Magyala asked with concern, "How are you? Your mind has recovered, so you should have destroyed the Obstacle Mara, right?"
"Thanks to your help. Otherwise, I'm afraid it wouldn't have been so easy," Qu Zan thanked her sincerely.
This was not merely a courtesy. It was the truth.
Everything in the depths of his mind had been so real, identical to reality. Fortunately, Magyala's chanting had allowed Qu Zan to distinguish truth from illusion.
Without Magyala reciting the Heart Sutra, he might have remained lost in a daze in the depths of his mind.
A Zhuang Zhou who spent his entire life as a butterfly.
"Everything there was so real. It was my..." Qu Zan wanted to explain.
Magyala raised a hand to stop him. "You needn't discuss the details of your Obstacle Mara. It was unique to you.
"The terror of the Four Maras doesn't lie in some hideous appearance, as others imagine. It lies in their disguises and their almost-real illusions."
"Some practitioners kill their Obstacle Mara and escape the depths of their minds, yet may still descend into madness or harm themselves because they cannot distinguish truth from illusion."
"However, at higher stages of cultivation, slaying an Obstacle Mara often brings unexpected gains. You may comprehend experiences and knowledge you once overlooked and advance in your cultivation."
"Still, I'd rather not encounter the Four Maras." Qu Zan's voice was somewhat heavy. Magyala said, "For practitioners, the Four Maras are as commonplace as flowers blooming and falling, the sun rising and setting. Harbor neither fear nor rejection... When a mara comes, simply slay it. Like a dry leaf falling onto your head, just shake it off gently."
Qu Zan pondered Magyala's words and felt they held a deeper meaning. Thoroughly agreeing, he pressed his palms together and said,