I stole divine power in Daxia

Chapter 573 Theory of Contradiction

Above the main hall, the golden bricks were like bright mirrors, reflecting the images of hundreds of officials under the illumination of Wang Mingyi's lofty and upright spirit.

It's just that most of the officials at this time had their own hidden intentions, so there were vague shadows in the reflection of the gold bricks. On the contrary, Zhou Tieyi, who spoke out loudly about corruption, not only did the red halo on his body not dim, but was still as clear as red clouds.

Many people also noticed this, the so-called seeing one's true nature through one's own eyes. Although they just wanted to use the corruption of their subordinates to imply that Zhou Tieyi was corrupt, they actually knew in their hearts that this was just a means of attacking him.

Of course Zhou Tieyi would not just cover up the corruption of his subordinates. Now that the issue has been raised, he must explain it thoroughly. The so-called holy way is the truth that can be clearly understood by both the wise and the foolish. This is the case with the principles of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

He put his hands behind his back and asked, "What do you think the Holy Way is?"

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. They had not expected that Zhou Tieyi would actually talk about the holy way from the perspective of petty official corruption. This was indeed beyond everyone's expectations, but everyone was also very curious. Even the Emperor of Great Xia leaned forward slightly, wanting to hear how Zhou Tieyi would interpret the holy way in this regard.

Zhou Tieyi began to speak, "Although I have never liked the words of Buddhism, Buddhism is indeed unique in its method of thinking and reasoning. After all, I am also the Minister of Sangha, so today I will start with the Buddha and talk about the holy way."

Many officials of the Sangha were Buddhist practitioners. Upon hearing this, they clasped their hands together and said, "I would like to hear more about it."

"The Buddhist scriptures say that all dharmas are empty, neither born nor destroyed, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. This is also the easiest way to understand the holy way."

This sentence from the Heart Sutra is known to ordinary people even if they have only studied for a few days. Zhou Tieyi used this as the starting point of the holy path. Everyone, whether they practice Buddhism or not, nodded slightly to show their agreement. This is not considered heresy.

Zhou Tieyi smiled and said, "Then I will use this as an argument to say that saints are neither born nor destroyed, neither dirty nor clean, neither increasing nor decreasing. What do you think?"

Zhou Tieyi reasoned very slowly, unraveling the mystery bit by bit. The smart people present did not urge him, but instead seriously thought about these questions that had already become "common sense", fearing that Zhou Tieyi would try to deceive them.

And if the Holy Way were to replace the heavens with the earth, then the impact on the entire Daxia school of thought would be enormous.

After a moment, most people nodded slightly. This was not different from their understanding and was consistent with the description of saints in various classics.

"Then what does 'neither born nor destroyed, neither dirty nor clean, neither increasing nor decreasing' mean?"

Zhou Tieyi spoke faster, and without waiting for others to express their understanding of the concept, he directly stated his own understanding.

"I believe that contradiction is 'neither birth nor death, neither impurity nor purity, neither increase nor decrease'. Therefore, birth and death are relative, impurity and purity are relative, increase and decrease are relative, so saints always reside in contradictions. The saints' Taoism is also the Tao of all living beings, so all living beings always reside in contradictions."

What Zhou Tieyi said was easy to understand, but no one else was in a position to answer this question, which involved fundamental doctrines. Instead, they looked at Monk Liao Yin, who had already resigned from the position of Minister of Buddhism.

Monk Liao Yin was born in the Fahua Temple, so he was naturally well-versed in Buddhism. He pondered for a moment and said, "So the Buddha said that all living beings are in a sea of ​​suffering, and that is why we need to understand dependent origination and emptiness."

This is the Bodhisattva Path of Buddhism. The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination cycle from birth to death. All living beings are in this huge chart of the cycle of life and death. From a holistic perspective, they are indeed trapped in life and death and cannot transcend it. Therefore, we must comprehend the "emptiness" and understand that everything in the world is illusory.

Zhou Tieyi interrupted, "I don't think that's appropriate."

Monk Liao Yin frowned and asked, "Why is it inappropriate?"

Zhou Tieyi asked back, "Are you a saint?"

Monk Liao Yin asked seriously, "Of course not."

Zhou Tieyi continued, "Buddhism places too much emphasis on emptiness, believing that this is the final answer to all problems and contradictions, while denying reality. That's why I don't like it. Although all living beings are in contradiction, I don't think all living beings are in a sea of ​​suffering. If the tillers have their fields, the laborers have their gains, the young are supported, and the old have their support, then this is a blessing for the people. How can the Confucianists talk about governing the world as a sea of ​​suffering? Since Buddhism recognizes contradictions, then we should not put Buddha and emptiness above all living beings as the final answer to all problems. Instead, we should recognize that Buddha and emptiness are also a cyclical principle among all living beings. Therefore, the other shore is the sea of ​​suffering, and the sea of ​​suffering is the other shore. If we only seek emptiness and Buddha, then there is no difference between us and those who go to the temple to burn incense, and we don't need to talk about the holy way."

"So the so-called ultimate answers in the Buddhist scriptures are ultimately rigid and one-sided. The ultimate prosperity they envision is nothing more than a group of monks chanting sutras behind closed doors. Chanting for one day is fine, but chanting for thousands of years will annoy me as much as you."

Everyone followed Zhou Tieyi's thoughts and it seemed to be true. Even the paradise mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures was just a group of monks chanting sutras every day behind closed doors. This kind of life might be novel to experience in the temple for one or two days, but few people could stand chanting sutras every day.

Confucianists in particular felt that Zhou Tieyi was right at this time, because he used Confucianism to refute the Buddhist fantasies.

Although some people have refuted this before, Zhou Tieyi is a "former God" after all, so his words are naturally more convincing.

“So the so-called ultimate answer must not be fixed, but changing and moving, just like the nature of all living things. Therefore, the position of a saint must not last long.”

Zhou Tieyi made another judgment.

This statement was no less than a bomb, exploding in everyone's heart, because it seemed to explain from another perspective why the gods and saints throughout the ages did not remain in the world forever. Although they are immortal, they also have the process of birth and death.

"So the Taoist concept of Tai Chi is actually closer to the essence of things than the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Yin and Yang are interdependent, with Yin holding Yang, opposing each other and transforming into each other."

“So I came to the conclusion that contradictions are indestructible, mutually opposed, mutually transformed, in eternal motion, and exist simultaneously in the development and change of all things.”

Many Taoists in the Taoist Department showed proud smiles, but they were not too happy. Looking at Zhou Tieyi's changes, from his reincarnation as a human to refining the Tai Chi Yin-Yang Bracelet, it can be seen that he is more inclined to Taoist doctrines. But it cannot be said that he definitely agrees with Taoist doctrines, otherwise the Taoist Lishan of Xuandu Mountain would not be confronting Zhou Tieyi at Taiyi Temple now.

Taoist Shan Jing was the most familiar with Zhou Tieyi among the Taoists, so he joked, "Marquis Zhou has always been a man of suppression before praise. I have seen the Taoist Tai Chi Yin Yang, Marquis Zhou. Today, I must talk about the difference between 'contradiction' and 'Tai Chi'."

Zhou Tieyi did not show the pride of a winner, but nodded seriously, "Buddhism seeks emptiness as the final solution to all problems. Although Taoism does not only see emptiness like Buddhism, it also wants to find a so-called final solution. This is the limitation of Taoist doctrine."

Everyone frowned. This was the biggest difference between the Holy Way Zhou Tieyi explained today and the Holy Way as everyone understood it.

In the past, everyone, no matter which company, wanted a 'final solution' that would solve all problems.

But it was Zhou Tieyi, the god who had "attested" the holy way, who refuted the "ultimate solution" while preaching the holy way.

This made the Emperor of Great Xia and the Empress of Heaven on the throne frown, and even made the Emperor of Great Xia's mind relax a little for a moment, and his palms slightly grasped the dragon head of the throne.

Zhou Tieyi ignored everyone's expressions and continued, "As long as we aim at the so-called 'final solution', it will be in line with what the Buddhists say, seeking but not obtaining. Contradictions can be integrated into a whole. There is universality, but we must also recognize the particularity of contradictions. Specific problems require specific analysis. We cannot generalize. It is not an eternally solidified cycle, but a constantly changing spiral development. Even if today and yesterday have similarities, we must recognize that today is not yesterday. Therefore, the future will have infinite changes, and this world is worth our expectations."

Zhou Tieyi stretched out his hand and pointed outside the hall. In the Zhou Mansion at the foot of Yujing Mountain, Zhou Yulong, who was sitting cross-legged and practicing, felt something in her heart. The Tai Chi Yin-Yang bracelet on her hand received some kind of summons and turned into two cute Yin-Yang fish, black and white, and flew out from the sky above the Zhou Mansion.

These two Yin and Yang fish rotate and move, but they are not confined to one place forever. Instead, they keep rising and changing. Therefore, from the outside, they appear to have formed a long bridge that is above Yin and Yang. This long bridge starts from the human world and forms a long rainbow. It rises from Yin and Yang Tai Chi, but is not bound by Yin and Yang Tai Chi. Instead, it keeps developing and changing, spiraling upward. Therefore, it can span all things in the world. The other end is built into the dark void and cannot be seen.

In the hall, when the ministers saw this scene, they instantly realized that Zhou Tieyi had definitely not lied to them. At least this was the change of the holy way that Zhou Tieyi had proved.

"It's not a cycle, but a spiral development that keeps changing. No wonder there is a long bridge across the sky above the Tai Chi Yin and Yang. No wonder the Holy Path leads to an unknown place, nowhere to be found, yet it exists in reality, because all of us are constantly changing in the Holy Path!"

Zhou Tieyi's own radiance became increasingly dazzling under the illumination of the golden rainbow that spanned between all living beings and the future, making the entire slightly dim Golden Throne Hall sparkle as if a red sun was born from it.

The entire hall fell silent for a long time.

After comparing what Buddhism calls emptiness and what Taoism calls Tai Chi, everyone with a discerning eye found that compared with Zhou Tieyi's holy path, this seems to be a holy path that is indeed more suitable for all living beings.

Although this statement does not solve all the problems, it solves most of them, including whether sentient beings are qualified to pursue the holy path and why saints need sentient beings.

Wang Mingyi bowed to Zhou Tieyi first and said, "Listening to your words is better than reading for ten years."

The ministers also came to their senses and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Because compared to Zhou Tieyi's discussion of the holy way, the problem of corruption among petty officials that Wang Mingyi found was indeed not worth mentioning. Many of them even thought strangely that it was because of those corrupt petty officials that they could hear such profound remarks today.

Zhou Tieyi finished explaining the main arguments of the theory of contradiction, and then said with a smile, "In this way, returning to the question raised by Mr. Wang just now, it is easy to understand."

"The corruption of petty officials in Pingjindu does exist, and it coexists with the reform and development of Pingjindu. The two are in a contradictory relationship, like the opposite of yin and yang. It is unrealistic to completely eliminate the corruption of petty officials. In order to receive more benefits, some petty officials will actively participate in and promote the reform. After all, without reform and development, they will have no place to be corrupt. Therefore, we must grasp the main contradiction, just like the relationship between the sun and the lesser yin in the Tai Chi Yin-Yang fish."

"The main contradiction now is just as Mr. Wang said, that is, the reform and development of Pingjindu's people's livelihood must be the main focus. As long as Pingjindu can reform rapidly and improve people's lives, we can tolerate a certain degree of petty corruption, but at the same time we cannot ignore this contradiction."

"Because contradictions can be transformed into each other and develop, if this problem is completely ignored, then the minor contradiction will also be transformed into the major contradiction. At that time, Taiyin will wrap Shaoyang, and the corruption in Pingjindu will be greater than the reform and development of Pingjindu. Then it will not be an upward stage, but a downward stage. Therefore, we must regularly clean up corruption, so that petty officials dare not stretch their hands too far, achieve overall clean governance, and ensure that the spiral upward trend will not be interrupted."

"As for what to do specifically, we need to analyze specific issues specifically. Director Wang has a better say than I do."

Zhou Tieyi didn't care and handed the topic back to Wang Mingyi.

But everyone understood that no matter how good Wang Mingyi's policy proposal was, before Zhou Tieyi's contradictory theory, it was really like a pearl competing with the sun!
The Emperor of Great Xia and the Queen of Heaven on the throne also sighed twice in succession. These sighs were filled with complex emotions, including the joy of hearing the insights of the Holy Way, as well as the helplessness of how to compete with such a Holy Way for dominance in the world.

The Emperor of Daxia and the Queen looked at each other and both thought of only one solution.

As Zhou Tieyi said, the holy path is immortal and is the path that runs through all living beings, but the position of a saint can change.

If it is impossible to destroy Zhou Tieyi's holy path, then it is inevitable to use this holy path to make Daxia more prosperous and powerful. But at the same time, we can find a way to destroy Zhou Tieyi's position in the holy path and then let him enter the state of nirvana!
As for Wang Mingyi, the remaining light of Confucianism in him could only serve as a foil under the red brilliance of Zhou Tieyi. It would be wrong for Wang Mingyi to say that he was not discouraged at all, but he was the kind of person who would become braver after knowing shame. Zhou Tieyi defeated him today in a dispute of reason, and he accepted the defeat with a sense of defeat, but he also wanted to say what he thought in his heart, at least to contribute his own strength to the changes in Pingjindu.

Wang Mingyi reorganized his thoughts and said, "To curb the corruption of petty officials, we should naturally focus on official administration. However, the previous official administration focused on punishment. But after practice, I think we should pay equal attention to learning and punishment."

Then he said to Zhou Tieyi, "The other day Lord Zhou gave me the eight characters 'Investigate things to gain knowledge, and unite knowledge and practice'. Today I would like to interpret it with these eight characters."

For the first time, Zhou Tieyi put down his hands and bowed earnestly, saying, "I'd like to hear more details."

(End of this chapter)