Time flew by and four years had passed in the twinkling of an eye. Her boy, whom she fondly named Little Chen, had grown up to be an intelligent and compassionate four-year-old boy.
Mia’s mother wanted to make her yearly spiritual pilgrimage of paying homage to Guan Yin in Mount Putuo Island, China. Mia asked if Tara would be keen to tag along. Tara readily agreed, bringing Little Chen as well.
Mount Putuo Island is the heart of Guan Yin worship in Chinese Buddhism. It is also the home to the most famous Guan Yin Temple in all of China. The 33-meters tall statue of the Guan Yin located at Zizhulin is the miracle of Guan Yin’s immeasurable love.
Kneeling down in front of the 33 meters tall statue of the Guan Yin, Tara and Little Chen, sincerely prayed to Guan Yin with pressed palms,
“May I see the Light, and embody the Light, so that I am empowered to bring the wisdom of Light for the peace, healing, and awakening of humanity.”
No sooner had she prayed than her son, Little Chen, started telling his mother, “Mommy, a giant man over there is waving at us. He says he wants to speak to you.”
“Giant man? What does he look like?” asked Tara, perplexed. She guessed it must be her son’s imagination.
“His whole body is shining like a golden ring,” said Little Chen enthusiastically.
“Alright, let’s go and meet him.” For a moment, she thought of Bo, who had a golden aura, but then she just brushed it off as impossible because Bo was no longer around.
With a walking stick to help her navigate the route, Tara held her son’s hand and followed him. Sensing the presence of a person, she stopped. That person held Tara’s hands and said, “Tara, it’s me.”
Tara had the shock of her life, “Bo? Is that you? You are still alive?”
“Yes, I have always been here, living among all of you. Due to my magical powers, you are unable to see me, even though you are so close to me.”
Tara went to embrace him warmly. “I miss you so much! I was so repentant to have caused your death.”
“No, you did not. It’s meant to be that way,” said Bo, gently releasing her embrace and holding her hands. “Look inside your heart. What do you see?”
Tara shifted her attention to her heart and said, “I see a golden white ball inside my heart!”
The golden white ball increasingly expanded to the point that her whole being was enveloped by the luminous light of exceptional radiance. When she opened her eyes again, she was able to see Bo standing right in front of her. Tara was completely cured of her blindness and gained heavenly eyes as a result.
“I gave you this golden white ball right before I left you four years ago. It is a gift that is forever inside your heart. Whenever you need help, just look within.”
“Thank you, Bo.” Her eyes became misty with tears.
“Prince Chen is waiting for you. It’s time for you to look for him." Having said that, Bo vanished into thin air.
Tara stood there, astonished beyond words. She instinctively touched her jade pendant and noticed a glittering one-carat solitaire diamond had appeared in the empty space, right in the middle of the donut-shaped emerald jade. With the diamond to complete the emerald jade, the pendant instantly dissolved inside her. By becoming one with the solitaire emerald jade, she knew no one would take away the magic pendant from her again in the future.
Tara had not seen Little Chen’s baby face since his birth. She was anxious to know what Little Chen looked like.
“Little Chen, let mommy take a close look at you.”
Tara held Little Chen’s shoulders and scrutinized his face. She was thrilled to know Little Chen was a chip off his daddy’s block. When Little Chen’s lips curled up into a smile, his face was an exact photocopy of his daddy’s handsome face with his trademark impertinent smile.
“Mommy, you can see me now?”
“Yes, Little Chen.” Tara warmly embraced Little Chen in her bosom.
“Little Chen, let us express our sincere gratitude to Guan Yin for giving mommy the Light to see you.” Little Chen followed his mother’s example, prostrating in front of Guan Yin in the act of deepest devotion and adoration.
As Tara bowed in front of Guan Yin, she remembered the verses in the Lotus Sutra:
“The pure and holy Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is the One in whom you can take refuge in times of suffering, agony, death, and calamity. Perfect in all-encompassing merits, She views all living beings with compassionate eyes. Her ocean of blessings is immeasurable. Thus, all of you should worship her with reverence.”
With a joyous heart filled with hope and gratitude, Tara and Little Chen went back to the Lion City of Singapore, waiting for their next adventure in the dragon world to unfold.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha B. Adra is a Malaysian writer who lives with her family in the sunny island of Singapore. As a mother of two managing the ever-piling household chores, she is still trying her best in her daily battle of mastering the fine art of the Middle Way.
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://tarazenyora.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarazenyora
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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samantha_minerva
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[1] Golden Turtle means rich husband
[2] Pulau is the Malay word for island
[3] In Sanskrit, Naga means dragon and Garuda means giant bird.
[4] Small bite-sized delicacies popular in Hong Kong
[5] Paixiao, a type of pan flute, is an ancient Chinese wind instrument.
[6] Hanfu is the traditional ancient Chinese attire popular in the Han and Tang dynasty
[7] Yuan Yang means mandarin ducks
[8] The Cheng Tng is a sweet dessert with gingko nuts, lotus seeds, pearl barley, white fungus, longan, and candied winter melon.
[9] Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib dish cooked in peppered broth
[10] Luohan bed is akin to the four-poster bed
[11] Six Lower Paths are Hell, Hungry Spirit, Beast, Asura, Human, Heaven
Tara Zenyora : and the Seven-Jeweled Lighthouse Page 30
