My God, I am the emperor, the lord of mankind.

Chapter 210 Chen Baxian

If there are only one or two people, that's all.

After all, Buddhism is a place of mystical cultivation, and some strange phenomena are actually not something strange.

Which temple does not have some strange rumors that may be true or false? If there are not even these, how can it attract pilgrims to visit and the gentry to donate generously to rebuild the golden body of the Buddha?
The bamboo forest was deep, and Zhu Houcong saw something human-shaped in the depths, standing quietly in the darkness.

"Look! Those are our ancestors who became Buddhas!"

Seeing Zhu Houcong's interest, the young novice took Zhu Houcong's hand and walked excitedly deeper into the bamboo forest.

Wang Zuo beside him was immediately alert, but Zhu Houcong shook his head to stop him.

The little novice abides by the rules and precepts in the Buddhist temple on weekdays. Every day he meets monks and lay people who can be his grandparents and fathers. He has no playmates of the same age. It is not easy to see people of Zhu Houcong's age come here to play, and he still has such a story about himself. Being interested naturally brings out the childlike innocence.

The three of them, one in front and two behind, passed through the thick bamboo forest and finally found a barely passable passage.

While pushing aside the bamboo leaves that blocked the view, the fallen leaves crunched under his feet, and the little novice monk pointed at the Buddha statues of different shapes revealed behind the bamboo forest and said.

"The reason why our Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple is called the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple is because it is protected by ten thousand Buddhas. You see, these are the ones in front of you -"

He came to a golden body covered with gold paint and was holding a sermon on the Nirvana Sutra when he was enlightened. He first bowed respectfully, then turned around and said to Zhu Houcong who was stunned by the scene in front of him. .

After the bamboo forest, there is a Buddhist forest. Various golden statues of Buddha are placed here, with different shapes.

Its face is lifelike, and even though its body is covered with thick gold powder, it is very different from the golden bodies of Buddha statues carved by skilled craftsmen in other temples.

After all, although the craftsmanship of those craftsmen is exquisite, compared with the living people in front of them who are enlightening and becoming Buddha, their efforts are still a little less spiritual.

But this number is a bit too much.

Looking at the dense crowd of Buddhist Patriarchs in front of him, Zhu Houcong seemed to understand the meaning of the little novice's previous words.

It is nothing to say that one or two people become Buddhas instantly.

So what if there are hundreds, thousands, thousands?

When people see the wonderful scene of thousands of Buddhas appearing in front of them, how shocked will they be in their hearts.

I am afraid that even Chen Baxian, Emperor Chen Wu who had witnessed the miserable end of Xiao Yan's favor on Buddhism, would be shaken.

"Actually, the golden bodies visiting here are not the best ones! The best ones are enjoying offerings with the Buddhas in the Main Hall? Every day, brothers and sisters wash their bodies for them. If they don't know that these ancestors are dead, After hundreds of years, do you really think that these ancients are actually still alive?"

Thinking of the joke he made when he followed his senior brothers to the Mahavira Hall to wipe the Patriarch's body for the first time, the young novice still feels a little blushing.

"What about these..."

Zhu Houcong didn't know when he came behind the little novice monk. Hearing Zhu Houcong's ghostly words in his ears, the little novice monk took a few steps back in shock. Fortunately, the Buddha statue behind him held him up, so he didn't fall.

Looking at Zhu Houcong who was carefully observing the Buddha statue holding the "Nirvana Sutra" next to him, the little novice monk took a deep breath and apologized to the patriarch behind him three times before he recovered.

Being in the Buddha Forest, there is always the illusion that many people are watching in secret. This is the only place where the young novice feels a little depressed.

However, thinking about the protection of so many ancestors here, the young novice also gained some confidence.

What demons and evil spirits dare to act unruly in front of these thousands of ancestors!
"Why don't you make any footsteps when you walk-"

The young novice complained.

He looked at the Buddha statue that Zhu Houcong was observing carefully but never touching.

"There will be people here regularly cleaning up! It's just that there aren't as many as there are in the Main Hall..."

"Then who is responsible for wiping the bodies of Buddha statues - are they all young monks like you?"

Zhu Houcong asked, looking at these Buddha statues with flickering eyes. "Of course, the senior masters and uncles with status will not do this kind of dirty work. Then only we, the young monks, will take care of the ancestors."

"Is that so—"

Listening to the little novice monk's words, Zhu Houcong's face showed no emotion or anger.

"It's not a bad thing... but you should try to come to places like this as little as possible. When cleaning the bodies of these ancestors, try to be respectful and careful. It will be good for you..."

Zhu Houcong saw the truth in it and reminded him casually.

The little novice monk on the side was a little puzzled when he heard Zhu Houcong's words.

But taking good care of these ancestors was indeed what he should do, so he didn't say much.

"Go on and tell your story——"

Zhu Houcong took a look at the text in the Nirvana Sutra. He didn't know whether it was a coincidence or intentional by later generations. He happened to turn to the article in the Nirvana Sutra that taught people to become Buddhas.

"I must have Buddha-nature in my current body. Whether it is achieved or not, I cannot judge..."

"Care for all sentient beings and think about it, giving rise to great kindness, great compassion, great joy and great equanimity..."

What caught Zhu Houcong's attention the most was the comment that seemed to be made by the monk before he transformed into a Buddha.

"Not all karma will have definite results, not all sentient beings will definitely receive retribution."

"Why are all sentient beings repaying the light suffering in this world with heavy suffering in hell, and hell repaying the light suffering in this world with heavy suffering?"

translate.

The sufferings you suffer in this life may not all be determined by the karma of your previous life, and not all your spiritual practice can be rewarded.

Is this monk still doing the same thing as retribution in this world?

Interesting.

Zhu Houcong thought.

While looking at the various images of the Buddha in front of him, the little novice monk next to his ears began to explain the process of the prosperity of Wanfo Temple.

"I heard that the auspicious event of monks becoming Buddhas often appeared in Wanfo Temple. Emperor Chen Wu, Chen Baxian, who received Zen in the southern suburbs of Jinling and proclaimed himself emperor, finally came to Wanfo Temple in the first year of Yongding..."

In fact, Chen Baxian initially held a hostile attitude towards the monks who became Buddhas in Wanfo Temple.

After all, Xiao Yan favored Buddhism, and the devastation caused by Hou Jing's Rebellion to the south was still vivid in his mind. Chen Baxian, who made his fortune by quelling Hou Jing's Rebellion, was naturally very wary of Buddhism, one of the culprits of the chaos and devastation in the south.

But... when he was in the Main Hall, he saw with his own eyes the solemn abbot of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in front of him. He pointed out with a smile in front of him the deep secrets in his heart, the wariness of the ancient Buddhist temple in front of him, and the new dynasty he had established at this time. The biggest threat to his rule is also the hidden danger of the empire that Chen Baxian is most worried about.

The descendants of Xiao Yan, the kings who are scattered all over the country, and the wealthy families in various places——

Chen Baxian was shocked that the old monk in front of him still had such a vision.

But then, as the abbot of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in front of him turned into a Buddha on the spot to prove that the external rumors were true, and left his last words, the shock turned into horror, and then ecstasy... maybe , and a bit like Emperor Wu of Liang, who was vaguely worried about the power of Buddhism.

Zhu Houcong thought as he listened to the story of the little novice monk in front of him.

In March of the second year of Yongding, Wang Lin proclaimed Yongjia King Xiaozhuang as emperor in Yingzhou and rebelled brazenly.

　withdraw troops!Fight again tomorrow!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)