Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 186, a double chapter [Protecting the Nation], North and South share the same lineage!
White Horse Temple.

Below the altar.

The thousand monks remained kneeling, pleading with the boatmen on the river for Buddhist teachings, but their chanting had now turned into painful groans.

They silently recited in their hearts, "Constantly wipe it clean, lest dust settle," while their mouths echoed Jiang Xingzhou's chant, "Originally there was nothing, so where can dust alight?"
moment,

Some monks were in great mental confusion and vomited blood, while others bled from all seven orifices.

Even worse, some have faces that are as ferocious as demons—in this pure Buddhist place, they have fallen into a demonic state!

"Is the body a Bodhi tree? No! Bodhi is not a tree!"

Suddenly, a high-ranking monk in the Sutra Repository burst into wild laughter, tearing his apricot-yellow robe with his blood-stained fingers and tossing it aside. "Is the bright mirror not a platform, but the heart itself a platform of bright mirrors?!"

What is this heart?
Ha ha!..
I understand!
Everything else is merely appearance; I alone am the true Buddha, and you are all external demons!

"puff--!"

He spat a mouthful of blood onto the silk scroll of the Diamond Sutra. The old monk, barefoot, trod across the Buddhist prayer beads scattered on the ground, dancing wildly as if in a frenzy.

The monks of Baima Temple looked at the old monk and saw a crack appear between his eyebrows, a sign that his Zen mind had shattered!
Everyone was shocked and saddened, feeling immense sympathy.

This eminent monk from the library was so disturbed by Jiang Xingzhou's two Buddhist verses that he went mad and fell into a state of demonic possession!

On the contrary, the young novices with limited Buddhist knowledge and shallow spiritual practice, who looked bewildered, understood the Zen teachings and were least affected.

Although the 100,000 common people and the scholars of the Imperial Academy did not suffer any backlash from Buddhism, they were like ants thrown into boiling water, filled with immense anxiety.

The prayer beads in the hands of the white-haired old woman suddenly snapped, and the glass Buddha head smashed against the bluestone slab with a crack—just like their shattered faith at that moment, collapsing!

Is "diligently wiping away dust" a form of spiritual practice, or is "remaining untainted by dust" the true form of spiritual practice?

A scholar in a blue robe clutched his handwritten copy of the Platform Sutra, his knuckles turning white. "Should I pick up the broom and sweep away the dust?"
Or should we smash the broom and ignore the dust altogether?

They too fell into confusion.

"These two Buddhist verses are completely contradictory. Which one is the true method of cultivation?"

"Could it be that one of the Buddhist verses is false? Or is it a demonic verse?"

What shocked tens of thousands of ordinary people, imperial relatives, and all the scholars of the Imperial Academy was...

When Abbot Huiri, the five senior elders, and the thousand monks of Baima Temple swayed like candles in the wind, coughing up blood, and fell into a state of confusion, their Zen minds were on the verge of shattering.

These are clearly two completely different Buddhist verses written by Jiang Xingzhou.

He himself, however, showed no abnormality and was completely unaffected.

Those contradictory Buddhist verses that would have torn a monk's Zen mind apart were like rivers flowing into the sea in his life.

Jiang Xingzhou's body radiated even more intensely with the aura of Buddha.

Like a peerless Buddhist master, radiating boundless light.

Why is this?

"Thump thump thump thump thump~——!"

The giant bronze bell in the Luoyang Confucian Temple rang without wind, its sound like a tidal wave sweeping across the entire capital.

The bird-startling bells hanging from the eaves of the White Horse Temple suddenly shattered in unison, and the bronze-cast black birds peeled off their gold paint amidst the sound of the bells, revealing the mottled Taoist patterns underneath!
Another national treasure-level Buddhist verse was born on the altar of Baima Temple!
"The second piece is also a Buddhist verse for [protecting the nation]?!"

"Jiang Jieyuan composed two [National Protection] Buddhist verses in one day? Unheard of, utterly astonishing!"

"So, these two Buddhist verses are truly national treasures—the highest path of Buddhism?"

The horrified gazes of hundreds of thousands of people, as if drawn by an invisible hand, were directed toward the distorted golden light above the White Horse Temple.

At this moment, amidst the tolling of the bells, Sanskrit characters materialized, each stroke scorching the heavens.

No one dared to question the majesty of Jiang Xingzhou's two Buddhist verses anymore!

Jiang Xingzhou stood at the legislative altar, hands behind his back, his blue robe billowing like waves in the sea, a half-smile playing on his lips.

He chuckled softly, flicked his sleeves, and suddenly two scrolls of calligraphy appeared on his hands—magnificent Buddhist verses for [protecting the nation]—

On the left is the Buddhist verse about the "Bodhi Tree"!
The one on the right is the Buddhist verse "Not Bodhi"!
On the left is the national treasure, its surface radiant with Buddhist light, each character transforming into a golden Bodhi leaf. Beneath the Bodhi tree, within the veins of the leaves sits a miniature Buddha image, its countenance solemn and dignified.
On the right, the national treasure, like cracked glass, is completely empty except for a bright moon hanging high in the sky, where the world is pure and dust-free! Yet, it makes people hear the forty-eight thousand Buddhas sighing at the same time.

Reflected in everyone's eyes—

In Jiang Xingzhou's left pupil, he could see the Buddha holding a flower, meditating in meditation. In his right pupil, however, he saw only the bright moon shining on the snow, and nothing else.

The two national treasure-level Buddhist scriptures were in Jiang Xingzhou's left and right hands. The Buddhist teachings, which should have been mutually exclusive, were as docile as a fawn in his palms, as if they were one.

Jiang Xingzhou's gaze swept over the monks, his voice not loud, yet it struck each monk's ears like the morning bell of an ancient temple, as he slowly began to speak:
"The eminent monks of Baima Temple."

My two Buddhist verses for [protecting the nation] symbolize two different methods of Buddhist practice:
The former teaches people to "constantly wipe away the dust," a gradual method of cultivation, and to attain Buddhahood through arduous practice.

The so-called gradual cultivation is like climbing a staircase, with each step blossoming like a lotus flower.

The latter, however, said, "Originally there is nothing," and that the method of sudden enlightenment leads to instant Buddhahood.

The so-called enlightened one—is already on the sacred mountain before even taking a step.

One positive, one negative; one real, one illusory; going in the opposite direction.

I don't know!

Which Buddhist practice method would you like to learn?

Jiang Xingzhou gently raised his left hand, and the phantom of hundreds of monks sweeping snow every day appeared under the Bodhi tree, with the clear "swish" sound of brooms sweeping across the bluestone.

As he turned his right palm, a withered leaf suddenly fell from the crystal Buddhist verse. Before the leaf even hit the ground, it turned into ashes in mid-air.

The monk Shihuai vomited three mouthfuls of blood in succession, and upon landing, he transformed into a blood-red lotus flower. His face was as pale as gold paper, and his cultivation level plummeted by a major Buddhist realm.

He stared blankly at the young Buddhist master before him, his own Buddhist heart trembling violently.

The difference in their Buddhist understanding was simply too great!

With his intelligence, he simply couldn't understand which Buddhist verse represented the true path.

"May I ask, Master Jiang?"

He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse beyond recognition, "What you practice, is it the 'Bodhi Tree' or the 'Non-Bodhi'?"

At this moment, he was like a lost novice monk in the desert, placing his last hope on Jiang Xingzhou.

Since I cannot fathom the profound meaning of these two Buddhist verses, I will follow in Jiang Xingzhou's footsteps—

Whichever one Jiang Xingzhou needed to repair, he would repair!
Surely this can't be wrong?
"I am not a Buddhist disciple!"

Jiang Xingzhou's voice was like a thunderclap from the heavens, shaking the hearts and minds of all the monks in the hall.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as swords, piercing the thousand-year-old shackles of Buddhism—

"I do not practice Buddhism!"

Whether it's gradual cultivation or sudden enlightenment, it has no effect on me!

Choosing the right path for spiritual practice is a decision for you Buddhist disciples!

"what?!"

The monk's pupils suddenly contracted, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He staggered backward, his sleeves unconsciously brushing against the altar floor. The lotus petals, formed from congealed blood, revealed that the once vibrant Buddha flower, at the moment of touch—

Turned to ashes inch by inch!

Just like his crumbling Buddhist heart at this moment.

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar!

"He doesn't practice... Buddhism?"

At the White Horse Temple, thousands of monks trembled, their voices almost like whispers in their sleep.

They stared intently at Jiang Xingzhou, their eyes bloodshot, as if trying to see through his mortal body to discover what kind of monster was hidden within!
"Jiang Jieyuan...doesn't practice Buddhism at all?!"

"Then why has his Buddhist attainment reached such a pinnacle?"

He actually managed to write two 'national-protecting' Buddhist verses in one day?!

boom!
These words were like a thunderclap, and the entire White Horse Temple instantly erupted in excitement!
Abbot Huiri's body trembled violently, and two cracks appeared on the blue bricks beneath his feet.

His face was ashen, and a look of horror flashed in his cloudy old eyes—

He suddenly realized that Jiang Xingzhou had been setting a trap from the very beginning!

First, the "Bodhi tree" was used to lure the monks into the scheme, causing them to develop an obsession.

Furthermore, by using the concept of "non-Bodhi" to shatter the monks' attachments, Jiang Xingzhou was not actually propagating Buddhism at all...

He was—

Using Buddhism to refute Buddhism!

Using this "Confucian-Buddhist debate," we will grind them into dust!
What's even more frightening is that this young scholar did not actually practice Buddhism. He always identified himself as a Confucian disciple and never admitted to being a Buddhist.

But rather...

Jiang Xingzhou, however, possessed the realm of a grandmaster of Buddhism. His casually written Buddhist verse, "[Protecting the Nation]", shattered the Zen minds of the eminent monks at Baima Temple.
His casual guidance was closer to the true meaning of the Buddha than that of an old monk who had practiced asceticism for a hundred years!

Thousands of monks at Baima Temple prayed to Buddha, but in the end, they were not as enlightened as this young scholar who had achieved the highest level of Buddhist understanding.

How ridiculous!

How ironic! Abbot Huiri suddenly burst into a bitter laugh.

He gazed at the Bodhi leaves falling outside the White Horse Temple, and in a daze, he felt...

Each fallen leaf is like the thousand-year-old fame of the White Horse Temple—fading away.

What it achieved was the unparalleled prestige of Jiang Xingzhou, the young top scholar.

Since Jiang Xingzhou consistently refused to acknowledge his Buddhist identity, they dared not press him any further.

As for the outcome of the "Confucian-Buddhist debate"?!
Naturally, they dared not mention it again.

They've already encountered two major disagreements and unresolved doubts regarding the path of Buddhist practice; how dare they still provoke the Confucian school?!

If we anger Jiang Xingzhou and force him to use Confucianism to break Buddhist teachings, then the sky will truly fall!
"Abbot Huiri, it's time to make a decision!"

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his voice as clear as a spring striking a rock, yet each word carried the weight of a thousand pounds:

"Gradual cultivation and sudden enlightenment are the two supreme methods of Buddhism, and one must choose one."

Hesitation will only cloud your Zen mind.

Your levels of attainment have already reached a point where you are unaware of it—

Retreating again and again!

Inside the White Horse Temple, you could hear a pin drop.

Abbot Huiri's face was ashen, while the five chief elders had different expressions.

Influenced by Jiang Xingzhou's two Buddhist verses, their minds were in turmoil, and their Buddhist cultivation level plummeted by at least one major realm!

The thousands of monks looked at each other, their eyes filled with struggle and confusion.

The young novice monks were at a loss, and the wooden fish in their hands had quietly stopped playing at some point.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with frustration, bitterness, and confusion.

but,

The path of Buddhist practice must continue.

We can't just give up on our cultivation and let decades of hard work go to waste, can we?!

"This disciple believes..."

After pondering for a long time, the monk Shihuai suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper: "The gradual cultivation method of [daily diligent purification], reciting Buddhist scriptures by day and meditating on Zen principles by night, is more suitable for us Buddhist disciples!"
"This disciple is dull-witted and cannot learn the sudden enlightenment of 'originally there is nothing'!"

Despite being hailed by the abbot as a once-in-a-century genius of the White Horse Temple, he knew in his heart that he had achieved the "Wrathful Vajra" state through twenty years of arduous cultivation, countless days and nights of meditation, and far more hard work than ordinary novices.

Before the words were finished, a sharp shout suddenly rang out:
"absurd!"

A senior elder glared angrily, his robes fluttering even without wind:
"One moment of enlightenment, and you become a Buddha on the spot!"

Once you understand, you understand!

If you haven't understood, then you haven't understood!

Obsessed with "gradual cultivation," it's nothing but self-deception for those incapable of enlightenment!

In an instant, the monks of Baima Temple were on the verge of drawing their swords.

One side insists on daily ascetic practice, while the other advocates sudden enlightenment and Buddhahood.

This is by no means a simple matter of choosing a cultivation method, randomly selecting one of two!

Those who are born dull-witted cannot achieve sudden enlightenment. If they wish to practice Buddhism, the only way is through gradual cultivation.

Those who are naturally gifted and have high comprehension can achieve enlightenment quickly, surpassing others' ten years of arduous practice in a year. Naturally, they prefer the method of "sudden enlightenment" and belittle the method of "gradual cultivation."

Once a distinction is made, one faction of Buddhist disciples will inevitably surpass the other.

The two groups of monks naturally refused to yield to each other, and actually tore the thousand-year-old White Horse Temple into two camps!
Jiang Xingzhou, the instigator, simply stood quietly on the altar, seemingly unconcerned, a faint smile playing on his lips.

A commotion gradually rose in front of the White Horse Temple. The monks were arguing about which method of enlightenment, gradual enlightenment or sudden enlightenment, was superior. Their faces were red with anger, and their debate surged like waves.

"Gradual cultivation is the right path! Without daily accumulation, how can there be a foundation for sudden enlightenment?!"

"Absurd! The Buddha held up a flower, and Kasyapa smiled. How could he have needed ten years of arduous study?!"

They even started quoting classical texts and engaging in debate.

Abbot Huiri gazed at the chaos before him and sighed in despair.

Both of these teachings originated from Jiang Xingzhou. One of his works, "The Bodhi Verse," speaks of gradual cultivation, while the other, "The Non-Bodhi Verse," advocates sudden enlightenment.

Both works are works of national importance, containing extremely profound Buddhist principles, and should have brought about a great revitalization of Buddhism.

But now, it has instead brought the hidden danger of a split within Buddhism!
If we are not careful, not only will the thousand monks of the White Horse Temple suffer, but the entire Buddhist Zen sect of the Great Zhou Dynasty will face an unprecedented schism.

Moreover, regardless of which faction they split into, they all revered Jiang Xingzhou's national-protecting Buddhist verse as their own method of cultivation.

How ironic!
Abbot Huiri looked out of the hall. The sun was setting, and twilight was gradually painting the eaves of the White Horse Temple, just like the confusion that the Buddhist community was feeling at that moment.

He even felt a little regretful.
This allowed the chief disciple to find peace, thus igniting this debate on "Confucianism and Buddhism"!
Stealing the chicken is losing the rice!

"Grandmaster Jiang..."

Abbot Huiri took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply, his voice carrying a hint of pleading:
"It is getting late. We hope that the Grand Master will stay at the temple for a few more days."

This old monk and the other monks... indeed have many questions and need the guidance of the Great Master!

This internal dispute within Buddhism cannot be resolved in a short time!
At this point, he had no other competitive thoughts; he only wanted to resolve this internal conflict within Buddhism as soon as possible.

And the goal is to resolve this internal conflict within Buddhism!
Undoubtedly, they need to seek help from Jiang Xingzhou.

Perhaps only he can quell this Buddhist controversy that started because of him!
"Exactly!"

"Jiang Jieyuan, please stay for a few more days!"

A chorus of agreement suddenly arose outside the White Horse Temple.

Those officials, nobles, and ordinary people who had been standing by and watching quietly now stepped forward and surrounded Jiang Xingzhou, pleading with him.

Their eyes gleamed with a thirst for knowledge, and their sleeves swayed together, creating a gentle breeze in front of the hall.

"Although I am a Confucian scholar from the Imperial Academy!"
Today's teachings have been truly enlightening, like a sudden awakening. I hope Scholar Jiang will stay a few more days to offer further guidance!

"This debate over sudden enlightenment versus gradual cultivation—which is superior?! Only Jiang Jieyuan can resolve this confusion!"

The sound waves were like a tidal wave, making the White Horse Temple in the twilight tremble.

Jiang Xingzhou looked around and saw—

Numerous high-ranking officials and nobles bowed with their hands clasped, their brocade robes and jade belts gleaming in the setting sun;

More than 100,000 people looked on with burning eyes, their coarse clothes unable to conceal their thirst for knowledge;
The thousands of monks at Baima Temple stood with their heads bowed, respectful and obedient, their robes fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

"Very well, then I will stay at Baima Temple for a few days."

Jiang Xingzhou sighed helplessly and lightly brushed his sleeves.

Given the current situation, he can't just leave whenever he wants.

"Thank you, Grandmaster Jiang!"

Upon seeing this, Abbot Huiri hurriedly shouted at the novices, "Quickly go and prepare the best meditation room in 'Mingxin Pavilion'!"

"Yes!"

The young monks hurriedly ran about, startling a flock of grey starlings under the eaves.

The "Mingxin Pavilion" was the most luxurious and superior meditation room in Baima Temple. Over the past century, it had only hosted a few Buddhist masters and royal dignitaries who came to Baima Temple to seek Buddhist guidance.

Today, however, we are opening our doors to this young scholar who does not practice Buddhism, and providing him with lodging!

Inside the Seven Treasures Carriage.

The golden silk curtains swayed gently, and Nangong Wan'er slightly curled her jade fingers as she lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

The distant sound of the bell at Baima Temple in the twilight, the chanting of monks and the chirping of cicadas in the distance, all drifted away in the cold wind and light snow.

"My lord, shall we return to the palace?"

Meng Zhan stood with his hand on his sword, his black armor gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

The Imperial Guard captain's voice was very low, but it couldn't hide his anxiety—the palace gates were about to close, but the female official was still undecided whether to return to the palace immediately.

Nangong Wan'er paused, her fingertips pausing.

She gazed at the Mingxin Pavilion in the distance, its lights gradually illuminating, her lips slightly pursed.

Jiang Xingzhou's two Buddhist verses on "Protecting the Nation" were resounding and thought-provoking, yet they were contradictory to each other.

How is she supposed to report back?

If this is how you report to His Majesty...
"Tonight, I will stay at Mingxin Pavilion. Arrange for me to stay in the meditation room next to Jiang Jieyuan's!"

She suddenly closed the carriage curtain, and amidst the crisp sound of pearls clinking against the curtain, her tone had returned to its usual calm.

"Here!"

Meng Zhan's pupils contracted slightly, but he dared not say anything more, only responding in a deep voice.

One hundred Imperial Guards immediately formed ranks, their black armor reflecting the last rays of sunlight, and surged into the White Horse Temple like an iron torrent.

The wheel hub of the Seven Treasures Incense Wheel turned lightly, rolling over the scattered Bodhi leaves on the bluestone slab, and slowly headed towards the Mingxin Pavilion.
-
(End of this chapter)