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Auspicious clouds above, unaware of worldly strife,
Descendants scattered far, seeking out a better life.
Ancient texts state that whenever Bodhisattvas or Buddhas manifested their divine presence, golden lotuses bloomed from the earth, radiating brilliance.
As time passed, these golden lotuses grew increasingly discontent. They saw the rat of Mount Lingshan, who became a king by stealing lamp oil; the carp of the Southern Sea, who became a great lord by stealing Guanyin's lotus flowers; and even the scorpion that stung the Buddha, gaining the power and became a powerful yaoguai. In contrast, despite their diligent service, the golden lotuses received nothing.
After careful consideration, they decided to entrust the burden of greatness to their descendants. They scattered their seeds across the mortal realm, hoping they would become yaoguais of power and eventually earn a title in the upper realm.
However, the golden lotuses did not anticipate the path to greatness to be that arduous in the mortal world. With many intelligent and brave mortal beings also seeking enlightenment, the competition was fierce and brutal. The golden lotuses then tried various methods: transforming into women to deceive men and steal their vital essence, only to be recognized and slain by Daoists; transforming into old men to use their wits to deceive and devour scholars, only to be seen through and mocked. Such attempts were numerous and often futile.
Trials and tribulations made the golden lotuses gradually realized that their original form, the auspicious flowers indicating the Buddhas's presence, had a better chance of success. Hence, they went to the temples, using the auspiciousness to lure people into picking them, only to devour them afterward.
Alas, if one seeks to perceive the world solely in pursuit of quick success, how complex the world becomes! Cause and effect are intertwined, and fate is mysterious. Every step taken is predestined.
Long ago, legends say that when Buddhas or Bodhisattvas showed themselves, golden lotuses would bloom from the earth and shine with light. These lotuses were seen as auspicious signs of divine presence. Over time, the lotuses watched the world change and their descendants were scattered into the mortal realm, looking for a better life.
The lotuses grew angry and resentful because they watched others rise to power by theft or violence while they, despite serving faithfully, got nothing. The story gives three examples: the rat of Mount Lingshan who became a king by stealing lamp oil; the carp of the Southern Sea who became a great lord by stealing Guanyin’s lotus flowers; and a scorpion that stung the Buddha, gained power, and turned into a strong yaoguai (a kind of powerful spirit or demon). These examples made the golden lotuses feel cheated.
Deciding not to wait any longer, the golden lotuses chose a plan. They scattered their seeds across the human world so their descendants could grow there, become yaoguai, fight for power, and try to win a title in the higher realms. Their goal was to pass the burden and hope of becoming great onto their offspring and let them seize what the ancestors had not.
The lotuses quickly learned the mortal world was harsher than they expected. Many intelligent and brave humans were also trying to reach enlightenment, so competition was fierce. The lotus-descendants tried tricks: they turned into women to seduce men and drink their vital essence, but Daoists recognized them and killed them; they pretended to be old men to trick scholars, but the scholars saw through the ruse and mocked them. Many schemes failed and brought little success.
Finally the lotuses returned to their original advantage. They used the same auspicious appearance that once marked the presence of Buddhas: they went to temples and posed as holy golden flowers to entice people to pick them, then devoured those who took them. The story ends with a warning: chasing quick success makes the world complicated. Cause and effect are tangled, fate is mysterious, and every step seems to be predestined. The lotuses’ fall from sacred sign to trickster shows how seeking easy gain can corrupt and trap those who try.