Chapter 748: Dust

Li Qi taught the Buddha-Dharma to Sariputra.

As Li Qi lectured, the surrounding scenery began to manifest: water like putrid discharge, famine descending upon the mortal Realm, and the countless deceased, defilements, and impurities from before all began to appear.

Innumerable emotions were knotted up: greed, anger, sloth, mischief, shamelessness, doubt, stinginess, jealousy, hatred, unwillingness to part, flattery, impudence, shamelessness, envy, and heedlessness.

Upon closer inspection, two demons nearby were almost starved to death; they hadn't eaten for a long time.

Hearing there was an endless supply of fish here, they stumbled their way over, covered in mud.

Further afield, infants lay everywhere; this place was originally a school, but now it had been plundered by bandits.

Infants were trampled under horses' hooves and human feet, their brains splattered on the ground, and their cries filled the fields.

Even further, in a ditch and a pond, the slaughter had concluded, but the ground was piled high with corpses, hands and feet intermingled, blood, flesh, and remains entering the pond, turning into five colors, leveling the pond.

Under the famine, a Great Demon plundered slaves, and countless minor demons exposed their flesh, their feet sinking deep into the mud up to their shins.

Some people led many women, and many demons were tied together by long ropes around their necks, like strung pearls, being led towards the Great Demon's dwelling.

Previously, myriad demons committed various evil deeds, falling into evil paths, their perverse views manifesting as a chaotic Qi, like a black wind engulfing the world.

All of this was brought about by natural disasters and famine.

That is why the Cloud Whale sacrificed itself to nourish all beings, but its power always had limits, which is why the current situation arose.

As Li Qi's teaching began, a light grew from behind Li Qi.

A gentle breeze blew across the floating islands, cleansing and purifying them.

Then, a pure rain fell from the sky, and as it touched the ground, all things came to life.

The sick were healed, the disabled regenerated, the barren land regained vitality, trees began to bear fruit, farmland sprouted anew, and quickly matured, filled with plump crops.

The famine was resolved in an instant.

"But seeing that the five aggregates are empty, all ignorant mortals in the world crave worldly pleasures, toiling their bodies, seeking meaningless gains."

"Buddhas and Tathagatas are not like this; they only delight in benefiting others, not seeking their own pleasure, skillfully understanding the Mind-Cultivation Technique, seeing the Buddha-Dharma as tranquil, dwelling in the abode of peace, without desire or suffering, attaining the Four Dhyanas," Li Qi said to the Cloud Whale.

"If you do this, you can create greater goodness, and with your compassion, protect more people, without having to sacrifice yourself. What do you say? Are you willing to learn the Buddha-Dharma?"

As Li Qi spoke, it was seen that... although the famine had eased, it had not ended.

With such an anomaly appearing, logically everyone should have had enough to eat, yet the Great Demons and bandits began to seize this heavenly bounty.

They plundered the weak; they wouldn't stop plundering just because the weak had food, nor would they stop because the weak had no food.

All of this was seen by the Cloud Whale.

In the Cloud Whale's original thinking, if all beings had meat to eat, there would be no strife; as long as everyone ate him, it would be like saving birds and beasts before.

But now it was different; birds and beasts would not harm each other once full, but these demons were different.

They possessed thoughts and advanced intelligence, so they plundered not for survival, but for the Dao they practiced.

Perhaps they themselves didn't know it, but when they acted, perhaps they were swept along by the ways of the world, or perhaps they liked it, but no matter what, they plundered according to this 'Dao'.

When sentient beings are defiled by desire and covered by ignorance, then 'man-made disasters' arise.

The Cloud Whale looked at everything Li Qi had created.

Then, relying on the Great Luminous Mirror, he suddenly understood what Li Qi meant by 'teaching the Buddha-Dharma'.

Spreading the Buddha-Dharma could prevent such things.

However, as the thought of teaching the Buddha-Dharma arose...

Li Qi suddenly felt that the Cloud Whale could no longer perceive his will.

The Great Luminous Mirror disappeared.

Li Qi suddenly realized...

This was an obsession.

The original Cloud Whale had no obsessions; he simply floated naturally in the sky, acting according to his own will.

But Li Qi showed him the power of the Buddha-Dharma and the desires of all beings.

Thus, he developed the obsession to 'teach the Buddha-Dharma'.

Once the obsession arose, purity was no more.

The Cloud Whale's mind was tainted, the bright mirror became dim, and thus his state of mind was broken.

But at this moment, the Cloud Whale struggled and let out a sound, saying, "Please... teach me the Buddha-Dharma, I want to cultivate."

Li Qi looked at the Cloud Whale before him.

His body was already in pieces; originally he felt no pain, but now, he was tormented, with an urgent desire to cultivate and then save all beings.

Li Qi looked at the Cloud Whale before him, suddenly feeling a sense of self-doubt.

Was teaching him the Buddha-Dharma really a good thing? Was he truly Sariputra?

But now that it was done, it was hard to go back on it.

The Cloud Whale's obsession had arisen, the Great Luminous Mirror was clouded, and only cultivation could save it.

Li Qi said no more and continued to lecture.

Sanskrit chants resounded, heavenly and magnificent, with profound insight, clear and victorious辩机, encompassing both inner and outer aspects.

The Buddha's words caused anomalies, emitting various lights, their colors mixed: blue, yellow, red, white, crystal, agate light, illuminating these three thousand worlds.

Golden Lotuses continuously bloomed around Li Qi, their subtle flowers each having a thousand petals, pure gold in color, with stems of lapis lazuli, stamens of diamond, and a calyx of rose, large and perfectly round, like a chariot wheel.

Various anomalies were subtle and solemn, supreme and unparalleled, with thirty-two marks and eighty auspicious signs adorning his body.

There were those who made thunderous sounds, or rained, or emitted electric light, or raised winds, or emitted smoke and flames like a fiery mass, or manifested various seven-treasure mountains, ponds, springs, rivers, forests, trees, and various divine wonders.

Li Qi's lecture was profound yet easy to understand, personally expounded in four grades, its subtlety and profundity ineffable, a rare and great Opportunity.

Even the stones and the gentle breeze nearby, on the third day of Li Qi's lecture, had awakened their spiritual intelligence, prostrating themselves before Li Qi, calling themselves Disciple, and performing the Disciple's rites.

However, the Cloud Whale's eyes remained bewildered.

Even the stones listening nearby had been transformed into demons by Li Qi's lecture, but the Cloud Whale still felt nothing, as if he didn't understand.

Li Qi, helpless, could only continue to lecture.

Finally, on the seventh day, the Cloud Whale at last learned a little, and quickly thanked Li Qi, saying, "I... I think I understand!"

Li Qi then stopped lecturing: "Now that you have entered the door, the rest you can only walk yourself."

Li Qi disappeared again, leaving the Cloud Whale below.

The Cloud Whale then bid farewell to Li Qi, and then greeted the surrounding stones, Lotus, and gentle breeze.

The stones, Lotus, and gentle breeze also exchanged greetings with the Cloud Whale; as the foremost among those who listened to Li Qi's lecture, the four demons instantly became close friends, agreeing to unite, help each other, and cultivate together.

So, the gentle breeze volunteered to carry back the Cloud Whale's other body parts, the Lotus said she could sew his body together, and the stone stayed there with the Cloud Whale to wait for them.

Thus, the Cloud Whale was immensely grateful to them.

The other three, however, said that their Opportunity came from the Cloud Whale, and they could call each other Senior Brother, so this was only right.

The bond between the four demons was established, and in the Cloud Whale's heart, he also seemed to feel that these three were closer to him.

One should know that before today, in the Cloud Whale's eyes, there was never such a thing as 'closeness'.

At that time, he treated all beings equally, without distinction between close and distant.

But now, he felt that the stone, the gentle breeze, and the Lotus were closer than other beings; he didn't know the other beings, but these three Senior Brothers were willing to be with him.

It seemed that they were indeed more worthy of kindness than other beings.

Or to put it another way...

All beings are equal, but these three Senior Brothers were more equal in the Cloud Whale's heart.

When this thought appeared, the Cloud Whale's clouded bright mirror seemed to grow even darker.

His original Buddha-nature was also gradually disappearing.

For the sake of sentient beings, there are various distinctions.

Distinguishing various entries with innumerable forms are all sufferings; knowing the various Realms is called distinction.

It is also called nature, and also called suffering.

When there is differentiation, there is a discriminating mind, and with a discriminating mind, sentient beings are no longer equal.

The Cloud Whale didn't know these things; he merely, from his original lofty Buddha-nature, gradually became more human.

Is it good or bad?

Li Qi didn't know; he just watched everything silently.

He could only guess... if it were Sariputra, then all of this would surely be fine, right?

But contrary to Li Qi's expectations...

The four demons who listened to the Buddha-Dharma—the Cloud Whale, the stone, the gentle breeze, and the Lotus—pieced together the Cloud Whale's body, and then began to roam around, cultivating.

The four demons were determined to spread the Buddha-Dharma, but they soon encountered setbacks.

The first group of bandits they met refused to follow the Buddha-Dharma and even tried to kill them.

They tried to persuade them in countless ways, but the bandits wouldn't listen.

So, when faced with blades and axes, they could only resist, and accidentally killed the bandits.

Seeing this, the other bandits were terrified and knelt down, expressing their willingness to follow the Buddha-Dharma.

The four demons suddenly understood; they discussed among themselves whether this method counted as making people believe in the Buddha-Dharma.

The Cloud Whale and the Lotus felt it was inappropriate, but the stone and the gentle breeze thought it was feasible.

They had talked for a long time before without success, but now everyone was willing, which showed that this method was effective.

After that, the four demons each began to spread the Buddha-Dharma using their own methods; although they had disagreements, their relationship remained very good, and they trusted each other.

Subsequently, the process of spreading the Buddha-Dharma involved many, many stories.

Each story was a process of the four demons battling wits and strength with other demons, trying to make others believe in the Buddha-Dharma and establish a beautiful world without distinctions.

However, ten years later, they all encountered different setbacks.

The stone and the gentle breeze, who wanted to spread it through killing, encountered opponents they couldn't defeat.

As for the Lotus and the Cloud Whale, they were clumsy with words, and their lectures on the Buddha-Dharma were ignored by everyone, so they could only rely on almsgiving and offerings to convert believers.

So, the four demons reunited again to discuss solutions.

The result of the discussion was that they felt their cultivation might not be sufficient, their Realm too low; if their Realm was higher, all these problems could be solved.

So they stopped spreading the Buddha-Dharma and began to cultivate instead.

This cultivation lasted another twenty years.

The four demons were all extraordinarily talented, quickly reaching the Eighth Realm, considered masters in this area.

So they went out again to spread the Buddha-Dharma.

However, this time, they encountered even greater difficulties.

They discovered that the 'bad guys' they had targeted before were not necessarily all bad people.

Two benevolent forces could wage war against each other, and two benevolent individuals could become mortal enemies.

Even within their own group of four, similar conflicts had arisen.

Their goals were consistent, and they knew how good each other was, but in the process of implementation, conflicts inevitably arose; the stone and the Lotus often argued because of this.

However, fortunately, the Cloud Whale could always mediate between them.

But over time, the Cloud Whale also began to wonder.

Choosing to follow the guidance of the Buddha-Dharma meant having to wade through many complex moral dilemmas and painful predicaments.

These doubts constantly troubled him, constantly entangled his heart.

Why? Why are everyone good people, yet they insist on hating each other?

They are clearly doing good deeds, but why are the actions and attitudes of both sides completely opposite?

The Cloud Whale began to ponder.

Li Qi was full of anticipation.

But a few more years passed, and Li Qi found that the Cloud Whale couldn't figure it out.

He didn't know, and his cultivation Realm also began to slow down.

He could endure pain out of compassion, but when it came to cultivation, he didn't have as much perseverance and willpower to persist; many things couldn't be achieved just by gritting your teeth and enduring.

Pain could be endured because pain was clear, but cultivation itself was like searching for a possible path on dark ground, which was much harder than enduring pain.

Unable to advance in Realm, he decided to improve his cultivation.

This was also the Cloud Whale's advantage; after all, the Cloud Whale's body was large, so his Inner World was naturally also large, and at the same Realm, he could accommodate more cultivation.

With more cultivation, his combat power would naturally increase significantly.

So, without a Realm Breakthrough, he began to find ways to improve his cultivation and combat power; with sufficient combat power as a guarantee, it would be possible to ensure the spread of the Buddha-Dharma.

Unknowingly, his actions became increasingly 'purposeful' and planned; the Cloud Whale became more and more mature, no longer as naive as he once was.

The Great Luminous Mirror became increasingly clouded; the more he thought, the less luminous it became.

Li Qi watched, but felt something was increasingly off...

But he didn't intervene, still just watching, and sixty years passed.

The four demons still maintained their original intentions; they all ascended to the Eighth Realm, and when they joined forces, they could even defeat a Seventh Realm practitioner.

They did indeed rely on martial force, as well as spreading the Buddha-Dharma, and various other means, to establish a small Buddhist kingdom in this vicinity.

Within this Buddhist kingdom, the people were grateful for the illumination of the Buddha-Dharma and the benevolent and people-loving four demons.

Due to the Buddha's teachings, the populace learned that only by helping each other, showing mutual understanding, and resolving the distinctions, jealousy, and hatred in their hearts could their shared living place be spared from disaster.

Within the kingdom, all the people showed greater reverence for the Triple Gem and deeper faith in the Buddha-Dharma, truly believing, accepting, and practicing it, so it had always enjoyed favorable weather, a prosperous country, and peaceful people.

Whenever the four demons passed by, the people joyfully prostrated themselves on the ground, respectfully bowing in worship; the populace seemed to feel their compassion and radiance.

They believed their kingdom was as described in the Buddha-Dharma: luminous, compassionate, and benevolent.

Until a devout young novice monk, inadvertently, discovered everything the four demons had done to establish and maintain this kingdom.

This young novice monk discovered in horror.

It turned out that the four demons had committed more massacres than a Demonic King.

And at the same time, the four demons also became aware of the young novice monk's existence.