Chapter 117 - 115: Dialogue between Equal to Heaven and the True Buddha Ancestor
The Daoist Equal to Heaven arrived at the stone statue of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and upon soaring up for a closer look, he saw inside a monk who precisely resembled the Tathagata atop Mount Meru.
However, this figure within the statue was not six Zhang tall, but was of ordinary human height, with hands pressed together in prayer, and lacked the somber demeanor of the other Tathagata. This was a sensation of pity for the world and compassion for the people, a true Buddha intent on saving all beings! The Daoist Equal to Heaven confirmed almost immediately that this was the real Tathagata.
"I, the Daoist Equal to Heaven, pay my respects to Siddhartha Gautama Buddha Ancestor," the Daoist Equal to Heaven bowed and said.
The Siddhartha Gautama inside slowly opened his eyes and softly spoke, "I am Siddhartha Gautama Tathagata, greetings to you."
He seemed to be gravely injured; his breath was weak, as he had been nursing his wounds here for many years.
History had a blank during the Middle Ancient Period, unknown to anyone, and it had been erased by someone intentionally, possibly by the Three Pure Ones or two Saints of the Buddhist sect. This part of history likely concerned the Great War of the Middle Ancient Period, thus buried by the Saints to keep the war confidential and prevent panic among the populace.
According to what Merit Buddha had said, then this Siddhartha Gautama was the true one, while the one in Mount Meru was a counterfeit who emerged from nowhere. However, this counterfeit had enough strength to suppress the Two Saints of the West to such an extent that no one knew where they had fled to, and even the Three Pure Ones could not help but sign the Journey to the West agreement with him.
The Daoist Equal to Heaven asked, "Siddhartha Gautama Buddha Ancestor, do you know that atop Mount Meru there now appears another Tathagata who claims himself ’Namo Amitabha Buddha’? Do you know of this?"
The term "Namo," translated from Sanskrit to Chinese, signifies taking refuge. If this new figure had co-opted "Namo Amitabha Buddha," it should technically mean "Taking Refuge in Amitabha Buddha." However, these words on the Xia Dynasty Dragon Seal represented something else—great fear. And within Buddhism, the phrase "Amitabha Buddha" does not only refer to the Buddha manifested by the Guiding Taoist, but also embodies a spirit and doctrine similar to how some followers of the Daoist path might utter "Immeasurable Heavenly Lord." The term "Tathagata" represents "Buddha"; could a single leaf contain a Tathagata? Certainly not; "Tathagata," "Amitabha Buddha" also stood for a spirit and doctrine.
Siddhartha Gautama clearly had suffered considerable harm, appearing both frail and feeble in spirit, similar to Merit Buddha, and whispered, "This humble monk foresaw that Buddhism would face a tribulation, caused not by internal strife but by these enigmatic outsiders; even I cannot completely ascertain their origins."
Driven by curiosity, the Daoist Equal to Heaven inquired, "Since you participated in that great war during the Middle Ancient Period, who exactly were these formidable people? Even the Saints couldn’t gain an upper hand against them. Could this counterfeit Tathagata be one of their people?"