Chapter 397 Buddhism Enters the Grassland
Suonang Gyatso led his attendants and set out from Lhasa through the Qinghai area controlled by Oara. After experiencing many hardships and dangers, they finally arrived at Bansheng.
This leader of the Gelug Sect is only 20 years old now. After he was recognized as the reincarnation of a spiritual boy, he was ordained at the age of seven and took up the 12th throne at Drepung Monastery, an important monastery of the Gelug Sect.
Although he held such an important position at a young age, Sonam Gyatso also had a strong understanding of Buddhism.
But Sonam Gyatso was full of worries about the future.
To the average believer, religion seems to be above all else.
But in the hearts of religious leaders, there is something more important than religion - politics.
That is naturally related to the current situation in Tibet.
Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect, won the favor of the then ruler of Tibet, Pamudlupa, when he spread the teachings in Tibet.
The Ganden Monastery, Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and Tashilhunpo Monastery founded by the Gelug Sect in the early days were all funded by the leaders and retainers of the Pazhu regime.
But flowers never last a hundred days, and the sky never lasts a hundred days. The Pazhu regime gradually declined in the early 16th century, and one acre of land was almost lost. How could there be any spare time to continue supporting the Gelug sect?
However, Renbungpa and Xingshapa (Zangba Khan), who dared to challenge the Pazhu regime, believed in the Karma Kagyu and had always spared no effort to attack the Gelug sect.
If the Pazhu regime completely collapses, then the Karma Kagyu will definitely replace the current position of the Gelug sect.
This is naturally what Suonangjiacuo doesn't want to see.
Just at this time, An Dahan's envoy came to Drepung Monastery and asked Suonang Jiacuo to go to the grassland to teach the Dharma.
Regarding this request of the Mongols, the opinions in Drepung Monastery were also inconsistent.
Some people think that going to the grassland to teach the Dharma is a good thing that is conducive to the spread of the Gelug sect, and they should accept the invitation of Ada Khan.
But another group of people believed that preaching in the grasslands thousands of miles away was meaningless, and it was better to continue to stabilize the territory in Tibet. Moreover, the long journey from Tibet to Bansheng was too risky.
The young Sonamjiacuo set off resolutely despite all the objections.
Suonang Gyatso's luck was good. He did not encounter too many risks along the way. After entering the Qinghai area controlled by the Oara, because of his status as a Tibetan eminent monk, he was spontaneously escorted by the Oara tribe.
When Suonang Jiacuo arrived at Bansheng City, An Dahan personally greeted him outside the city.
As soon as they met, Anda Khan personally announced that he would give Sonam Gyatso the title of "Master of the Holy Consciousness All Wazilda".
"Holy" means transcending the ordinary world, that is, transcending the world;
"Knowing Everything" is the honorific title for the monks who have achieved the highest achievements in the Sutra of Tibetan Buddhism;
"Vazildala" is the Sanskrit word for "Holding the Vajra". It means the honorific title given to the monks who have achieved the highest achievements in Tibetan Buddhism and Tantra.
This is considered to be the highest title of Suonang Gyatso Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism given by An Dahan. After two hundred years, Tibetan Buddhism has once again been canonized by the Golden Family.
Sonam Gyatso immediately said: "We have met not only today, but also in many lifetimes. When you were Hubilai Chechen Khan (Kublai Khan), the grandson of Genghis Khan, I was Phaspa, the nephew of Sakya Pandita.
" Khan was so elated that he regarded Kublai Khan as his idol in everything. It was only after listening to the story of Kublai Khan and Pasiba that Sanniangzi advised him that he invited Suonang Jiacuo to join Mongolia.
Now that Suonangjiacuo said that he was the reincarnation of Kublai Khan, the Mongolian nobles present put away their dissatisfaction caused by the defeat of Wuyuan City.
After accepting everyone's congratulations, An Dahan personally took Suonangjiacuo's hand and came to the golden tent.
This big tent was also built by An Dahan in imitation of Kublai Khan's big tent. After a banquet, An Dahan asked Suonang Jiacuo beside him: "How is Bansheng? How does it compare with Tibet?
"
Suonang Jiacuo immediately said: "Although Bansheng is good, I can't hear the chanting, smell the incense, and have never seen the Buddha's light."
An Dahan said seriously: "How can we make Bansheng also shrouded in the sky?" Under the light of the Buddha?"
Suonangjiacuo said: "Then it is natural to build a Buddhist temple and let the monks burn incense and pray in the temple." "
Good, according to the master, how many temples should be built?"
Suonangjiacuo immediately said: "In In my Tibetan area, every seven people worship a monk, and every lord has a temple on his estate." "In the
new transmission of Bansheng Buddhism, we only need to build three large temples and let each tribe support a monk."
An Dahan calculated that such an expense was not small. He asked with some pain:
"Will this allow Buddhism to cover the grassland?"
Suonang Jiacuo is a master who understands politics, otherwise he would not I won’t go all the way to the grassland.
He knew very well that these secular rulers did not care about doctrine. What they cared about was whether religion could help them better govern.
Sonam Gyatso immediately said: "Monks will not only spread the Dharma, but also promote the achievements and reputation of the Great Khan, your great protector." "Buddhist temples are not just jungles
dedicated to the Buddha, but also monuments to your great achievements. ."
"All this will only make your reputation more prominent."
Hearing this, An Dahan smiled with satisfaction.
The next day, Anda Khan issued an order requiring every tribe, regardless of size, to support a monk and build a preaching temple for the monks to practice.
An Dahan himself will build a Buddhist temple and two monasteries in Bansheng, and when the temple is completed, he will receive ordination and convert to Buddhism.
Sonam Gyatso also announced that he had waited for the Buddha's revelation and awarded An Dahan the title of "Dharma Protector" on behalf of the Buddha.
Immediately afterwards, Suonangjiacuo lectured in Bansheng City for seven days. Every time this young and handsome monk ascended the platform, the people in the grassland went crazy.
He spoke eloquently and used Buddhist stories that the common people could hear to describe a beautiful scene of the Buddhist country to the herdsmen.
This is much better than the primitive shamanism that always scares the herdsmen with terrifying scenes.
The Buddhist kingdom preached by Sonam Gyatso makes people yearn for it, and he points out a path for everyone.
As long as the lords and nobles build Buddhist temples and support monks, they can accumulate merit and be promoted to the Buddhist kingdom after death.
Ordinary herdsmen contribute their body and mind and endure the current pain. Even if they cannot ascend to the Buddhist kingdom after death, they can be reincarnated into a better family in the next life and continue to practice Buddhism.
The tribal leaders were also very satisfied with Sonam Gyatso's theory. Not only did they get tickets to the Buddhist Kingdom, Buddhism could also make these herdsmen more docile.
The only ones who were dissatisfied were the leaders of the White Lotus Sect who fled into the grassland.
An Dahan was not stupid. He did not allow the White Lotus Sect to preach to the Mongols. However, An Dahan turned a blind eye to the White Lotus Sect's mission to the Han people who fled Bansheng.
Religion can soothe people's hearts and keep the oppressed Han people going.
But now Anda Khan welcomed Sonam Gyatso into the grassland, and clearly established Tibetan Buddhism as the only religion on the grassland, and began to suppress the White Lotus Sect.
Qiu Fu, the palm print of the White Lotus Sect, and several incense owners of the White Lotus Sect gathered together to discuss how to deal with it. An incense owner surnamed Wei had the most intense attitude:
"The Mongols went back on their word. Back then we took refuge in Anda Khan, helped him build a gorgeous palace, and helped him govern the Han people. Now we are here to kill the donkeys. How unreasonable!" The believers were filled with indignation
. , expressed dissatisfaction one after another.
These senior leaders of the White Lotus Sect are not White Lotus. They were able to obtain a privileged position on the grassland. In addition to being good at currying favor with those in power in Mongolia, the power of the White Lotus Sect was also an important reason.
It is precisely because of the influence of the White Lotus Sect that Ada Khan gave them a special status. If the Han people under the rule no longer believe in the White Lotus Sect, the senior White Lotus Sect members who have already accumulated a lot of wealth will definitely be abandoned by the Mongols.
The name of this incense owner is Wei Jiajie. He was the incense owner before he fled to the grassland. He is not a self-proclaimed incense owner like Qiu Fu.
Wei Jiajie continued: "I heard that the Lord of Wuyuan City is summoning Han people. If you ask me, I would rather lead people to join the Lord of Wuyuan City! After all, they are all Han people!" Wei Jiajie's suggestion
also received support from many senior White Lotus Sect leaders. Everyone looked at Qiu Fu, But she looked at him and frowned.
Before Qiu Fu fled to the grassland, his status in the White Lotus Sect was not high.
He ran to the grassland after his missionary mission failed in Jiubian and was wanted by the Ming court.
By being able to speak Mongolian and being good at flattering, he gained the trust of Anda Khan and took charge of the Han craftsmen who were fleeing near Bansheng.
The Mongols were not good at farming, so Qiu Fu gradually became prosperous by helping the Mongols manage the Han people. Now the land under his name has reached thousands of hectares, and he was a powerful man who could influence a county in the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, compared with Wei Jiajie's radical stance, senior White Lotus sect leaders such as Qiu Fu, who already owned a large amount of land, were definitely not willing to give up everything they had in Bansheng and join the Wuyuan City Lord whose stance was unclear.
What if the Lord of Wuyuan City does not accept the White Lotus Sect? Then it is better to stay in Bansheng City.
Qiu Fu thought for a while and then said: "Let's see. Tomorrow I will see the Great Khan and persuade the Great Khan to withdraw his order and allow our religion to spread among the Han people." "As for
Tibetan Buddhism, let it be spread among the Han people." Once it has been spread, our White Lotus Sect has never been afraid of anything else!"
Qiu Fu said this forcefully, but those radical incense owners saw his weakness.
After the meeting was over, Wei Jiajie and several other radical White Lotus sect incense owners gathered again.
"Qiu Fu has lost his spirit. Now he has thousands of hectares of fertile land and hundreds of servants. It is impossible for him to fight with us." "Even if
An Dahan asks him to convert to Tibetan Buddhism, he will happily do so. I believe it."
Everyone nodded. In fact, the middle-level members of the White Lotus Sect were also dissatisfied.
When you, Qiu Fu, were originally in the Ming Dynasty, your status in the church was not high.
It's just that Qiu Fu came earlier, had more primitive accumulation than others, and now owns a large industry.
In terms of preaching ability and ability to gather followers, many people here are better than Qiu Fu.
More importantly, the Mongols' intention to use the White Lotus Sect was very clear, that is, they hoped that the White Lotus Sect would win over the Han people not to rebel, and would serve as good oxen and horses for the Mongols.
Since it has this function, the Mongols have a purely utilization relationship with the White Lotus Sect. As long as the White Lotus Sect is easy to use, it will be fine.
People like Qiu Fu were at the top, blocking other people's progress. Since there were few places on the grassland, there were already ambitious young incense owners who were dissatisfied with people like Qiu Fu.
Wei Jiajie was one of them. He said to everyone:
"I decided to go to Wuyuan City to find out the attitude of the Lord of Wuyuan City towards us." "
If the Lord of Wuyuan City is willing to accept us, then I will lead him immediately after I return. Believers go to Wuyuan City!"
Everyone nodded.
But plans can never keep up with changes.
No one expected that An Dahan would strike so quickly.
Qiu Fu tried to meet with Anda Khan the next day and asked him to continue to allow the White Lotus Sect to preach among the Han people. However, he also promised that he would not interfere with the spread of Tibetan Buddhism among the Han people and could even assist Master Suonang Gyatso in translating Buddhist scriptures.
But as soon as Qiu Fu entered the palace in Bansheng City, he felt something was wrong.
Qiu Fu drove Han craftsmen and slaves to build this palace, and he knew the structure of the palace well.
This is not the direction to the palace of Ada Khan at all!
Sure enough, after walking into a courtyard, a group of Mongolian golden tent guards with long swords rushed up.
Huang Taiji, the eldest son of An Dahan, walked out of the house in the center of the courtyard.
"According to the order of my father Khan, Mongolia has become a brotherly country with the Ming Dynasty. Qiu Fu is a demon wanted by the Ming court. He will be arrested and returned to the Ming court immediately."
Qiu Fu did not expect this at all. He shouted loudly: "I I want to see the Great Khan! This is definitely not an order from the Great Khan!"
Huang Taiji had no good impression of the Han people, not to mention that Qiu Fu was richer than many Mongolian tribes.
"This is what my father Khan meant. Fill him with poison to mute him, and then cut off his fingers. Don't reveal the secrets of my grassland." The guards of the golden tent swarmed up and quickly cut off Qiu Fu's fingers.
Qiu Fu had not yet Before he could scream, he was poured poison.
Huang Taiji said with murderous intent: "According to this list, search for the White Lotus demons of Bansheng! If there is any resistance, kill them immediately!" "All the
family members of Qiu Fu and his like were demoted to slaves, and one-tenth of the cattle, sheep and land were divided. Provide it to Master Suonang Gyatso, and the rest will go to the royal court!"
Qiu Fu showed a desperate expression. He regretted not following Wei Jiajie's advice yesterday, and his decades of accumulation were instantly wiped out.
Huang Taiji led these Mongolians who had long been dissatisfied with the Han people. At first, they only searched the properties of the White Lotus Sect's senior leaders.
But soon, it expanded into the looting of all Han people.
Even the Han people who did not believe in the White Lotus Religion were labeled as demons and their property was looted.
Wei Jiajie's group of people gathering outside the city were the few middle-level members of the White Lotus Sect who escaped.
After hearing the news, they no longer cared about the attitude of the Lord of Wuyuan City, and immediately gathered believers to flee to Wuyuan City.
Other Han people outside the city heard about what happened in the city and began to flee with their families.
The difference between Wei Jiajie and Qiu Fu was that he was a true believer in the White Lotus Cult. When he saw the Mongols coming out to hunt down the Han people in the city, he took the White Lotus Cult troops he had trained back to cover the retreat of the people.
Wei Jiajie held a spear and bravely dismounted a Mongolian commander from his horse. The remaining Mongolian cavalry were frightened and did not dare to continue the pursuit.
Wei Jiajie covered the people and continued to retreat.
(End of chapter)