Future Buddha Kingdom
The light in the space-time channel gradually dissipated, and Qi Diao Yanfei and Zhaxi Pingcuo found themselves standing on a strange land.
The sky was a soft amber, with two moons of varying sizes hanging high in the sky, casting a lavender glow. Looking out, countless sleek white buildings blossomed like lotus flowers, connected by luminous pathways suspended in the air. People dressed in elegant robes, their faces serene, their steps calm.
Most astonishingly, each building is topped by a pagoda-like structure, the spires of which emanate gentle energy fluctuations that resonate harmoniously with the rhythm of the entire city.
"Here..." Qi Diao Yanfei sensed the surrounding atmosphere, "It's filled with Buddhist energy, yet so... advanced."
Tashi Phuntsok closed his eyes and sensed, "We have arrived in a distant future. According to the time and space coordinates, this should be the Earth around 5000 AD."
An old man in a silver-white robe approached them, his face kind and his eyes deep. "Welcome, time traveler. I am Shi Ming, the guide of this era."
Qi Diao Yanfei was surprised to find that the old man was speaking pure ancient Tibetan, but with a strange futuristic accent.
"Do you know where we came from?" asked Tashi Phuntsok.
Shi Ming smiled and said, "The Future Buddha Kingdom can sense the energy signatures of visitors from any time and space. We have been waiting for you two for a long time."
"The future Buddhist kingdom?" Qi Diao Yanfei repeated the name.
"Please follow me, and everything will be clear." Shi Ming made an inviting gesture.
They followed Shi Ming into a lotus-shaped building. The space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside, filled with glowing holographic images displaying various Buddhist scriptures and Zen art works.
Shi Ming explained the origins of this era: In the 23rd century AD, human society was on the verge of collapse due to resource depletion and war. A group of Buddhist scholars and scientists collaborated to establish a civilization based on Buddhist teachings, calling it the "Future Buddha Kingdom."
“We have integrated technology with Buddhist teachings,” Shi Ming said, “creating a society free of poverty, disease, and war. Through meditation and wisdom, people are developing their mental potential and resonating harmoniously with the energy of the universe.”
Qi Diao Yanfei noticed that although the residents here lived in a high-tech environment, everyone's eyes revealed the clarity and peace unique to practitioners.
"You two are here because of karma." Shi Ming led them to a room filled with soft light. "The future Buddha Kingdom is facing a crisis and needs your help."
In the center of the room, a strange plant was suspended in a huge crystal container. It was transparent, its branches and leaves were as crystal clear as crystal, and it emitted a faint Buddha light.
"This is the 'Tree of Wisdom,'" Shi Ming explained. "It absorbs and stores all the Dharma wisdom of the future Buddha land. But lately, its light has been dimming."
Tashi Phuntsok sensed the energy of the Wisdom Tree: "It's losing its vitality. Something is sucking its energy."
Shi Ming nodded: "We suspect it is related to the 'Heart Demon Realm'."
He turned on a holographic projection, showing an area that was completely different from the future Buddhist kingdom: it was dark and chaotic, the buildings were dilapidated, and the residents' faces were distorted, full of pain and anger.
"The Heart Demon Realm is a region opposed to the future Buddha Kingdom," Shi Ming sighed. "The people there reject the Dharma and cling to greed, hatred, and ignorance, forming a powerful negative energy field. Recently, this negative energy has begun to erode the Wisdom Tree."
Qi Diao Yanfei stared at the painful faces in the projection: "They need help, not opposition."
Shi Ming smiled bitterly, "We've tried countless times, but the residents of the Heart Demon Realm refuse any form of assistance. They view Buddhism as weakness and use technology to satisfy their own desires."
Tashi Phuntsok thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps, what they need is understanding, not preaching."
At that moment, the entire building suddenly shook violently. Alarms blared, and a holographic projection showed the Heart Demon Realm launching a massive attack on the Tree of Wisdom.
"They've started!" Shi Ming's face was solemn. "This attack is stronger than any before!"
Qi Diao Yanfei and Zhaxi Pingcuo looked at each other and made a tacit decision.
“Take us to the heart of the Tree of Wisdom,” Tashi Phuntsok said. “Perhaps we can do something.”
Led by Shi Ming, they arrived at the center of the future Buddhist kingdom—the temple where the Wisdom Tree stood. The tree was a hundred meters tall, its branches stretching to the roof of the temple, but its once crystal-clear branches and leaves had now become dim.
Outside the palace, the Heart Demon Realm's aircraft were launching an attack, and the energy shield was crumbling.
"Why are they so obsessed with destroying the Tree of Wisdom?" Qi Diao Yanfei was puzzled.
Shi Ming sighed, "Because they think the Tree of Wisdom is a tool to control them. In reality, it only stores wisdom and never imposes it on anyone."
Tashi Phuntsok closed his eyes and sensed: "No, it's more than that. I feel... something inside the Tree of Wisdom calling them."
He reached out and gently touched the trunk of the Tree of Wisdom. Instantly, countless images flooded into his mind: within the Tree of Wisdom was sealed an ancient consciousness, the soul of the founder of the Heart Demon Realm!
"I understand," Tashi Phuntsok opened his eyes. "The Tree of Wisdom doesn't just store wisdom; it also imprisons a soul. The Heart Demon Realm's attack isn't to destroy the tree, but to rescue that soul."
Shi Ming's face turned pale. "This is impossible! The scriptures record that the Wisdom Tree is a symbol of pure Buddhism. How could it possibly imprison a soul?"
Qi Diao Yanfei placed her hand on the tree trunk as well, using her Soul Ferryman's abilities to sense it: "He's right. There is indeed a tormented soul within the tree, trapped by the energy of the Buddha's teachings."
The truth is shocking: one of the founders of the future Buddha Kingdom, fearing his companions would stray from the Buddhist path, sealed their souls in the Wisdom Tree as a warning to others. This secret has been concealed by successive leaders until today.
"So the residents of the Heart Demon Realm don't hate Buddhism for no reason," Qi Diao Yanfei concluded. "They are fighting for freedom, but they are using the wrong method."
At this moment, the shield was breached, and a group of Heart Demon Realm warriors rushed into the temple. They were dressed in black armor, holding energy weapons, and their eyes were burning with anger.
"Release our founder!" shouted the leading warrior.
Shi Ming stepped forward and tried to explain, but the other party refused to listen. Seeing that a conflict was about to break out, Qi Diao Yanfei made a bold decision.
She walked between the two sides, closed her eyes, and began to recite the Great Sun Sutra given to her by Master Yixing.
The energy of the scripture resonated with the Tree of Wisdom, and the trunk began to emit a soft golden light. Within the golden light, a vague figure gradually emerged - it was the imprisoned soul.
"Stop!" the soul said. "This fight must end."
Everyone looked at this scene in shock.
The imprisoned soul calls himself Xuanjian, one of the founders of the Heart Demon Realm. He explains that he was not imprisoned by the future Buddha Kingdom, but voluntarily entered the Wisdom Tree to balance the extreme tendencies in the Buddhist energy.
"Buddhism emphasizes the middle path; excess is as bad as deficiency." Xuanjian's voice was filled with wisdom. "The future Buddha Kingdom overemphasizes transcendence and neglects the wisdom of involvement; the Heart Demon Realm is completely obsessed with the secular world and forgets about peace of mind. Both need a balance."
He looked at Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok: "The arrival of the time travelers is a manifestation of karma. You carry the ancient Buddhist wisdom that can help us find the middle way."
Under Xuanjian's guidance, Qidiao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok began an unprecedented ritual. Using the Mahavairocana Sutra as a medium, they merged ancient Buddhist wisdom with future technology to create a brand new energy matrix.
This matrix neither leans towards the otherworldly tendency of the future Buddhist kingdom, nor towards the worldly obsession of the inner demon realm, but finds a balance between the two.
The ceremony lasted for three full days. When the final energy was injected into the matrix, the entire future Buddha Kingdom underwent earth-shaking changes.
Colorful energy patterns blossomed from the white buildings, while the dark areas of the Inner Demon Realm were illuminated by a soft glow. The residents of the two opposing regions were surprised to find that their paranoia and anger were dissipating, replaced by an unprecedented peace and understanding.
Xuanjian's soul was freed from the Tree of Wisdom, but his form had changed - neither matter nor pure energy, but an existence beyond duality.
"Thank you," he said to Qidiao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok, "Now I can finally leave in peace."
Before disappearing, Xuanjian handed a glowing seed to Qi Diao Yanfei: "This is the seed of the new Tree of Wisdom, containing the wisdom of balance. Please take it to where it is needed."
After the ceremony, the boundary between the Future Buddha Kingdom and the Heart Demon Realm began to dissolve. For the first time, the residents of the two regions truly understood each other and worked together to build a more complete civilization.
Shi Ming sighed deeply, "Thousands of years of hostility stemmed from a misunderstanding. If you two hadn't arrived, this secret might have remained buried forever."
Qi Diao Yanfei gently stroked the seeds in her hand: "Sometimes, solving problems requires understanding and communication rather than confrontation."
Tashi Phuntsok nodded. “So is Buddhism, and so is time travel.”
On their last day, they were invited to visit the newly created "Middle Way City," a new city built on the border of the former Future Buddha Kingdom and the Heart Demon Realm. Here, technology and Buddhism blend seamlessly, and residents prioritize spiritual cultivation while also embracing material well-being.
In a quiet courtyard, Qi Diao Yanfei recorded this experience in the "Records of Three Realms":
“That day, we stepped into the future Buddha land and witnessed the fusion of technology and Buddhism;
That month, we witnessed a millennium of opposition and realized the true meaning of the wisdom of the Middle Way;
That year, we balanced our worldly and detached seclusion, resolving conflicts accumulated through karma;
In that life, we sowed the seeds of wisdom and looked forward to the blossoming of a new civilization."
Closing her travelogue, she looked at Tashi Phuntsok and said, "Every era has its own unique wisdom and blind spots. Perhaps the meaning of time travel is to help different eras see their own blind spots."
Tashi Phuntsok held her hand and said, “While helping others, we are also constantly improving ourselves.”
The time to leave arrived. Shi Ming and several leaders of the new civilization came to see him off.
"Thank you both for the wisdom and balance you have brought," Shi Ming said sincerely, "The future Buddhist kingdom will always remember your contributions."
Qi Diao Yanfei carefully put away the seeds given by Xuan Jian and said, "We will find a place suitable for it to grow."
Before stepping into the space-time tunnel, she took one last look back at this reborn civilization. White buildings gleamed beneath the amber sky, the residents wore peaceful smiles, and the entire city was filled with harmonious energy fluctuations.
“Perhaps,” she whispered, “this is the Pure Land described in Buddhism.”
Tashi Phuntsok smiled and said: "The Pure Land is not far away, but in every heart that finds inner balance."
The light of the space-time tunnel enveloped them, carrying them to their next destination. Qi Diao Yanfei held the glowing seed tightly in her hand, knowing that it would grow into a new tree of wisdom somewhere in need.
And their journey will continue. In the infinite space and time, there are countless civilizations waiting for their arrival and countless wisdoms waiting for their discovery.
The time traveler's mission is endless, just like the light of wisdom, which always illuminates the way forward.
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