Chapter 002 Host
The Dao Sutra states: "The Abbot is the master of the teachings for both humans and celestial beings, the guiding teacher of the world, the expounder of the true teachings of Longmen, the compassionate navigator through the sea of suffering, the model of the Complete Reality, and the framework of the School of Discipline. Without a master of the Dao, one cannot establish oneself.
Yang Kang's words completely dispelled Yang Heng's concerns
After reaching an agreement, Yang Heng settled down temporarily at the Sanqing Temple with a clear conscience
Since this is the case, why not simply abolish it
What are you in such a hurry for? Wait for me to finish speaking
However, once the ordination is granted, you will have this phone, and you will be able to make calls to others
As soon as the two individuals entered, they encountered Yang Heng's mother.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kang became somewhat anxious, "Cousin, you did not say this to me a few days ago."
However, Yang Kang is not so easily deceived; he has been in the business world for a while and knows that there are no free lunches.
Thus, Yang Heng and Yang Kang passed what they thought would be the most difficult challenge with such ease
If it is truly as Yang Kang said, then becoming a Taoist priest at this temple is no different from finding a job
My friend is going there to be a host; the salary should be higher, right
It is settled then. When we go back later, you can say that my parents treat you better than they treat me, and they generally listen to what you say
Upon seeing his mother angry, Yang Heng immediately turned into a sheep, hiding behind Yang Kang and not daring to say a word
Yang Heng listened to Yang Kang's grand plans and immediately broke into a broad smile
Yang Kang looked at Yang Heng helplessly and said, "You are just too honest. If you want to take a vacation, it's not difficult at all; just say you went out to perform a ritual. At that time, the temple will still need to provide 450 yuan for travel expenses."
However, with Yang Kang mediating in between, the situation was ultimately kept under control
Yang Kang brought Yang Heng to the mountain gate, greeted a Taoist priest outside the gate, and then entered with ease.
"It's settled then. When do we start work?"
Due to the upcoming conferral ceremony for Yang Hengxing in a few days, Yang Heng must memorize the rituals during this period
When noon arrived, Yang Heng's father, Old Master Yang, entered the house. Upon seeing Yang Heng, he was also in a state of discontent, his expression neither resembling a nose nor a face.
Nowadays, when people mention the term "Abbot," they often believe it to be a Buddhist term; however, this is not entirely the case.
Yang Heng ascended the mountain alongside Yang Kang, observing his surroundings. He noticed that although the small mountain was not high, it was densely forested, with lush woods and tall bamboos.
The Taoist Quanzhen School has expanded the connotation of the term "Fangzhang": "A person who harbors no distractions within a space of one square zhang is a person of high attainment"
In Taoism, the granting of the talisman signifies that the individual has officially become a master, capable of establishing a connection with the celestial deities through their own essence
The son is about to leave for work soon, and his time at home is becoming shorter. As a mother, Wang Guifang appears tough on the outside, but deep down, she is somewhat anxious.
They entered the front yard of the Taoist temple, but did not go into the main hall; instead, they passed through a side gate next to the main hall and entered the back yard
Moreover, I tell you, this Sanqing Temple is a Taoist temple for fire practitioners, and the Taoists inside are allowed to marry, as long as they do not bring their wives into the temple; having a family outside is not a concern for anyone.
Upon hearing about this good news, Yang Heng completely set aside his concerns
Yang Kang, observing Yang Heng's interest, immediately continued to flaunt and deceive.
After Yang Heng entered, he did not dare to move recklessly; he merely raised his head and quickly glanced around the abbot's room, then took his luggage and obediently stood behind Yang Kang
At this moment, Yang Kang happened to ask the question that was on Yang Heng's mind
Do you still understand how to come back? If you have the ability, never enter this house again
Hearing that the salary was so high, Yang Heng completely set aside his concerns and eagerly asked, "Is there any time off? If I come back to visit the elderly, will I not have time?"
At this moment, sitting on the earthen kang in the abbot's room was an old Taoist priest, appearing to be in his fifties or sixties, with a rosy complexion, though his belly was somewhat protruding
The old Taoist paused for a moment, as if hesitating over something. Finally, he said: "How about this, let your friend go to that small temple to serve as the host, and I will personally take him as my disciple and grant him the "Taishang Sanwu Dugu Gongjing Lu." As for the salary, there isn't much profit there, so I will directly give him 7,000 yuan.
Alright, I will go home with you in a while, I said to the two elderly people.
Following Yang Kang's push of the door, I entered the abbot's room with Yang Heng
Yang Kang entered the abbot's room without any formality and directly sat down on the earthen kang, addressing the old Taoist priest: "Uncle, this is my good friend Yang Heng, I have brought him to you, could you arrange a better position for him"
A few days later, at the appointed time, Yang Kang personally drove to pick up Yang Heng
Yang Kang said his lips were parched, noticing Yang Heng sitting there still somewhat hesitant, he quickly seized the opportunity to press on
The temple is filled with swirling incense, as numerous devotees come and go.
It was only after finishing lunch at noon that Yang Kang introduced to the two elderly people the matter of Yang Heng becoming a Taoist priest.
Yang Heng, accompanied by a pile of luggage and reluctantly bidding farewell to his parents, left home with a heavy heart
In addition, one must also make a last-minute effort to read through those scriptures and texts, lest one be caught off guard and unable to answer any questions when asked.
The only difference is that the work uniforms are somewhat different
When he arrived at the door, Yang Kang knocked and called out, "Uncle Biao, are you there?"
The old Taoist raised his head and glanced at Yang Heng from top to bottom, then after a moment of thought, he said: "Our Sanqing Temple already has a full complement of Taoists, and there is no room here for anyone else."
As for whether to contact the immortals or not, it depends on one's own abilities and the closeness of the relationship with the immortals
Anytime is fine
Therefore, the head Daoist priest of the Quanzhen School of Daoism, Zhengyi Dao, is also referred to as "Fangzhang"
Yang Kang was driving with Yang Heng, leaving the city and heading towards the outskirts.
In Shanyin, the streets are bustling with a constant flow of people.
Isn't the head of the Taoist temple doing well? Why does he leave a good job and insist on coming back to be a librarian
After listening, Yang Heng's expression darkened somewhat. Throughout his life, he had always lived in the shadow of his parents.
That is natural; going there to host will naturally come with many privileges
Yang Heng originally thought that the Taoist temple he was in would be very quiet, but he did not expect it to be so lively here
When the two individuals reached the summit of the mountain, they finally saw a sizable Taoist temple here
What are you talking about? Selling off the ancestral land without a second thought, this small temple, though modest, is indeed the place where our sect's founder resided when he first became a monk. No matter how unworthy I may be, I cannot allow this temple to fall into disrepair
The old Taoist stroked his beard and continued, "Although we cannot accommodate any more people here, there is a small temple that is in need of a host. Why not let your friend go there to serve as the host"
The storm that was imagined did not arrive
It seems that there are indeed quite a few people who ascend the mountain to seek guidance from the divine, no wonder they are looking for recruits here
Upon hearing this, Yang Kang finally nodded in satisfaction, while Yang Heng, standing beside him, had no idea what this signified
Yang Heng made an immediate decision, "We will start work tomorrow"
There are many small vendors in front of the mountain gate selling souvenirs
If the deity you are contacting has a close relationship with your sect, such as being the founder of your sect, then it is naturally easier to establish a connection, and the success rate during the invocation may be higher
Hi, I also visited that Taoist temple a few years ago. Except for its smaller size, its facilities are very complete. The only drawback is that it is quite remote, and there are not many visitors throughout the year, let alone incense offerings.
Yang Kang is now at a loss, as he can only blame himself for arriving late. Therefore, he can only strive to secure some benefits for Yang Heng.
Afterwards, we made several turns and arrived at the abbot's room in this Taoist temple.
However, Mother Wang Guifang was no longer as strict with Yang Kang as she had been before
And so, the two brothers quickly finished their breakfast and Yang Kang drove Yang Heng back home.
The salary is 4,500 per month, and there are commissions at the end of the month. If things go well, one can earn between 6,000 and 7,000 in a month
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist could only respond with a series of bitter smiles: "Originally, we were short one person to oversee the scripture repository, but the abbot of that small Taoist temple caused a commotion in our temple a few days ago and absolutely refused to stay there. I had no choice; after all, he has been an elder for so many years, so I could only assign this position to him for the time being"
There are no longer any main roads leading up the mountain from here, so Yang Kang and Yang Heng can only stop the vehicle and proceed on foot up the mountain
Without discussing matters of money, let us speak of this ordination; it is not something that can be obtained merely by becoming a Taoist priest
Yang Heng's eyes have begun to sparkle a bit now, "How is the salary and benefits?"
In the following period, Yang Heng stayed at home honestly
With Yang Kang's call at the door, there came a response from inside: "Come in."
Yang Kang is still capable. He quickly stepped forward to support the elderly person and began to accompany him with a smiling face. As a result, after a few words were spoken, the elderly person immediately went from tears to laughter.
Uncle, what exactly is going on? We are all family, so please give me the truth.
Yang Heng can be said to have been rendered useless by the two of them; he is simply unable to withstand the trials of society. It would be better for him to live a stable life as a fake Taoist.
Yang Heng stood there, having heard that he had directly bypassed the ordinary Taoist level and ascended to the high position of the host, immediately breaking into a broad smile.
If you contact a deity you do not know, they may not even pay you any attention
It is akin to calling a stranger's home, and upon seeing an unfamiliar number, they simply hang up on you
Ms. Wang Guilan, upon seeing her son return, first brightened up, then her face darkened and she directly threw the basin in her hand onto the ground.
After approximately one hour of driving, we finally arrived at the foot of a small mountain
Yang Heng's elderly father, Yang Hongwei, after listening to Yang Kang's suggestion, thought it over carefully and felt that this was indeed a viable solution
Have you spoken to your uncle and aunt? Being a Taoist priest, we know it is an ordinary job, but outsiders may not see it that way
However, this is merely a formality. Once Yang Heng completes his ordination and goes to that small temple to serve as the host, he will be beyond the reach of authority, free from oversight.
Others do not understand their own sons, but as a father, Yang Hongwei has a clear understanding of Yang Heng's character
Yang Kang looked at Yang Heng's disappointing demeanor and felt a sense of frustration at his lack of ambition
It was only then that Yang Heng followed behind the two of them and entered the house