Chapter 247 - 230: Two Lives of Journey to the West, One Life as a Human
It is said that after the division between the Three Kingdoms and the chaos brought about by the Five Barbarians, it came under the Sui Dynasty.
As the saying goes, ’what unites eventually divides, and what divides eventually unites; what declines must eventually flourish.’ By the time of the Sui Dynasty, it naturally flourished greatly, except that Emperor Yang of Sui, devoid of virtue and morality, waged continuous wars against Gao Li, exhausting the people and draining the treasury, no less wicked than Jie and Zhou! At that time, the heroes of Wagang rose in arms, and Li Yuan stirred up a rebellion, initiating the great overthrow of the Sui Dynasty.
Having lost the hearts of the people across the land, the Sui army was defeated repeatedly, culminating in the execution of Emperor Yang, with Li Yuan ascending the throne.
The Louguan Sect had provided significant military supplies when Li Yuan raised his army; thus, after ascending the throne, Li Yuan took great care of the Louguan Sect, extensively renovating their palaces. The True Man of Dao and Virtue of the Louguan Sect took this opportunity to associate closely with the Guanlong nobility. As many significant figures from both the Sui and Tang Dynasties emerged from the Guanlong aristocracy, it can be said that Laozi’s foresight was long-term. He chose a location near Chang’an, which facilitated close associations between the Louguan Sect and the Guanlong nobility, leading to a great rise in Taoism!
The influence of Buddhism was also extremely formidable; by this time, it was unprecedentedly predominant. Buddhist temples could be seen everywhere in the Divine Land of the Eastern Earth, and statues of All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were widespread. Especially significant was Patriarch Bodhidharma sending eighteen warrior monks to rescue Emperor Taizong of Tang, which made the emperor profoundly grateful. Buddhism thus reached an even higher level. However, the bond between the Louguan lineage and the Guanlong nobility remained extremely close, still suppressing Buddhism.
Other Taoist sects, during the turmoil caused by the Five Barbarians, were suppressed by Buddhism so much that they could barely lift their heads. The Barbarians believed in Buddhism, not in Taoism or Confucianism, thus greatly fostering the prominence of Buddhism.
Meanwhile, Tathagata, sitting atop Mount Meru in Western Heaven, suddenly calculated a bit and laughed, "I observe the Four Great Continents, the good and evil of all beings are different everywhere. In Dongsheng Immortal State, they respect heaven and honor the earth, with clear minds and calm spirits; in Uttara Kuru Kingdom, life is barren and bitterly cold, the populace crude and poor in conduct, seldom misbehaving; in my West Cow He State, there’s no greed nor killing, spirits are nurtured and hidden, though without Supreme Reality, everyone naturally lives long; but the Southern Toad Continent, on the other hand, is rife with killing and strife, aggressive and quarrelsome, truly a vicious sea of right and wrong! I have the true scriptures of the Tripitaka that can persuade people to be good."
"I wonder who would be willing to go to the Eastern Land, find a predestined person, and spread the teachings of my Buddhist sect, urging the people of the Southern Toad Continent to practice kindness and accumulate virtues?" Tathagata asked.
"Master, though I am not talented, I am willing to go!" Guanyin descended from the Lotus Platform, bowed to Buddha, and spoke respectfully.