Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 359 The Destruction of Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism (Part Two)
Xingwang Mansion, outside the Imperial City.

A pale-faced, beardless eunuch walked out of the palace gate and respectfully addressed the fat monk who resembled Maitreya Buddha: "Master Bu Tan."

"plz follow me."

The Southern Han Dynasty had tens of thousands of eunuchs. Even if you followed the names like Xiao Chunzi and Xiao Dezi, you couldn't finish listing them all. They were basically using their former names. This eunuch was called Liu Xi. He entered the palace as a virgin and his martial arts skills had already reached the Innate Realm. He was currently the Director of the Eastern Depot and also the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Duncan didn't remember the eunuch system very clearly, but eunuchs were essentially his household slaves. Eunuchs were a double-edged sword; if used improperly, they could backfire.

The most important thing right now is to achieve peace and end the years of war during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Institutional reforms can be carried out gradually.

The monk Bu Tan was quite polite to the eunuch, and upon hearing this, he chuckled and said, "I've heard that the imperial city of the Prince of Xing's residence is filled with countless delicacies."

"I wonder if this humble monk will have the fortune to taste it?"

He had no discrimination against eunuchs. Monks had good fortune but didn't use it, while eunuchs had no good fortune to use, so they were pretty much the same.

The monk Bu Tan was a maverick by nature, and he patted his big belly, indicating that he was very greedy.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi smiled and said, "His Majesty has already ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare it."

The two made their way to a side hall, where palace servants were already preparing a banquet. The monk Bu Tan smelled the aroma and his mouth watered. He couldn't help but say, "This must be the legendary stir-fried dish?"

"The aroma is indeed enticing, making one's mouth water."

Stir-frying became popular around the Song Dynasty, but Duncan brought that timeline forward. Popular legend has it that the people of Guangdong and Guangxi were skilled in cooking, and the imperial chefs often developed new recipes.

Soon, a beautiful palace maid led the monk Bu Tan into the hall.

He had a lifelong love for fine food but no interest in beautiful women. He ignored these beautiful palace women, but because he was kind-hearted and plump, he resembled a Buddha, which attracted many palace women to pay their respects. He did not covet the fat head and big ears of the monk, but had a gentle and compassionate demeanor and always had a smile on his face. He looked like Maitreya Buddha, which made it easy for people to believe him.

"His Majesty."

Looking at Duncan ahead, the monk Bu Tan put his palms together in a gesture of respect and said, "I never imagined that after we parted that day, His Majesty would have already accomplished such a tremendous feat when we meet again."

Duncan turned his head and said with a smile, "Master Bu Tan hasn't changed much."

Please take your seats.

The monk, without any pretense of politeness, immediately began his gluttonous feast after taking his seat. He ate with gusto, his mouth dripping with oil, and then drank the imperial wine with gusto, exclaiming how delightful it was, as if he had forgotten everything else.

Duncan wasn't in a hurry; his lack of greed made him different from others.

After three rounds of drinking.

Duncan didn't ask any questions, but simply ordered people to serve him good wine and meat. On the contrary, the monk Bu Tan couldn't sit still any longer and looked up to say, "Your Majesty, won't you ask me why I've come?"

Duncan smiled faintly and said, "It's nothing more than some mundane matters."

"Does the master not care about greed?"

Upon hearing Duncan's words, the monk Bu Tan was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter and asked in return, "Does Your Majesty think I should care?"

Duncan smiled and said, "I don't think it's important."

"The important thing is not to be greedy, whether the master cares or not."

The monk Bu Tan raised his cup, drank it all, smiled like a Buddha, and shook his head, saying, "I don't care."

“Back then, when Chai Rong wanted to suppress Buddhism, I couldn’t be bothered to care.”

"As long as you don't disturb my peace and quiet, it's fine."

"This humble monk has only two hobbies in this life: eating and sleeping."

Duncan smiled, raised his glass, and said, "Then what else should I ask?"

"Drink! Drink your fill!"

Master Bu Tan is not the same as the monk Bu Jie. Even a monk Bu Jie needs some guidance, but Master Bu Tan will realize this on his own.

The pot-bellied monk in front of him smiled and raised his cup, then said seriously, "However, this time I have come..."

"I do have two questions for Your Majesty."

Duncan said calmly, "Go ahead and ask, Master."

He only has some connections with these two people in the Buddhist community, and he's willing to consider them as long as it's not excessive.

The monk Bu Tan spoke up: "I heard that my junior brother went to the Western Regions and caused quite a commotion?"

"Is this the direction His Majesty pointed out?"

Duncan nodded readily and said, "Yes."

“Master Bujie is determined to attain the Arhatship. His past achievements are probably not enough, so I told him about a place where, if he could succeed, he would also have a chance to become a Buddha.”

The monk Bu Tan chewed for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed."

"If people in the Western Regions can convert to Buddhism and follow the right path, it will indeed be a great merit."

"However, he acted recklessly."

"The Buddhist sects in the Central Plains are in trouble."

But it's none of my business, as long as the monk Bujie is alright.

The monk's expression gradually turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "The second thing."

"I would like to ask Your Majesty what exactly you intend to do?"

Duncan stared at the person in front of him and said calmly, "What do I want to do? I have a lot to do."

The monk Bu Tan pressed on, "Then surely there's one thing Your Majesty most wants to do?"

Duncan calmly said, "I want the world to be at peace, and for people to live and work in peace and contentment."

All living beings suffer.

"If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it well."

The monk Bu Tan stared at Duncan, nodded slowly, and then asked, "Is that all?"

"I've heard that the Taoist sect seems to be plotting against His Majesty."

"Is His Majesty planning to do more than just this?"

After saying that, he pointed to the sky.

Duncan was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "I will make sure the sky can no longer obscure the eyes of the masses!..."

"This answer."

"Are you satisfied, Master?"

Now it was Monk Bu Tan's turn to be stunned. His expression grew even more solemn, and he asked in a deep voice, "Your Majesty wants Xing Tian?"

Scholars and officials are exempt from punishment.

Such is the way of the mortal world.

Duncan's choice of Xing Tian signifies his intention to judge all living beings, including even the high and mighty gods.

Duncan smiled but said nothing.

The monk Bu Tan was right; he did indeed want Xing Tian.

The monk Bu Tan raised his cup and drank three cups in a row before slowly saying, "The Buddhist sect praises Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the Taoist sect praises the Jade Emperor."

"Nowadays, the Jade Emperor is known among the people."

"His Majesty."

"Do you know that the Jade Emperor's mortal body is right here in the human world?"

Duncan nodded calmly and said, "I know."

"But he seemed to be avoiding me and never came to see me on his own initiative."

The monk Bu Tan smiled and said, "It seems that His Majesty treats Buddhism and Taoism equally."

"What is Your Majesty's view on the Way of Heaven?"

Duncan said calmly, "Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs."

The monk Bu Tan understood immediately upon hearing this. He looked up and said, "Does His Majesty not wish for Heaven to have human hearts?"

Duncan nodded and said, "Of course."

"They cannot have human hearts, and they cannot even have personality."

"If it is."

"Then I shall strike down the heavens!"

Xingtian.

To attack the heavens.

The monk Bu Tan chewed on something and sighed, "The Taoist sect believes that by replacing the will of Heaven with the will of the people, it can usher in an unprecedented golden age and ensure the eternal prosperity of the Taoist sect."

"But unexpectedly, it attracted the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Lord!"

Duncan's expression remained unchanged; he simply drank in silence.

The monk Bu Tan concealed his true strength.

He has already entered the Dao.

Moreover, he seems to know quite a lot. Is the brain of a pig really that useful?

Master Bu Tan continued drinking and eating meat, saying calmly, "That Daoist Ling Su came to see me, but I avoided him." "He hoped that Buddhism and Taoism would unite to suppress His Majesty."

"To put it bluntly, Your Majesty is the reincarnation of the Great Free Heaven Demon Lord."

Duncan remained unmoved. He knew what was going on; he didn't care if people called him some kind of demon.

The monk Bu Tan continued, "The Jade Emperor stole the secrets of heaven."

“If what Daoist Lingsu said is true.”

"Then His Majesty is the calamity He brought upon Him."

"Whoever gets involved in this karma will die."

At this point, Monk Bu Tan looked up, gazed at Duncan before him, and sighed, saying, "There are always people who want to replace the Way of Heaven with human hearts, but they don't know that from ancient times to the present, the Way of Heaven has been vast and unpredictable, and it cannot be replaced by human hearts."

Duncan calmly said, "The best path is one without emotion."

Anyone who steals will be killed.

If the Way of Heaven were to acquire a personality, it would have to be directly formatted out.

Killing is protecting life.

Severing karma does not mean killing a person.

The monk Bu Tan looked up and asked, "And what about His Majesty?"

"What if His Majesty is truly Xing Tian?"

"If Your Majesty has become the ruler of Heaven and Earth, then isn't Your Majesty the personification of the Way of Heaven?"

Duncan calmly raised his glass and said, "Then I will agree."

A real ruthless person.

Even his own human form was formatted, all for the sake of a completely law-based Heavenly Dao. Heaven has no emotions.

Haotian has never needed these things.

What Duncan needs is an eternal 'absolute neutrality'.

For this, he is willing to sacrifice a human body.

After a long silence, Monk Bu Tan finally stood up, clasped his hands together, and respectfully knelt before Duncan.

After the pot-bellied monk stood up, he said with a smile, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand."

"This humble monk is simply offering a prayer to Heaven in advance."

"Perhaps I will be favored by God in the future."

Duncan laughed heartily.

This monk who doesn't covet greed is truly a remarkable person.

If Duncan were to attain the Dao, this human body would essentially be dead, completely transformed by the laws, erasing all traces of the human body. If Heaven allows, he could create an external avatar; if Heaven doesn't allow it, he can only leave with his gains and start all over again.

This human body is essentially given to God, ensuring that everything is formatted.

Moreover, having this physical body is like having an antivirus software with a carrier, capable of vanquishing all gods, immortals, Buddhas, and demons, and even reshaping the order of heaven and earth. What this world lacks is not a Heavenly Emperor; whether or not there is a Jade Emperor is actually irrelevant. What the Heavenly Dao needs is a working antivirus software to monitor all beings that transcend the mortal realm, and even to guard against others stealing the authority and position of the Heavenly Dao.

No wonder His Majesty is so fond of beautiful women and enjoys himself to the fullest.

He's even willing to give up his physical body!

When he first came, Master Bu Tan had some doubts, wondering if Duncan could defeat the Jade Emperor Dao Lord. But now it seems that it's normal for the Jade Emperor Dao Lord to avoid him. This move of 'merging with the Dao' is really too ruthless.

Even the Buddha of the Western Paradise would probably have to temporarily avoid his sharp edge if he encountered him.

After finishing his prayers, the monk Bu Tan rose again, drank wine and ate meat, and asked, "Does Your Majesty know the difference between the Pure Land School and the Chan School?"

Duncan shook his head and said, "I don't know. Could you tell me, Master?"

After thinking for a moment, Monk Bu Tan nodded and said, "Zen Buddhism advocates pointing directly to the mind and seeing one's true nature to become a Buddha. It believes that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature and need to directly realize their true nature by eliminating delusions."

"The key is to attain enlightenment in this lifetime and pursue the state of enlightenment of becoming a Buddha in the present moment."

"Zen practice focuses on sudden enlightenment, realizing one's Buddha-nature through one's own practice, without relying on external forces."

Duncan nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

Zen.

This sounds pretty good.

The monk Bu Tan continued, "The Pure Land school relies on the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows, accumulating merit through the three requisites of faith, vows, and practice, to achieve the goal of being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

"What one seeks is to escape the cycle of rebirth and continue practicing in the Pure Land until one attains Buddhahood."

“They recite the Buddha’s name to purify their minds, visualize and recite, and rely on the power of the Buddha, believing that sentient beings in the Dharma-ending Age need to rely on the Buddha’s power to be liberated.”

The path of Western pastors.

The so-called Buddhist Pure Land is most likely a variant of the divine kingdom system.

Duncan understood more or less.

Simply put, Zen Buddhism, introduced by Bodhidharma, emphasizes personal cultivation and requires sudden enlightenment; its core is "seeing one's true nature and becoming a Buddha." Pure Land Buddhism, to put it more simply, involves bowing and worshipping the Buddha, much like a Western pastor's prayer, using the power of Amitabha Buddha's vows to achieve the goal of entering the Pure Land, a divine realm, and then cultivating to become a Buddha.

Duncan draws an analogy to the Western pantheon: one becomes a god through his own enlightenment, while the other enters the divine kingdom system and becomes a godlike being within the divine kingdom through merit, or even a demigod, a subordinate god, or a follower god.

"No wonder Li Yu developed a tumor on his head from bowing and kowtowing to Buddha."

A fanatical follower of the Pure Land School.

According to the "Ten Kingdoms Annals", Li Yu "walked with his forehead touching the Buddhist shrine, until a large tumor rose on his forehead".

The Southern Tang Dynasty was the stronghold of the Pure Land School.

The ancestral temple of Pure Land Buddhism is right there.

When Master Bujie said these words, he was actually already moving closer to Duncan.

Some say that the Great Free Heaven Demon Lord is going to destroy Buddhism, and Master Bujie must come and see for himself. Now it seems that this 'destruction of Buddhism' is probably inevitable. However, how many will be destroyed, whether to wipe them all out or to carry out targeted clean-up, these are all things that can be discussed.

Duncan was also willing to give Master Bujie some face. After distinguishing between Zen Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism, he roughly knew who he needed to eliminate.

One can attain Buddhahood without relying on external things.

Enlightenment and the realization of one's true nature are inherently complete.
Zen Buddhism demands a very high level of enlightenment, which is not something that ordinary people can achieve through sudden enlightenment. Pure Land Buddhism, on the other hand, is simpler and can be considered a secular way of practicing that is suitable for ordinary people. All that is needed is to sincerely worship the Buddha.

The mainstay of Chinese Buddhism is Zen Buddhism.

Master Bujie solemnly rose, clasped his hands together, and said, "If Your Majesty can show leniency towards Zen Buddhism, we are willing to go to the Potala Palace to discuss the Dharma in the future!"

Look, look!

This kind of enlightenment is different from what you realize yourself. This awareness, this thought, is the essence of Chinese Buddhism.

There are many sects within Buddhism.

The Zen school has the most masters, while the Pure Land school has the most practitioners.

Furthermore, Bodhidharma was the first person to combine Zen and martial arts, and his Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing are among the top martial arts techniques in the martial arts world. As for the Pure Land School, because they practice the Buddha's name, they are actually somewhat like Western combat priests, who can use the power of the Buddha to fight, which is close to the divine magic of Western priests.

The monk Bujie put his palms together and said, "Masters of the Pure Land School cultivate the Buddha's name, visualize the Buddha, and contemplate the true nature of the Buddha."

"Many people have cultivated Buddhist supernatural powers."

"Your Majesty, please be extra careful!"

Fanatical believers, especially those with the power of their faith, can wield very powerful divine spells.

Some Pure Land practitioners can even perform various Buddhist forms and methods, which matches the information that the Good Mother inquired about. It is likely that some people have indeed cultivated the Arhat Dharma body that can subdue dragons and tigers. Many of the secret methods of the Pure Land School are somewhat like the divine face (Dharma form) of Western priests, otherworldly messengers (Dharma body), divine power and shield (Buddha power), and so on.

Although Zen Buddhism also has secret methods, the foundation is cultivated by oneself, and it is not so easy to obtain the supernatural powers of the Buddhas in the Western Paradise.

"I see."

Duncan nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

does not matter.

If someone could actually summon the image of Shakyamuni or Amitabha Buddha, he could talk to them about it, make a small report, and see if they would take any action.

Today, the monk Bu Tan argued with him, seemingly saying nothing, but in reality, he was already pleading for leniency.

Duncan is a very easy person to talk to.

Regardless of which sect or school of Buddhism, as long as they return all the money and food they've consumed and then go to the Potala Palace to discuss the Dharma, then everything can be negotiated. He doesn't particularly enjoy beheading people.

If they do a good job, we'll select some eminent monks to send to India together and have a good discussion with the Brahmin priests.

He didn't indulge in any good food or drink with the master, and he left in a very carefree manner.

"The monk Bujie is always thinking about his achievements."

As Duncan watched the pot-bellied monk's departing figure, he thought to himself, "It seems that Master Bu Tan really has a chance to attain enlightenment."

Luohan has started.

If he can go to India to discuss the Dharma in the future, it is not impossible for him to become a Buddha or an ancestor.

………………

(End of this chapter)