Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 307 Zhang Zai's Invitation

"There's no time to rest! My mind and energy are completely exhausted by this verbal sparring!"

As he spoke, Zhang Zai stuck out his tongue, and a large blister appeared on it.

"Have some tea to cool down."

Shen Kuo took a pot from the side and brewed tea for them, not by adding tea leaves, but by steeping the tea leaves directly.

Looking at what he poured out of the jar, he called it "tea," but it wasn't any real tea leaves at all; it was more like dried wild chrysanthemums or something similar.

Hot water poured over it with a "sizzling" sound, and soon a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Lu Beigu took the teacup from Shen Kuo and asked curiously, "Is it because of the hot air balloon? On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, the banks of the Jinshui River were the focus of everyone's attention, and the rising aura was clearly visible. Wasn't that enough to silence those who had doubts?"

"Speechless?" Zhang Zai gave a wry smile. "You've underestimated those Buddhists. If they didn't have some talent for debating cause and effect, how could they come out and debate scriptures with others?"

Zhang Zai sat cross-legged on the bed and accepted the teacup that Shen Kuo handed him, but he had no interest in drinking it.

"I believe that the rise of the hot air balloon is ironclad proof of 'the void is qi' and 'the pure rises and the turbid descends'! Qi is not a figment of imagination, but a force that can be felt and verified, filling the heavens and earth and giving birth to all things. In fact, after this news spread, many people were amazed, and many scholars were excited, thinking that our Confucian school now had solid evidence to rival the Buddhist and Taoist theories of 'emptiness' and 'nothingness'."

Zhang Zai's tone first brightened, then became somewhat somber: "However, during the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, the Buddhist community held a sutra lecture at Minxian Temple. A friend brought the news, and several scholars relayed it as well. Master Mingjiao has already responded to this."

Lu Beigu and Shen Kuo listened intently.

The Mingjiao Master said: "Ingenious skills and ingenuity are truly admirable. However, the ascent of this object depends on the craftsman's skill, the materials used, the firing temperature, and the wind conditions. When all these conditions come together, the ascent temporarily appears; when the conditions disperse, it returns to stillness, which perfectly aligns with the profound Buddhist principle of dependent origination and emptiness."

Zhang Zai's imitation of tone and expression was quite convincing, leaving Lu Beigu both amused and exasperated.

This Ming Cult master is truly remarkable; he might even be able to produce a relic after his death.

Zhang Zai paused, full of helplessness: "Listen to this, he doesn't even argue with you about the existence or non-existence of that 'qi'! He only says that everything is 'condition,' and ascending into the sky is the 'appearance' of the convergence of conditions, but its essence is still 'emptiness'! What he means is that the 'qi' we see and the path we realize, even if they change in a thousand ways, still haven't touched the original emptiness that has no self-nature and no substance. In fact, Master Huitong even said that we are 'clinging to appearances and being ignorant of nature,' abandoning the fundamental and pursuing the trivial!"

Shen Kuo frowned deeply upon hearing this: "This...isn't this just sophistry? The hot air balloon clearly takes off with real heat, so how can it be dismissed with a simple phrase like 'dependent origination and emptiness'? Does this mean that everything we see and touch is an illusion?"

“That is precisely why this logic is so difficult to grasp!” Zhang Zai exclaimed. “Buddhists say that all phenomena are manifestations of consciousness, and everything is a product of the mind. But we Confucian scholars seek to investigate things to acquire knowledge, to cultivate sincerity and rectify the mind, and to build a better life for the people! If all things in the world are reduced to empty and illusory consciousness, then where do human relations, daily life, rites and laws, and even this glorious world stand? Are they all just reflections in a mirror or the moon in the water?”

He turned to Lu Beigu: "Brother Lu, you are always quick-witted. Tell me, how should I refute the Ming Cult Master's response this time? His theory of 'dependent origination and emptiness' is like an array of nothingness. Even though I have the hot air balloon as a powerful tool for proof, it seems I have nowhere to apply it!"

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

Shen Kuo also looked at Lu Beigu, awaiting his insights. The compelling evidence of the hot air balloon's successful ascent seemed to serve little purpose in the face of this complex and profound philosophical debate.

Empirical evidence versus psychology, matter versus nothingness—two completely different worldviews collided silently.

"I am preoccupied with fame and fortune, and my mind is quite chaotic at the moment, so I cannot answer this question immediately."

Lu Beigu scratched the stubble on his chin, then held up his teacup and said honestly, "Give me some time to think. Actually, refuting it isn't difficult. The main difficulty is how to convince the other party, or rather, persuade the majority of people."

"I see."

Zhang Zai nodded. He had been thinking about the question for a long time but hadn't been able to figure it out, so he didn't really expect Lu Beigu to answer him immediately.

He paused, his fingers tracing the rough rim of the teacup, and said, "However, the meeting with the Ming Cult Master the day after tomorrow is scheduled for Minxian Temple, and I am not entirely confident about it."

He looked at Lu Beigu earnestly and said, “Brother Lu, your previous theory of ‘contradiction’ helped me glimpse the mechanism of Qi transformation and circulation. Your insights are unique and often reveal what others have not. The debate in the future is not only for Zhang Zai’s personal reputation, but also for whether the path we seek can stand firm and be heard in this trend of the integration of Buddhism and Confucianism. Therefore, I would like to ask you to come with me to Minxian Temple. I do not want you to go on stage to debate, but I hope that you will be there. If I have any shortcomings in my thinking or awkward words, you may be able to give me some pointers, which will at least put my mind at ease.”

Zhang Zai's words revealed a rare hesitation. This founder of the Guan School, who aspired to "continue the lost learning of the past sages" according to the four sentences of Hengqu, and one of the Five Masters of the Northern Song Dynasty, also showed bewilderment as he was about to face a public debate with a high-ranking Buddhist monk of the Chan School.

After all, at this time, Neo-Confucianism was not even a seedling; it was a weak doctrine with very little voice in the intellectual world.

Looking at the anxiety in Zhang Zai's eyes, Lu Beigu knew the significance of this debate for Zhang Zai, and even for the direction of Confucianism that he wanted to guide.

In order to develop science, we must have a materialistic worldview and a new theory that emphasizes empirical evidence and phenomena.

Only in this way can we prevent scholars from engaging in empty talk about morality or from becoming bogged down in the rigid social norms and etiquette.

Establishing and promoting the methodology of "investigating things to acquire knowledge" is undoubtedly the most important prerequisite.

Therefore, Lu Beigu did not refuse at all, and solemnly nodded, saying, "Brother Zihou, why be so formal? It is already an honor to be able to attend this grand gathering and listen to your insightful discussions. As for your knowledge, Qi Song's words are 'unsubstantiated,' but we have the 'hot air balloon' to testify to it, and we have our own explanation. I am willing to accompany you to the meeting the day after tomorrow. Although I am not very talented and may not be of any help, I will certainly listen attentively and think and discuss with you."

Hearing Lu Beigu say this, Zhang Zai's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded vigorously: "Good! With your words, I am at ease!"

He then turned to Shen Kuo and said, "If you have some free time the day after tomorrow, you might as well go and take a look with me."

Shen Kuo, whose eyes were already gleaming with anticipation, was not about to miss such a spectacle. He immediately replied, "Of course I'll go! Such a grand event is a perfect opportunity to witness the eloquence of the Ming Cult Master and to see the profound arguments of Brother Zihou on the theory of Qi!"

Inside the bedroom, the three of them sat around the fireplace, discussing the issues that might be the subject of debate the following day, all while the embers of the fire flickered in the air.

(End of this chapter)