“Xuanzang or the Tang Monk is the same person,” he replied.

“The Tang Monk in the Journey to the West? I thought that was just a made-up novel,” I
said.

“That novel was written based on the records of this very Buddhist monk Xuanzang.
The primary purpose of his journey was to see with his own eyes what the land of the
Buddha’s origin was like and where those places were located. He traveled according to
an ancient map, which he himself, when he was Kaccayana, had written, detailing the
important locations in which kingdoms and cities—such as the birthplace, the place of
enlightenment, the place of the first sermon, the place of Parinirvana, the Veluvana
Monastery, the Jetavana Monastery, Savatthi, and Kapilavatthu. He also took this
opportunity to study the Dharma at its source at Nalanda University for many years.
His arrival garnered significant attention from the local people, especially from various
rulers who saw that Buddhism had spread as far as mainland China. Later, they
presented the Tang Monk with the Tripitaka, their most precious scripture, to take
back and translate into Chinese, as a gesture of gratitude to the Emperor who
supported the monk’s journey.”

“So, the various places that the Tang Monk traveled to explore were in Thailand, then?”
I asked.

“Of course, because all the places related to the Buddha are in Thailand,” he replied.

“And the various miracles in the Journey to the West that he encountered along the
way, are those also true?” I asked.

“What is your opinion?” Lord Phoche countered.

“Hmm… if I try to believe it’s true, it feels unlikely because it’s too fantastical,” I replied.

“Let’s just say those individuals existed and had those personalities. For example, Sun
Wukong was a warrior with great martial arts skills, impulsive, fierce, restless,
intelligent, independent, and didn’t easily trust anyone. Zhu Bajie was a strong, large
warrior who ate a lot, was cunning, sly, and flirtatious. Sha Wujing was also a warrior
with formidable martial arts skills, equally matched, but he was honest, quiet, and had
a solitary nature. However, all of them were good people and were trusted by the
Emperor to protect the Tang Monk’s journey. And the last one was the Tang Monk
himself, a handsome man with a charming appearance who was surrounded by people
wherever he went, according to the original code of Kaccayana in the past. As for the
various miracles, even though they might be exaggerated, I find them beneficial. The
fact that the author embellished the stories with color, excitement, and wonder to
create interest has led to them being constantly talked about, because most people
enjoy the miraculous. If it had been written as a typical historical record, only a few
inquisitive individuals would have been interested in reading it, and as time passed, it might have just sat idly in a library, with no one knowing about it anymore, which
would be equivalent to that information being lost because no one was aware of it. But
you must know how to distinguish what is real, what is embellishment, what is the
substance, and what is the process of stimulating awareness,” he added.

“Sir, I’d like to go back to the situation I’m currently aware of. Does the Arhatship of
those who attended this meeting mean that everyone will use their unique skills to
benefit people?” I asked.

“And do you think that’s the case? In this meeting, although there were monks
included, they were a minority compared to the majority who were laypeople,
especially female laypeople, who were all important in this mission, even though at
that time they did not yet have roles that would make their names appear in the pages
of history. Therefore, the term Arhat here means those who know the Buddha-mind,
those who are Buddha, and those who manifest that Buddhahood, without regard to
gender, age, or status,” Lord Phoche began to elaborate.

“Why did women not have a role at that time, and who were they?” I asked.

“Who they were is not as important as who they will become, because the stories from
now on will not be the same as what happened in the past. It is an appointment to
become a great multitude of noble individuals, and most of them are women. They will
come to liberate people, to create miracles, and this is the reason why stories of their
emergence often appear in the legends of every nation around the world. It is a
phenomenon where thousands of great individuals will arise simultaneously, all
stemming from the collective intention set on this day,” Lord Phoche explained.

“Why do thousands of great individuals have to arise simultaneously? Is there a reason
for that?” I asked.

“Because the world must undergo a major transformation. The total energy of the
world and the universe must be elevated, and all of humanity must raise their spirits
along with the physical world. Therefore, everyone who had set their intention and
planned to do this must come together, utilizing their accumulated potential. This
matter was planned over two thousand years ago by individuals who had become free
from the Earth’s magnetic field. They will come with unique special abilities, which are
like each person’s unique weapon. They are superhumans living among ordinary
people, waiting for the crucial time, which is your present time, for the sole reason of
rescuing the world situation, not just to return it to normalcy, but to create this world
into a paradise, a world in harmony with the new energy level of the vast universe,
which has now moved into a new space. And you are one of those great individuals.”