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Chapter 18: Reciprocity
In the Temple of Peace and Tranquility on the western side of the City.
Buddhist Master Guang Hong stood in front of the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas(万佛宝殿), his gaze calm as he looked into the distance, his prayer beads rotating in his hand.
Although building temples in bustling cities was not conducive to austere cultivation, they attracted the most incense offerings. Even before noon, the Temple of Peace and Tranquility was bustling with worshippers. The smoke from the incense burner could be seen clearly from several streets away; it was not something that the temple outside the city could compare with.
"Buddhist Master Guang Hong."
"Amitabha."
Every passing acquaintance greeted him with a bow, and he responded with a smile, but inwardly, he was not as calm as he appeared.
The night before, he had sent two Yakshas to cause trouble for the meddlesome Daoist in the city. However, the Yakshas had not returned, and there had been no contact with them since then. The method of paper Yaksha was by no means as simple as finding a piece of paper, drawing the appearance and runes of a Yaksha, and calling it complete. To bring the Yaksha to life and imbue it with spirituality, it required long-term accumulation. To enable the Yaksha to transform into a robust body that was difficult to destroy, continuous refinement was also necessary.
Those two pieces of paper were consumables to begin with; so it was not a big deal that they were gone. But losing the spirituality within them meant starting all over again.
Years of accumulation, but two-thirds of it was lost last night.
Buddhist Master Guang Hong knew the other party was formidable, but he still couldn't accept it.
Thinking that "perhaps the other party just happened to recognize the paper Yakshas and happened to know to use fire to restrain them, thus gaining an advantage," Buddhist Master Guang Hong had sent his Dream Ghost(梦鬼) again last night, initiating the second battle.
But to his surprise, when he cast the spell at three in the morning, the dream ghost had not returned by five in the morning. It was only when dawn was approaching that it finally returned.
It turned out that the other party had placed a talisman at the door.
Just this talisman had kept the dream ghost lingering outside the door anxiously, unable to enter until dawn forced its return.
The dream ghost often entered people's dreams, creating either nightmares or pleasant dreams. It was a great helper in garnering incense offerings and could even take lives in dreams, beyond the knowledge of deities and ghosts. After years of being supported by the temple incense offerings, the dream ghost was far superior in both abilities and intelligence compared to ordinary Yaoguais, yet it was stopped by a simple talisman.
Buddhist Master Guang Hong was immediately alarmed.
Apart from the Yakshas and the dream ghost, he didn't have any other abilities left. Now, how would he not know that the other party's abilities were far superior to his own?
Anxiously, he ordered the last paper Yaksha, and a few paper soldiers to stay inside the room until he heard the temple bell ring at dawn. Only then did his heart settle slightly. When a disciple came to call him for a meal, he finally emerged from his state of anxiety and gradually realized that the other party was unlikely to know it was his doing since he was new to Yidu.
Yidu was vast, and its streets teemed with people. How could the other party possibly locate him? And who would dare entertain the thought that the revered monk of the Temple of Peace and Tranquility was the one using evil spirits to harm people?
Unconsciously, it was already noon.
Buddhist Master Guang Hong turned his head and saw the novice monk ringing the bell in the attic.
...
"Dong!"
"Dong!"
The melodious sound of the bell echoed far away.
Song You, dressed in an old robe, ascended the steps.
A calico cat followed behind him, looking around incessantly.
There were many worshippers coming and going.
Among them, one could also see many wanderers of the martial arts world. It was unclear whether they'd grown accustomed to lodging in temples or if they'd wandered into the city without finding a place to stay, thus resorting to lodging here.
"The incense offerings here are truly abundant."
As a practitioner from a Daoist temple and the successor of a Daoist temple, Song You considered himself half a peer to the monks here. Seeing so many worshippers, his first thought was to calculate how much incense money they could earn each day based on the revenue model of Crouching Dragon Temple.
The head of the household surely had to handle the essentials of daily life like firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
Practitioners also had to eat.
"Meow~" the calico cat echoed his thoughts, at the same time raising her head high and looking at the Buddha statues in the hall on the left and right, as well as the giant incense burners filled with incense.
If she had known she was coming to someone else's temple, she probably wouldn't have wanted to come. If she had known it was such a big temple, and all the deities were golden and the smoke was billowing, she definitely wouldn't have come.
Now she had to grit her teeth and go forward.
"Meow~" Pretending to be an ordinary cat was hard work.
Song You didn't understand what she was saying, but he slowed his pace and waited for her to catch up, walking side by side with her, observing as they walked.
Learning from the advanced experience of the peers.
In terms of expanding believers and attracting incense offerings, Buddhism in Dayan dealt a blow to Daoism.
Dayan's Daoism emphasized following one's heart, being free, and preferring to live and practice in one's own way. They often ignored the worshippers who came, and even often didn't take the wealthy patrons seriously.
Compared to Buddhism, they were somewhat aloof.
In this respect, Dayan's Buddhism was much more professional. They not only had a stronger missionary zeal but also could cater to the thoughts of believers and those in power more effectively.
The business of Buddhism was also broader.
Take the Temple of Peace and Tranquility, for example—
In addition to incense offerings, selling talismans and various consecrated items, exorcising and treating illnesses, handling funerals, giving names, and other services, they also provided accommodation and loans. Some large temples had thousands of mu(1 mu=0.16 acres) of land, which could be rented out for profit. Some temples in the city even functioned as commercial markets, with vendors setting up stalls nearby, paying them a fee.
As for Dayan's Daoist temples...
It all depended on the mood of the temple master if one wanted to stay overnight.
"Alas, it’s incomparable."
In theory, in a world full of deities and Buddhas, Daoism, as the native religion of Dayan, had the advantage of timing and geography. Moreover, the Heavenly Palace managed all the deities; at least in the legends of Dayan, the Red-Gold Emperor of the Heavenly Palace had the authority to command the Lord of a Thousand Buddhas. It wouldn't easily let Buddhism, an outsider, gain the upper hand. But the fact was that since Buddhism was introduced in Dayan, it had firmly established itself with its powerful operational ability and cohesion, and expanded rapidly.
Song You didn't have much opinion on this.
Originally a fraudulent Daoist, he harbored a deep understanding that deities and ghosts were all human constructs. In his view, Buddhism and Daoism held no intrinsic disparities; within both, one could find wise and ordinary individuals, as well as both good and bad. Moreover, distinguishing between the intelligence of those who followed or opposed either religion proved to be a challenging task.
But they were all just people.
With this thought in mind, Song You had already toured the temple and arrived at the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas in the center.
He stopped at the door and looked up, seeing two door couplets:
Embrace kindness, find peace within,
With a pure heart, let tranquil dreams begin.
In deeds of goodness, let your light shine bright,
Heaven, earth, and spirits acknowledge with delight.
Song You smiled and entered.
The thick smell of incense rushed over him.
In the center, the Lord of a Thousand Buddhas’ statue was majestic, surrounded by Bodhisattvas with compassionate or sorrowful expressions, while the Dharma protectors on both sides were stern and fierce.
Incense smoke wafted like clouds and mist.
Many worshipers were kneeling on cushions, men, women, old, and young alike. Some were silently praying, some were reciting aloud, and others were bowing before rising and leaving. There was a constant stream of people entering from outside, each finding a cushion to kneel on.
Countless prayers were shining brightly, hotter than the sun.
The cacophony of voices entered his ears.
Some begged for the help of Bodhisattvas to cure their family members' serious illnesses, some asked the Buddha to bless their business, some hoped for their children to succeed, some couldn't bear children, their pleading voices echoing in his ears.
"Alas..."
Before the Buddha, there was an abundance of incense offerings, yet myriad sorrows still pervaded life.
Song You sighed, looked around, but didn't see any monks here.
Checking the time, it was already mealtime.
After offering three sticks of incense, he turned around and spotted the calico cat hiding just outside the hall's threshold that was higher than her. With her two front paws clinging to the raised threshold, she stood, her little head peering eagerly over the edge, observing him intently.
Song You smiled and walked out again. "Let's go."
"Where to?"
"The Five Contemplations Hall(五观堂)."
"What's that?"
"A dining hall."
"Are you going to eat?"
"It's also an option."
Thinking of this, Song You suddenly stopped and put several copper coins into the offering box. He just decided to have lunch here. "The vegetarian meals at the Temple of Peace and Tranquility are said to be quite famous. I wonder if they'll let you in."
"Oh..." Lady Calico was still quite shaken by the top-tier fellow deities she had met before, and she hadn't fully recovered from it yet. Not daring to act rashly in this place, she submissively nodded.
Fortunately, the novices at the Five Contemplations Hall did not stop her.
Inside, it was bustling, filled with worshipers, and many monks were also dining. Although the monks and worshipers of the Temple of Peace and Tranquility were having meals together, most worshipers would not sit at the same table with monks. Only when there was no available space would they mix and sit together.
Song You scanned the area with a calm gaze, then headed towards one of the few available seats.
"Master, may I sit here?" he asked.
Buddhist Master Guang Hong instinctively assessed Song You—
His status at the Temple of Peace and Tranquility was not insignificant, a fact well-known among the worshipers. Despite monks and worshipers dining together at the Temple of Peace and Tranquility, out of respect, most worshipers wouldn't dare to sit at the same table with him. It was usually only honored guests who had the courage to approach him or were invited by him.
The man in front of Buddhist Master Guang Hong didn't look like an honored guest.
Upon seeing the unfamiliar individual and noticing that the Five Contemplations Hall was nearly at capacity, he began to feel a sense of unease or apprehension creeping into his thoughts. But in any case, he couldn't refuse outright.
"Please."
"Thank you." Song You smiled and sat down, dining with Buddhist Master Guang Hong, two other monks, and three honored guests.
There weren't many good dishes. With pickled radishes, fermented tofu, and two plates of side dishes, he drank a bowl of vegetable porridge, feeling that there was nothing special about the taste. He then roughly understood that the fame of the vegetarian meals here was probably due to their friendliness to the lower-class people and their long-standing practice of offering free porridge.
Meanwhile, one by one, the people at the same table finished their meals, politely excused themselves, and left the table. However, Master Guang Hong seemed preoccupied and ate slowly.
As he ate, he suddenly heard someone calling him.
"Master Guang Hong."
Buddhist Master Guang Hong looked up and saw the young worshipper who had come last, looking at him calmly.
Unknowingly, he now had a cat by his side.
"Amitabha." Buddhist Master Guang Hong temporarily set aside his worries and placed his chopsticks across his bowl, bowing respectfully, his voice gentle: "Does patron recognize this humble monk?"
"I do."
The worshiper smiled while gazing at him and then spoke again: "But Master Guang Hong doesn't seem to recognize me."
"Hmm?" Buddhist Master Guang Hong felt a sudden sense of foreboding in his heart and promptly apologized: “This monk apologizes for his forgetfulness. May he inquire about your esteemed name, patron?"
"Surname Song, given name You."
"Who?" Buddhist Master Guang Hong was taken aback, his eyes wide open.
His reaction instantly attracted the attention of many people.
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