Chapter 2391 Emergency Meeting
Everyone nodded in unison, deeply convinced.
At that time, Xuanzang was just one of the many monks in Chang'an City. Although he had some fame, he was far behind those virtuous and eminent monks, so he did not receive preferential treatment. At that time, when the Tang Dynasty was at war with the Turks, he could only secretly Climb the levels.
Unexpectedly, he is already the number one person in Buddhism...
His Majesty Li Er even thought to himself that it was a good thing that Wei Zheng, an old man, was dead, otherwise he would have been banging the table to take Xuanzang down and punish him for violating the law and discipline and leaving the country privately. Look at the enthusiasm with which the people of Chang'an are now treating Xuanzang's return. Once they go to Suo Na to punish him, half of Chang'an will probably riot...
Li Ji, who had always been silent and silent, coughed and said, "Now that Xuanzang has returned to Beijing, he has brought a large number of Buddhist scriptures with him. For those Buddhist believers, he has returned with great honor, and it is bound to cause a stir within Buddhism. stocks are turbulent, even to the extent that the original People who do not believe in Buddhism will also form a trend of converting to Buddhism. Whether this trend is good or bad will promote the prosperity and stability of the Tang Dynasty, or it will cause hidden dangers. There must be a clear regulation. "
If it has a promoting effect, the court will naturally let it go.
But if there are hidden dangers, then intervention must be carried out. Not to mention the popular belief, the Tang Empire at this moment has the strength and confidence to use knives on all enemies that cause hidden dangers to the empire's security.
The prime ministers and assistants were a little silent. No one could see this kind of thing too clearly. If it offended countless Buddhist believers, the consequences would be endless.
The best of these people are well-informed and know that the so-called faith is just a means of rule. However, the fanaticism of faith is a double-edged sword. Being able to tightly control it in the hands of the ruling class is the stability of the world. With help, on the contrary, it is very likely to turn into a hidden danger that subverts the foundation of the empire and must be eradicated.
Therefore, we must make targeted arrangements before the trend of Buddhism takes shape. Otherwise, if we wait until the trend is formed and the momentum is huge, and then want to intervene arbitrarily, the manpower and material resources required will be expended several times, and the price paid will be even more unbearable. .
Everyone weighed and thought for a while without saying a word. Changsun Wuji said: "Fang Shaobao is a handsome young man with great talent. He has traveled all over the world and has seen a lot. Do you have any opinions on this matter? Why don't you tell me? ”
It sounds like caring for the younger generation, encouraging them to speak enthusiastically, and don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing. If there are mistakes, everyone will help correct them and provide guidance.
But everyone knows that once there are flaws in Fang Jun's words, Changsun Wuji will definitely catch them and hold on to them, or even amplify them, which will damage Fang Jun's reputation.
Smart people should pretend to be cowardly at this time, and the most appropriate thing to do is to say nothing.
However, everyone knows that Fang Jun is a stick. Faced with such a straightforward attack from Changsun Wuji, how can he avoid fighting?
As expected, Fang Jun raised his thick eyebrows, thought for a moment, and then said slowly: "Since Zhao Guogong has this intention, I will just say a few words and briefly express my humble opinion... The teachings of Buddhism are generally to persuade people to do good. Be humble and patient, sow the cause, reap the result, and use the cause in this world to cultivate the results in the next life. Therefore, Buddhism is generally conducive to the stability of the world. However, Buddhism is after all. Although foreign sects have flourished in China for hundreds of years, their scriptures and teachings contain too many foreign customs. Even if they have been improved, they may have become an opportunity for people with ulterior motives to take advantage of them. This has been the case throughout the ages. Everyone has realized that there are yamen that manage the property of monks and temples, but the lower officials believe that this is not enough. ”
Seeing all the prime ministers and ministers looking at him with burning eyes, Fang Jun straightened up and continued: "In the past, most of the yamen that managed Buddhism in the imperial court were established under the Ministry of Rites. For example, now, the yamen that manage Buddhism are under the Ministry of Rites." The Ancestral Temple Department is run by a doctor from the Ancestral Temple Department, which has too little authority and insufficient personnel structure. It is difficult to manage the growing number of Buddhist believers because of its subtlety. Therefore, Xiaguan suggested that a special agency should be set up to take charge of the world's sects, and a set of detailed dinner rules should be formulated to restrict and supervise these sects and never let them go unchecked. Act recklessly.”
Everyone nodded, Changsun Wuji frowned, and asked: "How to supervise?"
Fang Jun brought out the experience of later generations and said calmly: "Everything in the world is not a royal land. As long as it is on the territory of the Tang Dynasty, it must obey the laws of the Tang Dynasty. For example, Buddhists are restricted from gathering without permission, and Buddhists gather believers at every turn. Proclaiming the Dharma will help those with evil intentions If there is an opportunity to gather people to confuse people, once natural disasters and other things happen, it is easy to incite people's hearts and coerce public opinion. If there are no restrictions, chaos will definitely happen. Therefore, it is urgent to set up a yamen specifically for management. .”
Everyone nodded slightly in agreement.
The teachings of Buddhism are good, but there is no guarantee that someone will read the scriptures incorrectly...
Since Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty, it has encountered two large-scale "Buddhist extermination" incidents. One was Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Tao, and the other was Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Yuwen Yong. Both of these two monarchs were considered to be talented and strategic. , why did you reach the point of intolerance towards Buddhism?
There is a reason for this.
First, Buddhism destroyed the country's economy. At first, Buddhist disciples did not gather property or buy real estate. They preached doctrines with one monk and one alms bowl, and made a living by alms. They were pure in spirit and had lofty aspirations. However, later, they gathered land and jewelry to fill their homes. There was a proverb among the people: "If you don't read the Huayan Sutra, "I don't know how rich the Buddha is", "No Reading Jialanji, I don’t know how much the Buddha wasted... Temples occupy a large amount of land and wealth, but they don’t pay taxes. The more temples there are, the less fiscal revenue there is. They even openly distribute “usury money” and mess up the national finances. ……
Furthermore, Buddhism does not perform corvee service, let alone military service. Buddhist disciples considered themselves to be outsiders and did not care about worldly affairs. As a result, more and more monks became monks, and the imperial court could not recruit soldiers for war.
A particularly important point is the struggle with local sects. This is the so-called "literati despise each other and colleagues are jealous of each other".
Before the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism and Taoism criticized each other. Buddhism believed that Taoism was the result of Sakyamuni's disciples coming to the East and being reincarnated as Lao Tzu. However, Taoism said that Buddhism was the result of Lao Tzu leaving Hangu in the west and going to Tianzhu. Therefore, Buddhism is Taoist disciples...
Although Taoism is no longer as prosperous as it once was, it has always adhered to the "high-level line" and "elite line". The public does not pay much attention to it. However, most of the people at the top of society are Taoist disciples. Behind these two almost devastating "Buddhist extermination incidents", It is hard to guarantee that there will be no Taoists adding fuel to the flames.
The most important point is that Buddhists believe that monks are outsiders. Their six pure roots cut off the world of mortals. They don’t even recognize their parents, and they should not be under the jurisdiction of the emperor. They only need to worship the Buddha...
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, an eminent monk even wrote an article about the reasons why he should not pay respect to the emperor, which was spread throughout the world and made the emperors, generals and ministers very unhappy. The ancient Chinese people believed that the most correct idea in their bones was to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic. In this life, they could not support their parents or have biological children. Now they are not even subject to the emperor's control. How do you want to go to heaven?
Everything in the world is the king's land, and the land beside the land is the king's ministers. This is the essence of Chinese culture and the concept pursued by the entire ruling class. If a small sect dares to challenge the emperor, which emperor can bear it?
I'll be sorry for you even if I don't destroy you.
The so-called "Buddhism flourished in the prosperous times, and was hidden in the Daomen Mountain. In troubled times, the Bodhisattva did not appear, and the old king carried his sword to save the vicissitudes of life." This is recognized by most elites nowadays. The current prosperous times are the time for Buddhism to prosper, and with Xuanzang Since Tianzhu returned home with great reputation after seeking the true scriptures, it is conceivable that Buddhism will prosper like a raging fire cooking oil in the coming period.
What will happen if it is not controlled?
Changsun Wuji was the most knowledgeable person in the court. After hearing Fang Jun's words, he weighed it and felt that there was no loophole to attack, so he could only give up in a depressed mood.
It's extremely stupid to find faults in one's bones. Changsun Wuji doesn't want to be slapped in the face by Fang Jun...
The Li and Tang dynasties respected Lao Tzu as their ancestor, and naturally respected Taoism as the state religion. However, the influence of Taoism currently only exists at the top of society, and ordinary people do not have a deep understanding of it. After all, the essence of Taoism requires a high level of cultural literacy to understand. It is far less "approachable" and easy to understand than Buddhism.
This is already the case now. If Xuanzang's trend spreads, Buddhism will be promoted to an unprecedented level, and Taoism will be increasingly suppressed.
This is something His Majesty Li Er absolutely does not want to see. (End of chapter)