Chapter 319: Master Sanzang's Discourse
The kitchen was staffed by camp followers acting as cooks, but they were ordinary commoners of the 8th century. By the standards of modern taste buds, their culinary skills were practically unbearable. Perhaps they were only slightly better than Yuigahama—at a level that was strictly "edible."
However, they were indispensable. Ordinarily, the slaughter of animals required an Imam or religious official to recite prayers before the act, and the chefs were required to be believers. But in this era of war, things weren't quite so strict, provided the food adhered to Islamic dietary laws.
After all, this was an era where the Baiji dolphin still swam freely in the Yangtze River, rhinoceroses still roamed the lands of China, and three-meter-long Barbary lions were brought to the Roman Colosseum to fight the Emperor Nero and trained gladiators. Though the lions often lost, their kin still lived freely on the African savannahs.
The Age of Discovery had not yet arrived. Aborigines in Australia lived alongside various marsupials and megafauna. On the American continent, the Native American "druids" remained undisturbed, competing with nature while cultivating nearly half of the world's finest crops for future humanity. Gifted with a unique talent for botany, they spent thousands of years transforming thumb-sized corn cobs into the golden giants of the future, along with sweet potatoes, potatoes, tobacco, peanuts, tomatoes, chili peppers, pumpkins, sunflowers, and zucchini. They also cultivated fruits like pineapples, avocados, and strawberries.
For now, these delicacies were sealed away on the other side of the ocean, inaccessible due to the vast, uncrossed waters.
"Yukino, let me help too! It's too unfair that you guys are having all the fun," Yuigahama protested from her small stool. Since arriving here, her friendship with Satania had blossomed.
"Yuigahama, cooking for people here isn't as casual as eating at home or in a cafeteria, where you can just push what you don't like to the side. You have to consider the local customs and dietary habits. If you're careless and include something forbidden, it will offend the people here and we'll be kicked out. Because we're cooking for Gabriel and the others, the kitchen has gathered ingredients from all over the city, including things that are taboo for some. If you don't understand the rules, you're better off just peeling vegetables in the back," Yukino Yukinoshita said, looking at her friend.
"Eh? What do you mean? Are the people here picky eaters? Do they hate green peppers or carrots? Yukino, just teach me. Please~ Yukino! Yukino-chan!" Yuigahama pleaded, acting spoiled. Since the people here weren't skilled at cooking, she felt that if she worked hard, she might actually earn some recognition.
"Fine, I'll tell you then." The black-haired girl couldn't win against the "Gahama" girl and entered "Yuki-pedia" mode to educate everyone.
"Islamic culture places great importance on food, possessing refined and delicious Halal cuisine. Although many rules haven't been fully codified in this era and recipes aren't as complete as in later centuries due to scarce resources, the fundamental tenets are established: no 'unclean' things and no carnivorous beasts. They don't eat carrion, animals that died by accident, or blood. Because pigs are perceived as unclean, they don't eat pork. However, they can eat livestock like cattle, sheep, camels, chickens, ducks, and geese. They avoid non-ruminant beasts of burden like donkeys and horses. Wild animals like river deer, hares, deer, and wild swans are acceptable. They don't eat carnivorous fish or shellfish, but grass carp and shrimp are fine."
"Ooh! Miss Yukinoshita, are you not only a gourmet but also a scholar of the scriptures?" the local cooks exclaimed, clapping their hands.
"Uuu... that's enough, Yukino, stop talking. I get it, I was wrong!" Yuigahama's eyes spun in circles, her head practically smoking as she begged for mercy.
"Good. As long as you understand," Yukino said with a smile. Of course, there was also the prohibition of alcohol and anything that harms the body, including smoking. But those didn't concern them for now, so she didn't elaborate.
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.
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Meanwhile, Shirou and Xuanzang arrived at the city gates. The soldiers recognized the black-haired woman leading the way and teased, "Yo, if it isn't Master Sanzang. Have you returned to secular life? Who's the little guy you've brought?"
"Regrettably, you've guessed wrong, sister. Are you on duty today? You're not going to arrest me, are you?" Sanzang asked with a laugh.
"The Prophet Muhammad said: 'Whoever wrongs a peaceful non-believer has wronged me.' Go on in."
The two continued toward the central palace. The gatekeepers there were heavily armed and intercepted them before they could approach. "Halt! What is this woman doing here again? Hm? A Buddhist?" One guard raised an eyebrow at the prayer beads around Xuanzang's neck.
"Monk, leave this place. This palace is under the protection of the Mosque. Don't you Buddhists know you aren't allowed inside?"
Xuanzang stepped forward and said with a smile, "Peace, sisters. Please report that I have escorted the Prince of our nation here to visit the honored guests in the castle."
"Prince?" The guard froze. When she looked at Shirou, she nearly jumped. "The Prince of the Eastern Nation!? The one everyone is fighting over?"
"Mhm." Xuanzang stepped aside, intentionally showing the precious blade hanging at Shirou's waist.
The guard rushed forward and grabbed Shirou's hand.
"?" Shirou looked at her in confusion. Because of his shorter stature in this world, he found her intensity a bit frightening.
"I shook hands with the Prince! Ahh! I'm never washing this hand again!" The woman shook his hand vigorously, staring at her palm with joy. "Wait here! I'll go report right now!" She dashed inside.
"Doesn't it make you angry to be treated like that? To you, aren't they 'heretics'?" Shirou asked.
Xuanzang smiled, her hands pressed together in a peaceful gesture. "No. The Buddha spoke of three thousand worlds; naturally, there are three thousand 'outer paths.' The Buddha saves those with whom he has an affinity. We build temples in deep mountains and never force people to enter. My Buddha is merciful; my only wish is that in this chaotic world, there will be less killing. That is the purpose of my journey."
Shirou looked at the suddenly profound Master Xuanzang with skepticism. "Is that really it? In my understanding, didn't you spend your life trying to get the Tang Emperor to abandon Taoism for Buddhism?"
The black-haired girl made a face as if caught, then laughed. "Oh, stop it, Shirou! Do you want to know me that well? Excellent. Aspiring to understand your master is a virtue in a disciple. I am moved."
"If I decided to follow Buddhism because of you right now, what would they do?" Shirou countered.
"Ahaha, that would be quite a predicament," the monk laughed, scratching the back of her head.
"During the early Tang, false Taoists were obsessed with alchemy, using five-mineral powder and mercury to create 'elixirs of immortality' for the Emperor. At the time, Hinayana Buddhism only saved oneself—from high officials to commoners, everyone sought only personal wealth. Chang'an looked magnificent but was spiritually stagnant. There was no framework to guide people toward goodness. I was dissatisfied with this. The Mahayana scriptures available then were few. I read them all, understood their depths, but once I knew them by heart, I could no longer progress. That is why I traveled to India—to bring back the true scriptures of Mahayana Buddhism that can save the world. Having completed my studies, I made a vow to spread the Dharma and save all sentient beings. I will not change my attitude because of different faiths, nor will I force others to change theirs. Nor will I abandon my faith because of them. I believe
Buddhism provides people with something vital," Xuanzang said confidently, her eyes revealing a resolve that no force could shake.
Seeing that look, Shirou seemed to understand. He nodded.
From what he knew, the historical Xuanzang was a respected and devout monk, but also an incredibly ambitious one, dedicated to spreading Mahayana Buddhism in China. He had proven himself at the heart of Indian Buddhist scholarship, winning recognition from over a dozen kings—a feat akin to winning a Nobel Prize. Had he wished, he could have lived a life of luxury there.
Yet he chose to risk his life again to return home, to bring the scriptures to his people. It was this act that made him legendary a millennium later. Upon his return, Emperors Li Shimin and Li Zhi repeatedly asked him to return to secular life and serve as an official. On one hand, his intellect and resolve were peerless; on the other, they wanted to utilize his vast knowledge of the West. He knew the kings of sixteen Indian nations and many Western officials; he held immense prestige among Western Buddhists. He was the most elite intellectual on Western affairs the Tang had—the ideal ambassador.
Had he said yes, he could have attained any rank or title. But he refused every time. The two generations of emperors felt a deep sense of regret, yet Xuanzang's actions proved his loyalty and his noble character—one that could not be swayed by wealth. He wasn't like those who abandon everything for personal gain, a type of person that has existed since ancient times and likely will never disappear.
Such people, if they possess specific talents or hold high office, can cause terrible damage to a nation. But as long as one's actions do not harm the interests of the people, they shouldn't be condemned. Nor does it diminish their contributions to the world. For example, Yoichiro Nambu studied at the University of Tokyo and later moved to the U.S., becoming a citizen after achieving success. Even as a Nobel laureate and a founder of string theory, he isn't as respected in Japan as other scientists who returned home. Choosing a country is a personal freedom, but such actions suggest one loves personal liberty more than their compatriots. One can share in prosperity, but not in hardship.
People have a scale in their hearts; they simply feel a lack of respect and conviction for such a person. This is the difference between talent without virtue, and talent combined with virtue. Talent resides in the mind; virtue is realized in the world. If one focuses too much on themselves, they neglect those around them. If you don't love others, others won't love you. Whether you want profit or prestige, there is a price to pay. One gets what one seeks.
This was an era of slaughter. Whether Arab or Carolingian, the rise of empires was accompanied by iron-fisted suppression and bloodshed. Even if the world's leaders were women, this didn't change. These gatekeepers all possessed an aura of cold efficiency; they had clearly taken lives.
Everyone Shirou met—from Charlemagne the Great to the soldiers and gatekeepers—had blood on their hands. Yet each held a fierce pride in their faith. He could feel a zeal in their eyes—a desperate urge to make others accept their beliefs and see the light they saw.
Much like Master Xuanzang spending half her life traveling to India for scriptures and the other half translating them, dedicating her life to convincing the Emperor. Eventually, she founded the Yogacara school (Faxiang school), the most methodical and scientific of Buddhist sects. It introduced the concept of the Alaya-vijnana (eight consciousnesses)—the idea of a unified force in the human spirit, advocating that "there is no objective world outside the mind; all phenomena are consciousness."
This is a subjective theory: because people have minds, they perceive the world. You see a chocolate because your Alaya-vijnana perceives it as such. To a dog, it is a poison that makes them sick or kills them; the dog's collective subconscious perceives it as poison. To a cat, which lacks the ability to taste sweetness, it is bitter charcoal. All the laws of the world stem from human consciousness, and the essence of man—the "Root"—is Emptiness. The ultimate state of Buddhism is the state of "Emptiness."
"All living beings are equal; everyone is the same, yet everyone is different. Most likely, everyone believes in what they want to believe in, deriving motivation and courage from that belief to live on strongly," Xuanzang said with a light smile.
Her voice was like a spring, washing away all confusion from the heart. Since seeing the "White God," a mist had settled over Shirou's mind. Now, he sat in contemplation.
Religious faith was still difficult for him to understand personally. But if it was a yearning for justice, then in some ways, they were the same. Even without scriptures, there are truths people will protect even if it means defying the gods: the loyalty between friends, the bond of family, the selfless sacrifice of parents, and the undying love between partners.
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