"That's all." Tathagata also knew that he was in the wrong and said no more.
He pointed at the top of Lingshan Mountain, and a rich Buddhist bell sounded, echoing continuously on Lingshan Mountain and spreading to the entire Buddhist continent.
This is the bell ringing before the Buddhist Conference.
After a stick of incense
…………
Inside the Great Leiyin Temple.
All the eminent Buddhist monks from the one hundred and eight temples were seated, and no one spoke a word, but the faint sound of Zen echoed in the temples.
When the Tathagata saw that everyone had arrived, he opened his mouth and said:
"Today I have summoned you all here to establish a 'Son of the Buddha'."
The words stirred up a thousand waves, and the monks immediately stopped being silent. Most of the conversation was about questions, because everyone knew that the disciple of Buddhism was the future Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, so why should a new disciple be established?
Buddhist disciples are somewhat similar to secular heirs to the throne, but not entirely. Buddhist disciples are appointed by the Buddha himself and only talk about qualifications and cultivation. It is not that the successor is after the death of the previous Buddha, but that the Buddha can pass on the throne at any time.
When you reach the state of Buddha, you are no longer interested in power. Therefore, once a Buddhist disciple is established, he can be recognized as the new leader of Buddhism.
These things are common knowledge in Buddhism, even a novice like Guangshu who does not read Buddhist scriptures knows it.
At the same time, he was so scared that he broke into a cold sweat. What was this old bald donkey going to do? You don’t want to make me a Buddhist disciple, do you? Is it too late for me to turn around and run away now...
If the Tathagata really made him a disciple of the Buddha at a Buddhist conference, witnessed by all the eminent monks in Buddha Island, then he would really not be able to escape in this life.
Impossible, even if the old bald donkey is thick-skinned, he will not openly violate the agreement, Guang Shu thought, and pressed his legs as he wanted to stand up and run away.
It’s not that I can’t escape from His Tathagata palm! Right, that is it!
"Quiet!" Abbot Shengding pressed his Zen staff against the ground to stop the discussion from continuing.
Tathagata continued: "Now, I will no longer hide it. Maitreya has been reincarnated and rebuilt for many years and has not returned yet."
The air in Daleiyin Temple instantly solidified, and the atmosphere became heavy.
Only Guangshu did not understand the meaning of this sentence. Abbot Shengding saw the clear stupidity emanating from his eyes and said through a message:
"If a Buddhist realizes that his path of practice is perfect and cannot improve any more, he will choose to be reincarnated and practice again. However, no Buddha can say that he is 100% successful, and there are countless sages who have disappeared in reincarnation."
The Tathagata did not seem to notice the solemn atmosphere in the temple and continued: "I will establish a new 'Acting Buddha' and take the Infinite Glazed Realm to find Maitreya."
"Similar names will entangle their spirits, and the acting Buddha will be the best candidate to find Maitreya."
"If Maitreya is found within two years, the acting Buddha will compete with him to finally determine the position of Buddha; if he fails to find it, the acting Buddha will directly succeed him."
Tathagata stopped talking at the right time and observed the reactions of everyone present.
At this time, many people couldn't help but feel excited. If they became Buddhist disciples, even if they were just acting as Buddha disciples, there would be countless benefits.
Before becoming a Buddha, all monks still have desires in their hearts.
Even King Kong, Arhat, and even Bodhisattva have further aspirations.
After a while, everyone fell silent. Tathagata did not continue to explain clearly, and everyone looked at Yaoling Bodhisattva sitting next to Tathagata.
If you were to ask who among all of you here, apart from Tathagata Buddha, has practiced Buddhism the most profoundly, she would be the only one.
She is a Bodhisattva recognized by Buddhism to help the world. She devotes herself to the Buddha, hangs a pot to help the world, and often travels to eliminate disasters and diseases for people in the world. At the same time, she also has excellent cultivation qualifications. Most people should think she is the best candidate at this time.
Yaoling Bodhisattva actually knew who the acting Buddha was, but everyone's eyes were focused on her. In desperation, she had no choice but to face the Tathagata and said in a soft voice:
"May I ask, World Honored One, who do you want to appoint as your acting Buddha?"
Tathagata said calmly: "Guangshu."
Not long after it had been quiet, the temple exploded again. Everyone had heard of Guang Shu's name.
Unfortunately, it's not a good reputation.
The World-Honored One brought back a boy with excellent qualifications more than ten years ago. He was cute and well-behaved, but except for the two things mentioned above, he had no good qualities.
As a monk, he doesn't recite Buddhist scriptures, doesn't abide by the precepts, and even often goes to the tavern at the foot of the mountain to "beg for alms." He is like a drunken monk, and can even be said to be a scum of Buddhism.
However, most people looked at the Buddha's face and didn't say anything to him. Most of them turned a blind eye or listened.
But this time, Buddhists will not remain silent again. After all, it is a matter of great importance to the Buddha.
Soon, they introduced a highly respected figure, Wu Shi Bodhisattva. He stood up and faced the Tathagata:
"World Honored One, I hope you can give everyone here a reason, otherwise this disciple may not be able to convince everyone."
"Did you hear that, Guangshu?" Tathagata did not look at Wu Shi Bodhisattva, but turned around to find Guangshu hiding aside.
At this time, Guang Shu wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl in, but he understood that whether he could escape from the sea of suffering would depend on this day.
It was obvious that the old bald donkey would not let him go down the mountain easily, and his poor performance had no effect at all in front of the cunning Tathagata.
In this case, I will not act in this drama, just do it directly!
The reason why Tathagata came to him was very simple. Tathagata couldn't help him to become a deputy Buddha. Forcing him to do so would not convince the public.
I just didn't expect that after keeping a low profile for many years, I would be revealed in front of others so soon. Thinking about it, I'm still a little excited.
He straightened his back and stood up.
"Wu Shi Bodhisattva, let me tell you, the reason is that I am strong enough!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Guangshu opened the Dacheng Vajra Dharma and at the same time removed the concealment of his cultivation. Many monks present felt breathless under the pressure of their cultivation in the Tribulation Realm.
The eighteen-year-old Dacheng Vajra Dharma and the cultivation level of transcending the tribulation realm were the same as those of the original Abbot Shengding. Almost everyone present was shocked and their jaws dropped.
Although the Mahayana Vajra Dharma requires a period of tribulation to be successfully practiced, it does not mean that it can be achieved once the state is reached. Many vajra and arhat realms are almost the same as those of Guangshu, but the Vajra Dharma is only for beginners, and even minor achievements are rare.
It can be said that people who have cultivated the Dacheng Vajra Dharma are already comparable to Mahayana monks, that is, Bodhisattvas.
"Guangshu...uh, Junior Brother Guangshu."
Although he didn't want to admit it, Wu Shi Bodhisattva understood that Guangshu could compare with his peers.
"I admit that you have great qualifications and profound cultivation, but the position of Buddhist disciple, even if you are an agent, requires more than just your strength."
"Oh? I dare to ask Wu Shi Bodhisattva, what else do you need?" Guangshu responded.
Hooked! Wu Shi Bodhisattva secretly thought, Humph, who doesn’t know that you are a meat-and-potatoes monk who doesn’t read any Buddhist scriptures? Let me talk to you about Buddhism and see how you deal with it.
"Buddhist Dharma! Debate the Dharma with me. If you can convince me, then I congratulate Junior Brother Guangshu on becoming the acting Buddha!" Wu Shi Bodhisattva said confidently.
Damn, I don’t know much about Buddhism. Those scriptures are more hypnotic than Chinese textbooks. I haven’t even read a single one!
Guang Shu felt panicked, but still responded calmly on the surface:
"Okay, then I'll discuss it with you."
…………
