Chapter 20 Nineteen Celestial Masters can rest now!

On June 14th in Taipei's "Credit News", there was such a news: Continuing the Taoist Tradition·Zhang Tianshi please set up an heir [News] The 63rd generation grandson of Zhang Tianshi, who came to Taiwan from Jiangxi and now established Tianshi Mansion in Taiwan, recently applied to the Ministry of the Interior to establish an heir in order to continue the lifeline of Taoism and the fireworks of Zhang Tianshi. According to an official of the Ministry of the Interior, Zhang Tianshi's 62nd generation grandson, after retreating from the mainland and coming to Taiwan, the government is sympathetic to his loyalty.The Ministry of the Interior, which was in charge of religious affairs, prepared a budget of 24,000 yuan per year as a subsidy for the Tianshi Mansion. Five years ago, it was increased to 36,000 yuan a year, and last year it was increased to 40,000 yuan. --The monthly payment is NT$4,000.

However, since the 62nd generation grandson of Zhang Tianshi has no heirs so far, and he himself is very old, in order to continue the lifeline of Taoism and inherit the pyrotechnic plan of Tianshi, he must have an heir. The Ministry of the Interior has carefully considered his request to adopt his heir. After reading this news, I can't bear it anymore!I have to say: Zhang Tianshi can rest now!Not only Zhang Tianshi can rest, but all other people who take money from the common people and eat from their ancestors—whether they are descendants of Confucius or not.No matter after Zengzi—you can rest!

When I say Master Zhang can take a rest, I don’t mean that he doesn’t have to raise children and prolong fireworks. He can’t have a son himself, and he wants to find someone else’s son to adopt him. , Refining mercury and burning alchemy, I can't interfere.But in order to adopt a son, he actually asked the government to transfer the budget and use the taxes and tributes of the common people to continue their "a stream of green smoke".Because Zhang Tianshi has been giving birth to sons and sons to grandchildren since the 63rd generation, and there are few precedents of "killing the body". Therefore, he asked the governments of all dynasties for cheap. But this time I can't justify it. Adopting someone else's son, according to our modern legal principles, obviously has no "blood" relationship, and has obviously lost the "Taoism" in their blood. Obviously, they should no longer take the government's monthly The dry salary of 4,000 yuan is obviously not worthy of "careful consideration" by the Ministry of the Interior!

Zhang Tianshi's unprecedented "application".It aroused my interest in exploring the source, I opened the history book, and found three Zhang Tianshi at once: 1. Zhang Lu--"Book of the Later Han Dynasty" Liu Yan Biography: "(Zhang) Lu,...the grandfather's mausoleum, when Emperor Shun visited Shu, and learned Taoism in Heming Mountain. He made talismans to confuse the people. Those who follow the Tao , Noir produced five buckets of rice, so they are called rice thieves. Ling passed on to Ziheng, and Heng passed on to Lu, and Lu then called himself Shijun."

2. Zhang Xiu--"Three Kingdoms" Wei Shu Zhang Lu Chuan Note: "(Zhang) cultivated the five-dou rice way...to make the sick's family produce five-dou rice for a long time, so it is called the five-dou rice master. It is not beneficial to cure the disease, but it is obscene... ..." 3. Zhang Jiao - (Book of Later Han Dynasty) Huangfu Song Biography: "Zhang Jiao claims to be a great virtuous and good teacher. He serves Huang Laodao, raises disciples, kneels down and bows to his head, and uses the water mantra to heal diseases." It can be seen that from the very beginning, the ancestors of Taoism had a case of twins or triplets, maybe a case of quadruplets. Anyway, regardless of the case of several siblings, after killing, hacking, and doing esoteric medicine, they finally settled on one. up.

Now that Zhang Tianshi is gradually determined, he will naturally attach a decent ancestor.First of all, they brought out Lao Tzu, but Lao Tzu's surname is "Li", and he belongs to our family. He is only suitable to be a patriarch, not an ancestor.So they chased up until they found Zhang Liang (Ovary), the first famous person surnamed "Zhang" in history, and they recognized their relatives.Therefore, Chen Yuanjing from the Song Dynasty pointed out in "The Family Biography of Han Tianshi": The Daoist mausoleum is taboo,... the eighth grandson of Liuhou's ovary.Now that the glorious ancestors have been discovered, the situation for Ze and his descendants will naturally open up.The scene of Hongkai was not very good at first, because there were factions.Ma Duanlin said in the textual examination of "Wen Wen Tong Kao":

Taoist techniques are complex and varied. ... Gai Qingjing is discussed; training and cultivation is discussed; food intake is discussed in another section; talismanic strategies are discussed in another section; classic science and education is discussed in another section.The disagreements among these factions finally turned around. Slowly, they washed away the "yellow scarf thieves" and stole the thoughts of Zhouyi Laozhuang, forming the "Dan Ding School" and "Fulu School".During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the power gradually expanded and began to drill into the upper class.In Zhao Yi's "Xin Yu Cong Kao" record "Zhang Zhenren" said:

Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has been taught privately, but not respected by the court.The world said that Xi Yin and his younger brother Tan worshiped the Taoism of the heavenly teacher, which is the beginning of Taoism in this world. Not long after, the so-called "Songshan Taoist" Kou Qianzhi came out, and he actually impressed Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty and his minister Cui Hao. The two monarchs and ministers were just like Zhao Yi said: To welcome Zhiqian's disciples, and set up the Tianshi dojo in the southeast of Pingcheng... This is the beginning of the imperial court's advocacy of Taoism.

Now the veterans are shaking!They got the king to practice the "Tao" all at once, smashed all Buddhism, burned all the temples, buried 80% of the monks alive, and established unprecedented majesty for Zhang Tianshi (446).This kind of majesty shrouded an emperor three hundred years later, that is Tang Minghuang, the heartbroken concubine of Concubine Yang Gui. Tang Minghuang gave two epoch-making gifts in Chinese culture: first, he promoted Pingju, which created a precedent for the children of Liyuan; The hereditary leader of Taoism calls them "Tai Shi".Here, the heavenly masters of the Zhang family took advantage of our old man of the Li family, because the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was surnamed Li, and my surname was also Li, and I was brought up by Taoism to be the patriarch. The leader of the family naturally sees it differently.Sure enough, a century later, Emperor Wuzong of Tang made up "The Disaster of the Three Martial Arts" (845).Let Zhang Tianshi's masters and apprentices perform an unprecedented performance-demolish 40,000 Buddhist temples and force 260,000 monks and nuns to return to the vulgar.Thirty-nine years later (884), Emperor Zhizong of the Tang Dynasty named Zhang Tianshi the "Three-day Fujiao Master".As a result, Zhang Tianshi entered the Song Dynasty in a true name.

In the ninth year of Song Zhenzong's Dazhong Xiangfu (1016), he found Zhang Zhengsui, a Taoist priest in Xinzhou, and gave him more preferential treatment than the Tang Dynasty-he started to be titled, and he was given the title of "Mr. Zhenjing". It's pure and clear, and you don't have to pay taxes.Then came another "old Taoist" emperor - Song Huizong, who in the second year of Chongning (1103) bestowed Zhang Jixian, a descendant of Zhang Tianshi, as "Mr. Xujing". Mr. Xu Jing is "very fascinated, even the ladies in the harem are completely fascinated by him.This "Mr. Xu Jing" is Zhang Tianshi of the 30th generation. The only thing he feels sorry for his ancestors is that he is not married, which makes the tradition of the 30th generation of the descendants completely extinct!So I had to find a clansman to pick up the incense.Of course, he didn't "submit to the Ministry of the Interior to allow him to adopt his son" like today's sixty-three Tianshi Zhang. He probably didn't dare to do so, because even in the autocratic era, there are some maverick heroes, Come forward and accuse Zhang Tianshi of "hitting the seal", which makes Zhang Tianshi fearful.For example, in the "Zhi Xin Lu" by Wang Tang of the Qing Dynasty, it is mentioned that a Lin prefect in the Song Dynasty once locked Zhang Tianshi in prison, and then said to the emperor: "His ancestor is a Han (Huangzhong) thief, and it is not suitable for him to be sent." Succession by descendants." Zhu Xi also praised this incident in particular, which shows that in ancient times, when the wisdom of the people was not yet developed, there were still people who understood!

Then came the Yuan Dynasty, in the thirteenth year of Yuan Shizu to Yuan (1276), the thirty-sixth generation Zhang Zongyan was granted the title of "Lingying Chonghe Zhenren".At first, it was only given to the third rank, and then it was promoted to the first rank, crowning Jinghua, very airy.The fly in the ointment is that the title of "Zhang Tianshi" is only limited to the common name among the people and has not been stipulated by law.Emperors throughout the ages were only willing to use titles such as "true person", "taishi" and "Mr.". Even in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang publicly questioned the inappropriateness of the common name "Tianshi" among the people, thinking that "the supreme one is heaven, how can there be a teacher?" "Also?" So he was only willing to give Zhang Normal, the forty-second generation, a second grade, called "Zheng Yi Si Jiao Zhen Zhen".From then on, Zhang Tianshi began to go downhill, but he still came to the capital often.During the Wanli period of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, there was a drought in Beijing. The emperor asked Zhang Tianshi to pray for rain for a while, but the rain still did not come. Zhang Tianshi was very embarrassed, and the emperor was not happy, so he had to invite him back to his hometown in Longhushan, Jiangxi.In the Qing Dynasty, the prestige of Zhang Tianshi was no longer good. In the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozong Qianlong (1747), he simply changed the second grade to the fifth grade, and cut the budget!Not only was the budget cut, but the emperor also did not allow Tianshi Zhang to make a pilgrimage, did not give banquets, and finally took back the silver stamp given to Tianshi Zhang. He was so stingy to Tianshi Zhang!Fortunately, 19 years later, Zhang Tianshi performed a prayer for rain again, counting his luck, it actually rained, the emperor was happy, and promoted him to the third rank.But in the 24th year of Renzong Jiaqing (1819), they were downgraded back to the fifth rank and put into the cold palace, and they were allowed to make talisman prayers! So, poor Zhang Tianshi began to fall down!Their eating instructions, fasting and ritual rituals...all of them can't attract the emperor's interest and attention!When the Republic of China was established, Zhang Tianshi was even forgotten!The privileges enjoyed by celestial masters are becoming less and less!He seemed to miss the days of the imperial era, so in the sixth year of the Republic of China, as soon as the news of Zhang Xun's restoration came, Zhang Tianshi hurriedly said, "Jinjing asks for the title".Unfortunately, the restoration failed before he could benefit.On July 10th, in Fengtai, together with feudal remnants Lei Zhenchun, Liang Dunyan, Zhang Zhenfang and others were arrested by the rebel army, they suffered a false alarm. Zhang Tianshi, who was unlucky in the fleeting years, had no choice but to return to the folk, and was regarded as the master of praying for rain by the folk.In the Shanghai "News" on July 20, 23 (1934), we can also see that during the drought in Shanghai that year, Wang Yiting, a celebrity in Shanghai, invited Master Zhang to "Deng Tanzhai" prayer".At that time, Zhang Tianshi, if he thought back to the wind of his ancestors wearing yellow scarves and the aftertaste of burning the Buddha Hall, he would really feel it! Zhang Tianshi, who retreated from the mainland and came to Taiwan, is the 63rd generation of Zhang Tianshi. After he arrived in Taiwan, according to the previous "Huixin News" report: "The government was sympathetic to his loyalty, and the Ministry of the Interior, which was in charge of the religious affairs of the country, compiled a list every year... ...The budget, as an allowance for the Tianshi Mansion, ...has a monthly expenditure of NT$4,000." This move by the Ministry of the Interior is the last thing I can understand.Because I don't think there is a need for such a "monthly payment" of money in the national treasury. This move is clearly a step backwards: First, the so-called "Zhang Tianshi" is a name that even autocratic emperors disdain to recognize, but the Ministry of the Interior in the democratic era has muddled recognition; Second, the so-called "Tianshi Mansion" is a "mansion" that even the emperors in the autocratic era were not allowed to establish, but the Ministry of the Interior in the democratic era was established inexplicably; Third, the so-called "sympathy for their loyalty", may I ask the compatriots from the mainland who came to Taiwan whose "loyalty" is not worthy of "sympathy"?Take the taxes of other "loyal" countrymen. What kind of logic is it to "sympathize" with another "loyal" leader? Fourth, the so-called "budget" and "subsidy", no matter how small a part of the total budget, should not be made up randomly.In an enlightened modern democracy.There is no reason to use state treasury money to support a religious idol. Article 13 of the "Constitution" clearly stipulates that "the people have the freedom to believe in religion", but it does not clearly stipulate that "the people have the obligation to support the leader". Fifth, Zhang Tianshi's "heaven" was born with talent, so it must be useful. He also has an independent personality, and he should have the ability and occupation to make a living by himself.In addition to earning a living by himself, he went up to the altar to practice methods, made mercury and burned alchemy, killed his ancestors, and was widely known by all living beings, all according to his will.In short, he shouldn't use his ancestral brand, not working hard, eating and drinking for free. Each of the above five reasons is enough to prove that the Ministry of the Interior's move of "4,000 yuan per month" is a foolish, outdated, and backward move.Moreover, this is not a good way to protect celestial masters and protect religion!This "subsidy law" despises the personality of the sixty-three generations of celestial masters, and despises this once-popular religion! Moreover, what is even more worthy of consideration is that this move by the competent unit of the Ministry of the Interior violated the "historical tradition of the national revolution."Gentlemen of the competent unit, why don't you read the history and find out the progressive measures taken by the National Revolutionary Army to remove the title of Tianshi Zhang after the National Revolutionary Army arrived in Jiangxi during the Northern Expedition in the 16th year of the Republic of China. How enlightened and modern is that?At that time, who would have thought that after twenty years, the Ministry of the Interior would actually go to Taiwan and make such a big reversal on the same "celestial master issue"!Isn't this a violation of the "historical tradition of the national revolution"? At first glance, this "celestial master problem" seems like a small problem with a budget of 48,000 yuan per year, but the significance it brings out is not small.Because in terms of model, it is exactly the same as "Confucius problem", "Mencius problem", "Zengzi problem", "Living Buddha problem" and so on - exactly the same problem of spending public money and eating ancestors' food. Try "Kong Sheng problem".May I ask how much Kong Decheng's "Great Master of Dacheng's Supreme Sage was appointed to the government" cost us ordinary people every year?I would like to ask Confucius is respectable, if he wants to "look up at the mountains and stop at the scenery", should he still respect his descendants?It doesn't matter if you respect his descendants, but if you want to respect the grandson of his seventy-six generations of great grandchildren, isn't that a bit of a thing?Respect is fine, but there is no reason not to let him support himself, no reason to let him eat his ancestors for free, no reason to let the common people share the weight of his ancestral tablet and the white and fat great-grandson under the tablet!In some positions (except for the preservation of the complete library of Siku), Mr. Kong Decheng has the ability to earn a living independently and maintain the ability to "entrust the government with the most holy teacher of Dacheng". Why does he bother to hold on to this "subsidy"?Professor of National Taiwan University, professor of National Normal University, representative of National University of China, and senior adviser of the Presidential Office.Chairman of the Joint Management Office of the Central Museum of the Palace Museum, these honorable positions are not enough for him?Why did he bother to be honored by his ancestors again?Keep dipping?It is true that Mr. Kong Decheng is today because of his own hard work, but it is also true that he has a lot of support from his ancestors. Confucius said it well: In "stopping", knowing what it is "stopping", can people be better than birds?If Mr. Kong Decheng can think about his ancestors, he should know that he can "know and stop", and he seems to be the same as Zhang Tianshi, and he can also rest! I dream that one day, there will be no people in China who rely on their ancestors for food.Through the perspective of a person who studies history, I don't think this is an impossible delusion.In history, how many similar situations of "father's death and son's shadow" have fallen now; how many hereditary dynasties of "passing on the family line" have also fallen now.The facts of history can prove that any dream of "one system of everything" will turn out to be a dream in the end.Before waking up from the dream, the reverse of the times and the reflection of the light can only show the sorrow of those who rely on their ancestors for food-the sorrow of not having an independent personality! June 18, 1963 (Postscript) This article was originally published in the sixty-ninth issue of "Wenxing" (published in Taipei on July 1, 1963).Regarding Zhang Tianshi's fall from favor since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are two small documents: 1. Volume 2 of "Chibei Occasional Talk" by Wang Shizhen of the Qing Dynasty: [Ming Mu Zong] In the middle of Longqing, Jiangxi Shouchen said: "Zhang's job title is given a seal, and there is no code system. It should be reformed forever." The imperial edict removed the title of "real person" in order to raise some points for the view of the Qing Dynasty. [Shenzong] At the beginning of Wanli, it was restored.So far, if there is no correctness, why is Yu Yan Shenggong openly ranked? 2. Volume 1 of "Insect Song Manlu" by Cai Hengzi from the Qing Dynasty: Zhang Zhenren entered the pilgrimage in the tenth year of Jiaqing (1805) of [Qing Renzong].It was a time of severe drought, and I was ordered to ask for rain, but if it failed, I would be engraved.First of all, Shangyi abolished Taoism, because every year at Duanyang, there are Huangqi and Zhufu on the main beams of all the palaces in Da Nei, which are hung by the gods and generals sent by real people. Where did it come from? By the fifth day of the first day of Haizheng, it will be gone!With this miraculous sign, he was demoted without reform.Praying for rain should not be done, and Gai dare not violate the sky!