After seeing Yang Fan kneel down and worship, Princess Gaoyang whispered softly: "Mr. Lang, the middle light of the Changming Lighthouse was erected by the Queen Mother. Every time the Queen Mother goes out of the palace to pray for blessings, she must come to this temple to burn incense and fulfill her wishes."
"My mother often taught Gao Yang that a family that accumulates good deeds will be blessed. Chanting sutras and chanting Buddha can make people calm and kind to others..."
While listening to Princess Gao Yang's story, Yang Fan raised his head and looked curiously at the ever-lasting lanterns arranged in an orderly manner like tall buildings. The one enshrined by Changsun Wujia was located at the absolute C position of the pagoda.
The lighthouse is in the shape of a lotus petal, and the flames are burning brightly, even emitting a faint purple halo.
Yang Fan held his tongue and couldn't help but think, doesn't Buddhism say that all living beings are equal?
Placing the ever-burning lantern enshrined by the current empress in the most conspicuous position is obviously flattering.
Although Yang Fan does not believe in Buddhism, he has heard of the allusion to the everlasting lantern.
In fact, there are two types of enshrining everlasting lanterns, one is for the deceased and the other is for almsgiving.
The Buddhist lanterns offered to the deceased are very special. This kind of Buddhist lanterns has both worldly and supramundane merits.
From a worldly perspective, those who offer lamps will have pure eyes in all their lifetimes and will not become blind.
Even if your eyes are not very good and your body is not healthy in the next life, you can regain your eyesight, gain health, make money, gain wisdom, etc. by offering lamps.
The most important thing is its transcendental merits. Offering lamps can enable the deceased to gain wisdom in the next life, drive away the darkness of countless sentient beings, and see the majestic faces of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Changsun Wujiu's ever-bright lamps were erected for his own wishes.
The purpose is to live longer, stay healthy, and have a prosperous family...
In the eyes of later generations, it actually means that people have a spiritual sustenance and an object to talk to, so that people can have a peaceful mind and thus gain spiritual comfort.
After offering incense, Yang Fan and his party were taken to a pure Buddhist temple.
Inside, two monks, an old man and a young man, were sitting cross-legged. They were wearing bright red cassocks and chanting sutras with their eyes closed.
Buddhism emphasizes the equality of all living beings, so there is no hierarchy in Buddhist clothing.
According to the Buddhist system, there are three types of monk robes: large, medium and small: one is a small robe made of five strips of cloth, commonly known as five robes, which is worn when cleaning;
The second is the middle coat made of seven strips of cloth, commonly known as Qiyi, which is worn daily;
The third is a coat made of nine or even twenty-five strips of cloth, commonly known as ancestral clothes, which is a formal dress.
It's that red coat tied diagonally, worn when attending events or meeting elders.
All three types of clothing are called cassocks.
Monks who have received the great ordination can wear these three kinds of cassocks. Different cassocks can be worn in different seasons (Dharma meetings).
Of course, the monks treated the arrival of the princesses with great respect.
When Princess Changle and others sat down, the two monks, one old and one young, also stopped chanting.
Only then did Yang Fan discover that the old monk was about sixty or seventy years old, with kind eyebrows and kind eyes, a gray beard, and a thin face. He looked like an eminent monk.
The old monk sang a Buddhist chant to Princess Changle and the others, and asked: "Your Highnesses, the princesses, came to the temple today. I wonder if they are petitioning or giving alms?"
At this time, Princess Changle said: "The Queen Mother is in poor health, so I came here to petition today. I wonder if the abbot can clear up the confusion?"
The monk who had just brought them in whispered something in the old monk's ear, and the old monk frowned and asked in confusion: "The queen empress has a vengeance on the world and has accumulated good deeds. She should have a phoenix body without any pretense..."
"Besides, the ever-burning lamp enshrined by the Queen in the temple has not been extinguished, so she should be free from illness and disaster!"
The eldest grandson Wugu looked tired, which Princess Gaoyang saw with her own eyes in the morning.
Now the old monk said that the eldest grandson was free from illness and disaster. Princess Gaoyang couldn't help but murmured: "How can one tell a person's misfortunes and blessings from an ever-burning lamp?"
"Besides, as time goes by, there have been strong winds and snow in the past few days, and the door of the Mahavira Palace has been opened again. It is inevitable that the ever-burning lamp will be blown out by the wind. Wouldn't it mean that the lamp is extinguished and people are destroyed?"
Speaking of which, the Li and Tang royal family respected Taoism more than those who believed in Buddhism. No wonder Princess Gaoyang raised questions.
The old monk was slightly startled, his withered face wrinkled into chrysanthemums, and then hesitantly said: "What did the donor say? This ever-bright lamp is protected by me, the Buddha, and will not go out."
Princess Gaoyang did not refute again, after all, she just came to pray for blessings today.
Yang Fan stared at the old monk blankly and saw some clues from his expression.
Wanting to understand, Yang Fan raised the corner of his mouth slightly and interjected: "Monks do not lie, do you really mean what you said?"
The old monk had a tangled look on his face, and finally sighed, clasping his hands and saying: "Monks, don't lie. The ever-bright lamp of the Queen was almost extinguished a year ago. She was supposed to be seriously ill at that time, but the lamp has been shining brightly for more than a year."
Youren, your empress's phoenix body should be fine."
Yang Fan felt nervous. Changsun Wugu's ever-burning light almost went out a year ago?
According to the original history, Changsun Wugu did die of illness a year ago.
If he hadn't rescued her, the queen might have died long ago.
Is it possible that this ever-burning lantern really has the ability to predict good and bad luck?
Isn’t it too fantasy?
The old monk's words made Princess Changle look worried, and she asked in a trembling voice: "What should I do? Do I need my mother to come and fulfill my wish?"
Of course, Princess Changle had also heard of Changsun Wugu's illness a year ago. It was said that the imperial doctors in the palace and even the miracle doctor Sun Simiao were helpless at that time.
If Yang Fan hadn't taken action, they might have lost their mother long ago.
Although Princess Changle was not a devout Buddhist believer, she began to believe that the everlasting lantern represented a person's life span after hearing the old monk's words.
If the lamp is there and the person is there, if the lamp goes out, the person will die.
Nowadays, the Queen Mother's body is in a state of limbo, and this everlasting lamp should be able to reflect it.
Although Changsun Wujia is not as seriously ill as he was a year ago, it is still not a good sign. How can he not be worried?
The old monk glanced at everyone indifferently and said, "Have you ever trusted my words, Princess?"
Princess Changle and others looked at each other and said quickly: "Abbot Zhishou is very skilled in Buddhism. Please give me some advice."
Zhishou Abbot Lao Shenzai said: "The old monk once observed the Queen's everlasting lamp when he was chanting sutras today. The flame of this Buddha lamp is stronger than before, and it is surrounded by purple energy. It is an image of a noble person."
"Although the old monk doesn't know what happened to the Queen recently, I can conclude that the Queen's blessings will only become more and more prosperous."
After hearing what the old monk said, Yang Fan was horrified.
Of course he knew that Changsun Wugou was not sick, but he didn't expect that the old monk still had some good deeds.
It is actually possible to tell a person's misfortune from a single ever-burning lamp.
Wu Meiniang, who was standing aside, was also a little surprised. Of course she knew what happened to Changsun Wugou.
I really didn’t expect that my husband could easily affect the destiny of a country. No wonder Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng said that Yang Fan was a divine figure.
Seeing that Princess Changle and others were a little disbelieving, Abbot Zhishou smiled slightly and said again: "Your Royal Highnesses, please be patient. I know a little about the art of physiognomy. Your beautiful eyebrows and towering roots are the signs of fortune and honor.
My relatives are safe for the time being."
Princess Changle finally felt relieved, but Wu Meiniang interrupted: "Since the master knows the art of fortune telling, how about showing it to the little girl's husband to see how lucky he is?"
It seems that Yang Fan's ridiculous night last night still worried Wu Meiniang.
But it made Yang Fan a little worried!
After all, he was an outsider, so I was really afraid that the old monk would see something.
Therefore, Yang Fan could only smile bitterly and pretend to be calm.
Abbot Zhishou stared at Yang Fan for a long time, shaking his head for a while, frowning for a while, and said: "Judging from the appearance of this donor, there is mist between the eyebrows, which is the sign of a soul that has lost its life, but Yintang is purple."
Surrounded by it, the nobility is soaring, so strange and strange!"
Yang Fan was shocked!
Damn it!
Is it possible that this old monk is still a Buddha?
That’s so accurate!
The original soul was already gone!
Wu Meiniang was so anxious that she quickly asked: "Can you offer a lamp of longevity in front of the Buddha for my husband to change his destiny?"
Wu Meiniang thought that the affairs of Yang Fan and Changsun Wugao had affected their fortunes, and she was a little shocked.
Abbot Zhishou smiled slightly, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to be completely relaxed. Combined with his gray beard, he looked very convincing.
"Female donor, don't be impatient, please listen to me slowly..."
"This little benefactor is destined to be in trouble. It was destined, but the disaster has passed."
"Now the little benefactor Yintang is in full bloom, his eyes are clear, his mind is clear, and he is full of heroic energy. The purple energy has already washed away the mist lingering between his eyebrows."
"The calamity in fate has disappeared. Instead, the appearance of wealth and wealth is overwhelming. It can be seen that people's calculations are not as good as God's calculations, and lucky people have their own destiny."
"I dare to say that this little benefactor must be a rare young talent and a world-class hero. He will be extremely noble when he is in the court, and he will be rich in the world when he is in the countryside."
"As for whether to erect an everlasting lamp or not, it is up to the donor to decide..."
Yang Fan was completely shocked.
Originally, he never believed in fate.
Even if there is a system, he rarely uses it because he believes that only relying on himself is the greatest confidence.
When I traveled to the Tang Dynasty, because of my thoughts in my previous life, I originally just wanted to be a salted fish, or at most, a local rich man.
But after entering the officialdom, many things pushed him forward unknowingly.
Now it is no longer a question of whether he wants to do it or not, but there are many people pushing him to move forward involuntarily. If he turns back, there will only be a dead end.
Yang Fan seemed to be raking here and there, but everything he did was to give himself a way out in the future and prevent accidents.
If he goes by what the old monk said, he will not suffer any disaster because his destiny has been changed...
It is absolutely impossible for the old monk to know that he has changed his soul, nor is he aware of his arrangements.
Does Buddhism really have the ability to judge people by their appearance?
This is amazing!
At first, I didn't dare to let Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng continue to look at each other, just because they were afraid that the two old magicians would see something.
I didn’t expect that there are eminent monks in Buddhism who know something.
If Yang Fan knew, the old monk only saw an appearance, and Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng had already seen part of his numerology, and I wonder if they would have gone to silence him.
When Wu Meiniang heard this, she was immediately overjoyed: "Thank you, Abbot Zhishou, for your good words. With the master's personal judgment, Meiniang is relieved."
Princess Yongjia and Princess Changle couldn't believe it. They didn't expect that the abbot of the Grand Chief Monastery spoke so highly of Yang Fan.
What girl doesn't have a child, and what beauty doesn't love heroes.
The fiery look Princess Yongjia looked at Yang Fan made Princess Gaoyang snort in jealousy.
This aunt is famous for her bohemianness, not to mention that this aunt is at the most attractive age for women...
However, Princess Yongjia ignored her and let Princess Gaoyang punch the cotton.
At this time, the young monk, who had been silent for a long time, smiled and said: "Donors, don't worry, the abbot is a great Buddhist monk. His Dharma is exquisite and unparalleled, and his physiognomy is even more unique. This donor must be
An extremely noble appearance.”
These words made Princess Gaoyang extremely happy, and her pretty white face was filled with a flower-like smile.
Yang Fan is her husband-in-law. Who doesn’t want his partner to be a talented person that everyone praises?
However, when Yang Fan looked at the smiling young monk in front of him, he felt a little unhappy.
It's not that Yang Fan has any objections to the monk, it's that the monk is not engaged in production and spends all his time pretending to be magic and bewitching people to collect money.
Not only do they hoard large amounts of land, leading to over-concentration of land, but the most outrageous thing is that they don't have to pay taxes.
If some old people don't think it's a big deal to become monks, but if they become monks at a young age, wouldn't it mean that they are missing a labor force?
Of course, the more important thing is that this young monk is so handsome, which makes Yang Fan a little depressed.
Why do you think a monk is so good-looking?
Is it not possible to seduce the female relatives who worship the Buddha?
What's more, this young monk actually dared to secretly look at Princess Gaoyang and the others. Yang Fan really wanted to go up and punch him.
Soon, Yang Fan seemed to have thought of something, and was suddenly startled. He looked at this handsome young monk up and down, and asked tentatively: "May I ask where the young master practices and what his name is?"
The young monk then retracted his gaze, made gentle gestures with his hands, and answered seriously: "The young monk, whose name is Bianji, practices in Huichang Temple."
Debianji monk?
Yang Fan was immediately stunned!
What a coincidence?
According to historical records, Bianji was a native of Wuzhou (later Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province) in the Tang Dynasty.
He became a monk at the age of fifteen and studied under Dao Yue, a famous scholar of the Sava multi-sect at Da Zongchi Monastery. He was stationed at Huichang Monastery in Jinchengfang in the northwest of Chang'an.
Master Xuanzang opened the first translation studio in Hongfu Temple in Chang'an. Bianji was selected into Xuanzang's translation studio because of his proficiency in interpreting Mahayana and Mahayana sutras, and was highly recommended by his contemporaries.
The youngest virtuous mage.
Of course, what this guy is most famous for is not Buddhism, but the flower monk who hooked up with Princess Gaoyang and was beheaded by Li Shimin in public.
No wonder this guy just secretly looked at Wu Meiniang, Princess Changle and the others.
Of course, Yang Fan is most worried about Princess Gaoyang. After all, there were scandals between the two in their original history.
Yang Fan subconsciously looked at Princess Gaoyang, but saw her pretty face was slightly red, and her little eyes were looking at Bianji expectantly...
Princess Gaoyang certainly wanted Monk Bianji to say a few more words to the fact that her future husband-in-law was promising!
But Yang Fan misunderstood Princess Gaoyang's expression, and thought that Princess Gaoyang was attracted to this little monk.
But who is Yang Fan!
He is a cheating man. He can usually tolerate anything, but he just can't stand the green prairie above his head.
Thinking of Princess Gaoyang's friendship for her, she shouldn't be so quick to change her mind, right?
Could it be that fate has already determined that these two people will fall in love with each other as soon as they meet?
The more Yang Fan thought about it, the angrier he became. Damn it, can I have a little face?
So he stared at the monk Bian Ji in front of him, his face changing, and he hesitated whether he should beat the flower monk immediately.
These two people are destined enemies, Yang Fan has to guard against them!
Even if Princess Gaoyang falls in love with her, it doesn't mean that her heart will be calm and her mind will be clear when she sees the handsome debater.
Monk Bianji was secretly looking at the young ladies when he suddenly felt a chill all over his body. He looked up and saw the cold light in Yang Fan's eyes, and was startled.
After much deliberation, I couldn't figure out where I offended this noble man.
Then it suddenly dawned on him that Bianji thought he had just peeked at the young lady named Wu and made her unhappy.
But after listening to what he said just now, Bian Ji knew that Wu Meiniang was his wife, so it seemed that he was being abrupt.
But, that Lady Wu is really good-looking!
However, the princesses were not bad either, so Bianji gathered his attention, saluted, and his eyes involuntarily drifted to Princess Gaoyang.
This made Yang Fan even more angry. He took a deep breath and knew that this place was an important place for Buddhism. Even if he had any ideas, he could not do anything.
After all, the other party made no other extraordinary moves.
However, Yang Fan still asked displeasedly: "Isn't it beautiful?"
Bian Ji was a little stunned, chanted a Buddhist chant, and immediately said solemnly: "The poor monk doesn't know what the benefactor means?"
Unexpectedly, Monk Bianji was quite good at putting on airs.
Yang Fan's face turned even darker!
Wu Meiniang couldn't stop laughing in her heart. She was the only one who understood Yang Fan's thoughts best.
The Bian Ji monk just looked at them secretly, and Yang Fan was obviously jealous.
However, Wu Meiniang was really afraid that Yang Fan would make a big fuss, which would not end well, so she had to change the subject and said: "Since Master Bianji is a senior monk in Huichang Temple, how come you have time to come to Dazongchi Temple to recite the Buddha's name today?"
The host Zhishou also noticed that something was wrong in the atmosphere, and hurriedly said: "Bianji came here today, on the one hand, to exchange Buddhist teachings, and on the other hand, to bring the Buddhist items consecrated by the eminent monks of Huichang Temple to give grace to the believers."
"Are all Buddhist items given free of charge?" Yang Fan asked somewhat unexpectedly.
The debater was embarrassed at this time and quickly explained: "Ahem, of course it's not free. You have to guess the right answer to the riddle. As long as you guess the right answer, you can get a Buddha artifact."
"Of course, no matter how much money is gained, the eminent monks of Huichang Temple will preside over religious services and pray for the people of the world. This temple will never withhold a single copper!"
Bianji came with a mission. He needed to promote the consecrated Buddhist items he brought before the Lantern Festival to build up the reputation of Huichang Temple.
More importantly, Bianji needs to use these Buddhist artifacts to raise 10,000 yuan to do good deeds and promote his name of benevolence.
This method has long been commonplace for Yang Fan in later generations.
Although it sounds nice to say that they will use the money they earn to pray for the people, but who knows how much they have earned?
After all, guessing riddles is very random. Sometimes you can make a lot of money, and sometimes you have to run away.
However, Buddhist temples at this time were really a cancer in society.
In addition to having a lot of land and incense money, Yang Fan is now doing business, and Yang Fan is really feeling a little numb!
He could only say angrily: "Since you want to do business, why don't you get out of here? Haven't you seen enough?"
Hearing that Yang Fan regarded his good deeds as doing business, Bian Ji did not dare to refute.
He had no choice but to apologize, hurriedly turned around and ran out of the side hall.
There is no other way, Bian Ji has an intuition that if he dares to stay here any longer, this kid might really beat him up.