Looking at the monk in front of him who was just over forty years old but already had white beard, hair and wrinkles on his face, Fang Jun wanted to ask: "Where is Senior Brother?"
Hearing Xuanzang's question with a smile, Fang Jun also laughed and said: "When I heard about the great feat of the master's journey to the west, I couldn't be more impressed, so in my spare time I made up all the geography, customs and customs of the Western Regions I knew. I hope that I can forgive myself if I offended him." .”
When he was bored, he told Princess Jinyang various fairy tales, fables, myths and legends, and briefly told "Journey to the West". Some of them were listened to by the palace maids and chambermaids, and gradually spread. At this moment, Xuanzang mentioned the words of "mountain spirits and wild monsters". He had obviously heard these stories, but he did not seem to blame him.
Xuanzang's weather-carved face was full of smiles, he nodded slowly, and said happily: "The Duke of Yue made this nonsense, but it had a great impact on me. All the monks in Guanzhong knew that there was a monk who traveled thousands of miles to Tianzhu to seek for it. The True Sutra, after my return from the accident, attracted a lot of attention. I am alone and devoted to the Buddha. Although I don’t care about these worldly reputations, it is true that the sutra for seeking return has attracted widespread attention. In the final analysis, it is still true. Thanks to the blessing of the Duke of Yue. However, there are no mountain spirits and ghosts at all, and the enchanting daughter of the king has never been seen. Along the way, there are only long stretches of yellow sand, arduous journey, and a stone that is as solid as a rock. The Buddha’s heart.”
In fact, going to Tianzhu to obtain Buddhist scriptures was not Xuanzang's first initiative. Many monks had done similar things before him. For example, the eminent monk Faxian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty went to Tianzhu to seek Buddhist scriptures. After returning to China, he wrote the book "Buddha Kingdom" to record his arduous journey and the process of seeking Buddhist scriptures.
But this only has a certain influence within Buddhism, and the outside world has no knowledge of it. Xuanzang also read books such as "Records of the Buddha's Kingdom" and developed a desire to seek scriptures in the West.
But this time when he returned from seeking scriptures, he caused an uproar all over Guanzhong. People discovered that a myth that had been widely circulated before was actually a real person...
Therefore, for Xuanzang and Buddhism, telling "Journey to the West" may be just an unintentional act, but the impact it caused has greatly benefited Buddhism, which is an indisputable fact.
This is also the reason why Xuanzang is here to drink tea with Fang Jun and look so pleasant. Otherwise, according to his nature, he would sit in the Zen room and translate the Buddhist scriptures he brought back. How could he have the patience to socialize with a powerful person?
Fang Jun was a little stunned: "Master is an eminent Buddhist monk. He should be pure and uncontaminated. How can he be happy for the prosperity of Buddhism?"
Xuanzang laughed happily when he heard this.
His smile is very contagious. The nasolabial folds on his weather-stained cheeks are raised into an arc shape. His two bright eyes are narrowed, revealing his white teeth. He is warm and happy, and full of indescribable affinity.
He said: "There are thousands of Buddhist scriptures, and the interpretations are even more diverse, but when we get to the bottom of it, it is nothing more than the four words of 'saving others and saving ourselves'. Everything in the universe is an image of the shaking of the mind, both internal and external. The world, material and non-material, are all changed by the mind. 'Saving others and saving oneself' lies in the mind, and 'entering the world and leaving the world' are not the feelings of the mind? Whether Buddhism is prosperous or not, whether the classics are spread or not, the interpretation is correct and No, it’s all consciousness.”
This was a theory he had summed up from his inner thoughts when he was practicing Buddhism in Tianzhu. It was profound and difficult to understand. When he saw that Fang Jun was confused, he smiled heartily: "The Duke of Yue is in a high position, but he always thinks about the welfare of the people. , the rise and fall of the country, and the ability to stick to the original mind in adversity, this is also the 'consciousness-only original mind'. My body is in Buddhism, but my mind is in the world of mortals. It is naturally difficult to give up joy and anger. How can I be prosperous after hearing and listening to the Dharma? do not like?"
This is to say that Fang Jun does not have to follow the prince who is about to be deposed, thereby affecting his own future. After all, the Fang family is an honorary minister of Zhenguan, and Fang Jun is the royal consort. He does not rely on the prince to rise to prominence. Even if the prince is deposed, he only needs to To express your loyalty to the new crown prince, you can still sit in a high official position, ride a horse, and have great power.
But Fang Jun chose such a path full of thorns. No matter what the reason was, his persistence was admirable, and it was enough to show that Fang Jun was not greedy for power.
Fang Jun finally understood something and nodded: "The King Kong has angry eyes, so he has conquered the four demons; the Bodhisattva has lowered his eyebrows, so he is compassionate to the six realms. The human heart is the Buddha's heart, and the Buddha's heart is also the human heart. There is a vast difference between the two, but in essence But there is no difference.”
Xuanzang's eyes were full of insight into worldly affairs and human affairs, and the smile on his face became brighter. He put his hands on his hands and laughed and said: "I have heard that the Duke of Yue has a great literary talent and is ranked first in the world. This couplet is short Two sentences, but they fully demonstrate the Buddha nature! If I hadn’t given up drinking for many years, it would be obvious to me!”
Fang Jun smiled, inevitably feeling guilty.
Travelers sometimes do not need to deliberately plagiarize later poems, but often inadvertently say some classic sentences that have been engraved in their minds, and they can amaze the world...
The two chatted happily, and they seemed to regret meeting each other too late. Not to mention that Fang Jun was knowledgeable and knew astronomy and geography, but Xuanzang, as a virtuous and eminent monk, had none of the arrogance and reserve of a monk. He is casual and incisive in his words, quite like a kind-hearted elder.
Li Chengqian settled down his family, and under the guidance of a monk, he came to the Buddhist temple and saw this scene. He was quite surprised and said: "I wonder why the two of you are talking about such a congenial relationship?"
He knew that Fang Jun was talented, full of treasures, and had some knowledge of Taoism, but he did not expect that he could have a pleasant conversation with Master Xuanzang, who was profound in Buddhism...
When Xuanzang saw Li Chengqian sitting down, he held a pot and poured tea for him. He said with a smile: "The Duke of Yue is very talented and has unparalleled talents and learning. I admire him deeply. If you don't mind the boringness of the Buddhist temple, you can come here from time to time to drink a cup of tea and have a chat." The Dharma that saves the world should be regarded as a happy thing."
Li Chengqian became more and more surprised, and at the same time his heart moved.
To this day, Master Xuanzang is famous throughout the Tang Dynasty because of his quest for the true scriptures from Tianzhu. Buddhist disciples all over the country are grateful for his actions in promoting Buddhism. Even those eminent monks who are more than seventy years old are still in the Tang Dynasty. In front of him, he either respects and worships him or performs discipleship rituals.
Coupled with the profoundness of his Buddhist teachings, there is a faint tendency to form his own sect, and his status becomes more and more noble...
If he can get Xuanzang's support, it means that the entire Buddhist sect of the Tang Dynasty is standing behind him. A Buddhist who was born in a secular world, he would not fight against his father to keep his throne. However, as long as Xuanzang expressed his stance, it would not be difficult to save the lives of him and his family in the East Palace.
This is a big help...
Li Chengqian then cheered up and talked about Buddhist knowledge while drinking tea. Although his talent is not as good as that of Li Tai and Li Zhi, he is also one of the few well-educated people who has dabbled in both Taoist and Buddhist thoughts. With Fang Jun helping him, we have a good conversation for a while.
Xuanzang sat for a long time. A monk came in from outside and told him that something urgently needed to be done in the temple. Then he reluctantly said goodbye and repeatedly asked Fang Jun to come and meet him in his spare time.
Fang Jun agreed with a smile. In any case, there were many benefits to being on good terms with such an eminent monk who had a high status in Buddhism and was destined to establish a sect in history.
After Xuanzang left, Li Chengqian asked: "Is it your work that the Pheasant slaves want to go to sea and build a country?"
Fang Jun nodded first, then shook his head, and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Jin has found Wei Chen and asked Wei Chen to send troops to destroy the Japanese country and collect all their lands so that they can go to the Japanese islands to feudalize and serve as a vassal for the country... But this matter is trivial. The minister had no idea in advance, but since the King of Jin opened his mouth, the minister agreed. Moreover, the Soga family has been trying to make a move recently, secretly contacting the emperor's remnants to fight against the navy. The navy is planning to talk about annihilation in one fell swoop, which can be regarded as a favor to the prince of Jin. "
Li Chengqian frowned and said in a low voice: "From what you can see, does the Pheasant slave sincerely think so when he asks to go to sea to found a country, or is there some conspiracy?"
King Jin's departure to the sea is a good thing for the East Palace. After all, there is one less opponent to compete for the throne, and the father's originally firm intention to be the crown prince may not be shaken.
But the negative impact is not small. For example, it alarmed the father and made him wonder whether he, the prince, was secretly intimidating King Jin, forcing King Jin to go to sea to escape...
Once the father recognizes this, even if the mother is resurrected, he may not be able to save Li Chengqian's life.
Fang Jun had already thought of this, so he simply shook his head and said: "Wei Chen is not sure. King Jin has a deep mind and anything is possible."
No one would underestimate Li Zhi, who looked young and innocent, and Fang Jun would never make such a mistake. Historically, His Royal Highness, the King of Jin, counterattacked from the most unlikely position to the last position, and finally relied on his "filial piety" to impress His Majesty Li Er to become the crown prince, and then killed the crown prince, King Wei, King Wu and other brothers who might endanger the throne.
Although these people are all stumbling blocks on his way to hell, and the inexplicable ways of death seem to have nothing to do with Li Zhi, as the biggest beneficiary, who dares to say that he is really pure and flawless among them?
But even so, no one in the world doubted him...
Even after the Queen Wang was deposed and the Guanlong clan was completely defeated, the world blamed Wu Meiniang, who was ruthless and ambitious. The world still believed that Li Zhi was as pure as a white lotus. He seemed to be so kind and soft-hearted that he would not even dare to kill a rabbit. .
I would like to ask how many people throughout the ages have been able to reach the realm of Li Zhi?
After he ascended the throne, Li Zhi seemed to be in poor health, often fell ill, and engaged in various scandals and lustful mischief. He did not appear to be a clear ruler. However, under his rule, the Tang Empire reached the limit of its vast territory, and throughout Chinese history. There are few others who can match it. Officials governed Qingming, Haiqing and Heyan. While continuing the rule of Zhenguan, they also laid the foundation for the prosperous age of Kaiyuan.
It is more appropriate to use the phrase "a distinguished person of a generation" to describe it...
Who dares to despise such a person, he is afraid that he will die without knowing how he will die.
Li Chengqian obviously knew this brother very well, and said cautiously: "You must pay attention to the movements of Pheasant Nu, so as not to be tricked by him. In the past two days, I heard that many ministers and censors have written letters saying that Qingque's image looks like Emperor Yang. If there is nothing wrong with what you said, it must have been done by the pheasant slave."
