Reincarnation of the Heavens: Starting from Hong Kong Comprehensive

Chapter 345 What I Learned on the Land Official's Pardon Day Continued 【Daily】

The biggest event in the world is——

holiday.

There are three festivals that are closely related to Buddhism and have developed from inside the temple to outside the temple. In Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty, they have almost reached the point of universal participation. They are the Buddha's Birthday Festival on the eighth day of April, the Bon Festival on the fifteenth day of July, and the Bon Festival in early December. The Festival of the Enlightenment of the Eight Buddhas is also the so-called Laba Festival.

However, the one with the most Chinese characteristics should be July [-]th, which is called the Zhongyuan Festival in the secular world and the Day of Pardon of Sins by the Local Officials in Taoism.

As early as the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Taoist Palace had already enshrined Emperor Ziwei, the Heavenly Official, Qingxu the Earthly Official, and Dongyin the Shuiguan, and the fifteenth day of July was officially designated as the solar term.

As a foreign sect, Buddhism has no relevant explanation at all. In order to be able to spread the word, it immediately followed the trend and copied the connotation of Taoism——

Pray for blessings and forgiveness of sins for deceased relatives, prepare offerings to feed the evil ghosts in the underworld, and save the souls of ancestors from suffering. At the same time, they also tell their ancestors what the harvest is this year and how many people have been added to the family.

Since monks often give small favors to the people and continuously develop followers, Taoists take the upper-level route, with high thresholds and emphasis on fate and so on.

Therefore, on this day, various Taoist temples are relatively pure, such as setting up fasting rituals to express respect to Emperor Qingxu, and drinking a cup of tea with devotees.

The Buddhist temple was so busy that even the novice monks had no time to relax and had to accompany the master to welcome guests outside.

To be honest, Meng Fan was still curious about what this outsider from the Buddhist family would do. A ray of spirit flew up to the sky and looked down. He saw many piles of tributes, such as banners, flowers, lamps, clothes, fruits, snacks, vegetarian dishes, etc., all of them Put them into large pots.

After all, it is called Obon Festival, and it is indeed a basin. As for Obon, a word that is very different from Han culture, it is an imported product. In the words of the Republic of China, it is: a foreign thing.

In the past, when I was chatting with Master Yuantong in Hong Kong Island World, I talked about a transliterated word that was formed around the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Its original meaning is to hang upside down, referring to the painful feeling of ghosts suffering in the underworld.

[On the [-]th day of the seventh month, rice with all kinds of flavors and five kinds of fruits, a basin for drinking water, sesame oil, ingots and candles, and bedclothes and bedding, which are the most delicious in the world, are placed in the basins as offerings to the great virtuous monks of the ten directions]

In other words, put your best things, not just food and drink, but candles, sesame oils, and even clothes and bedding, in a basin, and send them to the temple for the monks to enjoy.

If you do this, your ancestors who are suffering in hell due to their sins during their lifetimes will be able to transcend.

Hmm... It always feels like cheating to eat and drink, but in a world where immortals and Buddhas exist, monks should be paid to do things. At least in the temple in front of Meng Fan, the Dharma Eye did see the phantom of the Buddha. Enjoy the incense.

"Tomorrow, various temples in Chang'an will arrange secular lectures. I thought it was quite interesting before, but now I feel it's nothing." Li Lingyue said seriously.

"If it leads people to do good, it doesn't matter if they listen to it."

Meng Fan replied.

Someone from the Taishi Bureau mentioned this matter. The Louguan Taoist fellow practitioner’s disgust for Buddhism was simply undisguised. He described it like this -

Taking advantage of the stolen solar terms, the thieves all became fat. The next day, they straightened up their appearance, put on robes, gathered in the garden in front of their temple, and began to perform a monkey show: Mulian Lian saves his mother.

"I remember that there is a temple not far away. There is also a secular lecture today. Sir, do you want to go in and have a look?"

Shangguan Wan'er asked curiously.

Since I purposely changed out of my Taoist robes before going out, and I didn't practice the Black Law of Fengdu, there weren't many restrictions. Don't be stupid and insist on deceiving your master and destroying your ancestors to join.

"Then let's go and see it."

After thinking for a moment, Meng Fan answered.

In fact, he is not the kind of Taoist priest who likes to be beaten to death with a stick, and some eminent monks are indeed worthy of respect.

As for the reason why Buddhism was repeatedly destroyed in history, Taoist Meng had some idea. Before Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the great monks engaged in the three customs at will, without any appearance of practicing. They also liked to annex land, took advantage of their status, did not pay taxes to the court, and enriched themselves. , Fattened the golden body of Buddha.

Once the country is invaded by foreigners, all the monks will not fight, but will chant sutras behind closed doors and sit back and watch the war break out. If they walk around the world and see all kinds of tragedies, the most they can do is lower their heads and recite Amitabha Buddha and pronounce the Buddha's name without any blood.

Today, the Tang Dynasty has not yet declined, and it is true to respect the religion, but it strictly restricts the people from abandoning their families and fleeing into Buddhism, so as to prevent the court from making ends meet.

At the same time, some respected old monks will strictly control their disciples, urge their descendants to study Buddhism and be merciful, and will not take free food from believers. They will also cultivate land to achieve self-sufficiency, and give out porridge and rice.

After living in the palace for a long time, it was like being locked up. After Shangguan Wan'er relaxed, she began to be curious about various things and wanted to see them for herself.

When they arrived at the gate of a magnificent temple, the three of them met the mighty "pen-sending official".

The royal style is different from ordinary people. The large pot for worship is inlaid with gold and jade, and the casting decoration and the precious flowers and fruits worshiped inside cost at least millions of dollars.

Two sacred thrones were placed in the procession, namely Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong. They were surrounded by banners, dragon umbrellas, imperial crowns and dragon robes, and the temple name was written on the dragon-patterned banner.

In this way, they were carried all the way from the palace with majestic ceremonial guards. All civil and military officials had to stand at Guangshun Gate to see each other off. They beat gongs and drums and took them to the temple, where they were briefly displayed for a day and received various rituals.

Today, Li Zhi ordered the construction of Ci'en Temple in memory of his mother, the eldest son of Queen Wende, and it also has high-standard ceremonial guards.

As for Tianhou’s biological mother, Yang, because she believed deeply in Buddhism, the temple hosting Buddhist services today was also very happy...

Meng Fan actually had the opportunity to make a lot of money, but he didn't take it. After all, he was the only one in Baoyun Temple. He couldn't create a noisy scene with gongs and drums. He also felt that it was completely unnecessary and wasted people and money.

Nowadays, this Obon Festival has been made nondescript by Buddhists. Walking incense and worshiping Buddha is a personal freedom. There is no need to criticize, but comparison is wrong.

Use the offering basin to compete secretly!
The Obon Festival, which marks the day for the pardon of sins by local officials, promotes doing everything possible to make offerings and to feed and drink well to the eminent monks, so that the sins of the ancestors can be alleviated.

And you, a fourth-rank official, don’t donate as much as a fifth-rank official. Isn’t that unfilial?
Unfilial!

Then what kind of official?

Whoever sends more things to the temple will be filial, whoever will have face, and whoever will become famous.

Similar to later generations going to temples to burn incense, 99 packages, 99 packages, 99 packages, 99 packages...

The monk keeps hinting that the more expensive the pilgrims are, the better, and there are people in the Buddha crossing.

The most critical thing is that throughout the ages, this has been linked to filial piety. Comparison has become a common practice from bottom to top. Rather than starve to death without food, you have to find a way to deliver it to the temple.

As for being really hungry...

No problem!

Buddhism preaches that this life is meant for suffering. For all good men and women who are so pious, it is a good thing to die, and you will definitely enjoy blessings in the next life.

"Next time, I have to write to the court to prohibit such extravagant behavior. Three sticks of incense will do. Sincerity will lead to success."

He never forgot his advice during the Hungry Ghost Festival, Taoist Meng really did not get the money from the state in vain, and he also felt that the trend of lavish burials needed to be suppressed.

Many colleagues in the Taishi Bureau often say that this trend is now flourishing again. This was said as early as the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong:
Although the various ways of mourning the death of loved ones have been written in detail in various etiquette codes, the consequences of breaking the law and breaking the law are also clearly stipulated in the penalties.However, some people still pay homage to their loved ones with generous burials, build high tombs as filial piety, and prepare extremely luxurious quilts and coffins for the deceased.

Some poor people among the people even go to the extent of bankrupting their entire lives in order to have a lavish burial. This practice is really harmful to the teachings and does not benefit the spring soil. The harm is too deep. This phenomenon should be banned in the future.At that time, at the beginning of the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, there were many wastes waiting to be renovated. Funeral arrangements followed those of the Sui Dynasty, with signs of extravagance and extravagance, but they were stopped by the court in time.

But today, with the recovery and development of the economy, the trend of thick burials has become popular again.

In addition, the Second Saint himself took the lead...

Gradually, people have come to have this saying:

Chasing the kindness of family members, grieving the birth and death of the same family, feeling the widow's crying in the daytime, reciting the orphan girl's call, trying my best to use up all my wealth to support my wife.

Burying relatives with care has begun to penetrate into the people's concept, and they would rather lose their family and property to do so.

It is true that some ministers in the court have noticed this. The late Prime Minister Xiao Yu took the lead in practicing the practice of thin burial. His last words were: I will only wear a single piece of clothing after my death. The coffin must be light and thin, just put a mat inside, and my children and grandchildren are not allowed to add any more. s things.

The same is true for Lu Chengqing, the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice who died of illness a few years ago. He told his children and grandchildren to use ordinary clothes to bury them. The height of the grave should be visible to people. The epitaph should only record the official position, title, and age, without any other modifications.

At this moment, while walking in the Buddhist temple, Shangguan Wan'er was startled when she heard what Meng Fan said. She leaned close to him and whispered:
"Mr. Lang, this must be done with caution."

All the Gongun princes are encouraging the trend of lavish burials, and they are extravagant and lustful, and the clean water is getting less and less.

In the second year of Longshuo, he married Li Yifu for Ba Quanchen. When he was reburying his grandfather, the Sanyuan County magistrate, who was accustomed to flattering others, secretly recruited people to serve him.When the magistrates of the seven surrounding counties saw this, they were afraid of being outcompeted, so they quickly led the young men to leave their farm work and go over to build the tombs of their ancestors for free.

Not only that, Gaoling County Magistrate Zhang Jingye was too timid and worried that his loyalty would not be seen by Li Yifu, so he worked on the construction site himself and did not dare to be lazy.

The dignified county magistrate should have worked for the welfare of the people under his rule, but instead he hugged the powerful officials and exhausted himself to death!

The big joke of slipping the world!

Instead of issuing an edict to reprimand and hold him accountable, the imperial court let it go. On the day when Li Yifu's long-dead grandfather was reburied, the princes and ministers sent money and gifts one after another to buy funeral objects for him. The motorcade queued for seventy miles, starting from Baqiao in Chang'an. To Sanyuan County.

A glimpse of the leopard in the tube can be seen.

The water is deep here.

However, Shangguan Wan'er saw that Meng Fan didn't seem to listen to her words, and she was secretly worried. Even if she had the favor of the two saints and could access the secluded world, she still had to be cautious.

You know, not only Buddhism, but also many Taoist priests have made a fortune through this. If all the masters of the two religions and the court officials are offended...

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

Meng Fan smiled and signaled to Shangguan Wan'er that there was no need to worry. He looked like he had the pearls of wisdom in hand, which made her feel slightly at ease and decided to ignore the matter for the time being.

After such a long period of leisure, something big should finally happen.

In addition, although this matter suddenly came to mind, the more I thought about it, the more feasible it became. It would be great for the country and the people, and it would bring happiness to the living.

Whose ancestors hope that their descendants will not even have food to eat?

Spending money to bury corpses is unfilial. It will only attract the attention of tomb robbers and allow unscrupulous villains to benefit from it!
On the left, due to the influence of Taoism, Li Lingyue did not hear the two people's discussion. She was jumping around in the temple at the moment, looking particularly lively.

The reason why he was able to escape like this is inseparable from the fact that he was sued by the government. Meng Fan did not want to reveal the identity of Taishi Ling, so as not to spread any gossip——

Taoist real people visit temples with beauty,

Or perhaps, Tai Shiling was close to the princess, and the two saints wanted to bring them together.

So use another identity to cover up:
Doctor Taichang of the seventh grade.

Not too high, not too low, just right.

If anyone is interested, go to Taichang Temple to check, and the answer is that there is absolutely no such person, but the confession that symbolizes his identity is so real that the Ministry of Household Affairs even has relevant files.

In front of the Main Hall, a courtyard was already crowded with people. Those in the front row were sitting on the ground, while those in the back row were standing and crowded, waving fans and leaning on the trees. Everyone was smiling, as if they were getting ready to watch a monkey show.

And monks are not very particular.

As the saying goes, you can tell just by listening to the name. It must be how it comes from. In the words of later generations:

Grounding gas.

Due to their status, Meng Fan and others got three front row seats for free, probably because they wanted to earn more money for sesame oil, but he was determined not to donate.

Just a shout and the sound of drums and chimes were heard.

The great monk who was giving the lecture came out of the side door, chanted the Buddha's name, and began the much-anticipated secular lecture.

Different from what the monk said, I just walked through the process briefly and went straight to the topic:
"...Seeing that his mother died and he was reborn as an evil ghost, there was no food or drink, and his skin and bones were still intact. Maudgalyana was so sad that he filled the bowl with rice...the food did not turn into charcoal in his mouth, so he could not eat..."

The simple prose sentences didn't necessarily rhyme much, the monks closed their eyes and shook their heads in a protracted tone, and then more vulgar passages appeared.

A monk raised his voice and howled:
"I created karma for my previous life, killing pigs and sheep, never practicing good deeds, and doing evil all day long.

Now that I have come here, I have suffered unspeakably.The water has never been famous, and the food has never been seen.His whole body was covered with sores and sores all the time.The suffering is endless day and night, and there are thousands of lives and deaths in one day.

Mulian, Mulian..."

After pretending to be an old woman and howling a few times, the other monks began to sing with wooden fish, covering their faces with their sleeves and wiping away tears from time to time, as if they were in great pain.

At this time, inferior illusions were used at the right time to present a scene of hell, which frightened the people.

After the operation, the believers in the hall, especially the women who were weak-hearted and miserable, burst into tears. They took off their jewelry, stole rings and bracelets, and donated them to the temple.

The fat monk in charge of collecting things was grinning.

What is Dimensionality Reduction Strike?

It is difficult for the common people to even see books. When they meet a group of monks who perform on the stage, they learn how to play, sing, fight, and use crude illusions to fool people easily.

"What a bald donkey, teasing the people in front of the Mahavira."

Meng Fan laughed angrily and couldn't help but cast his eyes towards the golden body of Buddha in the hall, as if to ask again:
These disciples and descendants of you are just promoting Buddhism in this way, do you still want to show off?

The temple has become a theater for making money. No wonder later Song Zhenzong wanted to crack down on the three vulgarities of monks!

　It's not a black temple. They did do this in the Tang Dynasty. They spread the customs to make money, so much so that Tang Xuanzong's daughter went to the temple to watch the monks perform. Even if her brother-in-law was ill in bed, she didn't take care of her. Therefore, she was directly recalled to the palace by the emperor for pain. Scold.By the time of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhenzong could no longer bear it and ordered the monks to stop this kind of secular performing arts.

　　ps. Looking at it today, it seems that I have returned to my old profession.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)