The Secrets of the Earth

Countless kalpas ago, a son of an elder saw the holy one’s auspicious features and first awakened the mind of enlightenment. From then on, he embarked on an extraordinary path of cultivation. He was once a filial daughter who saved her mother from the underworld; he was once a king who gave up his throne, choosing to save all living beings before attaining enlightenment. In the Tang dynasty, he manifested as a prince of Silla, crossed the sea to the Tang, and cultivated in seclusion on Mount Jiuhua for thirty-six years. He cast down his kasaya, and it covered ninety-nine peaks. With his golden staff, he opened the gates of the evil realms; with his precious pearl, he illuminated the path through samsara. “I will not attain the Way until the underworld is empty.” This was more than a vow: it was compassion and responsibility spanning countless kalpas.