Shi Feixiang "cultivates Taoism all over the world and is the best in the south". Zhongnan Mountain has a tradition of seclusion since ancient times. From the earliest Boyi Shuqi and "Shangshan Four Hao" to the modern Xuyun, Yinguang and Laiguo, countless eminent monks have cultivated themselves and preached the Dharma here. To this day, Zhongnan Mountain is still known as the "Hermit's Paradise". Many people have traveled thousands of miles to live in seclusion and practice in Zhongnan Mountain. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 300 to 400 hermits in Zhongnan Mountain. These people come from all over the country, and many practitioners from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea also come here to live in seclusion. Some of them come to study Buddhism, some come to practice Qi and maintain their health, and some just find a clean place to study and learn. Unlike hermits in other places, the hermits in Zhongnan Mountain are real hermits. They live in seclusion not to seek official positions or to make a fortune. They lived in seclusion to cultivate themselves and promote Dharma, to get rid of worldly entanglements and pollution, to gain purity and tranquility of the soul, and to understand the true meaning of life and nature, so that their souls could be purified and sublimated. So, why do so many people choose to live in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain? What kind of mystery does Zhongnan Mountain have compared with other places? The late Monk Chang Ming, member of the Advisory Committee of the Buddhist Association of China, former executive director of the Buddhist Association of China, vice president of the Shaanxi Buddhist Association, president of the Xi'an Buddhist Association, and abbot of Xingjiao Temple in Chang'an, said: "Since Buddhism was introduced to China, , people have been coming to Zhongnan Mountain to practice. Even monks and nuns from southern China come here to practice. They stay for three to five years and then go back to the south to establish their own practice centers. Come here. Practice is not something that can be done in a day or two. It takes you many years to really gain something. But the people who come here to practice are not afraid of hardship. Many of them became enlightened in this mountain, and many others continued to practice and would become masters in the future. In modern times, Xuyun and Yinfa once lived in Jiawutai; Yinguang and Laiguo lived in Nanwutai. . This is the place where they achieved enlightenment. Everyone knows that these mountains are good places for practice. That’s why I chose them,” said Mr. Xudong, the former vice president of the Xi’an Buddhist Association and the abbot of Xiangji Temple. Yuhu County’s Dayuan Temple, Caotang Temple, Xi’an Wolong Temple, Zhongnan Mountain Da Maopeng (Xilin Temple), Guanyin Cave, Xianrencha, and Shengshou Temple have gone through the world, and they are very familiar with Zhongnan Mountain. The great monk said: "When the first monks came to China, they settled in Zhongnan Mountain. And most of the masters in China once practiced in Zhongnan Mountain. But that was in the past. So many monks still come to Zhongnan Mountain. The reason for Nanshan is that it is easy to find a place to live in seclusion. In addition, there are still many lay people in this area who are willing to support people who come to practice. The most important thing is spiritual practice, for which he needs a quiet place. In China, we have several mountains, and this is one of them. "Here, monks have to rely on themselves. Since the Tang Dynasty, this area has become a gathering center for those who want to devote themselves to religious practice." Guo, director of the Chinese Buddhist Association, vice president of the Shaanxi Buddhist Association, and abbot of Guanyin Temple. Master Xuan said: "Zhongnan Mountain is the birthplace of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Hermit culture was very developed, especially during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. There were mainly three types of hermits in the history of Zhongnan Mountain. One was scholar-bureaucrats who were unwilling to cooperate with the new regime; One is the people who are hiding from the war. The other is to look at the people in the open air. Master Benru, a disciple of the master of Chinese studies Mr. Nan Huaijin and the abbot of the Jingye Temple of the Zhongnan Mountain Buddhism, said: "Zhongnan Mountain reaches the Yellow River in the north and Yiyi in the south." The Yangtze River is far away from Kunlun in the west and the sea in the east. Many of the great ancestors gathered here. Standing on Zhongnan Mountain, you can see the bustling mountains of Qinling Mountains, the mountains behind and the Buddha in front of you. , practice Taoism and cultivate Buddhism. Now some people say that Zhongnan Mountain is the back garden of Xi'an (or Shaanxi). I think this is not enough. Zhongnan Mountain is a mountain in the minds of Chinese people and the birthplace of Chinese culture. Nanshan is the backbone of Chinese traditional culture, and the spirit of Chinese culture is in Zhongnan Mountain. I feel very comfortable living here, and I have a real sense of why so many people are willing to come here. Living in seclusion in Nanshan? Four reasons: 1. Qingcheng Mountain is secluded, Emei Mountain is beautiful, Huangshan Mountain is strange, Huashan Mountain is dangerous, and Taishan Mountain is majestic. The king's spirit is the Taoist spirit in the world, and Zhongnan is the best.
2. Zhongnan Mountain has a mild climate and distinct four seasons, which is very important for spiritual practice. 3. Zhongnan Mountain is full of energy and spirit. 4. Zhongnan Mountain has a tradition of hermits since ancient times. Many people come here to seek Taoism. "Master Wu Xuan, the abbot of Guanyin Temple in Zhongnan Mountain, practiced for three years in the Plum Blossom Cave in Shibianyu, Zhongnan Mountain. He can be said to be a representative of contemporary Zhongnan hermits. He has his own personal experience of hermit practice. He said: " Monks living in the mountains mainly seek an environment without external interference. The mountains in the south are beautiful, but they cannot hide people. Motorcycles can drive directly into them. More importantly, the mountains in the south are mostly humid and warm, and there are many mosquitoes, making them unsuitable for seclusion. The mountains in the northeast are too high, but the weasel has become a spirit and lacks the teachings of a saint. Zhongnan Mountain is different. Zhongnan Mountain can hide people. The attraction of Zhongnan Mountain lies in its ‘Tao’. Although the Tao is everywhere, the Tao of Zhongnan Mountain is easy to understand, feel and absorb. Zhongnan Mountain has an "aura" that can penetrate people's hearts. In addition, Zhongnan Mountain has aura, which can represent the spirituality of Chinese culture. Xu Ligong, the former president of the Buddhist Association of Shaanxi Province, said: "There have been hermits in Zhongnan Mountain for at least three thousand years." But there are several types of hermits: Taoist hermits, Buddhist hermits, and intellectual hermits. Intellectual hermits, they prefer quiet and solitude in order to study or write. There are already many people living in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, some for social reasons, some for religious reasons, and some for academic reasons. layman Xinyi, deputy secretary-general of the Zhongnan Mountain Buddhist Association in Chang'an, said: "You can't stay in the mountain without breaking the foundation, and you can't retreat without breaking through the barriers. There are three main reasons why Zhongnan Mountain gathers so many Taoists: First, the geography of Zhongnan Mountain The location and mountain environment are unique. "In the sky, south of the capital, it is named Zhongnan, also known as Zhongnan." The watershed of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers is the north-south dividing line of my country's geography and climate. It has deep mountains and ravines, abundant water resources, dense forests, and wild fruits. The mountains are covered with four distinct seasons and the climate is dry, which provides an ideal environment for mountain living. Secondly, the tradition of living in the mountains has been maintained for a long time. From the end of the Sui Dynasty, Jing Ai led his disciples to live in seclusion in the Zhongnan Xi Valley. Since the construction of seventy-two thatched huts, the trend of living in seclusion in the mountains and cultivating Taoism has never stopped, either to avoid the hustle and bustle, to hide from Dharma difficulties, to retreat to collect evidence, or to hide in hiding to read Tibet, and so on. There are many caves and the inheritance is uninterrupted, which is helpful for the monks to build confidence and learn from each other. Thirdly, the mountain people in Zhongnan Mountain have a good custom of protecting those who live in the mountain, and they often get good results. The support of local mountain people is because the custom of living in the mountains is very popular in Zhongnan Mountain. The local people are used to it and the forestry department will not interfere too much. According to a master who has visited ashrams across the country, things like this are now happening in Zhongnan Mountain. Zhongnan Mountain is probably the only place where thatched tents can be built at will without any intervention. It can be seen that the cultural environment of Zhongnan Mountain provides basic protection for mountain residents, said Guo Feng, a veteran traveler who has followed Zhongnan culture for many years. First of all, Zhongnan Mountain has a tradition of hermits since ancient times. The hermits in Zhongnan Mountain are generally at the national master level. Second, Zhongnan Mountain has a so-called "secret realm" where it is easy to practice Taoism because Zhongnan Mountain has "blessing power". . 3. Zhongnan Mountain’s climate, geography, and products are suitable for seclusion.” From the above speeches, we can see that the reason why there are many hermits in Zhongnan Mountain is mainly due to the following reasons: 1. Zhongnan Mountain has a hermit tradition since ancient times, which is a fundamental reason why Zhongnan hermits continue to this day. 2. Zhongnan Mountain "resides south of the Capital of Heaven" and is the core part of the Qinling Mountains, the geographical dividing line between the north and south of my country. Its climate, products and external environment are suitable for practitioners to live in seclusion. This is the objective reason why practitioners gather in Zhongnan Mountain. 3. Zhongnan Mountain has basically maintained its original natural state and has not been over-exploited. It is still a piece of pure land where people can hide and build thatched tents at will. 4. Compared with other places, Zhongnan Mountain has a "kingly aura" and an "innate aura" that is full of "Tao" and even creates a "secret realm" with "blessing power". 5. Zhongnan Mountain has the custom and tradition of protecting the people of the mountain. The people here are simple and honest, and many people are willing to support the practitioners who live in the mountain. In short, it is precisely because of these reasons, and because Zhongnan Mountain is originally a famous historical mountain with world cultural significance, that it still attracts wise people from all over the country and even the world to live in seclusion and practice here. Zhongnan Mountain is a veritable "Hermit's Paradise".