Traveling through the early Tang Dynasty starts with hanging

Chapter 8 Stir the Mind
The snow is clear at the beginning of the day, and the mountains are still white.

A group of visitors walked along the mountain road with squeaky clogs to see the scenery. Occasionally, naughty squirrels flew back and forth in the forest, causing the snow to fall from the pine trees, which was very interesting.

"Although Dongshan Temple is a small temple with no famous monks, it has been established for 200 years. Unexpectedly, today..."

Hearing these words, a young monk walking in the middle looked down at his feet. This is a mountain road paved with cobblestones, apparently newly built.

After turning two turns, you can see the wide-open temple gate halfway up the mountain.

There were no ignorant monks, and a group of people kept their identities and went straight in. When they walked around, they saw three or two monks clearing the snow.

"Where is the honored guest?"

Childish questions sounded behind everyone, the young monk turned his head to look, and a little novice looked over curiously with his head tilted.

"Poor monk Xuanzang, come to pay a visit to the abbot of your monastery." The monk knelt down and said with a gentle smile, "Would you like to take me there?"

The little novice nodded after thinking for a while, and trotted ahead, leading everyone to a courtyard.

"Wrong, wrong!"

"It is rumored that the temple will be abolished and the four-year tax payment will be made. It is just nonsense."

There was a clear voice in the courtyard, "It should be that someone can release the news that they will be forced to pay taxes for four years, and the reduction will be made after the temple is abolished. In this way, the resentment will be greatly reduced."

"Although it is a bit insidious, it is not an ordinary method to observe people's hearts carefully."

Everyone outside looked at each other, some frowned, some lowered their heads, some smiled, and finally a middle-aged man coughed loudly with a sullen face.

"Squeak."

The young monk opened the door and saluted in surprise, "Everyone is..."

"The poor monk Xuanzang is entrusted to pay a visit to your monastery." Xuanzang's gaze fell on the young man who was ten steps away involuntarily.

This is an incomparably handsome young man. Although he is dressed in a cloth robe, he has a tall and straight figure, a high nose bridge, and flying temples. There is still snow around him, and the chill is not diminished. However, the young man is polite and smiles like spring, Gentle as jade.

"I disturbed everyone by talking nonsense for a while, and I am here to apologize." Li Shan bowed neither humble nor overbearing.

"Who are you?" A young man came out with a smile, "The method is cunning, the method is cunning, although the words are good, but they have already offended people."

Everyone behind the young man looked strange, and the middle-aged man even elongated his face.

"Li Shan, a boy, came to Chang'an to visit his relatives a few months ago, but he was turned away." Li Shan's smile remained unchanged, "He hanged himself in a panic, and the elders sent the boy here, hoping to use Buddhism to resolve the poison of anger."

Xuanzang clasped his palms together and saluted, "What is anger?"

"It is the nature to harm sentient beings and pleasure." Li Shan sighed, "The three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance harm the body and mind, and sink into samsara, which is the root of evil."

Xuanzang was silent for a moment before softly saying: "Please see the host."

Li Shan led the way without changing his face, but he was cursing in his heart, he didn't notify in advance when he came to inspect... What I hated most in the previous life was the superior's surprise inspection.

Across the front courtyard, Xuanzang, the young man and the dark-faced middle-aged man followed Li Shan into the small hall.

The young man inadvertently looked up and saw a picture hanging on the wall, stopped and said: "The body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is a mirror stand. Always wipe it diligently, so as not to be stained with dust."

After only one glance, Xuanzang withdrew his gaze and looked at Li Shan, "Administrator to practice in the house?"

"Yes."

"Please lead the way."

After walking more than ten steps forward, the middle-aged man was surprised to see another picture hanging on the wall, "There is no bodhi tree, and the mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, where is the dust."

The young man frowned and pondered, sighed softly, "Brother Keming, these two verses are very Zen-like."

While pushing the door and going in to report, Li Shan glanced out of the corner of his eye... Uh, this trick is completely useless against Xuanzang, this guy didn't even move his eyelids!

The two people in the outside room had some insights, but Xuanzang went straight in and saw a withered old monk sitting cross-legged. He saluted and said, "Xuanzang, a poor monk, is a monk at the Jingtu Temple in Luoyang. He didn't ask for the name of the abbot."

The old monk nodded, but turned to look at Li Shan.

"The name of the master is Wuchao." Li Shan said in a low voice: "The Zen master settled in Dongshan Temple many years ago. Since then, he has practiced closed-mouth meditation, and he has not spoken for ten years."

Xuanzang, who had always looked calm, was stunned for a moment. How can he talk about Buddhism when he practices closed-mouth meditation?
Regardless of Buddhism, how to check?
How to know whether this temple should be abolished?
As a disciple of Buddhism, Xuanzang was naturally dissatisfied with the sage's order to abolish the temples, but he encountered this problem when he chose the first one...

Xuanzang was silent for a moment, "Reduce oral karma, eliminate crimes and avoid disasters, often display wooden signs forbidding speech, and never hear of silence for ten years."

"The mouth is the door of the heart." Li Shan said softly: "When the mouth is closed, all sounds will prevail; when the heart sinks, everything is lovely."

Seeing Xuanzang lost in thought, Li Shan handed over the two booklets he had prepared, "This is written by the Zen master many years ago, and there are still scriptures copied."

Xuanzang opened it for a few glances, and suddenly his expression changed, "Is this the "Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra"?"

"Why is it different from the translations of Kumarajiva and Dharma Gupta?"

Li Shan breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and it really worked.

"The "Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra" is also quite different from Kumarajiva's translation..."

"Zen Master, where did these scriptures come from?"

Before entering the house, Xuanzang did not say that he was cold as ice, but he also showed indifference to others, but now he was burning with anxiety, his face was flushed... Hey, Buddhists.

Under Xuanzang's frenzied gaze, Zen Master Wuchao showed a gratified look on his skinny old face, he raised his hand slightly, and stretched out his index finger, a little faintly.

"Zen master, what does this mean?"

Xuanzang was taken aback for a moment, and when he asked again, Zen Master Wuchao had already closed his eyes.

"Young Master Li, what does Zen Master mean?"

Li Shan blinked, thought for a while and shook his head, wondering if Tang Sanzang was stupid, isn't this obvious?

You have to pay for a pair of shoes, and want to know the origin of scriptures without paying anything?

When the helpless Xuanzang walked out of the room, the two people outside were a little surprised. Although the monk in front of him was young, he was recommended by ten virtues. He had a good reputation in the Buddhist world and was very knowledgeable. gaffe.

"Zen Master, how is it?" The young man couldn't help asking.

Xuanzang nodded first, then shook his head, stretched out his index finger and pointed in the air, suddenly thinking, "This is Nan..."

"Oh, I was in the house just now, that's Xi!" Li Shan quickly knocked the nail down, "Xi refers to..."

"It's Tianzhu!" Xuanzang was in high spirits, "It must be the scriptures from Tianzhu!"

Well, it's your guess, it's none of our business.

Next, Li Shan accompanied Xuanzang all the way to the foot of the mountain, but did not hear any hint from the other party.

Looking at the back of the carriage leaving, Li Shanxin wondered whether today's performance was a success or a failure?
Xuanzang must have set off to the west during the Zhenguan period, and now he is only four years old in Wude. Logically speaking, he should be very interested in the scriptures from Tianzhu... Li Shan couldn't help guessing, could it be that the monk already had a western history? The heart to ask for sutras?
Since the first set of plans failed to solve the problem, we had to use the alternative plan. Li Shan beckoned to Zhu Ba, "Are you ready?"

"It has been prepared a long time ago, and people have already followed up. At night, we will know where the monk is staying."

(End of this chapter)