txolops Chapter 63 Staying at Caotang Temple
Chapter 63 Staying at Caotang Temple
Guo Liqing and Naxita headed southeast and soon entered the Guanzhong region.
From the Qin to the Tang dynasties, Guanzhong was always the political center of China, and in Guo Liqing's view, this region should have been very prosperous.
However, after crossing the Yellow River, Guo Liqing saw only a bleak scene along the way.
Today, the Guanzhong region is occupied by the Jin Dynasty, and the cities are dilapidated and the fields are barren.
Almost all the intact towns we saw along the way were military towns, garrisoned by Jin soldiers.
The people of Guanzhong were emaciated, poorly clothed, and starving.
The rulers of the Jin Dynasty seemed to have absolutely no ability to govern.
They exploited the people round after round to satisfy the material desires of the Jin dynasty's high-ranking officials.
They don't understand what it means to kill all the fish in a pond. If all the fish, big and small, die, what will you eat in the future?
It's no wonder they say the barbarian tribes never last a hundred years!
Even under the rule of a feudal dynasty, the people should be able to have enough to eat.
If the people can survive, the ruling class can continue to exploit them for longer, right?
Seeing the devastation in Guanzhong, Guo Liqing wished he could turn back immediately and lead his army to invade Guanzhong.
But upon closer reflection, for the sake of long-term planning, we cannot do this for the time being.
Although Guanzhong was a strategic location fought over by military strategists in ancient times, since the Qin and Han dynasties, whoever could hold Guanzhong was able to conquer the world.
The Guanzhong region is easy to defend and difficult to attack; the saying "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand" perfectly describes this place.
However, starting from the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, the situation changed.
The primary reason for this is climate change. Reduced grain production in the Guanzhong Basin has made it unable to support a large-scale army.
Guanzhong was inherently difficult to conquer, and even if it were captured, the value would be minimal.
Guo Liqing has limited resources, so his primary focus for future development is not Guanzhong.
A few days later, Guo Liqing and Naxita entered the territory of the ancient capital of Chang'an.
He didn't see the bustling capital city depicted in movies and TV dramas; he only saw ruins and rubble.
Among some weeds, you can still see pieces of broken stone flooring.
Du Fu's line, "The country is broken, but the mountains and rivers remain; spring has come to the city, but the grass and trees grow deep," is truly a reflection of reality.
Guo Liqing was filled with emotion throughout the journey.
Today's Chang'an, the capital of the Jin Dynasty, is just a small city built on the site of the old Chang'an, and also a military town garrisoned by the Jin army.
Entry into the city was extremely difficult, so Guo Liqing decided against it.
He searched for a beggar outside the city, but there were too many beggars, and not all of them were members of the Beggars' Sect. He searched seven times before finally finding a member of the Beggars' Sect.
They gave each other the password.
Guo Liqing instructed his Beggars' Sect disciples to tell them that they would find a nearby temple or Taoist monastery to rest, and that Lu Youjiao and the others should meet them there.
After leaving the outskirts of Jingzhao Prefecture, Guo Liqing discovered a temple in the mountains.
Although the Jurchens were brutal, they still maintained some reverence for religion.
The Jurchens did not persecute temples and Taoist monasteries too severely, but this temple still fell into disrepair.
The temple was called Caotang Temple. The abbot was an old monk in his sixties, thin and frail, wearing a faded robe covered with patches.
This image was completely different from the monks I had seen at Chengtian Temple before.
From the outside, it's clear that Caotang Temple has been looted many times.
The outer city walls had collapsed, the windows of the main hall were broken, and even the Buddha statues were made of clay.
Guo Liqing gave the abbot two taels of silver, which the abbot gladly accepted, and then gave them the best room in the temple.
"Thank you, Master Jueming!"
Guo Liqing noticed a portrait hanging in the room, but the man's appearance didn't resemble that of a monk from the Central Plains, so he asked, "Master Jueming, who is depicted in this portrait?"
Jueming put his hands together and said, "This is the great master Kumarajiva from India. When the great master Kumarajiva came to China to spread Buddhism, he translated scriptures here."
"What!" Guo Liqing exclaimed in surprise, "You mean, Kumarajiva translated the Diamond Sutra right here?"
"Exactly."
Guo Liqing smiled and said, "What a coincidence! I've unexpectedly come to the place where Master Kumarajiva translated Buddhist scriptures. There are two versions of the Diamond Sutra, one is Kumarajiva's translation, and the other is Xuanzang's translation, but I still prefer Kumarajiva's translation."
Jueming was somewhat surprised and asked, "Does the benefactor also read Buddhist scriptures?"
"I haven't read much; I've only read the Diamond Sutra and the Surangama Sutra."
"It seems you are very interested in the Zen school."
Guo Liqing nodded and said, "Zen Buddhism is the most successful school of Buddhist image localization. Its ideas have spread not only among Buddhists, but also among literati and officials."
Guo Liqing looked around and asked in confusion, "Logically speaking, Kumarajiva was translating Buddhist scriptures here, so your temple should be a sacred site of Buddhism in the Central Plains. How come it's in such a dilapidated state?"
Jueming sighed and said, "Since the Jingkang Incident, the Jurchens occupied the north, burning, killing, and looting. It is already difficult to survive."
Guo Liqing comforted him, "Master, rest assured, an army will soon drive out the Jurchens and restore the Han Dynasty's land."
Jueming shook his head and said, "I don't know if I will live to see this."
"Ten years! We'll definitely achieve it within ten years!"
Jueming clasped his hands together and said, "I hope it will be as you say."
Guo Liqing then asked, "Since this is where Master Kumarajiva translated scriptures, could you give us a tour?"
"The temple is dilapidated and there's not much to see. If you like it, I'll accompany you for a walk."
Guo Liqing turned to look at Nashita and asked, "Are you going to rest here, or come with me?"
Nahita stepped forward and said, "Let's go together!"
The Caotang Temple is indeed dilapidated now, overgrown with weeds, and only a few monks are there to maintain it.
While visiting the temple, Guo Liqing discussed Buddhist scriptures with Jueming.
To his surprise, Jueming had a profound understanding of Buddhist scriptures and combined them with secular concepts, forming a unique philosophy of life.
Take the silver Guo Liqing just handed over, for example. Monks don't need to accept anything in return for helping others. But Jueming accepted the silver without the slightest hesitation.
This is not because he is greedy, but because the temple's incense offerings are declining and the people inside need to eat. With silver, they can exchange it for food.
As for the dilapidated temples and damaged Buddha statues, Jueming could ignore them, but people need to eat, so he couldn't ignore them.
Guo Liqing and his group came to ask for lodging. Even if you don't pay them, they'll still let you stay. If you do pay, that's even better.
Guo Liqing saw a calm and composed demeanor on Jueming's face; he handled things without any hesitation.
In this life, simply chanting "Amitabha" a couple of times won't lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. Taking good care of yourself in this life is also a form of spiritual practice.
Guo Liqing had just come from Western Xia, so he couldn't help but compare Jueming with the monks of Chengtian Temple.
Some temples are magnificent and resplendent, but filled with fake monks. Other temples are dilapidated and ruined, yet house true masters.
As Jueming led Guo Liqing to the other end of the temple, several loud laughs suddenly came from the room.
Guo Liqing asked疑惑地问道, "Who are the people inside?"
Jueming clasped his hands together and said, "They are some江湖人 (jianghu people) who have pledged allegiance to the Jin dynasty..."