Camel Ridge (47)

After the great battle ended, Amitabha Buddha used his great power to pacify Lion Camel City, kill the Blood Sea Old Monster, rescue the Three Bodhisattvas Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, as well as the Eighteen Arhats, and then captured the Three Demons, the Green Lion, the White Elephant, Golden-Winged Great Peng.

Amitabha Buddha felt an unbearable itch on his head, but he tried his best to endure it. He then instructed the Vishnu Bodhisattva and others to take the Three Demons with him back to Spirit Mountain.

The Vishnu Bodhisattva and others were unwilling to return directly, and said to Amitabha Buddha:

"Although Buddha has pacified the Demon City, many Demon have still escaped. They haven't gone far. Why not catch up with them and eliminate this demonic threat?"

Amitabha Buddha, the intense itching was unbearable, and my scalp twitched involuntarily. I said:

"We Buddhist Sect should not be too bloodthirsty. Let them go."

The Vishnu Bodhisattva urgently exclaimed, "Our Buddha must know that the extermination of demons must be thorough!"

Amitabha Buddha said, "Those Demon used their bodies to nourish the formation, their blood and energy withered away, and even if they escaped, they wouldn't survive for long. As for Ao Tu, he was severely injured, his body like ashes, and he can no longer do evil."

Upon hearing this, the Vishnu Bodhisattva and the others were finally relieved.

Amitabha Buddha urged again, "Let's go! Let's go!"

The Monks agreed and were about to leave.

Suddenly, a voice called out.

Then Tang Sanzang came carrying his Kasaya and bowed, saying:

"Disciple Xuanzang, by imperial decree of the Tang Emperor Eastern Land, is to Journey to the West Buddhist scriptures and pay homage to Amitabha Buddha."

Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Wujing, who were behind Tang Sanzang, bowed down together with Tang Sanzang.

Seeing that this was the person destined for tribulation, Amitabha Buddha had no choice but to stay, enduring the intense itching, and said:

"Tang Sanzang, you and your disciples have traveled far and wide, vanquishing demons and monsters, to obtain the True Scriptures. Now that you are about to achieve Right Fruit, why do you call me by my real name?"

Tang Sanzang bowed and said, "This disciple has doubts in my heart, and begs the Buddha for guidance."

Amitabha Buddha closed his eyes, not to feign profundity, but to suppress the itch, and said, "Speak!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Our Tang Dynasty's Li Shimin, Li Shimin, is of great virtue and benevolence. He instructed his disciples to travel far to the Western Lands to retrieve the Sanzang the Mahayana Sutras, so that they could deliver those suffering from karmic debts and help them ascend to heaven, and save the lonely souls in the underworld. Now we see that in the Western Heaven Land where Buddhism flourishes, the Lion Camel Kingdom is filled with the souls of the dead. From kings and ministers to commoners in the marketplace, none of them can Transcendence. I ask the Buddha why this is so?"

Amitabha Buddha said, "That Ao Tu is also from the Western Heaven. His instruction to you to deliver the people of the Lion Camel Kingdom is also the will of the Buddhist Sect. It's just that there are some disputes between sects."

Having said that, Amitabha Buddha prepared to depart.

Tang Sanzang stepped forward and pressed Amitabha Buddha for an answer, not letting him leave, asking, "What is the dispute? Who is right and who is wrong?"

Amitabha Buddha said, "The disputes between the Western Heaven Sect are not about Right and Wrong."

Tang Sanzang then recited a passage of Scripture taught to him by Ao Tu and asked Amitabha Buddha, "What scripture is this?"

Amitabha Buddha said, "The scriptures of the Western Heaven Paradise."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Are the scriptures of the Western Heaven the scriptures of my Buddhist Sect?"

Amitabha Buddha said, "Of course it counts."

After repeated questioning, Amitabha Buddha became unbearably itchy. He wanted to leave, but Tang Sanzang repeatedly begged him to answer his questions and wouldn't let him go.

Finally, Amitabha Buddha couldn't resist any longer and quietly reached behind his head to scratch the itchy spot.

Upon seeing this, the Sage Shangqing Incarnation, transformed himself into a painter-monk, and composed a song:

Half a lifetime spent wandering mountains, half a lifetime of madness; a shoulder of ink and brush, a shoulder of smoke.

An old man, with only a bottle and a bowl, has traveled far and wide.

Shedding all traces of landscape painting, I no longer paint portraits of old friends in the mortal world.

In his leisure time, he wrote Three Thousand paintings, which he then used to beg for food among the people.

The Sage Shangqing then painted this scene, creating a painting titled "Xuanzang Asks the Buddha, Amitabha Buddha Scratches an Itch," which he widely distributed and has been passed down through the world ever since.

After answering Tang Sanzang's questions, Amitabha Buddha departed with the the Monks.

On the way, the Vishnu Bodhisattva was very dissatisfied with Guanyin Bodhisattva's bias towards the Demon Dragon.

However, Guanyin Bodhisattva holds a higher position in the Buddhist Sect than all Buddha, far beyond the Vishnu Bodhisattva to criticize. Furthermore, Amitabha Buddha not only refrained from criticism but also praised Guanyin Bodhisattva for her great compassion, thus the matter ultimately had to be left unresolved.

After walking a short distance, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva calculated with his fingers and said:

"Amitabha Buddha, the King Tang's lifespan is nearing its end; this disciple must go and Longevity Extension."

Amitabha Buddha said, "Good."

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva then rode White Elephant and headed Eastern Lands.

The Monks who witnessed this were filled with envy.

When will it be their turn to have such a good opportunity?

The reason they so vehemently opposed Eastern Migration was precisely because their entire foundation was in the Western Heaven, and they worried that if they went Eastern Lands, they would have no followers to worship them.

If they were sent to prolong the life of the Tang emperor, they could naturally establish a foothold in the east. The east is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, with famous mountains and Daoist temples everywhere. Why should they stay in this barbaric western region?

However, the Western World has a rigid hierarchy that cannot be crossed. Even if Li Shimin lived for a thousand years, it would probably still be their turn.

Before long, the the Monks arrived at Spirit Mountain.

Manjushri Bodhisattva reported the instructions to the Tathagata Buddha, then rode his Green Lion back to his Taoist temple Mount Wutai.

No one dared to say a word.

The Eighteen Arhats returned to their respective seats.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, still somewhat weak after feeding the dragon with her own body, paid homage to the Tathagata Buddha and Amitabha Buddha before returning to the Southern Sea.

Randeng Ancient Buddha dispatched Twenty-Four Heavens to clear the way and escort them.

In the end, only the Golden-Winged Great Peng remained.

After leaving Ao Tu, the Golden-Winged Great Peng no longer lowered its head and folded its wings, but spread its wings and prepared to fly away.

The Tathagata Buddha pointed his finger and bound the wings of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, preventing it from flying far away and forcing it to linger beside the Buddha.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng said, "Tathagata, why did you use your magic to trap me!"

The Tathagata Buddha said, "You have created much negative karma in the Lower Realm; staying here will bring you benefits."

Golden-Winged Great Peng said, "You live a life of extreme poverty and hardship here, eating only vegetarian food. I, on the other hand, eat human flesh in the Lower Realm. Staying here has caused me to starve. You are guilty."

The Tathagata Buddha said, " In the Four Great Continents, my Buddhist has countless Faith. Whenever someone does a good deed, I teach them to first offer sacrifices to your mouth."

Upon hearing this, Golden-Winged Great Peng, unable to fly away, had no choice but to agree, saying only, "My treasure was stolen by Sun Monkey; you must return it to me."

The Tathagata Buddha said, "Yes! Yes!" After saying this, he recited the True Words, and the Yin-Yang Two-Qi Bottle flew back automatically.

On the other side, at the Lion Camel Kingdom.

The Monks departed, the demons had already fled, and all the Vengeful Souls in the country were delivered by Amitabha Buddha.

The bustling scene of the past is no more.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples walked down the street, gazing at the empty city, and sighed with sorrow.

Bajie packed his luggage, Sha Wujing brought the horses, and the four of them prepared to Journey to the West again.

Just then, someone shouted, "Elder Tang! Elder Tang! Wait a moment!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang looked over and saw the Old King of the Lion Camel Kingdom.

All the ministers, Palace Maids maids, and Attendants of the Lion Camel Kingdom had been liberated, leaving the Old King alone, leaning on a Wooden Staff, calling out to Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Your Majesty, is there some unfulfilled wish? Why not enter the Reincarnation together with your subjects?"

The King of the Lion Camel Kingdom laughed and said, "Elder Tang, I haven't even issued you Passbook yet! You have saved my entire nation's people, which is a great favor to me. How could I possibly break my promise?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang suddenly remembered and hurriedly took out his Passbook, saying with shame, "Your Majesty praises me too much. The salvation of all the people in the city is the divine work of Amitabha Buddha. If I were to perform the salvation, I don't know how many years I would have to wait!"

The King Lion Camel Kingdom laughed and said, "If it weren't for Elder Tang, even if another five hundred years passed, I'm afraid we still wouldn't have witnessed Amitabha Buddha's manifestation."