Contact information of Songshan Shaolin Temple: 0371-6288713962748971
At the foot of Shaoshi Mountain, 15 kilometers northwest of Dengfeng City, Henan Province
Introduction to the scenic spots of Songshan Shaolin Temple:
Shaolin Temple is located at the western foot of Songshan Mountain in Henan Province. Songshan Mountain is located in Dengfeng County and belongs to the Funiu Mountains. It stretches for nearly 100 kilometers from east to west and is one of the Five Mountains in my country. There are 72 peaks, and the peaks are famous. To the east is Taishi Mountain, with 36 peaks such as Taibai, Wangdu, and Yunv; to the west is Shaoshi Mountain, with 36 peaks such as Wangluo, Luohan, and Boyu. The main peak is Junji Peak, with an altitude of 1,492 meters, like a giant lying across the Central Plains.
Songshan has built 72 temples. Here are the oldest Songyue Temple Pagoda in the Northern Wei Dynasty in China, the earliest Zen temple Shaolin Temple, the large-scale Pagoda Forest, the most famous Yuan Dynasty Star Observation Deck, and the most valuable historical materials of the Three Han Dynasty Towers (Taishi, Shaoshi and Qimu Tower). ), the magnificent Zhongyue Temple, the simple and elegant Songyang Academy, the green and quiet Dafawang Temple, etc.
Shaolin Temple faces Shaoshi Mountain, with Wuru Peak at its back. According to historical records: the first abbot of Shaolin Temple was a Hinayana monk named Batuo. In the 20th year of Yuan Hongtaihe (496), Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he trekked from ancient India to China and got Emperor Xiaowen, a devout Buddhist. of worship. Because Batuo liked to live in seclusion and quiet places, Emperor Xiaowen had a temple built for him deep in the dense forest at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain and named it Shaolin Temple. Bhattaga accepted hundreds of disciples in the temple and translated the scriptures he brought with him. After Bhattaga passed away, because there was no rule to pass down the lamp and take over the sect, his disciples also scattered around to preach. Decades later, Shaolin Temple became the base of Mahayana Buddhism.
In the late Southern Dynasties, Bodhidharma came to China after three years of wandering at sea to promote Mahayana Buddhism. He first preached and preached at Guangxiao Temple in Guangzhou, and was later taken to Nanjing by Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty. Emperor Wu of Liang thought that he had accumulated a lot of merit by building temples, writing scriptures, and creating statues for monks. However, Bodhidharma said that he had "no merit" and that all he did was "promising things" and not real merit. The two did not agree, so Bodhidharma used a five-leaf mango reed boat to cross the river, enter the Wei Dynasty, and come to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain, where he founded Zen Buddhism. The Zen he taught did not emphasize mystical principles, but advocated sitting in meditation and "watching on the wall", facing the wall and meditating, holding your breath to understand Zen principles. This simple and easy cultivation method was naturally easy to popularize, and later Zen became the mainstream sect of Chinese Buddhism. Mo Ze was designated as the first ancestor of Chinese Zen. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty conferred the posthumous title of "Zen Master Yuanjue".
Because the Mahayana taught by Bodhidharma was an innovation to the old Zen method that was popular in vast areas of China at that time, the struggle was fierce. After Bodhidharma's death, his disciples formed the Southern Sect headed by Hui Neng and the Northern Sect headed by Zen Xiu. There is not much difference between the northern and southern sects in terms of doctrine, but in terms of practice, the northern sect advocates "gradual enlightenment", while the southern sect advocates "sudden enlightenment" and advocates "putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha immediately." After more than ten years of disputes, by the time of Tang Dezong, the Southern Sect finally replaced the Northern Sect. Since then, Shaolin Temple has been the place where the Southern Sect teaches Buddhism. Hounan Sect is divided into five sects: Caodong, Linji, Yunmen, Fayan and Weiyang, among which Cao and Lin have the greatest influence. After the early Yuan Dynasty, Shaolin Temple clearly regarded Caodong Sect as the authentic sect, which continues to this day.
The Shaolin Temple was destroyed once and burned twice. The deposing occurred during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the number of Buddhists in the country accounted for half of the residents, which affected production and harmed the interests of the royal family. So in the third year of Jiande (574), Emperor Wu of Zhou ordered a ban on Buddhism and Taoism. The Shaolin Temple was abandoned and the monks were sent back to their hometowns. At the beginning of the seventh century, the Shaolin monks received strong support from the King of Tang for their meritorious service in assisting Li Shimin in his campaign, and they rebuilt the Shaolin Temple.
By the Song Dynasty, the temple had more than 2,000 monks, more than 5,000 pavilions and pavilions, covering an area of ??36 hectares, and nearly 10,000 volumes of scriptures. It was known as "the most famous temple in the world". During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty (1723-1735), the emperor was afraid that the monks would rebel, so he set fire to the temple and besieged it, putting the Shaolin Temple in a sea of ??fire. After Qianlong, it was rebuilt. In 1928, the warlord Shi Yousan set fire to another famous temple. The fire caused serious damage. The fire lasted for five days and nights. Only two or three rooms in the seven-entry courtyard were left. Countless classics, magical instruments and other valuable cultural relics were reduced to scorched earth. After liberation, it was renovated many times and gradually restored to its former appearance.
The current temple has seven entrances, with a total area of ??more than 30,000 square meters. It is large in scale and has a permanent residence, the first ancestral nunnery, the second ancestral nunnery, the third ancestral nunnery, Tallin, Gan Terrace and the ancestral hall. and South Park and other ancillary buildings.
The mountain gate is a hall with a width of three rooms, carved ridges, colorful tiles, and vivid kissing animals. It was built in the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1735). The "Shaolin Temple" horizontal plaque on the door originally hung in the Tianwang Hall. It was moved here after the war and was personally written by Xuan Ye, the saint ancestor of the Qing Dynasty. There is a seated statue of Maitreya Buddha and a statue of Wei Tuo Dharma Protector in the hall. There are more than 30 inscriptions from Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties on both sides of the corridor behind the mountain gate, making it the famous "Forest of Steles" in Shaolin Temple. Among them are the Tang Dynasty Tiantai Imperial Poems and Calligraphy Stele written by Wang Zhijing, the Xi'an Zen Master Stele written by the Japanese monk Shao Yuan in the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty Sakyamuni's Double Trace Spiritual Picture, the Chunzhuo Monk Stele written by Shamen Deshi in Fusang Garden, and The calligrapher Mi Fu's "First Mountain" stone carving, the Tianyan Daogong stele written by Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty, the imperial calligraphy stele written by Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, the Guanyin portrait stele by Wu Daozi, etc. Among them, the "Stele of Praise to Guanyin" by Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty and the "Stele of Yugong" by Zhao Mengxu of the Yuan Dynasty are the best.
The second entrance to the courtyard is the Tianwang Hall. This hall, the Sutra Pavilion at the fourth entrance and the Mahavira Hall at the third entrance were all destroyed. They have been rebuilt and contain the statues of the four heavenly kings. The Sanjin Main Hall was rebuilt in 1986. The pillar bases in the hall are all carved with stone lions more than 1 meter high. Before and after the Zangjing Pavilion ruins, in addition to the large iron bell from the Jin Dynasty weighing 5.5 tons on the bell tower ruins, there are cultural relics such as the 1.75-meter-high iron statue of Ksitigarbha cast in the first year of Hongzhi (1488) in the Ming Dynasty (1488) and the stone tablet in the east side hall. It is the Kinnara King Hall and the East Guest Hall, and the west side hall is the Sixth Patriarch Hall and the West Guest Hall.
The abbot's courtyard is in the fifth courtyard. It is the first building to survive the mountain gate after the war. In the middle is the abbot's room, which is where abbots and monks of all ages have lived. In the fifteenth year of Qianlong's reign (1750), Emperor Gaozong Hongli stayed here, so it was renamed "Longting" for a time. Standing at the door of the abbot's room and looking south to the main peak of Shaoshi Mountain, there is a huge stone lying on the hillside, about 10 square meters. Whenever the rain comes in summer and the sky clears, the sunlight shines directly on the stone and emits a strange brilliance. It looks like a piece of white snow in the distance, crystal clear and dazzling, so it is called "Shaoshi Qingxue" is one of the eight scenic spots in Zhongyue.
Going up the stairs from the abbot's room, there is a glazed Buddha hall on the high platform, called "Dharma Hall", also called "Lixue Pavilion". According to legend, it is the place where Huike Lixue, the second ancestor of Zen Buddhism, broke his arm. Huike was a Confucian scholar when he was young. He was well-read and well versed in Lao Zhuang and Zhuang Yi studies. When he was about 40 years old, he met Bodhidharma while traveling in Luoyang, Songshan Mountain, and he became his teacher.
Bodhidharma closed the door and faced the wall and ignored him. Huike waited outside the door. It was a cold day and the snow was as heavy as his knees. Huike stood motionless in the snow. The next day, Bodhidharma was still not allowed to enter the room, so Huike chopped He presented his lower left arm in front of Bodhidharma to show his sincerity in seeking the Tao, so Bodhidharma passed on the kapok robe and alms bowl to him as evidence of the transmission of the Dharma. The allusion of "mantle fax" comes from this. A bronze statue of Bodhidharma is enshrined in the Buddhist niche in the pavilion. In the middle of the pavilion hangs a horizontal plaque "Snow Seal Heart Pearl" written by Emperor Qianlong. The east wall outside the pavilion is inlaid with the Jin Dynasty model of Guanyin and Guanyin praise, the Jin Dynasty portrait of the second ancestor Huike, the Ming Dynasty Zuo Siming's three-character "Demon Refining Platform" carved stone, etc.
After Lixue Pavilion is Pilu Pavilion, also known as Thousand Buddha Hall, which was rebuilt in the late Ming Dynasty. A bronze statue of Pilu Buddha cast in the Ming Dynasty is housed in the Buddhist niche. There are large colorful murals on the east, west and north walls of the hall - Five Hundred Arhats. It is 7 meters high and covers an area of ??more than 330 square meters. Its scale is rare among similar murals in the country. The Five Hundred Arhats have a unique appearance and are divided into 35 groups, each expressing a story. It is said that the colors change every few years.
The entire three-story painting adopts the flat painting method of heavy colors, with harmonious vermilion and black, and strong and powerful outlines. The lines are concise and the brushwork is smooth. On the east wall is a jade stone statue of Amitabha carved in the Ming Dynasty. There are 48 pits 20 centimeters deep on the ground inside the hall, which are said to be the remains of foot pits where Shaolin monks practiced boxing and martial arts.
The west wing of the Thousand Buddha Hall is the Ksitigarbha Hall, and the east wing is the Baiyi Hall. There is a bronze statue of Guanyin in white in the Baiyi Hall. There are colorful murals painted on the three walls of the hall, all of which were made in the late Qing Dynasty. Painted on the north and south sides are monks practicing boxing and martial arts with bare hands and weapons, so the Thousand Buddha Hall is also called the Boxing Hall or the Hammer Hall. On the north gable wall is a scene of monk Zhanju instructing the monks in a boxing match in front of the hall.
The two rooms at the north end of the back wall are painted with traditional stories of "Thirteen Monks Rescued the King of Tang Dynasty" and "Capturing General Zheng Wang Renze alive".
Drawn on both sides of the shrine are pictures of subduing dragons and subduing tigers. On the northeast and southeast corners are Manjusri riding a green lion and Samantabhadra riding a white elephant. After leaving the temple and walking one kilometer northwest, you will find Chuzu Nunnery. This temple was mainly built to commemorate Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, who went up the mountain to practice Buddhism. There are mountain gate, main hall and Thousand Buddha Cave in the nunnery. The main existing buildings are one hall, two pavilions and Thousand Buddha Pavilion.
The main hall was built in the seventh year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (1125). The wooden beam frame and brackets are all typical Song Dynasty style. It is a masterpiece among the existing wooden buildings in Henan. The beams and pillars in the hall are made of 16-lattice stone pillars and curved logs. The pillars are carved with pictures of warriors, dragons, dancing phoenixes, flying apsaras, phoenixes playing with peonies, cranes and lotus, etc. The craftsmanship is exquisite and the expressions are vivid, reflecting the paintings of the mid-Song Dynasty. and the level of carving skills. There is an ancient cypress in the southeast of the main hall. According to legend, it was planted by Huineng, the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism. It is commonly known as Ma cypress. The two pavilions at the back of the hall have more than 40 steles by calligraphers from the Song Dynasty. There is a "Dharma Cave" in Wuru Peak not far from Chu Zu'an. In front of the cave, there is a double-column single-hole stone square carved in the 32nd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1604). There is a "wall-facing stone" in the cave. It is said that Bodhidharma sat here quietly facing the wall for nine years and his shadow was reflected in the stone. Buddhists regard this as a treasure, but unfortunately it was destroyed by war.
The Erzu Nunnery is located on the top of Bo Yu Peak. Inside the nunnery there is a main hall and several steles. Outside the nunnery there are ancient cypresses and three brick pagodas from the Tang, Yuan and Ming dynasties. There is a huge stone in the south of the nunnery called "Shichishi". "Hibiscus" is said to be the place where Huike's broken arm was recuperating, and it was named "Arm-nurturing Platform". There are four springs in front of the nunnery. Although they are close to each other, the water tastes are different. It is said that Hui Ke had difficulty drinking water when he was recovering from his injuries. When Bodhidharma found out, he tapped a few times with his tin staff, and spring water gushed out wherever he touched it, so it was called "Zhuoxi Spring". There is also the Mind-Seeking Platform in the south, which is where Hui Ke meditates.
300 meters west of the temple, there is a grand group of ancient pagodas. This is the tomb where eminent monks, abbots and great monks of all dynasties are buried. There are more than 250 brick and stone pagodas in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, making it the largest group of pagodas and tombs in my country. The towers range from the first level to the seventh level, with four, six or octagonal shapes. They also have cylinders or cones, and are hollow or solid. Most of them are engraved with inscriptions on the towers. Tallinn is an important physical material for the study of masonry architecture in my country.