Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 836: Arrogant
Compared to the bustling and crowded Chaoyang Temple every day, Baiyun Temple, which has not yet been restored, is much quieter.

Zhang Xuansong had previously complained that Chaoyang Temple was too small, resulting in too many worshippers and a lack of spaciousness.

Actually, Chaoyang Temple is not small. The three courtyards of the Ningjun Prince's Mansion, including the east, west, and central courtyards, only cover about 5000 square meters. Chaoyang Temple occupies 2000 square meters, which is three times larger than a typical three-courtyard house. It is only a three-courtyard house, so it cannot be called small.

But compared to the Baiyun Temple, which covers an area of ​​60000 square meters, it does seem too small.

Accompanied by Taoist priest Liu, Chen Fan and Zhou Yali strolled through the ancient temple, which felt even more spacious.

He crossed his arms and watched the snowflakes fall from the sky, then said with a smile, “My master spends every day in Chaoyang Temple, playing chess and chatting with the worshippers. He always feels that the place is too small, but he doesn’t mean to complain. On the contrary, he is very proud of it.”

In modern terms, it was called Versailles.

Master Liu laughed heartily, "Which fellow Daoist doesn't envy the incense offerings at Chaoyang Temple these days? Comrade Zhang is just showing off how prosperous the temple is."

Although Zhang Xuansong was a Taoist priest in his childhood, he later stopped chanting scriptures and worshipping gods, and had long since left the Taoist temple, so he can only be addressed as a comrade.

At first, Master Liu thought that Zhang Xuansong was hiding his true abilities, only sending one disciple who was able to discuss Taoism with many high-ranking Taoist masters in Baiyun Temple. However, after getting to know Zhang Xuansong better, he finally saw through his true nature.

Although that old comrade had considerable Taoist skills, he was completely ignorant of Taoist scriptures. He had not practiced Taoism for decades and had long forgotten everything.

Looking at the young Abbot of Qinglian Temple beside him, Master Liu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Some people are born to cultivate Taoism. They are not old, but their hearts are clear and they have amazing cultivation.

Master Liu himself only practices the Dao, that is, he only chants scriptures and does not cultivate his skills, so he cannot see anything special about Chen Fan. However, there are fellow Daoists in the temple who practice Daoist skills. They could see Chen Fan's level of Daoist skill before, but when they looked at him again today, they felt that he was no different from an ordinary person. He had clearly reached the point of returning to simplicity.

He even privately remarked to them that perhaps no ancient sage surpassed him.

There are two kinds of True Persons. The earliest is the Ancient True Person. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says: "In ancient times there were True Persons who could lift up heaven and earth, grasp yin and yang, breathe in the essence of qi, stand alone and guard their spirit, and have muscles as one. Therefore, they could live as long as heaven and earth and have no end. This is the way of life."

The Book of Master Guigu says: Those who are born with the blessings of Heaven are called True Men; True Men are one with Heaven. Those who cultivate themselves internally and gain knowledge are called Sages; Sages gain knowledge by analogy.

Later, when Taoism was established, "True Man" became a unique title in Taoism, hence the term "True Man of the Tao".

For example, Guan Yizi, Zhuangzi, and Liezi were all honored as Daoist True Men during the Tang Dynasty, and were also True Men of the Dao.

Guiguzi, Wang Chongyang, Zhang Sanfeng, and others were honored as enlightened masters and can be regarded as ancient masters.

Taoism also divides people into five categories: True Man, Perfect Man, Sage, Virtuous Man, and Ordinary Man.

In Chen Fan's view, neither the Daoist True Man nor the Ancient True Man has yet escaped the realm of mortals. Perhaps the five realms of humanity in Daoism are also the process of human cultivation, only some focus on the realm of thought, while others lean towards physical cultivation. There is no distinction between high and low; they are always seeking transcendence on the path of cultivation, but can never truly transcend.

According to Taoist classification, he is at least a True Person level now, but he doesn't feel like he has developed any special abilities. At most, he is similar to a martial arts master in a martial arts novel. In any case, he definitely doesn't have any internal energy.

Master Chen, the immortal in this world, was unaware of the turmoil in Master Liu's mind. Looking at the Baiyun Temple palace, which, despite its restoration, still appeared somewhat dilapidated, he said softly, "Actually, I also think that Chaoyang Temple is a bit small now. Back then, we didn't have enough money, so we could only buy a dilapidated courtyard to renovate. We were thinking that when we had more money in the future, we would move to a bigger place."

As he said this, he glanced at Zhou Yali.

Zhou Yali received the look and couldn't help but curl her lips. When there's nothing going on, you pretend I don't exist, but when you need something, you remember me. Do you think I'm just a tool?

Although he was unhappy, he still cooperated and said, "How much would it cost to build a Taoist temple? Anyway, no matter how much it costs, I'll pay for it."

Chen Fan now realizes that having such a wealthy relative is particularly advantageous; when spending money, he can simply use their name without having to worry about many things.

He immediately clapped his hands and laughed, "That's great! The Three Pure Ones will bless you!"

Then he looked at Master Liu and asked, "I wonder when our Taoist Association will resume its work, and what are the regulations for this Taoist temple's land purchase?"

Master Liu's thoughts were still lingering on the previous sentence: "Chaoyang Temple has no money?" He must not let other fellow Daoists hear this, otherwise they might feel heartbroken, or even worse, develop inner demons, which would be extremely dangerous.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's question, he waited several seconds before reacting and then said, "Actually, since that important meeting, the Taoist Association has gradually resumed its work. However, the higher-level Religious Affairs Bureau has not yet officially resumed its work, so many things cannot be carried out."

After a pause, he added, "However, although it is slow, all the work is progressing steadily. If all goes well, the Taoist Association should be officially restored next year (lunar calendar)."

Not only the Taoist Association, but also the Buddhist Association and other religious associations will resume operations simultaneously.

He looked at Chen Fan with complicated emotions. "As for what you said about buying land in the name of Chaoyang Temple and rebuilding a new temple, it is estimated that the relevant documents can only be issued after the Taoist Association officially resumes its office."

Times have changed, and the expedient measures taken when building the Xiaochaoyang Temple are no longer feasible. With the Religious Affairs Bureau being re-established, some things still need to be standardized.

Chen Fan rubbed his hands together and laughed, "So you're saying we'll have to wait another year at most? It's only a year, we can afford to wait."

If we wait a year, then spend another two years buying land to build a Taoist temple, then in about three years we can fulfill our promise to Master Zhang: to buy a large one and revitalize Chaoyang Temple!

The snow was getting heavier, and Master Liu made an invitation gesture, leading the two to sit down in a pavilion on a rockery.

Looking at the two of them, Master Liu smiled and said, "Master Qinglian, you must have come here today for some business, right?"

In just a few words, Master Liu's Daoist mind became somewhat unsettled.

Temples and monasteries across the country are currently short of money. Many practitioners have not yet received the supplementary allowances from the relevant authorities, their income is unstable, and they often go hungry due to the lack of incense offerings.

Only Chaoyang Temple, which has been bustling with worshippers since its opening more than half a year ago, is now complaining that the place is too small and wants to move to a bigger place.

The key is that they've even found the "benefactors," and they're just waiting for the Taoist Association to be rebuilt so they can get the documents in hand and get started.

Even though he had cultivated the Dao for decades and his Dao heart was extremely stable, he still couldn't withstand it.

If we continue discussing this now, we might really give rise to the three poisons (greed, hatred, and delusion).

The Three Poisons are greed, anger, and ignorance. Originally a Taoist term, Taoism believes that these negative emotions not only affect an individual's physical and mental health but also hinder their understanding of the Tao. Practitioners need to eliminate the Three Poisons in order to reach a state of purity.

The Buddhist monks thought it was a good item and naturally took it.

In fact, after more than a thousand years of development, these two schools of thought have long been intertwined, with each containing elements of the other. Later, Confucianism also got involved, which led to the later saying of the unity of the three teachings.

Chen Fan had no idea that Master Liu was almost on the verge of a breakdown in his Daoist resolve. Seeing that he was changing the subject, he went along with it and said, "I came here today mainly to ask about two things. First, I wonder how the preparations for the reopening of the various temples in the capital are going, and whether the specific dates have been set?"

He smiled and said, "As you know, I have another job. If it's confirmed, it would be best if you could let me know in advance so I can arrange my time to attend the ceremony."

Master Liu nodded in realization, smiled, and said, "Abbot Qinglian is very thoughtful." He then explained, "Our Taoist Association has discussed this with the abbots of various temples in the capital. Although the authorities have relaxed the conditions for religion, it is not impossible to directly reopen temples."

However, if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper. The Taoist sect naturally has its own rules and regulations. If the incense has been stopped for many years, a ceremony must be held to inform Heaven and Earth, the ancestors, and believers from all directions before the sect can open its doors to welcome guests.

However, resources were scarce, and despite donations from the abbot of Qinglian Temple and some believers, there was still a shortage.

Therefore, after discussion, we unanimously decided that each Taoist temple would no longer hold its own reopening ceremony. Instead, a Dharma assembly would be held at Baiyun Temple, where the Taoist Association is located, on the occasion of the Jade Emperor's birthday. On the day of the assembly, all Taoist temples would open their doors to welcome guests.

Taoism has many important festivals, such as the Yanjiu Festival on the 19th day of the first lunar month to commemorate Qiu Chuji, the Shangsi Festival on the 3rd day of the third lunar month, the Sanyuan Festival which divides the year into the first, middle, and second lunar months, the birthday of Yuanshi Tianzun on the winter solstice, the birthday of Lingbao Tianzun on the summer solstice, and the birthday of Daode Tianzun on the 15th day of the second lunar month. Some of these festivals belong to the Quanzhen School, while others belong to the Zhengyi School.

The Jade Emperor's Birthday falls on the ninth day of the first lunar month and is one of the most important festivals in Taoism.

Holding the Dharma assembly on that day would be acceptable to both Quanzhen and Zhengyi schools of thought.

Chen Fan nodded slightly and smiled, "The ninth day of the first lunar month is a good day. I heard that the 'Yanjiu Festival' in the capital was a great joy for the people back then. The ninth day of the first lunar month is the Yanjiu Festival, which is exactly ten days later. The incense at Baiyun Temple will definitely be very strong then."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu couldn't help but laugh and say, "I didn't expect that Abbot Qinglian would know this. It's true."

The Baiyun Temple Yanjiu Festival was originally the birthday of Qiu Chuji, a member of the Quanzhen School of Taoism. It had already taken shape during the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, most people in the capital regarded the nineteenth day of the first lunar month as "Yanjiu," so Qiu Chuji's birthday was also called the Yanjiu Festival. On the day of Yanjiu, men and women from the whole city would go to Changchun Palace and Baiyun Temple to record the occasion and "indulge in feasting and playing, considering it a grand festival."

In Ming Dynasty poetry, there are lines such as "Reunion with Yan Jiu in Yan City, spring outings selected for the spring morning" and "The noisy moth-shaped figures compete to paste decorations, frightening doves and scattering heavenly flowers." The early Qing Dynasty "Yan Jiu Bamboo Branch Poems" summarizes it as "Changchun cultivates amidst many white clouds, after Changchun departs, year after year, guests arrive."

In fact, besides Baiyun Temple, many believers also offer incense and worship at other Taoist temples in the city.

It was with this in mind that we decided to hold the reopening ceremony on the Jade Emperor's birthday, followed by the "Yanjiu Festival." This way, the people of the city will surely know about the reopening of the Taoist temple, and the news will spread widely. The day of our Taoist revival will not be far off.

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly as he listened, "Yes, that makes sense."

Then he looked up and smiled, "In that case, I will definitely be there on time for the Jade Emperor's birthday on the ninth day of the first lunar month."

Zhou Yali suddenly asked from the side, "Can I come?"

Master Liu turned to face her and laughed, “Of course you can. Our Taoist sect never refuses to let believers attend our ceremonies. You are welcome to do so.”

After saying that, he turned to Chen Fan and said, "Since it is a joint event organized by Taoist temples in the city, in my humble opinion, Chaoyang Temple might as well participate to show its goodwill."

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, you're right. I'll arrange for someone to come and participate."

Master Liu smiled and said, "There aren't many Taoists in Chaoyang Temple. Besides, on the day of the Jade Emperor's birthday, all Taoist temples will hold their own ceremonies to commemorate it. At that time, apart from Abbot Qinglian himself, we only need to arrange two guest Taoists to come and carry the flag."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "I was just worried that the temple wouldn't be able to send any extra people. If they only need to send two people, then it'll be fine."

Master Liu smiled. Chaoyang Temple was indeed sparsely populated, even compared to some secluded Taoist temples.

Although many Taoist priests were dismissed from those temples, after a lot of searching over the past six months, most of them have been reconnected except for a very few who were lost or died. They are just waiting for the temples to reopen so that they can re-register as Taoists. Once the Religious Affairs Bureau returns to normal, things can naturally return to normal.

Compared to Chaoyang Temple, which is rich but has few people, it can even be said to have "many people and great influence".

If he weren't worried that Chen Fan would suspect them of trying to usurp the Daoist lineage, he could have recommended dozens more people over there; he was just afraid that the small Daoist temple wouldn't be able to accommodate them all.

Having confirmed the time for attending the Dharma assembly, Chen Fan finally got to the main topic of the day.

He coughed lightly and smiled at Master Liu, "The second thing I've come for today is to ask you, Master Liu, how is this ancestral worship ceremony conducted?"

"Ancestor worship?"

Master Liu looked at him curiously and said, "Is the Abbot of Qinglian Temple going to offer sacrifices to his own ancestors?"

Nowadays, folk sacrificial rites have basically resumed. However, since temples and shrines have not been widely restored, most people simply burn some paper money and there are no proper rituals.

Judging from Chen Fan's plans, he clearly intends to organize something big!

Chen Fan looked at Zhou Yali and said, "I would say she is my ancestor, mainly from the Zhou family ancestors, my maternal grandfather's side."

Master Liu nodded in sudden realization, "I understand."

That's normal. If it were an overseas Chinese businessman returning to China to pay respects to his ancestors, that would be perfectly normal. But Chen Fan, no matter what, is now a government employee. How could he do something that would attract attention?

He paused for two seconds and said, "Regarding ancestor worship, there are no particularly special Taoist rituals. Most of the time, the younger generation of the family gathers together to hold the ceremony around the Spring Festival."

The specific procedures are nothing more than burning incense, reading the prayer, offering food and soup as sacrifices, serving tea, offering silk, offering wine, offering food boxes, offering sacrificial meat, offering blessings, burning the prayer, and bowing to the gods.

Related to Taoism, the main activities involve reading prayers and offering blessings, with Taoist priests chanting scriptures and mantras throughout, praying for the ancestors and living descendants.

Chen Fan blinked, looked at him, and asked, "Is it that simple?"

Isn't this similar to folk customs? He's a proper folklore professor at Jiangnan University, and he's very knowledgeable about this!

Master Liu smiled and said, "It's simple in some ways, but not so simple in others. The difficulty lies in the fact that the scriptures are hard to find. A high-ranking master and a mere disciple are definitely different, and the effects of chanting scriptures are worlds apart."

Chen Fan clapped his hands and chuckled, "The ancestral worship ceremony will be held in the suburbs of Shenyang. Could Master Liu recommend a few high-ranking priests? Don't worry, we'll cover all travel and accommodation expenses, and we'll also provide incense."

As for the timing, it's tentatively set around Lunar New Year's Eve, but it definitely won't interfere with the Dharma assembly.

Zhou Yali nodded earnestly beside her, "Money is not a problem, the more people the better!"

Master Liu's eye twitched slightly. Is he really that arrogant?

He pondered for a few seconds, then said, "In that case, I'll go back and discuss it with the other senior disciples."

He raised his head and smiled, “Master Qinglian has bestowed favors upon the audience many times. Now it is only a little hardship for him to travel around. I think most of the senior priests will agree.”

If possible, gathering all thirty-six Heavenly Spirits might elevate the ancestral worship ceremony to a higher level.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan was overjoyed, "Then I'll leave it to you, Daoist Master!"

(End of this chapter)