“When you say ‘tell,’ it makes me feel that you still have limitations of space and time.
For me, there is no ‘go’ because between me and the Buddha, we know that we share
something that is one. When I know something, we both become aware of the same
thing,” he explained.

“You’re saying something difficult to understand again,” I protested.

“Think of it this way. Since you started traveling with me until now, how long do you
think we have been traveling?” he asked.

“Hmm… that’s true. I think it’s been quite a while. If you count it in time, it’s been days.
But I don’t feel tired. I haven’t felt sleepy. I haven’t felt hungry. I haven’t had to use the
bathroom,” I observed.

“That’s right… do you know why?” he asked.

“Because we are traveling with the mind, I guess,” I replied.

“Only half correct. The correct part is ‘with the mind.’ But the incorrect part is
‘traveling.’ What you are experiencing has no time, so it cannot be called traveling. Real
time is one. Compared to your Earth time, it might be a fraction of a fraction of a
second. And compared to the universe’s time, it is time as one,” he tried to elaborate
further.

“I feel like your explanation doesn’t help me at all,” I teased.

“Time only occurs when you want to organize all this information to present it as
something, so that people can perceive it, such as writing or telling. Then it will
immediately follow the laws of space and time,” he said.

“I understand that part. But I don’t understand why my time is just a fraction of a
second, while the universe’s time is one,” I asked.

“Let me compare it this way. If your body is the universe, your body is composed of
trillions of cells, trillions of microorganisms and bacteria, countless genetic structures
and molecules of other elements. These things support each other, alternate, and
circulate in cycles. There is rebirth, existence, and decay.

If one day you could converse with a cell, and that cell asked you to explain your being,
how would you explain it to that cell? They can’t see the vastness of your body. They
don’t know what you look like. They can only guess that you might be similar to them,
constrained by the rules within your body. But for you, you are everything of your body,
every part of your being. It all exists at the same time. If a cell in your hand wants to
travel to a cell in your foot, it might take hundreds or thousands of its lifespans. But for you, who sees that it’s all your body, your mind is everywhere. So, your time is one, or
timeless,” he explained.

“I think I understand your explanation. But how is that related to my question?”

“When you asked how the Buddha knows, the answer is that the Buddha knows me,
and I am like one with all the experiences in the universe, composed of past, present,
and future, and it is knowledge that is independent of space and time. Just when you
started traveling to meet him, he already knew everything,” he said.

“Is it similar to the principle of telepathy used on the planet Thungra?” I asked.

“The same principle. Everyone who understands this principle doesn’t need to seek
knowledge from anywhere. Just knowing the principle of connecting with your own
relationship or inner spirit is equivalent to connecting with the great spirit. It’s like if a
cell in your body knew the principle of being one with your mind, it would know and
understand everything about your being,” he further explained.

“I think I understand now. When the Buddha knew this, what did he do?” I asked.

“The Buddha would definitely not let this opportunity pass meaninglessly. Do you
know that this event of Achita is the key that made Buddhism spread and expand
throughout the region within a period of almost 2 years, while you were traveling to
meet the Buddha?” he said.

“What 2 years? Achita the ascetic only took a month and a half to reach the city of
Savatthi,” I said.

“Yes… it only took you a month and a half to reach the city of Savatthi. But because the
Buddha knew in advance that you were coming, he hurried to leave the city of Savatthi
just 7 days before you arrived,” Lord Phoche explained.

“Oh… why is that? You said that Achita is the key that made Buddhism spread
throughout the region. Then why did the Buddha run away from him?” I asked.

“The number of cities you traveled through was not enough for people throughout the
region to know about him. He wanted more than that. So, your arrival in the city of
Savatthi was just the beginning. Because you would have to travel for another 18
months or so to finally meet the Buddha. But from now on, you would receive support
from King Pasenadi Kosala, who had previously supported both you and the Buddha at
that time. Your arrival this time was like returning home because you had family and
relatives, including your former wife, who were delighted to see you again,” he replied.

“You have to travel for almost 2 years? I feel sorry for Achita,” I expressed my feelings.

“Because the Buddha knew that this was the best opportunity. Do you know that this is
the most clever strategy for spreading religion, using your group as a loudspeaker? The
Buddha knew that if he traveled to spread the Dharma alone, only a few people would pay attention. In one city, there might be only tens or hundreds of people who would
come to know and listen to his teachings. But for this event, even though the Buddha
only passed through without teaching anything, every city would have a caravan
composed of ascetics and many people, like an army, traveling to find him. It was a
strategy that helped to announce that the person who had just passed by was the great
man who would declare the truth. Because your status as an ascetic at that time was
highly respected by people. But you were traveling to find that person, which showed
that he must be very special. It was a story that made the villagers interested, and they
spread the news of the Buddha’s appearance quickly. Especially the phenomenon
afterwards, many people traveled to the city of Savatthi. Even though the people in
various cities might have missed the opportunity to meet the Buddha, at least they
knew that a Buddha had appeared in the world and had visited their city. And this is a
significant work in history, in which you played an important role,” he explained.

“Wow… they must have been very tired. And did Achita know that the Buddha
intentionally did that?” I expressed my feelings.

“At that time, he didn’t know. He only found out later. The only thing he knew was that
he had to meet the Buddha, no matter how many months or years it took,” Lord Phoche
replied.