Now the emperor says that you have to pay taxes, but this simple word has destroyed the "purity" of the entire Buddhist sect. The monks know that this is a bad thing done by Zen Master Huizhen for the temple property, and they and others have suffered innocently.
Disaster, no need to think about it, they will definitely attack in groups.
Indifferent to the world? That's a joke. Wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes. If you shave your hair, you are no longer a human being. Monks are fighting for their own interests. That would be so powerful. Otherwise, how can they dominate the Taoist sect nowadays?
That's not all. According to the emperor, the government will distribute temple property to the monks. Remember, this is a distribution, not a donation. The ownership of the land belongs to the government and can be taken back at any time. It is not up to the temple to decide.
They also need to distribute money and food to the monks, which sounds good, but if the monks receive money and food from the government, do they serve the Buddha or the emperor?
It's too harsh. Compared with these, monks are not allowed to call themselves sects, which seems to be nothing.
The old monk, a person who meditates and speculates all day long, does not think about this so clearly, but he also knows that there is something wrong with this matter, and he must not accept it all.
The emperor's hostility towards Buddhism was so obvious that almost every word he said sounded wrong. Although he responded to everything, he was already filled with fear in his heart.
He knew in his heart that he was too reckless this time. The emperor came from a rough background and had dominated the world for more than ten years before he finally stood out from the crowd...
How can such a person be the same as Emperor Yang of the former Sui Dynasty?
He brought his disciples to the north, originally thinking that the peace of war in the north would be a good opportunity to spread the Dharma. Luoyang is the heart of the Central Plains, and establishing a foothold here would be of great benefit to Buddhism.
So he discussed it with his brothers and decided to make the journey. Just like those ancestors who worked tirelessly to spread Buddhism, he embarked on the journey north.
He thought that no matter what kind of setbacks he encountered, he could not shake his mind, but now, he was in a dilemma. The emperor was not kind to Buddhism. What would this mean?
This alone is enough for him to think about for several years...
…………
Seeing that he was silent, Li Po took a leisurely sip of tea and thought to himself: Where did this come from? He hasn't discussed it with his ministers yet, he just said what came to mind, which was far from comprehensive enough.
The rules can only be finalized after discussions with others...
Humph, except Buddha and Sanqing, everyone has to pay taxes to me.
And if you take the money and food from the government, you will be my eagle dog. Otherwise, you will be fat and fat in vain. How can you cook it and eat it?
While thinking about it, he looked at his wife. Li Bi gave him an angry look and didn't want to speak. She felt that her husband was making a fuss over such a few monks.
As for whether the Buddha would be offended, she, as a Buddhist, didn't care much. Her husband was a proud son of heaven and could not be touched by the gods under the Buddha's throne.
The young monk standing behind the old monk suddenly spoke up and said: "Your Majesty shows great compassion to the people and is in line with the Buddha's will. He is much better than monks like us."
However, you treat us monks too harshly. In His Majesty’s eyes, are we no longer citizens of the Tang Dynasty?”
Li Po raised his head and looked over, saying to himself that you, a follower, were the one who had the upper hand in speaking. Why did you interrupt? It's really unruly.
I was not happy in my heart, but I was not angry or guilty, "This is..."
The old monk's heart was already trembling, and he said Amitabha in his heart. Is the old monk going to see the Buddha today?
However, he still introduced the emperor in a leisurely manner: "Your Majesty, his Buddhist name is Xuanzang. He has been a monk in the Pure Land Temple in Luoyang since he was a child. He has traveled around for many years, visited Tiantai Mountain, made friends with poor monks and others, and sat and discussed the Tao.
See Buddha nature.
This trip with the poor monk is just a return to my hometown..."
It was obvious that he was trying to distance himself from the relationship, and the old monk was very cunning.
Li Po was stunned for a moment. He had met many famous people, but Xuanzang... was still a very special one. He didn't know if the monkey was pressing down under Wuzhi Mountain now, and where were Gaolaozhuang and Liusha River?
Li Po's thoughts were racing, and he kept looking at the young monk Xuanzang, wondering if this was the monk from the Tang Dynasty.
Xuanzang looked to be in his early thirties, maybe a little younger. After all, his coarse clothes were ragged and his face had traces of hardship, so he should look much older than his actual age.
He's not as plump and handsome as the legend says, and I guess eating it won't have the effect of immortality.
But his eyes were clear and focused, and he did not see the king's timidity or shrinking at all. After he spoke, he looked at Li Po calmly, as if he wanted to discuss academic issues with the emperor.
Li Po looked at it for a while and then withdrew his gaze. He had seen many famous people, and even if Xuanzang was special, he was just one of them.
If he, Li Po, lives long enough, he might still be able to meet Shixian... Well, then he really has to learn from Wu Gui how to live a long life.
"Looking at his demeanor, the monk must have been born into a family of officials before he became a monk, right?"
Li Po still couldn't help but ask.
Xuanzang paid tribute and said, "Your Majesty has a wise eye. Before the monk was ordained, he was born in the Chen family in Luoyang. Both his father and ancestors were imperial officials."
Li Po nodded. The person named Chen seemed to be unmistakable. He was undoubtedly the elder Tang who was always remembered by many monsters.
Witnessing history again, he is not Li Shimin. Should we send someone to visit Tianzhu?
Li Po smiled slightly, "I am never demanding in my treatment of others. I don't quite understand, what does a monk mean?"
Everyone onlookers could tell that the emperor's tone when he spoke was different from just now.
At this time, Xuanzang replied: "The young monk and others are all outsiders. The worldly world has nothing to do with me. My joy, anger, sorrow, and three thousand worries are all just like yesterday, gone but not left behind."
Your Majesty wants to impose shackles on the monks, but how can the young monks and others become Buddhas?"
Li Po frowned and snorted softly: "The monk also said that you are my subjects, so what about shackles now? Does the monk want to say that you are only willing to accept my benefits, and if anything happens, you will run away far away?"
Yes, have you become a Buddha?"
Xuanzang was quite stubborn. He shook his head and wanted to speak, but the old monk couldn't let him go on. This was not a discussion of Zen, but an argument with the emperor. So what if he won?
Although Xuanzang was well versed in Buddhist scriptures and had profound teachings, he was still too young...
"Your Majesty, can you please allow this poor monk to go back and think about it carefully before we meet again? Your Majesty is thinking about the hearts of the people. This poor monk knows that he will understand it well after he returns. When he preaches the Dharma the next day, he will also let everyone know that your Majesty has the same origin as the Buddha.
reason."
Li Po was also fed up. The Buddhist philosophy was really inconsistent with him, so he waved his hand casually, "You don't have to come to see me again, go see Minister Pei.
All you need to remember is that in my eyes, there are no outsiders who lay down their butcher's knife and become a Buddha immediately. How can such a good thing happen? I have established the laws of the Tang Dynasty. All people in the Tang Dynasty are under the control of the laws. If they cannot
To experience it, it is better to go and see the Buddha..."