Chapter Eight: The Supreme Treasure of Buddhism

After I finished speaking with Professor Jiang, the monk beside me completed the preparatory procedures for the ceremony. The old abbot stood to one side and chanted in a solemn, dignified voice:

"Bring forth the holy relic!"

Two monks walked toward me with great reverence, holding their hands high above their heads in a gesture of utmost piety. I hurriedly handed over the wooden box, terrified that if I accidentally dropped it, the way things were looking, I would never make it out of here alive.

The wooden box was placed on the velvet cloth of the incense table. After offering incense to the Buddha statue in the main hall, the old abbot approached the table, stood straight, and pressed his palms together. He then lifted his robes with his right hand, bent his elbows, supported his feet with his hands, and performed a full prostration. After rising and adjusting his robes, he stood facing west, hands respectfully joined.

"That is the 'prostration of the five limbs'!" Qiu Nuo whispered, explaining. "Once the limbs touch the ground, one must immediately use the palms to push up and rise again without lingering to rest. It signifies the desire to be quickly liberated from the sea of suffering."

"This is the highest form of etiquette in Buddhism," Professor Jiang nodded and said.

The more grand the ceremony and the higher the etiquette, the more curious I became. I was dying to know what was in this unassuming wooden box that could make all the monks in this temple act as if they were possessed.

After completing his prostration, the old abbot stood up and walked to the incense table. He stared at the wooden box for a long time without moving. I noticed the expression on his face was even more agitated than mine, his eyes filled with a glimmer of anticipation.

The abbot carefully opened the wooden box. I tilted my head and saw him take out another box from within.

Judging by the material, it appeared to be silver with gold gilding. It was square, with the lid and body connected by hinges and a lock in the front. The lid could be opened and closed, and its surface was embossed with two life-like, clawing dragons.

The sides were surrounded by intertwined flower wreaths, and between the dragons sat a flaming pearl. The four slanted sides were each embossed with patterns of two lions playing with a ball, set against a background of scrolling grass. The edges were decorated with two Kalavinka birds—mythical creatures with human heads and broad tails—each with a halo; one had its hands pressed together in prayer, and the other held a lotus.

The four sides of the box itself were embossed with the images of the Four Heavenly Kings. They looked incredibly vivid, holding bows and arrows, surrounded by divine generals and yakshas. The sight was so majestic and awe-inspiring that I felt a sense of reverence, as if the carvings were inviting one to gallop through the three realms and soar across the nine heavens.

I looked at the silver box in surprise. The fact that there was another box inside the wooden one was unexpected enough, but the carvings of the Four Heavenly Kings left me even more perplexed.

The Four Heavenly Kings were originally divine generals from ancient Indian mythology, predating the formation of Buddhism. Buddhism adopted them as guardian kings to protect the world. After Buddhism spread to China, temples began installing Halls of the Heavenly Kings, which later evolved into the "Four Great Vajra Guardians."

"This implement does not look like something from Chinese Buddhism, and the craftsmanship is intriguing. There is nothing like this among our domestic Buddhist artifacts," Professor Jiang remarked in astonishment.

"The Heavenly Kings are also known as God-Kings. According to Buddhist scriptures, they are generals serving Indra, each protecting a world, hence they are called the Four Heavenly Kings who guard the world," Qiu Nuo said, frowning slightly in confusion. "Although it doesn't look like Chinese Buddhist work, the attire of the kings on the silver box—the crowns, the bright armor, and the felt boots—is distinctly that of a Tang Dynasty military official. This item should be a relic from the Tang Dynasty."

The old abbot set the Four Heavenly Kings treasure box aside and carefully opened the front lock. To everyone's shock, he took out yet another box from inside, sized perfectly to fit within the previous one.

It was also made of silver, but it was plain and unadorned. It possessed a luster that shone without the need for carving or painting. It was sealed with a deep yellow silk ribbon. The lid and body were connected by hinges at the back. While it lacked the dazzling brilliance of the Four Heavenly Kings' box, it was elegant, substantial, and possessed an otherworldly quality.

"A deep yellow silk ribbon?!" Professor Jiang whispered, greatly puzzled. "This was the exclusive color for Tang Dynasty imperial seals. How could it be used on this silver box? Could this be an imperial object?"

Yue Qianling suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled, whispering in my ear:

"I've actually seen something like this abroad."

"You have?! What is it?" I asked urgently.

"It’s a traditional Soviet folk craft, a Matryoshka doll—one doll inside another, each one smaller than the last. Hehe, don't you think this box is just like those nesting dolls?"

I shot her a glare of annoyance.

"Stop messing around. Look at the occasion."

Although Yue Qianling was joking flippantly, I soon realized that the old abbot had indeed taken yet another box from the one sealed with the yellow ribbon!

Counting from the first wooden box, the one the abbot had just brought out was the fourth. As it sat on the incense table, it was exactly as Yue Qianling had described—one nested inside another.

This box was also made of silver, embossed with floral patterns and gilded. The front featured the Tathagata, surrounded by two bodhisattvas, four disciples, two Vajra warriors, and two offering attendants. The outer walls were chiseled with images of the Tathagata and Guanyin, adorned with flying phoenixes and scrolling grass patterns, or carvings of Vajra novices pressing their palms together in worship. The designs were realistic, delicate, and rich in detail.

The center of the lid was embossed with a treasure wheel. On the lotus flowers surrounding the wheel were four Kalavinka birds, some with hands pressed in prayer, others holding lotuses. At each of the four corners stood a three-pronged Vajra bell, surrounded by scrolling grass, with two phoenixes on each slanted edge and flying Apsaras on the vertical rims.

Professor Jiang whispered in awe from the side:

"The treasure wheel symbolizes the perfection of the Buddha's teachings and the Buddha's first turning of the wheel at Deer Park, where he began preaching to the five ascetics. The four sides of this box are embossed with esoteric Buddhist imagery, making its academic value far exceed its artistic value. My eyes have truly been opened today. Each box has its own unique character; this is the first time I've seen such a thing in Buddhist culture. They are all incomparable masterpieces."

The sixth box was brought out, and it was completely different from the others. It was forged from pure gold. The lid was carved with twin phoenixes and a lotus pod, and the sides featured four auspicious birds chasing each other around the center. The front displayed the Six-Armed Cintamani-chakra Avalokiteshvara, the left side the Medicine Buddha, the right side Amitabha Buddha, and the back the Vairocana Buddha.

"This is never-ending. This is the sixth one already. Just how many boxes are inside?" Yue Qianling muttered.

"They are getting more and more precious. I really wonder what is in the very innermost layer," Qiu Nuo said, curious.

The item the abbot tremblingly lifted from the pure gold box made everyone present hold their breath. Perhaps no one expected that what rested in the abbot's palms would be a crystal reliquary.

This reliquary was carved from crystal, a piece of ingenious design and exquisite craftsmanship.

The lid was inlaid with a large, dazzling yellow sapphire and a blue sapphire. The lid was carved with the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva and a vase with flowers, while the four sides of the body were carved with seated images of Manjushri Bodhisattva, lotus pedestals, flowers, and birds.

"This is the first time such a small crystal reliquary has been discovered in archaeology. Six boxes containing a crystal reliquary—this is quite interesting. I wonder what could possibly fit inside such a small coffin."

After Yue Qianling whispered this, I remained motionless. Seeing these objects, I seemed to realize something, and my expression grew inexplicably tense.

The majestic chanting echoed through the temple once more. The old abbot knelt in a full prostration again. All the monks in the temple seemed to be waiting for the moment the crystal reliquary would be opened.

The old abbot piously opened the crystal reliquary, and what was brought out was yet another, even smaller coffin.

It was a white jade coffin.

The coffin was petite, shaped much like the wooden ones used today, and carved entirely from white jade.

The jade coffin sat upon a pedestal. Its body was milky white with a faint greenish tint; the jade was delicate and soft, with sharp edges and exquisite craftsmanship.

Through the white jade, I could vaguely see a crystal-like object about the size of a thumb resting inside. Suddenly, my mouth slowly fell open. Yue Qianling looked at my expression, which seemed to frighten her, and she was about to ask what was wrong.

My knees buckled, and I found myself kneeling on the ground. I knew in my heart that while Yue Qianling might believe whatever I said, getting me to kneel willingly was harder than taking my life. Not only me, but Qiu Nuo behind me also knelt down respectfully.

Yue Qianling looked back at the white jade coffin. The old abbot, his hands shaking uncontrollably, shouted:

"Mingyuan, disciple of Daci'en Temple, leads all disciples in kneeling to welcome the true relic of the Buddha!"

The resonant, powerful voice of Master Mingyuan echoed through Daci'en Temple, accompanied by solemn chanting. The monks kneeling in the plaza below were reciting Buddha's name, and the scene was incredibly grand and solemn.

When the tourists inside heard that they had the fortune to witness the manifestation of the Buddha's true relic, for the believers, it was a supreme honor. In Buddhism, the Buddha's true relic is a holy object held in the highest regard; to see the relic is to see the Buddha himself. This was a blessing that might not be earned even in several lifetimes.

Almost all the tourists in the temple knelt down one after another.

I secretly tugged on Yue Qianling's pant leg and whispered:

"The Buddha is right before you, why are you still standing? Kneel! Even someone with the destiny of an emperor like me is kneeling, what are you standing there for?"

Yue Qianling and Gu Anqi exchanged glances and hurriedly knelt down. Professor Jiang had been clutching his chest; the elderly man was not in the best health, and the excitement had nearly brought on a heart attack.

"Take it easy, sir, don't get too excited. It would be dangerous if your heart condition flared up," Yue Qianling said with concern.

"I've worked in archaeology my whole life. I never expected to see the Buddha's true relic in my lifetime. Even if I have a heart attack, it's worth it."

Kneeling on the ground, I finally understood what Qiu Nuo's mother had said.

Handing this over to the abbot of Daci'en Temple would fulfill any wish.

However, I was now far more interested in Qiu Nuo's mother than in the underground palace. Thinking of the regret and sorrow on Qingyang's face when we parted, I finally realized the immense weight of this wooden box. What kind of person would be the guardian of the Buddha's true relic, and why would they give it to me?