The Multiverse Starting from White Deer Plain

The day of discussion. Google search reading

It's scheduled to be ten days later.

Many eminent monks from Buddhist temples attended the appointment.

The forum was held in the square in front of the Taixue Confucian Temple.

Bai Gui, as the party leader of the Taixue Association and the prime minister of the imperial court, the proposer and practitioner of the new money policy, observed the debate together.

He reined in his horse and stopped at the stone Lingxing Gate in front of the Confucius Temple.

There is a horse-mounting stone in front of the door.

Looking inside, the two parties discussing Tao were facing each other.

He was familiar with most of the scholars appointed by the Taixue Academy, but when it came to these monks, he didn't know much about most of them.

"Those are the five disciples of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, who belong to the five schools of Zen Buddhism, namely Qingyuan Xingsi, Nanyue Huairang, Heze Shenhui, Nanyang Huizhong, and Yongjia Xuanjue..."

Li Linfu pointed to the five old monks wearing cassocks and kind-hearted eyes sitting cross-legged on the stone steps, and said to Bai Gui.

"That's Thich Nhat Hanh..."

"This is Master Xuanzang's disciple..."

"..."

He introduced them one by one.

"It seems that the person who came here is evil."

Bai Gui shook his head and whispered, flicked the reins and threw them to the guards, and stepped onto the stage.

"I've seen Bai Xiang..."

When he walked into the arena, all the scholars from the Taipei Academy on the left stood up to greet him. The eminent Buddhist monks on the right column ignored him and continued to twist the beads, knock the wooden fish and recite scriptures.

After all, he is a master who has been born in the world and has left the world, so it is understandable that he does not show courtesy.

In front of the main temple, there is a simple futon on the steps.

Bai Gui sat cross-legged on the futon.

The scribe announced the start of the debate.

"Is Buddhism a sect of the Tang Dynasty? Since Buddhism is a sect of the Tang Dynasty, why did the Taoist sect formulate the law and the Buddhist sect did not participate?"

Qingyuan Xingsi got straight to the point and asked.

Buddhism does not object to the formulation of new money, but what it objects to is that only Taoism is involved in this matter, and Buddhism is directly excluded.

Once the new money was launched, everyone saw the crisis in Buddhism.

If the new money is allowed to continue to be implemented, the first step is to popularize Taoism, the next step is to have all people practice Taoism, and the next step is to open up a Taoist kingdom on earth!

What is intolerable is unbearable.

"The Zen Master is wrong. The imperial court is promoting new money, not Taoist legal money. The new money just happens to use the Taoist legal money system. It's like saying that I was going to the West Market for dinner today and happened to eat a bowl of noodle soup. Noodle soup. I’m full, should I satisfy my hunger with food or soup and noodles?”

"Buddhism is a sect of the Tang Dynasty, but what does opening up new money have to do with Buddhism? Didn't I go to another bun shop in the West City to eat buns today? The shop owner of the bun shop will be resentful of me. So... this I will never dare to eat steamed buns from now on! Ordinary ordinary people in the market still need to abide by morality. I heard that Buddhists are all monks with a simple heart, but I didn't expect that they are not even as good as a steamed bun shop owner!"

The scholar opposite smiled slightly and retorted sarcastically.

Qingyuan Xingsi asked about quality and fundamentals. Buddhism’s discussion of Tao this time was to compete for the same power as Taoism. But the scholars talked about appearance and believed that Buddhist monks should not be obsessed with material desires.

"This benefactor, a poor monk once went to a poor family to beg for alms and got a bowl of porridge with only three grains of rice. The poor monk didn't feel full. The next day, he went to a rich family to beg for alms and got a bowl of rice. He felt full... "

"Three grains of rice and a bowl of rice. The poor monk thinks that no matter whether it is a poor family or a rich family, they have given kindness. The kindness is the same. But the poor monk makes the poor family hungry and the rich family full. I don't know why? Can the donor please answer? no?"

Thich Nhat Hanh heard this, smiled slightly, and replied.

The scholar questioned them about Buddhist material desires, but he argued sophistry. Material desires are these three grains of rice and a bowl of rice. For Buddhists, the feelings in their hearts are the same, but the former will make them hungry, while the latter will make them full.

Therefore, whether they come or not, they feel calm in their hearts, sitting and watching the clouds roll and relax.

If they don't come, Buddhism may decline, just like three grains of rice. If they come, Buddhism can survive just like a bowl of rice.

To put it simply, they have never had material desires. They are just like alms. Today they are poor and tomorrow they are rich. It’s just that today they happened to beg alchemy to a rich family, so they came.

The scholars on the right were talking a lot and looked embarrassed.

When it comes to sophistry, neither Taoism nor Confucianism can compete with Buddhism.

"I think coins are like our hair. Since Buddhism regards them as stupid things..."

Another scholar stood up and argued.

The debate started at noon and lasted until dusk. The scholars who had agreed to the Etherium Society were mainly defeated. Almost none of the many eminent monks from Buddhist temples who came here failed.

On the fifth day, the debate on Taoism held in Taixue finally came to an end.

Buddhism wins!

However, what these many Buddhist monks did not expect was that even if they won, they did not receive the goodwill of the court to release them and include them in the casting of new money. Instead, they became increasingly difficult to move forward in Chang'an.

When it comes to speaking, Confucianism and Taoism are indeed inferior to Buddhism.

But..., there was no room for Buddhist victory in this debate from beginning to end, because this debate was under the order prescribed by the imperial court, and the Buddhist debate method defeated the scholars of the Taixue Society, which was equivalent to The court officials and the entire Shilin who provoked the order, unless they jumped out of the circle of order, there would be no real victory.

"My Zen sect has been closed for hundreds of years..."

"White beauty and immortality, Zen Buddhism will never be born."

The five disciples of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng declared with heavy faces.

"My Faxiang Sect... also closed the temple for a hundred years..."

"It's the same with my San Lun Sect..."

"The Pure Land Sect will not care about worldly affairs from now on."

"Lü Zong sealed the mountain..."

The eminent monks from various Buddhist temples stayed in Chang'an for many days, and finally realized that they had been part of Bai Gui's plan from beginning to end.

But there was nothing they could do.

If it were just Taoism, they might be able to give it a try, but now that Taoism is tied to the imperial court, the Li and Tang royal families are extremely advocating Taoism, and the current Prime Minister Bai Gui is also a Taoist priest, they can't give it a try!

The imperial court was really annoyed, and Taoist masters from various sects followed the imperial army to destroy mountains and temples. Which sect of Buddhism could withstand such a devastation.

Rather than doing this, it is better to retreat temporarily.

Anyway, the Taoist sect has not yet reached the point of driving them all out!

It’s not like they haven’t passed by the mountains and temples.

In troubled times, mountains are closed to avoid the world, but in prosperous times, mountains are opened to welcome the incense.

There are many temples in Chang'an. After the eminent monks of various sects decided to close the mountains and temples, these temples gradually closed their doors and became indifferent to worldly affairs.

This was also what Bai Gui expected.

The imperial court is now powerful, and it is not a time of trouble. The strength of each Buddhist sect alone cannot withstand the imperial army's crusade. What's more, with the help of Taoist sects, Buddhism can only temporarily retreat.

But he didn't kill them all.

Once you do this, you will completely offend Buddhism to death.

He is not some stupid young man who will not act as the vanguard of various Taoist factions.

Even if Buddhism in the Immortal Sword World becomes extinct, there will still be traces of Buddhism in other worlds. Now that he has allowed various Buddhist sects to retire for a hundred years, it has already been a great merit that can be counted beyond measure.

In this world, there are very few people like Bai Gui and Yang Yuhuan who can practice Taoism based on their own qualifications and Zijin luck. They inevitably need to cling to the powerful and rely on the court.

Now that Buddhism has retreated, it can be said that a considerable number of disciples with low qualifications have been eliminated, and its power has greatly shrunk. Not only will it be difficult to regain its strength for a hundred years, but it will also take many years to come before it can slowly regain its strength.