All the Gates of Hell Read Online Free PDF Page B

move?"
    They laughed together with a sound like rockslides. "Mistress is surely joking! We are not the statues," the warrior said.
    "The statue is a symbol of our presence on the corporeal plane. Our existence and our power both are pure spirit," the demon added.
    "We had heard your Immanence was...confused. We are sad to see that this is so," said the warrior. "We hope that you will feel better soon."
    "Oh. Thank you." Jin left them then, unsure as to whether she had learned anything or not. It was a dream. Nothing was real. Or maybe all of it. She hadn't made up her mind yet.
    "We haven't got all night, Jin. Morning's on its way."
    Jin recognized the voice. She approached the dais with the statue of Guan Yin and her attendants. The braziers, the golden statue itself, everything was as she remembered. "It's you, isn't it? So it's true? I'm the mortal incarnation of a bodhisattva?"
    "You've been studying," the statue said. It wasn't a question. "A bit of advice, though -- don't try to reconcile what you've been reading with you have experienced and are about to experience. Nothing fits in neat categories. Take us, for example: We're either the female form of an early male Buddhist deity from India, or the daughter of a Chinese nobleman who achieved Enlightenment through strength of character, or a native Chinese goddess who was hijacked into the Buddhist cosmos like the goddess Brigid in Ireland was turned into St. Bridget by the missionaries. Which story is the true one?"
    "I don't know. Which?"
    The image of Guan Yin smiled. "All of them, of course. Don't confuse the path with the destination. Clear?"
    "As crystal mud," Jin said. "Bodhisattvas, gods, demons, avatars... It's hopeless! I'll never get all the rules straight in one lifetime!"
    "This isn't about rules."
    Jin put her hands on her hips. "Then what the hell is it all about? What's the secret?"
    The Guan Yin That Was sighed. "You really want to know? Then I'll tell you: all living things come from the same place. We're all part of the same thing. And every single one of us, whether we realize it or not, whether it takes one lifetime or thousands, is just trying to get home."
    Jin's jaw dropped. After a moment she closed her mouth, feeling foolish. "That's it?"
    The statue nodded affably. "All the sects, cults, religions... all the theological squabbling, all the syncretic mish-moshes of gods and goddesses and demons, of buddhas and bodhisattvas. That's all it is, Jin. There ain't no more."
    "Time for a reality check then--the nature of a bodhisattva is that he or she is an Enlightened Being, one who makes a conscious decision to forego Transcendence in order to remain of the world and help others along the path, yes?"
    "More or less. What's your point?"
    "My point is that, if I really were an Enlightened Being, I'd understand all of this already! Teacher Johnson is another Bodhisattva incarnation but apparently understands his nature. I don't. I free someone, I'm still just Jin Hannigan. I become a demon when startled, but I'm still just Jin Hannigan!"
    "That's true -- We are Jin Hannigan. I incarnated to be Jin Hannigan. We're also Guan Yin. See, I did this to us on purpose, if you hadn't figured that out already. I incarnated without my memory. That's why I brought you here to talk about."
    Jin sighed. "Finally. Answers."
    "Actually, no. A warning -- stay away from the shadow. Now that he knows we've incarnated as a mortal he'll know where to find you. That was unfortunate but it can't be helped now. Karma has its own rules, as we should know."
    "Why should I be afraid of him? When it came time to get serious I sent him packing! I bet I can do it again."
    "And again and again and again for eternity? You don't understand," the image of Guan Yin said. "The problem with Shiro is you can't beat him—he has to beat himself."
    "You're right, I don't understand," Jin agreed. "Explain, please."
    "No," said the image of Guan Yin.
    Jin's mouth dropped open for a second or