Datang Nongsheng

Chapter 648
The most difficult thing to grasp about gunpowder is the ratio of gunpowder. Zhang Yuhua has made a breakthrough in this area, and with some suggestions from Sun Xiangfu, it is not so much to turn it into a military weapon. It is a difficult matter, even with the addition of solving its small-scale mass production and safety use, with Datang's current industry and management level, it will take another year at most to be able to target solve.

Therefore, next year at most, Li Shimin's force will expand again, and August and September next year will be the day when the second sports meeting will be held in Jiangling City. Although there is still about a year and a half from now, but Sun Xiangfu already felt that something might happen during this conference.

The last time in Dingxiang, Li Shimin proposed to add the title of Tian Khan to confirm the status of his elder brother, and finally, the goal was achieved.

And this time, maybe he will go one step further and become the master of the world.

At that time, Datang will inevitably have conflicts with several major western empires.

A militant will only become more militant because of his strength. Li Shimin needs to use unrivaled feats to wash away the black history of his injustice, so this is basically inevitable.

As a grassroots man, Sun Xiangfu wanted this ultimate battle to be more gentle, but he didn't have the ability to match it. Therefore, as the days passed, Sun Xiangfu was also a little worried. It wasn't Xia Chan's loud noise.

A guest came today, a long-lost bald monk. The place where Sun Xiangfu talked with him was not at home, but under the shade of willow trees by the pond. There were two chairs and a coffee table. On the coffee table, there are many cut melons and fruits exuding a tempting aroma, but it is difficult to induce the appetite of the visitors.

"Master has been studying in the Western Regions all these years, and he must have gained a lot!"

"After seeing all kinds of situations in the Western Regions, I finally feel that Datang is better."

Sitting side by side with Sun Xiangfu on the chair facing the pond is Xuanzang. Sun Xiangfu took him to Tianzhu by sea route back then, and now he has returned by sea route, although he stayed there longer than in history. However, the content of Buddhism he learned there may not be less than in history, because Sun Xiangfu slightly improved his horizons, and the current international status of Datang is not comparable to that in this period in history. In the West, he has hardly been subjected to many difficulties as in history. Just being a monk of the Tang Dynasty has allowed him to be treated with courtesy by various Buddhist temples and even the royal families of many countries. He communicates and shares, which is the benefit of being backed by a powerful country.

"Master, did you realize that Buddha can't help people to fight against fear, only people themselves can help themselves to fight against fear?" Hearing Xuanzang's slightly admiring tone, Sun Xiangfu turned his head to Xuanzang instead of looking at Fupiao Zang asked with his still handsome face.

In fact, no matter how many fish he caught, it was useless, because Xuanzang put all the fish he caught back into the pond.

"Perhaps, Benefactor Sun is right! Before going to the Western Regions, the poor monk thought that all right and wrong cause and effect should be answered in Mahayana Buddhism, but after the poor monk understood the Western Mahayana Buddhism, Only then did I feel that it is not perfect like my native Hinayana Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, but it made the poor monk more puzzled, especially after seeing the current appearance of the Tang Dynasty."

What does Tang Dynasty look like now?
If you just look at the places that Xuanzang is interested in, it is that there are fewer people who believe in religion. There are fewer Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, monks, and Taoist priests. There are so many new commercial buildings built in Chang'an, but they are not built. A Buddhist temple and a Taoist temple.

Moreover, since the third year of Zhenguan, the trend of Taoist priests, monks, and returning to the common people began to form. Up to now, it has become out of control. In just a few years, the number of Taoist temples and temples in the country has decreased. The number of monks has decreased by more than half, and the number of monks has decreased by nearly [-]%. There are fields to grow, houses to live in, and people who can marry wives and have children to live a good life. Who wants to be a family member?

This is the true attitude of the Chinese people towards religion.

"Any religion, theory, as it develops, will change its original nature due to personal interests. Buddhist philosophy may have many merits, but there are also many dross. If the master can extract the essence, go to Its dross, integrating Eastern and Western Buddhism into a new Buddhist doctrine, enabling the world to look at this religion more rationally, and preventing superstition and blind belief, is a great merit."

To use the sayings of later generations, religion is not terrible, but religious superstition is terrible. Just like various domestic tourist attractions and religious mountain gates, many tourists go to visit every day, and even burn incense and pay homage. It has not caused any bad things to the general public. The influence, on the contrary, has allowed many people who seek peace of mind to obtain peace of mind, or in other words, with the help of this unnecessary thing, they have obtained a kind of psychological comfort.

However, it is a bad thing to fanatically believe in it. As a religious person, it is even more bad to use religion to do something other than self-cultivation.

"This, I'm afraid it will be difficult." Xuanzang said after putting a fish caught by Sun Xiangfu into the water again.

"That's why people with great wisdom and perseverance like the master are needed to do it!"

"However, the poor monk doesn't know what the so-called 'reason' is? It's like benefactor Sun, when you go fishing, you have your reasons for fishing. The poor monk also has his reasons for releasing these fish. Whose reason is wise? Who will judge?"

"That's true, but the reason for this fishing should be my reason is wisdom, because when I fish, I want to eat fish and use it to fill my stomach and maintain my life. In addition, has the master heard about it? In a word, it’s called eating fish to save the world.”

"Eat fish to save the world?" Xuanzang asked Sun Xiangfu, looking at him inexplicably.

"Yes, eating fish may be a matter of saving the world, because if everyone does not eat fish, some fish may reproduce too much, squeezing the living space of other creatures and destroying the ecology. Most living things exist in a food chain, once this biological chain is broken, species may become extinct one after another..."

After Sun Xiangfu explained the biological chain with several metaphors to Xuanzang, he said, "There are so many fish in Shannan that we can't finish them. If we eat big fish, we may save many small fish or For other creatures, to maintain the balance of the biological chain, this is the principle that people must follow. I call it the scientific principle. It exists in every aspect of the world, and it is the most feasible principle to break away from religious superstition. It is the principle that human beings live in this world The truth that must be obeyed in the world.”

In later generations, many species that multiplied too fast tried to destroy the world, but they were all stopped by our foodies. Of course, when Sun Xiangfu told Xuanzang about this truth, he must have found it difficult to understand it, but it was the "scientific truth" he said. 'It aroused Xuanzang's curiosity, so Sun Xiangfu would naturally send out another set of biology learned in Jiuyuan County.

"Benefactor Sun thinks that if the Tang Dynasty continues to develop like it is now, can Buddhism continue to exist?"

In a few years, nearly [-]% of the monks have returned to secular life, and more than half of the temples have been closed and demolished. This is because Li Shimin did not deliberately suppress Buddhism. This made Xuanzang, who looked at its survival from the standpoint of Buddhism, a little flustered. Unexpectedly, when I came back with hundreds of Buddhist scriptures from the Western Regions, what I saw would be such a scene.

"There are always some desperate people who see through the world of mortals and need a place to escape from the world, but its scale may be even smaller. The Central Plains has become unsuitable for its growth now. If the master wants to make a difference, don't You should think about translating those Western Buddhist scriptures and spreading them in the Central Plains, because they are of no use to the people in the Central Plains.

Instead, you should write down the local customs, what you have seen and heard in the Western Regions over the years, and give it to His Majesty, so that His Majesty can learn more about those areas that are still in poverty and suffering, and erase those who gave to the local people. The evil that brings suffering to the people, liberate them, and lead them to live a good life like the people of my Tang Dynasty. "

Hearing this, Xuanzang's eyes were responsible, and after a while, he said with shame on his face, "The poor monk has practiced Buddhism for several years, but he is not as good as the grandson's benefactor. I am ashamed. The poor monk went to the Western Regions. I have recorded what I saw and heard in the local area, and when I go to Chang'an later, I will definitely present these recorded things to His Majesty, and after that, I am afraid that I will have to trouble Master Sun's boat and send the poor monk another ride."

"Where does the master want to go?"

"It's still the land of the Western Regions."

"Master, do you want to help those people from the West?"

Xuanzang nodded and said with a smile, "Even a secular person like Benefactor Sun has such great kindness in his heart. As a monk, how could the poor monk not try his best to do goodness? The sect's control over the people has already reached an unbelievable level. If you want to 'liberate' them as the benefactor said, you can't do it easily by force or even materials. It's a pity that the poor monk came back unfortunately, Li Daochang has already gone overseas, and I don't know if I will have the opportunity to discuss the scriptures with him in this life."

Seeing Xuanzang getting up to leave, Sun Xiangfu stopped fishing, stood up and clasped his fists and said, "There should be a chance to see you later. I will write to Lingnan later and ask Feng Gong to prepare a boat for you. You are ready After that, you can go to the west at any time by sea, and, Mr. Feng has a commercial cargo station there, if you have anything to do, please feel free to write to let me know, my Tang Dynasty is not so far away to the west."

Of course it’s not far away. In just over a month’s time, you can travel from the coast of Lingnan to the wharf of the Kingdom of Vanabi by taking a five-sail fast boat specially for carrying passengers. It takes more than a month to reach Tianzhu Qunu City, but the road is not very easy to walk, and people who are not used to walking on snowy plateaus cannot complete the journey.

When Xuanzang went to the Western Regions, there was no grandeur, and when he returned to the Tang Dynasty, there was no uproar. However, when he arrived in Chang'an a few days later, he was shocked by this strange city. After he presented to Li Shimin what he saw and heard recorded in the Western Regions in the past few years, he was summoned by Li Shimin. The meeting was not long, and he talked about one incident. Li Shimin persuaded Xuanzang to return to the secular life as an official. He is the doctor of the Fifth Grade Ritual Department, and he refuses to be given the post of head of the Siyi Pavilion directly.

Then, Li Shimin gave him a first-class citizenship status for a talent in a special field, indicating that he was one of the religious representatives of the Tang Dynasty. In fact, it was a senior ID card with the official seal of the Tang Dynasty and a customs clearance document. With these things, he can go to the Western Regions freely through customs. After all, after talking with Sun Xiangfu, Li Shimin is happy to see what he is going to do in the Western Regions.With the official mission of the Ministry of Rites, what Xuanzang provided to Li Shimin was only a supplementary effect.

(End of this chapter)