China has beautiful mountains and rivers and beautiful scenery. Many temples are built in famous mountain resorts, and they all worship historical figures handed down from generation to generation, becoming famous places of interest at home and abroad. Every temple has its historical origins, legends and allusions. Some temples and temples are named after their natural and cultural landscapes. Although there are few characters, they are rich in connotation and durable to read, and some of them have become famous sentences through the ages. For example:
If the road is like a river, everything will become beautiful; Sacred as the sun and the moon, the whole world is still spring and autumn. (Confucius Temple) is still tall and straight; Let Dan Xin shine forever. (Wen Tianxiang's Ci) The sun and the moon are linked together as a model; The wind and cloud often protect Dingjun Mountain. (Zhuge Wuhou Temple) Castle Peak has the honor of burying loyal bones; White iron casts innocent courtiers. (Hangzhou Yuefen) Qin Huang' an is here, and the Great Wall of Wan Li complains; Miss Jiang is not dead. A thousand years later, she is a stone. (Meng Jiangnv Temple)
Folk beliefs stem from people's worship of historical figures. People who are "loyal" and "righteous" in history, as well as historical figures praised everywhere, are respected by the people, become idols, and are deified and worshipped in temples. In these temples dedicated to loyal ministers in history, couplets generally focus on the important events and influences of historical figures, or praise their merits or envy their aspirations, and read couplets, and the figures are impressive:
Zheng Jiu feels prestige; Qian Qiu is the orthodox king of spring. (Guandi Temple) Qian Qiu's unjust imprisonment is unnecessary; Loyal souls return from hundreds of battles. (Yue Wumu Temple) Lai San of the Han Dynasty can stay in China for hundreds of years; Taoyuan is single-minded and can't solve the eternal liver and intestines. (Liu Sanyi Hall) In the Spring and Autumn Period, bandits slacked off, courtesy returned, the Han Dynasty lived forever, and the Song Dynasty lived forever; The universe is eternal, combined with divine power, and righteousness is lifelong loyalty. (Guan Yue Temple) If there is love in the sky, you should know the righteous in all directions; Immortal people will never let Mr. (Yi Shi's word)
For the loyal ministers in history, couplets are generally praised for their merits and avoided. However, there is a couplet in a Guandi Temple in Henan Province, which divides the evaluation of Guan Yu into two parts, praising his merits and belittling his merits, and it is very interesting to read. Lian Yue:
One horse beheaded Yan Liang, and the partial division escaped from the ban. The three armed forces were shocked and the title of Tingchang was unsatisfactory.
Xuzhou fell to Mende, the Confederate army lost Sun Quan, and its head went to Wan Li, which was a great shame to the country.
In feudal society, people lacked scientific knowledge, and they often blamed fate for the changes and setbacks in their lives. In order to find spiritual sustenance and relieve psychological pressure, they prayed to God for worship and protection. For thousands of years, God of Wealth, Earth God, Guanyin, Kitchen God, etc. It has become the most widely revered and worshipped god. As the couplets of temples in that era, it is bound to embody the supreme sacredness of "God" and the sacred purpose of blessing all the people, which can be seen in many temples: the financial resources that are universal are omnipotent; Bless all people and prosper forever. (God of Wealth Temple) Shui Mu successfully worshipped five sacrifices; Fire, water and soil help the United States and benefit the group. (Kitchen Temple) Compared with households, it can be sealed and the surname of Wanshenwei can be guaranteed; Surround the stove and look at each other, and use blessings to benefit the four sides. (Earth Temple) Look at the colorful Xijiang Moon in the sky; Listen to the quiet tides in the South China Sea. (Kannonji)
As the main place of religious activities, temples are superstitious. However, both Buddhism and Taoism are good in terms of their teachings, which are reflected in temples and couplets of temples, generally persuading compassion, tolerance and kindness, and have a certain exhortation effect on the world. Among them, there are many warnings that criticize evil and dislike promoting good, which still have a warning effect today. The following temples are thought-provoking:
There are blessings at our doorstep, but there are only a few Buddha names in a incense;
You can have all the good fruits in your heart, and natural autumn flowers will sprout orchids in spring. (Buddha Hall)
Tears are sour and blood is salty, and regrets are hot and sweet. I only know that there is no pain in the world;
Gold and silvery white, but when you see jealousy and black heart, you know there is a blue sky above your head. (Chenghuang Temple)
No matter how lawless you are, do you still have the courage to hang the evil mirror here?
You should know that I can forgive you. Put down the butcher knife and turn around! (Chenghuang Temple)
Treacherous and treacherous, the temple is sincere; Open and aboveboard, getting started is not a loss. (Quanzhou Guandi Temple)
Temple couplets are not only engraved on mountain gates, temple gates, pillars and pavilions, but also can be seen everywhere, such as Buddhist temples, meditation halls, monasteries, Taoist temples and guest rooms. From temple couplets, we can not only study religious culture, but also explore history, appreciate couplets and calligraphy art, and pursue the long history of Chinese civilization. Of course, as a product of feudal society, many temple couplets are purely advocating feudal superstition and negative feelings of world-weariness, which are contrary to today's spiritual civilization and must be criticized and abandoned, which requires us to identify them well.