Chapter 583 Monks also have to talk about politics

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In the eighth month of the first year of Yuanyou (the fourth day of the Lunar New Year), he opened the treasure temple on top of the iron tower.

Tuk-tuk-tuk...

A knock on the door woke Mr. Kim from the world of scriptures in his hands.

"Host..." A monk's voice came from outside the door.

President Jin had no choice but to put down the Sanskrit scripture in his hand and said, "Huiyin? Come in and talk."

A fat and white monk opened the door and walked in. He came to President Jin and bowed with his hands clasped together: "President, the Seng Lu Division of Kaifeng Prefecture has just sent an ultimatum."

President Kim narrowed his eyes.

"Wanting to become a master, Yang Wenyuan joined the army as the chief minister of Kaifeng Prefecture. He was deprived of the purple cassock given by the emperor and imprisoned in Leizhou for crimes such as 'gathering a crowd to promote prostitution and corrupting moral customs', 'passing on evil laws', and 'discussing government affairs'."

President Jin listened and couldn't help but clasped his hands and sighed: "Amitabha! Sin, sin!"

However, Monk Huiyin was very unconvinced: "Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, no eminent monk bestowed with purple robes has been convicted and sentenced!"

"If the Kaifeng Mansion succeeds, the world's monks will be in trouble from now on!"

"Since the presiding officer worshiped the late emperor as the 'Master of the Western Heaven Tripitaka' and is the leader of monks in the world, we cannot just sit back and ignore it. Please also ask the presiding officer to uphold justice for Master Yuancheng!"

The imperial gift of purple robes has always been the highest honor and status symbol for monks.

Generally speaking, even if a monk who is awarded purple robes is guilty, the matter will be dealt with internally.

Make him sit in seclusion and reflect on his mistakes, or punish him by not being allowed to leave the temple.

It's amazing, I just ordered him to pass away.

Never before has an eminent monk in purple been convicted and sentenced by the government.

Not to mention taking away the purple clothes and assassinating Leizhou.

How is this a wish-fulfillment?

This is clearly a slap in the face to all the monks in the world!

President Jin looked at the monk in front of him, sighed, and asked: "How can a poor monk bring justice to Yuan Cheng?"

"Appeal!" Monk Huiyin raised his head and said fiercely: "Please preside over and appeal to the ancestral hall, Dali Temple on behalf of Master Yuancheng!"

President Jin sighed and looked at Huiyin with a look of pity.

The Ancestral Department, subordinate to the Ministry of Rites, is in charge of national rituals, Taoist interpretations, temples, and medical orders. It is also responsible for medical officers' grinding, doctors' trials and supplements, etc.

Dali Temple is the department responsible for reviewing punishments in the world.

Appealing to the Ancestral Hall and Dali Temple means that the lawsuit will go to the imperial court.

But the problem is...

Who is in charge of Kaifeng Mansion now?

He is the emperor!

Are you still appealing?

Aren't you afraid of angering the emperor and causing another legal tribulation?

However, this matter must not be revealed.

President Jin had no choice but to say: "Tomorrow, as usual, the officials will visit Kaifeng Mansion in person. At that time, the poor monks will go to pay homage. If they are lucky enough to meet Tianyan, they may be able to avenge their grievances in front of the emperor!"

Are you being wronged if you wish to become a monk?

Yes and no!

The word "official" has two mouths, round and flat, and everyone makes sense.

President Jin knew in his heart that he was on the edge of a knife if he wished to become a monk.

The government just wants to use him as a sacrificial flag and to establish prestige.

It's just that I'm not sure whether it's the intention from within the palace or the intention of the nobles in the court.

However, no matter what the reason is, it is definitely not possible to appeal directly to the Ancestral Hall and Dali Temple.

In the Song Dynasty, even if you were reciting scriptures, you had to talk about politics!

What are the consequences of not being political?

Yuanfeng's restructuring directly eliminated the traditional task of the prime minister to also serve as translator and envoy!

The School of Translation and Translation and the Court of Translation have changed from reporting directly to the Prime Minister to now reporting to the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Secretaries.

Since then, President Kim has had an epiphany.

In the Song Dynasty, they wanted to do a good job in promoting and spreading the Dharma.

We must talk about politics!

Therefore, he has been actively building his own network of contacts and maintaining close contacts with the governors and ministers.

Huiyin listened and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he lowered his head: "I'll take charge of it."

Just as Huiyin was about to say goodbye, the sound of rapid footsteps suddenly came from the stairs outside the door.

A monk who was about the same age as Huiyin ran up in a panic.

"Something is going wrong! Host!"

The monk came all the way to President Jin, glanced at Huiyin, and said, "Kaifeng Prefecture just sealed off Juezhao Temple!"

At this time, President Jin couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately stood up and asked, "Why?"

"I heard that someone sued Juezhao Temple for failing to properly take care of their ancestral tombs as agreed, which resulted in their ancestral tombs being stolen... The Kaifeng Prefecture then issued an order to seize the temple property and detain the monks in accordance with the provisions of 'Guaranteeing Ming's Conduct'.

"

President Jin felt his scalp numb when he heard that, and said quickly: "Hurry and prepare horses for me."

"I want to go to Kaifeng Mansion in person and meet with the Master."

Seize the temple property and detain the monks?

This is something unprecedented.

If we leave it alone and do not stop it, new legal difficulties are just around the corner!



Juezhao Temple.

At Dongshuimen outside Bianjing New Town.

Dongshui Gate is one of the most important and prosperous gates in Bianjing City.

This is because this is not only a city gate, but also a water gate through which the Bian River enters the capital. It is also a fortress.

It consists of a water gate and two doorways for pedestrians, carriages and horses to enter and exit.

The water gate is composed of the so-called "Gange board", a mechanical device made of wooden boards wrapped with iron blades.

The pulleys on the city wall were used as traction power.

In normal times, the Gange board is raised to release ships entering Beijing.

In case of danger, conflict or other situations, the fighting plan will be put down to cut off the access of ships to the city.

In the past, this was the most important tax card in Bianjing City.

The number of watercraft queuing up here to enter the city every day can reach up to more than a hundred, stretching for more than ten miles along the Bianhe River.

But now, as Bianjing City cancels the city entry tax.

Tank ships and merchant ships entering Beijing no longer need to be interrogated, extorted, and blackmailed by officials at Watergate.

They only need to pay the residence tax once in the stacking yard after entering the city.

This greatly facilitated the commercial development of Bianjing and made the commodity trade in and outside the city more prosperous.

On the south bank of the Bianhe River outside Shuimen, under the high embankments, the Song Dynasty built two Guaizi cities here that relied on the city walls and extended out.

Each Guaizi city is connected to the city wall.

There are two commanding imperial troops stationed among them, as a force to guard the East Water Gate.

Juezhao Temple is located on the south bank of the Bianhe River near Zuoguaizi City.

When President Jin rushed to Juezhao Temple with a few monks in a hurry.

He found that the place was already crowded with passers-by.

Countless people were pointing and talking.

At the gate of Juezhao Temple, the sergeants of Kaifeng Prefecture were driving a group of monks out of the temple crying.

Several men and women wearing sackcloth and mourning were holding incense and kneeling in front of the gate of Juezhao Temple, crying and crying.

The leader, an old man, held a sacred tablet high, crying and crying: "Great-grandfather, your descendants are unworthy!"

"We deserve to die!"

When President Jin saw it, his face immediately dropped.

Although he was a monk from Zhongtianzhu, he had been actively studying and integrating into the society of the Song Dynasty since he entered the Song Dynasty in the first year of Yuanfeng.

So he knew very well that the Song Dynasty was most concerned about filial piety.

Even the royal family takes the title of Jingtianfazu.

Now, someone else's ancestral grave has been stolen.

Therefore, it is reasonable for his descendants to come to hold him accountable, complain, and complain.

What’s even more troublesome is that the person who was stolen has a very high status!

President Jin already knew it on the way here - a Hanlin scholar at the founding of the Song Dynasty, a scholar-bureaucrat who wrote a Zen poem for Emperor Taizu!

This is poking a hornet's nest.

President Jin had no time to think too much and quickly got off his horse. Surrounded by other monks, he raised the Zen staff given to him by the late emperor and proclaimed the Buddha's name: "Amitabha!"

As soon as the onlookers saw that he was wearing a purple robe, holding a gilded Zen staff, and that his face clearly did not look like that of the Central Plains, they automatically and consciously made way for him.

Foreign monks, enjoy chanting sutras!

The same was true in the Song Dynasty.

Especially monks who have an obvious appearance of foreign monks will be treated with courtesy wherever they go.

President Kim put his hands together and bowed his head to the passers-by who gave way to him. Then he walked forward with his Zen staff in hand. Several officials came forward to greet him and scolded: "Who is that person?"

"Amitabha!" Jin Zongchang made eleven salutes: "Poor monk, the Master Tripitaka of the West has given the purple-robed monk Jin Zongzhi to see the Lord."

He already knew that the person who personally led the people to seal the Juezhao Temple was Cai Jing.

The officials looked at each other, then looked at Mr. Jin, their tone began to soften, they bowed together and said: "Master, please stay here for a moment, I will go and pass the message soon."

This face is not for Mr. Kim.

Mr. Kim has been in charge of Bible translation for only ten years.

Moreover, when he took over, it was already the time when Yuanfeng was restructured, and the prime minister no longer served as translator and envoy.

Therefore, his influence in Bianjing is not great.

However, his predecessor, Richen, an eminent monk from Tianzhu who also came from Tianzhu, presided over the Translation Court and the Sutra Translation Institute for a long time from Qingli to the ninth year of Xining, translated hundreds of Buddhist scriptures, hosted more than a hundred water and land Dharma meetings, and served as a savior for believers.

The sermons are countless.

Therefore, everyone in Bianjing will respect the monks who hold the title of "Master of Tripitaka of the West".

Those who believe in Buddhism regard it as the incarnation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the human world and respect it with great respect.

President Jin also knew this, so he politely said, "Thank you, all laymen."

Soon, the news of Mr. Jin's arrival was reported to Cai Jing, who was conducting an inspection in Juezhao Temple.

"Master Tripitaka of the West?"

"President Kim?!" Cai Jing frowned.

He didn't want to see it.

But, it seems inappropriate not to see him. If word gets out, people may think that he has a guilty conscience.

So he ordered: "Go and ask the Master to come in and meet you."

President Kim was then invited to appear in front of Cai Jing.

"Amitabha!" When President Jin saw Cai Jing, he bowed his head and bowed: "This poor monk has seen the Buddha."

"Master, are you here for the Juezhao Temple case?" Cai Jing asked.

President Jin nodded and bowed again: "I already know the details of the case."

"The monks of Juezhao Temple are inherently wrong, but their sins do not end there."

"It's just a lack of care and an unintentional mistake!"

"I also ask the Master to give Juezhao Temple some dignity for the sake of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas."

President Jin had been dealing with the powerful people of the Song Dynasty for ten years, and he knew that these big people liked to talk about dignity.

"Inadequate care? An unintentional mistake?" Cai Jing smiled and said to himself: "Still decent?!"

Who didn’t show respect to whom first?

The tomb of a dignified Hanlin scholar from the imperial dynasty was stolen right under the nose of the monks in this temple.

If it's stolen, just steal it.

The monks of Juezhao Temple also preached everywhere that they held the pottery hub and were sure that they could wear the Diao Chan crown during their lifetime, but ended up with no bones after death. They used it as a fable and story to attract publicity and promote karma.

This is riding on the head of the scholar-bureaucrats.

On the contrary, it belongs to Tiangang!

Not to mention, they ran directly into the hands of the officials.

Now it's all right. The official issued an order to find the victim, and another decree was sent to him, asking him to "enforce the law impartially."

Cai Jing looked at President Kim, shook his head and said, "How can the national law tolerate favoritism?"

"Master, there is no need to say anything. This government has accepted Mrs. Tao's complaint and will definitely investigate it to the end!"

“Let’s see, is it the monk from Juezhao Temple who failed to take good care of him and made an unintentional mistake, or is it because he colluded with others inside and outside to steal other people’s ancestral graves and destroy the bones of scholars?”

President Jin trembled when he heard this, but he could only bite the bullet and continue to plead: "Fu Zun Mingjian and the monks of Juezhao Temple are all kind-hearted monks who abide by the law and abide by the precepts. They will definitely not commit such crimes.

It is a shameful thing that goes against the teachings of Buddhism and insults the serenity of ascetics!"

Cai Jing's attack is too deadly!

Because the business of contemporary temples, in addition to the normal traditional business such as burning incense, praying for blessings, and praying.

The pillar industry is to look after the tombs of other people's ancestors, pray for them, and recite sutras.

Every ancestor buried in a temple means a stable and reliable income from incense.

His descendants and descendants will steadily donate a sum of money to the temple every year when they worship their ancestors, sweep the house, and burn incense.

This money is what many temples rely on for their survival.

Especially small and medium-sized temples, they almost rely on business to survive.

Now, if Juezhao Temple is found out, it is because the monks were in charge of the tomb robbery or conspired with the tomb robbers to rob the tomb.

Once established, the blow to the temple's reputation will be devastating.

It may even affect the royal family's view of monks.

Cai Jing listened and smiled: "I hope so!"

"But I will find out!"

"I will never wrongly accuse a good person, but I will never let a sinner go!"

"Amitabha..." President Jin could only bow his head and continue to plead: "It's just that all the temples are filled with people who are practicing asceticism, and some of them may be old and sick."

"If he is imprisoned in the government office, the poor monk will be afraid of his misfortune..."

The prison in Kaifeng Mansion is notoriously easy to die from.

"May the Lord have mercy and detain the monks to Kaibao Temple or Taiping Xingguo Temple..."

"The poor monk is willing to guarantee that no one will ever..."

Cai Jing shook his head and said, "Master, there is no need to say any more."

"This government has taken this into consideration, so we will detain all the monks to Fengxian Temple and ask the Ancestral Temple Department and the Senglu Department to send people to take care of them."

Fengxian Temple is the burial place of Taizu and Empress Dowager Du, Taizong’s biological mother.

At the same time, she is also the palace maid in the imperial city, and the only place where the little yellow gates can direct sacrifices and pray for blessings.

It is also the place of retirement and burial for most of the ministers and female officials (if they have no adopted children or descendants).

Therefore, the monks who practice in this temple are all old monks, ministers, and female officials who have no children.

When President Kim heard this, he understood that he could no longer convince Cai Jing.

He had no choice but to bow his head and say: "Amitabha, the Master has thought carefully about this."

"The poor monk will come to Kaifeng Mansion tomorrow to beg for an audience with the officials." He said half threatening, half reminding.

Cai Jing laughed and did not answer his words. He just said to his left and right: "See you off!"

Mr. Jin paid homage to the chief inspector again and was about to leave when he heard Cai Jing's voice and said leisurely: "Instead of tossing and turning over this, Master, it is better to go to Xuande's gate and take a look at the edict and notice posted in the capital hall the day before yesterday."

Mr. Jin holds a sentence, the capital hall? An edict and an announcement?

What's the meaning?

But he knew that this was the guide of the immortal.

The other party was pointing out the direction for him, and was also implicitly reminding him of the crux.

So he thanked me: "Thank you, Mr. Fu, for the tip."

Cai Jing looked at President Jin's back and chuckled: "This monk doesn't know whether he is interested or not!"

Next to him, Yang Wenyuan chuckled: "This monk doesn't know what's interesting, but he should know what's interesting!"

As he spoke, Yang Wenyuan cautiously asked for instructions: "Ming Mansion, in the case of Juezhao Temple, if it is finally found out that the monk made an unintentional mistake, how should we judge it?"

Cai Jing glanced at him as if he were looking at a fool.

Yang Wenyuan cupped his hands and said, "Please give me some advice from the Ming government."

Cai Jing laughed when he heard this, knowing that this guy was pretending to be confused with him.

So he said: "How do you read the books of your sages?"

"The tiger came out of the coffin, the turtle and jade were destroyed in the coffin, whose fault is it?"

Yang Wenyuan lowered his head: "It is the responsibility of the keeper of this code."

Cai Jing nodded and said: "Good!"

"This is the end of the Spring and Autumn Period!"

Tao Hub's tomb is in Juezhao Temple, and a large donation had been made when he was buried.

Since then, Tao has offered sacrifices every year, and the incense continues.

Until more than ten years ago, the Tao family fell into decline. From offering sacrifices and offering incense every year to three years, they offered sacrifices and offered incense once every five years, and the amount of sesame oil donated became less and less.

But this is not the reason why Juezhao Temple does not pay attention!

Therefore, even if it is found out that Juezhao Temple was an unintentional mistake and lack of care.

However, the responsibility cannot be escaped.

If you don't pay the Tao family a large amount of money, don't even think about it!

If it is found out, it is theft by the guards...

That is, the tomb robber dies, and the person in charge, the first person, sits in accordance with Bao Ming's actions and actions.

Other monks shared the remaining responsibilities, the temple property was confiscated, and the imperial plaque was recovered.

Of course, such a verdict will not be made until the end.

(End of chapter)




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