Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 218 The Holy Flame Shines Brightly, the Holy Light Dazzles
The next morning, the morning bell of Tianqing Temple echoed through the thin mist.

After having a simple vegetarian meal in the dining hall, Lu Beigu pondered the letter of recommendation Zhang Fangping had written to Ouyang Xiu, clutching his heart.

"Although I have a letter of recommendation, Ouyang Xiu is of high rank and great reputation, and is also in charge of compiling the New Book of Tang. He is very busy with official duties. If I, an unknown person, were to rashly bring a letter to his door, even if the doorman announces my arrival, I would probably not be able to see him. It would only seem presumptuous."

"Moreover, although I was introduced to the Qingsong Society by Zen Master Zuyin, I have never met Ouyang Xiu in person, and our relationship is still shallow. It would be safer to have someone I know introduce me."

Zeng Gong's face immediately came to mind.

Zeng Gong was a favorite student of Ouyang Xiu, and they had a close relationship. It would be most appropriate for him to introduce them.

Having made up his mind, Lu Beigu no longer hesitated.

He carefully put away the letter of recommendation and used the morning to prepare to go to Taiping Xingguo Temple to find Zeng Gong.

He was out of breath after walking five or six kilometers yesterday, which made him feel deeply ashamed.

In this day and age, with limited medical resources, it's even more important to strengthen physical exercise to boost immunity and live longer.

So Lu Beigu decided to walk there today, and take the opportunity to exercise his cardiovascular endurance.

As we left Tianqing Temple, the early autumn sun had already dispelled some of the chill.

He discerned the direction and followed the path he had taken the day before, heading west and then north, into the inner city.

After entering the Vermilion Bird Gate and crossing the "Zhou Bridge" over the Bian River, the inner city was filled with official sedan chairs and carriages, and clerks and officials hurried through the streets, while there were relatively few ordinary people.

However, after crossing Xingguo Temple Bridge to the west, the atmosphere changed again.

The religious atmosphere around was noticeably stronger. In the southwest corner of the inner city, there was a cluster of various temples, monasteries, and shrines. To the north of this area was the area where Lu Beigu had visited the Censorate, Kaifeng Prefecture, and the Secretariat yesterday.

In addition to the usual smells of cooking smoke, incense, and animal manure, there was also a faint, unfamiliar, and slightly spicy aroma in the air.

Lu Beigu twitched his nose, drawn to a building in front of him that was quite different from Buddhist and Taoist temples; that was the source of the smell.

The building is located on the north bank of the Bian River, which runs diagonally through the southern part of the inner city. It is not large in scale, but its shape is unique.

The gate and walls are not high, but they are not the vermilion or gray-blue colors commonly seen in the Central Plains. Instead, they are built with ochre-colored bricks and stones, giving them a simple and dignified appearance.

The most eye-catching feature is the huge, simple yet powerful relief pattern above the lintel, which is a blazing flame!

The flames are not realistically depicted, but rather composed of abstract, ascending lines, exuding a primal and intense sense of mystery.

Above the door hangs a black plaque with gold lettering, bearing two simple and ancient characters.

— "Zoroastrian temple".

A stone tablet stands to the side of the gate, inscribed with the words "Built by Imperial Decree," indicating that it was backed by the imperial court.

"A Zoroastrian temple?" Lu Beigu's heart stirred.

He had read through some miscellaneous notes and learned that the word "祆" refers to Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion from Persia, also known as the fire worship religion. Its believers regard fire as a symbol of supreme light, and it is also the prototype of the Ming Cult in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

Unexpectedly, there are Zoroastrian temples in Tokyo.

The temple door was half open, and some kind of ritual seemed to be taking place inside.

Unlike the melodious chanting of Buddhist temples or the serene silence of Taoist monasteries, a unique, slightly high-pitched chanting sound emanated from inside the door, accompanied by a crisp metallic percussion. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Lu Beigu slowed his pace, pretending to pass by, and glanced inside.

In the center of the temple, there was indeed a square stone altar with flames rising and leaping endlessly, becoming the absolute focus of the entire space.

Before the altar, an elderly man dressed in a plain white robe and wearing a peculiar tall hat was raising his hands and devoutly chanting ancient prayers in front of the sacred fire, his voice carrying a sense of vicissitude that transcends time.

“Zur Humbarsam Branch”.

He vaguely caught some syllables that appeared repeatedly in the prayer, but he couldn't quite understand them.

Lu Beigu couldn't help but think, "It's not as easy to understand as 'The holy fire shines brightly, the holy light is dazzling, all my disciples, meow meow meow meow.' If Zoroastrianism doesn't adapt to local customs like Buddhism, it will probably be difficult to spread widely."

Before the elderly man in a plain white robe, there were several assistants in white robes, holding uniquely shaped bells and vajras, which they gently shook and struck in rhythm with the prayers, producing clear and melodious sounds.

A few believers stood scattered around the courtyard.

The men mostly wore headscarves, while the women wore brightly colored saris, their expressions solemn, their hands folded in front of their chests, their eyes closely following the priest's movements and the leaping sacred fire.

Many of them were Han Chinese, but some had deep-set features and high noses, clearly showing characteristics of people from the Western Regions.

One of them looked somewhat familiar from the side and behind, but Lu Beigu couldn't recall when he had seen him before.

A solemn and slightly melancholic atmosphere filled the air, creating a striking contrast with their brightly colored clothing.

The flames danced on the devout faces of the believers and reflected on the walls of the exotic temple, which seemed to be painted with murals depicting the struggle between light and darkness, and between good and evil gods.

This scene is full of exotic charm and mystery.

Due to their positions, almost everyone in the temple was facing away from Lu Beigu, except for the old man in the plain white robe who was facing the temple gate.

Noticing the gaze cast towards him by the old man in the plain white robe, Lu Beigu, who was passing by, did not linger and quickened his pace to leave.

"A gathering place for all nations, indeed living up to its reputation." He sighed inwardly, "Even religions from the far west can find a place in Kaifeng, with temples built by imperial decree and incense burning continuously."

This gave him a more direct understanding of Kaifeng's inclusive and open-minded spirit.

After passing through this place, we didn't go far before arriving at Taiping Xingguo Temple.

This temple was renamed Longxing Temple in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era of Emperor Taizong of Song. The temple had a translation institute, which specially invited many eminent monks to translate scriptures. Later, a printing institute was established to print scriptures. Japanese monks studying in Japan during the Heian period often visited this temple.

Of course, the Song Dynasty had more than just this one Taiping Xingguo Temple. The emperor was very generous; in the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era, he bestowed the name "Taiping Xingguo" upon dozens of nameless temples throughout the country. As a result, there were temples with the same name in various places, but the one in Kaifeng was the most famous.

This temple is large in scale and has a thriving incense offering, much more lively than the tranquil Tianqing Temple. The temple has many halls and a large number of monks, and pilgrims come to worship in an endless stream.

Lu Beigu inquired with the monk in charge of the guest about the whereabouts of Zeng Gong and his brothers.

Zeng Gong is quite famous here, or rather, he was already famous in Kaifeng twenty years ago.

Therefore, the monk in charge of receiving guests was not surprised when a literary friend came to visit Zeng Gong. He quickly led him to a relatively secluded monks' quarters deep inside the temple and said, "The Zeng family members are staying here temporarily."

Lu Beigu gently knocked on the door and spoke.

"Brother Zigu, Lu Beigu has come to visit."

(End of this chapter)