Chapter 101: Guanyin Manifests
Since drinking the Spirit Spring water Zhu Yanyi gave her, Aguang felt her body filled with strength. Her old rheumatism was gone, and her legs felt light. This proved the water was real. Aguang was now seventy or eighty percent sure Zhu Yanyi was the Medical Buddha Girl. The rest of her doubt remained only because she wanted to see the miracle of the Bodhisattva appearing.
Xie Zhong placed Zhu Yanyi in front of the Guanyin Temple threshold. The thirty-centimeter-high threshold seemed like a deep canyon, separating the noisy secular world from the detached peace inside. Zhu Yanyi smiled at Xie Zhong, held his hand, and stepped over the threshold into the temple.
The statue of Guanyin stood high above, eyes slightly lowered, showing no emotion. Wisdom Master said, "The time has come, Ani. Pay respects to Guanyin."
Zhu Yanyi nodded, let go of Xie Zhong’s hand, and walked to the front cushion. Everyone behind her watched. Other visitors were blocked at the door, but after some explanation, they did not make noise. Instead, they looked curiously at the small figure inside.
Zhu Yanyi walked slowly to the Guanyin statue. She looked up, then knelt. She put her hands together, closed her eyes, and then opened them. "Sister Guanyin, today is the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, your birthday. I wish you a happy birthday. I also pray for the people here. I pray for good weather and peace this year." After speaking, Zhu Yanyi performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows.
As soon as the ritual ended, a five-colored light burst from Guanyin’s head. The light passed through the temple and rose into the sky. Then, a golden light shot from the Buddha mark on Guanyin’s forehead into the cinnabar mole on Zhu Yanyi’s forehead. The cinnabar slowly turned into a flower bud, then slowly opened. In an instant, it became a lotus. A fresh lotus scent filled the air. Soft Buddhist chanting came from the sky. As the chanting continued, the five-colored light shone on the believers. Everyone felt refreshed. Their irritability vanished. Those who felt unwell suddenly felt healthy. It was a miracle science could not explain.
Then, the Buddha light formed traditional Chinese characters in the air. Wisdom Master chanted, "Guanyin’s decree: Confirm girl Zhu Yanyi as the Medical Buddha Girl. Heal the world with her hands. Transform the world with Buddha’s grace."
As Wisdom Master finished, the characters turned into golden light and flew into the lotus on Zhu Yanyi’s forehead. The lotus slowly closed and became a cinnabar mole again. It seemed like a dream, if not for the lotus scent and the feeling of lightness in their bodies.
Zhu Yanyi turned around silently. She slowly opened her hands. A lotus appeared between them. She lifted her hands, and the lotus flew into the air. When it reached the middle of the sky, it turned into a lotus throne. People saw a faint figure standing on it. The figure was like the temple’s Bodhisattva.
"It really is the Bodhisattva," Cheng Baokun was surprised. When Zhu Shunyao said Zhu Yanyi was the Medical Buddha Girl, she didn’t believe it. She thought it was superstition. But now, seeing it with her own eyes, she realized that so-called superstition was just a mystery science couldn’t solve.