Chapter 399: The Buddha Opens His Eyes (6k)
Whoosh——
The cold wind blew up the flag on the high platform, and the gold-painted word "Challenge" was particularly eye-catching under the Buddha's light in the sky.
"Zhao Duan?!"
On the high platform, the Red Sect master and the monk Banjin, who were sitting cross-legged in meditation, looked stunned. The latter even rarely lost his composure and called out his name.
There was an uproar in the square.
The plump nun who was left out and sitting in the front row of chairs was stunned for a moment, and her "wise eyes" stared at the young man who looked like a god, and her expression became extremely strange.
Prajna Bodhisattva turned his head and glanced at Abbot Xuanyin beside him.
Well... As expected of the abbot of the Shenlong Temple in the Heavenly Realm, the old monk Xuanyin just frowned slightly and did not express any opinion.
As Xuan Yin, he would not make any statement about such a change.
"Zhao Duan!" With a roar almost like a tiger's roar, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva suddenly stood up, and a majestic look appeared on his beardless face:
"Today I am having a Buddhist debate with the East and West. You are disrupting the venue. What do you want to do?"
After Zhao Duan's arrogant rebuke, he looked down at Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, whose muscles were muscular and who had a crescent-shaped Zen staff in his hand.
It was the first time for both parties to meet, but they already knew each other's portraits by heart.
"Bodhisattva Nagarjuna asked a good question. I would like to ask, what did your Shenlong Temple want to do when I went south before?" Zhao Duan asked with a cold face.
Long Shu felt suffocated for a moment, then he heard Zhao Duan continue to speak loudly:
"Also, Shenlong Temple promised to arrest the monk Dajing who assassinated me. So much time has passed, but where is he now?! Is he nowhere to be found, or is he hiding?"
"Envoy Zhao!"
On the stage, Bian Ji could not help but stand up, raised his hand to stop the raging Nagarjuna, put his hands together, and said sternly:
"Your Excellency is rightly indignant. Our Shenlong Temple is deeply ashamed of Dajing's inappropriate behavior. The abbot has already ordered monks from all temples to track down this person and provide appropriate compensation. Our Shenlong Temple has also taken the responsibility..."
Today is a debate, so please leave first. Once the debate is over, come back to the temple to discuss anything."
The other monks, including the nobles who were watching, also spoke up to persuade them.
Everyone thought that Zhao Duan was still furious after being assassinated before, so he launched a sudden attack on this critical day.
In front of the people from the Western Regions, he denounced the Shenlong Temple to vent his anger.
The latter was humiliated.
"You all seem to have misunderstood. Do you think I came here today just to disrupt the debate and embarrass Shenlong Temple?" Zhao Duan smiled. "Everyone in the capital knows that I'm a broad-minded person. How could I do such a frivolous thing?"
Broad-minded... Everyone was choked and couldn't say anything.
Zhao Duan held the flag beside him, looking serious:
"I'm here today not to settle a personal grudge, but to reason!"
He glanced at the monks and said loudly:
"Perhaps you didn't hear clearly just now. Let me reiterate, I'm here today solely to debate! In my opinion, anyone who misinterprets the true meaning of Buddhism and arrogantly fights for so-called 'orthodoxy' is simply laughable! I'm not targeting anyone, but you... and you..."
Zhao Duan raised his hand, pointing towards the Shenlong Temple, and then towards the Five Monks of the Western Regions, with an arrogant look:
“It’s all garbage!”
boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the square. The Red Sect master's smile froze and his eyes were filled with confusion.
This empress's male favorite, a military officer from the State of Yu, publicly declared that both Eastern and Western Buddhism were wrong? And he wanted to come to a debate?
One on two, refute both of them together?
“Arrogant!”
"This thief is despicable!"
"Get him out of here!"
Many hot-blooded monks were furious and shouted loudly, but Zhao Duan remained motionless, as if saying, "If you have the guts, come and attack me."
"Abbot...what do you think we should do..." Monk Nagarjuna was stunned for a moment, and as if he was thinking about something, his anger dissipated.
He turned around and asked Xuan Yin for instructions.
He was angry at first because he thought Zhao Duan was looking for trouble with him.
Now that he found that this madman had ignored him, he suddenly realized that there was no need for him to get involved in this matter and he should leave it to Xuan Yin to give him a headache.
Prajna Bodhisattva was happy to watch the fun, so he suppressed his inner wonder and said:
"Abbot, please make a decision."
The old monk Xuanyin glanced at the two of them and suddenly spoke, his old voice suppressing the commotion in the square:
"The Buddha is not the Buddha of one person, but the Buddha of all the world. Debating the Sutras is not limited to two schools of thought; it can encompass all things. Since Mr. Zhao has a unique perspective, it's worth a try."
Many people were stunned. They didn’t expect that Abbot Xuanyin would agree!
However, upon closer thought, it is not surprising.
Zhao Duan's identity is too special, and not long ago, the empress destroyed the Shenlong Temple with a sword for Zhao Duan. At this juncture, conflict must be avoided.
Moreover, the traditional rules of Buddhist debates do not have any restrictions. Even non-Buddhists have participated in Buddhist debates, which is not uncommon in history.
"Holy monk... look..."
Bian Ji's expression changed and he looked a little uneasy.
He had personally witnessed the last time when Mr. Zhengyang surrendered without a fight and the birth of the School of Mind, and he knew that Zhao Duan was a very evil person.
But the abbot had already spoken, so he could only look at the Western monks expectantly - if the other party rejected it, it would be best if the Western monks came forward to drive Zhao Duan away.
However, after the initial surprise, the Red Sect Master's old monkey-like face suddenly looked at Zhao Duan for a moment, and nodded unexpectedly:
"I've also heard that Envoy Zhao of Yu is a man of profound learning, a pioneer in Confucianism. Now that Abbot Xuanyin has spoken, why not postpone our debate between East and West for now? I'd also like to hear Envoy Zhao's opinions first."
The Saint Monk from the Western Regions also agreed?!
Bian Ji took a deep breath, suppressed his anxiety, brushed his sleeves and sat down cross-legged again, saying coldly:
"Your Excellency claims that my Eastern and Western Buddhist teachings are completely wrong. Why do you think so?"
Zhao Duan smiled slightly. Seeing that the square had quieted down, he threw out his first sentence, which made the monks look surprised.
"I've heard that this isn't the first time Eastern and Western Buddhism have debated Buddhist scriptures. The so-called differences in orthodoxy are simply over 'methods of practice.'"
"The Buddhist teachings of the Western Regions ancestral temple have a profound origin, originating from the worship of the Buddha by ignorant people... From this origin, many rituals and ceremonies evolved...
Therefore, the monks of the ancestral temple in the Western Regions pay attention to "holding the appearance" in their practice, that is, strictly following the rituals of worshiping the gods. Whether casting spells or meditating in daily practice, they all follow the ancient methods...
Later, Buddhism spread eastward. Thousands of years ago, Maya traveled from west to east, and Buddhist believers appeared across the Central Plains... This is the origin of the Shenlong Temple lineage. After Maya traveled east, his understanding of Buddhism also changed..."
"The opening of the Mind Contemplation Sutra records that someone asked: If someone aspires to seek the Buddha's path, what method should he practice that is most concise and essential?"
"The practitioner Maya replied: 'Only the practice of observing the mind encompasses all actions and is the most concise and essential. What is observing the mind? The mind is the root of all phenomena. All phenomena arise from the mind alone. If one can understand the mind, all actions will be complete...'"
Zhao Duan stood on the high platform and talked eloquently, starting with explaining the process of the evolution and divergence of Eastern and Western Buddhism in this world.
"What does that mean? Maya practitioners believe that the fundamentals of Buddhism lie in meditation and observing the mind, discerning good from evil, and using the wisdom bestowed by the Buddha to eliminate evil and cultivate good. Only then can one 'see the nature of the mind' and attain 'Buddha nature'...
The most important thing about chanting Buddha's name is the effort of chanting. It is not just the verbal chanting of "Amitabha Buddha", but the inner thoughts and feelings, which are close to the Buddha nature.
The clearer your mind is, the less your wisdom will be obscured by worldly matters. The more profound the Dharma becomes, the closer you become to the Buddha, the greater the power you gain from your practice will also be..."
"Therefore, the so-called dispute over orthodoxy between the Western Regions and the Shenlong Temple is nothing more than a struggle between two cultivation methods."
After he finished speaking, the nobles around him were a little surprised:
Is it true that Lord Zhao is here to debate? These words clearly show that he has studied Buddhist history.
Bian Ji frowned and interrupted:
"What do you mean by telling me all this history? A debate is not about listening to you talk about history."
Zhao Duan smiled and ignored him, but suddenly changed the subject:
"Well, if we say that hundreds of years ago, when the two factions first started arguing, it was still a battle of ideologies, but over the past few hundred years, with countless debates of varying sizes, the so-called debate has long since evolved from a battle of ideologies to a mere verbal battle!"
After a pause, Zhao Duan angrily criticized:
"Today's Buddhist scholars... those who lecture and compile texts have become so prolific and complex... The best of them may reach maturity when they are old, while the middle and lower-class may not reach maturity until they are old. The Vinaya texts are naturally lost, and the reading of the commentaries takes a lifetime, passed down from master to disciple, and used as a model.
When discussing chapters and paragraphs, he would repeat the rules, and when describing the conclusions, he would return to the sentences. ... Moreover, the author intended it to be easy to understand, so how could he deliberately use secret words and then make them into ridicules? "
In the past few days, after Zhao Duan carefully studied the Buddhist teachings of this world, he found that it had many similarities with a period of history in the world he was familiar with.
There have also been similar long debates between localized doctrines and original doctrines.
This is not surprising, because the development of things follows certain laws.
Although the world is different, certain general laws, such as the law that dynasties will eventually unite after a long period of division, and will eventually divide after a long period of unity..., still exist.
His criticism was the exact same words that were refuted by Yijing, a great monk who had gone to India to seek Buddhist scriptures.
The general idea is that in the process of evolution, Buddhism gradually became more and more "academic", and Buddhism was confined to temples and could not go beyond the temples.
It's a bit...heartbreaking...
Sure enough, when they heard that Zhao Duan suddenly opened fire and attacked the Buddhist teachings of the Jin Yu Kingdom, the faces of the people from the Shenlong Temple changed.
But besides being angry, there was also a sense of guilt.
Yes, guilty conscience!
Because what Zhao Duan said was indeed a real problem.
The Red Sect master narrowed his eyes, said nothing, and observed the monks of Shenlong Temple with great interest.
Monk Bianji's face was as gloomy as water. After Zhao Duan finished his attack, he said in a deep voice:
"According to what you said, the Dharma is now confined to the temples. You think that is not right. Well, regardless of whether what you said is right or not, we would like to hear your opinion. In your opinion, if the Dharma is not in the temples, where else can it be?"
"Yes, where is it?" a monk in the audience echoed.
"You said it's wrong for us to study Buddhism in the temple. Then tell me, where should we study it?"
Everyone was indignant.
Zhao Duan stood facing the wind, smiling faintly at the voices of doubt. He had anticipated the immediate reaction. When the doubts gradually subsided, he spoke, calmly and forcefully uttering five words:
“Dharma is in the world!”
…
Buddhism is in the world!
Inside the Guanshui Tower, all the civil and military officials of the imperial court gathered. After Zhao Duan came on stage, a riot broke out.
Because the empress was slow to express her opinion, the officials had to endure it even though they were curious like a kitten scratching their head.
Then, they were shocked to see that Xuan Yin and the Red Sect Master actually agreed to Zhao Duan’s unreasonable request to participate in the debate.
Then, Zhao Duan's long attack was clearly heard by everyone, and everyone was relatively calm at first.
Until the words "Buddhism exists in the world" were uttered.
In an instant, the expressions of several officials changed suddenly!
The most obvious change in expression was that of the Imperial Censor Yuan Li, who had frosty hair on his temples and a clear demeanor.
As a rare court official who was well versed in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Yuan Li was a bohemian man in his youth and made friends with monks and Taoists. Therefore, he realized the murderous intent contained in these five seemingly ordinary words before other officials!
"Mr. Yuan?" Mo Chou looked at him in surprise, humbly asking for advice:
"Is there something wrong with what Lord Zhao said?"
brush--
In an instant, everyone, including Xu Zhenguan and Princess Wenzhu, looked at Yuan Li.
Although the empress had profound cultivation and was no less knowledgeable than any other man in the world, Xu Zhenguan ultimately devoted most of his energy to cultivation and government affairs.
As the saying goes, every profession has its own expertise. She is very familiar with Buddhist magic and supernatural powers, but she may not be proficient in Buddhist theories.
As for Princess Wenzhu, although she has been in the Western Regions for a long time, to be honest... she only has a rough understanding of these difficult things.
"Could Lord Yuan help me clear up my confusion?"
Xu Zhenguan's heart moved and he asked.
Based on her understanding of Zhao Duan, after her initial surprise, she guessed that Zhao Duan's sudden appearance must have some purpose.
It was because of this almost blind trust that she did not speak up to stop it.
Yuan Li came back to his senses and looked at the Empress with an extremely serious expression, even with a hint of excitement:
"Your Majesty, if my guess is correct, Lord Zhao is currently doing something of great importance, something that will benefit the country and its people, and will have an impact for generations to come!"
Xu Zhenguan was stunned. That guy...
Princess Wenzhu looked suspicious, suspecting that the emperor and his minister were playing a trick on her. Wasn't it agreed that the concubine was just a gilded straw bag? Why are you all so serious?
"What's the big deal?"
Xu Zhenguan subconsciously asked, but Yuan Li shook his head, looking forward, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of the chair:
"I'm still unsure. I need to hear what Lord Zhao has to say next."
Xu Zhenguan pursed his lips and looked forward again.
…
"Is Buddhism in the world?" The Red Sect master frowned and asked:
"What do you mean by that?"
A qualified supporting actor...
Zhao Duan smiled slightly and gradually entered the speech state. He said loudly:
"For millennia, the core issue discussed in Buddhism has been nothing more than 'how to become a Buddha.' Setting aside the question of practitioners, let me ask you, how do Buddhist believers achieve Buddhahood?"
Bian Ji and the Red Sect master frowned and did not answer immediately.
However, a monk in the audience could not stand it and shouted, "We should give alms and accumulate merit!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Zhao Duan smiled.
"The Tantra records a story about Emperor Liang of the previous dynasty, who was building temples. One day, the monk Maya was talking with the emperor. The emperor asked, 'I have spent my life building temples, ordaining monks, and giving alms and holding vegetarian feasts. What merit have I gained?' Maya replied, 'I have gained none.'"
"Emperor Liang built countless Buddhist temples, was so kind to Buddhism, and made so many donations, but Maya said he had no merit... This shows that cultivating merit in Buddhism is not about cultivating blessings, but about cultivating the Dharma body."
The monk was confused for a moment.
Zhao Duan jokingly said, "It seems that you, a monk, are not serious about chanting the sutras. Even a layman like me cannot read the sutras as well as I do."
The monk blushed.
Zhao Duan smiled and said, "To become a Buddha, one does not need to cultivate merit. In my opinion, becoming a Buddha is just a matter of a thought. If one is not enlightened, then one is just an ordinary being. When one has enlightenment in a single thought, then all beings are Buddhas!"
Become a Buddha in one thought!
Before anyone could react, Zhao Duan's speech suddenly quickened. He pointed to the sky:
"Just as rain does not come from the sky, but is drawn by the Dragon King from the rivers and seas, moistening all living beings, all plants and trees, all sentient and non-sentient beings. ... The wisdom of Prajna is like this in all living beings."
Translated, everyone has the opportunity to become a Buddha, just as all living beings have equal opportunities to receive rain.
Bian Ji questioned loudly and interrupted forcefully: "No, why do you think that sentient beings only need sudden enlightenment and no hard work to become Buddhas?"
Zhao Duan spoke without hesitation, sonorous and powerful: "The nature of the world is pure, just like the clear sky!"
He said loudly:
"The nature of the world is pure, like the clear sky; wisdom is like the sun, and intelligence is like the moon. Wisdom is always bright. When we are attached to external things, false thoughts cover us like floating clouds, and our true nature cannot be clear..."
"According to this Dharma, from the beginning, both sudden and gradual methods have established no-thought as the main principle, no-form as the essence, and no-dwelling as the basis."
"What does 'no thought', 'no form', and 'no dwelling' mean?"
Zhao Duan asked and answered himself:
"One who has no thoughts of dharma sees all dharmas without being attached to any dharma."
He looked around at the crowd again and sneered, "Both Eastern and Western Buddhism emphasize the practice of sitting meditation, believing it can calm the mind. I disagree. If the mind is calm, why observe the precepts? If the conduct is upright, why practice meditation?"
“…at all times, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down, always practice a straight mind.”
"Thus, concentration has nowhere to enter, wisdom has nowhere to rely on; every movement of your hands and feet is always in the place of the Dhamma."
…
Water Viewing Tower.
As Zhao Duan spoke with full force, his voice overwhelmed the entire audience, turning the entire debate venue into his own podium.
The thoughts of the court officials, who had been able to barely keep up, gradually became disconnected and their eyes became confused.
"Mr. Yuan... I can understand what Lord Zhao said just now, but what does this mean now?" an official couldn't help but ask.
Xu Zhenguan also looked over.
She was also having trouble keeping up with what was being said!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yuan Li's face became increasingly rosy, and she became increasingly...excited! Thrilled!
"His Majesty……"
Yuan Li swallowed his saliva, first glanced at Princess Wenzhu, then organized his words and said:
"You don't need to understand the specific meaning of what Lord Zhao said, nor is it important. Your Majesty only needs to know that what Lord Zhao said is somewhat similar to the Zen teachings of Prajna Bodhisattva. However, the teachings that Prajna Bodhisattva once upheld are far less complete and perfect than what Lord Zhao has described."
Xu Zhenguan was stunned. "Prajna... that theory of sudden enlightenment she upholds?"
Yuan Li nodded and said:
"Buddhist cultivation can be divided into gradual enlightenment and sudden enlightenment. The Western Regions Zuting and the Xuanyin Abbot both adhere to the gradual enlightenment theory, believing that those who want to cultivate Buddhism need to practice diligently day by day. However, the sudden enlightenment theory favored by the Prajna Bodhisattva emphasizes spirituality, believing that one can become a Buddha in a moment of sudden enlightenment...
However, Lord Zhao took it a step further, arguing that ordinary people's worship of Buddha, as well as their daily actions and behaviors, can all be considered as spiritual practice. Sudden enlightenment is not limited to monks in Buddhist temples; even monks working in the fields are practicing Buddhism and can experience sudden enlightenment.
He quickly explained the general meaning, and then said excitedly:
"However, these are not important. I just said that Lord Zhao is doing something important. The real meaning is that this theory of sudden enlightenment is extremely beneficial to the court! It will also benefit the Western Regions!"
Princess Wenzhu's ears pricked up, and Xu Zhenguan's face turned serious:
"Mr. Yuan, please speak!"
Yuan Li said seriously:
"Your Majesty, are you aware that after the imperial court banned Buddhism some time ago, many voices of dissatisfaction with the imperial court have arisen among the people?"
Xu Zhenguan nodded and sighed, "The court forbids the people from worshipping Buddha, so naturally there will be complaints."
Yuan Li sighed:
"That's right. The custom of worshipping Buddha has lasted for thousands of years and it cannot be stopped by a single imperial decree.
Your Majesty's ban on Buddhism is not out of dissatisfaction with the Buddha, nor is it out of dissatisfaction with the people who worship Buddha throughout the world. Rather, it is because the monks of Shenlong Temple acted recklessly, and Your Majesty is simply punishing these monks with impure intentions...
But the people are unaware of this and will only be dissatisfied with the court... If this matter is not handled properly, it will inevitably alienate some people...
Lord Zhao has clearly realized this, and therefore, he's using today's debate to promote the idea of becoming a Buddha in a single thought, the idea of sudden enlightenment... Once this spreads, the common people won't need to go to temples to worship Buddha anymore, and monks won't necessarily need to gather in temples to practice..."
Yuan Li spoke cryptically.
But the officials present were all smart people, so how could they not understand?
What was it about Shenlong Temple that the imperial court feared most? Was it the powerful cultivators led by Xuan Yin? Yes, but also no.
Because those who practice strong cultivation can provide checks and balances.
What the imperial court feared was that the monks gathered in temples across the country, who had gradually become an uncontrollable force.
It is precisely because of this force that Shenlong Temple has the confidence to think about swallowing up the Western Regions and promoting integration.
Only Bodhisattva Nagarjuna and Master Mahajan had the courage to take action against the imperial court.
Therefore, after the empress realized this, she took advantage of the opportunity of Zhao Duan's assassination to ban Buddhism.
But if the word "ban" is not handled properly, it will be a big trouble. The Shenlong Temple is easy to control in the capital, but what about the many temples in the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures of Dayu?
Can't we just keep blocking them? If we forcibly disband them, they will become another restless force and will be used by the Eight Kings.
The solution proposed by Zhao Duan was to complete the existing but imperfect theory of Prajna Bodhisattva.
Because the idea that "everyone can become a Buddha through sudden enlightenment" is too tempting to believers, once it is promoted, people will accept it on their own.
Once this theory becomes popular, it means that monks can practice at home and do not have to practice in the temple, which will greatly weaken the prestige of temples headed by Shenlong Temple.
The authority to practice Buddhism will be distributed to everyone from the temples.
Moreover, Zhao Duan's high-profile criticism today is equivalent to telling everyone that the court's ban on Buddhism does not mean that you cannot worship Buddha or practice, but it is just to disintegrate the small group of people who are in charge of the temples.
The worship of Buddha in temples is suppressed, but folk sacrifices are allowed.
It will also greatly ease the people's hostility towards the court.
"Therefore... Lord Zhao's actions this time are deeply intentional. They are intended to resolve potential problems for the court and calm public opinion. Similarly, they are also indirectly supporting Prajna..."
Yuan Li stopped there.
The escape of Master Dajing means that there is one less person who can check and balance Xuan Yin in Shenlong Temple.
Therefore, as long as Prajna is supported, it is equivalent to filling the position of Dajing, so that the power in Xuanyin's hands will still be divided.
Moreover, the emergence of a new theory will make the already difficult things even more impossible to merge...
"Master Zhao, this is killing two birds with one stone."
Yuan Li sighed with a complicated look in his eyes.
Who would have thought that the little pawn he casually promoted a few months ago would now be sincerely addressed as "Sir" by him, the party leader?
The empress's beautiful eyes lit up when she heard this.
Princess Wenzhu next to her was stunned.
"Now, the only thing missing is the most crucial step, which is whether this set of words can gain the approval of the Buddha. If not, I am afraid that all his hard work today will be greatly reduced in effectiveness, or even wasted."
Yuan Li suddenly became worried.
Only then did everyone wake up.
Yes.
This is not preaching, but a debate. If Zhao Duan loses, then no matter how well he speaks, it will be of little significance.
Thinking of this, everyone looked towards the square again.
…
At this moment, Zhao Duan's long speech has come to an end.
Bian Ji's expression completely changed. With his intelligence, how could he not guess Zhao Duan's sinister intentions? He couldn't help but interrupt.
"Zhao..."
"Ahem," suddenly, the Red Sect master spoke up, interrupting Bian Ji and asking, "As you said, how should ordinary monks practice?"
This supporting actor...is he cooperating with me so well?
Zhao Duan glanced at the old monkey in surprise, thought for a moment, and then recited in a serious tone:
“Love means caring for one’s parents, and righteousness means compassion for those above and below.
When people yield, the high and the low live in harmony; when people are tolerant, there will be no noise from evil.
If you can lock the wood and bring out the fire, red lotus will surely grow in the mud.
Bitter medicine is good medicine, and unpleasant words are always honest advice.
Correcting one's mistakes will lead to wisdom, while protecting one's shortcomings is not a sign of virtue.
In daily life, one should always do good deeds; enlightenment is not achieved by giving money."
After a pause, Zhao Duan looked around at everyone and said calmly:
“Thus have I heard: if one sees all things as not being things, then one sees the Tathagata.”
The words fell.
The whole audience was silent.
Suddenly, without any warning, ripples appeared in the sky. Everyone looked up in surprise and remembered that there was a huge Buddha head floating in the sky.
The next moment, someone exclaimed, "The Buddha... opened his eyes!!!"
——
The typos will be corrected first and then the content of the debate will be completed. The main chapter of 6,700 words is now written.
Thanks to the book friend Xin Zhi Ai Shang for the 500-point reward and support! !
(End of this chapter)
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