Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 703: Saving All Living Beings

The worshippers were filled with doubt and uncertainty. They hadn't even realized how the Buddha's true meaning had descended; it seemed as if it had suddenly appeared from Lu Zheng.

At first glance, such a thing is terrifying to think about.

He couldn't help but secretly remember Lu Zheng and the others, deciding that he must never provoke them in the future.

He clearly doesn't look like a Buddhist, yet he's so intimately connected to the true meaning of Buddha's teachings; it's truly intriguing.

Even if they are worshipped and revered as Bodhisattvas or Arhats by the world, they are ultimately beings who reside in the origins of Buddhism and Taoism.

Moreover, even they could not easily see the Buddha's true meaning.

In comparison, it's self-evident who holds more weight with the Buddha.

Inside the main hall, everyone felt the aura of the Buddha's true meaning, and their expressions changed as they quickly bowed to show their respect.

Lu Zheng looked up at the Buddha statue in front of him and felt that the stone statue seemed even more lifelike and compassionate than before.

Lu Zheng stepped forward, lit incense, put his hands together, and gave a slight bow.

Qingwan and Qingyi, who were standing next to them, also bowed.

Qingwan tilted her head and asked softly, "Was it only Buddha who came?"

All the stone statues in the Buddhist temple only sensed a wisp of the Buddha's thought.

The remaining Buddha statues showed no signs of disturbance and remained quite ordinary.

Lu Zheng said softly, "When Mahayana Buddhism flourishes and there is enough incense offering, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will descend to the human world."

These words were actually mainly addressed to Yuan Tao and other people from the State of Wei.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao couldn't help but remember this important information.

Lu Zheng said, "Let's leave it like this for now and go check out the other Buddhist halls."

No one dared to disturb the Buddha's true intentions that had just arrived, and they all respectfully withdrew from the Buddhist path, closing the temple doors tightly.

Qingwan took out a small notebook and said, "I've recorded all the Buddha statues in those side halls. Some I don't recognize, and some of the golden statues still have incense sticks inside. I need to check them carefully before deciding whether to make offerings to them..."

As she spoke, Qingwan glanced at Yuan Tao beside her.

Yuan Tao quickly replied, "I will immediately send someone to find information about the Buddha statues enshrined in the Garan Temple."

Yuan Tao looked at one of his subordinates beside him.

The subordinate understood and quickly disappeared.

Qingwan added, "Oh, right, there was a thought in that Bodhisattva statue that dared to question me earlier, so I turned it into smoke, called..."

Qingwan flipped through the notebook and explained it to Yuan Tao.

Yuan Tao was stunned for a moment, unable to recall which Bodhisattva it was.

Yuan Zhong, who was more knowledgeable about Buddhism than Yuan Tao, said in a low voice, "He was a high-ranking Buddhist monk from the early days of our Great Wei Dynasty. After his death, he was honored as a Bodhisattva and enjoys the incense offerings of our Great Wei..."

Qingwan glanced sideways and asked, "Has he made a great contribution to the State of Wei?"

"Well..."

Yuan Zhong hesitated for a moment, "Mainly because he was highly skilled in Taoism and quite famous at the time, with many believers following him. At that time, the imperial court wanted to win over the Buddhist community, so they..."

Yuan Zhong spoke slowly and deliberately, giving a brief account of some of the deeds of that being.

Qingwan suddenly realized, wrinkled her nose, and said, "Oh, so you haven't made any substantial contributions? No wonder you dared to oppose me. You want to keep living off my offerings without doing anything? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"From now on, this place belongs to Buddha. No cats or dogs can take up a spot here and enjoy the incense offerings!"

"Buddha is compassionate. There are some things that he cannot do, so we are the ones who need to do them well, do you understand?"

Yuan Tao couldn't help but say, "Miss Qingwan is right."

Yun Xiao, who was standing nearby, twitched his lips. Good heavens, how did Buddhism become like this...?

He could hardly believe that Qingwan, who was just a little girl a few years ago, could now be so powerful and influential in Buddhism, with Buddha backing her up.

It's truly enviable... Yun Xiao shook his head and sighed inwardly. He had cultivated for so many years, yet the Dao Ancestor had never appeared to guide him.

At this moment, Lu Zheng spoke up: "The main hall has been renovated. The other halls need to be arranged separately, but there is no rush."

I have some things I'd like to discuss with Your Highness and the Prince.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao waved his hand to dismiss his other subordinates.

The group arrived at an empty Buddhist temple.

Yun Xiao raised his hand and set up a magic array to prevent others from spying on him.

However, Yun Xiao wasn't so sure whether he could stop the Buddha's true intent from probing.

Lu Zheng said to Yuan Tao, "You mentioned before that the Wei Emperor was going to visit the Garan Temple to worship Buddha. This is a good opportunity to spread the word again..."

Lu Zheng slowly recounted some of the matters.

Yuan Tao's eyes lit up as he listened, and he couldn't help but nod repeatedly. He then wrote it down in his pen to prepare for it later.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Garan Temple remains shrouded in a large array, making it difficult for outsiders to see what's inside.

At this time, the Garan Temple had changed drastically. It was no longer as magnificent and jewel-encrusted as before, but appeared very simple and ancient.

The pervasive Buddhist atmosphere actually makes people feel closer to Buddhism and Taoism.

Another place was Luoyang, the capital of Wei.

The news of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifesting their divine power at the monastery had spread throughout Luoyang City two days earlier.

Many dignitaries, upon hearing of this, even regretted not attending the Wuzhe Assembly, missing a great opportunity.

As the snowstorm subsided, many people flocked to the sacred Buddhist site to make pilgrimages.

I want to go to the Garan Temple to experience the lingering blessings left by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

"What? It's finished? So fast! Even Buddha has appeared?"

Inside the palace, Emperor Wei was stunned for a long time upon receiving the news.

He was also thinking about presiding over another Buddhist ceremony and then inviting the Buddha to descend.

As a result, the Buddha's true meaning suddenly descended...

He was not present at the scene to witness it on either occasion...

Emperor Wei was momentarily filled with doubt, wondering if he was not destined to be with Buddhism.

As the emperor of the Great Wei, would Buddha dislike him?

Fortunately, a message came from the temple, instructing him to personally unveil the newly renovated temple and lead people to the Buddha hall to worship the Buddha.

It also gave him an opportunity to host a large, formal event.

Otherwise, his reign as Emperor of Wei would be far too low-key.

"Never mind, never mind..." Emperor Wei shook his head slightly, thinking that he couldn't control when the Buddha was coming.

The Buddha had not manifested himself even once in all these years, but now, during his reign as emperor, he descended upon the Great Wei, which was already considered a very auspicious sign for him.

This will be recorded in history books in great detail, and the Wei emperor cannot hope for too much.

In fact, this was his choice from the beginning; he did not personally go to the temple to preside over the Unobstructed Assembly.

Of course, the Wei emperor did not regret his decision much. As the emperor of a country, he had to consider many other factors.

Between the State of Wei and Buddhism, he was ultimately the emperor of Wei and had to leave a way out for Wei.

This is why he shifted the blame for suppressing Buddhism onto Yuan Tao.

He didn't personally organize the suppression of Buddhism, so even if things got really bad, there would still be room for maneuver.

Now that the Buddha's true will has descended, Mahayana Buddhism and the Wei Kingdom's court are on the same side to fight against the current Buddhist sects. Their chances of winning have indeed increased significantly, but they are not yet at a point where they have a very high chance of winning.

In fact, Emperor Wei had previously considered asking Buddha to send his message to the temples in Luoyang.

But after careful consideration, Emperor Wei abandoned that idea.

Other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can leave some Buddhist thoughts in Luoyang, which will not have much impact.

But the Buddha is different; he is the originator of Buddhism.

If the true essence of Buddha's teachings were to arrive in Luoyang, it would be hard to say whether Luoyang would become the capital of the country or the capital of Buddhism...

He certainly didn't want to see Luoyang filled with Buddhist monks...

However, placing the Buddha's true intentions within the monastery would be a very good choice.

Emperor Wei's eyes flickered, and he pondered for a moment.

He looked at the palace servants beside him and said calmly, "Summon all officials to court and accompany me to the Garan Temple to pay homage to the Buddha."

"As ordered."

The palace servant quickly responded and hurried away.

The officials in Luoyang were all surprised when they received the news, wondering why there was a Buddhist worship ceremony at this time.

Many clever people deduced that they had to tidy up their appearance and wear bright and beautiful clothes under their official robes.

Thinking that if I could change out of my official robes when I worship Buddha in the future, this outfit would leave a good impression on Buddha.

The officials hurried to the palace.

In addition to military and civil officials, the Wei emperor also summoned other prominent figures, such as patriarchs of prestigious families and nobles with titles but no real power.

Most of the important figures who were still in Luoyang gathered together.

Anyway, Luoyang isn't far from the temple, so let's just treat it as a grand court assembly.

Emperor Wei was not worried at all about any trouble that might arise from so many high-ranking officials temporarily leaving the capital.

On a square in the palace, a group of high-ranking officials and nobles gathered.

Emperor Wei slowly stepped forward and used the nation's most precious artifacts to send everyone to the Garan Temple.

However, in a short while, Emperor Wei led his entourage to an open space outside the Garan Temple.

Meanwhile, the Garan Temple had made all the necessary preparations and was just waiting for Emperor Wei's arrival.

There are now more people around Mount Garan than before.

People who came upon hearing the news of the manifestation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas gathered from all directions near the foot of the mountain, their numbers several times greater than before the opening of the Unobstructed Assembly.

Millions of people gathered here, creating an unprecedented spectacle.

In order to maintain order, Yuan Tao also sent people to mobilize soldiers and monks from nearby prefectures and counties.

At present, Yuan Tao did not want to see anything bad happen that would damage the reputation of the court and Buddhism.

When Yuan Tao saw that Emperor Wei had arrived with so many people, he quickly went forward to greet him.

After a series of formalities, the group, led by Emperor Wei, arrived at the main gate of the Garan Temple.

Emperor Wei narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hazy mist before him.

In other places, some eminent monks were instructed to use magic to project the location of the temple.

So that everyone who comes to the temple can clearly see the newly renovated temple and see the new statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

In the past, the Garan Temple was heavily guarded, with multiple layers of protective arrays to prevent outsiders from using their magical powers to spy on the temple.

Many devotees travel from afar to participate in the Wuzhe Assembly, but due to the large number of participants, they are restricted and are not qualified or recognized to enter the temple to worship Buddha. They can only worship Buddha and discuss scriptures in other places outside the temple.

Today, millions of people are seeing the Wei Emperor for the first time. They stare wide-eyed at the sight of the Great Wei Emperor about to unveil the new Garan Temple, filled with curiosity.

With a slight raise of his hand, Emperor Wei caused the clouds and mist in front of him to dissipate at an alarming speed.

In the blink of an eye, the view opened up before them, and the Garan Temple came into view.

For a moment, silence fell over the area outside the temple.

Many people's gazes sharpened, their eyes revealing disbelief.

The Wei emperor at the front squinted, thinking he was hallucinating or had come to the wrong place.

Is this still Garan Temple?

Emperor Wei's expression was somewhat stiff. In his memory, the Garan Temple, with its centuries-old history, was magnificent and as splendid as the imperial palace of the Great Wei Dynasty.

However, after only a few days, those magnificent and tall palaces were transformed into stone brick and tile houses.

The towering golden pagodas that once housed Buddhist treasures and ritual implements have all been reduced to stone pagodas that are now much shorter.

The high-rise buildings that were once adorned with precious jewels have been transformed into ordinary wooden buildings...

The numerous changes before their eyes made it impossible for anyone to see any resemblance to the original Garan Temple.

Many people were shocked and surprised, wondering why the Garan Temple would be rebuilt into this shape.

The Buddha's true will manifested here, so he resides in such a place?

Even any random temple in Luoyang would be a hundred times better than the current Garan Temple.

Not far away, Qingwan stood with her hands clasped behind her back, observing the myriad of people around her, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

She knew these people would have that look of utter disbelief.

Their efforts these past few days have certainly paid off, to witness such a scene...

Emperor Wei stiffened his neck and turned his head to look at Yuan Tao beside him, trying his best to remain composed, but revealing a hint of inquiry.

It really surprised him; he never expected that the Garan Temple would be transformed into such a scene.

Yuan Tao remained calm and composed, offering a gentle smile.

Suddenly, a golden light flashed before everyone's eyes.

A treasure mountain has appeared on the once empty temple square.

A small mountain made of various gold and silver treasures, dazzling and radiant, exuding a spiritual aura.

Upon seeing this mountain, everyone's expressions changed once again.

Some discerning practitioners even discovered that the treasure mountain contained some priceless and precious spiritual items.

If one could obtain even one of these, it would be enough to buy a lifetime's worth of cultivation resources for an ordinary cultivator.

However, those magical treasures were simply piled up together and displayed for everyone to see.

"This……"

The Wei emperor was also astonished by this scene, because he discovered that some of the artifacts on the treasure mountain had been taken from the Buddha statues...

The reason for this certainty is that Emperor Wei donated a great deal of wealth to the Garan Temple, and some of these treasures were even personally placed in front of the Buddha and used to decorate the temple.

Some of the treasures even have his stamp on them!

Emperor Wei's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the large, square gold and silver ingots. Could it be that they had melted down the gold statues?

At this moment, Yuan Tao put his hands together and slowly began to explain.

"The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, out of compassion, said that saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Therefore, they commanded us to melt down the golden Buddha statue, destroy the golden halls and pagodas, and take all the treasures of the temple for the purpose of universal salvation!" (End of Chapter)