Where is the anger from before?
As the Right Minister of Works, second only to the Emperor, Fang Xuanling was the first to react and stepped forward, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty!"
The others followed suit and bowed.
Wang Jiande waved his sleeve and said, "No need for formalities, please take a seat!"
A palace attendant brought out a grand chair and invited each of the ministers to sit down.
"I already know your purpose in coming, but I am puzzled as to why I have decreed that you should obey and respect the Buddha, contrary to my usual practice?"
Before the ministers could ask any questions, Wang Jiande spoke frankly.
Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others looked at each other and could only nod.
"This is the will of our great-grandfather. I am merely following the rules. Moreover, you must not divulge this matter, lest it leak out and ruin our great-grandfather's important plans!"
Seeing everyone stunned, Wang Jiande couldn't help but smile knowingly. It wasn't just you; I was completely bewildered back then too.
Wang Jiande said this without fear of being overheard by those with supernatural powers, because the imperial city was filled with the aura of dragons, and anyone who tried to spy on it would suffer a backlash from the dragon's energy.
Otherwise, why would Guanyin need to use her dream-entering technique to bewitch the emperor at midnight when the yin energy is at its heaviest and the dragon energy is at its weakest?
With a single act of conversion, Wang Jiande will surely become a devout Buddhist.
That is why, in this palace, there is no need to worry about cultivators using their supernatural powers to spy on you and plot against you.
Otherwise, the human world would have been in chaos long ago.
It was precisely for this reason that Xiao Ning and Wang Mang meticulously devised such a grand scheme to lure Guanyin into their trap.
...
Meanwhile, as Wang Jiande explained the matter to his ministers, the other ministers left the imperial city in twos and threes, returning to their respective departments to begin their day's work.
"His Majesty is acting very strangely today. He actually wanted to summon all the eminent monks in the land and water to hold a grand assembly. It's really reckless. Fortunately, the officials stopped him and forced him to rescind his order!"
"That's right, that's right. His Majesty is acting recklessly. We must not stand idly by. What is Buddhism?"
"Well done, Grand Astrologer! You silenced His Majesty with just one sentence. You truly deserve to be called the Grand Astrologer, who is in charge of the calendar and records of the entire realm!"
"Indeed, our Taoist school is the one that seizes the essence of heaven and earth, gathers the brilliance of the sun and moon, eliminates the evil influences of the world, and promotes the orthodox teachings of the Supreme Being! Those barbarian religions outside the Tao are nothing but remnants of Nirvana, mere ghosts that have not yet escaped the mortal realm!"
The officials discussed the events that had occurred in the court in small groups, and expressed their opinions.
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
These words were quickly overheard.
Soon, news spread throughout Chang'an City that the Emperor of Daxin wanted to summon eminent monks to hold a grand Buddhist and Taoist ceremony, but was strongly opposed by the court officials.
………………
After suppressing Sun Wukong, the Buddha bid farewell to the Jade Emperor and returned to the Great Thunder Temple in the Western Paradise.
But then one sees three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajras, and countless Bodhisattvas, each holding banners, canopies, and rare jewels and flowers, lined up beneath the twin Sala trees in the sacred mountain paradise to welcome the Buddha's return.
The Tathagata stopped the auspicious clouds and said to the Buddhas: "With profound Prajna, I have observed the three realms; the fundamental nature is ultimately quiescent; like the form of empty space, there is nothing; the subjugation of the unruly monkey is something unknown, called the beginning of birth and death, such is the nature of Dharma."
Having said that, he released the light of the relic, and forty-two white rainbows filled the sky, connecting north and south. When the people of Mount Ling saw this, they all bowed and paid homage.
Then, the Tathagata gathered the clouds and mist of celebration, ascended the nine-tiered lotus platform, and sat peacefully.
The three thousand Buddhas, five hundred Arhats, eight Vajras, and four Bodhisattvas approached with palms joined in their respects. After they finished, they asked, "World Honored One, who is it that caused such a disturbance in the Heavenly Palace and disrupted the Peach Banquet?"
The Buddha replied, “It is a demon monkey from Flower Fruit Mountain. Its sins are heinous and indescribable. None of the heavenly generals could subdue it. Even when Erlang captured it and Laozi tried to refine it with fire, it could not harm it.”
"When I arrived, he was in the middle of the Thunder Generals, showing off his power and spirit. I stopped his fighting and asked him where he came from. He said he had supernatural powers, could transform, and was good at somersaulting on the cloud, and could travel 108,000 miles in one go."
“I made a bet with him that he couldn’t escape my grasp, so I grabbed him, turned my finger into the Five Elements Mountain, and sealed him down.”
"Afterwards, the Jade Emperor opened the Golden Palace and invited me to sit in the chief seat. He held a 'Peaceful Heaven Assembly' to express his gratitude, and that's why I took my leave and returned home."
Upon hearing this, all the monks were filled with joy and praised it highly.
The Tathagata resided at the Great Thunderclap Temple on Mount Ling. One day, he summoned all Buddhas, Arhats, Gatekeepers, Bodhisattvas, Vajras, and Bhikkhus.
He addressed the crowd, saying, “Since the subjugation of the demon monkey Antian, nearly two months have passed in heaven, while five hundred years have passed on earth! On this day of the full moon in early autumn, I have a treasure basin that blooms with a hundred kinds of exotic flowers and a thousand kinds of rare fruits and other wondrous things, which I will share with you all in this ‘Ullambana Ceremony’!”
All the Buddhas clasped their hands together, filled with excitement.
At the Dharma assembly, the Buddha preached the Dharma, and everyone listened with rapt attention, their faces beaming with smiles, and they all gained profound understanding.
Seven days later, after finishing his sermon, the Buddha addressed the assembly, saying, "I observe that the beings in the four continents exhibit varying degrees of good and evil. Those in the Eastern Continent, for example, revere Heaven and Earth, and possess a tranquil and peaceful mind."
"Those of the Northern Giant Reed Continent, though fond of killing, do so only for sustenance; they are simple-minded and unassuming, and do not commit many atrocities. Those of the Western Ox-He Continent, however, are neither greedy nor murderous, cultivating their inner energy and nurturing their spirit; though they lack supreme immortals, everyone enjoys a long life."
“But the people of Jambudvipa are greedy, lustful, and fond of trouble. They kill and fight a lot. It is a place of fierce words and a sea of evil.”
“I have the Tripitaka, which can persuade people to do good.”
Upon hearing this, all the Buddhas joined their palms in reverence and took refuge.
Someone asked, "May I ask the World Honored One, what are the three baskets of true scriptures?"
The Buddha replied, “I have one collection of Dharma, which discusses the heavens; one collection of Treatises, which discusses the earth; and one collection of Sutras, which guides ghosts. These three collections comprise thirty-five parts, totaling fifteen thousand one hundred and forty-four volumes. They are the scriptures for cultivating truth and the gateway to righteousness and goodness.”
“I wish to send it to the East to educate the ignorant masses, but I fear that they will slander the true words, not know the essence of my Buddhism, and neglect the true lineage of Yoga.”