At this time, the Ancestor Master arrived at the Sacred Mountain of Ling, entered the Thunder Sound Treasure Temple, and spoke with the Western Saint Old Tathagata about the Dharma for twenty years.
After the Ancestor Master finished his teachings, he rode the clouds and returned to the Three Stars Immortal Cave.
The Tathagata said, “Dao brother, please stop.”
Upon hearing this, the Ancestor Master dispersed his teachings and asked, “World Honored One, what guidance do you have for me?”
The Tathagata, sitting on a top-grade lotus platform, replied, “The world is filled with ordinary mortals, and it is difficult for them to comprehend the Buddha's teachings. Even among the Four Births and Six Paths, few truly understand the source and flow. Those who can see through it are rare, indeed!
I have heard that the Honorable Avalokiteshvara has spoken of your disciple, who possesses a broad heart, abundant wisdom, and exceptional talent. This time, if he can penetrate the true principles of Buddhism, he will surely cultivate great power in the years to come. Will this child’s path be obstructed?
The Western Pure Land still has an empty lotus platform.”
The Ancestor Master laughed and said, “You need not worry, World Honored One. My disciple is restless and cannot sit still on the lotus platform.”
The Tathagata replied, “Such is the nature of things; I am merely chattering! But please, Dao brother, guide him. It is better to refrain from discussing the Buddha's teachings in the Western Bull Hezhou; the path of extinction must be self-realized.”
The Ancestor Master nodded and smiled, saying, “That is reasonable! I understand what the World Honored One has said.”
His disciple was on the path of alchemy, and as his master, he could not control him.
Whether he listened or not was up to him.
The Tathagata saluted, saying, “Thank you for your efforts.”
The Ancestor Master returned the gesture and rode the clouds back to the Three Stars Immortal Cave.
At this time, Jiang Tong'er was unaware of everything.
He was in the Three Stars Immortal Cave, preparing to summon Granny Huang.
He placed the Jade Dust Brush and the Yu Ding in position, ensuring his safety, and called upon the Heart Monkey, Intent Horse, Golden Duke, and Wood Mother for protection, ensuring that the two deities had no gaps to exploit.
Jiang Tong'er was fully prepared, his mind and spirit settled in his spleen, and he sought out Granny Huang.
Upon entering the ‘Central Palace,’ he found that the interior was filled with yellow sand, and he saw a green aura supporting the palace, pouring outward.
It is said that ‘the spleen is a solitary organ, the central earth nourishes the four directions.’ The spleen nourishes the four sides, and Granny Huang also plays a role in harmonizing the five people, indeed having its wonders.
Among the five who cultivate the Golden Elixir, the Heart Monkey is brave and skilled in battle, the Golden Duke provides divine assistance, the Intent Horse travels a thousand miles in a day, and the Wood Mother maintains discipline and eliminates desires.
Compared to these four, Granny Huang's role may seem small, yet she has the power to harmonize and nourish the four organs, silently moisturizing them, allowing the five to unite their hearts, thus achieving great merit.
“Why do I not see Granny Huang’s trace in this Central Palace?”
“Go further in, go further in!”
Jiang Yuan called his spirit into the Central Palace, and as he ventured deeper, he saw a person sitting there.
Upon closer inspection, it was an old woman with a face as fierce as a death star, dressed in a yellow robe, holding a green aura, pouring it outward to nourish the four organs; this was Granny Huang.
Jiang Yuan then focused his spirit closer.
Granny Huang stood up and greeted him, saying, “You have come to summon me.”
Jiang Yuan returned the greeting, saying, “Granny Huang, this time we cultivate the Elixir Path together. Now the Heart Monkey, Intent Horse, Golden Duke, and Wood Mother have all returned to their positions, only waiting for you. I have come to invite you, wishing to return to proper cultivation, so that we may attain the Dao early and achieve longevity.”
Granny Huang said, “In the past, I had many malevolent tendencies that could harm your spirit, causing you to suffer from miasma. With greed, anger, and ignorance all present, I was fortunate to receive teachings, and my malevolence has been washed away. How could I not wish to return to my position and cultivate the Elixir Path, protecting the primordial spirit?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan could not help but feel joy in his heart, secretly thinking, “Granny Huang indeed has harmonizing power, incomparable to Wood Mother and the others. Her words bring me much peace.”
Now that the five were to return, he would protect the primordial spirit without hesitation.
He said, “Please, Granny Huang, return to your position!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he called the Heart Monkey, Intent Horse, Golden Duke, and Wood Mother to come and meet him.
As his voice fell, Granny Huang opened her mouth and exhaled black qi, forming a perfect circle.
Granny Huang stepped forward and settled behind him.
From then on, the five were properly aligned, united in heart and effort!
In the quiet room, Jiang Yuan opened his eyes, and his spirit returned.
He felt a tremendous golden light flickering within him.
With Granny Huang in position, he sensed a transformation in his five organs, realizing that ‘the Heart Monkey no longer deceives the Wood Mother, the Intent Horse wholeheartedly rides the primordial spirit, the Golden Duke often acts as the Heart Monkey, and Granny Huang resides in the Central Palace harmonizing, allowing the five to unite in cultivating the Elixir Path.’
The divine light within his five organs was immense, as if proclaiming the beauty of attaining the Dao.
Fortunately, the Three Stars Immortal Cave was extraordinary, preventing the divine light from leaking out, allowing it to be restrained and hidden within the five organs, gathering qi and nurturing the spirit.
Jiang Yuan returned to his senses, calling upon the primordial spirit to assist, gathering the five together to conceal the divine light.
Suddenly, summer passed, and autumn arrived in August, during the time of ‘high winds raging.’
Jiang Yuan gathered the qi of the five, instructing Granny Huang to be of use.
He felt his body light and his spirit refreshed, with a hidden transformation.
The two deities vanished completely, as the ‘Dao Foundation’ was established.
At this moment, he had the opportunity to glimpse the secrets of the Dao through the cultivation of the Golden Elixir.
As Tong'er was about to explore the wonders of the five and seek the mysteries of the primordial spirit, a voice suddenly reached his ears.
“Tong'er, come.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan joyfully exclaimed, feeling a surge of inspiration, knowing that the Ancestor Master awaited him on the Yao Platform.
He did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly tidied himself before leaving the room.
Before long, Jiang Tong'er arrived at the Yao Platform and saw the Ancestor Master seated in the center.
He stepped forward to pay his respects, saying, “Master!”
The Ancestor Master looked over, observing that Tong'er walked steadily and lightly, his spirit firmly contained, and the law within him was not leaking.
It was indeed the five gathered, and the Elixir Path was stable.
He smiled and said, “I have just returned, intending to teach Tong'er to carefully store and not leak out. I did not expect Tong'er to be so self-sufficient and have realized it on his own.”
Jiang Yuan bowed again, saying, “Thanks to the Master’s cave’s power, I dare not claim it for myself.”
The Ancestor Master shook his head and said, “The cave has the power to gather qi; you need to gather your spirit for it to be effective. It all depends on you.”
Jiang Yuan said, “Master, today I finally invite the five to return to their proper positions!”
The Ancestor Master smiled and asked, “What are your thoughts?”
Jiang Yuan nodded and sighed, saying, “After hundreds of years, I have finally gathered the five. In the past, Master spoke of the difficulty of this path, and I did not realize it. Now, looking back, I understand how difficult it is to attain the right path. Truly, one must not treat the Golden Elixir lightly; without a remarkable person, one cannot speak of it, and empty words can only lead to frustration.”
Now, longevity is in sight, and the mysteries of the Dao are ahead.
Looking back at the past, he understands the difficulty of the path, which can be glimpsed in part.
Indeed, without a remarkable person, one cannot cultivate the Golden Elixir properly, as people have a lifespan.
Those born in the Southern Zhanbu Continent rarely live past a hundred, and many die young; how can one cultivate the right path?
Without the Ancestor Master’s talisman and the protection of the Yu Ding, he would also find it difficult to cultivate this path and would have long since departed from the world.
The Ancestor Master smiled and nodded, asking, “Tong'er, are you a remarkable person?”
Jiang Yuan prostrated himself, saying, “Master, I am a remarkable person! I hope Master will show great mercy and impart the secrets of the Dao to me!”
The Ancestor Master helped Tong'er up and said, “Do not be anxious, Tong'er. Since you are my disciple and have the protection of the five, I will certainly teach you various secrets of the Dao. However, I need to discuss with you; when you descend the mountain, will you teach the people?”
Jiang Yuan nodded, saying, “I have taught many nations to summon Granny Huang.”
The Ancestor Master said, “You have transmitted the new Buddhist teachings to the people of the Western Bull Hezhou. This action has shaken the Sacred Mountain of Ling. The Western Saint Old Tathagata does not favor this move; you might want to restrain yourself a bit. If you wish to transmit the new Buddhist teachings, wait until you have cultivated great power in the future; it will not be too late to transmit them then. By that time, the Tathagata will not be able to stop you.”
Jiang Yuan, upon hearing this, did not understand the meaning and asked, “Master, what is this new Buddhist teaching?”
The Ancestor Master pointed at Tong'er with a ruler and smiled, saying, “The Buddhist teachings that awaken people; how could it not be something you can transmit?”
Jiang Yuan suddenly understood, feeling a sense of realization in his heart.
Teaching a young person, he did not expect such changes; how could he create new Buddhist teachings? In this context, the Buddhist teachings follow ‘extinction,’ and if he promotes ‘awakening,’ it would indeed count as a new Buddhist teaching.
The Sacred Mountain of Ling predominantly practices ‘extinction’ in the Western Bull Hezhou.
If he were to teach this new method, it would raise suspicions of transmitting the teachings, shaking the laws of the Sacred Mountain of Ling.
Jiang Yuan asked, “Master, I understand. Master, can I cause trouble?”
The Ancestor Master shook his head and laughed, saying, “With your talent, how could it be trouble? It is a fortunate matter!”
(End of Chapter)