Hearing Yuan Tiangang mention Huiyan, Xia Hongsheng smiled dumbly.

So he made a gesture of invitation and said to Yuan Tiangang: "There is another secret in this matter, and I also ask the Taoist chief to move to the study, and let me talk to the Taoist chief in detail." ”

Yuan Tiangang didn't know why, so he went into the study with Xia Hongsheng.

After closing the door, the two sat down, and Xia Hongsheng said to Yuan Tiangang: "Your Majesty has confessed this matter to others, but I feel that the Taoist chief is not an outsider, and this matter is also involved in the Daomen, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the Taoist can now be called the head of the Daomen, so today I will inform the Taoist chief, and I hope that the Taoist can focus on the overall situation, and don't spread it." ”

Hearing Xia Hongsheng say this, Yuan Tiangang was taken aback, looked at Xia Hongsheng, and said, "Listening to Xia Hou's tone, there are other secrets involved in this matter?" It was a poor talker, asking things that shouldn't be asked. ”

"It's okay, this matter should have been discussed with the Dao Leader first." Xia Hongsheng waved his hand and said: "Actually, there is no such person as Huiyan in this world, just a character made up in order to call on the people of the world to work with the imperial court to deal with the Turks. Just to set an example and teach the world to learn from his spirit of serving the country and the people. But I can't thank the chief. ”

"I see!" Yuan Tiangang thought about it for a while, then understood the reason for the matter, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "This ...... What a ...... is this thing Poor Dao also heard Li Daoyou say that His Majesty is grateful to return him to the heart of the people of the Tang Dynasty, so he posthumously sealed him. Thinking that thanks to Xiahou, Huiyan Daoyou's actions were known to the world, so he came to thank him, but he never thought of it......"

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "The sect leader has misunderstood. ”

Yuan Tiangang shook his head. And he said, "But." I still have to thank Xiahou. In fact, it has nothing to do with whether Huiyan is true or not. Poor Dao has to represent Daomen, thank you Xiahou! ”

"Oh? But why? Xia Hongsheng was a little puzzled and asked.

"Xiahou doesn't know yet, but now my Daomen is a little uncomfortable. That group of monks is demagogic, and there are some crooked ways of Hu people, and they want to rob believers with me. Xia Hou's move made my Dao Sect famous and won a game. Yuan Tiangang smiled and said to Xia Hongsheng: "Therefore, I still have to thank Xiahou." ”

Heard Yuan Tiangang's words. Xia Hongsheng's heart suddenly moved, remembering that there was a dispute between Buddhism and Taoism in the early Tang Dynasty in history, and it also evolved very fiercely, and it seemed that they had reached the point of doing each other.

Although Xia Hongsheng does not believe in ghosts and gods and does not believe in religion, he has a better impression of Taoism than Buddhism.

Buddhism makes people obedient, and to put it mildly, it is not to make progress, to be content with the status quo, and to turn all the hopes of this life into nothingness. Give it to an ethereal afterlife.

In contrast, Taoism is also detached from reality. But it is so good that people fight for the existence of this world.

The main difference between Buddhism and Taoism is the attitude towards life and death.

It can be said that the two are very different.

The goal pursued by Buddhism is "nirvana", liberation from the cycle of birth and death. According to Buddhism, life is suffering. Life is suffering, death is suffering. And this kind of suffering has no end, it is in a cycle of life and death that goes on and on, and there is no end. Only by attaining nirvana can we get out of the cycle of birth and death. So how do you achieve nirvana? That is, people should be "enlightened". Buddha, enlightenment. In the final analysis, it is the realization that life is suffering. Buddhism says that when you truly realize that life is suffering, you become "enlightened."

Taoism, on the other hand, has a positive, positive attitude towards life in general. This is the biggest difference between Taoism and Buddhism and even other religions.

The biggest thing that Xia Hongsheng likes about Taoism and Buddhism is that Taoism does not pursue the afterlife, Taoism pursues the present life to become immortals - immortals are such beings, they have superhuman abilities, have endless lifespans, can enjoy the best offerings, and can solve any problem.

In the beginning, the immortals were in the world - that is to say, the pursuit of Taoism was to be gods in the world! Before the later integration of Buddhism and the release of those immortals to heaven, the spirit of Taoism was still to pursue the maximization of worldly pleasures and the ability to solve worldly problems.

In other words, Taoism doesn't feel that there is anything wrong with this world, on the contrary, Taoism feels that this world is very beautiful, and there are more and better things that you need to cultivate to obtain, and they are obtained for a long time.

Although the practice of Taoism is full of seemingly unborn requirements such as indifference and tranquility, its ultimate goal is actually no different from that of mundane mortals, which is to enter the world.

Buddhism, on the other hand, thinks that this world is bitter from the beginning, telling you that no matter how much you enjoy it now, it will not last long, and it will eventually become bitter, and it uses the theory of reincarnation to tell believers that your future will also become bitter - if you don't jump out of samsara, everything will be bitter in the end, and only what remains after complete extinction is the dharma of non-action - the so-called nirvana.

Therefore, Buddhism is negative, Taoism is positive, Buddhism is misanthropic, and Taoism is in the world.

Because Taoism pursues immortality, pursues a superhuman ability, and pursues detachment from this world, it will study real things. Taoism in order to practice the elixir, alchemy in order to practice the stone of the sage, the two are similar, both have the pursuit of immortality and supernatural power, and in this pursuit of various experiments, opened up the beginning of chemistry, laid the foundation for the birth of chemistry. Buddhism, on the other hand, does not contribute much to society, except that people have lost their blood and become obedient people.

Teaching people to be good has never been unique to Buddhism.

Therefore, in terms of Xia Hongsheng's purpose, he is more inclined to support Taoism, and then transform Taoism, so that Taoism can study natural phenomena, study natural laws, and touch the fields of physics and chemistry in the process of pursuing supernatural powers.

As soon as he thought about it, countless thoughts quickly flashed in Xia Hongsheng's heart, and after a while, his eyes were already burning when he stared at Yuan Tiangang.

Supporting Taoism and transforming Taoism is an idea that Xia Hongsheng has always had earlier, and he intends to work with Yuan Tiangang, Li Chunfeng, Sun Simiao, and other influential people in Taoism.

And right now, isn't it a great opportunity?

The battle between Buddhism and Taoism is ultimately a lose-lose outcome. Historically, it was Li Shimin who promulgated the edict and determined the status of Taoism. However, among the people, even if they want to be positive about reality, but they do not have the conditions and opportunities to be active, it is easier for them to agree with Buddhism's concept of suffering in this life and pursuing the afterlife, so Buddhism has further squeezed the space of Taoism, in fact, Taoism is not very good in the future.

Taking the opportunity of the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism, wouldn't it be possible to transform Taoism, make Taoism more popular and valued by the emperor, and at the same time, let Taoism study more natural phenomena and explore the laws of nature? (To be continued.) )