Perhaps out of a long-lost sense of intimacy, after the departure of the Ming mission, I visited Nanzen Temple several times. The owner of the hospital, Renru Jiyao, is very enthusiastic, and every time he visits, he will personally come forward to receive him regardless of his advanced age, which makes me feel a little unbearable while being moved.

At first, I tried to persuade him, but his answer was very insightful and full of optimism. I couldn't brush off his kindness, and I saw that his body was very tough, so I let it go.

Having said that, apart from him and the departing Xixiao Chengcheng, there is indeed no monk in Nanchan Temple who can study Sinology. I even speculated that his insistence on receiving me in person was most likely due to this.

Once, he once said to me, "Awajiden's understanding of Sinology and Zen Taoism is actually quite impressive. From this point of view, it is a person who has a great relationship with my Zen Buddhism!"

This can be said to be both his approval and his invitation.

After a long time of dating, I really moved my mind and prepared to abandon the Shingon sect of the Kira family and convert to the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Anyway, for me personally, it is not a big question of what religion I follow, and compared to Shingon Buddhism, Zen Buddhism has inherited the purpose of the homeland to a large extent, and has inherited the language of the homeland, which is obviously more intimate to me.

However, in this era, the belief of the lord cannot be done according to his own preferences. Changing sects often means making trade-offs in terms of interests, and sometimes in order to make a certain trade-off, it is necessary to choose the corresponding sect. The reason why the previous Hosokawa clan was able to control the Kanhe trade was largely because the head of the family believed in the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism; On the other hand, the Miyoshi family, after becoming the head of the Hosokawa family, changed from the original Shingon sect to the most widely practiced Hokke sect in the townspeople in order to strengthen their influence in Kinai, especially in Kyoto and Sakai Town.

In order to seek hegemony in Kinai, Nobunaga also made the same choice as the Miyoshi family. He officially converted to a sect and unfurled the Yongle Tongbao Banner with the ribbon of "Nan Mu Myoho-renge-kyo" at the time of the plan to go to Luo. Prior to this, the Katsuhata Oda clan did not believe in the Hokke sect, but in the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. Nobunaga's Bodhi Temple is the temple of the Soto sect of Manshoji that was opened after the rise of his father Nobuhide and opened by the monk Eirui Ohun, his uncle. Nobuhide was buried there after his death, and the name of the ring was "Manshoji Temple, Momoiwa Road, See the Great Zen Gate".

As an emerging local sect, the Lotus sect is often compared to the Sect of the First Tradition. These two sects are almost identical in terms of the method. The cultivation method of the Yizong sect is "specializing in chanting Buddha", that is, reciting "Nan Wu Amitabha Buddha"; The practice of the Lotus sect is the "oral chanting of sutras", that is, the recitation of the "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo". Because of the simplicity of cultivation and the ease of keeping the precepts, these two sects gathered a large number of low-level believers, which can be described as "Buddhism for the people". Moreover, at the beginning of the rise, the two sects were regarded as evil demons because they broke the rules of Buddhist practice, and were suppressed by "aristocratic Buddhism" and "samurai Buddhism": the first sect leader was born in Kyoto, and was granted the post of Echigo by the imperial court and exiled to Echigo; The head of the Hokke sect, said that he was born in the town of Kanto and was sentenced to a serious crime by the Kamakura shogunate and exiled to Sado Island in Echigo.

Doctrinally, however, these two sects are natural rivals. The Lotus sect cultivates this life and pursues the well-being and karma of this life, so it is very popular with the townspeople who pursue economic and commercial interests. He has always cultivated the next life and looked forward to entering bliss after death, which is very suitable for the taste of those foolish people who live in hardship. These two sects soon flourished, and soon a dispute began to revolve around the Kinai believers. The first to gain power was the Ichijo sect, Honganji Renru relied on the relationship of the family and got the support of Tomiko No, and with more than 20 children of his own, he married the public family and the samurai family, and successfully established Yamashina Honganji Temple. However, after the Onin War, the power of merchants and townspeople in Kyoto increased greatly due to the rebuilding of Kyoto, and the Hokke sect began to gain power, and when Miyoshi Motocho, the father of Miyoshi Chokei and the head of the Hosokawa clan, took control of the administration of Kinai and became the protector of Hokke sect, the two sects began a formal conflict, with the result that Miyoshi Gencho was besieged and killed by the followers of the Ichiko-sect, and then the followers of the Hokke-sect burned down Yamashina Honganji, forcing the Ichijo sect to move the main mountain to Ishiyama in Osaka.

From the perspective of interests, since Nobunaga chose the Hokke sect, it is inevitable that he will become hostile to the Ichikozong, just like the previous Miyoshi family. It's just that Miyoshi Nagakei chose to compromise, while Nobunaga chose to fight to the death.

However, not everyone is eligible to change sects. To make such a decision would mean abandoning the Bodhi Monastery that has been passed down from generation to generation in the family. This is a very important matter, and if you don't have enough merit and prestige, it is likely to affect the peace of the family.

When Nobunaga converted to the castle, he had completely conquered Mino, and his prestige far surpassed that of his father, Oda Nobuhide, and he even changed castles several times (Manshoji Temple was in Nakono Castle, where Nobunaga had been the lord of the castle since childhood), so his conversion did not cause any waves.

I also don't have to worry about stability at home. As the first head of the Kira sect, I am fully qualified to change the sect and establish another Bodhi temple, and the retainers will not have any opinions. Hoshin-in Temple may be a little unhappy, but the Tosa Yoshira family has been restored, whether it is to follow the ancestor of the family or to be enshrined by me in the Bodhi Temple of the Sojia, the sacrifice behind her can be guaranteed.

Perhaps, it was precisely because of this that Renru Jiyao persuaded me to change the sect! Now that Zen Buddhism is in decline, if it wants to revivenation, it must regain the support of the center. Nobunaga has always valued business, and he is committed to maintaining his Lotus sect beliefs. Then, I would be the best choice to propose the resumption of the trade and preside over it.

It's just that I still have some concerns in my mind. It is true that converting to Zen Buddhism can deeply participate in the exploration of trade and exchanges with the Ming, and even gain a dominant position in trade, but the Shikoku region I am currently in charge of is generally believed in Shingon Buddhism, and if I want to continue to strengthen my influence in this region, it is better to maintain the status quo...... The choice between the two is a difficult matter to decide.

Not only that, but the Catholic Church then expressed interest in its own family.

In the first month of the second year of Tensho, I temporarily returned to Sumoto Castle to receive New Year's greetings from my retainers. Soon the Reverend Calapur came to my door and introduced me to two people, one was Louis? Father Floyse, one is Father Olgchino.

"Both priests are Jesuits, and very cultured and talented men," Calabul enthusiastically introduced them to me, adding, "I sincerely hope for a friendly conversation and a pleasant afternoon." ”

"It's an honor." I replied in a friendly manner.

This is not a polite statement, because I have heard of the two people in front of me, and they are important figures in the Catholic Church. Floys, who was naturally good at speech and writing, came to Kinai from Kyushu at the end of the 7th year of Eiroku (1564) and preached in Kinai with Father Ferreira, where he had a good relationship with Ashikaga Yoshiteru and was supported by Shogun Yoshiteru. Soon after Shogun Yoshiki was killed, Matsunaga Shu, a believer in the Hokke sect, issued a ban on teaching, and Floys was forced to hide in Sakai Town with Father Ferreira. Father Ferreira left Kinai in disappointment and died in Goa, India, in 1571, where he was supported by Fr. Frews.

Since Nobunaga's ascension, Floyse has tried to meet Nobunaga and go through the upper echelons as he had done with Ashikaga Yoshiteru, but he has never found the right time (history has changed here...... ）。 Last year, thanks to my introduction, Calabul was finally able to meet and obtain a missionary license from Nobunaga to build a Catholic church in Kyoto. Floys was very pleased and immediately spread the news to the bishopric of Goa (the Catholic Church has three major dioceses in Yuben, namely the lower diocese of northern Kyushu, the diocese of Bungo of the Otomo family, and the diocese of Kyoto, which currently belongs to the diocese of Goa, India, and later came under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Macao), so the diocese sent Father Orgchino, an Italian priest who was good at architecture, to replace Father Ferreira, who died of illness, as the prefect of the diocese of Kyoto, and on the other hand, to preside over the construction of the Kyoto Cathedral.

"What a real honor! Have a seat! Thinking of this, and the current close relationship with the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Macau, I strengthened my tone.

Hearing my answer, Floys quickly translated it to Father Olgchino. Olgchino nodded, sat down cross-legged in the same way as Floyse and Calable, and brought out the present he had prepared for me. There are four kinds of gifts, namely a huge glass mirror, a black velvet hat, a Bengali cane and a beautiful peacock feather, the first two are from the country, and the last two are from India, which are very rare in today's books, which shows his sincerity. Floys, who served as Olgchino, spoke with great skill: "I am very grateful for the introduction of Calabul to your lord. Therefore, this visit is dedicated to expressing my gratitude to adults. ”

"Then I'll be ashamed." After a moment's thought, I accepted his gift, and then called the two maids who were kneeling in the verandah of the hall, and told them to bring the mirror and the peacock feather to Janet upstairs.

Calable, who must have guessed what I meant, leaned sideways over Father Orgkino in the center and whispered a few words. Father Orgkino nodded, and said something with a smile on his face. Floys translated: "It turns out that Madame Ling likes these things from foreign countries. Then I've got the right gift for the right person! ”

"Yes, so thank you very much for your kindness." I nodded.

Floys again translated my words to Father Olgchino. Father Orgchino thought for a moment, and Calable, who was close to the other side, said something. So I knew it was time to get down to business. After all, he made a special trip to the door, it was impossible for him to just give a gift to express his gratitude, there must be other demands. Of the three, the only one with whom I had a close relationship and a stake in me was the Pastor Calapur.

Sure enough, Calabul then turned to me and said, "My lord, last time I proposed to build a church under your lord's city, but my lord didn't agree because he seemed to be concerned about your lord's opinion. Now that there is no obstacle for your lord, I take the liberty of making another request, hoping to get your permission. ”

"There's no problem with that." I replied briskly. Since Nobunaga is OK, I'm naturally happy to join in.

"Thank you so much!" Calabull looked very happy. On the other side, Floys translated the conversation to Father Olgchino, who also smiled and said a few words to Floys, who nodded and said to me: "Your lord, Father Olgchino said that I would like to be able to serve you and be in charge of building the church...... Father Orgchino is a very good architect, and if he had presided over it, I think the church would have been built very beautifully, and it would have added a lot of color to the castle town of the lord! ”

There's nothing wrong with that. Father Olgkino is an excellent architect, I know that. But if Freous says he's working for me, that's a bit of a flattery. The object of his service was the Catholic Church, and the church was built to benefit from their missionary work, which had nothing to do with me.

So where are my interests...... After thinking hard for a moment, I suddenly thought of the "Poseidon" plan, which had been temporarily stranded. The only thing missing in this plan was enough shipborne artillery. However, ship-borne cannons are controlled commodities, and with the friendly relations I have established with the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Macau, they still can't help them.

Perhaps the church can partially lift this regulation? However, the priests who are currently preaching in this place are all sent by the Diocese of Goa, India, and even if I can convince them, I am not familiar with the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Goa, because most of them are active in Kyushu.

At this moment, a newly obtained piece of information flashed into my mind.

I asked Fr. Olgchino: "I have heard that your Church will set up a diocese in Macao, and that the three existing dioceses will be placed under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Macao, but I wonder if this is true?" ”

Father Olgkino listened to the translation, and his expression became a little serious. He replied through Floys: "It is very impressive that my lord knows my sect. But this matter is pending the decision of the Holy See, and I can only say that this possibility cannot be ruled out. ”

"That's right!" I nodded. This answer is similar to the information that Tsuya received from the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in Macau. Although I am not sure, it is worth looking forward to if the situation develops.

Then, I went on to ask another question: "I've heard about one more thing." Eight years ago, the Matsuura family's naval army attacked the Omura family's Nagasaki Port, and the Omura family was unable to resist, so your country's chamber of commerce dispatched a warship to defeat the Matsuura family's naval army with shipborne artillery, killing more than 60 people and wounding more than 200 people. ”

(To be continued)