"On the contrary, if all the people turn to the Buddha, who will give birth?" Man Bao didn't forget why they opposed the prosperity of Buddhism and Taoism. If all the people turn to the Buddha, who will guard the border gates? Who will repair the roads and rivers? What about water conservancy?"
Bai Erlang said: "Even if I don't study very well, I know that in ancient times, after the prosperity of Buddhist temples, the dynasty must suffer a lot."
These words were too harsh, Zhishen couldn't help but look solemn, "The three benefactors are too biased, which time the prosperity of the Buddhist temple was not the time when the dynasty was in its prime?"
Bai Shan: "The prosperity must decline, this is the eternal truth."
Zhishen: "So how can the decline and fall of the dynasty be attributed to Buddhist temples?"
"The prosperity of the dynasty has nothing to do with Buddhist temples," Bai Shan said, "Since Buddhist temples cannot benefit the country, the imperial court should not favor Buddhist temples. Your Majesty is the head of the imperial court, and there should be no partiality."
Zhishen shook his head slightly, "Huguo Temple doesn't mean to let His Majesty be biased. My Buddha just wants to guide all people to be wise and attract people to be good."
Bai Shan smiled slightly and said: "Master Gao Yi, but I think everything in the world starts with responsibility. Even monks, they also enjoy the stability of the country, and the ability of Buddhist temples to preach should also benefit from the stability of the world. Can you safely go up the mountain to pay homage to the Buddha?"
so what
Bai Shan didn't go any further, but asked instead: "What does Master think?"
Zhishen naturally agrees that it is indeed better to preach in prosperous times than in troubled ones.
Bai Shan and the others accepted Zhishen's gift, and he personally sent the three of them to the mountain gate, many people saw it.
Master Zhishen is not easy to see. Everyone was quite surprised that the three teenagers could send Master Zhishen to his door.
"Isn't that Mrs. Zhou?" They go to court together and meet every month. It's hard not to know each other.
"That's Princess Mingda's son-in-law, right? The one next to him is Mr. Bai? Master Zhishen sent them to the mountain gate himself."
Such a young man, everyone can't help but envy, "I don't know how the Feng Shui of the Bai family and the Zhou family are arranged..."
Bai Shan and the others politely bid farewell to Monk Zhishen, turned around and went back.
Seeing them hurrying, Bai Erlang asked, "Why are you going back?"
"Writing notes," Bai Shan said: "Master Zhishen believes that Buddhist temples and monks should also be in charge of the country. Although it may not be possible, we can also make suggestions."
Bai Erlang: "... Really, will we be kicked out when we go to Xuandu Temple? And after we go back, will the Lord Shouqing Temple be willing to let us go up the mountain to worship the Lord Tianzun?"
Of course, the excerpts above cannot only be aimed at the management of Buddhist temples, and Taoist temples will also be mentioned together, otherwise it will seem that they are targeting Buddhist schools.
Bai Shan thought for a while and said: "There should be some preferential treatment, let's think about it later."
However, after reading the history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the three of them have pondered the influence of the increasingly prosperous Buddhist temples on the country.
Even Mr. Zhuang said in private that the prosperity of Buddhist temples is no different from prying the wall of the national treasury. When there are more Buddhist fields, taxes will definitely be reduced on a large scale, and the treasury will be empty at that time, and the pressure of taxes will definitely be passed on to other people.
History books do not point out many things, but few of them are stupid. Reading history is never just superficial text.
Not only Buddhist temples, but also Taoist temples.
It's just that Taoism is declining now, and many Taoists travel all over the world or live in seclusion in the mountains. There are not many people who really walk and preach in the world.
Half of them are liars, which is completely different from the prosperity of Buddhist temples.
Bai Erlang really didn't want to go back, but Bai Shan and Man Bao both wanted to go back, and he was bored outside alone, so he could only go with them.
Zhishen watched them go away, turned around and went back, but instead of going back to his own room, he went to the host's room.
Coincidentally, his back window was facing the yard where they were talking just now.
Master Zhiren was burying his head in writing something, but he didn't lift his head when he heard the voice, and asked, "The three little friends are sent away?"
Zhishen said: "I'm afraid it's not friends, but senior brother has also heard that they are prejudiced against our Huguo Temple and even Buddhist temples."
Master Zhiren smiled and shook his head, "No prejudice."
Zhishen: …
He stared at Zhiren, "Brother actually likes them?"
Only then did Zhiren stop writing, and put aside the half-translated Buddhist scriptures, he said: "Didn't you hear it, junior brother? The three of them are the first in the world, and there are quite a few fifteen or sixteen-year-olds who have this ambition, but some Not many have this opinion.”
He said bluntly: "Although they are young, they are not inferior to junior disciples."
Zhiren didn't feel much about Zhishen's behavior of deliberately bringing people to the back yard to talk today, because he had no intention of intervening in these disputes, so he concentrated on writing his scriptures for those who came here before.
Only this time, he was a little happy. These three children are still young. This is their current shortcoming, but it is also their greatest strength. They have unlimited possibilities in the future.
Zhishen is used to blows from senior brother, he doesn't care, he only cares about the future of Huguo Temple, "Senior brother, His Majesty trusts Huguo Temple, but the crown prince has no special feelings for Buddhist temples, now Zhou Man is not only in front of His Majesty's eyes She is also a popular person in front of the prince, she is a Taoist, and when the prince ascends the throne, if things go on like this, my Buddhist temple will suffer serious damage."
Seeing that Zhiren didn't take it seriously, Zhishen said: "Brother, have you forgotten the tragedy of Emperor Taiwu's extermination of Buddha and Emperor Wu's extermination of Buddha?"
Zhiren saw that Zhishen was emotionally agitated, and sighed: "Young master, I, Buddha, shouldn't interfere in political affairs. As long as I stay away from political affairs, I will be a benefactor at the beginning. If I treat it with a normal heart, there will be no such disaster."
He advised again: "Junior brother shouldn't buy so many Buddha fields."
Zhishen said, "There are more and more monks in the Huguo Temple, if you don't buy the Buddhist field, how can the disciples survive?"
Zhiren said conveniently: "Junior Brother shouldn't accept so many disciples."
"Propagating Buddhism and studying Buddhist principles require disciples." Zhishen's eyes fell on Zhiren's table, and said: "Brother, if you want to concentrate on studying Buddhism, then you shouldn't work hard for three meals a day, these also need disciples and the faithful."
Zhiren said indifferently: "Every tea and meal can be a gift from God. Not only do I have apprentices to support me, but I can also cultivate myself, so I don't need to be enshrined in the temple."
He paused, thinking of the responsibility that Bai Shan said just now, and was about to remind him, but when he looked up and saw Zhishen's face of disapproval, he paused, remained silent and did not speak.
Zhishen once again disagreed with his senior brother, but he was not angry either. In the past few decades, they had disagreements eight times out of ten conversations. Zhishen would still be angry before, but now he won't.
After saluting, he resigned. When he went out, he found his senior disciple standing outside the door with his hands down. He nodded and said, "Take good care of your master."
Jie Chen put his palms together in response, and waited for the uncle to walk away before knocking on the door and entering.
Zhiren has already picked up his pen to continue translating his scriptures.