Tongxuan Temple in the north of Wujun City is large in scale. The main hall is five couplets wide, five bays deep, and has four interior shelves. It has an eaves gallery in front, and the eaves are three feet high. The surrounding eaves pillars are angled stone pillars, and the inner pillars are made of nanmu. There are temple monks.
With more than a hundred people, Tongxuan Temple, Jiankang Waguan Temple, Longgong Temple, and Kuaiji Qiguang Temple are known as the four famous temples in Jiangdong.
The eighth day of April is the Buddha's birthday, but there are not many pilgrims and believers who come to Tongxuan Temple to bathe the Buddha and make offerings to the monks. Compared with the birthday celebration of Emperor Tianguan at the Qiantang Du Family Celestial Master's Dojo on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which Chen Caozhi attended, it is really
Far worse.
Chen Caozhi came early to bathe the Buddha in Tongxuan Temple and lay flowers. The elder's sermon had not yet begun, and Chen Caozhi did not want to join in the fun. Coming to the Buddhist temple to worship the Buddha was the same as attending the Tianshi Dao ritual ceremony. It was nothing more than fulfilling a wish. He would return to Chen at the end of the month.
When Jiawu’s mother asked about it, she could just reassure her.
After Chen Caozhi paid homage to the Buddha in the Main Hall, he told the deacon that he wanted to donate incense and money. The deacon led Chen Caozhi to a side hall, where he saw a young man with a face like a crown jade and a beard as beautiful as lacquer, instructing his entourage to pay homage to the Buddha and offer it to the monk.
One hundred and five baht was used to move in. One hundred and five baht was equivalent to one hundred thousand yuan. This person was very generous.
Chen Caozhi only gave away a thousand dollars, with a calm expression and normal demeanor. He did not feel any distress because the young man gave more, but he gave less. The deacon asked him to leave his name in the merit book, and he
There was no pretense and he didn't leave a name. He took up his pen and wrote in the style of "Zhang Han Tie" - "Qian Tang Chen Caozhi". He put down his pen, saluted the monk Heshi, and took Ran Sheng to the Octagonal Pagoda.
Seeing Chen Cao's handsome appearance and free and easy demeanor, the young man came over and took a look at the merit book. He suddenly laughed and said to himself: "It turns out that he is Chen Caozhi. He made Yu Xi, the internal history of Yangzhou, so angry that he was bedridden.
The poor Chen Caozhi, well, his calligraphy is also very impressive, he seems to be a wonderful person indeed."
…
Standing under the Tongxuan Temple Pagoda and looking up, this 30-foot-tall pagoda stands tall and majestic. Buddhist architecture often has a shocking effect, making people want to worship it.
Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng saluted the monks guarding the pagoda and entered the pagoda. The Tongxuan Temple pagoda has a brick body with wooden eaves and a double-layer sleeved pagoda body. The inner pagoda has nine floors, and there are two layers between the inner and outer pagoda walls.
The corridor spiraled up. Chen Caozhi went straight up the stairs to the highest floor. He came to the flat corridor on the ninth floor and looked outside the tower. He saw the Tiger Hill not far away under his feet. He walked around to the south and looked at the prosperous ancient Suzhou.
I can clearly see the lanes, streets, government offices, shops, bullock carts, pedestrians...
Ran Sheng said: "Xiao Langjun, you worship at the Taoist temple and at the Buddhist temple. It's really strange. It's like asking two people for the same thing, and they are likely to fail." Ran Sheng had wanted to say this for a long time.
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Buddhism and Taoism are interlinked, but only in one mind. There is nothing not to worship."
At the sound of the wooden corridor stairs, someone said: "May I ask how Buddhism and Taoism are connected?"
Chen Caozhi looked back and saw that it was the young man who had just donated 100,000 yuan in the temple. This man was wearing a plain scarf and a linen undershirt. He was of medium height, had a thin face, and had slanted red phoenix eyes with sharp eyes.
God, the bridge of his nose is high and straight, and his lips are pursed tightly when he is not speaking. Although he has a beautiful beard, he is not very old, probably no more than twenty-five years old. There is a natural dignity and purity in his speech and behavior.
expensive.
Chen Caozhi briefly cupped his hands and said: "Thousands of generations ago, there was a sage who came out with the same mind and the same principles. Thousands of generations later, there was a sage who came out with the same mind and the same principles."
The man with the beautiful beard raised his eyebrows and asked: "What do we share the same heart? What reason do we share?"
Chen Cao said: "The Tao is natural. The Buddha said Prajna. This is called the Taoist heart and the Buddha's heart. In fact, they are both human hearts. The Master said, 'Where does the world want to be? The world has the same destination but different paths, and the same is the same as hundreds of places.'
Aren’t there any similarities between Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism?”
The man with the beautiful beard had dabbled in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Mysticism, and his contacts were all famous people and monks, but he had never heard such a strange theory. He was surprised and delighted, and asked: "Nothing exists before all transformations, and emptiness begins from the form."
, what’s the explanation?”
Chen Cao said: "Isn't this the Tao? The formless form, the image of nothing, is called trance. When you meet something, you don't see its head, and then you don't see its behind. Hold on to the ancient way to resist the present, and you can know the beginning of the past.
, could it be Tao?"
The phrase "Nothing exists before all transformations" asked by the man with a beautiful beard is the explanation of "Prajna-nature is empty" by the famous monk Shi Dao'an in the Jin Dynasty. Throughout the Eastern Jin Dynasty Buddhism, it is all based on the explanation of "Prajna-nature is empty".
Chen Cao had little knowledge of Buddhist scriptures in his previous and present lives, and had only read two short Buddhist scriptures - the "Diamond Sutra" and the "Tan Sutra". But now he has done a certain amount of research on Lao Zhuang and Zhou Yi. Looking back on the past
The Diamond Sutra and the Tantra Sutra that I have read are as clear as the clear sky and clear sun.
The man with the beautiful beard was pleasantly surprised when he heard Chen Caozhi explain the Buddhist scriptures using "Laozi". He had seen many scholars who supported Confucianism in metaphysics and interpreted Confucianism with metaphysics, but he had only seen Zhimin who could explain Buddhist scriptures with metaphysics.
Du and Zhi Daolin were two eminent monks, while Chen Caozhi was only sixteen and seven years old. He was so well versed in Confucianism, Mysticism and Buddhism that he was so surprised that he ordered his followers to borrow it from the monks.
Two futons, Chen Cao and I were sitting together on the top floor of the Tongxuan Temple Tower, quoting scriptures and arguing with each other.
The man with the beautiful beard was proficient in Buddhist scriptures and knew the teachings of the famous contemporary monks Shi Dao'an, Zhu Fatai, Zhi Mingdu, and Zhi Daolin very well. However, Chen Caozhi knew very little about Eastern Jin Buddhism and only knew the Diamond Sutra.
" and "The Tantra Sutra", but since he is proficient in metaphysical speculation, he can quickly understand the profound meaning of the Prajna doctrines such as "creation from nothing", "the nature of form is empty", and "the mind has no intention" spoken by the man with the beautiful beard.
Then respond with Lao Zhuang and Zhou Yi.
The man with the beautiful beard became more and more surprised the more he argued, and the more he argued the happier he became. Lao Zhuang and Zhou Yi were the only ones. What was strange was that he had never heard of the Buddhist wisdom that this handsome young man said. The Diamond Sutra was translated by Kumarajiva, a great monk of the generation.
Morosh is only a teenager now, and it will take more than twenty years to translate the Diamond Sutra. Therefore, even if the man with a beautiful beard is well-versed in Buddhist scriptures, he cannot read the Diamond Sutra. The Tan Sutra is the sixth chapter of the founder of Zen Buddhism.
Zu Huineng's sutras on teaching the Dharma will not appear until four hundred years later. How could a man with a beautiful beard know about it?
The clouds came and went, and the sun's shadow slanted. The two argued on the high tower for three hours. It was already late afternoon. The two parties did not feel hungry or thirsty, but were full of energy. Young Ran Sheng listened to the clouds.
Wuli couldn't stand it anymore and complained: "Fuck you, I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten in the morning, and Lai De is also wandering under the tower."
Chen Caozhi laughed loudly, stood up, and said to the bearded man who couldn't stand up for a while: "No matter how brilliant the discussion is, what's wrong with it? Talking can lead to misunderstandings, that's what it means - see you later."
He cupped his hands and led Ran Sheng down the tower.
The man with the beautiful beard was horrified when he heard Chen Cao's words of "talking can lead to misunderstandings."
Super sober, even though he just said 'talking about things,' but he is so broad-minded and insightful, I have only seen him from Sima Huan."
During the second Northern Expedition in the twelfth year of Yonghe, Great Sima Huanwen sent troops from Jiangling to the north to attack Yao Xiang. On the rolling Luo River, Huanwen boarded the forecastle of the ship, looked north at Shenzhou, and said with emotion: "The land of Shenzhou has been sunk, and the mountains have been built for hundreds of years." Ruins, Wang Yifu and others have no choice but to take responsibility!" Wang Yifu was a Taiwei in the Western Jin Dynasty, a famous scholar named Wang Yan, and he was famous for his clear talk.
Yuan Hong, the staff member and secretary of Huan Wen's army, defended Wang Yan and said: "If fortune rises and falls, it is not everyone's fault!" This is to blame the chaos of the Eight Kings and the chaos of Huaquan on the rise and fall of fortune.
Huan Wen was furious: "I heard that Liu Jingsheng had a thousand-jin bull, which could eat cud beans ten times as much as an ordinary bull. It could carry a heavy load for a long distance. It was not as good as a weak old bull. Wei Wu entered Jingzhou and killed it for the sake of the soldiers."
This compares Yuan Hong, who considers himself a celebrity, to a person who knows how to eat wine and rice bags but does not know how to do it. All the guests here are eclipsed. If this were Cao Cao, he would probably push Yuan Hong out and behead him, but Huan Wen still has the demeanor of a Jin man. , treated Yuan Hong as before after losing his temper, and did not bear any grudge because Yuan Hong contradicted him in person.
…
Chen Caozhi didn't know who the man with the beautiful beard was, but he felt that his mystical talk was exquisite and his knowledge was extraordinary. Moreover, the money he spent was one hundred thousand dollars. He must be a child of an aristocratic family, and he should be a child of an aristocratic family with an official position. The Zhu brothers were also good at mystical talk. , but he did not have the majesty and dignity of this man with a beautiful beard. Chen Caozhi felt that this man was the second extremely smart person he had met since Zhu Yingtai.
When Chen Cao's master and servant returned to Taolin Xiaozhu, it was almost dusk and they had two meals together.
At night, the Zhu brothers came to sit and talk, and continued to argue that a white horse is not a horse. Chen Caozhi shook his head and said with a smile: "Let's talk about it. Today I met an expert in Tongxuan Temple. He argued with me for three hours, and now his voice is all gone." A little dumb."
Zhu Yingtai heard that Chen Cao's voice was hoarse and strange, and asked curiously: "What is this man's surname? If he can argue with brother Zizhong for three hours, he must be a famous person today."
Chen Cao said: "I didn't ask him his name, but he has a beautiful beard."
Zhu Yingting looked at Brother Nai and said, "Could it be Sun Chuo and Sun Xinggong? Sun Xinggong has a beautiful beard."
Zhu Yingtai shook his head and said: "Sun Xinggong is fifty years old, how can he have a long talk with brother Zizhong?"
Chen Cao said: "That man has not passed his thirties - let's not talk about him. Brother Yingtai, let's take a guess first."
While they were playing chess, Ding Chunqiu came from the city and said that he would return to Qiantang with his father Ding Yi tomorrow. He asked Chen Caozhi if he had any letters from home?
Chen Caozhi apologized to Zhu Yingtai, got up, and went back to his room to write a letter home. His fourth uncle, Chen Xian, and his elder brother, Chen Shang, returned to Qiantang at the end of last month and took him with them to write for his mother, Zongzhi, and Run'er. Three letters, this time they were written to his sister-in-law Ding Youwei, to report that she was safe, and to talk about studying and studying. As for the matter with Lu Weirui, Chen Caozhi really wanted to talk to his sister-in-law and ask her to give him some advice. But it was not convenient to write a letter about Lu Weirui's affairs, so I had to wait until I returned home at the end of the month before telling my sister-in-law.
Ding Chunqiu rested in Taolin Xiaozhu tonight. Early the next morning, he went to the Xu Academy to say goodbye to Dr. Xu Zao and thanked Dr. Xu for his teaching. Xu Zao also expressed his warm words and encouragement.
Liu Shangzhi and Chen Cao accompanied Ding Chunqiu into the city to see off Ding Yi. Ding Chunqiu and his son returned to Qiantang. Lu Na sent an official to see Dingshe off on his behalf. The gentry of Wu County also came to see Ding Yi off, but Among them, there are almost no first-class nobles, and they are all second-class nobles. Not to mention how big the gap is between the poor families and the noble families, there is also an invisible but always felt gap between the second-class noble families and the high-class noble families.
Chen Caozhi knows how difficult the road ahead is for him!
After bidding farewell to Ding Yi and his son, Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi returned to Taolin Xiaozhu, only to see the two deacons of the Lu family anxiously milling around in front of the thatched cottage. When they saw Chen Caozhi, they hurried over to greet him. The fat Lu family
The deacon said: "Chen Langjun, come with me to see Mr. Lu quickly. I couldn't find Chen Langjun, and I almost died of panic." Without any explanation, he took Chen Caozhi away and said that the carriage was parked outside the peach forest.
Chen Caozhi saw that the two Lu family deacons were sweating profusely and asked, "Why have you summoned me? Is it because of Lady Wei Rui?"
The fat and fat deacon of the Lu family came to take Chen Caozhi to Huating to treat the spring orchid last time. Hearing this, he wiped his sweat and said with a smile: "Miss Lu's flowers are important, but they are not so urgent.
, Ambassador Lu wants to see you this time, and he has ordered Chen Langjun to be invited as soon as possible."
Chen Caozhi didn't know what was going on, so he came to the prefect's mansion by Lu Mansion's carriage. There were already some messengers waiting for him. He said that the envoy had urged him many times, so he led Chen Caozhi to the main hall, where Lu Na received Chen Cao in the past.
In the study room, why are you so serious this time in the main hall?
Chen Caozhi stood at the corridor, waiting for the officials to go in and report. After a while, he saw Lu Na personally coming out to welcome him, saying slightly reproachfully: "Chen Caozhi, why did you just arrive? Someone has been waiting for you for a long time."
Chen Caozhi bowed deeply and said: "I have met Mr. Lu. Cao Zhi went to see off Ding Sheren and his son early in the morning. When he learned that Mr. Lu was summoned, he came immediately."
Lu Na suddenly said: "Yes, yes, Ding Sheren left the county today, and I also sent someone to see him off." He took Chen Caozhi's hand, walked into the hall side by side, and asked with a smile: "Cao Zhi, do you know who is like this?
Anxious to see you?"
Chen Caozhi replied: "I don't know."
I heard someone in the hall laugh a few times and say, "Did Qian Tang and Chen Caozhi forget about the person who argued the case on Tongxuan Pagoda overnight?"
While they were talking, a man walked out of the hall, with majestic eyes and a flowing beard. He was the young man who argued with Chen Caozhi at Tongxuan Temple yesterday.
Lu Na let go of Chen Caozhi's hand and said with a smile: "Caozhi, he knows you, can you know him?"
Chen Caozhi bowed his head deeply with a smile and said: "If you say you don't know it, you already knew ten thousand words yesterday; if you say you know it, you still don't know your name."
Lu Na laughed heartily and asked, "Has Cao Zhi ever heard of such a sentence - Xi Jiguan is the most virtuous, and Wang Wendu is the only one in Jiangdong?"
Chen Caozhi raised his eyebrows like an ink painting, stared at the young man and said, "Your Majesty, you are Mr. Xi, the beautiful bearded guest? I have admired you for a long time, I have admired you for a long time."
The young man stroked his long beard gently and asked with a smile: "Why can't I be Wang Wendu?"
Lu Na laughed loudly: "Haha, Xi joins the army, Wang Tanzhi doesn't have such a big beard like you. He doesn't even leave the county, and he also knows the name of your beard joining the army, but this is the first time I heard the title of 'Mr. Beautiful Beard'"
Tell me, where did you hear this?"
Chen Cao said: "As soon as I saw Xi joining the army and his long beard, the words 'beautiful beard' came out of my mouth."
Lu Na smiled and said: "What a wonder, this 'beautiful bearded man' will join the army with Ding Xi from now on."
Chen Caozhi followed Lu Natuo into the hall, and sat down on their knees respectively. Looking at the man with the beautiful beard sitting opposite him, he thought to himself: "I didn't expect that he was the guest of Xi Chao Xi. This man is the first staff member of Huan Wen's military mansion. Zhi
Ji Shen Shen was Huan Wen's most trusted advisor. Huan Wen was heroic and majestic, and there were few people who could be praised by him. After talking with the young Xi Chao, he admired him very much. He often said that Xi Chao was unfathomable, so he
He was treated with kindness and courtesy, and Xi Chao also formed a close friendship with Huan Wen, and has been serving in Huan Wen's military mansion. Xi Chao was the mastermind of Huan Wen's two Northern Expeditions."
There are many anecdotes about Xi Chao in "Shishuo Xinyu". Xi Chao was taller than Xi, and he was a senior member of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His grandfather Xi Jian was a Taiwei, his father Xi Xu was the governor of Xuzhou, and his aunt Xi Jun married Wang Xizhi.
The reputation of the Xi family is not lower than that of Wang, Xie, Huan, and Yu, but Xi Chao is a genius of the world. He is known in history as "Zhuo Nao is unruly and unparalleled. He travels among scholars and wins every time. He is good at talking and has subtle principles."
, Xie An also believed that Xi Chao was more talented than his Xie nephews.
Xi Xu believed in the Tao of Heavenly Masters and was keen on amassing family wealth, but Xi Chao believed in Buddhism and regarded money as dirt. He once scattered tens of millions of dollars in one day, so it seems that the donation of 100,000 dollars in Tongxuan Temple yesterday was nothing.
Chen Caozhi's words of admiration for Xi Chao were no mere polite words. Xi Chao, a descendant of a famous family, was a top figure in the Wei and Jin Dynasties with good looks, talent, and character. He was not just a man who could run around naked and wave his tail while chatting all day long.
So-called celebrities who ignore practical matters.
Xi Chao looked at Chen Caozhi and said with a smile: "I went to Kuaiji to ask Xie Anshi to come out of the mountain on the orders of Grand Sima. I passed by Wu County and heard that Yu Neishi was ill, so I came to visit in vain because it was the Buddha's birthday yesterday and he didn't go in.
I went to visit Lord Lu in the city and went to worship the Buddha first, but I met Chen Caozhi and had a long talk in the tower. I deeply felt that Cao Zhi was knowledgeable and eloquent, and that Yu Neishi's illness was not unjust."
Having said that, he laughed together with Lu Na. The people of the Eastern Jin Dynasty are like this. Sometimes they pay attention to magnanimity and pay attention to not blinking when Mount Tai collapses in front of them. At other times, they laugh and curse, are willful and willful, and never hide their joy in misfortunes. It seems that
This Xi Chao also didn't like Yu Xi. It's no wonder that Yu Xi regarded Huan Wen as his enemy. Xi Chao was Huan Wen's mastermind, so naturally he didn't have much goodwill toward Yu Xi.
Lu Na said: "The imperial court has summoned him several times before, but Xie An refused to say goodbye. I wonder if Xie An will make excuses this time when Xi joins the army and travels thousands of miles to invite him?"
Xi Chao said: "What if Xie Anshi can't come out?" Suddenly the conversation changed and he asked: "Do you think Xie Anshi will come out this time?"
Chen Caozhi knew that later history recorded that Xie An was appointed Sima of Huan Wen's army in the fourth year of Shengping. The main reason for Xie An's appointment was that after Xie Wanbei's defeat in the expedition, he was demoted to a commoner and subsequently became depressed.
After his death, Xie's family status was in jeopardy, so Xie An had to leave the mountain. But what was strange about Chen Caozhi was that Xi Chao had discussed Buddhism and mysticism with him before, and now he suddenly asked him about current affairs. He didn't know what his purpose was? He replied: "Xie Wanshi
If you can take on heavy responsibilities, Xie Anshi will not do it."
Xi Chao's eyes were filled with surprise. Does this sixteen-year-old boy have an exquisite mind? How can he see things so clearly? He asked with a smile: "In your opinion, can Xie Wanshi take on important responsibilities?"
Chen Cao said: "Xi joined the army to make fun of me. I only have a small number of people to employ in the imperial court. How dare I make rash comments?"
Xi Chao looked at Chen Caozhi with a wise and insightful look, and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about it for now. Yesterday, we talked with Caozhi on the high tower, which made our mouth dry and tongue-tied. But I still feel that I haven't finished it. Today I still want to be alone with Caozhi.
Debate, please do not refuse. I will go to Kuaiji tomorrow, and it will be difficult to meet later."
Chen Caozhi had a feeling that Xi Chao would not just talk about Huang Lao and Buddha with him, but should have something else to say, so he immediately said: "If you can listen to Xi Jianjun's eloquent talk, that's what you want."
