– South Dynasty four hundred eighty temples, how many pavilions in the misty rain!
This is a line from Du Mu's "Spring in Jiangnan."
It is meant to be ironic, suggesting that the emperors of the Southern Dynasties indulged in extensive construction and the rampant building of Buddhist temples, which weakened the nation's strength and impoverished the populace, leading to greater hardship and misery for the common people.
And it wasn't just Du Mu who satirized Buddhism…
Buddhism, tracing its origins, is merely a variation on the foundation of the "Feibing Kingdom's" church, with the "Feibing Kingdom's" church as its original mother body!
And as history developed, Buddhism actually deviated from its original subordinate status to a certain extent…
Even erasing its origin.
In later generations… those who believe in Buddhism and those who do not are two entirely different kinds of people.
Those who disbelieve think that there is no story Buddhism dares not fabricate, no lie Buddhism dares not speak… believing it is foolishness, and furthermore, they propose the idea that "Buddhism is the root of all evil."
For instance, Sakyamuni, a prince, abandoned his wife and child to beg for alms…
In the eyes of believers, this undoubtedly signifies Sakyamuni's greatness and extraordinariness!
But in the eyes of non-believers, this is madness, a justification for their own irresponsibility of "abandoning wife and child."
To view it from a more direct perspective.
In later generations… especially with the development of science and the progress of technology, Buddhism is not officially promoted!
As for the reasons… they are the same old points.
To take refuge in my Buddha, one must sever all seven emotions and six desires…
If everyone were to take refuge in my Buddha, severing all ties with the mundane world, and offering sustenance to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then who would support our parents? Who would develop our empire? Who would engage in productive labor?
Furthermore… considering population and reproduction, Buddha… may be worth the faith of some, but not worth promoting.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu gradually narrowed his eyes.
He was deducing what the Great Wei would be like if there were no Buddhism…
– No need for grand construction of Buddhist temples.
– The common people, far from illusion, would more easily return to practical work and engage in production.
– Population growth would be guaranteed, and disputes between Buddhism and secular society would be nipped in the bud.
As for the five precepts advocated by Buddhism that are beneficial to social development – not killing, not stealing, not engaging in illicit sexual relations, not lying, and not consuming intoxicants – in reality…
They can be harmonized with the Confucian "Five Virtues" of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
As for faith, Taoism can completely replace it… it is merely that the common people would shift from worshipping Sakyamuni to worshipping Laozi, worshipping Yuan Shi Tianzun… there is no essential difference.
Speaking of which…
Since Lu Yu became "Cao Yu," his position and his thinking have no longer been confined to one school of thought or one statement, but rather to the entire Great Wei, the entire world. Every word and deed, every action, must be carefully considered to ensure it benefits the Great Wei!
With this thought…
Lu Yu clenched his fists slightly, as if he had finally made up his mind.
And at that very moment.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect seeks an audience."
A soldier from the Dragon Might Camp entered and whispered a few words into Dian Wei's ear. Dian Wei then stepped forward and reported.
"Zhang Qiying?" Lu Yu murmured her name, then gently waved his hand. "Please… come in."
Not long after…
Dian Wei returned, but behind him, hidden in the shadows, was a woman wearing a veiled hat. Although her face could not be seen, her soft and graceful figure was still visible… who else could it be but Zhang Qiying?
Dian Wei cupped his fists and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, she has arrived!"
Lu Yu glanced at the woman and smiled indifferently, "Alright, Commander Dian, you may withdraw."
Dian Wei glanced at Zhang Qiying with concern. Zhang Qiying was dressed particularly lightly tonight. Due to the previous incident involving poison and… Dian Wei was naturally a little worried…
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, at this moment…"
Lu Yu couldn't help but laugh at Zhang Qiying, "The Saintess is truly formidable. I never expected that even Commander Dian, the ancient evil, would be so wary. They must be worried you'll eat this Crown Prince!"
*Pfft…*
This almost teasing remark caused Zhang Qiying to let out a soft laugh, "Commander Dian probably misunderstands. All under heaven belongs to the king; all along the shores belongs to the king. This vast Great Wei is like a chessboard, and this humble maiden is merely a piece in Your Highness the Crown Prince's hand. A piece will always understand whose hand is holding it?"
Upon hearing this…
Dian Wei cupped his fists, "This subordinate takes his leave!"
With the sound of footsteps, Dian Wei departed not long after…
Zhang Qiying stepped forward with soft steps, bowed to Lu Yu, and performed a courtesy.
"The Saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, Zhang Qiying, pays her respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Lu Yu smiled faintly, "You have come regarding the condition your father proposed, haven't you!"
"Mmm…" Zhang Qiying nodded, then asked, "How does Your Highness the Crown Prince view this endeavor of eradicating Buddhism?"
As she spoke, Zhang Qiying slowly stood up, gently removed her hat, revealing a beautiful face. Although she kept her head lowered, her demeanor was calm and composed, gentle and unhurried, neither subservient nor arrogant, possessing a unique charm.
Lu Yu looked at her radiant skin, as clear as fine jade, and her bright, intelligent eyes, and smiled faintly, "Why does the Heavenly Master Sect place such importance on Buddhism, regarding it as their greatest adversary!"
"To not hide it from Your Highness the Crown Prince…" Zhang Qiying explained, "Ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which was incited by the Way of Great Peace in the Han Dynasty, failed, countless Taoist believers were left without a master to follow. Therefore… my father sent people to quietly establish branches of the Heavenly Master Sect throughout the Central Plains. For instance… Mount Longhu in Jiangxi… It is also because of this that my father and I can quickly ascertain the situation of the world. This is also the reason why Liu Zhang of Bashu is repeatedly wary of my father!"
"And these various branch temples are not merely gathering intelligence related to current affairs. For example, the development of the White Horse Temple has also caught my father's attention…"
Having said this, Zhang Qiying paused, "In fact, a long time ago… my grandfather had already taken notice of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang. This was the first Buddhist temple introduced to the Central Plains via the Silk Road. And although there was only one… the speed at which it gained followers far exceeded our imagination… whether it was dignitaries or the impoverished masses… they seemed to easily believe in the so-called 'Buddha'… believe in the Buddha, believe in all falsehoods…"
"From that time onwards, my grandfather realized that Buddhism… would be the greatest adversary of the Tao in the future, even more terrifying than 'Confucianism'… the degree of faith their followers possessed was simply horrifying!"
"So…" Lu Yu continued to inquire, "Does the Heavenly Master Sect want the Great Wei to eradicate Buddhism and curb the development of Buddhism in the Great Wei… to provide soil and conditions for the development of Taoism?"
"Yes!" Zhang Qiying did not conceal anything… she told Lu Yu everything she knew.
Indeed…
While there was the matter of the struggle between Buddhism and Taoism, there was also… Zhang Qiying's impulse to stand on the same side as Lu Yu!
*Whoosh…*
Lu Yu turned around and took a step forward…
He closed his eyes slightly and sighed, "The successive Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Master Sect all possessed discerning eyes. In just a mere hundred years, they could perceive the infinite potential of Buddhism. However… I can tell the Saintess that there is an essential difference between Buddhism and Taoism. At least… in my opinion, Taoism in times of chaos more often descends the mountain to save people, while in times of prosperity, they cultivate themselves and pass on their teachings. Buddhism is different… in times of chaos, they retreat to their temples, and apart from reciting Buddhist scriptures, adhering to morning and evening routines, and engaging in so-called propagation of Buddhist teachings and saving all sentient beings, they are isolated from the outside world."
"Let alone the future, even in this decaying Han empire, Taoism at least made efforts. Although the results were not satisfactory, what about the White Horse Temple? Regardless of the world's turmoil, they only uttered, 'All sentient beings suffer, Amitabha,'… It is precisely based on this that I intend to agree to your father's proposal. The eradication of Buddhism in the Great Wei is like an arrow already on the bowstring, inevitable!"
*Boom…*
*Rumble!*
Lu Yu's words were not spoken with great force, but every word and every phrase, when heard by Zhang Qiying, resounded with undeniable conviction.
Originally.
Regarding… the eradication of Buddhism in the Great Wei, Zhang Qiying had no certainty. She could not understand Lu Yu, and therefore… she dared not guess what was on his mind.
But now…
The great stone in her chest had finally settled, and this allowed her…
to feel a great sense of relief.
What Lu Yu had said earlier was quite serious, but in fact… when resisting the "little Japanese," there were countless Taoist priests who descended the mountain to fight, and most of them did not return. These people were all our heroes.
Of course…
This does not mean that Buddhism always adopts the practice of 'retreating to their temples' in times of chaos.
For example… Master Juzan, who advocated "drawing the sword to kill thieves and studying Buddhism after dismounting," also organized monks to participate in the national salvation movement.
However… compared to the Taoists… the numbers were vastly different, and the contributions were vastly different!
Tracing back to the root, the practice of severing seven emotions and six desires in Buddhism…
Makes it difficult to cultivate many monks like "Juzan"!
"So… is the Crown Prince of Wei agreeing to my father's request?"
Zhang Qiying's excitement caused her to bite her lip…
Lu Yu, however, waved his hand and recited with a smile, "Saintess, do not rejoice too soon. This is merely my intention. I still need to submit the proposal to eradicate Buddhism to my father. The final decision… still rests with him!"
"Everyone knows that King Wei is completely obedient to Your Highness the Crown Prince," Zhang Qiying replied with a smile, as if the matter were already a done deal. "In the past… when Your Highness the Crown Prince was still the Marquis of Southern Hunting, King Wei was already like this… And now, with Your Highness the Crown Prince's status… as long as the eradication of Buddhism is proposed, King Wei will certainly not refuse!"
Indeed…
Buddhism had only entered the Central Plains for a hundred years and was not yet powerful… its roots were not yet deeply entrenched!
Although eradicating Buddhism would face some resistance, the resistance would not be significant. With the national strength of the Great Wei, it would be easy to eliminate such resistance… This is where eradicating Buddhism now is simpler than during the "Three Wu and One Zong Anti-Buddhist Campaigns."
Zhang Qiying, with her keen intellect, naturally understood this point…
As they talked about this, Lu Yu pointed to the dark "valley hollow" below the mountains in front of them and said with a smile, "Look at this valley in the darkness… I always look forward to tomorrow's sun rising, and this place, which is as dark as a great rock, will have beams of light, be covered by sunlight, and be illuminated…"
Zhang Qiying walked forward slowly with Lu Yu.
She stood beside Lu Yu, the night wind fluttering her hair. In the darkness of night… the dark, empty valley made her gasp.
"Truly a formidable mountain range, and this is also the future… the landscape for which Your Highness the Crown Prince will shed blood and tears!"
"This humble maiden truly wishes to do something for Your Highness the Crown Prince, for the mountains and rivers of this Great Wei…"
In this scene…
Lu Yu felt a stir of emotion and warmth in his heart.
Speaking of which, having figured out the matter of "eradicating Buddhism," he felt a great sense of release… and along with it, the seven emotions and six desires that had been suppressed by the "unification of the land," at this moment… were unleashed.
"You… can indeed do something for me!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu walked directly towards a farmstead nearby. It was a farmhouse already purchased by the Dragon Might Camp. There was only a large bed inside.
Seeing Lu Yu walk in… Zhang Qiying hesitated for a moment. Her hands… went from clenched to loosened, then clenched again, and then loosened again…
Finally, she bit her lip and took a tentative step… following him.
*Thump, thump…*
She could feel her heartbeat at this moment.
*Thump, thump…*
Not long after, a faint yet rhythmic sound emerged, like… the collision of silk and bamboo, the rustling of green leaves, exceptionally crisp… but soon, everything returned to absolute silence.
…
…
– Eradicate Buddhism?
– Great Wei's four hundred eighty temples, how many pavilions in the misty rain!
Luoyang, Cao Cao in the Wei King's Palace saw Lu Yu's letter and was taken aback when he read these two lines.
He couldn't understand why Yu'er would suddenly write to suggest eradicating Buddhism.
Xun Yu, standing before him, also frowned slightly…
He too could not figure out what Lu Yu was up to.
"My Lord, I do have some understanding of Buddhism. When Dong Zhuo set Luoyang ablaze with his great fire, only the White Horse Temple, twelve li outside the city, was preserved. Speaking of the White Horse Temple, one must mention that in the seventh year of Yongping of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming, hearing of an unusual god in the West, dispatched Cai Yin, a Lang Zhong, and Qin Jing, a doctoral disciple, to India to seek the Dharma. In the tenth year of Yongping, they returned to Luoyang with Buddhist scriptures and Buddha images accompanied by monks from Central India. They initially resided in the Honglu Temple, but later, as Honglu Temple was not a place for long-term residence, an imperial decree was issued the following year to build separate accommodations outside the Yongmen gate… Because the monks were guests from India, they were still treated with the etiquette of guests, thus the name of the accommodation continued to use the character 'Si' (寺)."
Xun Yu, with his extensive knowledge, began to elaborate.
Cao Cao listened with great interest, "Tell me the specifics?"
Xun Yu continued to narrate, "It was the eighth year of Yongping when Cai, Qin, and others bid farewell to the imperial capital and embarked on the arduous journey of 'Western Heaven pilgrimage.' In the Da Yuezhi Kingdom, they encountered eminent monks from India, saw Buddhist scriptures and images of Sakyamuni Buddha, and earnestly requested the eminent monks to travel east to the Great Han to propagate Buddhist teachings. In the tenth year of Yongping, the two eminent monks accepted the invitation and, together with the envoys of the Eastern Han, returned to the capital Luoyang with Buddhist scriptures and images carried by white horses."
"Emperor Han Ming was delighted upon seeing the Buddhist scriptures and images and treated the two eminent monks with great respect. He personally hosted them and arranged for them to stay temporarily at the 'Honglu Temple,' and even issued an imperial decree to construct a monastic complex north of the imperial road, three li west of the Yongmen gate in Luoyang. To commemorate the white horse carrying the scriptures, this monastic complex was named 'White Horse Temple,' and the character 'Si' (寺) originated from the character 'Si' (寺) in 'Honglu Temple.' Furthermore, the two eminent monks from India translated the 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra' here, which is the first Han-translated Buddhist scripture existing in the Great Han."
Hearing this, Cao Cao nodded…
"Do many people worship at the White Horse Temple?" Cao Cao asked curiously.
This…
Xun Yu waved his hand, "Some women from aristocratic families do believe in these things, from divination for good or ill fortune, to praying for children and blessings… There are also many impoverished commoners who take refuge in the Dharma and become monks… and their numbers are not small."
Hmm…
Cao Cao was somewhat surprised. He had frequented Luoyang in his youth and had seen many Indians due to the Silk Road… but he had not seen many monks. Upon hearing Xun Yu's explanation, the number of monks was actually quite substantial… This…
"Why do many impoverished commoners take refuge in Buddhism?"
"Because… the Buddhist monasteries do not require labor, only the collection of incense money. Furthermore… according to the old Han system, Buddhist monasteries are exempt from taxes and do not need to participate in corvée labor…"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao suddenly stood up…
He turned around, his back to Xun Yu, and unfolded Lu Yu's letter again.
After a long while, he murmured, "They neither pay taxes nor participate in corvée labor, and they also collect incense money. Heh heh… no wonder Yu'er wants to eradicate Buddhism. Then, by all means… let it be eradicated!"
…
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-wAp..Com-