English
The day the writer stood by the cave, the bottom was stained red with blood, in spite of the fact that the authorities have made proclamations strictly pro- hibiting visitors from “taking their lives or cutting off any of their members at the spot”! For greater security, a railing has now been set up round the whole cave. The island, which has been in the possession of the ~ Buddhists through all these centuries, has often been visited by both native and foreign pirates, who time after time have destroyed the sanctuary and driven the monks away to the mainland of China. None of | the buildings which one sees there now dates from before the fourteenth century. In 1572, a monk was sent down there from Wu-t‘ai Shan, to restore the ruined buildings at the expense of the emperor, The island was originally under the authority of the legalistic party (Lii-tsung), but in the seventeenth century the Meditation School (Ch‘an Tsung) secured the ascendancy. At the landing-place there is a regular little town given up to the sale of requisites for temple worship, and a long row of vegetarian restaurants. The first temple enclosure, which is, in reality, a monastery [288] PILGRIMAGES enclosure also, forms the famous “Temple of Universal Mercy”? (P‘u-chi Ssti) (#$ ¥§ =). It is also popularly called *‘Ch‘ien Ssi”’ Bi $f (the First, or Foremost Temple) in contrast to the other great enclosure which lies farther inland, on the slope below the real mountain. Thislatter is called “Fa-yu Sst”’ (#: Ri 3) (the Temple of the Doctrine which Rains Down), or “Hou Sst”’ (4% =) (the Back Temple). One ought to go into these tem- ples, if one wants to see impressive masses held for great crowds of pilgrims who lie prostrated in long rows. Here, also, one finds the very finest of Buddhist art. One meets something similar, though on a smaller scale, if one goes over thelower slope, up the many stone steps to the temple “Fu-ting Shan” (i JH 1), ¢ Buddha’s Peak,” from which there is an enchanting view out over the ocean. Among other remarkable places, in addition to the “Cave of the Roar of Billows,” is the famous “ Fan- yin Tung” (3& # iM), where a relic of the historic Buddha is said to be. The full name of the island, “‘ P‘ut‘o-lo-ch‘ieh (}# Bé % 4m), is an allusion to Kuan-yin’s original mountain, the Indian Potaloka. A good many monks have settled down as hermits here or on the surrounding islets, in order to “lay up merit” for themselves dur- ing shorter or longer periods. Buddhism’s next greatest sanctuary is Chiu-hua Shan (ju #€ 1), in Anhwei, situated in one of the most naturally beautiful parts of the Yangtze valley. Further details are given in the chapter on ‘‘Masses for the Dead” and Ti-t‘sang. We learn that the first hermit [289] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM settled there as early as the year 401. This was an Indian whose Chinese name was Pei-t‘u (#8 Bé). The original name of the place was “Chiu-tzti Shan” (Ju ¥ i), but after the great Chinese poet Li-t‘ai-pai (# X& #) had been there he rechristened it “‘Chiu-hua Shan” for “there were not merely nine ordinary mountain peaks, but nine flowering mountain peaks.” It was, however, only after the coming of Chin Ch‘iao-chio (4 #4 #) in a.p. 754 that the mountain acquired its great reputation for holiness, when it became known that the great and merciful bodhisattva Ti-ts‘ang was re-incarnated in him. The Taipings destroyed a number of the old buildings, but much is still standing, among other things the great monastery of “Hua-ch‘eng Ssii”’ ({t $& Sf), dating from the eighth century. Behind this stands a pavilion which contains the Chinese Tripitaka, presented to the monastery by the emperor Wan Li of the Ming dynasty. Besides these, the best-known feature is the great pagoda, about which the pilgrim bands march with slow reverend gait. On the open space in front of the pagoda is a big iron jar. The legend is that devout pilgrims, after two days of fasting, and clad in green, will, by standing in a certain position and gazing down into the depths of the jar, be able to catch a glimpse of the lost souls in hades and the “merciful Ti-ts‘ang.” Among other objects worth seeing on Chiu-hua Shan are the old temples built on the rocks, “Tung-yai Ssti”? (3 He Sf) and “ Pai-sui Kung” (4 # &). In the latter place the skeleton of an old and holy abbot [290] PILGRIMAGES overlaid with gold-foil is found. Crossing a deep valley one climbs the T‘ien-t‘ai Mountain (K # tI), where some picturesque temples are also to be found. The third sanctuary is Wu-t‘ai Shan (% # I), situated in the northeast part of Shansi province. This rises in five terraces to a height of three thousand six hundred feet, which has given it the name “ Wu- t‘ai,” the “Five Platforms.” The tutelary god here, as has already been mentioned, is Wén-hsu (x ¥), the bodhisattva of wisdom, who in ancient times manifested himself in the form of an old, white-haired man. One of his “silver hairs” still lies under the great white pagoda which adorns the spot. This is a meeting-place for the lamas from Mongolia and Tibet, and the Chinese Buddhist monks, so one sees the prayer wheels beginning to revolve here. Of the one hundred and fifty monasteries and temples, twenty-four are occupied by the lamas. The chief director belongs to the Lama society and is called ‘“‘Chang-chia Fu” (i X 1) (the “Buddha Who Is Always Renewed”). He is a very autocratic and aristocratic gentleman. As one might expect, the monastery’s rites and the whole of the inner life of the place is strongly characterized by syncretism, as the two great streams of Buddhism meet. The rather difficult access to the place is accountable for the fact that there are fewer pilgrims here than is the case at P‘ut‘o and Chiu-hua. The fourth great sanctuary is O-mei Shan (jt WA il), far inland in Szechwan province. The mountain rises [291] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM up like a huge cone from the plain, and with its picturesque slopes and remarkable mountain steps and buildings it is certainly without parallel in the whole world. From the six-thousand-foot crest one has the most marvellous view, not only of the fruitful plains of Szechwan, but also over the mountain wilderness toward Tibet. The mountain peak rises out of a plateau and reaches a height of eleven thousand feet above the sea. That which has contributed not a little towards surrounding O-mei Shan with romance, is the fine mist which often lies over it, like a collar around the mountain top. When the sun breaks through, one sees the colours of the rainbow in its pursting bril- liance, producing light effects of surpassing beauty. It now passes for a true tradition that the great bodhisattva of mercy, P‘u-hsien (3 %), has from ages past manifested himself on this mountain, riding on his white elephant. The emotional pilgrim who sees these light effects, naturally connects them with P‘u- hsien, and believing that a vision has been granted to him is seized with rapture. Some have cast themselves in ecstasy from the outmost crest into the misty space and have disappeared in the depths. Whitened bones below tell the story of their last swift journey. An enormous bronze figure of P‘u-hsien on the elephant is erected in one of the largest temples, There are, in all, seventy temples and monasteries with fully two thousand monks. One of the most famous sights is the ruins of the bronze temple built by the [292] PILGRIMAGES emperor Wan Li about the year 1600, afterwards destroyed by lightning. Of the fifty-six pagodas, there are two made of bronze, dating from the time of the Ming dynasty. . The place, a day’s journey west of Kiating, is the great meeting-place for Tibetan lamas, Buddhists from Nepal, and monks from the various provinces of China. Besides these great pilgrim centres, there is an enormous number of holy places and famous mon- asteries throughout China which attract pilgrims by the thousand; for example, Wei Shan in Hunan, now destroyed; Ku Shan (#f jl)) in Fukien; and above all, the many beautiful monasteries and temples round Hsi Hu (% i, West Lake), at Hangchow. We cannot describe them all, for it would require an extra volume, but we shall give a general description of the pilgrim processions such as are found throughout the whole land. There are, as a rule, special circumstances that send men on pilgrimages. Often it is sickness, often unfortunate business conditions or poor harvests, or such like, which lie behind these undertakings. Par- ticular sins, and the calamities consequent upon them, are often to be expiated by such a pilgrimage. Occasionally, it is real religious need, the need of - deeper spiritual experience and religious certainty, which drives them forth. The person concerned, who may be the son of the house, the father, or the brother (in many cases also a mother, a daughter, a widow, or a cast-off wife), goes first to the nearest temple [298] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM (preferably one dedicated to a certain Buddha or bo- dhisattva). There a vow is taken (fa-yiian, hsii-ytian, %% A, #F FR) that the person concerned will go to a holy place, if help can be received. If help comes quickly, the pilgrimage is then an act of thanksgiving, and the promise is redeemed (huan-yiian, #2 2%). Often, however, it is a journey to seek help (ch‘iu-én, # B). Often the vow is a pledge of annual pilgrimages for sO many years. There are a great many points to be observed about the journey itself. The day of departure (usually in early summer or in the autumn) is decided, after con- sultation with a soothsayer (a chooser of days).