redvbooks Chapter 2566 Zhunti's Request: To Re-establish the Mountain Gate
Chapter 2566 Zhunti's Request: To Re-establish the Mountain Gate
Chapter 2566 Zhunti's Request: To Re-establish the Mountain Gate
"Your Majesty is wise. I have come here today with a request that may be difficult for you. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully," Zhunti said solemnly, his hands clasped together.
"Oh?"
Wang Yu leaned back slightly, looking calmly at the eminent Buddhist monk, already having a vague idea in his mind. "Please speak frankly, Grand Preceptor."
Zhunti raised his eyelids, met Wang Yu's gaze, and slowly said, "This old monk has come today for the matter of Vajra Temple."
As expected, Wang Yu understood. Before the rise of Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chanyuan, Jingang Temple was the only top-tier Buddhist sect in the original Dacang region, with profound heritage and abundant temple property.
When the Vajra Temple was involved in the treason case, since the core leader had already fled, Wang Yu only confiscated the temple's property and dismissed the ordinary monks, without implicating anyone.
However, this ancient temple itself has become ownerless land, and even more so, a highly symbolic piece of fat meat.
Wang Yu did not believe that Zhunti had come to plead for the remaining monks; their fate had already been decided and was of little importance.
Therefore, what Zhunti was after could only be the Vajra Temple itself, or rather, its brand, its foundation, and its potential religious influence.
It seems that Mahayana Buddhism intends to take this opportunity to formally establish itself in the Han Dynasty, raise a distinctive banner, and create a top-tier sect that can rival any traditional Buddhist sect and is unique to "Han Mahayana Buddhism".
This is both necessary for the propagation of Buddhism and probably an important step in deepening the ties with the Han Dynasty.
“Kongo Temple…” Wang Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the smooth surface of the imperial desk, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"The case of the traitor has been closed, the temple has been sealed off, and the monks have dispersed. The Imperial Preceptor has mentioned this place; I wonder what his insightful opinion is?"
Zhunti's demeanor became even more respectful, yet he remained neither humble nor arrogant, saying, "Your Majesty, although some monks of Vajra Temple have made mistakes in the past, the temple is solemn and has a long history. It is the spiritual home of the local believers. It is truly a pity that the temple is now empty and the people have dispersed."
"Our Mahayana Buddhism, thanks to Your Majesty's great grace, has been able to return to the Central Plains and is gradually flourishing. However, there is still no place that can fully demonstrate the solemnity of the Dharma and attract students from all directions to the fundamental place of practice."
Zhunti paused, observed the emperor's expression, and then continued, "This old monk dares to humbly request Your Majesty's permission to grant the former site of the Vajra Temple and its associated farmland and forests to my Mahayana Buddhism, so that it may serve as the fundamental place for the propagation of the Dharma."
"Our Mahayana lineage will certainly uphold Your Majesty's teachings, strictly adhere to the precepts, guide people toward goodness, and build it into a pure place of practice that promotes Your Majesty's benevolence and protects the peace of the nation."
"The temple will hold extensive Dharma assemblies to pray for His Majesty and the Han Dynasty, and will also accept students from all directions to cultivate monks who are proficient in Buddhism and loyal to the court."
"This move will not only revitalize the abandoned temple and bring blessings to the local area, but also demonstrate His Majesty's inclusive and righteous spirit."
If Mahayana Buddhism wanted to establish a temple, Vajra Temple would be the best choice for Zhunti.
The temple where he now resides is merely a small temple built by the emperor for him alone; it could never serve as a main gate for accepting disciples.
Moreover, this small temple is right next to the palace, so it's impossible for it to be expanded.
As for the existing Cihang Daozhai and Jingnian Chanyuan, they have only recently become top-tier sects, possessing the title but not the substance. A sect doesn't just have one main gate; it also has various supporting farmland and assets. Otherwise, how could it support so many people?
Neither of these two schools became the foundation for the prestige of Mahayana Buddhism in the Han Dynasty.
To put it bluntly, these two sects are at best just high-end versions of first-class sects. Apart from their respective celestial masters, they are far behind the truly top-tier sects in every other aspect.
Mahayana Buddhism is indeed quite poor. If it were to take these two schools as its core, or to find a new location to completely establish a separate temple, Da Lei Yin Temple would not be able to support such a huge expenditure.
Left with no other choice, Zhunti set his sights on the existing Vajra Temple.
According to his understanding, although the senior members of the Vajra Temple had sold off a considerable portion of their assets before leaving, they could not sell that many in a short period of time.
The remaining ones, however, are still incomparable to the current Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Zen Temple.
Combining Jingnian Zen Temple and Jingang Temple into one can be considered as setting up a decent framework.
After all, if there isn't even a signboard that can serve as a symbol of the Mahayana Buddhism of the Han Dynasty, how can the sect be promoted and flourish?
After hearing this, Wang Yu looked thoughtful but did not answer immediately.
The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the smoke from the incense burner rising straight up.
Zhunti lowered his eyes and waited quietly. He knew that the emperor was weighing the options. This was not just a simple matter of bestowing a temple, but a formal recognition of Mahayana Buddhism as the state religion of the Han Dynasty.
This would cause the influence of Mahayana Buddhism to expand rapidly, but at the same time, it would also make it more deeply dependent on imperial power, becoming a powerful tool for the court to educate the people and stabilize the local areas.
For any religious sect, attaching itself to imperial power is the best approach. The decline of Buddhism and Taoism compared to Confucianism and Legalism in recent years is precisely because they have begun to break away from imperial power.
For the imperial court, if it wanted to support or suppress a religious sect, it might only require a single decree.
After a moment, Wang Yu suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence: "The Grand Preceptor has quite a plan. He wants to lay the foundation for the Mahayana Buddhist sect's lasting legacy with a thousand-year-old temple, along with its accumulated reputation and resources?"
Zhunti remained calm and put his palms together, saying, "I dare not say that I am calculating. It is true that the return of Buddhism to the Central Plains requires a foundation, and Your Majesty's holy virtue needs to be demonstrated. This is a mutually beneficial matter."
"Our Mahayana lineage hereby makes the following vow: His Majesty's longevity tablet shall be enshrined in the temple forever; when preaching or expounding the Dharma, His Majesty's merits shall be praised first; after maintaining the temple, the temple's income shall be used to pay taxes as usual; and a special fund shall be allocated each year for local charity and to support the court's charitable undertakings. The ordination certificates of monks and the temple's rules and regulations shall all be submitted to the relevant officials of the court for approval."
Zhunti has made further commitments and accepted supervision. It must be said that, as the highest-ranking martial artist involved, Zhunti still maintains a very humble attitude and offers very generous terms.
Wang Yu slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the open square outside the hall and the distant palace eaves.
He truly didn't care who got the Vajra Temple; it was just a temple, no matter how famous it was, it was still an inanimate object. What mattered was who used it and what they used it for.
His cooperation with Mahayana Buddhism had been relatively pleasant, and its doctrines were conducive to appeasing the people, promoting order, and most importantly, helping him maintain his rule.
Exchanging a cleaned-up "old shell" for a more powerful, more obedient new tool that is deeply tied to one's own interests is not a bad deal.