Chapter 492: "Tianhu's Destruction of Buddhism" Six Hundred Years Ago (6k)
rustle……
The summer breeze blew through the lush canopy of the banyan tree, and golden sunlight danced in the cool gaps in the shade on the ground.
Zhao Duan thought he would be nervous when he saw the Taoist master again after such a long time.
But perhaps because of Zhang Yan's gentle voice, appearance and smile, his originally nervous and uneasy mood suddenly relaxed, and the distance between them suddenly shortened. He had the illusion that the last time they met was just a short time ago.
"I am honored to meet Master Zhang." Zhao Duan bowed respectfully.
Just like the old man playing chess and dozing off under a tree at the entrance of a Beijing alley in summer, Zhang Tianshi jokingly said:
"It's not like you to be so formal and polite. This isn't the first time I've met you, young friend. There's no need to be so formal. Just treat yourself as if you're at home."
That’s what you said... Zhao Duan took a deep breath, as if he had become a different person. He walked over casually and sat down in the empty bamboo chair.
He also picked up a yellow duck pear from the fruit plate on the table and took a bite. It was juicy, sweet and quite delicious. His eyes lit up and he took another bite before mumbling:
"Since you said that, Lao Zhang, I won't be polite."
The big banyan tree that was secretly watching overhead was stunned.
Looking across the world, how many people could be so presumptuous in front of the Heavenly Master? Even the most favored Golden Sceptre couldn't be more arrogant than this, right?
Zhang Yan was at a loss for words: "You're really rude."
Snap, snap... Zhao Duan showed off a pear, but still not satisfied, he picked up a peach, rolled his eyes, and retorted:
"When you were having sex with me for free, you weren't polite to me."
The legendary old Taoist priest's prestige had already collapsed in front of him.
Zhang Yan coughed lightly, interrupting his conversation about "freeloading" and said unhappily:
"The city is in turmoil right now, and there are so many things waiting for you. How can you find the time to come here and ask for money?"
Zhao Duan supported himself on the ground with his legs and elbows, leaning forward slightly. He took a bite of a peach, then raised his head and said suspiciously:
"Didn't you predict I would come? Why ask when you already know? I came here to thank you in person for sending Jin Jian and the others to rescue me. Secondly, I also want to ask why."
Zhang Yan half-lay down, half-sat, his hands folded on his abdomen, and smiled:
"It's my first time meeting someone who came empty-handed to thank me."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, pointed his chin in the direction of Shenlong Temple, and said confidently:
"I just destroyed the Shenlong Temple. Isn't this a great gift?"
Shenlong Temple and Tianshi Mansion have been rivals for many years. The imperial court's suppression of Buddhism will undoubtedly benefit the Tianshi Mansion lineage.
Zhang Yan smiled, shook his head and sighed:
"If my disciples were half as clever as you, we wouldn't have to worry about the Tianshi Mansion suffering in the future. Okay, I'll consider it a gift. So, how do you explain the 'why'?"
Zhao Duan spat out the peach pit, wiped his fingers with a handkerchief, and said seriously:
"Old Zhang, I've thought about it again and again. Even though you've taken advantage of me before, and I've helped Jin Jian and Gongshu Tianyuan before, when all is said and done, you've already paid me back what you owe me. But this time, you've taken the initiative to send someone to rescue me, and even interfered in worldly struggles to do so... I don't understand this."
Zhang Yan smiled: "Isn't this good?"
"Oh, there's a saying in my hometown that all gifts are secretly marked with a price... You're helping me like this, and I can't figure out what you're trying to gain. I can't sleep well." Zhao Duan sighed.
"Let me make it clear first, forget about my body. I belong to your Majesty in life and I will be your Majesty's dead in death. I will never switch jobs to come to your Tianshi Mansion."
Zhang Yanyi had a strange expression on his face. He looked at him with a smile in his clear eyes. After a while, he shook his head and said,
"You've already explained the reason. I do have the intention of taking you in, so naturally, I don't want you to die in the dynastic struggle."
"That's all?" Zhao Duan was suspicious. Old Zhang went to so much trouble just to get something for nothing and cherish his talent?
"That's all." The old Taoist nodded, his expression natural.
Zhao Duan was full of disbelief, always feeling that Lao Deng's motives were not pure, but since Lao Zhang was determined to cherish his talent, he really couldn't get anything out of him.
"So, if you're just curious, then you've already got your answer. Regarding the Baihua Village incident, Zhong Pan has already sent me a letter via Feihe. They didn't put in much effort. Now that His Majesty has been promoted, this incident should have never happened. You don't have to feel like you're owed any favor." Zhang Yanyi was surprisingly easy to talk to.
"If you have nothing else to do, go ahead and get busy."
Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then pondered, "One more thing..."
He reached into his bosom and took out the page of the golden scripture: "This thing was given to me by the head monk of the Sutra Repository. Do you recognize it?"
He hesitated again and again, and felt that he could ask Lao Zhang while it was safe. Since it involved the old bald donkey Xuanyin, he had to be cautious.
"The Wordless Golden Scripture, this is it." Zhang Yan hummed, a little emotionally, "It's still there, not destroyed by the Mysterious Seal."
"Do you recognize this thing?" Zhao Duan perked up: "Why would Xuan Yin destroy it?"
His intuition told him that there were secrets to be discovered.
Zhang Yan nodded, his tone rather pretentiously saying, "Just some old things."
He started talking but kept silent, as if he was just trying to keep you in suspense.
Zhao Duan cursed Lao Deng's incoherence in his heart, but suddenly a bright smile appeared on his face. He stood up eagerly, picked up the teapot respectfully, poured a cup for Lao Zhang, and handed it to him personally with both hands, with a humble attitude of "inviting the big boss for tea":
"I've loved listening to stories since I was a child. Could you please tell me a few, Master?"
Old Zhang one second, Heavenly Master the next... The bastards who roamed the court were all black when their hearts were cut open... Zhang Yanyi was amused by his arrogant and then respectful attitude, but still reluctantly took the teacup, took a sip, and recalled:
"This also involves the conflict between the Western Buddhist sect and the Central Plains Taoist sect six hundred years ago... Well, the reason Xuan Yin was able to conceal his identity as a 'God of Law' while also cultivating the 'Heavenly Way' from the world... is also directly related to this."
Zhao Duan's expression changed slightly and he became serious.
He always had doubts about why Xuan Yin could create a substitute for "God of Law". Zhen Bao was not sure, but Lao Zhang acted as if he knew the reason.
"Senior, please explain in detail!" Zhao Duan urged.
Zhang Yan glanced at him and said calmly, "Do you know how to enter the realm of human immortals by ascending from heaven to heaven?"
No, you're getting off topic. You shouldn't keep us in suspense like this... Zhao Duan shook his head honestly: "I don't know."
Zhang Yanyi sighed, "I don't know either."
"..." Zhao Duan had a blank expression on his face, and felt like flipping the table.
Zhang Yan smiled and said:
"Don't be impatient. How to become a human immortal is something that powerful people in every dynasty have painstakingly sought and explored. This is because the last human immortal in the legend is too far away from the present, and no replicable path has been left.
Therefore, various schools have proposed many ideas for advancement, and many years ago, two theories were prevalent in the Western Buddhist community.
"Two possible ways to become a human immortal?"
Zhao Duan was curious: "What is it?"
Well, even though he had just entered the world, it didn’t stop him from being interested.
Zhang Yanyi said slowly:
"The first is the concept of replacing gods. You should know why gods exist in this world. It's because of the widespread belief among the people. When enough people believe that a certain god exists, this desire will lead to the birth of a god.
The power of the 'human immortal realm' is comparable to that of a god. In other words, perhaps the true meaning of the human immortal realm is how a human can become a god."
A human becoming a god? A human immortal? Zhao Duan suddenly recalled the imperial lineage of the Yu Kingdom. The "God of War" lineage created by Emperor Taizu, wasn't that a symbol of a human becoming a god?
However, Lao Xu's "God of War" inheritance does not seem to require the faith and willpower of any living beings.
No… The Martial God inheritance itself doesn't possess it, but the Emperor's status does… Zhen Bao was originally a half-step Celestial Being, but because he was given the title of Emperor, his combat power is comparable to that of a fully formed Celestial Being… The Fengshan ceremony also uses the throne to forcibly impact one's realm…
Isn’t the concept of “emperor” a “concept” that is recognized by countless people all over the world?
To some extent, the "Emperor" himself is a kind of "God", so as long as he is crowned as an emperor, he can gain a certain enhancement of his cultivation...
For example, after Zhen Bao was promoted, it seemed that to a certain extent, he had mastered a kind of effect similar to the king's "mouth holding the law of heaven" and "his words are followed by the law"...
"Thought of it?" Zhang Yan couldn't help but smile when he saw Zhao Duan suddenly lost in thought:
"It seems you have realized the reason why the emperor possesses great power."
Zhao Duan took a deep breath:
"So, the emperor is a god in a sense, but the concept of the emperor can be inherited by different people. Is the method that Buddhism came up with similar to this, allowing monks to replace the concept of gods?"
Zhang Yan smiled and nodded, with a teachable demeanor:
"Yes. However, this idea was not first proposed by Buddhism. The Central Plains Taoist sect had already had this idea long ago."
Zhao Duan frowned and said, "But how can this be done? God is not the 'throne' where anyone can sit..."
Zhang Yan smiled and said:
"Is it difficult? It is indeed difficult. But it is not impossible. As long as we give it enough time and let enough living beings recognize a living cultivator as a god, perhaps it will work."
Let the people of the world regard a living person as a god?
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and complained in his heart:
What kind of incense can make you a god?
Immediately, a sudden flash of inspiration came to his mind:
"The Dharma King of the Western Regions... I remember that area, from the earliest times, people in that region constantly claimed that the Dharma King was the reincarnation of a god..."
Zhang Yan nodded and sighed:
"Yes, that was an attempt, and it did produce results. The current Dharma King of the Western Regions, whose cultivation has not yet reached the level of a celestial being, has the ability to fight against the Mysterious Seal with this method similar to that of the Emperor. However... there are limitations. Once the Dharma King leaves the Western Regions, his cultivation will plummet.
In particular, over the past few hundred years, Shenlong Temple has revised the Buddhist scriptures, changing the origin of the Dharma King from an incarnation of a god to the Buddha's earliest follower on earth...
Therefore, it is not easy for the Dharma King to maintain his current state, but he is unable to make further progress. No one knows whether this method can really lead to the human immortal state.
So this is the case... No wonder the Eastern and Western Buddhist sects have always wanted to merge... Could this be the reason? Zhao Duan suddenly realized.
He then frowned and said, "So, this first option ultimately failed because the conditions for achieving it were too harsh. What about the second option?"
Zhang Yanyi said calmly:
"The second method is 'harmony between heaven and man'. That is, a true god is merely a concept, without a 'personality'. If a god is given a personality, perhaps the lofty god can be secularized, allowing it to be controlled by a cultivator. If one can fully control a god and merge it with oneself, one may become a human immortal."
Ah, this... this idea is completely opposite to the previous one.
One is to turn humans into gods and steal the "god's throne", and the other is to reduce gods to humans... humans control gods... Well, it just so happens that the realm below human immortals is called "celestial beings", which sounds a bit logical...
Zhao Duan was curious: "Then how do we personify the gods? Secularize them?"
Zhang Yan smiled and said:
"Just make a statue. For example, the Buddha originally had no face and was the embodiment of the concept of 'wisdom.' But as long as we artificially create a 'statue' for the Buddha, and then use hundreds of years to make everyone in the world recognize that the 'Buddha' is the appearance of that statue, then..."
Zhao Duan was startled, and in his mind, he recalled the scene when he looked into the eyes of the huge statue of the Buddha in the Shenlong Temple not long ago.
He felt something was wrong at the time, and now that he was awakened, he suddenly realized:
The statue of the Buddha in the hall has eyebrows, eyes and temperament that are quite similar to those of the old bald monk Xuanyin!
Then, he realized that there seemed to be no statue of the "Heavenly Way" in the Tianshi Mansion.
In this world, there is no concept of deity statues like the "Three Pure Ones of Taoism".
Zhao Duan swallowed his saliva: "So, this method..."
Zhang Yanyi said calmly, "Of course it didn't succeed."
Yes, Buddhism has been making statues of gods for too many years, but none of the celestial cultivators in the past dynasties have ever stepped into the realm of "human immortal"... It can be seen that this path is a dead end.
Zhao Duan frowned. "Old Zhang... Senior, weren't you going to talk about something that happened six hundred years ago? So, what does that have to do with what we're talking about now?"
He felt that the topic was off track!
Zhang Yan glanced at him, as if he thought the young man was too impatient:
"Although this latter method has not been successful, it's not completely hopeless. About six hundred years ago, Ksitigarbha, the Dharma King of the Western Regions, proposed a hypothesis. The reason this latter method failed was because it lacked a key element: the 'World Honored One' was incomplete."
"Incomplete? What does that mean?" Zhao Duan asked curiously.
Zhang Yanyi didn't answer, but just shook the empty teacup.
“…”
Zhao Duan quickly stuck his butt out again, pretending to be the younger brother, and filled his glass.
The old Taoist priest nodded with satisfaction and said:
"The word 'worldly venerable god' originally refers to 'wisdom', and 'wisdom' is something only living beings can possess. Between heaven and earth, the most 'wise' being is naturally man, and man is personified.
The Buddhist practice of erecting statues and burning incense to worship Buddha only further secularizes it. To achieve the 'unity of heaven and man', the 'human' part alone is not enough; the 'heaven' part must also be added."
Zhao Duan's mind flashed with inspiration, and he blurted out:
"Heavenly Dao? The Daoist sect's main deity, 'Heavenly Dao', refers to the laws of nature. Doesn't that correspond perfectly to 'Heaven'? Therefore, if one wants to advance to the Human Immortal stage, cultivating 'World Honored' alone isn't enough. One must also cultivate 'Heavenly Dao'. Only then can one achieve unity between Heaven and Man and strive for the Human Immortal stage?"
Zhang Yanyi nodded slowly:
"This speculation was only proposed by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. As to whether it is feasible, no one has yet to confirm it."
Isn't this just like combining cards? Combining two one-star cards into a two-star... Zhao Duan was speechless.
Zhang Yanyi continued:
"At that time, six hundred years ago, the Central Plains was engulfed in war and chaos. The previous dynasty had collapsed, and the new one had yet to be established. To verify his suspicions, Ksitigarbha Dharma King, who was in the Western Regions, secretly did something significant. He took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to secretly hunt down Taoist sorcerers."
Huh? Zhao Duan was taken aback when he heard this. "Hunting Taoist sorcerers?!"
Zhang Yanyi nodded with a sad expression, sighing:
"Yes, it was a time of chaos, a perfect opportunity for him to take action. Ksitigarbha Dharma King was cultivating the Buddha, and he didn't dare to easily switch to the Heavenly Way, otherwise he would run into trouble... Oh, you will understand this later. After reaching the Heavenly Realm, you can only cultivate one deity.
So, he captured a Taoist sorcerer and used a special method to test his guess.
Initially, this incident did not attract much attention, as disappearances and deaths were commonplace during the war. However, as more and more sorcerers disappeared, and their identities became increasingly high, this incident finally attracted the attention of various Taoist sects throughout the world...
After finding out the truth, the Daoists of the Central Plains were furious. The major sects that had been scattered and each of them was busy with their own affairs put aside their past grudges, joined forces for revenge, and began to hunt down and destroy the Buddha...
The Heavenly Master of my generation in the Heavenly Master Mansion even went down the mountain for this reason, and together with some powerful sorcerers at that time, they joined forces to march into the Western Regions, killed Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and forced the Buddhist sect to completely abandon this attempt.
However, the losses were also extremely heavy. This incident occurred during the Tianshu year, hence the name "Tianshu's Destruction of Buddhism."
Tianshou destroyed Buddhism? Zhao Duan was stunned when he heard this. This was a history he had never known.
At least it has not been seen in the existing public history books... Yes, this incident is not the official history of the world, but a dispute that only exists in the world of cultivation... Perhaps because all parties are unwilling to mention it, it is rarely seen in paper.
And six hundred years ago... it happened to be the time when Emperor Taizu of the Yu Kingdom, Old Xu, rose to power, conquered the world, and established the Yu Kingdom.
It was also... the era of Pei Niannu, the foremost female sorceress at that time...
Zhao Duan was suddenly stunned.
Because he suddenly remembered that in the "Six Chapter Sutra", Pei Niannu appeared in a dilapidated ancient temple.
In the battle of Baihua Village, facing Buddhist monks such as Tianhai, Pei Niannu seemed extremely angry and killed people without holding back.
Then he thought about the fragmentary records he had read about the historical figure Pei Niannu. The book had written that she had taken off her mask, paid a huge price, and fought a bloody battle with a powerful enemy...
Connecting various clues...
So, Pei Niannu was a participant in the "Tianshu Destruction of Buddhism" six hundred years ago? Old Xu knew her personally and even painted her in a mural.
…
A gentle breeze is blowing.
The big banyan tree in the courtyard rustled.
Zhao Duan sorted out his thoughts and said with a grim expression:
"So, Xuanyin picked up the conjecture that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made six hundred years ago?"
Having said that, how could he still not understand why Xuan Yin had the alias of "God of Law"?
Isn’t this the practice of the idea of “harmony between man and nature”?
However, Xuan Yin's method goes one step further than Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. He uses the method of incarnation to cultivate the heavenly way, thereby combining the two into one.
However, Zhao Duan was a little skeptical. Xuan Yin's attempt hadn't been successful, otherwise he wouldn't have risked losing his "Dharma King" incarnation by jumping out and provoking a conflict among the Eight Kings...
At the same time, he also completely understood why there was a protracted "battle" between the Tianshi Mansion and the Shenlong Temple.
In the final analysis, it is a continuation of the hatred of that year.
"But the Buddhist branch of Shenlong Temple is different from the one in the Western Regions back then," Zhao Duan suddenly asked.
Zhang Yan nodded:
"It's indeed different. About a thousand years ago, Maya traveled from west to east to spread Buddhism. Four hundred years later, Buddhism began to flourish in the Central Plains.
Later, about six hundred years ago, a group of monks in the Western Regions were hunted by Ksitigarbha's men because they opposed his actions. They fled eastward and finally took root here and established the Shenlong Temple.
The group of escaped monks highly respected Maya and regarded him as the source of Shenlong Temple.
Within Shenlong Temple, the Sutra Library is the legacy of the group of monks who fled back then, and is clearly separate from the other halls managed by Xuanyin.
After a pause, the old Heavenly Master cast his gaze towards the Wordless Golden Scripture and said meaningfully:
"Speaking of which, the Buddhist teachings advocated by Maya Xingzhe back then have quite a few similarities with the Zen theories you proposed at the debate meeting.
Ah, it is precisely because Maya's Buddhist teachings contradict the set of precepts and practices that Shenlong Temple now regards as orthodox that Maya's scriptures have been shelved, and this golden scripture is certainly not welcomed by Xuanyin."
Everything is solved... There are so many historical origins behind this... Zhao Duan was slightly distracted. He held the wordless golden scripture and said:
"So what is this thing good for?"
Zhang Yan said leisurely:
"It is said that this is a scripture left by Maya Xingzhe that can reflect on one's true mind. Everyone who reads it sees something different.
Well, you can't always see the contents. It depends on the timing and opportunity... Don't worry, take it. Since the head of the Sutra Repository gave it to you, maybe he got some enlightenment from this golden sutra..."
Zhao Duan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry:
"Lao Zhang, you are a Heavenly Master. Can't you see through the things left behind by Maya?"
Zhang Yanyi looked at him deeply:
"Do you think Maya is a simple person? Did you know that he and the founding emperor of the Yu Kingdom both entered the depths of the Mubei Forest? Did they receive some unknown opportunity?
As for history, the only person I know of who has entered the depths of the Mubei Forest is the first generation of Heavenly Master of our Heavenly Master Mansion, the founder of Qingshan… Oh, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva also went there. His concept of 'harmony between heaven and man' is most likely related to that place."
After a pause, the old Taoist priest added slowly:
"And even though I, Xuanyin, and Wuxiankui... have reached the top echelon of our era in terms of cultivation, we still can't set foot in that forest."
What?
Zhao Duan was stunned.
He only knew that Old Xu had set foot in the Mubei Forest when he was young, but Zhenbao was very secretive about that place and had never set foot there.
But this is the first time I know these secrets.
Zhang Yan smiled, blew on the teacup, and suddenly said casually:
"It is said that everyone who enters there will undergo a huge change, and a lot of knowledge will be added to their minds. Haha..."
The old Taoist priest glanced at him meaningfully and said:
"If you weren't so young and there were no records of you going to the North on your resume, I would have doubted that you had ever been to that place based on all the weird things in your head.
Um... you haven't been there, right?"
——
ps: These chapters add a little historical depth and plant some hooks
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
