Chapter 89: What’s there to see in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda?
It is quite ironic to kill Wu Minzhi and become the Queen of Heaven Party instead.
Of course, he was still a princeling behind his back. As soon as the certificate of surrender was handed over in the mourning hall and the oaths were taken together, the prince's favor was basically increased.
Compared with Li Hong, Empress Wu had such a mean and unkind character that she did not expect to win the so-called favor.
If it's useful, I'll use you; if it's not, either get out or die.
But Li Yan thought about it, this is good, it will be more convenient for back stabbing in the future, and his smile suddenly became more natural: "I want to thank the Queen for her generosity. I was not able to stop the monk, and she did not blame me..."
When Eunuch Gao saw him turning the corner, he breathed a sigh of relief, fetched a horse, and went to Ci'en Temple to report the news.
Li Yan then walked slowly to the south of the city and began to heal his injuries on his horse.
“That’s Ci’en Temple!”
Half an hour later, when an endless stretch of temples came into view, Li Yan opened his eyes wide.
From the perspective of modern people, Chang'an City is indeed great and shocking in this era, but after seeing too much, it is just that.
On the other hand, the main street of Lifang system is pleasing to the eye, and it is quite comfortable to walk no matter how many times you walk.
But such places of interest, especially temples that have survived for generations to come, really have an extraordinary feeling.
For example, this very large Ci'en Temple.
It is located in Jinchangfang, accounting for half of the entire city. It has multiple buildings and halls, cloud pavilions, cicada houses, towering Buddha statues, a total of 13 large courtyards, and nearly 1,900 houses. It is extremely grand.
Li Yan visited the Daci'en Temple, which was preserved in Xi'an for later generations. At that time, he felt that it was already quite large, but compared with now, it was only the size of a West Pagoda Courtyard.
"If there is a drone, you can see it from a high altitude and fly all the way over, it would be really spectacular!"
Li Yan felt a little regretful that he could only see with his eyes, and headed towards the courtyard gate near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
The name of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda comes from a legend in Tianzhu.
Probably the monk was hungry and saw a flock of geese flying in the sky. He thought that the Buddha should know our suffering and give us something to eat. As a result, one of the geese swooped down and fell to death in front of us.
The monk was overjoyed and thought it was the Tathagata's response, so he buried the geese with a grand ceremony and built a pagoda at the place where the wild geese fell, and named it the Wild Goose Pagoda.
As for why monks eat wild goose meat, it is because they eat the three pure meats and do not see, hear or suspect killing.
I didn’t see with my own eyes the miserable scene of an animal dying, and I didn’t hear with my own ears the sound of an animal being killed. I didn’t kill it just because I wanted to eat it.
You can eat meat like this.
The wild geese died peacefully and were edible.
It is said that Xuanzang paid homage to the Wild Goose Pagoda in Tianzhu, and after returning to China, he built a Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The big character means Mahayana Buddhism, which was used to store the scriptures and Buddha statues brought back from Tianzhu.
Just comparing with later generations, Li Yan looked at the tall and slender tower and couldn't recognize it at all: "This tower now only has five floors, is it still so thin?"
In fact, when the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was first built, it had only five floors. During the Wu and Zhou Dynasties, it was rebuilt once and became a seven-story blue brick pagoda, and later it was increased to ten floors.
Since then, it has been repaired, reaching a maximum of eleven floors, but it still looks like this thin and tall building.
It was not until the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty that a 60-centimetre-thick cladding was built on the outside of the remaining seven floors of the Tang Dynasty pagoda, and the shape became thicker and became the look of the terrible Big Wild Goose Pagoda in later generations~
Li Yan didn't know much about the historical details of Buddhist architecture, and his impression was still on the seven-story earthy yellow pagoda. When he saw it, it was completely different, and he was a little curious.
But before he could approach the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a group of monks headed by Master Puguang came over.
Eunuch Gao informed him that he was here to meet the Queen of Heaven.
…
"Master, I'm sorry for disturbing you!"
"Donor Li, please!"
Master Puguang smiled and invited Li Yan into the guest room, while Eunuch Gao was waiting outside.
After the two of them took their seats, Master Puguang first became concerned about Wu Minzhi's condition: "I heard that Duke Zhou's health is not very optimistic?"
Li Yan knew that people in Wu Min hated ghosts, and the abbot of Ci'en Temple probably wanted him to die. Of course, the monk was compassionate, so he couldn't say it so directly, so he said tactfully: "I have tried my best."
Master Puguang immediately understood through the sad tone and declared the Buddha's name: "Amitabha!"
Li Yan also grieved for three seconds, and then turned his grief into a desire to bring goods: "I have a lot of research on tea. I would like to make a pot of tea and invite the master to taste it!"
When the aroma of tea overflowed, Puguang and Faming from Famen Temple were both surprised.
Why is this young gentleman studying how to drink this kind of medicine?
But don't tell me, it tastes good.
Li Yan was very happy to see that Puguang's interest had been aroused.
His current status is still low and he will not express his thoughts easily. He is still in the preparation stage.
Ci'en Temple is the best temple in the world. If this kind of tea drinking trend can be established, the role of example will be extremely powerful.
The two started discussing over tea.
If you have common interests in life, it is always easy to get closer.
In addition, Li Yan had unknowingly helped Chang'an monks and took over Wu Minzhi's hot potato. Something happened not long after, and Master Puguang had a very good impression of him.
As he was talking, he saw that Li Yan's breath seemed a little unstable, and he couldn't help but asked with concern: "Donor Li is injured?"
Li Yan nodded, told the story with Kumaru, and finally sighed: "King Ming's reputation is well-deserved!"
"Donor Li, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Master Puguang immediately stood up and came behind Li Yan to heal his injuries.
Li Yan felt a gentle force pouring into his body, surging along his limbs and bones, regulating his energy and blood, and recovering from his injuries.
"Guangming Jin is indeed the number one health-preserving skill."
Li Yan silently felt the gentleness and simplicity of this power and secretly admired it.
When he was in Liangzhou, he remembered that Uncle Ya once summarized the characteristics of all the powers in the world. When he wrote about Guangming Jin, he said that this power was least good at fighting, but most effective at healing.
Most of the monks in Ci'en Temple practice Guangming Jin, and many of them live a life free from illness and disaster, and enjoy a long and prosperous life.
Li Yuanfang has no interest in this kind of martial arts that is as warm as swallowing water. Taoist Danyuan can also heal injuries, but it is very cruel to hit people.
Uncle Ya thought the same way, so he asked him to lay the foundation with Dan Yuan Jin, becoming the Inner Saint and the Outer King, and then he became a victorious contender.
But now that Guangmingjin was healing him, Li Yan felt quite comfortable.
After all the internal injuries were recovered, the energy began to operate according to the route of Bai Sheng Jin, and the skill gradually increased by one point.
"You want me to come to Ci'en Temple, are you afraid that I will get close to the adults in your family?"
Suddenly, he understood another level of Empress Wu's meaning.
He was not allowed to return to the Duke's Mansion because he was afraid that he would go back in a depressed mood and get close to Li Derjian.
On the contrary, he had to go to the Great Ci'en Temple to heal his wounds. In the royal temple, those who bathed were also blessed with holy grace. After his wounds healed, he would naturally get close to the emperor and empress.
Don't underestimate such details. People in this era have a reverence for the king's power. If they are tossed around like this, there is no guarantee that they will not give up.
It's really tiring to calculate people's hearts like this.
Of course, I still have to be grateful for Master Puguang’s healing help.
Li Yan stood up and saluted: "Thank you, Master!"
Master Puguang continued to exert his inner energy for two quarters of an hour without any change in his breath. He clasped his hands together and said, "Donor Li, you're welcome!"
After all, he was the abbot of a temple and was busy with official duties. Master Puguang said some more words and left.
Before leaving, he was allowed to freely visit Ci'en Temple and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Li Yan was naturally not polite, and took Eunuch Gao with him to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
The most famous thing about the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the Tang Dynasty was not its Buddhist significance, but the fact that a Jinshi visited the temple and on a whim, inscribed his name under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
There seems to be no difference between this behavior and "so-and-so came here for a visit", but he was a new scholar, and he was named in the wild goose pagoda. He was so proud that it immediately attracted literati to imitate him, and it became a routine.
Among the more than 8,000 Jinshi in the Tang Dynasty, about 5,000 or 6,000 of them signed their names under the Wild Goose Pagoda. The most famous one is Bai Juyi's poem, "Under the Ci'en Pagoda, where the name is written, the youngest among the seventeen people" is very fitting.
The first nominee happened more than thirty years later in history. At this time, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was still very quiet. Li Yan walked around outside, pushed open the heavy door, and walked in.
Walking into the first floor of the pagoda, you can see a group of monks sitting cross-legged, heads lowered, silently reciting scriptures and protecting the relics.
The atmosphere is peaceful and peaceful.
The relics placed on the third floor in later generations are now available on every floor.
However, there is no such exquisite golden pagoda, but they are placed evenly on the wooden base, with different shapes and sizes, which is very inconspicuous.
"Didn't Qiu Shenji say that when the Buddha's bone relics were on display, he felt light and healthy when he looked at them from a distance?"
"I would like to see if there is such a miraculous effect..."
Compared to Eunuch Gao, who was also full of piety, Li Yan, a non-believer, immediately came closer to watch after praying.
In fact, this thing is not unusual at all. After the death of ordinary people, if they are not burned cleanly, granular residues are found in the ashes. From a physical point of view, they are equivalent to relics.
The ancient technology was not as good as modern ones. After the eminent monks sparkled, there was more leftover. The teeth, fingernails, finger bones, and hair were relics. The mummified body was the relics of the whole body. Even the scriptures buried with him were Dharma relics.
The above at least has Buddhist commemorative significance. In later generations, it will become more magical. There are more and more eminent monks who can burn relics, hundreds a year, and there are various patents and papers.
That’s not progress in Buddhism, it’s progress in chemistry.
Li Yan came closer, hoping to bathe in the Dharma and improve his martial arts skills.
But after bathing for a long time, there was nothing except a faint strange smell.
He shrugged slightly and walked up.
The five-story Big Wild Goose Pagoda was quickly completed. In addition to the relics, the main items on the upper three floors were the original scriptures that Xuanzang brought back from Tianzhu.
When they found Li Yan approaching, the accompanying monks were very careful, fearing that he would damage the scriptures.
Li Yan didn't read it. In fact, he couldn't understand it. It was all written in Wuzhu characters.
What he was really interested in was Xuanzang's consciousness-only power, which was said to be the most magical martial art in Buddhism.
Xuanzang of this world was able to walk 50,000 miles to Tianzhu to obtain Buddhist scriptures. He went through hardships and obstacles along the way, not to mention his martial arts skills.
That was a tough man who really took off his clothes and showed off his muscles, then stepped back to let his master come.
But his inheritance is too profound, and it seems that no master has ever learned it.
Even Master Puguang, a direct disciple of Xuanzang and the host of Ci'en Temple, cultivates Guangming Jin.
"It's a pity..."
"For me, I have really turned into such a coward. What's there to see in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda~"
Li Yan shook his head, turned around and walked down.
Returning to the first floor of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, he was just about to go out when his footsteps suddenly stopped.
Because among the group of meditating monks, the one sitting at the end suddenly raised his head, his lips were bleeding, his face was pale, and he looked over faintly.