Besides, after the Sixth Patriarch Huineng finished answering Ming Yi’s question, he was just thinking of saying, “That’s the end of today’s sermon, thank you all.” Unexpectedly, someone in the hall shouted loudly: “Master, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng! I heard that Queen Wu Zetian also respects you very much and is particularly fond of Buddhism. Can you tell us about the Queen and Buddhism?"
When the Sixth Patriarch Huineng saw this and asked, he could have said that he would talk about it later when he had time. But he was a person who "knew everything he knew, and would tell everything he asked". Regardless of his illness and disability, he talked endlessly about the little-known palace secrets of "Wu Zetian and Buddha"——
It is said that in September of the second year of Empress Wu Zetian's reign (AD 686), an unprecedented and unimaginable thing happened in the Tang Dynasty: southeast of Fengxin County, Chang'an (today's Lintong, Shaanxi Province), after a night of wind, thunder and thunder, a pile of bones rose from the ground. A mountain peak emerged from the ground! What's even more incredible is that, while people are watching in amazement, astonishment, astonishment, astonishment, horror, and horror, that magical mountain is still rising, rising, rising earth-shatteringly, rapidly growing to more than 300 feet high.
At the same time, a large lake three hundred acres wide collapsed on one side of the mountain, with clear springs gushing and blue waves rippling. There are three or two pieces of unsubsided land in the lake. At this time, it looks like a natural island, with green grass and green trees. Several tall persimmon trees were covered with bright red fruits, like bright red lanterns, dyeing the sky more vividly and more festively. A field of chrysanthemums bloomed in the cold weather, and the strong early wind made the flowers more splendid. The arrival of white frost made the flowers even more arrogant...
The peaks rise and the ground rises, the rocks are earth-shattering, and the old mountains and rivers change their appearance;
The Yaochi descended into the world, and all the people celebrated together. The new atmosphere is now auspicious.
The folk proverb of Jingluo (Chang'an, Luoyang) goes: Lishan Mountain collapses, and the court changes; new peaks appear, and the country changes. Does this miraculous phenomenon, which is hard to believe but have to be believed, herald that the country of Tang Dynasty will change its name?
You must know that Wu Zetian, from the queen to the empress dowager, has played with the politics of the Tang Dynasty in the palm of her hand for thirty years, changing her hands and rain, and she has even replaced two emperors...
Local officials did not dare to neglect and rushed to Luoyang to report the news to the Empress Dowager Wu Zetian.
After hearing the news, all kinds of people who were good at observing people and watching the situation rushed to Luoyang to congratulate Empress Wu on this unprecedented auspicious sign. They also advised the Empress Dowager to depose Li Dan, the nominal emperor, and rule the world legitimately. .
However, Wu Zetian did not replace the Tang Dynasty. She only issued an edict to name the newly emerged peak Qingshan, and the Xinfeng County where it was located was also renamed Qingshan County, that's all.
Two years later, one day in April of the fourth year of Chuigong, Tang Tongtai, a resident of Gyeonggi Province, went to Luoshui to fish. He plunged into the roaring river from the shore and accidentally touched a square thing. He picked it up and brought it to the shore.
Oh my god, this is a piece of white jade that is completely white and flawless! Gold is valuable but jade is priceless. This finest Hetian jade is worth more than all the jade in Luoshui put together. It is time for Tang Tongtai to make a fortune.
If the story were just like this, it would be too vulgar. So, when Tang Tongtai was cleaning the jade, he suddenly discovered that eight purple seal characters were naturally formed on it:
The Holy Mother's presence brings eternal prosperity to the emperor's career.
God, God, it’s amazing, it’s amazing! Although beautiful jade is a treasure and belongs to the human world, if it contains these eight characters, it will be a prophecy from the gods.
It is said that in ancient times, Mi Fei, the daughter of Fu Xi (Fu Xi), drowned while crossing the Luo River and became the goddess of the Luo River. She is extremely magical and efficacious. One evening four hundred and sixty-six years ago, Cao Zhi, the prince of Wei Kingdom, strolled along the banks of Luochuan. He accidentally looked up and found the Goddess of Luoshui standing quietly on the rocks on the shore. An eternal song naturally recited from his mouth:
"As graceful as a startled dragon, as graceful as a swimming dragon. Glorious autumn chrysanthemums, gorgeous spring pines. As if the moon is covered by light clouds, fluttering like snow in the flowing wind..."
Now, the Goddess of Luoshui presented this talisman with the will of Emperor Haotian to the world, which will surely herald... Tang Tongtai immediately dedicated this jade stone, which symbolized the will of God, to the Empress Dowager Wu Zetian. Empress Wu, who was sitting high on the dragon chair, repeatedly touched the eight magical seal characters with her slender jade fingers, as if caressing her lover's face. She whispered in her mouth: "The Holy Mother's presence on people, Yongchang Emperor's legacy. The Holy Mother's presence on people, Yongchang Emperor's legacy..."
Her nephew Wu Chengsi anxiously went out to play and said: "'The Holy Mother's presence will bring eternal prosperity to the emperor.' The Holy Mother refers to you, the Empress Dowager! This is the decree of Emperor Haotian, asking you to stand on behalf of the Tang Dynasty. The king rules over all the people, and the country is forever solid.”
Wu Zetian smiled noncommittally and said slowly to the ministers standing on both sides of the court: "What do you think?"
Wu Zetian's inner joy and anger are not visible in color. For decades, the courtiers have been unable to figure out her true thoughts. Although some people doubted the origin of the jade, they did not dare to say it. Therefore, everyone tacitly understood it and just spoke vaguely. : "The Goddess of Luo presented treasures, and auspiciousness descended from heaven. It is a joy and congratulation."
Wu Zetian didn't play too much, but just followed the trend and said: "Since everyone says it is a good omen, let's call it 'Treasure Map'. Tang Tongtai listened."
Tang Tongtai quickly knelt down.
Wu Zetian personally announced: "Tang Tongtai has made great contributions to the treasure map and has been promoted to the fifth rank of guerrilla general."
"Thank you, Holy Mother God Emperor, for your grace. Long live, long live, long live!"
Wu Zetian said with neither joy nor anger: "Tang Tongtai, the current emperor is my son, and I don't have the title of Holy Mother God Emperor. What are you praising?"
Tang Tongtai glanced at Wu Chengsi and said boldly: "You are the Holy Mother God Emperor. It is the will of God and the wish of all people."
Wu Zetian seemed to be in a dilemma, as if she didn't know what to do, and said hesitantly: "The Goddess Luo offers auspicious gifts, and God shows love. It is indeed irresistible, otherwise it will be detrimental to the country. However, it is unprecedented for a woman to become emperor!"
Wu Chengsi: "You are an unprecedented saint! Just imagine, if it weren't for your sole support in the past thirty years, the Tang Dynasty would have fallen apart! You are the de facto emperor."
Wu Zetian smiled and said: "Well, in order to comply with the will of Emperor Haotian, I will add the title of 'Holy Mother Emperor'. Of course, this is just a false name."
On May 18, Wu Zetian was officially honored as "The Holy Mother God Emperor". Despite the auspiciousness and good omens coming from the sky, Wu Zetian did not stand on her own behalf for the Tang Dynasty as people speculated. Is it because she had no ambition to be an emperor, or was she waiting for something?
Two years passed leisurely. In 690 AD, at the age of Gengyin, at the beginning of the new year, Wu Zetian began a series of profound changes:
First, the Xia calendar that has been in practice was changed to the Zhou Dynasty calendar, and the year name was changed to "Zaichu";
Second, twelve new characters such as "Heaven and Earth" were restructured. For example, the character "Zhao" in Wu Zetian's name - Wu Zhao was changed to "曌";
Third, Wu Zetian personally held the "Gongshi Examination" in Luocheng Palace, Luoyang, to interview scholars from all over the world - this was the first time for the royal palace examination to select officials...
As spring comes, the cute things will move; when the sun rises and stings, everything will be renewed. This series of refreshing changes by the Empress Dowager Zetian revealed to the world that a new era is about to emerge - the world is about to change dynasties, and an unprecedented empress is about to be born!
However, these changes alone are not enough. Because, although she can control the Li family dynasty, it is extremely difficult to conquer the hearts and minds of the people. For thousands of years, Confucianism has had ancient sayings such as "The hen is the source of the morning, but it is the harbinger of the family; it is difficult to raise a villain and a woman."
If a woman is in power, it will definitely cause a big stir in the minds of the people... How can she ascend the throne safely?
After the Dashang Bureau was decided, Wu Zetian suddenly appeared in front of the ministers. Her graceful and cheerful demeanor, full of energy and joy, did not look like she was sick!
She climbed onto the high dragon chair, and before anyone could ask, she started talking nonstop: "The night before yesterday, while I was in a deep sleep, I suddenly felt myself flying up and down, as if I was flying. We arrived at another world in the sky. There are seven city walls there. Each city wall is made of gold, silver, glass, coral, amber, clam, agate, seven treasures, each emitting colorful light. Within the city wall, there is a The beautiful large garden is full of golden lotus flowers, and in each lotus stamen there is a little goddess dancing. There is an eight-color glazed canal in the garden, inlaid with various orbs, and eight drops of water flowing in it. It exudes an intoxicating fragrance like fine wine. There are also lotus flowers blooming in the water, and the goddesses born from the flowers are graceful and wonderful, as solemn as Bodhisattvas. They hold various treasures in their hands, and the treasures are filled with nectar. Take a sip , you can live forever and stay young forever. The people there are all as beautiful as gods, everyone is carefree, singing and dancing everywhere, and laughing all the time. There is no intrigue, no intrigue, no reincarnation, no superiority or inferiority, peace and equality. free……"
One courtier couldn't help but said: "Queen Mother, this is a good sign!"
Wu Zetian yearned endlessly: "The palace there is made of seven treasures. It is tall, majestic, and magnificent. In the palace, there is an extremely beautiful, extremely noble, and extremely tall lion. There is a Dharani net hanging above the throne, and each one There is a Mani orb on the net, which radiates seven-color light. There are countless angels flying in the air of the hall, playing beautiful music... I don’t know why, those angels seem to be waiting for my arrival, and again. Flowers were scattered above my head, and people were singing and dancing around me again. The petals were like rain, and the singing and dancing were like a tide. The angels actually surrounded me on the high Leo. What’s even stranger is that I seemed to be revisiting my old place, and I seemed to be familiar with it. Everything there is very familiar, as if I lived there before..."
Wu Zetian's face was filled with a dreamlike brilliance, as if she was intoxicated in a beautiful dream...
After a while, she seemed to wake up from her dream and asked the ministers: "Dear ladies, do any of you know where that place is?"
The courtiers had never heard of such a wonderful place. They all looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes, and no one could explain why. At this time, a guard outside the palace suddenly announced: "Master Huiguang, relieved of his righteousness, led nine eminent monks from the Eastern Wei Temple to seek an audience."
Although this person with the Buddhist name "Huaiyi" holds a rosary in his hand and wears a cassock, and although he was named "Master Huiguang" by Wu Zetian, he is an out-and-out fake monk. His original name was Feng Xiaobao, and he was originally a scoundrel selling counterfeit medicines on the street. Because of a certain skill, he was very good at it and was deeply loved by Wu Zetian.
In order to make it easier for him to enter and exit the harem at any time, Empress Wu ordered him to shave his head and become a monk in name. Because everyone knew that he was a fake monk, they still called him "Feng Huaiyi" by his common surname.
When Wu Zetian heard that Feng Huaiyi and others asked for an audience, she immediately sent an order to summon them.
Feng Huaiyi led nine eminent monks into the court hall.
With a smile on her face, Wu Zetian stepped down to greet the eminent monk and offered him a seat in the court hall. Feng Huaiyi bowed his butt slightly and reported to Wu Zetian: "Your Majesty, monk Faming and others from the Eastern Wei Temple made a very important new discovery when they re-translated the Dayun Jing. So I want to report it to you in person, and I dedicate the newly translated "Dayun Sutra" to you."
Wu Zetian asked with great interest: "Oh, what important discoveries have you made? Tell us."
Feng Huaiyi signaled Fa Ming with his eyes. Master Faming stood up with some restraint, clasped his hands, and reported: "The poor monk and other nine people, under the leadership of Master Shamen Huaiyi, the great master of Baima Temple, introduced the Tianzhu Tripitaka Tanwu Prophecy to our country during the Later Liang Dynasty. The translated "Da Fang et al Wu Xiang Sutra", also known as the "Dayun Sutra", was re-translated. During the translation process, we found that in the sutra, the Buddha Sakyamuni had already predicted your Majesty. "
Wu Zetian seemed surprised: "What, Buddha predicted this palace thousands of years ago?"
Fa Ming nodded unnaturally.
Wu Zetian asked: "What did Buddha predict?"
Fa Ming said with a slight stutter: "Buddha, Buddha predicted that your majesty, you, will be the Lord of Jambudvipa."
Seeing that some of the courtiers did not understand, Master Faming explained: "Jambuddha is a Sanskrit word, which refers to the human world. According to the prophecy of Lord Buddha, Your Majesty will appear as a woman and take over the kingdom."
There is no need to explain this sentence. The civil and military ministers standing on both sides of the court knew clearly in their hearts: Oh my God, this is what happened. Empress Wu is going to be the emperor!
However, at this critical moment, no one of the ministers appointed by the Li Dynasty and enjoying the salary of the Tang Dynasty dared to stand up and make a bet with their heads to give advice to Wu Zetian.
They were either dumbfounded or watching indifferently, quietly waiting for the further development of the matter.
Wu Zetian didn't seem to understand, and muttered: "Master Jambudvipa... I will be the king of the country..."
She raised her head, looked at Fa Ming and said, "According to the prophecy of the Buddha, I should be the emperor? So, what about the Tang Dynasty?"
Fa Ming said: "There are no two masters in a family, and no two kings in a country. When the Holy Mother comes to this world, Li and Tang come together."
Wu Zetian suddenly slapped the dragon case and shouted: "Bold monk, speaking without restraint, you dare to misinterpret the holy will of Buddha! What evidence do you have for saying that I am the king of the country? If you are making it up, be careful!"
Hearing Wu Zetian's stern scolding, Fa Ming straightened his back and said, "If this poor monk talks nonsense, he is willing to be punished. If I use our newly translated "Dayun Sutra" as evidence, it will be suspected of forgery. Then, I Let’s take the Dayun Sutra translated by Tan Wujue, the Tripitaka of Tianzhu, as an example to illustrate this problem."
Faming opened an apricot-yellow bag, pointed to the four large Buddhist scriptures inside and said: "This is the old version of the Great Cloud Sutra translated by Indian eminent monks 230 years ago. In "Pan Jiandu et al. Thirty-six", there is such a record: At that time, the Buddha told the goddess, I will now tell you about your karma... The goddess, the wife of the king, is your body. You have heard of that Buddha for a while. "The Great Nirvana Sutra", due to this cause and condition, I have obtained a heavenly body today. When I was born and heard the profound meaning again, I gave up this nature and took the body of a woman as my kingdom, and gained a quarter of the place ruled by the King of Wheels. I gained great freedom and received Observe the five precepts and be an Upasika, educate the men and women of the city, town, and settlement to which you belong, accept and uphold the five precepts, protect the righteous Dharma, and defeat all evil and different views of heretics. You are actually a Bodhisattva at this time, taking the female body to transform all sentient beings..."
"Your Majesty, more than two hundred years ago, the Tang Dynasty had not yet been established, and you were not even born. The predecessors would not lie for those hundreds of years later, right?"
Wu Zetian pretended to be humble and said: "Nevertheless, I am so virtuous and capable that I rule the world as a woman. It is difficult for the world to believe me."
Faming said: "Didn't the Buddha say that? You are actually a Bodhisattva who appeared in female form in order to transform sentient beings. Moreover, when we re-translated the Great Cloud Sutra, we found that Your Majesty is not an ordinary Bodhisattva, but the current one." Come and be reborn as the incarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva!"
"Ah!" The courtiers, who were watching a play, couldn't help but exclaimed with mixed emotions.
At this time, one person couldn't hold it in any longer. He subconsciously stood up and asked, "Isn't Maitreya Bodhisattva living in Tushita Heavenly Palace?"
The person who asked the question was Pei Judao, an important minister of the country, the crown prince's Taibao, and Luantai Nayan (the country's highest supervisory officer).
Seeing him coming forward, even Wu Zetian couldn't help but feel shocked. She looked at Fa Ming nervously to see how he would reply.
Fa Ming replied calmly: "The Bodhisattva has great supernatural powers and can be divided into tens of billions of bodies. Besides, Maitreya is a Bodhisattva who can repair his body throughout his life. When we recite, we always refer to Maitreya Bodhisattva as 'Maitreya in the next rebirth.'" Buddha', this is because Maitreya Buddha belongs to the future Buddha among the three Buddhas in the past, present and future. Buddha Sakyamuni personally predicted him to be his successor. He is in the Tusita Heavenly Palace just to be reborn in the world and help all sentient beings. , attain enlightenment and become a Buddha.”
Probably inspired by Pei Judao, another high-ranking minister, Shangshu Zuocheng Zhang Xinglian, also came out and asked Faming: "Buddha Sakyamuni did predict that Maitreya will be the future Buddha. However, it is so far away from now." Buddha's Nirvana lasted only a thousand years, I wonder if Sakyamuni Buddha was wrong, or Master, you made a miscalculation?"
Yes, if it is said that the Buddha Sakyamuni was wrong at that time, it is undoubtedly slandering the Buddha; if Master Faming is wrong now, it is definitely nonsense to say that Wu Zetian is the incarnation of Maitreya!
The ministers couldn't help but feel a slight commotion. People are paying close attention to Master Faming to see how he copes with this dilemma.
In this situation where he was so nervous that he could hardly breathe, Fa Ming actually smiled at Zhang Xinglian. Zhang Xinglian was so embarrassed by his laughter that he quickly asked: "Master, if you don't answer my question, why are you laughing?"
Fa Ming said slowly: "The poor monk laughs at you for reading Buddhist scriptures out of context and explaining Buddhist principles with only a half-knowledge. You only know what is happening but not why."
Zhang Xinglian blushed and had a thick neck when he was laughed at. He suppressed his anger and said angrily: "Master, since you are familiar with Buddhist scriptures and proficient in Buddhist principles, please tell me why. How did more than five billion years shrink into a thousand Year?"
Faming Kuaikuan said: "Buddhism not only talks about distinction, but also talks about harmony. The Buddha said many times in many classics: "'Everything is one, one is everything; a single thought lasts for a million kalpas. 'So, from the perspective of Buddhism, time and space are relative and harmonious. The 5.67 billion years you mentioned are just a moment in the realm of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. "
When debating Buddhism, how can ministers be the opponents of the Master? Therefore, Pei Judao and Zhang Xinglian had no choice but to retreat to the court.
However, they could not take back Wu Zetian's disgust for them, and a month later, their heads were cut off one after another (this is a story later).
Wu Zetian was very happy to see that the two ministers who dared to speak forcefully were rendered speechless by Fa Ming's argument. She was very happy and said: "Master is really knowledgeable and has a strong memory, and his eloquence is not hindered. It just so happens that I have a question to ask you."
Therefore, Wu Zetian narrated her dream again. She finally said: "As soon as I arrived at that place, I suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, a memory that was like a distant memory. The palace made of seven treasures, the glazed river, and the fairy flowers and grasses were all so familiar. , so cordial, it feels like revisiting an old place, but also like returning to my hometown that I have been away from for many years. It seems that I have lived there for a long time. Is this a dream? Is it an illusion? Or..."
Before he finished speaking, Feng Huaiyi immediately threw himself on the ground, prostrated at Wu Zetian's feet, and shouted loudly: "Oh my god, it turns out that your majesty is really the reincarnated Maitreya Buddha from the Tusita Celestial Palace! Salmon Huaiyi, pay homage to Maitreya Tathagata."
Wu Zetian seemed to be a little confused, so she turned to Master Faming and asked, "Master, you have gone deep into the scriptures and have seen a lot. Is the place where I am wandering really the Tushita Heavenly Palace?"
Faming nodded with certainty and said: "What your Majesty dreamed about in his dream was exactly the inner courtyard of Tushita where Maitreya Bodhisattva lives. The scene you described is consistent with the "Buddha's Speech on Contemplating Maitreya" translated by Juqu Jingsheng, a layman during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is exactly the same as what is described in the Tusita Sutra of the Ascension of the Bodhisattva!"
Fa Ming's junior brother Yun Xuan interjected as if he couldn't help but said: "This is definitely not a coincidence. From this we can see that His Majesty is even more certain that he is the reincarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva!"
Fa Ming added: "It's not just that. According to the book "Dayun Sutra" just completed by Junior Brother Yunxuan, Maitreya was reborn as the Lord of Jambudvipa, and the Li family merged with Wei."
Wu Zetian said very excitedly: "Master Yunxuan, please give me your "Dayun Jingshu" to read."
Yun Xuan quickly presented his new clothes.
While Wu Zetian was flipping through the pages, he seemed to recite the words unknowingly: "...The thirty-six children recited the Tang and Tang Dynasties, and sang Wu Meiniang one after another... There was a cluster of plum trees on the long mountain, with diseased and dead leaves sparse, and the branches were about to fall, and finally they were found. Parrot helps..."
Wu Zetian looked up from the book and said with a smile: "Interesting, interesting. Master Yunxuan, your commentaries are so interesting!"
Yun Xuan clasped his hands together, bowed and replied: "What your Majesty is reading are some folk songs collected by my disciples. Although they are simple and popular, they exactly reflect the hearts and minds of the people."
Fa Ming then said: "The Sutra of the Buddha's Speech of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Descarnation says: When Maitreya is born, the land will be rich and happy. Now that your Majesty has descended to earth as Maitreya Bodhisattva and reigns over the Middle Earth, the Middle Earth will surely become a paradise."
In this good show, Wu Chengsi, Wu Zetian's nephew and the then left prime minister of Wenchang (first prime minister), had long been looking forward to the opportunity to appear on stage. After hearing Fa Ming's words, he impatiently went out to play: "Listening to the words of the eminent monks is worth ten years of reading. Now I understand why your majesty is so powerful and wise. It turns out that he is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha! Your majesty, you should follow the destiny of heaven and change the dynasty."
On the contrary, Wu Zetian was very calm and said: "Although what you said is not unreasonable, I do not want to stand on my own behalf on behalf of the Tang Dynasty."
Wu Chengsi was very anxious and said: "The will of God cannot be violated, and the wishes of the people are irreversible. I hope that the Holy Mother Emperor will ascend to the throne soon!"
Wu Zetian remained silent.
Feng Huaiyi stepped back and asked for the next best thing, saying: "The memorials of Fa Ming, Yun Xuan and other nine masters on the Dayun Sutra are the will of the Buddha, and your Majesty should declare it to the world."
Wu Zetian nodded slightly and said: "In accordance with the wishes of Master Huiguang, I will distribute the memorials of the eminent monks to be circulated throughout the country. At the same time, I will publish the newly translated "Dayun Sutra" and "Dayun Sutra" to the world."
From this, everyone in the world knew that Empress Dowager Wu Zetian was the reincarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva.
And "Maitreya is born, the grain will be plentiful...; Maitreya will be the Buddha in the world, and hundreds of millions of people will enjoy glory..." and other folk songs are even more widely known, and everyone knows it. The belief that "Maitreya is born, the people will be happy" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people...
Two months later, on September 3, nine hundred people from Guanzhong traveled hundreds of miles to the Luoyang Palace and presented a memorial, requesting the abolition of the Li family and the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty. Although Wu Zetian did not agree to them, she promoted the leader Fu Youyi to the fifth rank of imperial censor (given to Shizhong).
So, the next day, more than 60,000 civil and military officials, as well as relatives of the emperor, chiefs from all over the world, and ordinary people, wrote letters asking Wu Zetian to replace the Tang Dynasty with the Zhou Dynasty. Even the titular emperor Li Dan submitted a memorial requesting to take his mother's surname Wu.
On the third day, all the officials of the imperial court jointly submitted a petition and presented a "Persuasion Form" that said: The wishes of the world are irresistible. It is hoped that the Empress Dowager will accept the requests of the ministers and people, ascend to the throne early, and change the name of the country to Zhou...
On September 9th, Wu Zetian complied with public opinion and climbed to the Zetian Gate Tower to announce to the people: she would grant amnesty to the whole world, establish the Zhou Dynasty, and change the reign name to the first year of "Tianshi"...
Wu Zetian finally became the only female emperor in Chinese history. His honorary title is "Ci's Holy God of the Golden Wheel of the Ancient Heavenly Book".
Cishi is the title of Maitreya Buddha.
From this point of view, Wu Ze, the emperor of heaven, considered herself to be the descendant of Maitreya Buddha.
What has gone before has led to imitation. Therefore, when some temples were creating statues of Maitreya Buddha, they shaped the image of Maitreya Buddha into an emperor wearing a crown and a dragon robe - simply a replica of Emperor Zetian.
The originally majestic and majestic Maitreya with the Heavenly Crown has turned into a pretty and pink image.
There is a god three feet above the head. How could Wu Zetian's words, deeds, and actions be hidden from the eyes of Maitreya Bodhisattva? His old man was in the inner courtyard of Maitreya Tushita Heaven. He saw all her tricks clearly and clearly. He often couldn't help but laugh at her clumsy or wonderful performances.
On this day, Maitreya Bodhisattva accidentally glanced down and saw a group of believers in Luoyang City inviting a statue of himself into the Mahavira Hall. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed - although he was the future Buddha, the Saha world was currently in a state of chaos. During the period of Sakyamuni Buddha's image practice, the leader was naturally Sakyamuni Buddha. Therefore, this kind of practice by believers is not in line with Buddhism.
As soon as Maitreya Bodhisattva ascended the lion throne in the Mani Hall inside the Seven Treasures Terrace, a boy came to report that it was Manjushri Bodhisattva from the cool world who came to visit.
Among the great Bodhisattvas, Maitreya Bodhisattva is the symbol of great compassion, while Manjushri Bodhisattva is the representative of great wisdom. He is deeply respected by people for his great wisdom that reaches the heavens and the earth.
Manjushri is the teacher of the seven Buddhas. Even the teacher of Maitreya, the teacher of Sakyamuni, the ancient Buddha Deng Deng, is also his student.
Maitreya Bodhisattva quickly welcomed Manjushri Bodhisattva in and asked him to ascend to the lion throne.
Manjushri Bodhisattva didn't speak, but looked at Maitreya and laughed. Maitreya turned into a monk named Zhang Er—laughed so hard that he couldn’t understand.
Manjushri Bodhisattva finally spoke: "Maitreya, more than a thousand years ago, Upali (known for his precepts), one of the ten disciples of Sakyamuni Buddha, said that you have an ordinary body and have not cut off all the outflows; you have not cultivated Meditation, constant worry', it seems, it has come true again now. You see."
Maitreya Bodhisattva followed the direction indicated by Manjusri and saw a large-scale grotto being excavated in a place called Dunhuang in the Tang Dynasty in Nanzhan Prefecture in the Saha world.
In one of the grottoes, a statue of himself is being shaped.
The statue is one hundred and twenty feet (36 meters) high, wearing a crown and dragon robe, exactly like Emperor Zetian.
Manjusri Bodhisattva pointed at the statue and said with a smile: "Is this Maitreya Buddha? Wu Zetian? If it is Maitreya, he has the face of Wu Zetian; if it is Wu Zetian, people worship him as Maitreya Buddha."
Maitreya Bodhisattva did not care and said: "My teacher Sakyamuni Buddha said in the Diamond Sutra: All appearances are false; if you see all appearances that are not appearances, you will see the Tathagata. Therefore, Maitreya is also good, Wu No matter what, they are all false appearances, let’s just let it go and let nature take its course.”
The Manjusri Sutra said: "Although the truth is good, Wu Zetian took advantage of the people's belief in Maitreya and regarded herself as the reincarnation of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Not only did she gain political power, but her many conspiracies and cruel killings also had a sacred cloak. . And all of this inevitably blasphemed the reputation of Buddhism. What is even more abominable is that Wu Zetian pretended to be the reincarnation of Maitreya and set a very bad example for the world. It will definitely have a very bad influence. Many careerists of all kinds in later generations will inevitably People follow suit, and in the name of Maitreya's birth, they either rebel or confuse the people. These behaviors not only distort the true face of Maitreya, but also tarnish the sanctity of Buddhism."
Maitreya Bodhisattva said: "It seems that if we don't stop it, chaos in my name will inevitably happen. Therefore, we can no longer let it go. Although this bell is not tied by me, it is more or less related to me." Then I will separate myself and go to the mortal world to speak from my own experience so that I can set the record straight."
Manjusri Bodhisattva nodded and said yes.
Maitreya Bodhisattva smiled and said: "Great Wisdom Manjushri Bodhisattva, you are the return of the ancient Buddha, please help me."
Manjusri smiled, and then threw the Ruyi in his hand out, floating leisurely in the Milky Way, and turned into a lotus-shaped boat.
Maitreya Bodhisattva then took a boat down the river and floated from Tusita Heaven to the mortal world...
