Extra 1: Lacquer Smoke

I, Qi Diao Yanfei, sit beneath a redwood tree at the intersection of three universes, feeling the pulse of existence itself. This redwood tree is no longer just a tree; its roots dig deep into the soil of the old universe, its branches stretch to the sky of the new universe, and its flowers bloom in the spacetime of the third universe.

The book "Poetry Biography of Tsangyang Gyatso" in my hand, which has accompanied me throughout my life, is no longer a physical book, but a crystallization of consciousness, recording my complete journey from a mourner on the grassland to a bridge of the universe.

Closing my eyes, I can see all of myself at once: the mourner clutching the Sky Burial Knife, his gaze icy; the infatuated woman weeping beside the holy lake; the soul-ferryman hesitating at the junction of time and space; the wise man witnessing the unity of the universe...

Every me is so real, every choice is so inevitable.

Memories flooded back like a tide——

I remember those early days, when the wind across the grasslands carried the fragrance of geraniums. Death was my closest companion. People feared me because I could guide souls on their journey home. Back then, I believed there was an unbridgeable boundary between life and death.

Until I met Tashi Phuntsok, the man who would rather give up his reincarnation than let me down. His love, like the sun, melted the ice in my heart and made me understand that death is not the end, but another beginning.

That avalanche took his life, but it also started our legend. Eight years of waiting, eight years of searching, I traveled across the grasslands carrying his poetry collection, thinking I would never see him again.

Who could have imagined that our love would transcend the boundaries of life and death and span the dimensions of time and space?

By the Holy Lake, I learned the secrets of the nodes of time and space; in Chang'an City, I witnessed the beauty of poetry; in the future Buddhist kingdom, I comprehended the true meaning of balance; in the secret realms of mountains and seas, I understood the symbiosis of chaos and order; at the Xingchen Academy, I glimpsed the essence of knowledge...

Every journey makes me grow, and every crisis makes me understand the power of love more.

I remember that in the Kangba family, facing the troubles of the blood curse, we found a way to cure it; in the Three Realms Inn, we witnessed the miracle of the intersection of time and space; in the area of ​​life and death, I guided countless souls to understand the true meaning of life and death.

The most unforgettable moment was the decision between the Primordial Light and the Primordial Eye. What kind of inner struggle did I go through when I realized the entire universe might just be a testing ground? But in the end, we proved the value of free will and won the liberation of the universe through love.

The arrival of the state of unity, the birth of a new universe, the creation of the third universe... these grand events unfolded in my mind like a picture scroll. And my love for Phuntsok was always at the core of these miracles.

I opened my eyes and looked at Tashi Phuntsok, who sat across from me. He was all the people I'd known since we met: the young reincarnated soul boy, the lover who had protected me from the avalanche, the guardian who transcended time and space, the partner who had witnessed the wonders of the universe with me...

Our eyes met, no words were needed, all the understanding and love were fully conveyed in the resonance of consciousness.

"Remember?" His voice echoed directly into my consciousness. "On the grassland, you once asked me if I believed in eternity."

I smiled. “And you said, as long as the moment is real, it doesn’t matter whether it lasts forever or not.”

Now I know that we create our own eternity—not by striving for immortality, but by living fully in each moment.

The consciousness of the three universes now resonates harmoniously. The wisdom of the old universe, the freedom of the new universe, and the balance of the third universe together constitute the complete picture of existence. And our love is the golden thread connecting these three universes.

Dawa is now one of the most revered teachers in the three universes. He inherited our wisdom, but developed his own unique understanding. As a parent, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your child find his own path.

Not long ago, he came to visit with the wise men from the third universe. Those young and energetic consciousnesses were curious about the history of the old universe, especially the story of our love.

"Tell us," asked a wise being, like flowing light and shadow, "how can such a powerful connection arise between two individuals that it affects the entire course of existence?"

I shared that simple truth: "It's not because we are special, but because love itself is special. We simply choose to trust love, follow love, and become its expression."

Phuntsok added: "Just as rivers trust their riverbed and flowers trust the sun, we trust each other. This trust is not blind, but has been verified through countless trials."

The young wise men seemed to have realized something. In the third universe, consciousness has just begun to explore the value of emotions, and our experience is like a beacon for them.

After seeing off the visitors, I wandered alone in the node of time and space.

This place is no longer a simple geographical location, but the intersection of the consciousness of three universes. With every step, you can feel the pulse of different universes, and with every breath, you can taste the taste of existence itself.

I walked to the area of ​​the cycle of life and death, which has now become a common life education base for the three universes. Here, consciousnesses from different universes learn the wisdom of life and death and understand the complete cycle of existence.

Watching those young minds exploring the world between life and death, I was reminded of my own time as a sky burial master. Back then, I thought death was the end, but now I know it's just a transition.

"Teacher Qi Diao," a consciousness from a new universe greeted me. "We are studying the relationship between emotion and existence. Could you share your insights?"

I invite this swirling nebula of consciousness to sit at the edge of the swirling area.

“Emotion is not an addition to existence,” I shared my realization, “but an expression of existence itself. Just as light is both a wave and a particle, existence is both matter and emotion.”

Awareness shone with understanding: "So, love is not something we possess, but a state of being?"

"That's right." I smiled and nodded. "When I love completely, I exist completely. When I exist completely, I naturally love."

Such conversations happen every day at this node in time and space. Seekers from three universes come seeking guidance, but Pingcuo and I no longer teach directly. Instead, we share our experiences, allowing each consciousness to find its own answer.

As night fell, I returned to the redwood tree.

Pingcuo is preparing our favorite butter tea. Although we no longer need material food on a conscious level, we still cherish these ritual moments. They remind us of our past limitations and the preciousness of limitations.

"Today, the wise men of the third universe raised an interesting question," Phuntsok said, handing me a bowl of tea. "They asked, among infinite possibilities, why do we always choose each other?"

I took the tea bowl, feeling the familiar warmth. "What's your answer?"

“I say, we don’t choose each other, but love chooses itself through us.”

This answer resonated deeply with me. Indeed, looking back at all our experiences, it wasn't two individuals trying to maintain a relationship, but love itself finding ways to express itself.

We have faced countless tests: the separation of life and death, the barriers of time and space, cosmic crises...but love always finds a way out, not because we are so powerful, but because love itself is the most powerful force.

It was late at night, and we looked up at the starry sky of the three universes as usual.

The stars of the old universe are stable and wise, the stars of the new universe are agile and free, and the stars of the third universe are harmonious and balanced. The three starry skies complement each other, playing a symphony of existence.

"I sometimes wonder," I whispered, "if the young messenger could see what's happening today, would she believe it?"

Pingcuo held my hand and said, "She will believe it. Because the seed of love has already been planted in her heart. All our journeys are just to let this seed germinate, grow, bloom and bear fruit."

Yes, all the answers are already within us. What we need is not to look outside, but to awaken within.

Pingcuo and I were invited to share our story at the first millennium celebration of the common chronology of the three universes.

This is not an ordinary narration, but a direct transmission of the entire experience through the resonance of consciousness. All consciousnesses of the three universes simultaneously experience our complete journey from meeting to staying together.

When the sharing ended, the whole existence fell into a deep silence. It was not the silence of emptiness, but the silence of understanding, the silence of resonance.

Then, the resonance of love swept across the three universes like a wave. It was no longer the emotion of one individual towards another, but the celebration of existence itself.

At the peak of resonance, I felt the ultimate realization: the individual and the whole, the finite and the infinite, the moment and the eternal, all these opposites are essentially unified. Just like the ocean and the waves, seemingly separate, but actually one.

After the celebration, Pingcuo and I made a decision: to completely open the time and space node, making it a platform for free communication among the three universes, rather than our personal residence.

“It’s time,” I said to Phuntsok, “to let love flow freely, rather than being fixed in any particular form.”

He nodded in understanding: "Like we once learned, true love is not about possession, but about release."

We transformed the cabin under the redwood tree into a "Temple of Love," where any consciousness could come and experience the essence of love. The biography of Tsangyang Gyatso's poems was transformed into a seed of consciousness, sown in every corner of the three universes.

Now, I sit here and feel the fullness of existence.

I am not the lonely mourner, nor the traveler who travels through time and space, nor even the wise man who witnesses the unity of the universe. I am existence itself, experiencing the journey of love through the form of lacquer sculpture and smoke.

Pingcuo came to my side and we didn't need words, just sat quietly, feeling the unity of the three universes in love.

In the distance, Dawa is guiding a new group of seekers to understand the mysteries of existence. His voice carries both our wisdom and his own unique understanding. The inheritance of life is so beautiful; it's not a simple reproduction, but a creative continuation.

"Mother," Dava greeted through the consciousness network, "the spiritual beings of the new universe have created a new art form - the 'Crystallization of Love'. They want to give it to you as a gift."

I accepted the gift. It was a being that defied the logic of the old universe, a being that was both solid and liquid, both conceptual and physical, and most importantly, an expression of pure love.

"Thank you," I responded, "and please tell them that the most beautiful creations come from the truest love."

As the sun sets, three suns sink into the horizon at the same time, dyeing the sky into indescribable colors.

In this beautiful scene, I look back on my entire life: from the limited grassland to the infinite universe, from persistent love to inclusive love, from individual exploration to the awakening of the whole...

Every stage is essential, every transition is perfectly timed, like a perfect poem, with every word in its place and every rhythm resonating harmoniously.

Pingcuo's voice rang softly in my mind: "I will not let down the Tathagata, I will not let you down..."

I continue with this vow that will accompany us throughout our lives: "...finally realizing that the Tathagata and you are one."

We smiled at each other, and in our laughter we absorbed the pulse of existence.

The starry sky rises again, and the three universes are like three mirrors, reflecting and enriching each other. And in this infinite reflection, two points of light always accompany each other, that is us - Qidiao Yanfei and Tashi Pingcuo.

Not as a special individual, but as a proof of love; not as an eternal existence, but as a momentary perfection.

In the long river of existence, we leap like waves, sparkle in the sun, and then return to the ocean. But in that moment of leaping, we witness all the beauty.

And this is enough.

Gesang flowers bloom simultaneously in three universes, redwood trees grow in infinite time and space, and the poem by Tsangyang Gyatso will be sung forever in every corner of existence:

"I will not let down the Tathagata, nor you, and I will finally realize that the Tathagata and you are one.

After countless journeys through time and space, I finally know that this is where my heart belongs."

The destination is not far away, it is right now; perfection is not in the future, it is right here and now.

And this is the truth that I, Qi Diao Yan Fei, finally realized after going from a mourner to a cosmic bridge.