Although he has lost the protection of his caravan identity, there is nothing he can do about it. After all, things are fickle and it is impossible to do what he wishes.
After everyone rested for a while, they continued on the road. Fortunately, there was no shortage of money now, and the corresponding food and water were fully prepared. They rented a few sand camels and rushed to the next city.
The Northern Desert is desolate and vast. With the slow speed of the camels, if we really have to rely on them to reach Lingshan, the day lilies will be cold by the time we get there.
The real purpose of Lin Yan and others is to transfer to a larger city and take a sand boat, so that they can arrive quickly. Although it is not as hidden as a caravan, it is fast!
Along the way, Lin Yan was also thinking about something about the nine-story pagoda that trapped Mo Xu - the "Glass Pagoda".
When he entered the pagoda, his level was still relatively low, and it was mainly used for trials. Therefore, in his eyes, the gatekeepers below the ninth floor of the pagoda are just a group of characters who can be suppressed with a flip of his hands.
But now that I think about it carefully, the power of that pagoda may be more than that. At that time, he just didn't have enough vision to see clearly!
If you want to rescue Mo Xu, you have to enter the pagoda. If the Buddha comes to catch the turtle in the jar and suppress it, it will be great fun!
Fortunately, he had made a lot of preparations when he arrived in Chang'an, so he didn't feel panicked.
But riding a sand camel all the way was boring, and he couldn't help but miss the experience of riding Shuiling. Such a comfortable mount was really addictive!
"It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it's hard to go from luxury to frugality"! Nowadays, Lin Yan can no longer bear the speed of the sand camel, but this is a desert, but it is difficult to get down to the ground and run wildly.
After arriving at the destination, we successfully rented a sand boat and our traveling speed was significantly improved.
Lin Yan and others only said that they were going on a pilgrimage to Lingshan. After giving them a heavy bag of money, the other party treated them as honored guests with a smile. How could they ask too much about their identities!
There were relatively fixed places along the way in Shazhou to replenish the necessary supplies. After a long and boring journey, Lin Yan and his party finally arrived at the Buddhist capital.
With the painting bones, Lin Yan naturally didn't have to worry about the formalities required to enter the city, and he was happy to be the hands-off shopkeeper.
At the foot of Lingshan Mountain, there is naturally peace and prosperity, and the bustling scene is gradually charming, as if you are in a pure land of bliss.
There are a lot of monks here. They come and go on the streets. You might meet an eminent monk every few steps.
For devout Buddhists, this is the holy place in their hearts, and listening to eminent monks preaching is their highest pursuit!
I found an inn in the city to stay in. The cost was quite high. It should be said that it was indeed at the foot of Lingshan Mountain, where every inch of land was valuable!
Now that we've arrived, it's time to get down to business!
Lin Yan asked: "Have the other hall masters of Momen arrived?"
Hua Gu said: "According to the news, they have brought some elite soldiers to sneak into the city secretly, just waiting for the opportunity to come."
Lin Yan said: "When?"
Hua Gu said: "In ten days, the Buddhist sect will hold a Dharma conference in Lingshan. That will be our opportunity!"
Lin Yan nodded when he heard this.
…
Time flies by, and the time for the Dharma Conference is getting closer and closer. There are also many pilgrims coming from all over the Northern Desert in the city, and it is actually overcrowded for a while.
The Buddhist Sect has been operating in the Northern Desert for many years. Since it is called the "Buddha Kingdom", the number of Buddhist believers in the entire Northern Desert is an extremely terrifying number!
Here, the teachings preached by the Buddha have been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The only thing they believe in is the Buddha, and he is the only true Buddha in the world!
The city's population surged in a short period of time, which forced the Buddhist sect to limit the number of people entering the city. But this could not dampen the enthusiasm of these fanatical and devout Buddhists for pilgrimage. They refused to leave even if they were starving outside the city, they only wanted to listen to the meaning of Buddhist scriptures.
Seeing such a shocking scene, Lin Yan couldn't help but feel solemn in his heart. The Buddha Sect has ruled in the Northern Desert for many years, and its status cannot be easily shaken!
All living beings suffer. The existence of the Buddha does not necessarily save these poor people and help them escape from the sea of suffering, but it unscrupulously seizes the power of their faith and enjoys the offerings of all living beings with peace of mind!
Those who can really enjoy the benefits are the upper class people and vested interests in the Northern Desert Buddhist Kingdom. As for the people at the bottom, they can only talk about how to contribute in order to achieve transcendence in the next life.
Haha, afterlife? How ridiculous! Why can the high-level officials of the Buddhist country break their bones and suck out their marrow with peace of mind, while the humble and poor people can only wait for the afterlife? Does the so-called 'afterlife' really exist?
Perhaps those people don't know it either, but they can't lose this hope, because this may be the only reason for them to survive in this cruel world!
Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and thought: "The emergence of Mahayana Buddhism is an opportunity! If it can really gain momentum, it will definitely have a huge impact on the Buddhist sect."
"At the critical moment, I don't mind adding fuel to his fire!"
The time soon came. On this day, Lin Yan and others began to walk towards Lingshan Mountain along with the vast number of Buddhists, making a pilgrimage on foot to listen to the true meaning of Buddhism.
Not everyone is qualified to make a pilgrimage to Lingshan Mountain. After a lot of effort, Lin Yan and others could only reach the middle of the queue. However, their real purpose is not here, and it would be bad to go too far.
There is a forum on the Lingshan Mountain to teach the Dharma, and those who can explain the meaning of the scriptures are all famous Buddhist monks and sages, guiding these confused believers in the sea of suffering.
But today was destined to be unusual. After the eminent monk continued to lecture for half a day, something unexpected happened.
There was a young monk wearing a dark red slanted monk's robe, with one arm exposed, and a bright yellow hat with fine fluff on it, like a cockscomb head, which looked a little different. At this moment, he is actively spreading his own Dharma.
Such a person soon attracted the attention of many people. Different from what was said on the high platform, the method he taught "to save others and save oneself" was obviously different from the existing teachings of Buddhism!
“Mahayana Buddhism!”
Anyone who knows something about it can't help but have this idea in their mind. In fact, Mahayana Buddhism has been making a lot of noise in the Northern Desert Buddhist Country recently, and people can't help but pay attention!
However, after Mahayana Buddhism gained support from some people at the bottom in a short period of time, it was suppressed by the Buddhist sect. Looking at this situation, it was only a matter of time before it was liquidated.
A scolding sound suddenly came from the distance: "Cangjia, this is a Dharma conference, not a place for you to come and make trouble! Go back quickly and go and receive the punishment yourself!"
Lin Yan was a little confused when he heard this, and his face looked thoughtful. He seemed to have heard this name somewhere before.
The young monk known as "Cangjia" put his hands together and recited the Buddha's name: "Amitabha!"
Then he continued: "Since it is a Dharma conference, why can't the young monk come to teach the Dharma?"
The original voice of scolding came again, saying: "Absurd! What are you talking about? As for the fallacies you said, don't confuse the public here. Someone, come and throw him out!"
At this moment, a compassionate voice slowly sounded in everyone's ears: "How about we let him talk about it?"
Although the voice is not high, it can be heard clearly by everyone present, which is enough to show that this person is very powerful.
"Master of Difficulty?" The monk who scolded him earlier was filled with surprise in his voice, obviously not expecting the master to speak out.
You know, Master Du Di is a Buddhist Arhat, and his strength and status are far beyond his comparison!
However, the Dharma Conference could not tolerate Tsangjia's blatant promotion of Mahayana Buddhism. The monk mustered up the courage and said, "Master Du Di, this is against the rules!"
Master Du Nan clasped his hands together and said, "Since this is a Dharma conference, what's wrong with giving a lecture on Mahayana Buddhism?"
The monk was speechless for a moment and said: "This..."
At this moment, a voice came in time to rescue the monk: "Brother Du Nan, this matter is indeed against the rules. Our Buddhist sect only has one doctrine and has never recognized any Mahayana Buddhism!"
The person who spoke out was the Duqing Arhat. As an eminent monk of the same status, he was not afraid of overcoming difficulties.
The latter looked at Du Qing and said with a smile: "Buddha's Dharma is boundless. Who said there is only one Dharma in the world?"
"If junior brother thinks that Mahayana Buddhism is a heresy, why not argue?"
Debate is an important ability of Buddhism. The so-called Buddhism essentially relies on the explanation and dissemination of eminent monks. Different understandings in the process will cause deviations, and Buddhism will also use debate to solve these problems.
Once you overwhelm the other party during the argument, it means that your own statement holds the truth.
Hearing this, Du Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Senior brother, do you really want to do this?"
Du Nan remained silent, but his attitude said everything.
Seeing this, Du Qing knew that he must not retreat at this moment. After all, countless Buddhists below were watching this scene. What would they think if they retreated?
Cangjia came to do this today. I think he saw the right opportunity and wanted to use this to promote his doctrine. And this guy Du Nan is his supporter, so it is not surprising to stand up now!
Duqing nodded to the monk who was preaching on the high platform, and the latter nodded. Those who can explain the meaning of sutras on such occasions must be profound virtuous people in Buddhism.
Then, he turned his head to Du Nan and said, "Then go on stage!"
Du Nan smiled at Cang Jia and said, "Go!"
The young monk bowed in return and said, "Yes!"
Then, he stepped forward, step by step, very solidly. Under the watchful eyes of countless Buddhists, he climbed onto the high platform.
The lecturer on the stage is Master Jingsi, who has a deep understanding of the meaning of Buddhist scriptures. Even among the Buddhist sects with many eminent monks, he is one of the few figures.
Perhaps, his cultivation is not that outstanding, but his understanding of the meaning of Buddhist scriptures is enough to be called a great power!
But the young monk was not afraid and said with a gentle smile: "Uncle Master, please give me a question!"
