Don't get it wrong. In Buddhism, there is an unobstructed conference. It means expressing one's heart directly without any obstruction. In fact, it is just a debate.
Monks gather together to talk about some Dharma experiences. If you think what others say is wrong, you can argue. No one will blame you at the Uncovered Conference.
Of course, if you meet some impatient monks who want to discuss with you what's going on with King Kong's glaring eyes, then it's just your bad luck, and maybe you'll get punched and kicked, which will be considered as your sins are wiped out.
Buddhism pays more attention to the cultivation of the state of mind than Confucianism. The Buddha could cut meat and feed it to eagles, so what does it matter if you get punched and kicked? If you have a desire for revenge, it only means that you are not good at cultivation.
What Buddhism talks about is that if you hit me on the left cheek, I will give you the right cheek. The advantage lies not in a thick-skinned person, but in secretly saying in your heart that you hit me today, that is the formation of a knot.
Cause and effect, there will be retribution in the future.
The standard method of spiritual victory... This is Buddhist cultivation. Once you have cultivated to a deep level, tsk tsk, sit down on the futon and it's dinner time.
The gathering of scholars is called an elegant gathering, which is essentially the same as an unobstructed gathering. What is fought is the mind, and what is debated is the truth. It is just that there are many more tricks than the monks. Everything can be used as a medium.
The most exciting part is the debate, where you can demonstrate what you have learned and further express your thoughts.
The word "idea" is not a state that ordinary literati can achieve. Ordinary scholars follow what others say and cannot escape from the stereotypes of their predecessors.
Later scholars praised the ancestral laws, which was a typical practice of imprisoning thoughts. Since they were following the script, how could they find new ideas and establish sects?
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In May of the fifth year of Yuanzhen of the Tang Dynasty, there were still seven days before the Beijing Examination.
A big event happened in Chang'an.
The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites summoned literati and wise men according to the imperial edict to discuss major political affairs. Due to the urgency of the matter, most of the people who came under the imperial edict were court officials. Even so, when the trend arose, the literary world was shaken.
There was a large gathering of sages, with more than dozens of people attending the meeting. Each of them has written works that have survived and are famous both at home and abroad.
In addition, scholars could not help but rush to attend the examination, which is undoubtedly a grand event in the literary world.
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This year, there were more than 800 scholars who came to take part in the Beijing Examination, less than a thousand people. Compared with the later imperial examinations, it was really a bit shabby.
After hearing the news, the enthusiasm of the scholars to participate in the meeting was extremely high. When the grand event began, almost all the scholars who were rushing to take the exam attended the meeting. Only a few people did not participate because they were timid or were stopped by their families.
This intellectual gathering was convened by the Ministry of Rites and presided over by the Ministry of Officials. The final venue chosen was Chang'an Academy, which had a certain meaning of ending wherever it started.
In this matter, the imperial court won countless praises, because the imperial court's openness exceeded many people's expectations, and it also greatly increased the goodwill of the scholars.
The Tang Dynasty was only less than five years old. It had somewhat consolidated its political power and was universally recognized by the people of the world. However, there was still a long way to go before everyone in the world could regard themselves as Tang people.
This time when scholars are rushing to take the exam, the confrontation between scholars from the north and the south is a typical example.
The hostility between them is both regional and perennially divided. This is the reason why they cannot reach a consensus on their identities.
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This is the advantage of public debate. Because there are many officials in the court, they are more familiar with the court's policies. When they speak, their angle and bias are actually determined.
It is said to be a debate, but in fact it is to dominate public opinion, promote the imperial government's policies, and let people, mainly scholars and nobles, there is actually no difference between the two nowadays, let them know that the various measures launched by the imperial court do not distinguish between north and south, let alone specific people.
a group.
These measures may have some shortcomings, but under the general premise that the current war has just ended and the people need to recuperate, they are things that must be done.
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This grand meeting was held for five days. Later people described the scene as a gathering of wise men, talking about the past and the present, and quarreling with each other, just like hundreds of schools of thought reappearing in the world.
In fact, this is another exaggerated statement by scholars. The debates at the Wen Hui Ya Gathering were controlled within a certain range, and there was not much heated debate.
Although the participants were all knowledgeable and well-known, they had already understood before attending the meeting that this was not a Buddhism open-ended meeting, let alone a place for them to express their opinions, speak freely, or argue with others.
.
What they need to do is to stand up for the various national policies of the imperial court. Even if they have different political opinions and argue about one or two things, they will stop at the point and will not insist on discussing the merits.
This time, another hard-nosed scholar came out to speak, and it was just to ask for advice. The questions would definitely not be as sharp as before, and they could be answered easily.
There are so many seniors sitting here, but no one dares to gather people to make noise...
Therefore, the imperial court seemed to be very open-minded and held a unique political discussion meeting, but in fact it was just a gorgeous superficial show.
The scholars who attended the meeting had a great time, saw the demeanor of literary elites, and heard the great voice of Lun Lun.
At the end, Fang Xuanling, the Minister of Civil Affairs, made a summary. The last sentence said, "Your Majesty once said that we should establish a heart for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the unique knowledge of the past saints, and create peace for all generations.
Those who study should encourage each other by this."
The audience burst into applause and the conference ended successfully.
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When the scholars returned to their respective residences in Chang'an, they were still very excited. Many of them sat down at their desks and wrote down their thoughts after reading.
Young people are prone to being hot-blooded and taken advantage of by others, but they are also the best group of people to appease. Sometimes, as long as the leader is simply removed, everyone will disperse.
Otherwise, there are so many scholars who failed to rebel for three years. If you look at the heroes who can stand up when the world is in war, how many of them are serious scholars?
During the wars at the end of the Sui Dynasty, there was only one Li Mi after counting. Even if you singled out the likes of Xiao Mian and Li Yuan, ask them how many sage articles they had read since childhood? Not to mention what writings they had read.
, gained experience.
While the scholars were getting excited about taking the examination, the imperial court also made small moves immediately.
Several ferocious scholars who had been shouting were arrested and taken to the Chang'an Prefectural Government Office for spitting and urinating everywhere. They were subsequently expelled from the Ministry of Rites and sent back to their place of origin.
What awaits them locally is the fate of the whole family being exiled to Lingnan.
Li Xuandao, who was offering wine at Chang'an Academy, also got into trouble. He was removed from the post of offering wine at Chang'an Academy and transferred to the Ministry of Works as the Capital Water Supervisor. He soon left the capital to repair canals and ponds.
Gai Wenyi, Guozi's assistant teacher, served as the guest of honor at Chang'an Academy. He was also present at the meeting that day. He had a good relationship with Li Xuandao and others, but this time he benefited from it and poached Li Xuandao's corner.
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The most intuitive benefit of this literati gathering is that many doubts about the imperial examination have been cleared away, clearing the way for the Beijing examination. It is estimated that no one will discuss the northern and southern rankings anymore.
The imperial court has made it clear to everyone in the audience that this is a compromise policy to balance the north and south in recruiting scholars, and there is nothing fair or unfair about it.
Who of us doesn’t understand the current situation? Could it be that just because the selected talents are all from Jiangnan, everyone is convinced?
The court's good intentions were there. It was not to seek benefits for the northerners, nor to deliberately suppress the southerners. It was just about balancing.
The court has put so much effort into this, and if there are still people who are dissatisfied, you can come up with a good plan. If it is feasible, it will be a great achievement. If you just criticize the court with nonsense out of dissatisfaction, then it is your fault.
You must be the one who spits everywhere...
The literary event held at Chang'an Academy has a far-reaching impact. Scholars rushing to take the exam will bring back what they see and hear in Chang'an. The image of the imperial court in this matter can be said to be extremely positive and will undoubtedly
Affects the perception of local nobles.
Some people knew that the imperial court had become so enlightened, so they no longer had any doubts about serving the Tang Dynasty. The hatred and estrangement caused by the previous wars were also eliminated.
The benefits at this level cannot be felt in a short period of time, but they can be reflected in the long-term narrative.
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Amid all this commotion, the Beijing Examination began.
At this time, a group of hundreds of people rode horses to the Liangzhou government office and entered Guzang City.
Nang Nie numbly looked up at the tall city wall. At this time, he had no intention of comparing Luoche City, the capital of Tibet, with this place.
Because he was so downtrodden, how could he have such leisurely elegance? Moreover, he had passed through many cities on the road, and comparing each one with Luosu City would only make people more depressed.
The Tubo people who have never seen the world now know that the lowlands... The power of the Tang Dynasty is far beyond their imagination. Compared with this place, Tubo is like an inconspicuous dirt bag in the wasteland, without any
Merit.
And the moment they walked out of the Jishi Valley Road, eight thousand Tang troops were waiting in formation outside the mountain pass.
Such a welcome ceremony did not give the Tubo surrenderers who came from afar any room or opportunity to resist. They could only tremble and put down their weapons under the orders of the generals to welcome the arrival of their unknown fate.
The soldiers of the Tang army, led by General Pang Yu of Zuojianmen, quickly disarmed the Tibetan people, took away their horses, and drove them back to Jishi Town like herding sheep.
According to the previously agreed plan, the Tubo people will spend two to three months here, mainly to let them know the rules and learn Chinese.
Those who are stupid or have a rebellious spirit will be eliminated one after another, and the remaining ones will be dispatched in batches. More than seven thousand people are actually not too many, and it will be even less if they are divided into several groups.
Among the Tubo people, all the Tubo generals headed by Nang Nie were picked out and sent to Liangzhou.
This is slightly better than the worst outcome that Nang Nie and others expected. At least he is still alive and has not become a slave who can be killed at will.
Well, as the good brother said, the lowlanders are relatively kind...