allendalepharm Page 71
Page 71
"...We are all born of the same root, why are we so eager to harm each other?"
As the monks left one after another, even the impetuous Li Wensong couldn't help but feel deeply saddened by this "fratricide."
In his view, everyone believes in the Buddha and Guanyin, so why fight to the death over a few different interpretations of Buddhist scriptures?
Confucius's Spring and Autumn Annals has been interpreted by many famous scholars, yet there is no unified interpretation. How come these monks who teach others to be tolerant and let go don't understand this principle when it comes to themselves?
"..."
Gu Yu's lips twitched. What kind of infighting was this? If he knew that at that time, the distant Western religions had split so badly that dogs' brains were practically spilled out, and that millions of people had died or been injured over several decades, what would that be called?
But then again, is it that time yet? Since history has strangely gone astray, he's not really sure what era we're in now. He can only roughly estimate that it's around the 15th century in his previous life, and he doesn't know what the situation is like in the West now.
While the group of people here were lost in thought, the monks above had been exchanging words for several rounds. The White Horse Temple was no stranger to these foreign monks from Tianshan Mountain and naturally understood the differences in their respective doctrines. In the ensuing confrontation, both sides suffered losses.
As Jiang Ming listened to the hushed discussions of the ministers below, his mind had already wandered far away. He naturally saw the seemingly back-and-forth situation on the stage, but upon closer inspection, Bai Ma Temple was still showing signs of decline, and he guessed that the outcome was already predetermined.
"We'll conduct another inspection in the capital this year, removing a few positions, and then have Prince Teng inspect the nine border regions to prevent any unrest. Once we get through these two years and Minister Lin returns to the capital, I can finally unleash my full potential..."
Thinking back on my more than ten years on the throne, watching helplessly as so many corrupt officials filled the court without being able to make any move, it was truly despicable! After the news of my father's serious illness spread a few days ago, those families must have panicked too, right?
Thinking of those treacherous officials who were still enjoying themselves while relying on the legacy of the retired emperor, Jiang Ming forgot that he was watching the debate on Zen and wished he could go back immediately and have a detailed talk with Minister Li.
……
“Miss Lin, the young master just said yesterday that the weather is gradually getting warmer, so don’t think that you don’t need ice just because it’s not time yet. Just use it freely. He just opened a cellar. Would you like to put out a basin of ice?”
After Daiyu finished washing up, Qingwen's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward to fawn over her. Although Gu Yu had said that he always treated everyone equally, and that these girls were all beautiful and kind-hearted, and that he did not regard them as servants, she still had to maintain the proper attitude.
Daiyu couldn't help but glare at her, then couldn't help but laugh again:
"You even dared to pull such a trick on me. Do you think I'd blame you for using Brother Yu yourself? Go cool off with Zijuan and the others. I'll just read in the study for a while."
Qingwen remained unfazed even after her secret was exposed. She grinned, stuck out her tongue, and playfully pulled Zijuan to get some ice, leaving Daiyu alone in the room. Perhaps even the imperial palace couldn't provide ice as quickly as they did; as long as there was a little warmth, Gu Yu never skimped on their supplies—she always had plenty!
Sitting in Gu Yu's seat, Daiyu casually flipped through a few books such as "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean," but then lazily closed them.
If she were in her own room, Daiyu might have been able to concentrate on her studies, but now that she was with Gu Yu, without anyone to keep her company, she couldn't muster any interest and just wanted to wait for him to return.
After thinking for a moment, Daiyu got up and went to the bookshelf to find the miscellaneous books that Gu Yu had mentioned. She randomly opened one of them, which turned out to be about local customs and traditions, as well as some legends and stories. She then picked out a few books at random and settled down in her chair to pass the time.
Not long after, Daiyu suddenly gasped softly, then covered her mouth and glanced out the window as if she had done something wrong. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the book's description of winding corridors and unique beauty, Daiyu felt her face burning, but inexplicably, she didn't put it down. She randomly flipped through those pages and saw something about a white tiger. She was startled and held her breath to look at it a few more times.
……
As the sun rose higher, the debate on both sides of the stage went from the Lotus Sutra to the Surangama Sutra, from the Diamond Sutra to the Heart Sutra. In the end, only the abbot of the White Horse Temple was left struggling to hold on, while the group of foreign monks still had four or five people sticking together to resist.
"Having taken refuge in the Buddha, I vow that all beings... may lead the masses, be free from all obstacles, and be in harmony with the holy assembly..."
After the abbot finished reciting the last section of the sutra, the three men rose, bowed, and then retreated from the platform. Seeing the gray-robed old monk and the other Tibetan monk still chanting Buddhist mantras with their heads bowed, the abbot sighed softly, and a few more wrinkles appeared on his face.
His White Horse Temple widely spreads Buddhism and Taoism, so where would he possibly have any secret scriptures? Now that even the Ksitigarbha Sutra, which has the greatest differences between the two schools, cannot defeat them, it seems that this contest can be declared over.
Sure enough, the gray-robed old monk opposite chanted a Buddhist prayer, but without even looking at the abbot of Baima Temple who was bowing his head and remaining silent, he stood up for the first time, came to the center of the high platform, stood with his five hearts pointing to the sky, and struck a strange pose.
"...My mind is the Buddha's mind!"
The abbot's heart trembled, but he didn't dare to raise his head. After taking a few deep breaths, he finally admitted defeat.
"Amitabha... This old monk has lost."
Although the Supreme Secret is said to be a secret method that can directly lead to Buddhahood, it does not conform to the teachings of his White Horse Temple. What is honey to me is poison to him. No matter how tempting the Supreme Secret may be, he is unwilling to explore it even a little bit.
His surrender caused an uproar among the crowd. A few who knew the inside story tried to explain, but they couldn't quell the anger in the crowd's hearts.
"We're all here to cheer them on, so why did the White Horse Temple surrender without even putting up a fight? Is the Supreme Esoteric School really that difficult to deal with?"
"Hmph! The monks of White Horse Temple are no good, so we'll have to have you all brainstorm some ideas! Are we really going to let these foreign monks go back with a title that surpasses all the talents in our Great Qian Dynasty?!"
"This... Brother Zhang, you have studied Buddhist scriptures for a long time, do you have any clues?"
"..."
Watching the abbot of Baima Temple walk down the platform looking dejected, Kong Chengli frowned and said softly:
"Now that the defeat is inevitable, if the Northern Hu had been prepared earlier, I'm afraid war would have broken out by the end of autumn."
Li Wensong said helplessly:
“We are just idle people in the Hanlin Academy. These important matters are for you gentlemen to decide. Chengli, instead of worrying about these things, you should think about how to get Consort Yu to come out more often. That would be more important.”
Just as Li Wensong was about to take advantage of the situation to freeload, he turned around and saw Gu Yu stand up.
"and many more!!"
……
Chapter 81 Sufficient and Necessary
As everyone was discussing, a clear shout suddenly rang out, and the entire room fell silent as everyone turned to look at them.
"Whose young master is this? He's so handsome..."
"As handsome as Pan An, as handsome as Pan An..."
"Why does he look so familiar? It's like I've seen him before?"
Suddenly, someone noticed Li Wensong and Kong Chengli standing next to him and finally remembered who the person in the middle was.
"I remember now! Isn't this the snow poem champion of last year's Qinian Literary Gathering? I think her surname is—Gu?"
"Gu? Which family in the capital has the surname Gu? They seem to be extraordinary..."
Gu Yu's shout startled even Jiang Ming, who was lost in thought. Seeing that Gu Yu's expression didn't seem like that of someone in a daze, Jiang Ming was taken aback.
He knew how lazy this kid was, usually just hanging out with girls and even his two best friends couldn't get him to come. Why was he so enthusiastic today?
Originally, it was because the Empress said that Zhi'er missed this rascal, but he rarely came to see her, that she thought of taking this rascal out to make Zhi'er happy.
Unexpectedly, after Gu Yu arrived, he not only looked gloomy, but also didn't even bother to look at Zhi'er, not even lifting his head.
Jiang Ming's mind raced, then his expression suddenly darkened. He gave Dai Da a cold stare without uttering a word. Dai Da was startled and quickly apologized:
"Your Majesty! This servant deserves to die! There must be some foolish creature down there that has been dug up."
Jiang Ming didn't even glance at him, silently watching Gu Yu walk through the crowd and step by step onto the platform. Only when Dai Dameng's back was soaked with cold sweat did he speak in a low voice:
"Investigate, if there's a next time..."
"Your Majesty, rest assured! This servant swears on his life that this will never happen again!"
……
The gray-robed old monk raised his eyebrows and looked at the young man before him. He couldn't help but exchange a glance with his companion, both of them feeling somewhat puzzled.
They had come prepared, and even knew about the famous talents in the city, but they didn't know who this person was.
A radiant youth, rising like a cloud, possessing the grace of the moon—who would believe me if I told them he was just a nobody? The grey-robed old monk clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his gaze piercing.
"What advice do you have for me, sir?"
Gu Yu was much more relaxed on stage now. Upon hearing this, she merely raised an eyebrow, smiled, and returned the greeting:
"Master, you are too modest. I have just come to ask you a few questions while studying Buddhism. How can you offer me any guidance?"
“Please speak freely, benefactor. The Buddha is compassionate and saves all people. If you have any doubts, I am willing to give you all my money to resolve them.”
Gu Yu grinned slightly, oblivious to the defeated monks behind him also ascending the stage. His entire focus was on the two old monks before him, and he proclaimed loudly:
"Master, may I ask if the sin of killing a person is the same as killing a fish, since the Buddha said that all things have a spirit?"
"this…"
The gray-robed old monk's lips twitched. He stared at Gu Yu intently for a moment, finally abandoning his nonchalant attitude and becoming solemn.
"nature."
"Does saving a person or saving a fish equate to the same amount of merit?"
"nature."
Gu Yu's eyes lit up, her voice grew louder, and her speech became rapid:
"If I wanted to kill someone now, but didn't because the master was there, would that be considered the master saving a life?"
"...Yes."
"If I were to specifically tell the master that I intend to kill someone, and that I would not kill them if the master came before me, would that be considered saving a life?"
"nature."
Gu Yu suddenly paused, staring intently at the old monk sitting cross-legged, and couldn't help but laugh out loud:
“The Buddhists often say that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If I see the master now and release that person, but then catch him again the next moment, and the master is still alive, would that count as saving him once or twice?”
The gray-robed old monk finally breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of relaxation flashing in his eyes. He had thought there was some trump card up his sleeve. Did he think this would confuse him?
"Naturally, it's twice. The moment you set your mind to killing, that person's life would end. Although on the surface, that person hasn't made a move, your killing intent has already dissipated once."
"All sins in the world are judged by the mind. The seven emotions and six desires all originate from this. If you harbor murderous thoughts in your heart, even if you have no blood debt, you will ultimately not be able to enter the Pure Land."
Gu Yu chuckled, "Your so-called paradise, does it compare to his 'Pear Blossom Spring Rain Joy'?" Seeing that the gray-robed old monk had given the answer he wanted, he pressed on:
"If I were to explain to the master first that I wouldn't kill him while you're here, you would still accumulate merit. Master, do you think that if I expose this, the merit will still count?"
"..."
Regardless of whether the monks on the stage were confused, the people below began to whisper among themselves, feeling that there was more to the conversation than met the eye.
“What this young master says is true… If not saying it outright is meritorious, but once it's stated clearly, does the monk still have merit or not?”
If there is no merit, then this matter of merit is too frivolous; if there is, then something always feels off.
If that's the case, then if we just find any executioner and give him an order to behead anyone who isn't around, wouldn't the master who comes to stop us quickly achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha?
The gray-robed old monk quickly realized this as well. His lips twitched, and he straightened up, replying without changing his expression:
"Of course there is, but once the thought arises, most of the merit will dissipate, because people have greed in their hearts. Even if they have the heart to save people, they are disturbed by distracting thoughts."
"You must have studied the classics, so you naturally understand the story of Zigong receiving the ox. One can benefit from saving others, but one cannot save others for the sake of benefit. This is my answer. Do you understand, young master?"
Hearing the murmurs of praise and approval from the crowd below, and seeing the sudden realization on Gu Yu's face, the gray-robed old monk felt confident of victory, relaxed slightly, and sat back down.
Unexpectedly, after Gu Yu looked over with an expression of understanding, she suddenly added:
"Even though most of them have dispersed, there must still be some left, right?"
"..."
Seeing that the old monk in gray was stunned, Gu Yu patiently asked again, urging him to answer quickly.
"...Of course there is."
"If the master is provoked by my words and feels that this way of gaining merit is somewhat opportunistic, and leaves, resulting in that person's death, will the master be guilty or have merit?"
"Hmph... If someone dies because of my departure, then it is naturally my sin."
The old monk felt a throbbing sensation between his eyebrows, as if he were lacking oxygen, and his breathing became heavier.
Unbeknownst to them, the group from Baima Temple, who had been sitting behind Gu Yu, were quite pleased to see the foreign monks on the other side suffer a setback. However, they also unconsciously began to ponder these questions, all having a premonition that something big was about to happen!
Gu Yu couldn't help but smile broadly, bowed to the pitiful yet sensible foreign monk, and turned to call his servants to bring the thing up.
As soon as he turned around, he was startled by the rows of monks who had quietly appeared behind him. He had no idea how they had come and gone so silently.
However... it doesn't really have any impact.
"Does Your Majesty know what Yu'er means?"
Empress Zhou watched the commotion for a long time but still couldn't figure out what it was all about. She could only ask her husband for help. Jiang Ming watched as several people carried a small waterwheel onto the stage. He awkwardly touched his chin, unsure if his guess was correct.
"Ahem... Your Majesty, just keep reading and you'll see. It's quite obvious."
The Empress glared at him speechlessly. If he knew, he would have already explained himself triumphantly. Why was he still pretending to be a big shot? Yu'er is much smarter than him!
Chapter 82 The White Tiger unleashed its power?
Looking at the fish swimming in the waterwheel in front of him, the gray-robed old monk was stunned for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed drastically, and he was about to stand up.
Gu Yu, with a smile, took the initiative and attracted everyone's attention:
"Since you say that all things have a spirit, then surely the lives of these fish are the same as human lives. I intend to help you ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss on this very day. Would you be willing?"