Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 740 Ticket Money

The opening ceremony was completed at just past 10 a.m.

Whether they are fellow practitioners or devout believers, they are all guests who have come with invitations, so naturally they should be treated to a meal.

Once you enter a Taoist temple, you should definitely try the Taoist cuisine.

Taoist cuisine is divided into vegetarian and meat-based banquets. Although Chaoyang Temple belongs to the Quanzhen School, it is serving a meat-based banquet today.

After all, among the guests were twenty or thirty veteran boxing masters, and their disciples, which made up half of the guests. Martial arts practitioners are known for their large appetites, so it would be difficult to fill their stomachs with just vegetarian food.

Among the other half of the guests, several veteran soldiers, needless to say, were also big eaters, and even the last group of Taoist priests, large and small, included many members of the Zhengyi sect who were not averse to either meat or vegetables.

In this case, only meat feasts are allowed.

In the kitchen in the backyard, Liu Juan and Ma Lan were busy with the help of several young Taoist priests. After the ceremony in front of them ended, Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili also came over to help.

A total of thirteen tables of banquet were prepared today, all of which were to be prepared by the two head chefs, Liu Juan and Ma Lan. Although preparations began three days ago, Chen Fan had high standards and even taught them how to cook Taoist dishes, so they naturally took extra care.

Before learning, they didn't realize it, but after following Chen Fan to learn this Taoist meat feast, Liu Juan and her companion belatedly realized what skills they had acquired.

This is a skill that can be passed down through generations and make a living. In the future, when all the Taoist temples reopen and prosper, I might be able to find a decent job with this skill.

At the very least, one can do what some chefs do: get a certificate from the local street office and open a small restaurant.

However, neither of them has any plans to switch jobs for the time being; they want to focus on making sure today's banquet goes well first.

Later generations have seen a wide variety of Taoist cuisines, including Xuzhou Taoist cuisine, Maoshan Taoist health banquet, Longhushan Tianshi Bagua banquet, Wudang Tai Chi banquet, Qingcheng longevity banquet, and so on.

In fact, most of these Taoist banquets, which claim to have been passed down from certain eras and people, are just made-up stories. Apart from a few dishes, most of them are created by chefs in later generations to cater to tourism promotion.

At that time, the cultural tourism war was raging across the country, and Taoist cuisine became one of the promotional gimmicks. Chen Fan didn't have money to travel, so he liked to watch travel and food programs, and he didn't miss any of them.

Now, searching his memory, even without much of the cooking process, he reconstructed dozens of Taoist dishes, and then carefully selected thirteen of them, subtly matching the numbers of the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams, to create today's banquet.

Chen Fan was confident that from this day forward, when Taoist sects talked about eating, they would think of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Banquet at Chaoyang Temple today.

With this banquet as a foundation, the incense at Chaoyang Temple should soon flourish!

Ahem, as for whether other Taoist temples accept the offer or not, that has nothing to do with Abbot Chen.

Anyway, those who cultivate the Tao aim for a carefree and unrestrained life, doing whatever they please, whether they want to join in or not, let them be.

With some time still to go before the banquet began, Chen Fan started his sermon in the main hall of the central courtyard.

Of the three groups, Li Shangde chatted with the eight veterans in the side hall, while Zhang Xuansong and Lin Yuanxiang were in the front yard, keeping company with martial arts figures from various factions in the capital. Because they were the largest group, they occupied the entire front yard.

The remaining high-ranking Taoist priests from all sides, except for the young Taoist priests who were helping with odd jobs in the backyard, all gathered in the main hall of the central courtyard.

Since it is the opening of a Taoist temple, there must be a debate on the scriptures and the Tao, so that Taoist masters from all sides can test the abbot's Taoist skills and see what abilities he has to be the abbot of this temple.

If one's Taoist skills are mediocre, it won't be a big deal, but one's status in the Taoist community of the capital will be anything but high.

Conversely, if it can be recognized by many high-ranking Taoist priests, even if this Chaoyang Temple is just a small courtyard with three courtyards, it can still shine brightly and become a pearl in the Taoist community of the capital and even the whole country.

He doesn't even need to promote himself; countless fellow Daoists will sing his praises.

This "merit" is not the merit of achievement, but the merit of the Way.

In short, it's all about flattery.

At this moment, Chen Fan sat cross-legged on the futon in front of the statue, his eyes half-open and half-closed, his breathing barely perceptible, his face radiant with divine light, and his skin as smooth and warm as jade, a truly virtuous and genuine appearance.

Most of the Taoist priests present had been practicing for many years; some chanted scriptures, some meditated, and some traveled to various places to accumulate merit. Their methods of practice were all different.

Although they may not necessarily have high cultivation levels themselves, they are knowledgeable and have eyes that seem to have fiery vision. How could they not see that Chen Fan's Taoist skills are superb, and that he is practicing the highest level of Taoist cultivation, the dual cultivation of body and mind?

The Taoist priests couldn't help but marvel, wondering how this Qinglian Taoist had cultivated his skills. Even if one started cultivating from the womb, acquiring such Taoist power wouldn't be easy.

Such talent, if it were in ancient times, would probably have produced a true master.

"True Man" is both a state of being and a title. However, it is not self-proclaimed, but rather bestowed by the reigning emperor, equivalent to "Celestial Master." During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, when Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master of the Zhengyi sect, first paid homage to the emperor, the Hongwu Emperor exclaimed: "Does Heaven have a teacher? Change the title to True Man."

From then on, "True Person" became the highest realm for Taoist practitioners in the human world.

At this moment, in the eyes of many high-ranking Taoist priests, Master Qinglian, even if he hadn't reached that level yet, was already very close.

After the sermon began, Chen Fan didn't say much. He first read a passage from a classic text of the Yushan School and expounded on the doctrines of Quanzhen Taoism.

In fact, Quanzhen Taoism is not a pure Taoist sect, but rather emphasizes the "harmony of the three teachings," which means it combines Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Even the doctrines of the sect are taken from the classics of these three schools, including the Tao Te Ching, the Qingjing Jing, the Xiaojing Jing, and the Xin Jing. Finally, Wang Chongyang compiled the "Fifteen Treatises on the Establishment of Quanzhen Taoism."

However, Chen Fan didn't bring out this part of the content. He himself didn't follow the rules in it, so why should he recite it? He just picked and chose some from a few scriptures to recite.

After reciting the script, I will now share my own insights and experiences.

Compared to the cultivation of oneself through Taoist practices, this part can be called "theory," which is the understanding and insight into the Taoist scriptures.

Compared to the previous parts, this was the main event, so all the high-ranking cultivators perked up and stared intently at this living immortal.

Chen Fan opened his eyes, glanced at the crowd, and said solemnly, "Taoists cultivate themselves to seek transcendence, revering Heaven and ancestors, seeking freedom from worldly affairs, and accumulating merit and virtue to attain tranquility. Each sect and school holds countless secret cultivation methods. However, the world is ever-changing and impermanent. Today, we will not discuss leaving the world, but only engaging with it..."

It's basically about how to integrate Taoism with mainstream society. In ancient times, it was about how to curry favor with the imperial court; now, it's about how to serve society and the people.

This topic will be old news decades from now, but now, although it's not new, the content is quite novel.

As early as the founding of the People's Republic of China, relevant leaders put forward requirements for the religious community, saying that the new era requires new tasks, and this is what they were referring to.

They can manage to get those Taoist priests to do their cultivation, but they're completely baffled by this new task.

As a result, many people put into practice the simple principle of "being a good person and doing good deeds." For example, Liu Gaogong was almost always available to help in the Taoist community in the capital. He often helped small Taoist temples repair their buildings and renovate their statues, and he also helped the poor and distressed in society.

There are also some Taoist priests who practice medicine and treat the sick free of charge.

They are all responding to the leader's initiative.

So when Chen Fan got to this point, they all listened intently.

Chen Fan's viewpoint was much more novel: "Taoism, as the most orthodox religion in my country, has a long history and is closely linked to my country's core cultural values. From philosophical thought and moral norms to culture, art, and social customs, it is integrated with society."

Those of us who cultivate the Tao can begin here, guiding people towards goodness, promoting culture, and so on…

His remarks broadened the horizons of Master Liu and many other high-ranking Taoist priests, as if they had suddenly gained enlightenment.

It turns out it's possible?!
Chen Fan continued, “Now we are in the midst of reform. Zheng Xuan said: ‘Reform means change. Water and fire cease to coexist and take over, just as a king receives the mandate of heaven, corrects the calendar, and changes the colors of clothing; hence it is called reform. On the day after, there will be trust, great success, favorable and auspicious, and regret will disappear.’”

It says, 'Trust was established after a few days, things went smoothly, making it easier to persevere, and regret disappeared.'

Our Taoist school has always followed the principles of "the highest good is like water" and "doing without doing." If that's the case, shouldn't the Taoist school also adapt to social reforms, like water flowing naturally and changing with the times? ... This passage means that Taoist friends should not be high and mighty clay idols, but should go deep into society, accumulate good deeds and virtues, practice morality, and combine Taoist ideas with the new requirements of society, and so on.

Moreover, the reforms align with the hexagram's interpretation; if we persist, we will see the benefits and will not regret it later.

This is quite difficult. They are Taoist priests, yet they are more Buddhist than Buddhist monks. As a result, Buddhist temples have become more and more prosperous in later generations, while Taoist temples have become more and more tranquil.

Can't it be changed?
At that moment, Chen Fan suddenly had the urge to write a novel. Without the movie "Shaolin Temple," Buddhist temples might not have become so popular. So, how about writing "The Taoist Priest Comes Down the Mountain"?
Hmm, let's use Master Zhang as the prototype, make some dramatic adaptations, and finally make it into a movie. I think people would watch it, right?
However, this kind of kung fu movie might not be well made in mainland China, so it might be necessary to find people from Hong Kong.

At this moment, Chen Fan suddenly realized that he seemed to have set himself too many tasks.

When I went to the Foreign Trade College to find Huang Ying, I met the old gatekeeper and told him that I wanted to write a war novel, but I haven't even come up with an outline yet.

I went to the frontier a few days ago and collected more than a dozen story summaries. Now I want to write about the Taoist priest descending the mountain.

When will I ever finish writing this?
Chen Fan suddenly thought of Jiang Tiantian... It's time to train a few good "tools"!
After the sermon ended, Master Liu and the others bowed and expressed their gratitude.

As the saying goes, cultivating the Tao is about cultivating the mind. Having lived to their age, everyone has their own understanding of the Taoist scriptures. It's normal for some to agree with Chen Fan's interpretation and others to disagree.

However, no one doubted the Taoist master Qinglian's profound knowledge of Taoist scriptures. He was able to glean his own insights from the scriptures and thus could be called a "high master".

In addition, his Daoist skills are almost at the level of a True Person. If we were to be serious, looking at the entire Daoist community in the country, let alone those who surpass him, even those who are comparable to him can be counted on one hand.

From this point on, Chaoyang Temple was able to establish itself firmly in the Taoist world, instead of relying on the money and 500 jin of grain coupons that Chen Fan had given them as a favor.

At noon, the Daoist banquet began.

The banquet was held in the backyard, which was originally the living quarters for the resident Taoist priests. It had a scripture hall, dormitories, and a dining hall. The dining hall was a place for Taoist priests from all sides to eat. There were four square tables set up in the small dining hall, which were just the right size if you squeezed in a little.

Li Shangde then accompanied the eight veterans to a separate table in the prayer hall.

The remaining martial arts practitioners from the capital city enjoyed an open-air banquet in the courtyard, which also had eight tables.

Fortunately, Chen Fan had foreign currency in his pocket, so he went directly to the vegetable market in the embassy district to buy groceries, which enabled him to afford this banquet. For an ordinary family, they could at most ensure that they had enough steamed buns and four dishes and a soup on the table to be considered a grand occasion.

Wearing a yellow robe, Chen Fan, accompanied by Taoist Liu, invited everyone to take their seats.

Taoist cuisine differs from ordinary banquets in that all dishes are served first before guests are invited to take their seats.

So what the guests saw at this moment was a square table with two layers of dishes arranged in a circle. The table was square, and the dishes were arranged in a circle, which perfectly matched the concept of a round heaven and a square earth.

If it's a large round table, then the food should be arranged in an octagonal shape; there are specific rules for food presentation.

In the very center of the table is a bowl of Tai Chi soup, made with silverfish, chicken, shepherd's purse, egg whites, and other ingredients, and cooked with a broth that has been simmered for more than four hours.

The guests here today are either old Taoist priests who have suffered for many years or roughnecks who don't care about the food. Where have they ever seen such refined Taoist cuisine?!
Only Master Liu had seen the world when he was a child, but how many years have passed since then?

So almost everyone was immediately stunned, and no one dared to touch the exquisite Tai Chi soup.

Chen Fan sat at the main table, where the abbots of various Taoist temples in the capital and important figures in the Taoist Association were also present. Among them was Master Liu.

He first bowed to the people at the table, then stood up, said a few polite words, picked up a soup spoon, stirred the Tai Chi soup, and loudly recited, "Break the Tai Chi and restore the primordial chaos. Everyone, please."

There are two ways to eat Tai Chi soup. The first way is to pick out the yin-yang eye and give it to the main guest and the secondary guest. The line where yin and yang intersect is given to the host, and the other two colors are eaten separately.

Another method, like Chen Fan's, is to mix the two colors of soup together and eat them together.

The former is suitable for a single banquet, while the latter is suitable for a group banquet.

Seeing that the abbot had taken a spoon, everyone picked up their chopsticks and the meal officially began.

A banquet is usually a lively affair, full of laughter and chatter, but at this Taoist feast, the guests ate in complete silence.

Inside the prayer hall, an old soldier took a sip of Tai Chi soup, then quickly picked up a piece of "Immortal Chicken," and asked in a moment, "Old Li, where did you find your cook?"

The person opposite nodded repeatedly, swallowed the fish in his mouth, looked at a card on the table with the names of the dishes written on it, and said, "Tai Chi Soup, Immortal Chicken, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, hey, Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea is this fish head tofu, right? And is that lotus seed inside Lan Caihe? With such a nice name, hiring this chef must have been expensive, right?"

Li Shangde squinted and chuckled, saying, "Old Zhang's Taoist temple has just opened, so he can't afford a chef. It's all cooked by his own people. But these dishes were taught by our apprentice. He's a cultured man, you know, he's read a lot and knows a lot. He came up with this big table of dishes and then taught Xiao Liu and Xiao Ma's daughters how to cook them."

The other person looked at him and couldn't help but speak up, "I can tell now, you're asking for money as a gift."

One of the people next to him said, "This Taoist priest Zhang only showed his face to us, and he still has the nerve to accept money as gifts?"

Despite saying that, he pulled out a handful of envelopes from his pocket and slammed them on the table, saying, "Even if he's busy, he should at least say who's receiving the money."

Li Shangde waved his hand and chuckled, “There’s no such thing as monetary gifts, it’s all incense money. When Taoist priests from other temples come to give gifts, that’s what we call offering gifts. You are all believers, so you should just offer incense directly. The donation box in the main hall should already be set up, so you can put it in there later.”

Upon hearing this, everyone forgot about their food and stared wide-eyed at Li Shangde.

After a moment, an old man shook his head and sighed, "Giving money as a gift is considered a favor, but you guys are doing it by directly accepting incense money. It's obvious you don't want to pay it back."

Li Shangde remained unmoved, still smiling, "This is what Old Zhang said. Offering incense is accumulating merit. He will have Xiao Fan recite the scriptures for you a couple more times to pray for the Dao Ancestor's blessing."

Everyone was speechless. They could tolerate being scammed by Zhang the Taoist priest before, since they all knew he was going to build a Taoist temple. But now that the temple was built, was it really appropriate for him to still try to scam people?
At this moment, an old man's eyes lit up, and he grinned and said, "Well then, forget about chanting sutras and praying for blessings. I heard that your apprentice is quite good at painting. Just paint a picture for me later."

Upon hearing this, everyone else's eyes lit up.

At this moment, Li Shangde rolled his eyes and spoke up before they could, "You're not much to look at, but you're dreaming. Do you think I don't know his paintings are valuable? With your meager gifts, you want a painting? Hmph, it's only worth the entrance fee at most."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces fell.

The man shook his head repeatedly, took a bite of the braised meat (whose name he didn't know), and said, "Now I understand what it means to be influenced by one's company. Old Li, you've been hanging out with Taoist Zhang for too long and you've been corrupted."

The others nodded in agreement.

Li Shangde didn't seem to care, grinning as he said, "Don't say I didn't warn you, did you see those people in the courtyard outside?"

Everyone turned to look, and in the courtyard outside the window, Chen Fan had taken off his Dharma robes and was only wearing a Taoist robe. He was holding a wine cup in one hand and moving between several tables, offering wine to the people there.

The old man turned around and said, "Isn't he the guy you guys beat up back then? Oh, you guys got beaten up by others too, it was just a lot of fighting. I was just about to ask, what, are you letting bygones be bygones now?"

Li Shangde smiled and shook his head, "It's all for the sake of sparring, there's no grudge involved."

He paused for a moment, then smiled meaningfully and said, "However, putting aside our grudges, Old Zhang's Chaoyang Temple, besides being a Taoist temple, also has some martial arts skills passed down from his ancestors."

Upon hearing this, the old man instantly understood, and his eyes lit up. "There'll be a fight to watch later?"

The other person immediately asked, "Old Li, you shouldn't be able to fight anymore, right? Is it Lin Heizi or Zhang Daoshi?"

Li Shangde shook his head and laughed, "They want to test whether Chaoyang Temple has the ability to establish itself in the capital. Old Lin and Old Hei aren't from Chaoyang Temple, so why are they fighting?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in surprise, and then all looked at Chen Fan in the courtyard outside.

The old man murmured, "Your apprentice... although he has performed well in the southwest, those people don't look easy to mess with. Will he be able to withstand a beating?"

(End of this chapter)