Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Chapter 26 The First Monk of the Great Tang

Jiang Liu, carrying a small bundle on his back, descended the mountain with his senior brother, Xuanwu, heading towards Chang'an City.

Though he had a storage space for items, Jiang Liu didn't show any intention of putting the bundle prepared by Senior Abbot Faming into it in front of Senior Brother Xuanwu. Otherwise, this power akin to the "Sleeve Universe" spell would be rather difficult to explain.

The Incense Offering Ceremony was an indispensable and very meaningful step for monks.

In Jiang Liu's view, if all monks in the world were like students, then the Incense Offering Ceremony would be akin to the importance of a college entrance exam.

Almost no monk would miss this grand event.

Although Jiang Liu no longer intended to be a monk, he still had to participate in the Incense Offering Ceremony, otherwise how could he explain himself to the monks and the abbots at Jinshan Temple?

It was like a student with poor grades who, even though he knew he wouldn't get into university and had plans to work after failing the exams, would still take part in them.

Not just any temple could host the Incense Offering Ceremony; the Great Buddha Temple, as the head of the thousands of temples during the Tang Dynasty, naturally became the liveliest location for the ceremony.

All temples within a hundred miles of Chang'an City, provided they had eligible novice monks, would send them to the Great Buddha Temple as the examination site for the Incense Offering Ceremony.

This, in Jiang Liu's eyes, was similar to the regional division of modern society's college entrance examination.

Today was the day of the Incense Offering Ceremony, and so, when Jiang Liu and Senior Brother Xuanwu arrived in Chang'an City, they could see the bustling excitement.

On the road, they could see many young monks with bare heads yet without a single incense scar, clearly here for the Incense Offering Ceremony.

Young monks usually were accompanied by older monks or elders from their temples.

Some monks, in coarse sackcloth, bore one or two incense scars and were obviously of shallow Buddhist faith. They were accompanied by three to five thin and sallow-faced youths, walking laboriously on.

Other monks, in silk kasayas and with a composed demeanor, had four to five incense scars, indicating profound Buddhist connection. They were followed by a multitude of young monks on tall, strong horses.

Observing these fellow monks around him, Jiang Liu silently sighed.

Other temples, no matter what, had several young monks, but Jinshan Temple had only Jiang Liu himself.

This clearly showed the declining number of monks at Jinshan Temple, which was almost at the brink of extinguishing its incense fires.

Furthermore, after coming down the mountain with a cursory glance, Jiang Liu understood that a monk's social status was greatly linked to the incense scars on their heads.

However, it seemed reasonable that monks with profound Buddhist connection had more incense scars, and naturally, their temples enjoyed thriving incense fires. Even if they did nothing all day but welcome worshippers, wealth would pour in endlessly.

On the other hand, monks of shallow faith wouldn't have many visitors, similar to Jinshan Temple, which had to rely on farming to sustain itself, leading to a life of hardship.

"This Great Buddha Temple is truly impressive..." Following the crowd, Jiang Liu and Senior Brother Xuanwu arrived at the Great Buddha Temple, marveling at the vast extent of the temple grounds.

As the capital of the Great Tang, the fact that such a huge temple could be established within Chang'an City was telling of its influence.

"Liu'er, this is the largest temple within our Great Tang territory, the Great Buddha Temple, wherein the Tathagata Buddha is worshipped," said Xuanwu, his face showing a profound sense of awe even though it was not his first visit to the Great Buddha Temple, especially when comparing it to the dilapidated tile-roofed houses of Jinshan Temple.

"Indeed, a top-tier monastery," Jiang Liu nodded slightly, sharing the sense of astonishment.

It seemed incredible that Emperor Li Shimin of Tang would agree to set aside such a vast space within Chang'an City to build a monastery.

Perhaps he had underestimated the power of the Buddhist sect in this world?

"It is said that the abbot of the Great Buddha Temple, Saint Monk Longhai, once received enlightenment from the Tathagata Buddha in a dream, and thus he bears nine incense scars, a sign of such fate.

With such good fortune, when Saint Monk Longhai enters nirvana, he will surely ascend to the Western Spirit Mountain and expound scriptures under the Tathagata Buddha," Xuanwu stated, his face filled with deep envy.

Ordinary monks had one or two incense scars, like those at Jinshan Temple.

Those with profound Buddhist connection might have three to five incense scars, and such individuals could generally reach positions of abbot or high-ranking roles in most temples, and also be revered as masters by the laity.

And those who have six or seven incense scars are inevitably renowned masters, or even living Buddhas.

It is rumored that Vajras and Biqius from the Western Spirit Mountain who had erred once came to the human world to cultivate and only then could they form such profound connections with Buddhism.

As for those with eight incense scars from the Incense Scar Initiation, they are few and far between, no longer mere mortals, but reincarnations of the disciples of the heavens' Bodhisattvas.

Master Longhai of the Great Buddha Temple was envisioned in a dream by the Tathagata himself, forging a predestined teacher-student bond with the Buddha in the mysterious ways of the cosmos.

Therefore, with exactly nine incense scars, he was the sole such individual in the world, almost serving as the spokesperson for the Tathagata within the Great Tang's domain.

"So that's how it is..." Upon hearing Senior Brother Xuanwu's words, Jiang Liu gained some necessary understanding of this Buddhist karma.

Which means, monks with three to five incense scars of the Incense Scar Initiation might still be common people, but beyond that, they're almost certainly deeply connected to the Western Spirit Mountain.

They are either disciples of Buddha and Bodhisattvas in the mortal world, or perhaps they are directly Arhats, Vajras, and Biqius from the Western Heaven reborn on Earth.

"Do the Buddhas of the Western Heaven really exist in this world?" Jiang Liu mused silently upon hearing these words, yet he did not voice the question.

Back at Jinshan Temple, he had asked the same, only to be scolded by Senior Brother Xuankong.

Moreover, demons and ghosts exist in this world, which is a fact.

Since demons exist, then it seems not so strange for gods and Buddha Bodhisattvas to also be real, right?

The Great Buddha Temple was immense, and on the first day of the Incense Offering Ceremony, it was bustling with people.

Novice monks who met the age requirements from temples within a hundred-mile radius had to come here, along with the older members of their monastic orders, making the Great Buddha Temple exceptionally lively.

However, the Great Buddha Temple was well prepared for the Incense Offering Ceremony, and after all the novice monks were registered, they were guided by temple staff to a huge square to queue up in line.

The accompanying senior monks from their respective orders were provided spots around the square to observe the ceremony.

Jiang Liu glanced around, noting the vastness of the square, reminiscent of a modern university sports field.

In the surroundings, there were many onlookers; some, like Senior Brother Xuanwu, squeezed amongst the crowd.

Others sat on chairs, these people either dressed in luxurious silk or being esteemed monks with at least four or five incense scars on their heads.

Finally, at the front of the square, there were several opulent seats, all currently unoccupied, clearly reserved for honored guests.

Young novice monks continued to enter the square in a steady stream, taking their places as arranged.

A cursory glance revealed that there must have been hundreds of them, giving Jiang Liu the sense of a schoolyard filled with students preparing for morning exercises in modern society.

After a short wait, as the sun climbed higher, a Buddhist chant resonated, akin to the bell tolling of dusk and dawn, instantly silencing all clamor.

"Amitabha, Master Longhai has arrived!"

With this chant, a hush fell over the entire square.

All eyes turned upwards to see a procession of monks, young and old, all clad in bright red kasayas, each with a distinguished bearing, and at least six incense scars on their heads.

The leading monk appeared to be in his seventies, with a neatly groomed white beard, feet shod in straw shoes, wearing a kasaya edged with gold, and upon his smoothly shaven head were nine neatly arrayed incense scars, exuding an aura of majesty.

"Greetings to Saint Monk Longhai!" Seeing this leading old monk, everyone spoke in unison, whether the surrounding monks or the richly dressed dignitaries.

Saint Monk Longhai could be regarded as the premier monk within the Great Tang!

"The Emperor of Tang has arrived! Princess Gaoyang has arrived!"

However, just as Saint Monk Longhai returned a greeting, before he could continue to speak, suddenly another announcement rang out.