"You can go to Nara Park with Kudo-kun and the others."
Sakaki Makoto suddenly said:
"I can go to Toshodaiji Temple alone."
"That's so inappropriate..."
Although he said it was inappropriate, his actions betrayed him. While speaking, Hiroki had quietly stood next to Mouri Ran, with a shy and embarrassed smile on his face.
"I'll go with you."
Miss Miyano had no intention of going to Nara Park to see the scenery, and said frankly:
"I also want to know what clues my uncle left behind."
Since the death of Karasuma Renya, the clues left by Sakaki Ryunosuke seem to have lost their meaning, at least to Kudo Shinichi and others. However, for Sakaki Makoto, he thinks it is necessary for him to go there in person. Maybe there will be some unexpected discoveries.
Just like that, Sakaki Makoto and his group split into two groups. Sakaki Makoto and Miss Miyano went to Toshodaiji Temple, while the remaining Hiroki and Kid followed their childhood sweethearts Kudo and Hattori to Nara Park to feed the deer and see the scenery. After agreeing to meet at 3 pm, both parties set off on their separate journeys.
At 1 p.m., a public bus departed from Bus Stop No. 6 at the East Exit of Nara Station and arrived at the South Gate of Toshodai-ji Temple on time.
Although Toshodaiji Temple is very famous, it does not seem to be very attractive to tourists coming to Nara. Compared with the bus heading to Nara Park, Sakaki Makoto's side seems much quieter. However, since it is New Year period, there are still some people coming to Toshodaiji Temple to worship.
Looking at the ancient building in front of him that was out of tune with the surroundings, Makoto Sakaki stopped to watch for a while, and then bought tickets with Miss Miyano to enter the temple.
On both sides of the courtyard were hung celebratory flags, fluttering in the cold wind. Monks in black robes sat in a group inside the hall, holding Buddhist beads and chanting something.
Seeing that they were having some kind of court meeting, Sakaki Makoto did not go forward to disturb them. Instead, he found the monk who was responsible for cleaning up the garbage outside the temple and asked:
"Excuse me, I want to ask, is the abbot Fujiwara of your temple here?"
The black-robed monk stopped sweeping his broom, put his hands together, chanted a Buddhist name, and then said:
"Master Fujiwara is preparing for the ceremony. Is there anything I can do for you, donor?"
As a Vinaya school monk famous for its emphasis on precepts, Toshodai-ji Temple obviously attaches great importance to these ceremonies. Even the most ordinary monks are the same. The solemn atmosphere permeating the temple makes tourists calm down and dare not make loud noises, let alone disturb the ceremonies.
If possible, Sakaki Makoto didn't want to trouble others at this critical juncture, but they planned to go back and forth on the same day, and things like religious ceremonies usually take a long time. If they continued like this, it was unknown how long they would have to wait.
"I have something important to discuss with Fujiwara no Kaneko. Please let him know that Makoto Sakaki is visiting."
Hearing this, the black-robed monk clasped his hands together again and chanted the Buddha's name, bowing slightly:
"So it's Donor Sakaki, please follow me."
"Do you know me?"
"The abbot has already instructed that if a donor named Sakaki comes to visit, he can be brought directly to him without reporting to him."
Sakaki Makoto immediately confirmed that the current abbot of Toshodaiji Temple must have a close relationship with his father, and that he had been waiting for a long time.
Led by the black-robed monk, Sakaki Makoto and Miss Miyano passed through the Golden Pavilion, made many turns in the temple, passed through many archways, and finally even left the tourist area and came to the backyard where visitors were not allowed.
In the backyard, there was no longer a single tourist to be seen. Instead, the number of monks, who were originally few in number, increased, and they were all preparing for the next ceremony.
The black-robed monk stood at the door of a meditation room, raised his hand and knocked on the door, and whispered:
"Master, a donor named Sakaki wants to see you."
The room was dead silent. After a while, slow footsteps were heard. As Sakaki Makoto watched, the door opened and a middle-aged monk appeared at the door. He glanced at Sakaki Makoto and Miss Miyano and nodded.
"Host, please come in."
After saying that, the middle-aged monk stepped out of the house and took the young monk away. Sakaki Makoto and Miss Miyano looked at each other, and finally walked into the house.
The thin winter sunlight poured through the wooden window onto the ground, with light dust floating in the air. What caught his eye was a wall with large Zen characters painted on it. Sakaki Makoto turned around and looked at the red-robed monk kneeling on the bed on his left.
The red-robed monk has already entered his eighties, his beard has completely turned white, and his old and wrinkled face is filled with only a pair of eyes that are still bright and lively.
"Namo..."
The red-robed monk waved his sleeves and pointed to the empty cushion on the opposite side:
"Two donors, please take a seat."
Sakaki Makoto and Miss Miyano sat on the futon. Before they could say anything, they heard the red-robed monk say:
"Eighteen years ago, a donor named Sakaki Ryunosuke suddenly came to my house. He asked me many questions, but I was not very good at Buddhism at that time and could not answer them one by one. Later, I practiced day and night and finally gained some enlightenment. I have been waiting for an opportunity. Now that his descendants have come to visit me, I know that I may never have the chance to answer the questions I couldn't answer back then."
"Master Fujiwara, may I ask what question did my father ask you?"
Sakaki Makoto was a little confused. In his opinion, the red-robed monk in front of him had an aura that made him look like an enlightened monk. Although he always thought that such people were old charlatans, after all, he had lived to such an old age and must be knowledgeable. From a philosophical point of view alone, he was definitely a master.
He was also very curious about what question Sakaki Ryunosuke had used to stump the other party?
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