Ji Aojian found two copies of the Diamond Sutra and threw them on the table.

My sister asked, "How can we pray for the fourth sister?"

"If you flip through it, you can think of it as a study of religious philosophy. Ji Aojian said casually, "As long as the fourth sister comes back and sees the scriptures on the table, she will know that we are trying to surpass her, and I will feel very relieved in my heart." ”

"I have heard people say that if you read the scriptures, you will have merit. Ji Qingsu suggested, "It's better to read it out, you can accumulate blessings for the fourth sister." ”

"Hey, do you really believe this?"

"It's better to believe in what you have than to believe in what you don't have. Xiao Su said, "If the fourth sister really has sinful karma, it's always good to help eliminate some." ”

"Actually, it doesn't matter whether she has criminal karma or not. Ji Aojian smiled, "If you read the Buddhist scriptures and only have the idea of accumulating merits, then you will not be able to understand the true meaning of them." ”

Ji Qingsu was stunned, "Ask my brother, what is the true meaning of the Buddhist scriptures?"

"There are thousands of Buddhist scriptures, and the most important truth is nothing more than eight words. ”

"Which eight words?"

"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the ground. ”

"It's these eight words. Ji Qingsu was surprised, "Isn't it the eight words of the higher realm?"

"What do you think it is?"

"Color is emptiness, and emptiness is color. ”

Ji Aojian shook his head, "Color is emptiness, emptiness is color, this is just a packaging slogan that makes people unconscious, it seems that his teachings are very lofty, but it is not the true meaning of Buddhism." ”

"Then put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot. Why is it the true meaning of Buddhism?"

"Buddhism says that all living beings have Buddha nature, so the knowledge of Buddhism is to make people realize and become Buddhas. Isn't it?"

Xiao Su nodded.

Ji Aojian continued, "Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the ground." It's the way to become a Buddha, so why isn't that the true meaning of Buddhism?"

"This ...... Sort it off. Ji Qingsu hesitated, "Brother, I haven't fully understood yet, can you explain in detail?"

It is necessary to understand this sentence comprehensively and accurately. Let's start with the other way around. ”

"How do you look the other way around?"

"Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the ground. The reverse means that you want to become a Buddha. You have to raise the butcher's knife first. ”

Ji Qingsu was taken aback, "Can it be understood like this?"

That's right, that's how it should be understood. Ji Aojian nodded again and again, "Only pick up the butcher knife first." Then there are butcher knives to put in. Then there is the qualification to become a Buddha. ”

My sister's mind was completely confused, and she muttered, "It shouldn't be like this, if you understand it this way, wouldn't the Buddhists encourage people to do evil?"

"The fourth sister said, all religious classics are magic gate treasures, now you should know that her words are wise words. ”

"But ......"

Ji Aojian said slowly, "If you still find it difficult to understand. I can tell you something similar. ”

"Brother, please speak. ”

"There is a well-known novel that is widely circulated among the people. It's called Water Margin, I wonder if you've seen it?"

"Yes. ”

"This book is all about murder and arson, and the different consequences," Ji Aojian coughed, "What if a person commits murder on the street and kills an innocent civilian?"

"He will be punished by the government and will be punished with his life. ”

Ji Aojian nodded, "Then what will happen if a group of strongmen gather in the mountains and forests, fall into the grass, break many state capitals, and kill a large number of innocent civilians?"

"This ......"

"will be recruited by the imperial court, and will be added to the knighthood. ”

Ji Qingsu's eyes widened and he couldn't speak.

"Now you should understand, what does it mean to put down the butcher knife and become a Buddha on the spot, right?"

"I see. Ji Qingsu sighed, "It turns out that this is the Buddhist's method of recruiting wicked people." ”

Ji Ao's sword jaw, "The Buddhist saying for Zhao'an is called refuge. ”

"I also know that there is a word for refuge, but if the wicked take refuge, can they achieve Buddhahood?"

"It depends on whether the previous butcher's knife was high enough, and whether the killing karma committed was heavy enough. Ji Aojian said, "If you are a relatively powerful monster and your ability to be evil is acceptable, then after taking refuge in Buddhism, you will only be sealed as a protector of the Dharma." Among the Eight Divisions of the Heavenly Dragon, many of them are such monsters. ”

"Oh. ”

"If you are a demon king who has attained enlightenment and has eaten countless people in the world, then after taking refuge in Buddhism, you will be crowned a bodhisattva. ”

Ji Qingsu asked in surprise, "Is there really such a demon king who has been named a bodhisattva?"

"Why not, the Peacock Daming King Bodhisattva is. ”

"Oh. My sister expressed her understanding, "What about the monsters who have attained Buddhahood after taking refuge in Buddhism?"

"This requires you to make trouble in the Heavenly Palace first, and then take refuge, and you will become a fighting Buddha!"

Ji Qingsu suddenly realized, "Brother, I understand!"

Therefore, the greater the karma, the higher the status after the butcher's knife is put down. Ji Aojian said unhurriedly, "Whether it is a demon king or a heavenly demon, they are all rare talents, how can they be easily wasted?" Therefore, there is no need for us to recite scriptures for the fourth sister to dispel the sinful karma, we should expect her sinful karma to be as great as possible, so that the consideration for her being recruited will be higher." ”

Xiao Su thought for a while, and then asked, "What if it's a shallow little demon doing evil?"

"Then just slap it to death and turn into ashes. Ji Aojian sighed, "Buddhist disciples, they also have to eat, if there are some small demons in the donor's family, you have to subdue demons and eliminate demons for them, and provide exorcism services." ”

"Isn't that unfair?"

"If there is anything unfair, if you don't have the ability, then you don't have status. Ji Ao Kendao, "If we have practiced hell, we should know that ordinary people also have no human rights in front of the gods and Buddhas, and as long as they make a slight mistake, they will go to all kinds of hell to be tortured." ”

Ji Qingsu was silent for a moment, "Brother, you said that putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot is the true meaning of Buddhism." But you just said that those who were born from demons and took refuge and attained positive results, which doesn't mean that putting down the butcher's knife is the mainstream of Buddhahood, right?"

"Good question. Ji Aojian nodded, "The founder of Buddhism." It's just to put down the butcher's knife, so it's the mainstream way. ”

"How can this be?" Xiao Su was shocked, "I read history books. Prince Shakya seems to have never lifted a butcher's knife in his life?"

Ji Aojian smiled lightly, "Then let's talk about history, Buddhism originated in Tianzhu, which was originally an ancient civilization like China, and there was a splendid ancient civilization thousands of years ago. ”

"And then?"

"After 2,000 BC, the Aryans invaded Tianzhu and conquered the indigenous people with war and slaughter. These foreign invaders also established a strict caste system. Enslaved conquered peoples for generations. ”

Ji Qingsu asked, "Those conquered people must not be reconciled, right?"

"I really won't be reconciled. So those conquerors at the top also wanted to consolidate their rule through religion. Ji Aojian paused, "In that era, a wise prince appeared with a long-term vision. Insight into the world. A new doctrine has been created to tell the masses of the lower classes that everything in this world is empty, everything is an illusion, and your suffering is also an illusion, so there is no need to resist. ”

"So that's what makes everything empty?"

Therefore, the teachings of the teachings emphasize emptiness first, emphasizing that color is emptiness. Emptiness is color. ”

Ji Qingsu asked, "What if the lower classes don't believe that everything is an illusion." ”

"Then tell them. Everything in this world is made up of karma. Today's suffering is the result of retribution in the past, so there is no need to resist. ”

"That's the principle of karma, right?"

"Yes, karma is meant to be that everything is your fault. If you don't know why it's your fault, it's your fault in your last life. ”

"What if everyone doesn't believe that everything is an illusion and that everything is the fault of the previous life?"

"In that case, there will be frequent riots. Ji Aojian sighed, "But after this doctrine was born, it was very successful, and the lower class people seemed to believe it." ”

Ji Qingsu reminded, "Brother, you haven't said what happened to put down the butcher knife. ”

The great prince also exhorted the upper castes to believe in the equality of all beings, to be kind to the lower classes, and to ease antagonism. "In this way, he represents the upper class from which he was born, and on behalf of the ancestors who conquered the South Asian subcontinent with blood and fire, he made a gesture to the aborigines to put down the butcher's knife. So, he became a Buddha!"

In that case, I will understand it all. Xiao Su let out a long sigh.

"Buddhism is originally a sutra for the superior to rule over the inferior. Ji Aojian waved his hand, "So you will know why after the entire country of Buddhism in Tubo still retains slavery, and the living Buddhas are happy to be the big slave owners." The reason why Buddhism developed greatly during the Sixteen Kingdoms, and the kings of the Yuan and Qing dynasties, especially supported Lamaism, was because the Hu people found this doctrine very suitable to help them rule the Han people. ”

The younger sister nodded convincingly.

"Do you still think there will be merit in reciting these Buddhist scriptures?"

"I don't believe it anymore. ”

"All religious texts will say that what they say is the truth. Since it is the truth, it should be believed with all your heart. Believing that merit can be obtained by reciting sutras will arouse the desire to make merit. In order to make merits, it is best to recite it several times a day. So every time I read it, it is an active process of self-brainwashing and strengthening. ”

Ji Aojian grabbed the scriptures, "So chanting for the sake of chanting the scriptures will fall into this psychological trap of infinite loop." Only by referring to history, sociology, and political science, and treating the scriptures as a cultural phenomenon, can we correctly understand its function and value. ”

"The third sister has never told me these truths. Ji Qingsu suddenly thought of something, "Brother, do you think the third sister will use the social and political background to analyze when she reads the scriptures?"

Ji Aojian was stunned unconsciously, and said after a while, "Xiao Su, why did you forget, although the third sister is not as straightforward as me, she encourages us to know and understand the world from more angles." ”

"Is there one?"

"During the Chinese New Year, she solemnly recommended a book to us. Ji Aojian said lightly, "Machiavelli's "Treatise on the Monarch" represents a masterpiece of realism and utilitarianism. ”

"I remembered that it was the "Theory of Tyranny Politics". (To be continued......)