Wentang

Chapter 396 Four Sentences of Hengqu
As the so-called watching people serve food, most of these people who were invited by Yue Shan to stay in the conference room were not from aristocratic families, and their family values ​​were not as strong as the children of aristocratic families.Otherwise, he would never waste his tongue here.

People in aristocratic families attach the most importance to family inheritance, and put the interests of the family above everything else. Confucianism is just a tool for them to maintain their status.If Confucianism is not good enough, they can change schools immediately.

Ordinary scholars have a deeper affection for Confucianism. Although they also have selfish motives, they are generally concerned about the future of Confucianism.

Obviously, Yue Shan's words touched these people.

When Confucianism was at its strongest, it was the Han Dynasty. Under their noses, Buddhism bewitched Emperor Han Ming and built the first official temple in Chinese history.

Since then, Buddhism has been officially recognized and can be legally preached in the Central Plains.Then it became one of the largest sects step by step, and even Confucianism was often suppressed by them.

From the founding of the Tang Dynasty until now, Buddhism and Taoism have been competing for the front, and Confucianism can only watch from the sidelines.And now the emperor Li Shimin has shown his dislike of Confucianism unabashedly.

Anyone who has feelings for Confucianism is worried.This is also one of the reasons why so many Confucian scholars suddenly came to Beijing to participate in the compilation of the Great Dictionary.

They expected to use this big dictionary to consolidate the status of Confucianism, or to change the emperor's view of Confucianism.

But is this approach feasible?neither knows.They can only grasp at any straw.

"Even if what you said is reasonable, what does this have to do with the opening of the academy? Could it be that the academy can change the view of the saint?" Liu Degeng said with a gloomy expression.

He was born in a poor family, and he studied hard and studied with teachers everywhere in his youth, and gradually he has achieved today's achievements.Because it is not easy to study, I cherish my knowledge even more, and I have a deep affection for Confucianism.

"Have you ever thought about a question? Why did Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty make a decree of 'removing a hundred schools of Confucianism' that has been passed down for thousands of years and quietly disappeared without causing any disturbance." Yue Shan asked:
"However, Buddhism has only been preached in the Central Plains for a few hundred years, but it has survived several disasters that wiped out Buddhism, and it can even surpass Confucianism and Taoism today?"

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, they really hadn't thought about this question.

Yes, the experience of Buddhism is much crueler than that of Baijia.Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty just didn't allow people from hundreds of schools to be officials, and he didn't kill and return the descendants of hundreds of schools, nor did he burn the classics of hundreds of schools.

In history, Buddhists have been exterminated several times. They destroyed temples, burned scriptures, and forced monks to return to vulgarity.But just like that, Buddhism still stopped and grew stronger time after time.

Why is that?
Everyone is not stupid, and they already have an answer in their hearts, but they are not willing to say this answer.

They didn't want to say that Yue Shan was willing, and only listened to him: "Because the hundred schools of thought are only spread among the scholars, and they are too far away from the general public. Even the common people don't know what the hundred schools of thought are, whether Confucianism or Taoism is in charge. To them Saying that it is innocuous is not as attractive as a bowl of thin soup."

"How many scholars are there? Besides, is respecting Confucianism and Taoism really that important to them? If the emperor respects Confucianism, I will learn Confucianism, and if the emperor respects Fa, I will learn Fa. It's just a change of skin."

"Of course there are loyal descendants of the Hundred Schools, but how big a storm can they cause?"

"Buddhism is different. They are rooted in the people, and all people in the world are their believers. Even ordinary people who don't know a single word can chant Amitabha Buddha. The emperor can ban Buddha, destroy Buddhist temples and burn scriptures, but he can't destroy the Buddha in people's hearts. "

"So Buddhism can always be revived, and it quickly becomes a prairie fire."

Having said that, Yue Shan paused, glanced at everyone, and asked, "What do you guys think of my words?"

Everyone was silent again, and it took Xing Yuyan a long while before he said with difficulty: "Qing Shui Hou's words have opened up a different path, which really opened my eyes, I wait... I wait..."

Xing Yuyan was born as a standard commoner, and a small family in their local area was destroyed by a war disaster.At that time, he was still young, and he went to the ruins to search for usable things.Then I found a few books.

Others thought it was useless and threw it away, but he picked it up out of curiosity and took it home.These books are the Analects of Confucius and the university, as well as the reading notes passed down by this small family.To put it bluntly, these few books are the core heritage of this small family.

Xing Yuyan is today because of these few books, so he has the deepest affection for Confucianism.I also very much agree with what is said in these books, and hope that one day it will be realized.

Yue Shan made Confucianism so dangerous, he subconsciously wanted to refute it.But I couldn't continue after talking halfway.

What is another way?What eye-opener?It was just self-consolation, he knew what Yue Shan said was right.

But precisely because it was right, they were unwilling to accept it.Is it wrong for them to raise the position of the degree so high?

When they calmed down, Yue Shan continued: "The sage has opinions on Confucianism, and many of his words point directly at the flaws of Confucianism. The best way to change his thinking is to find ways to make up for these flaws." .”

"However, this is a huge project that cannot be achieved in a day. Right now we must think of a way to protect ourselves, so that the sage does not dare to really abandon Confucianism. Even if he does, Confucianism must be preserved. A revived hope."

At this time, most people had already been persuaded by Yue Shan and agreed with him in their hearts.But caution prevents them from making decisions on the spot.

"But Confucianism is too profound and difficult to understand. I'm afraid it won't be accepted by all people like Buddhism." Liu Degeng said weakly.

"Do the common people really understand what Buddhism is? No, they only know Amitabha, and only know that Buddha can protect the common people, and Buddha pays attention to accumulating Yin virtues and cultivating the afterlife." Yue Shan retorted:

"In Confucianism, there are Confucius and Mencius. Confucius said to be benevolent and Mencius said to be righteous. Isn't it difficult to understand benevolence and righteousness? Confucius and Mencius taught us to be filial to our parents, to support the elderly, and to love children. Is this difficult to understand?"

"You don't need to let them know too much profound knowledge, just let them say 'It's a joy to have friends from afar' when their friends come to visit, is it difficult?"

"This..." Everyone was really moved, but still no one wanted to be the first to stand up.

Yue Shan decided to give them a strong dose of medicine: "Actually, I have already done this in Dizhou. Every township has established a school, and all children between the ages of eight and 14 can study here."

"Each county has a county school, and students from the rural school can pass the assessment and enter the county school to study. The state capital also has a prefectural school, and county school students can pass the assessment and enter the prefectural school to study."

"And those who have achieved success in their studies in the prefecture, I will recommend them to come to the capital to take the imperial examination, or directly work in Dizhou."

"In a few years Confucianism will be known to the humblest common people, and by then no one will be able to shake its foundation."

"And in a few years, Dizhou will be able to train enough students for me. At that time, I can also open an academy in the capital, or even open an academy in any place in the whole Tang Dynasty."

"So even if you don't agree, it doesn't matter, I just wait a few more years at most."

"But after returning to Beijing this time, I learned that you took the initiative to teach the students of the academy to solve the doubts. Let me know that you are also people who are interested in Confucianism and don't want to see Confucianism decline."

"That's when I came up with the idea to invite you all to participate in this grand event. So I hope that you can see the future of Confucianism and fulfill my request."

Speaking of this, Yue Shan took out his real trump card: "I have four words to give to you, and to all Confucian disciples in the world."

"Set up a heart for heaven and earth."

"Building lives for the living and the people."

"For the sake of the sage and continue to learn."

"Create peace for all generations."

(End of this chapter)