Master Kuchan was so smart that he immediately understood the trap in Xiao Feng's question, so he knew that he could never answer directly.
If you answer directly that you shouldn't, not to mention that the court will hate Buddhism even more and suppress Buddhism, even the people in Jiangnan who have been tortured by Japanese pirates will not agree.
If you directly answer yes, it means that as a monk, you agree with Xiao Feng leading troops to kill people.
The reason why Xiao Feng killed the Japanese pirates was because the Japanese pirates killed the people of the Ming Dynasty. Isn't this just repayment of injustice?
"My dear friend, this question involves the imperial court. Buddhism does not involve itself in the world. The poor monk is a monk and cannot make arbitrary comments on the government. Please forgive me."
Zhao Wenhua finally felt relieved when he raised his voice. He secretly praised the old monk for being very alert. Xiao Feng, a bastard, was famous for digging holes for others!
"Since Master is not willing to discuss the affairs of the state arbitrarily, then the imperial court respecting Taoism and suppressing Buddha is also the government's affairs, so why does Master want to discuss it arbitrarily?
Could it be that if the affairs of the government do not involve oneself, one will not discuss it arbitrarily, but if it involves oneself, one will discuss it arbitrarily? What is the difference between this and those selfish villains?
Everyone sweeps the snow in front of their own door, regardless of the frost on other people's tiles. When it does not concern oneself, the clouds are calm and the wind is calm. When it does not concern oneself, one becomes furious. Is this the practice of a master?"
At this time, Master Kuchan was not only frowning, but almost all the places on his face that could be wrinkled were wrinkled. His gray beard was trembling slightly, obviously he was not very calm.
"The poor monk has long heard of the master's power of speech, and when he saw it today, his reputation was well-deserved. However, the master's sophistry is just a trail.
The poor monk just said a few words to explain that Buddhism is the Great Way, and it is self-evident without explanation. Is the real person willing to listen?"
Xiao Feng smiled: "I don't want to hear it."
Huh? Everyone is surprised
Stunned, Zhao Wenhua almost jumped up, why the hell didn't you play according to the routine?
Master Kuchan was also stunned and looked at Xiao Feng at a loss. He didn't know what to say next. Should he get up and leave? That doesn't seem possible.
Previously, when I was asked by Xiao Feng, I was hiding around and refused to answer directly. Anyone with ears could tell that I was at a disadvantage. Now that I am going to fight back, I can't stop speaking just because others don't want to listen.
"Are you really scared?"
"Not afraid."
"Then why don't you want to listen?"
"Master, are you afraid if you don't want to listen?"
"Real person, if you're not afraid, you shouldn't be unwilling to listen."
Xiao Feng smiled slightly: "Master, I heard that outside the city of Nanjing, on the Qinhuai River, ten miles of rouge is washed to make water, and half of the city is woven into the sky. I have always wanted to see it. I wonder if Master would like to travel with me?"
There was an uproar in the hall. Where is this place on the Qinhuai River? Everyone knows that it is the largest mobile brothel in the Ming Dynasty. The flower boats are all hung with red lanterns with words!
Master Xiao actually wants to take Master Kuchan to visit the Qinhuai River! A Taoist priest takes a monk to visit a brothel. What kind of fairy combination is this!
Master Kuchan really lost his temper this time, and his white beard was shaking wildly, but he was an eminent monk after all, and he quickly calmed down.
"It's a real joke."
"Master, don't you want to go?"
"Monks shouldn't set foot in a place where fireworks are happening. Naturally, they don't want to."
"Master, are you afraid?"
Huh? Wait for me here? Ku Chan took a long breath and looked at Xiao Feng helplessly.
"Master, I understand what you mean. If you don't want to listen, I won't ask."
"
I am willing to listen."
"You...you just said you didn't want to listen."
"I didn't want to listen just now, but now I am willing to listen. When you get married to preach, will you refuse to preach again because others were unwilling to listen before?"
"This...of course not, it's just that since the real person is willing to listen, why did he have to be so unreasonable before?"
"When you get married to preach, when you face a person who puts down your butcher knife and want to get married, do you have to ask him hard, since you are going to put down your butcher knife, why did you still hold the butcher knife before?"
Kuchan closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing for a cup of tea. When he opened his eyes again, his expression and tone finally returned to calmness, at least that's what it seemed.
"Real person, the evidence I want to say is that Buddhism comes from outside the world, but it is widely spread throughout the world and has many believers.
Take the Central Plains as an example. Throughout the dynasties, there have been many attempts to destroy and exterminate Buddhas. However, Buddhism has endured for thousands of years.
Taoism originated from the Central Plains, and there have been few attempts to destroy Taoism in the past dynasties. However, Taoism in the Central Plains is hardly comparable to Buddhism, let alone outside the Central Plains, and it almost never goes abroad!
The great road works but the small road does not work. This is enough to prove that Buddhism is the big road and Taoism is the small road!”
It was wonderful. Zhao Wenhua finally lost control and jumped up. Then when he saw Xiao Feng and everyone looking at him, he bent over and rubbed his legs in embarrassment.
"My legs have been cold recently and they get cramps all the time. Oops, it really hurts. Hahaha, it hurts so much."
Xiao Feng looked at Ku Chan and saw him lowering his eyelids with a calm expression as if he was sure of victory. He suddenly laughed, which stunned Ku Chan.
"Why do real people laugh?"
"Master Kuchan, Buddhism has been talking about cause and effect for too many years. Slowly
It confuses the relationship between cause and effect. It is said that if there is a cause, there must be an effect, and if there is an effect, there must be a cause, right?"
"That's exactly it. Is there anything wrong with it?"
"The master took Buddhism to spread to many places and have many followers as the result, Taoism to not go abroad and stick to the Central Plains as the result, and reverse the effect as the cause, so he came to the conclusion that Buddhism is the great road and Taoism is the small way.
Then let me ask you, Master, in the world are there more scholars or monks?"
Master Kuchan was stunned. Even a fool knows the answer to this question and must not talk nonsense: "Of course there are many scholars."
"Then according to the master, Confucianism has the largest number of people, so it is naturally a greater avenue than Buddhism?"
"This... cannot be said like this. Buddhism has experienced the destruction of Buddhas, but scholars are protected by the imperial court..."
"The First Emperor of Qin also burned books and harassed Confucian scholars, and the Five Husbands in China also killed people of high rank. Huang Chao turned against others and killed many scholars. Are you saying that in the recent Yuan Dynasty, scholars did not die more than monks?"
"There are... although there are many scholars, but if we include the good men and women who believe in Buddhism and Taoism, there are no fewer Buddhists than scholars..."
"Oh, if you don't have to be a monk or study, as long as you want it, then Buddhism will be completely defeated.
It is said that everything is of inferior quality, but only education is of high quality, so we might as well conduct an on-site investigation."
Xiao Feng raised his voice: "Everyone, please tell your conscience, do you want your son to study, or do you want your son to become a monk?"
This survey is actually meaningless. Except for a very few people, other people will definitely choose to let their sons study regardless of their conscience or any part of the body.
Bitter Zen
The master helplessly looked at the one-sided answer and retorted unwillingly: "We are comparing Buddhism and Taoism. Why did you bring Confucianism into it?"
Xiao Feng smiled and said: "A Confucian who only practices worldly things can crush Buddhism in terms of numbers. Does the master still think that the number of believers and the size of the area can prove who is the big way and who is the small way?"
Kuchan was speechless, and it took him a long time to switch from offense to defense, because he realized that it was probably a stupid decision for him to attack from the beginning.
"The real person is thoughtful in his thinking and sharp in his words, which puts the poor monk to shame. So among the real people, which one is bigger and which one is smaller, Taoism or Buddhism?"
Xiao Feng smiled: "If I were to say, of course Taoism is the big one and Buddhism is the small one."
If these words had just been said at the beginning, there would have been an uproar in the hall, but at this time everyone was already convinced by Xiao Feng, and they were waiting in silence for him to continue.
"Master, what does Tao mean?"
Master Kuchan is a knowledgeable and eminent monk. Naturally, he will not just read Buddhist scriptures. Otherwise, he would not dare to discuss Taoism with Xiao Feng confidently. He answered immediately.
"The principle of all things is Tao, and the origin of yin and yang in the heaven and earth is Tao."
"Among all things, is Buddha included?"
"Buddha is not among the Three Realms and Five Elements, so it should not be included."
"Does Buddha really exist?"
"Nature is real."
“Is Elysium real?”
"Nature is real."
"Why are the things that really exist not included in everything?"
"Buddha said, it cannot be said."
"Are monks human?"
"Nature is human."
“Is man in all things?”
"Although monks are human beings and are among all things, Buddhism is to
The Buddha brings out the three realms and five elements to the bliss of the Western Heaven."
"Since a monk is a human being, he is bound by the Tao among all things.
And according to what the master said, Buddha and Xitian are not in the Tao, so if Buddhism wants to take the monks out of all things, they must first break through the shackles of the Tao, is that right?"
Kuchan hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Of course."
"A monk is a human being and is born in the Tao. The Buddha is not in the Tao, but he wants to snatch the monk away from the Tao. The Tao does not rob people from the Buddha, but the Buddha robs people from the Tao. Is that so?"
"This... this can't be called robbery. How can it be called robbery when it comes to spiritual practice..."
"One is as good as water, benefiting all things without competing; the other is not in the Tao, but robs people from the Tao. Master, of these two, which one is like the Great Way, and which one is like the Small Way?"
Kuchan worked hard to maintain his belief: "Sir, because all living beings are suffering, the Buddha wants to save all living beings. Let's go to the ultimate bliss together, from the hard place to the blissful place. It seems that we can't call it robbery..."
Xiao Feng smiled faintly, stood up, and walked toward the crowd watching the excitement in the hall. Everyone didn't know what he was going to do, but they knew that his official position was huge, so they all lowered their heads in fear and backed away naturally.
However, the crowd was so crowded that those in the back could not retreat, and those in front could not retreat either. Xiao Feng walked up to a couple holding a child and looked at the four or five-year-old child with a smile.
The couple bowed to Xiao Feng with apologetic smiles on their faces. They didn't know what the governor was going to do. Xiao Feng reached out and touched the child's little hand and spoke calmly.
"Looking at your clothes, you don't look like you come from a rich family. This child is cute and it's a pity that he is left in your family to suffer hardships.
.
Let me take him to the capital. There are many rich people in the capital who have no children. I will help you find a family to send him to."
This was like a bolt from the blue. The young couple got up early and worked hard to get a good seat, just to eat a big melon. Unexpectedly, they ate the melon!
The child's mother hugged her son tightly and knelt down to Xiao Feng with a plop: "Sir, you can't do it, you can't do it!"
The husband was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly: "Sir, sir, I only have one son, but I still expect him to continue his legacy. Sir, have mercy, sir!"
Xiao Feng frowned: "Your son is going to the capital to enjoy the blessings. It's a great thing to be away from a poor family like yours. Why don't you know what's good for you?"
The young couple did not dare to speak, but kowtowed to Xiao Feng desperately. Xiao Feng laughed, stretched out his hand to help the two of them up, and took out a piece of silver from his sleeves.
"I'm kidding you, I think this money will give you enough money to buy your child some delicious food, raise him well, whether he studies, practices Taoism, or becomes a monk, whatever he wants."
The young couple was in shock, and they suddenly got money again. They nodded in confusion and secretly swore in their hearts that they would never grab the first row again next time they watch the fun!
Xiao Feng walked back to the chair and sat down, looking at Kuchan with a smile without saying a word. But Kuchan looked even more depressed than before.
"The poor monk understands what the real person means. It is just that the Buddha saves people voluntarily and not by force. Compared with this, the real person is still biased."
"Master, do you have a family?"
"A monk has no family, and a monk has no family."
"Do you have a family?"
Ku Chan raised his head in shock, looked at Xiao Feng's cold eyes, and suddenly
However, she was shocked to realize that he was not trying to quarrel with her, but was asking a real question.
"A poor monk came from a poor family. He went to the mountains to become a monk since he was a child. His parents have passed away long ago and he has no home."
"Do you become a monk voluntarily?"
"Of course it is."
"How old were you when you became a monk?"
"The poor monk was five years old at the time."
Xiao Feng stood up again and walked to the couple. The couple was about to cry without tears. Why did Mr. Xiao have to pluck out the hair of our sheep today?
Xiao Feng smiled broadly and said to the little boy in a soft tone: "Child, do you want to eat candied haws on a stick every day? Eat meat buns every day?"
The little boy swallowed and nodded: "I thought so."
The couple also understood Xiao Feng's intention and lowered their heads, not daring to disturb Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng smiled even more amiably.
"That man selling candied haws on a stick, come here!"
A vendor who relied on his candied haws to protect himself and secured a good seat quickly stepped forward and saluted Xiao Feng, who threw him a piece of silver.
"I've wrapped this candied haws."
The vendor never dreamed that he would finish his work before those who were working hard in the crowd pushing carts and selling breakfast. He happily kowtowed to Xiao Feng with a smile on his face, accepted the money and left.
Xiao Feng held the large bundle of candied haws on a stick and said to the boy with a smile: "Do you believe in Buddhism? If you believe in Buddhism, I will give you these candied haws. If you don't believe in it, I won't give it to you."
The little boy pointed his fingers with his mouth and drooled: "I believe it, I believe it, I really believe it, can you give me the candied haws?"
Xiao Feng handed a bunch of candied haws to the little boy and patted his head: "Good boy, you are still too young to understand what voluntariness is.
In fact, when many people grow up, they don’t know
They don’t understand what voluntary means, because they have long lost the ability to judge what is voluntary.”
The couple looked at Xiao Feng in confusion. Indeed, as Xiao Feng said, neither of them quite understood what Xiao Feng meant.
But Master Kuchan naturally understood. When Xiao Feng sat back on the chair again, Master Kuchan stood up tremblingly.
Although he was old, he was a healthy and healthy old man, but now he seemed to have grown old all of a sudden, as if the hardest bone that supported him had been taken away.
"True man, the poor monk is not good at the Dharma, his reasoning is poor, and he is unworthy of Buddhism. But this is only the failure of the poor monk, not the failure of Buddhism.
I, a poor monk, should practice in seclusion. If I gain something, I hope I still have more years to seek advice from a real person."
Xiao Feng smiled calmly: "Master, you lost this argument from the very beginning."
Ku Chan looked at Xiao Feng, wondering if he was mocking him. Xiao Feng sighed softly, as if speaking to Ku Chan and himself.
"Some people say that Buddhism and Taoism have the same origin. When Lao Tzu left Hangu Pass in the west, he went to Tianzhu to preach. Therefore, there are many similarities between Buddhism and Taoism.
But Buddhism emphasizes the afterlife rather than this life; it emphasizes the nature of the mind rather than the body and behavior; it emphasizes cause and effect rather than temporary good and evil; it emphasizes emptiness rather than worldly affairs and human feelings.
Buddhism is not supposed to value fame and fortune, but the master is dissatisfied with the court's belief in Taoism and suppression of Buddhism; Buddhism is not supposed to value victory or defeat, but the master is racking his brains to be better than me.
If Buddhism is boundless, all the monks can do is preach and preach. Why should we care about who is superior and who is inferior? Is it possible that a Buddhist sect or two teahouses and restaurants opening opposite each other will compete for customers?
What Master did today is certainly to promote Buddhism, but it also
It is inevitable that others will instigate and take advantage of you, and you will become the knife in someone else's palm. You have the victory or defeat in your heart, and you have already fallen into the inferior position.
The Sixth Patriarch once said, "There is nothing in the beginning, so how can it cause dust." Lao Tzu once said, "Husbands do not fight, so no one in the world can fight with them."
The two sects, who were originally unwilling to fight, are now quarreling with each other and blushing. Master, you should know why."
Although Kuchan was originally defeated, he was still grudged in his heart. After listening to Xiao Feng's words, he sweated like rain and soaked the monk's robe.
He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to Xiao Feng: "I have studied Buddhism for decades, but today I realize that I can only understand its form, but not its true nature.
The Dharma of Buddhism is boundless, and I, as a poor monk, should study it diligently. I hope to meet the real person again someday. I will not argue about superiority and inferiority, but just discuss the way of heaven and earth!"
After the ceremony, he turned around, without even looking at the gaping Zhao Wenhua behind him, he laughed loudly, walked briskly through the crowd, and walked away.
Xiao Feng turned around, looked at Zhao Wenhua and smiled calmly: "Master Zhao, Master Zhao? I can't stay in Nanjing for long. Is there anyone else you want me to see?"