Chapter 243: The Northwest Buddhist Gate Enters the Central Plains
Zhang Sui's words caused the Buddha's light to be extinguished constantly. If he hadn't been unable to defeat him, he would have taken action long ago!
Zhu Chan glanced at Du Guang and said quietly: "I already know the whole story. I also ask Master not to bring some of the habits from your Buddhist realm here, so as not to cause some trouble."
Du Guang took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and put his hands together.
The Buddhist realm Zhu Chan talks about is actually a large area in the northwest where Buddhism is believed. That area has a harsh climate and is overrun with wild beasts, but it is the base of Buddhism.
Before the Tang Dynasty, it was basically controlled by Buddhism and was known as the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth.
After the meritorious emperor Li Zhi established the Tang Dynasty, he fought in all directions, including the northwest.
At that time, the controller of the Buddhist Kingdom wanted to have a good talk with Li Zhi and even try to influence Li Zhi. Who would have thought that Li Zhi ignored him and sent his army directly to invade the Buddhist Kingdom.
That era was not like now. Spiritual power had not yet recovered, and many magical powers in Buddhist classics were just legends.
The means that Buddhism relies on are their large number of warrior monks and those fanatical believers who believe in Buddhism. These are okay against ordinary people in the Buddhist country, but they are really vulnerable to Li Zhi's black armored army.
After the black-armored army killed eighteen Vajras, who were equivalent to the commander-in-chief of the army, and the 200,000 monk soldiers under his command, the Buddhists relented, and the Buddhist kingdom was eventually included in the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
In fact, Buddhism was also widely spread in other areas of the Tang Dynasty at that time. When the Buddhist country was conquered, many people who believed in Buddhism were very dissatisfied with it. Many Buddhist believers even joined forces to go to Beijing to cause trouble, causing a lot of trouble.
In the eyes of these believers, the northwest Buddhist country is the pure land of the Buddha in the mortal world. It is sacred, quiet, and untainted by the secular world. How can they use weapons rashly and only increase the number of evildoers?
But when the Black Armored Army placed a large number of human skin drums, human skull magic tools, and messy things made from human bones in front of the public, the ugly side of Northwest Buddhism was instantly exposed to the world.
Buddhist leaders in the Central Plains region immediately stood up and denounced their Buddhist counterparts in the northwest. At the same time, they drew a clear line between them and even sent rare monk soldiers to assist the court.
Li Zhi was not interested in the overt and covert conflicts between his Buddhist colleagues, nor did he accept the so-called assistance from the Central Plains Buddhists.
However, this group of Buddhist disciples from the Central Plains could not fight back or retaliate. They just followed the army and rescued the dead and wounded along the way. At the critical moment, they also blocked several generals of the Black Armor Army from assassinations from the northwest Buddhists.
In the end, they acquiesced to follow.
There is nothing much to say about Li Zhi's later talk about liberating the northwest. Basically, it was an unstoppable march, and it took only two months to reach the holy land of Xijia Mountain in the northwest Buddhist country.
The Buddhist sect in the northwest Buddhist country led all the senior officials to greet him naked at the foot of Mount Sika to show his sincerity.
In the end, I don’t know what agreement was reached between Northwest Buddhism and Li Zhi. Li Zhi did not exterminate Northwest Buddhism. He only killed some monks who were extremely angry with the people and committed heinous crimes. He retained the inheritance of Northwest Buddhism, but also forcibly abolished all laws on human sacrifice and human body law.
Traditions such as utensils.
Northwest Buddhism, falling into dust.
As for Central Plains Buddhism, they made huge gains during this trip to the northwest, mainly in Buddhist classics.
Li Zhi confiscated most of the classics collected by Buddhists in the northwest, and many of them were taken away by his colleagues in the Central Plains. In the end, only less than two thousand of the ten thousand volumes of Tibetan scriptures were preserved, which can be said to have directly damaged the foundation.
Within Buddhism, it can be considered a formal split.
The former Buddhist kingdom in the northwest became a small part of the huge territory of the Tang Dynasty.
But in the late Tang Dynasty, with the inevitable decline of a thousand-year dynasty, spiritual power began to recover, and the power of Buddhism gradually emerged.
When the heroes were fighting for control in the Central Plains, the founders of the Yan Dynasty gradually grew stronger by relying on their ability to maneuver vertically and horizontally and the support of their large families.
In the middle stage of the struggle for the world, practitioners began to show their presence among the various princes.
Northwest Buddhism sent powerful men to reach an agreement with the founding emperor of the Yan Dynasty. In addition, the founding emperor of the Yan Dynasty was also favored by Taoism. Eventually, after sweeping the world, Taoism became the state religion, and Buddhism re-emerged in the northwest.
The Yan Dynasty even returned most of the Buddhist scriptures in the palace secret collection from the Northwest Buddhism. The Central Plains Buddhism was much more powerful than the Northwest Buddhism at this time, but it also returned all the classics that had been taken from the Northwest Buddhism thousands of years ago.
Since then, Northwest Buddhism has reappeared in the northwest and once again became the sacred place for Buddhism in the entire Yan Dynasty!
As spiritual power continued to increase, a large number of powerful people appeared among the northwest Buddhist sects, which also made both the imperial court and Taoist sects extremely fearful.
It can be said that the current world of spiritual practice is basically composed of the imperial court, Taoism, and Buddhism. As for other practitioners, they only occupy a very small part and cannot be compared with these three behemoths.
However, even though there are countless powerful Buddhists in the northwest, the Buddhist system has not been restored.
On the one hand, the Yan Dynasty would definitely not agree. On the other hand, after being able to practice Buddhism, Buddhism also found that too much interference in the secular world would become an obstacle to practice.
In the past, things like human sacrifices and human ritual instruments would directly harm the foundation of spiritual practice.
Therefore, the current sphere of influence of Northwest Buddhism is not called the Buddhist Kingdom, but the Buddhist Realm.
In the Buddhist realm, Buddhism is the actual controller. Although it is not as barbaric as it was thousands of years ago, it can be said that as long as it does not affect one's own practice, it can act unscrupulously.
In comparison, Central Plains Buddhism is much gentler.
Apparently, this Duguang monk should come from northwest Buddhism.
This is interesting. Fahua Temple is an important Buddhist temple in the Central Plains, but the person sent there is an eminent monk from Northwest Buddhism.
Zhang Sui said to Zhu Chan: "Since you are following the princess, you must restrain them carefully. Let them not see anything but have a predestined relationship with the Buddha."
I am here this time. If I am not there, wouldn’t my friend be forcibly taken away? I have a bad temper. If you offend me, I won’t care about anything!"
Zhu Chan nodded when he heard this and glanced at Du Guang, who lowered his head and lowered his eyebrows.
Zhang Sui looked at Du Guang and sneered, saying: "You can use these methods to deal with a person with such profound merits and virtues, and you are not afraid of divine punishment. You Buddhists are good at it!"
The veins on Du Guang's drooped head were bulging, but he remained silent in the end.
At this moment, a peaceful voice came into everyone's ears: "What Dean Zhang said makes sense. Our Buddhist sect opens its door to the world. Those who wish to come in come by themselves. There is no force.
Du Guang, you really did something wrong in this matter. I will punish you by going back to the cold cave in the temple and facing the wall for half a year, so Du Ming can come over instead!"
When Du Guang heard the words, he made eleven salutes towards the void, and respectfully said: "Follow Master Uncle's decree!"
In the void, an old monk walked out slowly.
I saw that he was wearing shabby and white monk clothes, and his face was old and peaceful. He walked from the void but calmly, looking like an ordinary old monk.
But in Zhang Sui's eyes, this man's meritorious deeds were so powerful that he looked a bit astonishing.
In the eyes of ordinary mortals, this old monk is full of compassion and peace of mind. Even the practitioners around him show respect when they see the old monk.
Zhu Chan bowed to the old monk and said, "I have met Master Yifa!"
This person is none other than the powerful Buddhist Immortal Realm mentioned by Du Guang, Master Yifa, the head of the Arhat Hall of Fahua Temple.
Yifa stretched out his finger to catch the light and said: "Go!"
The passing light turned into a ray of Buddha's light, which disappeared into the void and disappeared without a trace.
The two young monks were a little confused. They were disciples of Du Guang. Now the master was sent away by Master Yifa. The two of them stood there at a loss.
Yifa looked at them and said, "Just stay with me these days."
The two young monks quickly put their hands together and said yes.
Yifa looked at Zhang Sui and said with a smile: "Dean Zhang, the poor monk Yifa has known Mr. Meng for many years. Not long ago, we had a small gathering with Mr. Meng in the academy. Mr. Meng praised you very much! It seems now,
Mr. Meng is still very conservative in his praise of you!"
When Zhang Sui heard this, he remembered that Mr. Meng once mentioned that he wanted to invite an eminent Buddhist monk to teach in the academy. At that time, he was quite reluctant. This might be the eminent Buddhist monk that Mr. Meng mentioned!
Seeing the power of Yifa's merits, Zhang Sui felt that it would not be unacceptable to invite this old monk to teach!
Zhang Sui cupped his hands at Yifa Gong and said, "I have met Master Yifa. If all Buddhists were like you, I would have no prejudice against Buddhism now."
What Zhang Sui said was not a compliment to Master Yifa. From the first time he met a Buddhist, the impression left on him was very bad.
Whether it is the attitude towards foreign objects that harm the human race, or the methods used by Fang Xiong, not to mention the attempt to intercept Hu Baize's divine book when Junshan Academy was established, after this series of events, it will be a ghost to have a good impression.
According to Zhang Sui's understanding of Buddhism in that world, although there were many scum, there were also many virtuous monks.
But as far as he could see, the monks he met in this world had very little merit and virtue.
The power of merit is really the most direct criterion for measuring a practitioner.
Zhang Sui didn't know if others could directly see the power of merit in people like him. Anyway, in his eyes, good people and bad people were completely black and white.
Hearing this, Yifa smiled and said: "Although Buddhism in the world is one family, there are many brothers and sisters in the family, and it is normal for each of them to be different.
The ideas and actions are different. But the ultimate goal is to save the world, escape from the sea of suffering, survive the suffering in this life, and accumulate blessings in the next life!"
After speaking, recite the Buddha's name in a low voice.
Although Zhang Sui admired Master Yifa's profound merits, he did not agree with his ideas.
Although he can be regarded as having traveled through this life, he still has some disdain for such illusory things as the afterlife.
Even the underworld in this world is not perfect. After death, the soul still has no idea where it went. Isn’t it a joke to talk about the afterlife?
Yifa looked at Zhang Sui and said with a smile: "Dean Zhang has wisdom and seems to have practiced Buddhist techniques. He is a person who is destined to the Buddha. How can he be so repulsive to Buddhism?"
Zhang Sui stretched out his finger, and a ball of Buddhist power appeared on his fingertips. Zhang Sui smiled and said: "Although this is the power of Buddhism, it is only one of the many great powers in the world. Our master's skills are inclusive, as long as it helps
Cultivation does not exclude all kinds of great powers."
As the Buddha's power disappeared from his fingertips, a ball of calamity power appeared at his fingertips. This was not an undetectable power of calamity dispersed between heaven and earth, but a power of calamity gathered in one place, as if it were a substance.
Everyone's expressions changed.
Yifa sighed: "This is the power that originates from the great calamity of heaven and earth. For practitioners, it is the most poisonous thing in the world. I didn't expect that Dean Zhang's sect's skills can actually make use of this power!"