Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 220: No idle gods are allowed in China!
Han Dynasty.

Buddhism first entered the Central Plains.

In order to pass on the Taoist tradition, he deliberately confused Buddhism with other magical techniques, making people at that time believe that Laozi and Buddha were one and the same.

This is why Yu Huan, a doctor of the Wei Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, wrote in Wei Lue: Biography of the Western Rong that "the records in the Buddhist scriptures are different from the Laozi Sutra in China. It is believed that Laozi went west through the Western Regions and went to India to teach 29 Hu Buddhist disciples. It is impossible to record them in detail, so I just give them a brief description."

As time passed, it came to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Due to the promotion of the Jin Dynasty royal family, Buddhism flourished and its strength continued to grow.

Gods and Buddhas are all celestial beings and may not care about anything, but Taoists, monks and nuns are ordinary mortals and have all seven emotions and six desires.

Just like ordinary people, when they become rich and powerful, they will be willing to repair their ancestral tombs, build ancestral halls, and compile family trees. The same is true for Buddhism.

The powerful Buddhist sect officially announced that Taoism and Buddhism are different, and no longer recognizes that Laozi and Buddha are one and the same. All the previous things were rumors.

The speed at which the Buddhist community changes its attitude towards people is faster than pulling up their pants.

Although the Taoist sect hated the Buddhist sect's "riding on the glory", the sudden rise of Buddhism and the denial of the past also made the Taoist sect angry. They vowed to teach this unknown foreign sect a lesson. The dispute between Taoism and Buddhism emerged and became more acute.

It turns out that a thing or a force is difficult to destroy when it is on the rise.

Taoism used its supreme power to try to destroy Buddhism, but due to the deliberate bias of the Sima family of the Jin Dynasty royal family, Taoism was defeated time and time again.

During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, the Taoist sect, which had broken through the Great Defense, changed the "History of the Western Regions" into "Laozi Huahu Jing" in order to fight against Buddhism.

It is said in the scriptures that Laozi rode on the essence of the sun into the womb of King Suddhodana's wife, Jingmiao, in India. After he was born, he called himself Sakyamuni, established Buddhism, and began to educate the Indians. This is the so-called "Laozi's conversion to Buddhism."

Sakyamuni is just an incarnation of Laozi.

This time.

When it comes to Buddhism, the defense has been broken.

Buddhism and Taoism competed with each other for their own strengths and weaknesses, and the so-called "barbarian-Chinese dispute" began.

Because the incident of Buddhism taking advantage of Taoism during the Han Dynasty has always existed and has been circulated in the world, the two religions each hold their own opinions and neither can convince the other.

In order to fight back, the Buddhist sect also "drafted" scriptures, saying that Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, and Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, were both disciples of the Buddha.

Laozi is the Taoist Bodhisattva, and Confucius is the Confucian Bodhisattva.

Originally, the Confucians were just there to watch the fun and add fuel to the fire, but who would have thought that the Buddhists would be so arrogant?
There must be rain in the sky, and woe to the madness.

Confucianism joined in attacking Buddhism, and the struggle between Taoism and Buddhism was immediately reversed. Even though the Sima family stepped in, Buddhism was still defeated by the Confucianism and Taoism together.

Twenty-seven false scriptures were burned, and the Buddhist monk who fabricated the false scriptures died on the spot. Buddhism paid a heavy price.

Later, Buddhism only dared to argue with Taoism in the "Laozi Huahu Jing", but did not dare to drag Confucianism into battle again.

During the Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties, dozens of debates took place between Taoism and Buddhism.

Especially in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, because Qiu Chuji traveled thousands of miles to persuade Genghis Khan, the Quanzhen Sect became powerful and printed Wang Fu's "Laozi Huahu Jing" on a large scale, and created the "Laozi 81 Transformations" and distributed them in large quantities.

It clearly declared that Taoism and Buddhism were both founded by Laojun, that Chinese civilization began with Laojun, that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were all taught by Laojun's incarnations, and that Laozi and Sakyamuni were both incarnations of Laojun, which brought the whole thing to a climax.

The Buddhist sect was furious and almost started a real debate with the Taoist sect. In order to calm the anger of the Buddhist disciples, Emperor Mongke of the Yuan Dynasty convened two debates between Buddhism and Taoism.

The debate in the eighth year of Emperor Xianzong of Yuan Dynasty was the largest and longest Buddhist-Taoist debate in history.

In the 28th year of the Zhiyuan reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, the Zen monk Xiangmai was ordered to record the entire incident in a book titled "Record of Distinguishing Falsehoods".

In July of the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty, Mengge ordered Prince Kublai Khan to summon more than 300 monks and 200 Taoists from all over the country. There were 17 representatives from each of the Buddhist and Taoist sects. On the Buddhist side, Elder Fu Yu of the Shaolin Temple was the "leader"; on the Taoist side, Zhang Zhijing (Zhang Zhenren), the "temporary leader" of the Quanzhen Taoism, was the "leader".

The two sides debated over Taoist books such as "The Eighty-one Transformations of Laojun", "The Laozi Transformation Sutra" and other Taoist books that "slander Buddhism".

The so-called "Nine Classes of Eminent Men", including Confucian scholars, gathered at the imperial palace in Shangdu. More than 200 people, including the prime minister, ministers and Confucian scholars who were responsible for "witnessing righteousness", attended the gathering.

The debate was presided over by Kublai Khan, and National Master Namo, National Master Ba Siba, National Master Xifan and others who were in charge of Buddhist affairs were also present.

During the debate, the Buddhist side was well prepared and focused on questions such as whether the "Hua Hu Jing" was said by Lao Tzu, what Buddha is, whether Lao Tzu went to India to convert the Hu people and become a Buddha, and whether Taoists could chant mantras to remain unburned when entering fire, ascend in broad daylight, bring back souls, and preserve semen for long-term vision. They asked the Taoists to answer questions, and Kublai Khan and State Master Ba Siba also personally questioned the Taoists.

This method of falsification is purely the Buddhist sect's rogue behavior and the Yuan Dynasty royal family's biased attitude. After all, the Taoist sect cannot display these magical powers, and the Buddhist sect is also unable to display those so-called Buddhist teachings.

The Taoist priest admitted defeat, and the "Laozi Huahu Jing" was regarded as a fake scripture and burned.

But such a debate obviously could not convince the public. The scriptures could be burned, but the texts could be passed down orally.

On the issue of "Laozi Huahu Jing", Buddhism has attacked Taoism and Confucianism. Using this as an issue for Confucianism is truly murderous and heart-breaking.

A new three-way debate is about to begin, and everyone in the hall has a feeling of witnessing history again. The Buddhist sect will once again fight one against two to disprove the "Laozi Huahu Jing".

Zhu Houcong readily agreed to the Buddhist issues proposed by the cabinet.

Buddhist issues, the theory of Laozi converting the barbarians.

The Taoist issue among the three religions becomes the simplest thing, which is the mentioned "Laozi's Eighty-one Transformations".

Also known as "Illustrated Account of the Manifestations of Laozi throughout the Ages", it depicts Laozi's manifestations from the beginning of time to the fifth year of Shaosheng in the Song Dynasty. It is a symbol of the existence of Taoist gods and Buddhas.

When Sima Qian wrote the biography of Laozi Li Er in "Records of the Grand Historian", he left behind the following mysteries: "He spoke more than 5,000 words on morality and ethics and left, and no one knows where he ended up" and "Laozi was a hidden gentleman", which are open to many interpretations.

Gods and Buddhas must appear in person frequently to prove their existence to the world and attract believers.

However, if the Taoist tradition has been interrupted or severed, it will lose its meaning of reverence.

Since ancient times, the Chinese people have attached great importance to reality. I give you incense and you guarantee what I ask for.

If I burn incense and you fail to fulfill my wish, I will smash your Buddha statues and destroy your Taoist temples and Buddhist temples.

Buddhism originated from India. As for the history before it came to the East, Buddhism can make up stories at will and there is no way to verify it, but Taoism must have proof.

Local beliefs are facing the greatest test.

In short.

There is no place for idle gods in China!
(End of this chapter)