Original text
"Visiting Longmen Fengxian Temple" (Longmen is the name of Yique, and the entrance is forty miles north of Henan Province)
Author: Tang· Du Fu
Has traveled from Zhaoti ② and stayed in Zhaoti.
The yin valleys give rise to empty sounds, and the moon forest scatters clear shadows.
The sky is like a latitude and longitude ④, and the clouds are lying on the ground and the clothes are cold ⑤.
It is thought-provoking to hear the morning bell.
Notes
① Longmen Fengxian Temple: Longmen is Yique, commonly known as Longmen Mountain, located in the south of Luoyang City, Henan Province. Fengxian Temple is a grotto in Longmen Grottoes.
②Zhaoti: Sanskrit, the translated meaning is Sifang, the later province is Tuoti, which is mistakenly called Zhaoti. The monks in the four directions are Zhaoti monks, and the residence of the monks in the Four directions is the Zhaoti room. This poem is intended to recruit and nominate monks.
③Xulai: refers to the sound of wind.
④天pee: That is, peeking into the sky. Take a peek at Zuoque. Xiangwei: The stars in the sky are staggered, like longitude and latitude.
⑤These two sentences both describe the cold.
Appreciation
This poem was written by Du Fu when he was in Luoyang in the 24th year of Kaiyuan (763). Longmen, commonly known as Longmen Mountain, is located more than 20 miles south of Luoyang City, Henan Province. Since the Six Dynasties, it has been a Buddhist resort with many temples and flourishing Buddhist practices. Fengxian Temple In the second year of the Tang Dynasty (675), there is a large Buddha statue of Lushena and a group of stone carvings in the temple. It is majestic and is the first of the Longmen Grottoes.
The monks in the four directions are called zhaoti monks, and the residence of the monks in the four directions is the zhaoti house. The poet traveled in the company of monks and stayed in the temple at night. Although the title of the poem is about visiting a temple, it actually goes through the process of visiting the temple in one stroke, focusing on describing what you saw, heard, and felt when you stayed overnight. The next six sentences all use the word "su" to describe the scenery and express feelings.
"The shadowy valleys give rise to empty sounds, and the moon forest scatters clear shadows. The sky is like a latitude and longitude, and the clouds are lying in cold clothes." Four sentences describe the scenery of sleeping at night. There were gusts of cold wind in the dark valley, and the trees under the moonlight were blown by the wind, causing their sparse shadows to sway. The poet uses the word "San" to describe the dynamics of the forest trees, which can be said to be exhaustive and wonderful. Xiangwei refers to the latitude and longitude of the stars, that is, the sun, moon and five stars. Here it refers to the stars in the night sky. The poet looked up and saw a large number of stars hanging high in the clear and clear night sky, as if coming towards him. The word "force" is also a very expressive word, vividly showing the sense of oppression that the stars want to approach people. The poet lies down at night, wearing thin clothes, and the coldness that eats away at the bones and muscles makes people feel extremely cold, thus creating a white and cold environment. In such an environment, people's worldly thoughts will inevitably be washed away, and they will forget all the troubles and noises of the world, and their souls will be purified.
The two sentences "Wanting to wake up and hear the morning bell are thought-provoking" are implicit and full of profound meaning. When the poet was about to wake up, he suddenly heard the sound of the morning bell. He was startled in his heart and had a profound awareness. He gained something, just like the Zen master's epiphany.
The bell is an important instrument in Buddhist rituals. The deep and resonant sound of the bell has been given the unique meaning of "awakening the world's rich and famous, and recalling the charming dreams of the sea of ??suffering." The tall bell tower also adds value to famous ancient temples. So sacred and solemn. The bells in temples are divided into two types: Buddhist bells and half bells according to their uses. The Buddhist bell is also called the big bell, the bell, the Hong bell, the Chinese whale, the Chinese bell, etc. It is mostly made of bronze and hung on the bell tower. It is used to summon the public or tell the time in the morning and evening. The half bell is also called the calling bell or the small bell. It is mostly made of brass and is usually about 60 to 80 centimeters high. It is hung in the corner of the Buddhist hall and is used to announce the start of Dharma meetings and other activities, so it is also called the action bell. The temple summons monks to go to the temple to chant sutras, and even daily activities such as getting up, eating, and sleeping are all marked by the sound of bells. The bells in the morning are first urgent and then slow, to alert everyone that the long night has passed, and we must seize the time to practice, and do not let go and sleep. The bells at night are first slow and then urgent, to enlighten practitioners. The daily routine of the temple begins with the sound of the bell and ends with the sound of the bell.
The culture of the Tang Dynasty was inclusive, and scholars were widely influenced by the idea of ??the unity of the three religions. Although Lao Du was not a Buddhist believer, he had a deep understanding of Buddhist ideas. Although he did not use Zen language when writing, he was able to understand Zen principles.