Chapter 269 Bodhidharma vs. Xiao Yan
As soon as Bodhidharma got off the ship in Guangzhou, he was sent to a boat bound for Jiankang by Xiao Ang, the governor of Guangzhou.
After Xiao Yan came to power, he was not actually completely obsessed with Buddhism.
At least when Xiao Yan first came to power, he had worked hard to govern the country and made great efforts to reform domestic affairs.
One of the domestic achievements of the Southern Liang Dynasty was the vigorous development of Jiangnan and Lingnan.
When the Eastern Jin Dynasty moved south, the Jiangdong region was not yet the land of fish and rice that it later became, nor was it the richest place in the world during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the mountains in Zhejiang were inhabited by Shanyue people who had tattoos and shaved their heads, the swamps in Yunmengze were inhabited by Jingchu people who hunted human heads, and many places in the south were swamps.
It was only through the development from Liu Song to Southern Liang that Jiankang became prosperous today.
But at this time there was still a prosperous region in the south, namely the Lingnan region.
The Lingnan region has not experienced any major unrest since Zhao Tuo entered the Han court at the end of the Qin Dynasty and Lingnan was peacefully unified.
However, the Lingnan region is extremely hot and full of miasma, and is still a place that people in the Central Plains fear.
During the Eastern Wu period, Sun Quan appointed Bu Zhi as the governor of Guangzhou. Bu Zhi moved part of the Han population from Jiaozhi (Vietnam) to Guangzhou, enriching the population of Guangzhou.
When the Eastern Jin Dynasty moved south, people from the Central Plains and Guanlong moved south in large numbers, and the population of Lingnan increased greatly.
Lingnan during this era is actually a bit similar to the Five Liang period during the great chaos in the north.
Because of the chaos in the Central Plains, the remote Liangzhou and Guangzhou areas became destinations for refugees and became Noah's Arks for preserving the cultural flame.
It was precisely because of the accumulation of Lingnan that the last dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, the Southern Chen replaced the Liang, and Chen Baxian's base was Lingnan.
When Bodhidharma was leaving Guangzhou, he encountered another incident.
On the pier leaving Guangzhou, he encountered a caravan of Li people (a branch of the ancestors of the Zhuang ethnic group) and met a girl in her teens.
The girl had intelligent eyes. She did not show any fear towards Bodhidharma, a monk from a foreign country. Instead, she looked at him with curiosity.
Bodhidharma looked at the girl with a smile and asked the leader of the Li people caravan:
"Is this girl your daughter? What's her name?"
The leader of the Li people caravan said quickly:
"Don't talk nonsense, foreign monk. This is our leader's daughter."
The little girl looked at Bodhidharma and said unhappily:
"Why don't you ask me your name, a foreign monk, and ask someone else instead? What's the logic behind this?"
Bodhi Dharma laughed and asked, "Girl, what's your name?"
The prerequisite for religious scholars is that they are all language geniuses. Bodhidharma was determined to spread the Dharma in China, so he tried his best to teach himself Chinese in India.
After arriving in Guangzhou, he not only practiced Chinese, but also learned many Lingnan slangs.
Judging from the caravan's accent, they should be the Li people west of Guangzhou (now Guangxi and Leizhou Peninsula).
The girl said with her hands on her hips:
"You, a foreign monk, don't understand my clan name. I have a Chinese name. Remember it! My name is Xian Ying!"
Bodhidharma put his hands together and said:
"The monk remembered it. Not only the monk remembered it, but more people will remember the girl's name in the future."
The leader of the caravan looked at Bodhidharma in surprise. When he said this, he looked solemn and dignified, like a truly enlightened monk.
After saying this, Bodhidharma did not look back, but directly boarded the boat prepared by Xiao Ang and left.
Next on his journey, Bodhidharma first took a boat from Guangzhou to Quanzhou. At that time, Quanzhou was newly built after Emperor Wu of Liang ascended the throne. Nan'an County was the county seat, and it was not yet the largest port in the Far East during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
However, the port conditions of Quanzhou Port are very good, and Xiao Yan moved a large number of people here to develop it, and it has begun to prosper.
Bodhidharma did not recite Buddhist scriptures along the way. He either chatted with the crew or wandered around after getting off the boat, chatting with merchants and common people.
After arriving in Quanzhou, we could no longer continue to take the ship.
The dredging of sea transportation in Hangzhou was not a thing that happened until the middle of the Tang Dynasty.
Bodhidharma went from Fujian to Jiangxi, then from Jiangxi to Zhejiang, and finally went north to the area of present-day Jiangsu.
After crossing the border between Fujian and Zhejiang, you can travel by land and water.
The Jiangsu and Zhejiang water systems began large-scale renovations in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and were completely completed in the Tang and Song dynasties, eventually forming a huge water network.
In this era, the water network had already taken shape. Bodhidharma took a boat and saw prosperous docks and markets, then headed north to Jiankang City.
At this time, Xiao Yan had already completed the manifestation of two of the seven treasures of the Chakravartin. He attached great importance to Bodhidharma, the monk from India, and sent people outside the city to meet him before Bodhidharma entered the city.
As soon as Bodhidharma arrived in Jiankang, Xiao Yan arranged for him to rest in the half-built Tongtai Temple. Then Xiao Yan sent his great monk Zheng Fayun to meet Bodhidharma to examine whether he really had the ability.
Monk Fayun discussed Buddhism with Bodhidharma for a day and a night, and then hurried back to the palace to report to Xiao Yan:
"Your Majesty, this Indian monk is truly an eminent monk. His coming to the Middle Earth is a sign that you are the Chakravartin!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yan laughed out loud and thought even more that he was a virtuous person.
If it weren't for his own kindness, why would the Indian monk come all the way to Middle-earth?
The Buddha must have sent Bodhidharma to help him spread Buddhism!
After confirming this, Xiao Yan immediately met Bodhidharma in the Chongyun Hall, a Buddhist temple in the imperial palace.
Seeing that Bodhidharma was still wearing his patchwork robe, Xiao Yan asked in confusion:
"Great monk from India, I have given you a purple robe, why don't you wear it?"
Bodhidharma said calmly:
"In the eyes of monks, patchwork robes and purple robes are the same, just external things covering the skin."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan became even happier. From this conversation, one can see how extraordinary Bodhidharma was.
He said in a boastful tone:
"How does the Buddhist spirit in China compare to that in India? I once read the Biography of Faxian, which said that the Buddhist spirit in India was declining, and even the ancient country where the Buddha attained enlightenment had withered and was occupied by wild beasts. Is that true?"
Bodhidharma lowered his head and said:
"Even the Buddha will pass away, and Buddhism will also end."
After hearing this, Xiao Yan found this monk even more interesting.
he asked:
"Since I ascended the throne, I have built temples, copied scriptures, and ordained countless monks. What merits have I gained?"
Bodhidharma lowered his eyes and said:
“No merit.”
Xiao Yan was a little angry, he continued to ask:
“Why is there no merit?”
Bodhidharma said:
"Your Majesty, all you have done are small virtues in name only, like a shadow following you. On the surface, it seems to exist, but in reality, it does not exist at all."
Xiao Yan asked:
“So what is true merit?”
Bodhidharma said:
"Pure wisdom is wonderful and perfect, its essence is empty and quiet. Such merits are not to be sought in the world."
Xiao Yan asked again: "What is the first meaning of the holy truth?"
Bodhidharma replied: "There is no saint in the vastness."
Xiao Yan finally asked: "Who is against me?"
Bodhidharma still looked like an old monk at ease and answered, "I don't know." Xiao Yan was stunned, and the great monk Zheng Fayun beside him was also dumbfounded.
Yesterday, I discussed Buddhism with Bodhidharma, and Master Fayun was sure that Bodhidharma was truly capable.
Why are we answering like this today? Wouldn't that offend the emperor?
Although Xiao Yan was a Bodhisattva Emperor who had no intention of killing, wouldn't doing so be detrimental to his spreading of Dharma in the Central Plains?
Monk Fayun didn't understand why Bodhidharma did this, but it was obvious that Bodhidharma's words had offended Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan waved his hand and asked Damo to leave, feeling a little unhappy.
"Chen Qingzhi brought back a monk from the south. I heard he is a famous monk in the north and the reincarnation of Fotucheng. You should go and meet him too."
Xiao Yan thought of Bian Ji, who was strongly recommended by Chen Qingzhi. He had just hit a wall with Bodhidharma, so Xiao Yan wanted to see what was so special about this famous monk from the Northern Dynasty.
Monk Fayun took the order and left. After Bodhidharma returned to Tongtai Temple where he was temporarily staying, he did not continue to stay in the temple to teach Buddhism. Instead, he immediately packed his bags and headed for the ferry on the Yangtze River with the scriptures he brought from India.
Monk Fayun was busy meeting Bian Ji again. After talking with him, he found that Bian Ji was indeed quite capable.
After talking with Bian Ji, Monk Fayun was afraid that he would be as rebellious as Bodhidharma and offend Xiao Yan again, so he said:
"The great monk is a capable man, but you must be careful with your words when meeting His Majesty."
When the monk Bianji was in the Northern Wei Dynasty, he was already involved in the upper political circles. Of course, he understood what Fayun meant, and he immediately said:
"Your Majesty is a Bodhisattva. You must be careful with your words when meeting a Bodhisattva."
After hearing what Bian Ji said, Monk Fayun knew that Bian Ji was right. He returned to the palace and reported to Xiao Yan again:
"The monk Bianji is a capable man."
Xiao Yan carefully pondered Bodhidharma's words. Although they sounded harsh, he felt that they did contain profound Buddhist meaning.
He was still hesitating whether to continue to summon Bodhidharma, but when he heard Fayun say that Bian Ji was capable, he decided to summon Bian Ji first.
the next day.
Monk Bian Ji put on the purple robe given by Xiao Yan and followed Fayun to Chongyun Hall.
Seeing Bian Ji wearing a purple robe, Xiao Yan asked:
"Monks are monks, why do they wear such fancy clothes?"
Bian Ji was stunned for a moment. Didn’t you give me this cassock? Why are you asking me why I wear it?
However, Bian Ji was also a man of quick wit and good at debate, and he immediately said:
"Your Majesty is the Emperor Bodhisattva. You have to wear it because it was given by the Bodhisattva."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression became better.
Although he had seen this kind of flattery a lot, after all, the monks from outside could chant sutras. When Xiao Yan heard the monks from the Northern Dynasty say this, he felt much better.
"How does Daliang compare to the north?"
Bian Ji immediately said:
“Daliang Buddhism is even better.”
Xiao Yan asked again:
"Since I ascended the throne, I have built temples, copied scriptures, and ordained countless monks. What merits have I gained?"
Bian Ji counted his fingers and said:
"Ordaining one monk is equivalent to building a nine-story pagoda; building a temple is equivalent to tens of thousands of merits."
"Translating scriptures and spreading the Dharma is also a meritorious deed."
"From my observation, Your Majesty has millions of merits and virtues, and you can become a Buddha."
Xiao Yan was even happier, and he asked again:
"If that's the case, why don't I have the supernatural powers mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures?"
Bianji said:
"Your Majesty's merits are enough to become a Buddha, but Buddha is an enlightened being, a self-enlightened being. Bodhisattvas are those who save others, a being who is enlightened by others. Your Majesty stayed in the human world to save billions of people, so you have achieved the fruit of Bodhisattva, but have not yet displayed the supernatural powers of Buddhism."
Xiao Yan was completely happy this time, and he quickly asked:
“What happens after attaining bodhisattva fruition?”
Bianji said:
"As long as Your Majesty accumulates merits and the seven treasures appear in the world, you will naturally achieve the status of a chakravartin. At that time, your supernatural powers will manifest, heaven and earth will be at peace, and all things will return to oneness!"
This flattery touched Xiao Yan's heart completely. He was now certain that Bian Ji was really capable, and immediately said to the great monk Zheng Fayun:
"reward!"
"Give Monk Bianji a Buddhist temple and grant him the right to preach before the emperor!"
After two discussions on Buddhism in front of the emperor, Bodhidharma left Jiankang in a low-key manner and prepared to continue north to Luoyang.
Bian Ji became famous in Jiankang and quickly became a rising star of Buddhism in Jiankang.
-
On July 15th of the second year of Zhengguang, after Su Ze rested in Gaoping City, he immediately led his troops north to Xiazhou.
As a result, just as what was discussed in Wuxing at that time, the governor of Xiazhou was completely unable to control the situation in the state and allowed rebellion to break out within Xiazhou.
Su Ze arrived at Tongwan, the capital of Xiazhou. This city was destroyed after the Northern Wei Dynasty conquered Hu Xia. The new city was a small city built near the old city, which was very different from the Tongwan City built by Helian Bobo.
Su Ze and Su Liang paid tribute to the ruins of Tongwan City and quickly took over the defense of Xiazhou.
After arriving in Xiazhou, Su Ze also received accurate information about the Six Towns.
After Po Liu Han Baling rebelled, he had already controlled Woye Town. He ordered his commander Wei Kegu to besiege Huaishuo. Huaishuo Town Commander Yang Jun appointed Gao Huan as the general and defended Huaishuo town to the death. However, all the villages, towns, garrisons and markets around Huaishuo had already fallen.
Po Liu Han Baling personally led 100,000 rebel troops from Woye Town to attack Baidao guarded by Wuchuan Town.
In those days, Su Ze entered Liuzhen from Baidao, which was the most important passage to Liuzhen and Hengzhou. Once Han Baling, who had defeated Liu, broke through Baidao, the old capital of Northern Wei, Pingcheng, would be indefensible.
This is also the reason why the Northern Wei court was surprisingly efficient this time and immediately appointed Li Chong to lead the expedition.
The three eastern garrisons, Fuming, Rouxuan and Huaihuang, all rebelled. The rebels killed the garrison commanders and had begun to spread towards Youzhou and Jizhou. The entire northern border was in chaos.
Xiazhou was also under great pressure. Although the main attack direction of Po Liu Han Baling was still Hengzhou, the area where the Northern Wei Dynasty started, Xiazhou was connected to the Six Garrisons and was also affected by the large number of disaster victims who migrated south from the Six Garrisons.
Many tribes in Xiazhou had long been bewitched by the theory of the "true king" and had raised the banner of rebellion against the imperial court.
Su Ze ignored these small groups of rebels. Instead, he established a defense line in the Hengshan-Wudinghe area according to the plan proposed by Wei Xiaokuan at the time. The focus was on building Yongle City on the bank of the Yellow River to block the gap for the refugee army to move south along the Yellow River.
Su Ze has accumulated a group of followers of the [City Builder] series during this period. There are many disaster victims from the Six Towns who have moved south in Xiazhou, so there is no shortage of labor.
The most important task is to ensure the safety of the city.
Su Ze handed over the task of supervising the construction of Yongle City to Li Xian, and gave him the local soldiers recruited from Gaoping County, and he himself led the troops to resolve the rebellion in the counties around the Hengshan defense line.
-
In Huazhou, King Yuan Hao of Beihai was discussing matters with his subordinates.
Hu Chen's rebels have already advanced to the vicinity of Tongguan, disrupting the Wei River transportation route.
Xiao Baoyin had repeatedly asked Yuan Hao to drive out the rebels.
King Yuan Hao of Beihai also knew that he could not delay the battle any longer, so he asked his generals for countermeasures.
All the soldiers were at a loss.
A young counselor pointed to Shayuan, where the Wei River and the Luo River meet, and said:
"My king, our army should meet the battle here!"
"Pure wisdom is wonderful and perfect, and its essence is empty and quiet. Such merits and virtues cannot be sought in the world."
Beautiful and harmonious pure wisdom, forgetting oneself, reaching the state of emptiness and selflessness. Such merits cannot be obtained by worldly efforts.
"There is no saint in the vastness"
It’s empty here, there is no saint there.
(End of this chapter)