Wangji Temple!
Mo Ji Temple was the place where Master Hui Yuan stayed. It had been cleaned up long ago and was spotless. Shaolin was the ancestral court of Zen Buddhism, and Master Hui Yuan's reputation.
News of his arrival in Chang 'an had already spread among the Buddhist temples in Chang' an. Many monks came to visit him, and the usually deserted Wangji Temple was suddenly filled with eminent monks.
"It is a blessing for Buddhism that Master Hui Yuan is here!" Abbot Huichang said with a sigh of relief.
Master Fa Lin was also lucky. "It's said that Fu Yi and the Mo family's son are so eloquent that they almost convinced His Majesty. If it wasn't for the news of Master's arrival, I'm afraid Buddhism would have already met with disaster."
There were many officials in the imperial court who were inclined to Buddhism. Mo Jiazi's plan to save Buddhism naturally reached their ears. If not for Master Hui Yuan's timely arrival, it would have been too late if Li Shimin had issued a decree to restrict Buddhism.
"That's right. Mo Jiazi's plan to save Buddhism is extremely sinister. If His Majesty really accepts it, Buddhism will never have a chance to rise again," Abbot Tongren said angrily.
"A plan to save Buddhism!" Master Hui Yuan said in shock. He had only heard Bian Ji say that Mo Jiazi had repeatedly attacked Buddhism. How did it suddenly become Mo Jiazi's plan to save Buddhism?
Abbot Tongren sneered, "The son of Mohism is so arrogant, boasting shamelessly that Buddhism will experience the third and fourth annihilation of Buddhism. He actually wants Buddhism to destroy its own future and control the number of monks and nuns in Buddhist temples. He really thinks that he is a living Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering."
"A third and fourth annihilation!" Master Hui Yuan's heart ached. He had personally experienced the annihilation of Buddhism by Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. Naturally, he knew about the dark days of Buddhism. When he heard that Buddhism was about to face a third and fourth annihilation, he couldn't help but ask.
"This is just Mo Jiazi's nonsense. Master Hui Yuan, you don't have to take it seriously!" Abbot Tongren waved his hand.
"It doesn't matter if it's true or false. If it's false, I will naturally refute it in front of His Majesty. If it's true, perhaps it can help Buddhism survive this calamity." Master Hui Yuan said firmly. Mo Jiazi's name had both praise and criticism in the Tang dynasty, but he had to admit that Mo Jiazi did indeed have a unique vision. Not only did he guide the recovery of the School of Mo, but he also led the rise of the School of Medicine and solved the internal problems of Taoism. How could he take it lightly?
Abbot Tongren could not help but stare blankly. Finally, he reluctantly recalled the drawbacks of Buddhism that Mo Jiazi had speculated in the imperial court, as well as the three strategies to save Buddhism.
"What a joke. Buddhists deliver all living beings from torment. Being able to convert criminals is a result of the sincerity of Buddhism. Mo Jiazi is overstepping his boundaries."
"That's right. He even used the method of gilding to replace the method of gilding. Gilding the Buddha shows his devotion to the Buddha. Isn't a thin layer of gilding a great disrespect to the Buddha?"
"He also let all the monks know Sanskrit and write Buddhist scriptures. How many people in the world are literate? The Hundred Schools of Thought have almost taken all the talents. How many can be left for Buddhism?"
…
When the monks heard this, they spoke one after another, denouncing Mo Jiazi's strategy to save Buddhism as worthless.
The monks discussed spiritedly, but Great Master Hui Yuan remained silent. He did not say a word, but the words of the Mohist Son lingered in his ears.
"Today's Buddhism is just walking the same old path. In less than two hundred years, the Buddhist temple will definitely reproduce the drawbacks of the Second Martial Extermination. The third Martial Extermination is just around the corner."
"It is the unrestrained expansion of Buddhism that is the reason for the two calamities of Buddhism."
…
The monks discussed animatedly, but soon found that Master Hui Yuan was silent and had fallen into an epiphany. They could not help but awkwardly shut their mouths.
After a long time, Master Hui Yuan raised his head and looked at Abbot Huichang, who was the oldest, and asked, "Abbot Huichang, you are the oldest and have experienced the Martial Extermination Tribulation sixty years ago. This old monk would like to ask, is the Buddhism of sixty years ago and today's Buddhism walking the same path?"
When Abbot Huichang heard this, a trace of pain appeared on his face as he fell into reminiscence. The Martial Extermination Tribulation sixty years ago was a pain that all Buddhists could not reach.
After a while, Abbot Huichang lowered his head and cried. He put his palms together and said, "The path of Buddhism today is no different from the path of Buddhism sixty years ago. However, that was not the fault of Buddhism. It was the Martial Emperor who was cruel and blasphemed Buddhism. The Martial Emperor died suddenly and received the punishment he deserved."
"Yes, the current Emperor is wise. He will definitely not walk the path of the Martial Emperor again."
The monks said firmly in unison. No one admitted that this was the fault of Buddhism.
Bian Ji took the opportunity to say, "The Shaolin Temple has done His Majesty a favor. Now that Master Hui Yuan has personally stepped forward, our Buddhism will definitely be able to survive this crisis."
Master Hui Yuan looked up to the sky and sighed, "Back then, this old monk was still young. I personally saw the Northern Zhou soldiers toppling the Shaolin Temple's Buddha statue and plundering it. Many of my Senior Brothers and Martial Uncles returned to the secular world. If I could save Buddhism, this old monk would be duty-bound even if my bones were crushed. However, this time, this old monk does not know whether I have saved Buddhism or harmed it."
The monks did not dare to look at Master Hui Yuan. Only Master Fa Lin was deep in thought. However, when she saw the monks pretending not to understand, she could not help but lower her head and sigh. The monks were immersed in the joy of Buddhism surviving this crisis. Mo Jiazi's words were reasonable, but how could they be willing to give up the benefits in their hands?
At this moment, a Buddhist monk from Wangji Temple ran in and handed Master Hui Chang an envelope. When Master Hui Chang opened it, his expression changed and he stood up.
"Did something happen?" Master Fa Lin asked.
Master Hui Chang's expression was ugly as he said, "There is news from the imperial court. The imperial envoy has been decided. Tomorrow, he will discuss Buddhism with Master Hui Yuan!"
"Imperial envoy? Is he from the Ministry of Rites? " Master Hui Yuan said loudly. The imperial court was not without an organization to manage religion. The Ministry of Rites had a specialized organization to manage Buddhism and Daoism.
"No, the new imperial envoy is … Mo Jiazi!" Master Hui Chang said with a serious expression.
"Mo Jiazi is the imperial envoy?" For a moment, the monks could not help but be in an uproar. In the past few days, Buddhism had been abuzz. Mo Jiazi was a staunch anti-Buddhist. However, now that the imperial court had personally appointed Mo Jiazi as an imperial envoy, wouldn't Buddhism be in danger?
The monks could not help but look at Master Hui Yuan. Wasn't it said that Shaolin Temple had once done Li Shimin a great favor, and Master Hui Yuan had also given Shaolin Temple a priceless treasure, adding another bargaining chip on top of this favor? It could be said that the situation was as stable as Mount Tai. Why would there be a sudden reversal at this time?
Soon, news came from the imperial court. After Master Hui Yuan left the palace, Li Shimin had specially summoned Mo Jiazi. An hour later, Li Shimin suddenly appointed Mo Jiazi as an imperial envoy with full authority to handle Buddhism.
"His Majesty personally summoned Mo Jiazi. It must be to ask Mo Jiazi to give up on targeting Buddhism," Master Fa Lin said with certainty.
The monks nodded. However, the problem was that in the hour that Mo Jiazi and Li Shimin had been together, what had Mo Jiazi done that surpassed Shaolin Temple's saving grace to Li Shimin, not to mention the two priceless treasures of Shaolin Temple?
"Mo Jiazi!"
The monks could not help but silently call out in their hearts. The importance they attached to Mo Jiazi in their hearts suddenly rose to the extreme. Tomorrow would be the final battle that would determine the fate of Buddhism.
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