Yin Wenchao said: "It is said that it was initiated by Shangshu Youpushe and Yueguo Gongfangjun. All the ministers unanimously seconded the proposal, and His Majesty approved it. He ordered Jingzhao Yin Mazhou to take the lead in pilot implementation within the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Mansion to select the pros and cons and find out the advantages and disadvantages.
,and
Then it will be perfected and implemented in the world."
"Back then, Emperor Taizong once praised his second son as a 'talented prime minister'. He never expected that he would have such decisive courage in just a few years. It is a blessing to the empire to have another capable minister in the court."
Yin Wenchao nodded. A "technical" talent like him was astonishing to Fang Jun. His compilation and dissemination of "Mathematics", "Geometry", "Physics" and other subjects have long been regarded as a model by knowledgeable people all over the world.
"If before this, I definitely advocated fighting this decree, Buddhism has far surpassed our Taoism. Now that the tax rate is increased and everyone is equal, wouldn't we be weaker? But now that we have decided to use learning as the inheritance of Taoism, then it is also
It doesn't matter how much land or how many believers there are, as long as you consistently take the upper class route. Moreover, I heard that this tax reform is not simply to increase the tax rate, but to use the amount of land to increase the tax rate.
to determine the tax rate.”
Cheng Xuanying was stunned for a moment, thinking about the key. Although he claimed to be a "monastic monk", he was not indifferent to the world. He knew very well about the world's major events. The current tax system implemented in the Tang Dynasty was "renting mediocre modulation".
To put it bluntly, it is a two-way tax on land and population. The basis of land taxation is the "equal land system". However, not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the land annexation situation across the country has become very serious. This time, the "Measuring the World's Land Acres" controlled by Xu Jingzong will measure
A large number of fields were annexed and occupied by aristocratic families, and countless farmers were reduced to "having no permanent property" and had to rely on the aristocratic families, or rent, or
As a result, the land on the books has been significantly reduced. Not only have these farmers who lost their land become difficult to live in, it has also caused a significant reduction in national tax collection.
If all those messy things were cut off and only one standard was left: to pay taxes based on the amount of land and the quality of the soil, wouldn't everyone be happy?
The court does not have to go to great lengths to monitor whose name the land belongs to, it only needs to ensure that the aristocratic families do not hide the land.
People don't have to worry about losing their land. People who lose their land can go to the city to work, and they can rely on aristocratic families to rent land for farming, so they don't have to pay land taxes...
"If this method is implemented all over the world, the glorious and prosperous age can last for hundreds of years! Fang Jun's strategy is enough to be famous in history."
Cheng Xuanying praised him greatly.
Yin Wenchao asked: "Then do our Taoists respond to this policy of the imperial court?" Cheng Xuanying smiled and said: "As you said, we are not satisfied with the world occupying famous mountains and rivers to build temples, and we do not fool the people to harvest believers. We want so many
What are you doing with money? Just be ruthless and take root in learning.
You must pay attention to the others." Compared with the status of the "state religion", which has great prestige and huge influence, the Taoist priests who are actually registered are far unable to match the huge size. This is also the reason why Taoism is at a disadvantage in the competition with Buddhism.
The threshold of Taoism
It's too high, so you can't get in if you want to.
The small number of people means low expenses. Taoists do not have the habit of building Taoist temples on a large scale and frequently painting gold powder on gods. The industry they own can fully support the normal operation of the entire Taoist sect.
Yin Wenchao also had this idea: "This time, in order to help Taoism to boost its momentum, His Majesty built many Taoist temples in and outside Chang'an. Once completed, Taoists will no longer easily build Taoist temples."
Cheng Xuanying nodded repeatedly: "That's exactly what it should be!"
*****
The predecessor of Daci'en Temple was the Jingjue Temple built during the reign of Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was later destroyed in the war. In the former Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty rebuilt the Wulu Temple on the original site, but it was also dilapidated in the war.
Nowadays, Daci'en Temple has been rebuilt on the site of Wulu Temple. Its scale and regulations are the best in the world. "Aragonite, cassia osmanthus, oak camphor, and palm are used as materials, and pearls, jade, paintings, ocher, and gold are used as decorations."
, there are nearly one house in the whole temple
There are more than 1,900 rooms, "double towers and palaces, cloud pavilions and bridal chambers".
When Master Xuanzang took the scriptures from Tianzhu and returned to live here, he gathered Buddhist monks from all over the world who were proficient in Sanskrit and had profound Buddhist teachings to translate the Tianzhu Buddhist scriptures, thus becoming the center of Buddhism in the world.
The towering ancient trees across the courtyard on the left are the core area of the Great Ci'en Temple: the Sutra Translation Courtyard. In the afternoon, the dense branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees cover the sky and the sun. In midsummer, the ground is also covered with thick shade and the air is cool.
The occasional chirping of cicadas in the treetops breaks the tranquility of the temple, and the dense fragrance of tea overflows from the open windows.
, the birds perched among the branches and leaves fluttered their wings and chirped. In the monastery, Xuanzang, who was dressed in moon-white monk robes, sat cross-legged on the futon with his eyes slightly closed. Opposite him was a man wearing a hundred-neck robe with a sad face.
The old monk was sitting on his knees with a leisurely and contented expression. He was the man who had appeared in Lishan Mountain.
The Yibao monk of the farm.
There was another monk sitting across from the two of them. He had a handsome face and fair skin. He looked close to his fifties, but his brows were clear and bright, and his eyes were piercing, making it difficult to estimate his exact age for a while...
The monk was enjoying himself while holding a cup of tea.
There were several cicadas chirping outside the window. Yi Bao raised his hand to pour tea into the monk's cup and asked with a smile: "Is this tea suitable for senior brother's taste?" The monk smiled brightly, showing his white teeth, and his voice was as clear as the tinkling of spring water.
Yue Er: "Although it is my first time to drink fried tea, the way of frying tea is bitter first and then sweet. Just as we practitioners experience, this life is bitter.
The next life will be sweet, not afraid of hardships, and will enjoy it as sweet as sugar. The person who invented this kind of calligraphy must have a clear Buddha nature and a deep root of wisdom."
Yibao was slightly startled: "Senior brother, you have never tasted fried tea?" The monk's smile became brighter: "A poor monk lives in Shuangfeng Mountain. He has not set foot in the world for twenty years, listened to the master's teachings, and was inspired by the Buddha's teachings.
, I am immersed in it and can't extricate myself. How can I still pay attention to such food and drink?
"
Yi Bao sighed to himself: "Senior brother is devout to the Buddha, and he has fulfilled the mantle of Zen Master Daoxin. One day, he will definitely be able to establish a sect and promote Buddhism." Hearing the monk talk about "Master", Xuan kept his eyes closed and meditated.
Only then did Zang open his eyes and asked softly: "When I was young, I traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers to Shuangfeng Mountain to pay homage to Zen Master Ji Daoxin. After receiving the Zen Master's guidance, I suddenly understood many things that I had not understood in the past. After practicing for many years, I
After years of tempering my mind, I started my journey to Tianzhu to seek the Buddha. I have always been grateful to the Zen master. However, after I returned to seeking scriptures, I was eager to translate them. I had no time and could not go to Shuangfeng Mountain to worship the verses. I felt panic-stricken.
It’s often hard to sleep peacefully...I wonder how the Zen master is feeling?"
This monk is naturally Hong Ren, a direct disciple of Zen Tao Xin...
Hongren clasped his hands together, suppressed his smile, and said respectfully: "Master is quiet and inactive, and has superb Buddhist teachings. He has already transcended the world. His skin is like the mist that gathers in the morning and disperses in the evening, which is not enough to linger in his heart." Xuanzang and Yibao were in awe, although they had only heard of Hongren.
His name means that when you first meet him, if you look at his expression, demeanor, speech and behavior, you can tell that this person has superb Buddhist practice and is worthy of being the successor of Zen Master Daoxin.
Zen Master Xin intends to pass on the Dharma and let him take over the Zen lineage... Yibao couldn't help but ask: "Senior brother has come down from the mountain to Beijing to unite Buddhists to participate in a grand event. I wonder if you have any advice?" He sighed helplessly.
Said: "At present, the Taoists are aggressive, and with the help of the royal family, the demonic flames are even more intense. The Buddha
If the sect cannot properly deal with it, its influence will inevitably weaken, which will lead to a sharp decline in believers. One will wax and wane, and it will be difficult to compete with it!"
Xuanzang frowned: "As long as the Buddha's Dharma is clear, the Buddha's light is universal, and believers gather to defend the Buddha, why bother trying to put the cart before the horse?"
There is Buddhism and Taoism, and the beliefs and doctrines of the two sides are quite different, so it is natural to believe in Buddhism or to worship Taoism, and there is nothing wrong with it.
All it can do is to promote Buddhism and popularize believers. If it is to compete with Taoism and fight tit for tat in order to win over believers, then what is the point of winning over these believers? Yi Bao does not think so: "Buddhism and Taoism are at odds with each other."
This is not the case. Since ancient times, once Taoism wins over Buddhism, it will be massacred. Has the master forgotten the tragic events that happened during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty recorded in Buddhist scriptures? More than 40,000 temples were destroyed, and three million monks and nuns were ordered to return to secular life.
The property was wiped out, the Buddha fell into the wild, and the golden body was broken into pieces... The master was not afraid of difficulties to seek the true scriptures from Tianzhu. The world was shaken, the reputation of Buddhism was greatly enhanced, and Emperor Taizong even issued an order
The Great Ci'en Temple was built, but even so, it is far from being restored to its former glory. If it is suppressed by Taoism at this time, it will be difficult for Buddhism to find an opportunity to turn around within a hundred years.
?" Behind every large-scale "extermination of Buddhism", there is a vague shadow of Taoism. The so-called "quiet and inactive" and "naturalness" are just a cover for Taoism to fool the people. Those Taoist priests can marry and have children after practicing.
How can it be possible to "evolve and ascend" and "ascend to the fairy world" if the worldly connection is constant and the six roots are impure?
Xuanzang sighed and shook his head: "The lifelong wish of this poor monk is to translate Buddhist scriptures and promote the Dharma. Please don't do this kind of thing."
I have no interest in getting involved in your pursuit of fame and fortune. I just want to quietly translate Buddhist teachings and don't bother me.
Yibao looked at Hongren again. After the Emperor Yuwen Yong of the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Buddhism, Seng Can fled south to live in seclusion with his second ancestor Hui Ken, traveling between Sikong Mountain and Tianzhu Mountain for fifteen years, which led to the popularity of "Zen Buddhism" in the south and its influence.
Extremely great. Later, Seng Can’s disciple Dao Xin updated the
Even more than his predecessor, the Shuangfeng Mountain where he lived was even recognized as the "ancestral home of Buddhism in the south." If Hongren had the support, Buddhism would at least be invincible. However, Hongren smiled and shook his head: "This time
When I went north to Beijing, I attended grand Buddhist gatherings such as the Obon Festival, and was entrusted by my master to give Sun Simiao the prescription for treating the plague and the mustard cake that could cure scabies. I ignored all other mundane matters."