Chapter 172 'The Secret Successor of Master Tripitaka'
Seeing the temple door open and a group of monks almost running out, Wang Xiaojie whispered: "Liu Lang, isn't this too ostentatious?"
Li Yan smiled: "I also want to keep a low profile, but the government does not allow it."
Famen Temple is a royal temple, and they have to show off their integrity. There is no reason to get along with them as ordinary tourists.
What's more, the last time Qiu Shenji was with him, he spent a lot of money to enter the temple and was treated with high standards.
Corresponding to later generations, the ticket price is equivalent to 60,000 yuan.
That leek has raised the price. This time, if you want to see the Buddha bone relics, you will have to pay at least some hardware, right?
Li Yan is very rich now, but he just won't give it.
"Amitabha, it is a sin to fail to welcome the envoy from afar when you are a great envoy!"
Host the Dharma meeting and lead the crowd to greet him.
Fa Ming, who entertained us last time, is following us.
When I saw Li Yan, I was stunned for a moment, then looked at him carefully, full of surprise.
Isn't this a tea seller?
There is also a destined person with great Buddha nature accompanying me...
Xianggui thought so, and he did not dare to neglect, put his hands together, and bowed with the monks: "Welcome the envoy!"
Li Yan held the banner and accepted the gift calmly: "Excuse me for disturbing you eminent monks. We will look at the light of the Buddha's relics and hope that the Buddha will protect the envoys. This trip to Tibet will be smooth and safe, and we will not be afraid of the cold miasma!"
This was quite a face-saving statement, but the reaction of the monks was not great, and the face of the host remained unchanged: "I see, please envoy!"
Under the cheers from the front and the back from the back, everyone walked towards the main hall.
Li Yan took a look and found that since the last time he came here, there has been some progress in the infrastructure work here, and many houses have been built.
Of course, it cannot be compared. Compared with the Daci'en Temple in Chang'an, this place is still sparse and seems very spacious.
It can be seen from this that the reputation of the Buddha's relics is not as important as the saint's kindness and filial piety.
"Gudu!"
Just as he was thinking about it, Peng Botong's stomach made a clear sound next to him.
Li Yan said: "Botong is hungry?"
Peng Botong was affected by the solemn atmosphere and nodded sheepishly.
Fa Ming said in a sensible way: "It's already dinner time. Envoys can have a fast meal first and then pay homage to the relics."
Li Yan nodded: "That's fine."
So everyone turned around and came to the reception hall. Fa Ming gave instructions in a low voice, and soon the best vegetarian meal in the temple was served.
After Li Yan tasted it, he nodded slightly: "Thank you for the treat. Speaking of which, Master Faming and I are old acquaintances..."
Fa Ming smiled: "It turns out that it is really Donor Li. I didn't dare to recognize him before. The tea gifted by Donor Li has been appreciated by everyone in the temple. He said that he was more energetic when he read and chanted sutras early. This is a merit!"
Li Yan smiled and said: "You're welcome, I am also a tea lover. If I have good things, I want to share them."
Fa Ming asked: "Donor Li is traveling to Tibet this time. What position does he hold in the mission?"
He had heard about the envoys of the Tang Dynasty staying in the post house, and was a little worried that the young man was just a guard of the festival, and he was showing off with it.
Li Yan said: "I am the deputy envoy. I traveled to Tubo and received a special blessing from the saint."
Fa Ming was moved and clasped his hands together: "Disrespectful, disrespectful, it turns out to be Deputy Envoy Li. Deputy Envoy Li is a young and talented man who is loyal to the emperor and patriotic. He will be protected by the Buddha. You should go without any worries!"
Li Yan said: "I take the good advice from the master!"
He finished the vegetarian meal in front of him leisurely and looked at the seat next to him: "Botong, are you full?"
Peng Botong, whose bowl of vegetarian food was empty in an instant, shook his head in disbelief.
Fa Ming quickly ordered: "Bring more vegetarian food!"
Bloomberg is happy.
Empty bowls were quickly piled high on the table.
The fasting monk didn't care about this, but the monk who knew the guests was watching from a distance. Thinking that these three people didn't even pay a penny, but instead came in to eat and drink, his chest suddenly felt a little tight.
I have been collecting donations all day long, but today I was prostituted for nothing.
The three of them were full of wine and food, and under the leadership of the host, they came to the stupa.
In the Famen Temple of later generations, there was a Namaste Relic Pagoda. At first glance, it looked like a person with his hands clasped together, fifty stories high, with the Buddha's Light Avenue in front of it.
At this time, the stupa was just a round tower, looking plain and simple from the outside.
However, after entering, the three of them found that there was a different cave because they were going underground.
Buddha bone relics are enshrined in the underground palace.
The underground palace is not deep. When you walk down the stone steps, you will see a huge and spacious stone chamber inside. In the center of the stone chamber stands a jade-like high platform, on which four relics are enshrined.
Wang Xiaojie was stunned, why are there so many?
Li Yan chuckled to himself, four is too much?
It is said that Sakyamuni passed away under the Sara tree and after his body was cremated, a total of 84,000 relics were obtained.
It's not even enough to be packed in sacks, so it has to be transported by truck.
Of the more than 80,000 relics, 19 were introduced to China.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty established many pagodas across the country to enshrine relics. Among them, the earliest Ashoka Temple, the predecessor of the current Famen Temple, contained four Buddha bone relics.
Most of the remaining ones were destroyed during the extermination of Buddhism by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty and Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
Historically, these four relics were almost destroyed. When Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Buddha, he ordered the destruction of the Buddha's bone relics. However, the monks had prepared several shadow bones, that is, imitations, to evade the king's orders and hide the real relics.
Got up.
Thinking about the twists and turns of this object in history, Li Yan couldn't help but stretch his neck and take a closer look.
Looking at this, I can't help but feel a little disappointed.
It doesn't have the legendary white light. It's just small bones. The largest one looks like the first finger of the little finger. It's hollow in the middle and is quite smooth inside and out.
Compared with the wholesale relics in Ci'en Temple, they look better, but the quality is limited.
At this time, Wang Xiaojie had already bowed down and murmured words to bless this trip.
Peng Botong touched his swollen belly and bowed.
Li Yan clasped his hands together, bent down, and made a wish as usual: "I wish to draw an orange talent, so that next time I enter the temple, I won't have to go to whoring in vain!"
But when he straightened up, his eyes fell on the pedestal below the Buddha's bone relic, and he suddenly became slightly calm.
He looked carefully and stepped forward.
The monks at Famen Temple changed their colors slightly.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Fa Ming wanted to stop it but did not dare, while the host watched indifferently.
Just when they thought Li Yan was young and frivolous and wanted to desecrate the relics, they saw him touching the pedestal and asked, "What material is this pedestal made of?"
Fa Ming said: "It should be the Phoenix Stone."
Li Yan nodded slightly. Phoenix stone had a very familiar name in later generations, marble.
It is called Phoenix Stone because some marbles have fine texture, beautiful patterns, and most importantly, they are fireproof.
Li Yan thought of Qiu Shenji's propaganda at that time, and thought it was an exaggeration, but now it seems that it is really possible: "I heard that there was an unfortunate fire in the temple that year. After the flames shot up to the sky, the stupa was burned down to the ruins of the base. Only the ruins of the base were left.
Is the pedestal for enshrining the relics in place?"
The host opened his mouth and clasped his hands together: "This is the relic shelter, and the Buddha's light shines everywhere!"
All the monks shouted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha!"
Phoenix Stone: After all, I paid by mistake...
Li Yan pointed: "Then what is this trace?"
Fa Ming came over and took a look, a little confused.
Li Yan said: "Go up and touch it. This is a pedestal, not a relic. It's not considered blasphemy."
Fa Ming stepped forward and touched it, and his face couldn't help but change: "Is this a trace left by an external force?"
Li Yan said: "Yes, it looks like a pattern at first glance, but it was chopped with a knife."
He looked at the monks: "The Buddha's bone relics are enshrined by the royal family, and Famen Temple is also a royal temple. How dare you start a war here?"
As soon as these words came out, the monks all changed their expressions: "We will never dare to desecrate the relics!"
When Fa Ming heard that something was wrong, he quickly added: "I don't dare to live up to the emperor's favor!"
Li Yan looked at the group of monks.
He also felt that these monks were unlikely to do such a thing.
Comparing the two major temples, the Daci'en Temple in Chang'an is completely supported by the royal family. The monks in the temple only need to live peacefully and focus on practicing Buddhism.
The Famen Temple in Fufeng is far from reaching its peak, and needs to be welcomed into the temple. It relies on the Buddha's bone relics to attract visitors from all over the world and expand the temple.
In this case, they regard the Buddha's bone relics as a treasure and cannot be too careful. How dare they use force here?
Li Yan's eyes returned to the pedestal, he looked around it, tapped it with his hand, and suddenly said: "Move the relic!"
Faming and another monk immediately stepped forward, carefully picked up the relic and the brocade underneath, and walked aside.
Li Yan called out: "Botong, lift this pedestal!"
Peng Botong handed the Zheng Jie to Wang Xiaojie, walked over, put his hands together, gathered strength, and lifted it up fiercely.
The monks were moved by this divine power, but Peng Botong said curiously: "Liu Lang, this stone is very light, far less heavy than it looks on the surface!"
Li Yan's eyes lit up slightly: "Put it down. It's not because the stone is light, but because the pedestal is not solid. There is probably a mechanism inside. Put it on top."
Peng Botong held up the pedestal and walked up.
The group of monks stepped aside and watched in awe as he climbed the stone steps.
Li Yan and Wang Xiaojie walked out, and the monks followed them.
With a bang, the pedestal was placed in front of the stupa.
Li Yan took a closer look, then followed the knife marks and touched around the pedestal: "Is there anyone who is proficient in mechanisms?"
The monks looked at each other and shook their heads.
Li Yan frowned: "I have the duty to go on a mission and cannot delay here... It seems there is no other way. Botong, go to the posthouse to get your weapon and smash this thing."
Fa Ming wanted to speak but stopped.
Li Yan waved his hand: "Don't worry, without the protection of Buddha's light from the relics, this pedestal can be destroyed."
Fa Ming closed his mouth.
Peng Botong took the order and soon brought a big stick.
Historically, Li Siye, a famous general in the Tang Dynasty, besides being good at wielding the Mo Dao, his favorite weapon was the big stick. "A man and a horse should be killed with a weapon."
Peng Botong is seven feet tall and has great strength. He is very similar to Li Siye. He can best exert his power with this kind of blunt weapon.
At this time, he waved the iron-edged stick and struck it down with one stroke.
boom!!
There was a muffled sound, but the pedestal did not move at all.
"continue!"
Peng Botong had been full before, and now he was full of energy, so he took one stick after another.
Finally, as the nineteenth stick fell, Peng Botong began to gasp violently, and the pedestal cracked in response.
Li Yan could see clearly that the cracked place was where the sword struck, which showed that the sword was quite powerful.
"Three more strikes and it's almost done!"
"good!"
The knotted muscles of Peng Botong's arms bulged, and with one burst of strength, he slammed down three sticks, and the pedestal cracked and completely cracked.
At this time, the sky was already dark, and the monks stretched their necks to see what was hidden in the pedestal holding the Buddha's bones and relics.
Faming got closer and saw that Li Yan took out a package from the cracked stone, dusted it off, and opened it to find a stack of scriptures.
When Li Yan saw the top book, his expression changed slightly, and he picked it up and read through it.
He asked: "Master Xuanzang came to your temple to pay homage to the Buddha's relics. Did he stay for a while?"
Fa Ming was puzzled: "More than ten years ago, Master Sanzang did hold a lecture in our temple. I wonder what Deputy Ambassador Li meant by this?"
Li Yan looked solemn: "This is Master Xuanzang's Secret Volume of Consciousness Only!"
When they heard Weishi Jin, all the monks looked confused.
They knew that Xuanzang founded the Consciousness Only Sect, but they had little understanding of its power.
But those who learned about Jia Sibo's assassination case felt numb.
Wang Xiaojie's eyes were alert and he scanned the group of monks. Peng Botong was holding a big stick and his eyes were bright.
Li Yan waved his hand, signaling to the two of them to calm down, and took a general look at the scriptures below: "These scriptures have annotations, and they are written in the same handwriting as the Secret Scroll of Weishijin. They are placed together in the secret compartment of the pedestal. Fa Ming
Master, what do you think this means?"
Fa Ming's expression changed slightly: "I don't know, a poor monk."
Li Yan said: "I now suspect that Master Xuanzang accepted a secret successor in your temple and summoned all the monks in the temple. I want to investigate the case!"