A murky invitation from the number 1417
death.We didn't hear the rest of the conversation because Qin Grandpa went in to help. Lin Yanqin and I were hungry, so we ate by ourselves. As soon as I put down my chopsticks, Jiang Qiyun got up and...Master Huiqing is very good friends with my older brother. If they weren't so far apart, they would probably be the kind of friends who visit each other often.
Putuo Temple is a few hours away from our city. My brother is busy with his work, always traveling here and there. Master Huiclear has to manage the temple, oversee the Tongxuan Association, attend some seminars, and then there are also incense-bearers who invite him to perform rituals... He's busy too.
The last time they met, they couldn't even remember when it was. Now that they bumped into each other unexpectedly, my brother was taken aback for a moment before laughing and scolding, "You monks have such high incomes, you still dare to call yourselves poor monks! You are all hidden rich people, just freeloading on food and drinks, have some shame!"
Hu Qing smiled and said, "Wealth is an external thing. Making money is not cultivation, it's just survival. Alms-giving is true cultivation. Even with a lot of money, one should not forget to cultivate."
"Bah! You talk more nonsense than me... Hey, waiter, could you bring two extra sets of cutlery..." My brother was giving him a hard time while calling the restaurant's waiter.
Master Huisqing came in with his young apprentice and sat down. Seeing our dishes, all of them vegetarian, he chuckled and said, "This is great! No need to be picky, I can eat everything."
"Pick on me! Even your Buddha eats meat. Monks who practice asceticism beg for food, and whatever the donors give them, they're not allowed to be picky. It's only after it came to our country that we started eating vegetarian." My brother scoffed.
Many Mahayana Buddhists do not accept this view, finding it to be confrontational and argumentative.
But with my brother and Master Huisqing, even the most serious "problems" could be discussed easily in just a few words.
"That's not the case, that's why it's rumored to hasten one's passing. Although the *Mahavagga* says one can eat three pure meats, since the emperor has us eating vegetarian, we just eat vegetarian~~. It's quite good for health." Huqing the monk chuckled.
Monks and Taoists sometimes don't get along because of historical grievances. Like the recent case with the bronze talisman Buddha, an invader from another ethnic group who wanted to forcefully suppress Han Chinese thought and culture, so they actively promoted the beliefs of other ethnic groups.
However, now that it is a time of peace and tranquility, and the country governs not with the philosophy of harmony (zong), but instead maintains order without incident, disputes are merely small private frictions.
Besides, with my brother and Master Huqing's personalities, even if they argued and refuted each other, their words would be witty and engaging, leaving the bystanders in stitches.
With these two chatterboxes by my side, I had a very relaxing meal. Just listening to them talk was enough to make me want to eat!
The young apprentice of Master Huisqing was growing up, and I was afraid he wouldn't feel comfortable eating so much. I ordered a plate of large steamed buns and pickled vegetables for him. He gave me a grateful look and said in a low voice, "…Lady Mu, you are so kind. Can you pack up the leftover buns for me We can take them back as dry rations."
"Of course...but, do we still need to bring rations now" I asked, unsure.
These days, the country is prosperous and stable. The government has solved many people's food and clothing problems. A century-old abbot like Master Huicheng, according to the standards of popular temples, earns at least hundreds of thousands of yuan a year. It's impossible that he can't afford to eat, right Why would he need to pack up leftover food as dry rations
The young disciple said with a grin, "In our temple, starting from the abbot, everyone practices thrift and simplicity, absolutely forbidding extravagance and waste. When going out, unless there are no ordinary tickets available, we only take airplanes. We never allow first-class seating, only the most basic economy class. And we don't have drivers or secretaries... We came by public bus, and it will be a bumpy ride back for several hours. We brought some snacks to avoid having to buy instant noodles at the rest stops along the way..."
Really ...I saw Huiqing, the monk who was chatting happily with my brother. Besides a shining bald head, he basically didn't change much. Taking off his cassock, putting on a baseball cap, and he became another trendy dude on the street.
The little apprentice seemed to have guessed my thoughts and whispered to me, “Master, you haven't worn any other clothes these past few years... just a few robes changing every now and then, not even returning home.”
Ah, yes... Master Huaisqing had once said that he couldn't become a monk because he hadn't married a wife. He must have a family.
Later, when faced with a crisis, I really became a monk...
The little apprentice spoke of his master with pride on his face: “Our temple is very famous, it's what…what… an internet celebrity check-in temple I don't quite understand… But all the noisy people in the temple have been driven away.”
"And Master is too much of a magnet for women! Once when he went to Taiwan to perform a ritual, the young widow, who was apparently a famous actress from before, was in her late thirties and took a liking to Master. He was so scared that he rushed back home that night."
I'm speechless.
This young Abbot, "Master," regardless of whether he's handsome or not, as long as his features are well-proportioned, he dresses appropriately, and he has made some progress in studying Buddhism, his overall demeanor appears to be much better than that of ordinary people.
That's what Tang Seng's flesh is.
"Then you'd better protect your master well. If you ever see any bad romances trying to get close to him, stir the pot and stop it quickly. Don't let it interfere with his cultivation." I reminded him.
The young monk widened his eyes and solemnly nodded, "Yes! Rest assured, all the senior brothers, uncles, and grandmasters in the temple have reminded me many times! I will definitely protect Master's reputation!"
Pff... I really want to touch this child's little bald head, it's kind of cute.
But this isn't my child, he's a little master. There are differences between men and women, and he is a practitioner. As cute as he is, I can't just pinch him.
"...So that female ghost was an outsider princess eight hundred years ago The outsiders during that period in history were quite fierce, weren't they" Master Huisqing was engrossed in conversation with my brother and didn't notice his young disciple talking to me.
"Yeah, what's she called, Princess Siman It probably isn't her full name..." My brother said with a sneer.
Master Huisqing frowned and pondered for a moment: “ … I seem to have seen these two characters in some wild history books or collections of legends about Tibetan Buddhism. Her full name should be Yesu Siman, right She’s probably from an ethnic group like the Xiongnu…”
"Dude, you actually know about this obscure princess from some ancient history book What kind of books do you read! Forbidden texts Do they have illustrations" My brother exclaimed.
"What illustrations!" Master Huiqing angrily said. "Do you need illustrations Can't you just use your imagination"
Pfft… My little monk and I almost choked on our laughter.
My brother laughed until his stomach hurt, waving his hands and saying, "Alright, alright, you're too much, you're too much... Those rich ladies who spend 9999 incense sticks to call you 'Master' every day would be over the moon if they knew how awesome you are."
"The high and mighty Abbot Huisqing uttered a cold Amitabha Buddha, 'Gold and silver are not eternal, red lips and white teeth are the most harmful to the heart. As a monk, I don't associate with women, so what kind of rich wives...' "
After a pause, he earnestly said, "Those are called incense donors. They give alms to the temple for merit. Could a monk stop them from donating"
My brother shook his head silently and smiled, whispering, “If you came out to stop them from donating, they might donate even more fiercely! Don’t believe me Try it.”
Huis Qing the monk was taken aback and earnestly asked, “......Why”
"I understand rich women's psychology better than you. … These wealthy and idle socialites who can’t find a sense of existence, if they see that donating money can impress you, they will definitely be more enthusiastic. Anyway, these women have already figured it out, their husbands have a lot of money, instead of spending it on mistresses, they might as well spend it on themselves."
Hui Qing nodded: "That makes sense, I'll give it a try when I get back."
"You two have gone too far..." I couldn't help but facepalm. "Huis Qing is a highly respected monk, he can't do this kind of thing."
Master Huisqing shook his head. "No, the current Tongxuan Conference needs funding, and I'm using temple incense money to make up for it."
I was taken aback. Tong Xuan would have a dedicated team for Lin Yanhuan's behind-the-scenes funding and expense reimbursement. Even if Lin Yanhuan couldn't sign right now, the people under him were still operating. In just one or two months, it wouldn't be possible for Tong Xuan to cut off its support funds, right
> Please note: The text " >" itself doesn't contain any content to translate. I have removed it from my response. Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!led and said, “Me Shouldn’t that be a question for you If you don’t want to give birth, we won’t. Anyway, sooner or later you’ll attain immortality, so it’s fine to make up for it then.” He raised an...