Xiao Ran also noticed the bamboo fishing rods in the hands of Li Shimin and the Others. The line was very thick, and Xiao Ran could not tell what material it was made of.
It was the gap between eras; there was nothing he could do about it.
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, but he also could not clearly see Xiao Ran's fishing line.
Xiao Ran did look energetic, but Li Shimin found his clothing and appearance rather strange.
“Young master, are you from the Great Tang?” Li Shimin took the initiative to speak.
Xiao Ran was delighted when he heard “Great Tang.”
There would be no more wars in the central plains region for some time. If this had been the Sui Dynasty, disasters would still lie ahead.
Xiao Ran turned his head. “Yes!”
Xiao Ran spoke like a Central Plains person, and his face also looked Central Plains. There was no doubt about it.
“Since you are from the Great Tang, why are you dressed like this?”
“I spent some time in the western regions before and only returned recently.”
Xiao Ran found an excuse. Many ethnic groups lived together in the western regions, so it was perfectly normal for there to be a few unusual people.
“It is understandable that your clothing differs from that of the Central Plains, but what about your hair?” Li Shimin continued, “The Classic of Filial Piety says, ‘The body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents; one dare not injure them. This is the beginning of filial piety.’”
Xiao Ran had already guessed that someone would bring this up.
There was no way for Xiao Ran's hair to grow long in a short time, and he did not want long hair anyway.
Xiao Ran had to provide a reasonable explanation. Being unfilial was a very serious matter in this era.
Every dynasty had promoted the principle of “governing the world through filial piety.”
Being unfilial did not merely invite public contempt; one could also be sentenced.
Although Xiao Ran did not believe in Buddhism, he had no choice but to bring up the buddhist tradition.
“Years ago, in the western regions, I followed a highly accomplished buddhist monk and listened to his lectures on the scriptures. I even left home and became his disciple, but later returned to secular life.”
No matter how Li Shimin looked at him, Xiao Ran did not seem like someone who had ever been a buddhist monk.
He continued asking, “Confucianism says, ‘The body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents,’ yet those of the buddhist tradition shave their heads. How does the buddhist tradition explain this?”
Confucianism had a profound influence across China, while the buddhist tradition came from abroad. If it could not justify itself and came into conflict with Confucianism, it certainly could not survive in China.
Xiao Ran said with a smile, “Hair symbolizes ‘ignorance and affliction.’ Shaving one's head is like ‘cutting away entanglements.’ 《The Vimalakirti Sutra》 says: ‘Shave the beard and hair, become a monastic, receive the transformation of the Buddha's Dharma, and complete what must be done.’”
“Regardless of status, everyone wears a kasaya robe after shaving their head. 《The Three Thousand Majestic Deportments of the Great Bhikshus》 emphasizes, ‘Shaving the head prevents sentient beings from giving rise to arrogance,’ thereby breaking down worldly notions of hierarchy.”
“《The Brahma Net Sutra》 says: ‘Shave the hair and destroy the form; may all sentient beings cast away afflictions and ultimately attain extinction.’”
“Confucianism values ‘physical filial piety,’ preserving the body, hair, and skin, while Buddhism values ‘spiritual filial piety,’ transcending the spirit. Shaving one's head is ‘destroying the form to seek the Dao.’ By pursuing nirvana and liberation, one can ultimately dedicate merit to one's parents and allow them to receive eternal blessings and karmic reward, rather than being limited to preserving the physical body.”
“The Confucian principle of the ‘body, hair, and skin’ is the ‘constant way of those who remain at home,’ while Buddhist head-shaving is the ‘expedient means of those who leave home.’”
“《The Analects》 permits ‘sacrificing one's life to achieve benevolence.’ Buddhist head-shaving is ‘abandoning lesser filial piety to achieve greater filial piety.’ In essence, both are ‘supreme virtue.’”
“As the saying goes, ‘Change one's secular clothing without changing one's chastity; change one's appearance without altering one's heart.’”
Xiao Ran was not a buddhist monk, so naturally he did not understand Buddhist scriptures. Still, he really did know this much. If Li Shimin asked about anything else, however, he truly would not know.
He understood a little, but not much.
He had learned it all from short videos and promotional accounts.
Li Shimin was rather surprised. There was nothing wrong with putting it that way.
“Then, young master, why did you return to secular life?”
“Later, I felt that I was not suited to studying Buddhist teachings. I do not believe in past and present lives, nor in cause and effect or reincarnation. If I stayed at the temple, my fellow disciples would no longer tolerate me.”
“I did not want to become a heretic. Although I did not understand them, I respected them. So I chose to leave and become an unrestrained, carefree commoner.”
“I do not think keeping one's hair is the same as being filial, nor do I think shaving one's head can cut away worries. Praying for blessings for one's parents is simply too ethereal.”
“Compared with all that, I think it is more practical to spend time with one's parents, asking after their well-being. When they need you, serving soup and administering medicine at their bedside is better than anything else.”
There was, in fact, something rather “rebellious against orthodoxy” about Xiao Ran's words.
Fortunately, this was the Great Tang, and Neo-Confucianism had not yet emerged.
Li Shimin did not find it offensive. Instead, he felt even more admiration.
“Hahaha!” Li Shimin laughed heartily, lightly tapping the bamboo fishing rod twice against his palm and startling several fish in the water. “Young master, you speak the truth!”
“I have seen the monks in Chang'an's temples ring bells and chant Buddhist prayers every day, yet some buddhist monks boss the common people around. Your way of ‘returning to secular life without abandoning your heart’ is actually more in line with the principle that ‘filial piety lies in practical deeds.’”
Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong did not interrupt, but they deeply agreed with Xiao Ran and nodded repeatedly.
“The 《Classic of Filial Piety》 says, ‘It begins with serving one's parents and culminates in serving one's ruler.’” Li Shimin pointed at the fish in Xiao Ran's bucket. “Being able to let one's parents taste fresh fish through one's own ability, and being able to let the common people live in peace through one's learning, ultimately both come down to one word: ‘practical.’”
Xiao Ran had said many things, but the word that truly struck a chord with Li Shimin was “practical.”
Suddenly, a loud splash came from the water. Xiao Ran's fishing float was abruptly pulled beneath the surface. He grabbed the fishing reel and began turning it rapidly.
Seeing that a fish had taken the hook, Li Shimin, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin were even more excited than Xiao Ran.
Li Lizhi, who had remained silent all this time, picked up the landing net beside her, preparing to help.
“Girl, let father try.” Li Shimin looked toward the landing net.
“Yes, father!”
Li Shimin took the landing net and stared at the object in his hands in surprise. He had never seen such a material before.
“Hey, this one is not small either. Young master, your skill is truly divine!” As far as fishing was concerned, Li Shimin was thoroughly convinced.
“Just good luck, good luck.” Xiao Ran gave the same reply as before.
Mainly because he did not know what else to say.
Whenever he had free time, Li Shimin would go fishing with Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong. The three of them were fairly evenly matched.
Once Xiao Ran pulled the fish to the bank, Li Shimin picked up the landing net and scooped it out, saying with a smile, “Not bad, not bad.”
Only when he drew closer did Li Shimin finally see the faintly visible fishing line.
This made Li Shimin increasingly covetous of xiao ran’s fishing rod.
Xiao Ran also noticed that the others were using earthworms as bait. It had been a long time since he had seen such bait.
“Young master, what is your bait?” Li Shimin asked as he set down the landing net.
Xiao Ran did not know how to explain. After thinking briefly, he said, “This is a family-inherited secret recipe. I cannot disclose it.”
“I was presumptuous!” Li Shimin did not mind.
“Uncle, you can try it. The fish here seem to like this bait.”
“Then I will not stand on ceremony.” Li Shimin threw the earthworms from his fishhook into the water and, following Xiao Ran's example, attached the bait.
“You two uncles, you should try it as well.” Xiao Ran looked toward Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin.
“Hahaha, thank you, young master!” Cheng Yaojin did not stand on ceremony either.
No fishing enthusiast was willing to go home empty-handed.
Xiao Ran had already done some chumming, so there were many big fish nearby.
After changing their bait, the group soon had fish taking the hook, just as expected.
“I’ve got one!” Li Shimin exclaimed happily.
Watching someone else catch a fish was nowhere near as satisfying as catching one yourself.
Seeing that the fish beside him was not small, Cheng Yaojin quickly put down his fishing rod. “Young master, I need to borrow this.”
Cheng Yaojin pointed at the landing net.