The old monk's movements were indeed a little slow. After Xiao Yan finished speaking, the old monk slowly straightened up and looked in the direction of Xiao Yan's voice.
When he saw Xiao Yan clearly in the room, he finally came back to his senses and replied: "It was Mr. Wang who asked me to sweep the floor."
"Master Wang?" Xiao Yan has not wanted to think since he was trapped in the quiet courtyard in the middle of the lake, and his thoughts are much slower than before.
"It's Master Wang Sengbie." The old monk replied again.
"Farewell, Monk Wang..." After hearing this name, Xiao Yan really reacted.
After he ascended the throne, the Buddhist sect was greatly promoted, and many Buddhist temples were built in the Jiankang area. He also set up agencies in the court specifically to manage these Buddhist temples. This king monk was responsible for managing the monks' registration of ordinary monks and the miscellaneous affairs of the Buddhist temples.
of officials.
So he was a little puzzled at this time, "You are a monk of Qixia Temple, and Monk Wang has no control over the specific expenses of the monks of Qixia Temple. What exactly you monks do is under the control of the great monks in your temple.
Why would he let you come here to sweep the floor?"
Seeing his puzzled expression, the old monk smiled gently and said: "Emperor, you don't know something. The year before last, I was transferred from Qixia Temple to Nengdu Temple, and was assigned to the military service in Nengdu Temple.
In addition to evening classes and praying for blessings, the monks in the hall and service hall must be dispatched by the king of the court to do miscellaneous tasks at other times. Some of the young monks have to clear land and farm vegetables. Old monks like me are just ordinary people.
They usually clean the courtyard, or go to the workshop to help make some incense and other items. I have been assigned to clean this area before, including the garden outside and the courtyard in the middle of the lake, and today it is my turn to sweep the floor here. "
"You...you were once the great monk of Qixia Temple, how could you be classified as a handyman monk..." Xiao Yan's thoughts were a little confused at this time.
The previous dynasty did not have a special organization to manage Buddhist temples. Buddhist temples were all governed by their own great monks. This old monk was once the highest-ranking person in Qixia Temple. Even after the new dynasty, he replaced this old monk, but according to the
His status, at worst, is to compile Buddhist scriptures, so it is impossible for him to become a handyman monk.
Those handyman monks are either monks who have not been formally registered as monks, or they have just entered the Buddhist temple, or they are too stupid to memorize a single Buddhist scripture, or they have committed crimes and been expelled from the monks, but they are
The kind of monk who doesn't want to return to secular life.
"This is no wonder, Mr. Wang."
The old monk smiled slightly and said: "I was transferred to Nengdu Temple. I was originally assigned to the Sutra School. However, Huixin, the great monk of Nengdu Temple, had a completely different understanding of some Buddhist scriptures from me in the previous dynasty. During a debate,
He lost again at the sutra conference, and died soon after. I was familiar with the monk Huixin, and he should have contracted an illness and not died in depression, but one of his disciples didn’t think so. That disciple happened to be a sutra practitioner now.
Not long after I arrived, he found an excuse to accuse me and sent me to the Nodoji Temple Miscellaneous Hall. I was assigned to the Miscellaneous Hall and followed the unified arrangements of the Miscellaneous Hall.
, depending on my age, I clean the courtyards in this area."
Xiao Yan completely understood this time. Of course he knew that many Buddhist temples were like chapels, and the monks there would naturally have some intrigues. But when he saw this old monk cleaning the courtyard every day at an old age, he felt in his heart at this time
But I couldn't help but feel guilty.
"It was my fault." He lowered his head, feeling ashamed of this old monk.
"This is not your intention, so there is no need to apologize." The old monk smiled and said: "What's more, sitting down and chanting sutras is also practice, and sweeping the courtyard is also practice. I am not unhappy at all."
Xiao Yan raised his head and looked into the old monk's eyes, "With all the ups and downs, do you really feel no unhappiness?"
"The unhappiness comes from the heart of gains and losses. I have never had the heart of gains and losses. Where did the unhappiness come from?" The old monk still smiled and said, "I used to manage Qixia Temple and had many things on my mind. I thought about serving the monks every day.
I have to worry about the illnesses of the particularly old monks, and I also have to worry about the young monks not to get into trouble. With so many worries, I have less time to meditate on Buddhist scriptures. Now I just do simple physical work, and my mind is empty.
There is more time, and if we talk about gains and losses... do we lose more, or gain more?"
Xiao Yan was stunned. He didn't know how to respond. He just subconsciously said: "It's just that compared to before, this body is tired..."
"It's tiring to sit and think hard for a long time, and it's tiring to sweep and sweep, so what's the difference." The old monk looked at Xiao Yan and said, "The key lies in the state of mind."
"You are an eminent monk, but I am not exempt from the secular world." Xiao Yan's body swayed slumped, "I sit here, although I try not to think about gains and losses, I always fall into pessimism and despair, and I am full of resentment, even
Haunted by hatred."
"Where does the hatred come from?" the old monk asked.
"My mother was killed by the enemy. I am unable to take revenge, so I am filled with hatred." Xiao Yan said.
"Then why are you imprisoned here?"
"Lin Yi and I have a fight, and the loser will be imprisoned."
"Then you and Lin Yi also have hatred? As far as I know, Lin Yi is not your mother-killing enemy."
"Lin Yi is a close disciple of He Xiuxian, the former master of the sword pavilion. It was because of He Xiuxian's opposition that my mother was forced to imprison herself here. After my mother was released from prison, she also wanted to avenge her past and wanted to kill He.
Another disciple who was practicing failed, so he was killed by the Demon Sect. The sword pavilion was the origin of all this. Now Lin Yi is the master of the sword pavilion, so I want to seek revenge from him."
"If you go by this calculation, you also have enmity with the entire Southern Dynasty. He was born in Jiankang and grew up in Jiankang. According to what you said, all the people who provided Lin Yi with food and education, including later letting him
Everyone who comes into contact with He Xiuxian is your enemy." The old monk smiled gently, "In that case, you are also your own enemy. You are the emperor of the Southern Dynasty, and you manage Jiankang and the Southern Dynasty.
But you allowed such a good young man to become He Xiuxian's disciple and the master of Jiange. You yourself cannot escape the blame. And as far as I know, after the change of dynasty, Jiange also retired to seclusion. Without your consent,
, Lin Yi cannot become the master of the sword pavilion, and now he becomes the master of the sword pavilion, which is your intention, but in the end you want him to be responsible for what you agreed to? "
Xiao Yan opened his mouth, but he was speechless.
"After all, you are too confused and full of hatred. I'm afraid you want to kill all these powerful people." The old monk looked at him kindly and said: "Ordinary people sometimes hate heaven and earth when things go wrong.
They wish to kill everyone, but they often dispel such thoughts quickly, because they are just ordinary people, but you are different, you are the emperor, and your hatred will be infinitely magnified because of your status and state of mind."
"You are right. My state of mind is too chaotic, so I have fallen into this boundless hell and cannot extricate myself." Xiao Yan looked at the old monk in pain and said, "Please give me some advice, senior monk."
"I don't know how to give advice." The old monk smiled and said, "I just expressed my guess, and I have already said what I should say."
…
"What did you say to him?"
When night fell in Jiankang, a middle-aged monk wearing a brand-new monk's robe came to the monk's house where the old monk lived. He pushed the door straight into the monk's house, looked at the old monk who was soaking his feet, and said sternly
He asked.
The cold wind of winter night blew on the old monk as he opened the door, causing the old monk to shiver suddenly.
But the face of this middle-aged monk was colder than the cold wind on a winter night.
This middle-aged monk is the head of the Buddhist monastery of Nengdu Temple. The reason why this old monk was sent to the monastery is also due to his handiwork.
"You old guy, it's okay to misinterpret the scriptures. You just do ordinary chores and don't keep your own rules. What did you do today and what did you say? Why did the Holy Spirit issue an edict and only send one message every two days starting from tomorrow?
Meal?”
"So what you are asking is, what did the Holy One and I say?" The old monk was slightly startled, but then he smiled slightly and said: "He just asked me why I was filled with hatred that could not be dispelled. I just said that after all, it was just because his heart was too deep.
Chaos, he asked me for advice, and I told him how I could guide him."
"So many words!"
The leader of the monastery looked at the old monk fiercely and said in a cold voice: "That's it? If that's all, why will he start a hunger strike tomorrow and only eat one meal in two days?"
The old monk shook his head and said, "I don't know that."
The head of the monastery looked at the somewhat turbid foot-washing water in his foot-washing bucket. He felt even more disgusted and his face became even more ugly and said: "You are restless. When the blame comes from above, you will naturally reap the rewards."
The old monk looked at him calmly and said: "If I am convicted for this, it is no one else's fault. I will naturally accept the punishment."
"you!"
The leader of the monastery was inexplicably angrier, but looking at the old monk's calm appearance, he just felt that he was like a dead pig and was not afraid of boiling water, so he couldn't help but shook the sleeves of the monk's robe heavily and turned around.
I immediately thought about how to get the old monk to do heavier menial work.
At this moment, the room behind him started to light up, and many people came quickly with lanterns and their footsteps were quick.
The leader of the monastery looked at the people who appeared in his sight in astonishment, his face changed several times, but he suddenly felt happy in his heart.
Among the people who came here, the leader was the great monk from Nengdu Temple, but behind him were not only important figures in the temple, but also several ministers from the court.
Huiqing, the great monk of Nengdu Temple, had already seen him clearly from a distance, but his face straightened in an instant and he said sternly: "Is this the first emptiness of the Sutra Monastery in front of you?"
The leader of the monastery was originally happy, thinking that this old monk had caused trouble. These people came all night to deal with this old monk, but when he was shouted at, he trembled all over and felt a cold wind.
It also blew to my core, and I just felt like something was wrong.
He did not dare to neglect, and immediately saluted and said: "It is emptiness."
"You are so courageous. You dare to make accusations against eminent monks. The pure land of Buddhism has been tarnished because of you!" Huiqing shouted loudly and said: "From today on, you will be expelled from the monks and thrown into the miscellaneous service hall.
Are you not allowed to return to secular life during the year?"
"What!" The head of the monastery felt like five thunders were hitting his head. For a moment, his mind went blank, his legs became weak, and he almost sat on the ground.
In the next moment, he came back to his senses and said repeatedly: "Where did my crime come from in this life..."
"If you continue to quibble, you will be punished with a rod!"
A court official interrupted his argument with a sneer, "This is an edict from the Holy Spirit himself. Is there any truth to it?"
Another official immediately spoke up, "The Holy One has decreed that from tomorrow, we will take the great monk Huineng back to Qixia Temple, and Nengdu Temple will also be under the control of Qixia Temple."
"This makes him..."
The head of the monastery was like a bolt from the blue. He turned around in disbelief and looked at the old monk who was still wiping his feet. He couldn't believe that this old monk would actually take charge of Qixia Temple and Nengdu Temple.
It was just the looks on these officials' faces that told him that what was happening was extremely real.
There is even a hint of fanaticism in the eyes of these officials.
After Emperor Xiao Yan imprisoned himself for many days, it became more and more hopeless. Most people in the court even felt that his mental state had serious problems. But today, two oral orders were suddenly issued, and he went to pick him up.
The officials of the Holy Edict only felt that he was a little different from the previous days.
How can this not make these officials ecstatic?
…
"Are you coming?"
"Being there soon."
In Jiangxia County of the Southern Dynasties, a practitioner wearing a green shirt arrived at the door of a courtyard and had a quick conversation with a practitioner also wearing a green shirt inside the door.
In less than a cup of tea, two carriages drove up the road outside the door.
The people in the courtyard opened the side door wide and allowed the two carriages to drive directly into the courtyard from the side door.
Before the two carriages had stopped, Lin Yi, Xiao Shufei, Chen Baoyuan and others had already appeared in front of the two carriages.
The curtain of the leading carriage opened, and the original Taoist stepped out of it.
The original Taoist nodded to Lin Yi, and Lin Yi's expression instantly became solemn, and he bowed seriously to the second carriage.
The golden body of Dajura has arrived. (To be continued)