Chapter 126 Jiang Luli Talks about Buddhism
Gu Jiayue's lecture was a complete success.
Throughout the whole process, everyone was immersed in a joyful atmosphere and was in high spirits.
The villagers not only had a great time, but also memorized the entire solar term song firmly in their hearts.
Many people not only memorized the lyrics, but were even able to sing them happily.
I imagine that for a long time to come, this solar term song will resonate in every corner of Taohua Village. Someone has already come to Gu Jiayue with great anticipation, asking if she can adapt it into a folk song.
Gu Jiayue nodded quickly, this was certainly feasible.
In this way, Aunt Cai will surely be able to learn new folk songs.
Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, and she couldn't help but chuckle in her heart.
"Okay, that's all for my lecture. I hope you all enjoyed it. Next, I'd like to invite the headmaster of Huaqing Academy to give a lecture. Please give him a round of applause!"
Under her leadership, the villagers of Taohua Village applauded enthusiastically.
The applause was as loud as thunder and echoed in the air for a long time.
Jiang Luli walked onto the stage steadily, with an upright posture and extraordinary temperament.
He first looked at Gu Jiayue with approval, and exclaimed sincerely, "Your teaching is truly exquisite. Poetry was born to be chanted, and chanting it this way is indeed easier for people to remember. Then, you used the method of asking questions to continuously deepen everyone's memory. Your teaching method is novel and unique, and it is unique. I admire it very much."
At this moment, Jiang Luli had already thrown away the random thoughts that had been floating around in his head. Now, only wonder remained.
He had never met such a woman before. She was extremely talented, thoughtful, and courageous. It seemed that all the beautiful words in the world were not enough to describe her one ten-thousandth.
He couldn't help but imagine that if he could gain the love and admiration of this woman, it would be a great blessing in life, so how could he feel the slightest bit of distress?
As soon as this thought came to his mind, he couldn't help but be slightly startled, and the ears hidden in his black hair also quietly turned red.
"President Jiang, thank you for your praise. These are just some trivial skills. Now the podium is handed over to you. I hope you can show your talents." Gu Jiayue maintained a humble attitude, like a submissive subordinate, slightly bent down, and stepped aside gracefully.
Jiang Luli stood still on the podium, his eyes slowly sweeping over the thousands of villagers from Taohua Village below, their eyes bright and full of expectation.
For a moment, I was hesitant and embarrassed.
He received an aristocratic education from a young age, studying the Four Books and Five Classics, which were required for the imperial examinations. In his spare time, he mostly indulged in the beauty of nature, reciting poems and painting. As for farming, he knew nothing about it.
Now, if he were asked to talk about things related to farming seasons like Mr. Du and Gu Jiayue did, he would be willing but unable to do so.
He secretly groaned in his heart, wondering what he should say so that these simple villagers could understand him?
Thinking of this, he felt a headache.
If I had known this, I shouldn't have let my mouth talk nonsense. What kind of competition is this? I can go back and ask for an imperial decree. How dare Gu Jiayue disobey?
Why should I go through so much trouble to compete here?
"Cough cough cough..." As his cough sounded, the villagers gradually quieted down. The entire Cuju field suddenly became silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to speak.
"I know very little about farming seasons, nor am I familiar with the customs and habits of the southwest, so I dare not presume to teach you about them. But since no one has mentioned the imperial examinations today, I will not discuss them for now."
Jiang Luli cleared his throat and said slowly, "Everyone, find a place and sit cross-legged. I will explain the Buddhist scriptures to you."
When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.
Buddhist scriptures?
Is this the Buddhist scripture they are thinking of?
Namo Amitabha?
Everyone looked at each other, speculating secretly in their hearts.
I suppose it should be, right? After all, Dagan is a Buddhist country, and temples are found throughout its towns and cities, even in the remote and relatively poor southwestern region.
The nearest temple to Taohua Village is Qingfeng Temple, 50 kilometers away.
Although the journey is neither far nor near, if there is an important matter at home and they need to pray to the gods, the villagers will definitely go there even if they have to try their best and find other ways.
Because of this, there are many great monks. Those great monks like to travel around, beg for alms, practice, go through hardships, and understand the world.
Although Jiang Luli himself did not believe in Buddhism, he developed an interest in studying Buddhism because his grandmother, mother, aunt, sister and other female relatives in his family were devout Buddhists.
Yes, he is rebellious like that.
Although he does not believe in Buddhism, he is keen on studying Buddhist teachings.
He took out a string of Buddhist beads from somewhere and gently hung them on his hand. He then found a relatively clean spot on the podium and slowly sat down cross-legged.
A breeze blew by, and his long hair flew wildly, and he looked inexplicably extraordinary, like a high-level monk.
Outrageous, yet strangely convincing.
The villagers of Taohua Village have been influenced by Buddhist culture for many years. Even though Jiang Luli's behavior was a little unexpected, everyone was still full of respect for him when they thought of the Buddhist beads in his hand.
Those children who were ignorant of Buddhism had long been let go by their parents.
They ran around and played like wild horses, cheering and jumping for joy. The Cuju field suddenly became much emptier, and the adults moved the tables and chairs away, each finding a comfortable spot and sitting down.
Seeing this, Jiang Luli nodded in satisfaction and said, "Okay, today I'm going to explain to you all the 443rd sutra from the Agama Sutra. There's a sentence in the sutra: 'If one practices loving-kindness, one will not be negligent. All fetters will gradually fade, and the path will become apparent. By practicing this loving-kindness, one will be born in the Brahma heavens; one will quickly attain nirvana and forever reach the state of non-action. One will not kill or harm, nor will one have any desire to win or lose. One will practice loving-kindness towards all, and ultimately, one will have no resentment.'"
His voice was low and mellow, like a clear spring, echoing slowly on the Cuju field.
"This passage of scripture praises the mind of compassion and encourages us to cultivate compassion, not to kill, not to harbor any intention to harm others, to abandon the desire to be competitive, and to save all sentient beings in the world with a compassionate heart. In this way, we can eventually eliminate resentment and obtain extraordinary rewards..." Jiang Luli spoke slowly, his expression solemn and his tone calm.
The villagers sat upright and listened attentively.
Although they are all simple and honest farmers, who spend their days with the soil, working from sunrise to sunset, their respect for Buddhist culture has long been ingrained in their bones and integrated into their daily lives.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were shining with concentration and piety, as if they wanted to deeply engrave every word of this scripture in their hearts.
A white-haired old man narrowed his eyes slightly, as if thinking deeply. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "Master Jiangshan, according to what you said, how can we put compassion into practice in our agricultural lives? Take the pests in the fields, for example. If we don't get rid of them, the crops will suffer from pests and we will not get any harvest. But does getting rid of the pests count as killing?"
The old man's words were full of confusion and bewilderment, causing everyone around him to nod in agreement. Obviously, this was also a long-standing question in their minds.
Jiang Luli gently twirled the Buddhist beads in his hand, his expression as calm as water. "Old man, the key lies in the original intention. If we eliminate insects to protect the crops we depend on for survival and to ensure food and clothing for our families, and if we do so without any malicious intent, then this does not conflict with the principles advocated by the scriptures. However, if we do it merely to vent our anger, or if we resort to excessive cruelty, then this goes against the very meaning of compassion."
After hearing this, everyone suddenly understood, a look of relief appeared on their faces, and the doubts in their hearts also dissipated.
At this time, a young man, his face flushed, stood up shyly, scratched his head, and asked, "Jiang Shanzhang, how should this indifference to winning and losing be reflected in our interactions with neighbors in the village? Sometimes, disputes are inevitable over trivial matters."
Jiang Luli smiled gently, a smile as warm and gentle as a spring breeze. "In this world, disputes often stem from obsession and the desire to win. If we can consider the other person's perspective during an argument, let go of our desire to win, and communicate peacefully, many conflicts will naturally be resolved. Just like the water flowing through the fields, it knows how to meander and avoid obstacles, so it can flow freely and endlessly."
The young man seemed to be thinking about something. He slowly sat down and thought to himself that he must learn to control his emotions in the future and not quarrel with his neighbors over trivial matters.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and silently warned themselves in their hearts that they should never get angry with their neighbors over trivial matters in the future. They should learn to be more considerate of others and value harmony.
A peasant woman at the side of the field sighed softly and whispered to the person next to her, "I'm always worried that my harvest won't compare to others, and I'm always anxious and restless. After listening to Master Jiangshan's words, I realized that it's all my obsession at work."
The woman next to her nodded in agreement, "Yes, this world's abundance isn't solely determined by material possessions, but rather by inner contentment. If we can view the bountiful harvests of others with compassion and treat our own with peace of mind, we will find inner peace and happiness."
As Jiang Luli's explanation deepened, the villagers' doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by a deeper understanding and appreciation of compassion and kindness. They understood that the wisdom of Buddhism was not a distant, unattainable castle in the air, but was closely related to their daily lives. Every subtle action and every inner decision contained the practice of compassion and kindness.
The afterglow of the setting sun, like a golden veil, gradually fell upon the Cuju field, casting a sacred aura over the figures. Jiang Luli gazed upon the simple, innocent villagers before him, a flood of emotion welling up in his heart. He knew that today's explanation had perhaps only planted a small seed in their hearts, but with careful nurturing and care, this seed would eventually take root, sprout, and flourish, filling the land of Taohua Village with an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
This lecture, which was spontaneous but seemed to have been planned for a long time, finally came to an end.
Gu Jiayue returned to the podium, her gaze slowly sweeping over the villagers below, her heart awash with emotion. These villagers were truly too simple and well-behaved; not a single one had caused trouble during the entire lecture.
She was a little uncomfortable with it.
It's unsound. How could there be no top-notch ones? Even Hua Pozi hadn't caused any trouble since she settled the matter with the Gu family. If he ran into Gu Jiayue on weekdays, he would just snort and turn his head away.
He didn't jump around or do anything incomprehensible.
Is this really because the entire Dagan believes in Buddhism?
I can't figure it out.
Then forget it.
Gu Jiayue gathered her thoughts and said loudly, "Everyone, today's lecture has ended. Now we have to proceed to the last and most important item - voting!"
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