Tongtian Bamboo Repair

Chapter 401 Yehuo Honglian Temple

When Zhang Miao entered the temple, he found that two great monks were already sitting in the temple. One of the great monks was the one he had seen before, and the other great monk was also wearing yellow clothes, with a golden lion lying beside him. But when the golden lion saw Zhang Miao, his eyes were slightly askew, and he seemed a little aggrieved.

Seeing Zhang Miao come in, the great monk smiled and said, "Little novice monk, we meet again!"

Zhang Miao quickly saluted, and the great monk said: "Last time I said goodbye in a hurry and didn't introduce myself. Poor monk, this is Haizhu. We are both high-ranking masters of Honglian Temple. This beast's name is Ah Huang. , is the Ah Huang Mao you saw in the illusion that day, he is a golden lion and is the mount of Junior Brother Haizhu."

Listening to Monk Shenzhi's introduction, Zhang Miao quickly saluted Monk Haizhu.

In Honglian Sect, or in Buddhism. Buddhist monks generally do not talk about the realm of Taoist practice. Buddhism has its own set of realms. The realm of Buddhism is linked to status. To put it more clearly, Buddhism has professional titles.

Initially, there was a white body, that is, an ordinary believer who failed to pass the first Buddhist examination. After passing the first Buddhist examination, one can be promoted to a novice, and after passing the second Buddhist examination, one can become a senior novice. If you pass the third Buddhist examination, you will be a Dharma master.

Above the mage is the seat master, and above the seat master is the high-ranking seat master. Above the high-ranking master is the Dharma King, and above the Dharma King is the Grand Dharma King.

These 'professional titles' have nothing to do with cultivation strength, and are purely Buddhist understanding. The practice of Buddhism is also very unique. As long as the 'professional title' can keep up, then you can receive the 'initiation ceremony' of the corresponding professional title and directly have the corresponding cultivation level.

For example, if you reach the 'professional title' of Great Dharma King, you can become a monk with 'similar strength to the Taoist realm' after receiving the initiation. Buddhism and Taoism have been entangled for a long time. Buddhism has learned many things from Taoism, and Taoism has also learned many things from Buddhism. Both of them corroborate each other.

There are many Buddhist monks who do not practice any magic at all. They just immerse themselves in scriptures and continuously deepen their Buddhist theories. When they reach the level of the Great Dharma King, they can directly become monks similar to the Hedao realm through initiation rituals. There are even some Buddhist monks who go even further. They practice Buddhism to an extremely profound level, and then directly become Buddhas through a ritual.

This was what the Buddha was like at that time. He meditated on the Buddhist path under the Bodhi tree for seven days and seven nights, and directly achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha. Of course, it is rare for a saint like Buddha to appear in millions of years. Most people will still understand Buddhism and practice Buddhism to increase their strength.

Therefore, a high-ranking master is also a mainstay in a temple, and can be regarded as a middle-to-upper-level leader.

Now two leaders came to Qingjing Temple and borrowed the place of Qingjing Temple to entertain Zhang Miao, so the current situation happened.

Monk Shenzhi was very polite, and he vaguely wanted to win over. Master Haizhu was very taciturn, but Zhang Miao saw that he had a strong energy that he had not unleashed. He gave Zhang Miao the feeling of being more dangerous than the Shenzhi monk.

As for the golden lion, he was sulking and was indifferent to Zhang Miao.

After the three of them sat down, Monk Shenzhi looked at Zhang Miao lovingly and said to Zhang Miao: "Lian Zhen, you have a very strong understanding. Although you are very young, you already have your own understanding of Buddhism. You really have deep wisdom." The seed is a good seed for cultivating Buddhism."

"We are very satisfied with your performance. When you arrive at the Red Lotus Sect, you should find a master to become a disciple. How about you become a disciple of mine?"

Zhang Miao was stunned. The novice monks like them who had just entered school had to become a disciple, just like they had to get to know the class teacher when they entered school. They would study in a large class, and only after the second Buddhist exam was over would they be eligible to become a disciple. He is a disciple of the master and continues to study with his master.

The seat teacher is very important to the novice, and a good seat teacher is a good guide. A bad tutor will waste time. But many times, novices are not qualified to choose a master, only the master is qualified to choose a novice. Now that Zhang Miao's qualifications are favored by Shenzhi and Haizhu, they directly want to appoint this disciple, fearing that they will have long nights and dreams in the future.

Seeing Zhang Miao's confused look, Shenzhi continued: "We have two sects in our Yehuo Honglian Temple, one is the Yehuo sect and the other is the Red Lotus sect. Apart from some different concepts, there is no difference between the two sects. . What you said that day is very consistent with the philosophy of the Karma Fire Sect, so we have the idea of ​​recruiting disciples."

"Although the two of us are only high-ranking masters, we are students of Master Gezan, the great Dharma King, and we are also people we can rely on. If you follow us, you will not be worse than others."

"If you practice with us, we can not only teach you Buddhism, but also teach you various Buddhist magical powers. For example, your uncle Haizhu, he is good at the three swords of Abi. This method is the number one Buddhist method for killing in this temple. If you don't I like this method, and I am also good at all things in the heart chakra. This method is as real as it is an illusion, and it is a first-class illusion method."

"Besides that, we can also provide you with various conveniences. Don't look at your Master Haizhu's silent appearance. In fact, he was born into a wealthy family in the Red Lotus Realm. His family is quite wealthy, and his teacher is rich. How can he be short-lived? Your use.”

When he said this, Monk Haizhu, who had been silent all this time, glanced at him and seemed to say, 'Junior brother is right.'

Zhang Miao didn't say a word, but the Shenzhi monk confessed a lot of things from his heart. It seems that he is really thirsty for talents...

Zhang Miao pondered for a while, and then he said to the monk Shenzhi: "Master values ​​me so much. If I don't agree, it will appear that I don't know how to praise you. I promise you that as long as I pass the second Buddhist exam, I will definitely worship him." Come in and take your seat.”

Both of them laughed with satisfaction upon hearing this, and then Monk Shenzhi coughed lightly and said, "You haven't officially reported yet and are still in the assessment stage. We can't help you openly."

He paused and said, "We have an old relationship with the abbot of Qingjing Temple. When you leave, he will give you some ritual procedures as a gift. This is reasonable. You can just accept it."

Zhang Miao understood as soon as he heard it. This was obviously not possible, but secretly it was possible.
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Zhang Miao stayed at Qingjing Temple for the next two days. When he left, the abbot of Qingjing Temple indeed gave him a protocol. It is said to be a ritual, but it is actually just a few scriptures, because giving away money is not allowed.

However, these scriptures are the required scriptures for the novice monk's second Buddhist exam. Giving these scriptures is actually to speed up Zhang Miao's progress. So, Zhang Miao was reading scriptures and rushing on the road. The rest of the journey was uneventful, and we soon arrived at the center of the Red Lotus World - Yehuo Honglian Temple.

Yehuo Honglian Temple is located in the absolute center of the Red Lotus World, and is known as the Crown of Red Lotus. Because there is a raised flat-topped mountain here. This mountain peak is very round, about a hundred feet high, and the top of the mountain is about three miles square. A huge temple stands on the top of the mountain.

Honglian Temple has white walls and red tiles. The entire temple looks like an eight-petaled lotus according to the topography. The entire Honglian Temple is forbidden and defensive, and everyone from the Buddha on down can only walk up the mountain via the plank road.

Once here, Zhang Miao released the green horse. Then start walking up the mountain. Honglian Peak is surrounded by straight cliffs, and on these cliffs, monks dug holes one after another, and then the monks inserted wood into the holes, and then laid planks on the wood to form plank roads. The plank road is steep, and next to it is a hundred-foot abyss. If one accidentally falls, he will really be killed. Even so, there are still many people who climb up the Red Lotus Temple on their knees step by step. This is a kind of practice of their faith.

Zhang Miao was walking on the plank road, and the winding plank road showed a zigzag shape. After walking for more than an hour, Zhang Miao finally arrived at the gate of Honglian Temple.

There is a plaque hanging high on the temple door. On the plaque are written five characters "Yehuo Honglian Temple". It is said that these five characters contain great supernatural powers and were written by a senior of Honglian Temple who achieved Buddhahood.

The whole temple is solemn and solemn, and the walking monks are serious. Zhang Miao entered the temple with the voucher and went to the first 'petal' of Honglian Temple - Lianxinyuan to report.

Lianxinyuan is where all novice monks live and move, and it is also where Zhang Miao will stay for a long time.

The senior brother from Lianxinyuan checked Zhang Miao's credentials, took Zhang Miao to the monk's room, told Zhang Miao some things and left. This monk's room is an eight-person room with a large bunk covered with straw mats. Other than that, there are no beddings or pillows.

Novice monks in Honglian Temple sleep without bedding. When they sleep, they just wrap themselves in monk clothes and fall asleep without even a pillow. It is said that Buddha lived like this before he became enlightened.

Zhang Miao arrived quite early. The official opening season for new novice monks every year is on the Buddha’s birthday. There are still more than ten days left before the Buddha's birthday, and it is estimated that most of the new novice monks are still on their way.

More than ten days later, Zhang Miao's monk's room was full of people. Zhang Miao was awarded the title of "the youngest in the dormitory" at the age of eleven. Among the new novices, the oldest one is already forty-two years old, and his children are all grown up. The youngest is Zhang Miao, and the median age is twenty-four.

Although he is young, others will not take special care of Zhang Miao. According to the precepts, you have to do your own things, regardless of young men or women. Fortunately, Zhang Miao is not really a child. He does things in an orderly manner and nothing goes wrong.

On the Buddha's birthday, the temple held a large-scale fasting ceremony, and new novice monks like Zhang Miao naturally wanted to join in the fun. The Dharma assembly was very lively, with eminent monks debating scriptures and giving lectures, and disciples and apprentices receiving initiations and meritorious deeds. There are large-scale chanting, various lotuses with tongues shining, and golden lotuses gushing from the ground.

After the Buddha's birthday, Zhang Miao officially started class. Novice monks need to recite sutras every day, and there are lecturers who specialize in teaching sutras. After the lecture is over, everyone will sort out their own affairs, and more senior brothers will come to give lectures.

In the early stages of becoming a Buddhist, you have to take exams, but after you become a master, there are no exams, but sutra debate. A dozen or dozens of monks gather together to explain their own Buddhist teachings. If they can convince others, they will win. The successful disciple will be promoted.

The Buddha liked to debate scriptures, and he often presided over debates. The Buddha said that the more Buddhist principles are debated, the clearer they become. You cannot cultivate great principles by practicing behind closed doors. Therefore, almost all Buddhist and Taoist temples have scripture debate activities.

Debating and reciting sutras can deepen Buddhism. Practicing Buddhism is another matter. Tantra practice focuses on the inheritance of master and disciple. Disciples learn from the teacher. It is said that the Dharma cannot enter the ears. When teaching the Dharma, there are basically only two masters and disciples. This is also a characteristic of Tantra.

However, Zhang Miao has not yet reached the level of practicing Buddhism. He can only shuttle to large classrooms every day and study scriptures with lecturers.

During the novice stage, one still learns Buddhist precepts. I have finished learning the thirty-six and nine precepts, and now I am starting to study the eighteen and thirty-six precepts. After finishing these two sutras, we will study the commentaries on the precepts and the Red Lotus Precepts. The Red Lotus Precepts are the unique precepts of the Red Lotus Sect and must be learned.

After you finish studying, you can sign up to take the second Buddhist exam. You need to register for this Buddhist exam by yourself, and you have one registration opportunity every year. If a new novice monk fails to pass the second Buddhist examination in three years, he will be dismissed from Honglian Temple. The retired novice monks either go to work as assistants in other small temples in the Red Lotus Realm, or return to lay life and return home to have children.

After the second Buddhist examination, the qualified disciple is the superior novice monk. Then they will carry out small class education, and there will be a gap between the top novices. Those with good test scores will enter the elite class and specialize in practicing Buddhism in the future.

Those with poor test scores will be admitted to regular classes and will also study Buddhism.

The future paths of the novices in these two classes are also different. After those in the elite class pass the third Buddhist examination and become masters, they will enter Bodhi Courtyard, Jieyin Courtyard and other places specializing in Buddhism for further study.

After the disciples in the ordinary class pass the Buddhist examination, they will enter the Vajra Monastery and the Zhunti Monastery to study Buddhism and practice Buddhism. As the saying goes, noble people cultivate cleanly, while mediocre people cultivate miscellaneously. This is where the separation of the novices begins.

However, there are also assessments for those who enter high-level monasteries. These monasteries have assessments every three years, and those with poor scores will be transferred to ordinary monasteries. Those with good grades will stay.

After being eliminated many times, the disciples of high-level monasteries will go to debate scriptures and become masters.

Buddhism has many precepts and strict hierarchies. Although all living beings are equal, it is equality in practice, not equality in class. Otherwise, Buddha would not have allowed the system of 'offerings' to exist.

Zhang Miao was busy studying every day. After a year, he applied for the second Buddhist examination.

The second Buddhist exam was much more difficult than the first because there were many more precepts to memorize, and there were also commentaries on the precepts, as well as Honglian Temple's own precepts. Taking this exam is more difficult than taking the lawyer's license exam. Those who take the lawyer's license exam are most likely to be bald, while those who take the Buddha's exam are likely to have split heads.

In three years and three opportunities, 70% of people will actually fail the exam and then leave sadly.

But there was no problem for Zhang Miao. He passed the second Buddhist test easily and got a high score of second place. In fact, this ranking is not important. There is no reward for the first place, and the second place will not be far behind.

The top novices who pass the second Buddhist examination will get a new dress. This dress is moon-white, which represents the purity of the novice and his freedom from mud.

After becoming a novice monk, Zhang Miao moved out of the eight-person Datong shop and into a small single dormitory. Accommodation conditions have improved, and status has also improved. When other novice monks see Zhang Miao, they all respectfully call him "senior brother".

Then, Zhang Miao started learning new Buddhist scriptures!

(End of this chapter)