People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

Chapter 465 Discussing the Dao with the Buddha, Buddhism Temporarily Retreats!

"Confucius, though unworthy, wishes to discuss the Way with the Buddha."

Confucius wore a confident smile as he faced Shakyamuni Buddha, his voice strong and clear, echoing in the surrounding void.

The powerful figures watching this scene were all greatly shocked. They never expected that Confucius, with Yang Xuan's backing, would still accept Shakyamuni's invitation to discuss the Dao. This was something no one had anticipated.

The Hundred Schools of Thought have been contending for many years, and Confucius, apart from Taoism, is the only one who constantly clashed with Buddhism, naturally attracting the attention of many powerful figures.

The encounter between Shakyamuni and Confucius had already attracted the attention of many powerful beings, and Yang Xuan's powerful arrival, without concealing his aura at all, drew the attention of even more living beings.

Now, all living beings in the entire prehistoric eastern world, including celestial gods and underworld spirits, have turned their attention to this place.

In this situation, if Confucius simply said "no," even Buddha wouldn't dare to insist and would have to leave.

After all, Shakyamuni was a quasi-saint and a great power. Even if the Buddhist sect wanted to discuss the Dao, sending a Great Golden Immortal would be the most they could manage.

Sending a Golden Immortal to debate with a Quasi-Saint is simply shameless.

Even if Confucius avoided war, no one would have thought there was anything wrong with it. On the contrary, the fact that Confucius's resolve to follow the Way remained unshaken under the pressure of Shakyamuni Buddha earned him the admiration of many great figures.

But the truth is, Confucius, faced with the invitation from Shakyamuni, a near-saint, had no intention of avoiding battle whatsoever.
Without even thinking, after confirming with Yang Xuan that this was a simple discussion of the Dao, without involving supernatural powers or cultivation, he readily agreed, his face full of confidence.

“Master Yang, this Buddha of Buddhism doesn’t seem like a good person. Is it inappropriate for you, Master, to discuss the Dao with him?”

Zixia knew Confucius's personality and did not try to persuade him, but he was really worried about Shakyamuni's previous behavior and the consistent style of Buddhism.

"It's alright." Yang Xuan shook his head, his expression indifferent.

“As I said, with me here, this is just a simple discussion of the Dharma. No matter what Shakyamuni thinks, it will be a simple discussion of the Dharma, and there will be no surprises.”

Yang Xuan's tone was calm, but his words were firm.

He wasn't just saying that casually. If Shakyamuni really couldn't handle it, then the Tathagata's benevolent body wouldn't be able to return intact. He had that ability!

Shakyamuni also knew that Yang Xuan had such abilities, and even if he was really depressed, he wouldn't be so depressed.

Zixia and the others naturally believed in Yang Xuan, but Shakyamuni was, after all, a quasi-sage, and Confucius was far behind him, both in terms of cultivation and understanding of the Great Dao.

They believed that if Confucius and Buddha were of equal spiritual level, their teacher would surely have won the subsequent debate, but now…

"Don't worry." Yang Xuan knew what Zixia and the others were thinking, and shook his head with a smile. "Confucius, we will win!"

Zixia and the others were unaware, but Yang Xuan knew that Confucius was favored by destiny and chosen by humanity to enlighten all living beings in the primordial world.

In his youth, Confucius also received many years of instruction from Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu, laying an extremely solid foundation for his education.

However, his cultivation time was too short, and his cultivation level and Taoist practice could not keep up. But his understanding of the Great Dao had long reached the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, and he was no less than a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Having traveled throughout the Nine Provinces for many years and discussed the Dao with many great masters, I have further refined my own Dao.

In contrast, Tathagata has not been a Buddha for very long, and he is not particularly knowledgeable about the Buddhist doctrines used for propagation.

Comparatively speaking, he is more proficient in the Hinayana Buddhism taught to him by the Sage Taiqing, but since Buddhism has not yet flourished, it is impossible for him to spread Hinayana Buddhism and cause division within Buddhism.

For this reason, Yang Xuan was not as pessimistic as Zixia and others, and had considerable confidence in Confucius.

Even if Confucius had lost, he wouldn't have been completely defeated. He might have even gained some inspiration from it and further improved Confucian doctrines, which would have been a good thing.

When Zixia and the others heard Yang Xuan say this, they could only put aside their worries and turn their attention to Confucius in front of them.

The powerful figures who were paying attention to this place were also curious to see what Confucius was capable of that he dared to accept Shakyamuni's invitation to discuss the Dao.

However, they didn't know as much as Yang Xuan, so naturally they couldn't be optimistic about Confucius.

They were simply curious as to why Yang Xuan had faith in Confucius, and whether there was something about Confucius that they hadn't noticed.

After all, Yang Xuan has a good reputation. He's not the kind of person who makes things up without reason. If he said that, he must have his reasons. If you don't understand, that's your own problem.

This is Yang Xuan's prestige in the prehistoric world!
Confucius paid no attention to what others thought, walked in front of Buddha, and casually sat down on the ground.

Seeing this, Shakyamuni summoned the lotus platform that had fallen to the ground, sat cross-legged on it, looked down at Confucius in front of him with a smile on his face, and spoke first, readily quoting Buddhist doctrines:

"Buddhism saves all sentient beings. Those who enter our Buddhist path can be reborn in the Pure Land after death, and everyone can become a Buddha..."

As a quasi-saint, the moment Shakyamuni opened his mouth, numerous extraordinary phenomena appeared: flowers rained down from the sky, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and a vast Buddhist light illuminated the heavens and the earth—truly a wondrous and extraordinary sight.

Faced with numerous unusual phenomena around him, Confucius was not afraid at all and spoke up to argue with them based on reason.

Between the lines, there are profound meanings and the true essence of the great Dao.

It speaks of benevolence and propriety.

As the saying goes, "Heaven's movement is ever vigorous; so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement."

The current Buddhist doctrines are poisoning people's minds and fostering laziness in living beings.

The people of the Nine Provinces and the beings of the primordial world do not need a Buddha who only talks but does nothing, and whose only goal is to promote Buddhism.

However, Shakyamuni Buddha spoke evasively, continuing to expound Buddhist teachings without offering any response. Instead, he used Buddhist doctrines, drawing on the words of Confucius, to launch a counterattack from the sidelines.

How could he not see that there was a problem with the Buddhist teachings?

However, if the goal is to make Buddhism flourish in the East in the shortest possible time, the doctrine that one can be reborn in the Pure Land simply by reciting scriptures is most beneficial to Buddhism.

Buddhism requires no price; simply reciting Buddhist scriptures and chanting mantras is enough to convert those who feel hopeless and frustrated in this life to Buddhism.

If we disregard Buddhist believers and the circumstances of the surrounding beings in their previous lives, and if the Western Paradise exists, under the influence of the rules established by the two Western Saints,

It is true that Buddhism can enable beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss after death; this is undeniable. This is why some people, knowing the problems with Buddhist doctrines, still choose to become Buddhist believers.

As for the fact that if this continues, many creatures in the Nine Provinces, the Eastern Wilderness, and even other parts of the Wilderness will develop laziness, making these regions lifeless.

What does it have to do with the Buddha or Buddhism? As long as Buddhism can flourish and its path can be smoother, the sacrifice of a few lives is nothing at all.

What the primordial world has in abundance is life. Even if all the Buddhist believers in these places die out and are reborn in the Western Paradise, new life will be born sooner or later.

At first, Buddha did not take Confucius seriously at all.

The problems with Buddhist doctrines are not something that only Confucius could see; many great beings in the prehistoric East knew about them, but what could they do about Buddhism?

As long as Confucius cannot withstand the pressure and fundamentally deny the current Buddhist doctrines, then Buddhism is destined to win this debate; it's just a matter of how much of a victory it will win.

However, Confucius's character and understanding of the Great Way clearly exceeded Shakyamuni's expectations. Confucius was not only able to withstand Shakyamuni's pressure, but also able to provide clear and logical answers to both Shakyamuni's counterattacks with Buddhist teachings and his questions about the merits of the Great Way that Confucius practiced.

Admittedly, Confucius's cultivation was limited, and his thinking speed was far slower than that of Shakyamuni, a quasi-sage. He needed more time to think and deduce, but in the end, he was able to give the corresponding answers.

This answer may not be entirely correct, but it is flawless and there is nothing wrong with it.

More importantly, Confucius would also offer rebuttals in his answers, meticulously analyzing Buddhist doctrines and contrasting them with his own teachings.
It also supplements and improves Buddhist doctrines.

Gradually, the smile on Shakyamuni's face disappeared, and he appeared increasingly gloomy.

Clearly, he had lost the argument; Confucius not only fundamentally rejected Buddhist doctrines,

And to improve Buddhism, so that its teachings are beneficial to all living beings, rather than simply reaping offerings.

From a long-term perspective, Buddhism should thank Confucius.

However, what Buddhism needs has never been long-term. With the spiritual attainment of the two Western saints, how could they not have thought of such a doctrine?

What Buddhism truly needs is time—time to reap more offerings before Taoism can respond effectively, thus enabling Buddhism to flourish.

As for how to gain more followers and make them more devout after the revival, as long as Buddhism can maintain its prosperity, they have plenty of ways to do so.

The reason why Buddhism chooses this doctrine to spread its teachings is precisely because this method is the easiest to reap the rewards of worshippers and is more beneficial to the prosperity of Buddhism.

If the changes were made according to Confucius's teachings, Buddhist believers could certainly become more devout, but they would lose the advantage of speed.

The emergence of the "Hundred Schools of Thought Contending" phenomenon has seriously affected the speed of Buddhist propagation.

If the doctrines of Buddhism are changed again, the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) will definitely respond, and the time for the great prosperity of Buddhism will be delayed by several, or even dozens of Yuanhui (ancient Chinese calendar systems).
How could Shakyamuni accept such a thing?
If this discussion was merely a private affair between Shakyamuni and Confucius, then it wouldn't be a problem; they could simply ignore it.

However, Shakyamuni really couldn't understand why Yang Xuan trusted Confucius so much.

From the very beginning of the debate, Yang Xuan used the authority of the Heavenly Emperor to draw upon the power of the stars in the heavens, projecting the entire debate onto the eastern sky of the primordial world in real time.

As long as one is in the ancient East, regardless of one's cultivation level, even if one is just a babbling infant, one can look up and see Confucius and Buddha discussing the Tao.

They became aware of the drawbacks of Buddhist teachings and the harm they caused to all living beings in the primordial world.

Seeing that Shakyamuni, a quasi-saint, was about to be defeated by Confucius, a golden immortal, and seeing that Confucius, a quasi-saint, perfected the teachings of Buddhism.

In the past, Confucius traveled throughout the land, explaining to the local people the harm that Buddhist teachings caused to himself and the surrounding peoples, and more or less some people believed in him.

Those who remain unwilling to believe are either truly stupid, have completely lost hope in this life, and don't care about their living environment; such people are basically beyond help.

Alternatively, some may harbor doubts, believing that Buddhism was founded by sages and that its doctrines must have profound meanings, while Confucius was merely a celestial being, and even if his words made sense, they might not necessarily be correct.

But after watching the live broadcast of this discussion, their initial thoughts began to waver.

Confucius was indeed a golden immortal, but Shakyamuni, who debated with him, was a genuine quasi-sage. Confucius was able to defeat him with his own strength in this inherently unfair debate.

Both Heaven and the Underworld treat each other better for their prayers and vows.

At least, they believe in the gods and immortals of Heaven, so they can receive their protection and, when necessary, even have the gods possess them.

Those who believe in the gods and spirits of the underworld believe that they, their clansmen, and disciples will suffer less after death and have a better chance of being reborn into a better family.

These are real benefits, backed by numerous real-world examples; they cannot be faked.

In contrast, Buddhism only offers the benefit of being reborn in the Pure Land after death. According to Buddhist teachings, even if one goes to the Pure Land after death, one might just be providing incense and offerings to Buddhism, without actually learning the true teachings of Buddhism.

Without a doubt, this debate between Confucius and Buddha rendered tens of thousands of years of Buddhist efforts futile, turning it into a wedding dress for the divine and Confucius. It was a truly heavy loss, and it would be strange if Buddha looked pleased.

"Ok?"

Shakyamuni suddenly realized that, without knowing when, the aura emanating from Confucius had become increasingly powerful.

A vast and righteous aura, like white mist, surrounded him, and boundless human fortune gathered around him, forming the sound of all living beings reading and learning behind him.

At the same time, the sound of reading aloud echoed in the air.

Later, Confucius's figure automatically floated in the air, and a great deal of human merit fell down, enhancing Confucius's cultivation.

Late-stage Golden Immortal, Taiyi Golden Immortal, Daluo Golden Immortal...

In the blink of an eye, with the blessing of boundless fortune and human virtue, Confucius's cultivation level rose to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal!
Seeing this, how could Shakyamuni not know that humanity was acknowledging Confucius's teachings? He had utterly lost.

If Buddhist doctrines do not change, they will likely find it difficult to make any progress in the East in the future.

After a moment of silence, Shakyamuni sighed:

“The beings of the East have not yet had the opportunity to learn the superior Buddhist teachings.”

Having said that, Shakyamuni ignored Confucius, and the golden lotus beneath him spun, carrying him westward.

Rumble——!
Once Confucius's state of mind stabilized, thunderous roars suddenly echoed in the sky, indicating that a Great Luo Tribulation was gathering.

Confucius achieved the Great Luo status instantly, but the Great Luo Heavenly Tribulation was unavoidable and he had to overcome it on his own.

This is both a test and an opportunity.

Confucius was able to gain human recognition, so for ordinary people, the Great Tribulation of Da Luo, which is a matter of life and death, was not dangerous.

Moreover, he now has the cultivation of a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal before he goes to undergo the Great Luo Heavenly Tribulation.

No matter how powerful the Great Luo Heavenly Tribulation is, it is a tribulation used to test Taiyi Golden Immortals. For Confucius, a Great Luo Golden Immortal, there is no surprise whatsoever.

As long as Confucius survives the tribulation without any danger, he can completely solidify his cultivation and become a pillar of the human race like the Five Emperors.

However, to everyone's surprise, Confucius did not immediately undergo the tribulation, nor did the lightning tribulation descend immediately, as if he was waiting for something.

"Could it be that……"

Yang Xuan looked at Confucius, his eyes flashing slightly, and a guess formed in his mind.

If nothing unexpected happens, Confucius should seize this opportunity to establish his authority in one fell swoop.

Confucianism!

(End of this chapter)