Chapter 15: The Origins of the Buddha Civilization

"What? The long-standing cultures of Buddhism and Taoism in my country originated from a civilization in the multiverse? I'd never have imagined that! Taoism seems completely home-grown, and as for Buddhism, historical records say it came from ancient India, not from our country. Buweiro, are you sure about this?"

Buweiro's words nearly made me jump out of my seat. If someone else had told me this, I'd have dismissed it immediately, but it didn't seem like he had any reason to lie. This was just too unbelievable!

In my mind, Taoism had always been a purely native development in China, while Buddhism arrived in the Han Dynasty from Tianzhu, ancient India. Some even say Taoism and Buddhism are connected, but I never imagined they were from multiverse. Buweiro's explanation shook my long-held beliefs.

"I have no reason to deceive you. Everything I've told you is true. The Taoist civilization from the multiverse is an advanced civilization that developed very differently from those in our universe. When they came here, it was purely to explore new spaces and worlds—they had no intention of plundering, conquering, controlling, or spreading doctrines. Their civilization values a spirit of tranquility, non-interference, and harmony with nature. They enjoyed exchanging ideas and technologies with other civilizations in the Milky Way, then departed after their exploration.

To be specific, around 5,000 years ago, the Taoist civilization left the center of the Milky Way and arrived on the outskirts of the Orion arm, where they happened to discover the Earth. They were intrigued by it and spent some time observing, especially focusing on ancient China. They left behind some cultural knowledge and summaries, which your ancestors in ancient China absorbed over time, gradually integrating it into a local Taoist tradition. That's why it feels like a purely native cultural heritage to you."

Buweiro's explanation left me feeling completely disoriented.

"So, is the Taoist civilization a world of 'immortal cultivation' or 'spiritual cultivation'? Were they deities of some kind? And what about Buddhism—can you explain its origins too?" It took me a long time to react and asked Buweiro curiously again.

"Immortal cultivation? Spiritual cultivation? Gods? No, none of these have anything to do with the Taoist civilization. Those are purely unique cultural concepts developed by ancient Chinese people themselves and aren't related to the Taoist civilization. That's also why the Alliance couldn't have this story written by a professional writer; otherwise, they might turn it into an elaborate piece of fiction.

"Let me explain simply. First, all species on Earth are carbon-based organisms, with life sustained by carbon-based organic compounds, and humans rely on a carbon-water foundation, sustained by carbohydrates.

The Taoist civilization that came from the multiverse is sulfur-based life, a special life form that can withstand high temperatures. You can imagine sulfur as a gas like sulfur dioxide. Life born in a sulfur environment is more tenacious than our carbon-based life. The civilization they developed is different from our universe. Their belief is to explore new worlds and study new things. "

Buweiro's explanation left me somewhat stunned. Seeing me regain my focus, he continued, "When the Taoist civilization was about to leave the Milky Way, they discovered the Earth on the galaxy's edge. They found ancient humans rather interesting and were also fascinated by Earth's plant life. So, they came to the Earth and conducted thorough research on humans—inside and out—as well as on all the flora.

Before they left, they noticed that your ancient ancestors were still in a primitive state, leading hard lives with high mortality rates, but due to the Interstellar Alliance's laws, they couldn't directly interfere with human development. So they compiled their findings on the Earth into a medical system and shared it with your ancestors. They taught ancient humans how to use various herbs to treat illnesses effectively, which significantly improved survival rates among your ancient ancestors.

Because the Taoist civilization's presence didn't interfere with your ancestors' development and was limited to ancient China rather than spreading worldwide, the Interstellar Alliance did not intervene. Over time, your ancient Chinese ancestors integrated elements of this Taoist civilization into myths and legends, branching out into unique local culture.

Through generations of transmission, Taoist medicine gradually evolved into what you now call Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in your country. The first ancient ancestors chosen by the Taoist civilization to spread herbal knowledge were honored as the 'Yan Emperor' and 'Shennong'. In those days, Taoist medical culture was a comprehensive healing system that could treat all ailments of the human body.

If you doubt this, consider the principles in TCM, such as Yin-Yang, the Five Elements (五行), the Internal Medicine (脏腑学), the Eight Extraordinary Meridians (奇经八脉), the Twelve Meridians (十二经络) , acupuncture (针灸点穴), timing-geographical harmony (天时地利), and the Unity of Man and Nature (天人合一). Could such advanced medical theories really have been invented by ancient humans? Even modern medical technology struggles to understand many TCM techniques. There are diseases TCM can cure that modern medical equipment can't touch. Sadly, It's just that your TCM culture has lost a lot of its essence in modern times, and is no longer comparable to the past."

"Taoist civilization, Shennong, Emperor Yan, TCM... these legends are all true, so incredible, no wonder our Chinese medicine is so extensive and profound, many diseases that senior doctors or experts in large hospitals cannot cure can be cured by Chinese medicine. Some folk doctors can cure diseases with herbal medicine almost instantly, I know this, but I didn't expect it to be passed down from the advanced civilization of the multiverse, no wonder!"

Originally, I had been skeptical of Buweiro's explanation, but since I grew up in a rural village without large hospitals, people around us often relied on folk doctors or old TCM practitioners. I heard many stories of severe illnesses and even terminal conditions being cured by traditional methods. In recent years, TCM has gradually declined while Western medicine has risen rapidly, yet it often fails to cure people fully and sometimes leaves side-effects. For many serious diseases, Western medicine can only manage symptoms rather than cure them.

I used to come across short videos on my phone that occasionally showcased the wonders and depth of TCM, like the profound knowledge of meridians and acupuncture—things that modern medical equipment cannot explain. At that time, I doubted how the ancients could understand so many secrets of the human body. I didn't expect that it was the wisdom passed down to China by the ancient advanced civilization. Today's explanation made me suddenly enlightened.

But soon my expression turned into regret, thinking about the current development status of Chinese medicine, which is almost on the verge of life and death. Our generation has allowed this invaluable cultural heritage to decline, which is disappointing. After some reflection, I struggled to find the words to express the plight of TCM in today's world. Instead, I turned to Buweiro with another question.

"What about the advanced Buddhist civilization? Did it arrive on Earth in ancient India, stay for a while, and influence the local people to form what became ancient Indian culture?"

"No, 'Buddhism' is the name you use. Its original name, according to human pronunciation, is 'Buddha Civilization', and it arrived about 1,000 years before the Taoist civilization—roughly 6,000 Earth years ago.

The Buddha Civilization has no connection to the Taoist civilization, though they merged into a single cultural system in your country over time, alongside your Confucian traditions." I listened intently as Buweiro continued:

"The advanced Buddha civilization is a life form composed of carbon, sulfur, and elemental structures. As an advanced civilization, after adapting to the laws of our universe, the Buddha civilization sensed the presence of a super-civilization, the Star Federation Union, at the center of the galaxy, and was drawn there. Given the Star Federation Union's extensive ancient history in the Milky Way, with countless technologies and epics passed down through time, they are well-versed and accustomed to visitors from other multiverses.

Visitors from the multiverse are generally welcomed by the Star Federation Union in the Milky Way as long as they are not evil species, do not engage in plundering, and do not provoke wars.

Initially, the Buddha civilization had a good relationship with the Star Federation Union, but over time, the Union discovered that the Buddha civilization had a tendency to spread its beliefs, through a mystical method combining mental influence and technological brainwashing, they could enchant intelligent species to serve them loyally, even to the point of self-sacrifice, with the firm belief that they would attain eternal bliss after death.

This allowed the Buddha civilization to control other lower-level species, making them willing to serve the Buddha Civilization's goals, even to the point of dying in gratitude. Such methods are almost unheard of in the history of civilizations in our galaxy. This raised concerns among advanced civilizations, leading the Star Federation Union to take precautionary measures. Ultimately, the Union decided that the Buddha civilization must leave the Milky Way and never return."

I listened quietly, as if hearing an ancient legend, while Buweiro continued: "Advanced civilizations have powerful technology and will not start a war unless they have no other choice. Otherwise, the entire galaxy will suffer and countless planets with life will be harmed.

Since the Buddha Civilization hadn't yet affected the Milky Way, the Star Federation Union simply let it leave. Around 6,000 Earth years ago, they departed, and their path happened to pass through our Solar system, and they happened to discover the Earth.

It must be said that our solar system at that time, especially Earth, was bustling and fascinating, easily attracting various alien civilizations. With Earth's complete ecosystem, flourishing plant life, and vibrant energy, it stood out beautifully on the desolate outskirts of the galaxy. Any passing intelligent civilization could detect Earth's uniqueness with a single scan, which also drew the Buddha civilization to investigate.

At that time, the Earth had not yet been sealed off by the Interstellar Alliance. This beautiful, green planet was frequently visited by alien civilizations, which especially liked capturing ancient humans for research. Some methods were quite cruel, and occasionally, they would take hundreds or even thousands of people away.

Now do you understand why the Interstellar Alliance sealed off the Solar system? Without our protection, you wouldn't have developed safely to this point. Humanity might still be living in a primitive society.”

I nodded, feeling a newfound appreciation for the Interstellar Alliance. Much of my resentment over the restrictions and limitations they imposed on Earth had now faded away.