"This is the trial of Non-Birth!
In this second trial, no matter what you see, you must not harbor a single thought. You must not speak, open your eyes, or use your senses until your mind is completely clear.
After one incense stick has burned, those who have remained free of thought will achieve liberation!"
As soon as De Hou finished speaking, a tall Golden Buddha Statue appeared before everyone's eyes.
The Golden Statue stood over twenty feet tall—the image of a benevolent Buddha, seated upon a lotus throne and gazing forward.
It wore a Kasaya and held relics. Amid its compassion was an air of solemn dignity, an almost otherworldly presence.
Surrounding the statue were eleven black-gold Lotus Platforms, one for each person who had passed the first trial.
No one needed to be told; these platforms were for them to sit on.
