Part Four: Science Fiction Story — Star Path
In the center of a distant galaxy there was a planet whose inhabitants were all beings of light. Their spiritual powers were immense—like Guanyin Bodhisattva in Buddhism, each of them could manifest a thousand hands and a thousand eyes at will. A king ruled the entire planet, and his name was King Duobao Ruyi. He had a daughter named Dabei. One day, the king summoned Dabei to the treasure hall and said, “My daughter, in six days Father will turn one million years old. On that day, Father wishes to pass the throne on to you.” Hearing this, Dabei’s face showed reluctance, and she hesitated without answering her father.
King Duobao Ruyi asked in surprise, “Dabei, is there something troubling you?”
Dabei knelt before her father and said, “Father, I would gladly carry out the decision you have made. What troubles me is another matter. In the past few days, the rescue team you sent to Planet A ten days ago has repeatedly sent back messages. They report that Planet A’s environment is no longer suitable for them to live in and they hope to return, but none of them can find the way home anymore. I hope you, Father, will send guides to receive them and bring them back.”
After hearing this, King Duobao Ruyi looked pensive and said, “I never imagined Planet A’s poisonous air would grow worse by the day. My daughter, in the rescue team sent last time, even two such capable and powerful generals as Duoli and Duozhi could not withstand Planet A’s poisonous air and lost their way. Who else could we send to receive them and bring them back?”
“Father, I traveled to Planet A two hundred years ago, and I am still fairly familiar with that star route. Before I ascend the throne, I would like to go and receive them and bring them home.” King Duobao Ruyi shook his head upon hearing this and said, “My daughter, the environment on that planet is no longer what it was two hundred-odd years ago. I have been keeping an eye on it these past few days as well. You only have six days, and once you enter and cross the canal you will be unconscious for three days — which means you will have only three days to search for the rescue team. This planet is full of illusions, and what is more, once you arrive there you will lose your light-transformation body and your spiritual powers.” Dabei pleaded, “Father, if I do not go to their rescue, they may remain lost for a very long time before they can return to our homeland. I believe in my own abilities — three days is more than enough.”
King Duobao Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, “Very well, Dabei. I hope that after six days, whether or not you manage to find the rescue team, you will return without delay. Father will also give you a few treasures to aid you on this journey.”
King Duobao Ruyi reached into the air and produced a pearl that flowed with dazzling, iridescent colors and radiated brilliant light.
“My child, this is the treasure that safeguards our planet’s realm, called the Mani Jewel. I will now place it into your heart, so that even if a hundred poisons invade you, you will not lose your wisdom and will still be able to recognize the road home.”
King Duobao Ruyi reached into the air once more, and a small mirror capable of gathering all the light in the universe appeared in his hand, its surface dark and abyssal like a black hole. “This is the Heavenly Eye Mirror, my child. You can place it at the back of your head, so that no matter what form those rescue team members take, you will be able to recognize them. There is also an antidote pill — if the poisoning runs too deep, take a little of it and it will temporarily ease the pain.”
Dabei received the treasures, thanked her father, and withdrew from the royal palace, going straight to the Cosmic Observation Chamber to review the records on Planet A. In the Cosmic Observation Chamber there was a large cloud-screen. Dabei opened the cloud-screen and searched carefully, and Planet A appeared on it. A voice began to explain: “Planet A, also known as the Cosmic City of Illusions, is made up of two kinds of energy clusters: one is called yang energy and the other yin energy. Within the yang energy clusters there is yin energy, and within the yin energy clusters there is yang energy, and the two transform into each other, which is why the formation of life here is rather complex. The beings here are divided into men and women, and their natures are divided into good and evil — yet within the good there is evil, and within the evil there is good. Their life-consciousness sways unsteadily with the illusions, and living beings experience both joy and suffering. This planet carries five deadly poisons — greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, and doubt — and these five poisons give rise to many illusions, causing the living beings here to become lost among all manner of illusory realms, powerless to extricate themselves. These poisons have invaded every cell and the very marrow of the living beings on this planet. Of the rescue team members our planet sent, virtually none escaped — all were infected by the poisonous plague, and these poisons corroded the detector in their minds, so they cannot find the road home.” At that point, a red light below the great screen began flashing without stopping, and the guide immediately issued a warning: “There is a life form calling for help — it is one of the rescue team members we sent there.”
Dabei switched off the alarm, and the guide went on: “The life forms here have different life spans depending on how poisoned their bodies are. When their life in one form comes to an end, their lingering attachment to the illusory bubbles created by the five poisons causes them to transform into another life form and go on existing. They keep cycling through samsara, sinking deeper and deeper into poisoning, with more and more suffering and affliction. If this continues, such beings will gradually grow numb from their addiction to the poison. They no longer know what true suffering is or what true happiness is, nor what true good and true evil are. Many of these life forms have already lost even the most basic ability to discern, and this situation keeps worsening and spreading.” As the guide spoke, the screen showed scenes of the life forms on this planet suffering terribly when the poison plague broke out. Dabei shed tears. She said into the intercom, “Please explain the rescue method and show where the rescue personnel are located on this planet.”
“The rescue method is this: our rescue work focuses on a life form on this planet called humans. Embedded in the truth of this life form is a device called ‘ego-clinging.’ This device is extraordinarily hard and very difficult to crack. But there are two things that can melt it: one is called ‘water of merit,’ and the other is called ‘universal love.’ Once this ego-clinging device is melted, the life forms on this planet will feel no suffering even if their bodies are steeped in deadly poison, and they will instantly be liberated from all the illusory realms and become light bodies just like those on our planet.”
“Where can these two things be obtained?” Dabei asked.
The guide answered at once, “Both of these substances are produced on this very planet. If one person on this planet has one kind thought or does one good deed, a drop of water of merit condenses in the air. And on this planet there is a Divine Being with Ten Thousand Hands and Eyes, who stores all the water of merit as it is produced in a precious vessel. When the water in the vessel is full, it rises as a divine light of universal love, and this water of divine light and universal love is sprinkled over the bodies of the life forms on this planet. If anyone can receive this light and this water, their ego-clinging will instantly dissolve, freeing them from afflictions and turning them into light bodies. The rescue personnel will then return together with these light bodies to our Duobao homeland.”
“Where can we find the Divine Being with Ten Thousand Hands and Eyes?” Dabei asked.
“He is not easy to find. He dwells high in the sky in the east of this planet, in a place called the Mountain of Self-Nature. There is no path leading up the mountain, and it is shrouded in mist all year round. Only when the water of merit in the precious vessel is full does He appear in the divine light of universal love.”
“Can our Life Detector locate where Duoli and Duozhi are?” Dabei asked. Countless search signals appeared on the screen, and suddenly, in one corner of this planet, a red signal lit up;
“Found them,” the guide’s voice rang out again.
“Besides the five illusory realms created by greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, and doubt, this planet has two other illusory realms: one is the Illusory Demon Realm at the foot of the Mountain of Self-Nature, and the other is the Illusory Buddha Realm within the Mountain of Self-Nature. Duozhi is currently lost in the Illusory Buddha Realm in the mountain, and Duoli is trapped in the Illusory Demon Realm at the foot of the mountain.”
“They must have gone looking for the Divine Being with Ten Thousand Hands and Eyes and gotten lost in this realm,” Dabei thought.
“All right, tell me the entrance to this planet.”
“At the mouth of desire, at the center where the yin pole and the yang pole meet.”
“Can we come back the same way later?”
“No. The exit is at the summit of the Mountain of Self-Nature.”
“I need to configure a life sensor.”
A moment later, an attendant brought a small green box. Dabei placed it over her heart, and in an instant a bolt of lightning shot toward Planet A.