PureInsight | July 25, 2024
[PureInsight.org] The next day of the Buddhist ceremony, Mo Cai went to see the priest and, following the etiquette of bowing to the gods and buddhas, bowed to Meng Gang. Meng Gang asked, "Princess, what have you learned?" Mo Cai replied, "During the ceremony requesting the arrival of the great Buddha, I saw an image of you leaving your body and ascending to the Buddha's statue. I know that you must be the great Buddha who will save us in the future. You have different forms in different heavenly realms, and now you have taken on the form of a priest to guide us on the right path!"
Meng Gang said, "Princess, please treat me as an ordinary person. You are a noble princess, a devout disciple in front of Buddha, and you have been given a divine mission by heaven, which has allowed you to learn many secrets of heaven. This is your choice in the heavenly realm and also the love of the gods and buddhas for you. May this part of your memory awaken in the distant future, and may you go and tell the world everything you know." Mo Cai said, "Great priest, why do you address me with the respectful form of 'you'? I cannot bear it!"
Meng Gang said, "Princess, in the future, you will have the responsibility of awakening people's memories. You must write about the origin of the Golden Tower and tell the world everything you know, so that people know that the gods and buddhas have always been with them, guiding them throughout their lives. However, in the long wait for life, people will forget what they have experienced, and the gods will also erase their memories in the long process of rebirth. At that time, someone will be needed to awaken the memories of heaven and earth. The princess is a person with an extraordinary divine pen, capable of unlocking the memories of all living beings. I thank you on behalf of all living beings and ask you to accept this task. At the same time, I hope that in the future, the princess will not be trapped in the cycle of reincarnation or bound by romantic entanglements."
Mo Cai said, "I ask for your blessing, so that in the future, in the evil times, I will not lose myself in the human world and all the memories I have experienced can be restored."
The priest said, "In the evil times of the future, I will bless your Buddha nature, but you must also be vigilant!" Mo Cai bowed to the priest once again.
On the third night of the Buddhist ritual, Mo Le had a dream. He saw numerous Buddha pagodas rising up from the lush green earth, each housing a giant Buddha statue. Upon waking up, Mo Le realized that the whole world should pay homage to the giant Buddha and establish a karmic relationship with Him.
Mo Le went to see the high priest and told him about his dream. The high priest said, "From your dream, it seems that all living beings in the world should establish a karmic relationship with the great Buddha. This is a great blessing for all. Please command that all countries, friendly and subordinate, should build Buddha pagodas and enshrine giant Buddha statues, so as not to lose the Buddha's affinity." Mo Le returned to the palace and issued a decree that all regions should use local materials to build Buddha pagodas and enshrine giant Buddha statues, and sent letters inviting the kings of all countries to come to Motian Kingdom.
The art troupe's performance continued, and their performance was very popular. During the ongoing performances in the capital city, the stage was crowded with people every day. On the ninth day, Mo Cai went to watch the show again. She was dressed in ordinary clothes, and during the transition between acts, she felt that there was a gaze staring at her. She thought, "This is not our country's people, it must be someone from another country." Throughout the entire performance, she often felt that persistent gaze watching her, but Mo Cai remained calm and watched the show.
After watching the performance, Mo Cai felt uneasy and went to see the high priest. After bowing to the gods, the high priest said to her, "The King of Loushi, from a distant country, has come. He wants to form a bond with the great Buddha, but he has also developed an inexplicable love for the princess. Have you noticed it?" Mo Cai was suddenly startled and said, "I did feel it. When I was watching the divine dance, there was a gaze staring at me, as if declaring their intention."
The priest asked, "What does the princess think?" After some thought, Mo Cai said, "I want to dedicate my life to worshiping the gods and buddhas. The appearance of worldly love is a kind of bondage to me, and I will refuse it. I am reflecting on myself, why do I attract the attention of others? I think it is because I have not devoted my whole heart to the gods and buddhas, and there are still shortcomings in the purity of my soul. If I am wholeheartedly devoted to Buddha, the purity in my heart will permeate the surface of my body, giving people a sense of holiness. It is my own desire for worldly love that still exists in my heart that invites the feelings of others. This is my problem! I think I should practice with a pure heart like a hermit in the mountains."
The priest said, "Princess, you don't have to be like a hermit. Do you know that during the ceremony to request the descent of the great Buddha, many hermits from the mountains came out? They all know about the legend of the great Buddha, they know about the responsibilities of the royal family, and they are paying attention to the actions of the royal family. Some hermits watched the entire ceremony, while others are still watching the performance. Our country's performance, because of the performers' sincere faith in the Buddha, whether it is dance or song, has received the blessing of the gods and buddhas. From the heavenly realm's perspective, they are shining with radiance. The princess still has a mission to fulfill in the royal family. Don't be too hard on yourself."
Mo Cai said, "Oh priest, I must be honest with you about my thoughts. I do not want to enter into a romantic relationship again, but when I saw a newly married couple bowing to me, I smiled and blessed them. However, I found that sometimes a trace of regret or attachment would emerge in my heart. My heart seems to be yearning for an unchanging emotional bond and an enduring love. Once, I dreamt of Dai Le, who smiled and looked at me. I tried to hold his hand, but felt that it was out of reach. When I woke up, I shed tears. I realized that I have not let go of those feelings and am still savoring the affection. I am hesitant and feel guilty about it. After all, it was the great Buddha who eliminated my pain and guided my life in times of despair. As the priest said, I should choose fate over human desires, but sometimes those intrusive thoughts are like tiny thorns growing in my heart, shaking gently, making my heart restless."
The priest said, "Princess, listen to me. In the cycle of reincarnation, we accumulate various emotions, like weeds that may appear at any time. If we do not pay attention, they will grow wildly. The princess only needs to grasp your own thoughts and use your willpower to discern, seize, and eliminate those thoughts. This is also a kind of practice in the mundane world. In fact, whether to enter into marriage or not, it is just a choice of lifestyle, and one can still cultivate oneself in the mundane world." Mo Cai thanked the priest for his guidance.
After returning to the palace, Mo Cai saw people carrying gift boxes, and she saw her brother holding a letter. Mo Le said, "The King of Loushi Kingdom from afar has entered our country incognito and stayed in the capital for a month. He said he admires the great Buddha and our country's culture and wants to get to know me. We should treat this King with respect."
At the palace, Mo Le received a visit from Lou Yi, the King of Loushi, who exuded the manner and dignity befitting of a King. He was courteous to Mo Le and expressed his desire to pay homage to the great Buddha with him, as he believed it would be a great honor. Mo Le agreed to his request.
After offering their respect to the Buddha, Lou Yi said to Mo Le, "I hope to enshrine a giant Buddha in my country, so that all my people may establish a holy connection with the Buddha. I hope that my subjects who establish such a connection can be saved in the end times. This is the greatest wish of a King. I ask to borrow the expertise of Kunlun to help us carve the Buddha statue." Mo Le agreed to Lou Yi's request.
At the banquet in the palace, Lou Yi met Mo Cai, and Mo Cai noticed the gleam in Lou Yi's eyes, knowing that there was some affection in that gaze. When toasting, Mo Cai said to Lou Yi, "Your Majesty, I admire you. You came from afar, attracted by the legend of the great Buddha. Everything you do is for the well-being of your people. You are a great King, and your pure wish for your people is seen by the gods and the Buddha. They will definitely bless your request."
Lou Yi returned Mo Cai's blessing with noble etiquette, saying, "I admire the Princess's reputation. I know that ten years ago, the Princess participated in the construction of the Golden Pagoda, and I know about the Princess's deeds in Motian Kingdom's foreign wars. After entering Motian Kingdom, I became aware of the Princess's position in nursery rhymes. I think the Princess is a remarkable person. Please accept my respect for you. I have a question for the Princess, I wonder if it's presumptuous?"
Mo Cai said, "As a distinguished guest who has traveled a long way, I will give you a clear answer to your question." Lou Yi said, "Members of the royal family are all responsible for the country, and have different responsibilities in different periods. I know that the princess has a sacred duty and has made great contributions to Motian Kingdom. I want to know, what is the princess's wish after this?"
Mo Cai smiled slightly and said, "I hope to firmly hold onto my predestined relationship with the Buddha, and not sink in delusion. I want to spend my life honoring the gods and buddhas and continue to fulfill my mission on this country's soil. I want to purify my heart with the people of my country and bow to the gods and buddhas." While speaking, Lou Yi saw the radiance on Mo Cai's face, as if she were a celestial being. Lou Yi admired Mo Cai and told himself in his heart: your greatest wish is to guide your people to connect with the great Buddha. This should be your priority, so you should put away those thoughts that arise in your mind, dispel those ideas, and do not let those thoughts impede the sanctity and purity of your heart towards the gods and buddhas.
Many Kings from different countries came to Motian Kingdom one after another, because in different countries, there were people who understood the will of the heavens. They all knew about the legend of the Great Buddha, and they knew that in the distant future, the Great Buddha would save the world. For this reason, they all hoped to worship the Great Buddha in their own countries. Together with Mo Le, they knelt before the Great Buddha under the guidance of the priest.
The Kings of various countries watched the performance in Motian Kingdom and praised it endlessly. They proposed that such a beautiful performance should be shown to people in different countries. They made this request to Mo Le, who saw the smile on the face of the priest standing beside him. Mo Le agreed to their request, and the Kings of various countries invited art troupes to perform in their own countries and made reservations for the performance.
Kunlun drew a large number of pictures of the Great Buddha, and the architects drew a large number of sketches of the Golden Tower. Mo Le gave these to the kings of various countries as gifts, and after they returned home, they all sent people to cast Buddha statues and build Buddhist pagodas, and there was a flurry of activity.
(To be continued)
Chinese version: https://www.zhengjian.org/node/242668
