A Series of Chinese Travel Essays: Shanxi Volume, Shaanxi Volume

Author: [Qing] Zhongdu Yisou
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Snow-covered peaks like jade, with paths blocked; and rugged rocks, impassable for horses. We paused at the (Luoduo) on the mountain slope, with Wu Lama and the young monks from Ruhua Pool leading the way, followed by Li Bingyi, Zilai, Li Fu, and the team leader Gao Wanshan, Wei Tingrui surrounding the mountain to advance. Where the mountain path could not be circumvented, I walked. After another twenty-nine li, we reached Mount Tai. From all directions, the peaks were towering and countless. The East Platform is southeast of the Central Platform, the North Platform is northeast of the Central Platform, the South Platform is southwest of the Central Platform, and the West Platform is northwest of the Central Platform. The West Platform is the farthest, faintly visible in the distance; the East Platform has two platforms, roughly the same size; the North Platform is long like a embankment, flat like a palm, the highest; the South Platform is also high. Among the mountains, there are many peaks with the name "Cooling Peak"; but the Five Platforms are named after the peaks, so the name "Cooling Peak" is, and the other peaks cannot compete with it. The Central Platform is also two platforms. Although there are peaks, there is a flat mountain to the west of the peak, covering an area of over 100 acres, this is what is called "Platform." The platform of the North Platform is self-evident. The other three platforms are probably the same, but I couldn't visit them all. In fact, it was late autumn and the weather was cold, and the desert was also a cold place. Without my determination to persevere, I would not have been able to climb it. Even when I climbed the platform, the coldness of the sky, the slipperiness of the steps, need not be mentioned; the fierce wind on the platform pricked the bone and flesh, my eyes blurred, my nose ran, I was in doubt, and it was truly freezing and unbearable. The time for climbing the platform is from April to July, and other months are not suitable. Generally, sacred and mysterious places in the world may prohibit people from visiting. I have always been timid, and before visiting the southeastern two mountains, and this time visiting the Five Platforms, climbing their peaks, all made my soul tremble and my heart and mind shocked, beyond my control. In the past, Changli climbed Mount Hua and became crazy and could not come down, how could there be a doubt! When I first arrived, the great lama of Putuo Peak offered me a sheep, two packages of tea, and a bushel of rice and flour each, with messengers Demqul and Balongdo. I declined the gifts and left them behind. On the 22nd, I went to thank them. I came from the northwest path, winding and turning, to the foot of the mountain gate, where there were more than 100 steps, two people supporting me on the sides. The two monks Dem and Ba had been waiting for a long time and led me into the main hall to worship Manjusri, then followed to other halls. The monks chanted Tibetan scriptures, which were probably words of flattery to the Buddha for blessings. After drinking tea in the guest hall, I gave ten gold pieces in alms and bid farewell to visit Xiantong Temple. Inside the temple, there was a bronze hall, with beams, rafters, statues, and utensils all made of bronze. The donors competed to gild them, so the gold was dazzling. The Jizhou Garden was covered with gold, but it was not as brilliant as this. I went to another temple and saw a lotus flower over a meter high behind the Buddha's seat. The Buddha sat in the lotus flower, and when he turned right, the flower bloomed; when he turned left, the flower closed, like a dragon lantern on the Lantern Festival. The lama's name was Han Cheng, and he was good at talking. He had the calligraphy of Emperor Renzong. When I saw it, it was the language of Arhat, and the temple was named Luohu, so that's why. Wu Lama said that there was a sitting Buddha in the stone cave of Cifufu Temple, so I went to see it, but it was a fake decoration to deceive people. I also went to the Pagoda Temple to see the pagoda. The pagoda was also very spectacular, similar to the White Pagoda in Beihai, with many small Buddha niches around it. In front of the niches, bronze pillars stored scriptures, with pillars on top and bottom, and when they were pushed, they rotated like a mill. One rotation of the pillar was one reading of the scripture, and the principle was also incomprehensible. The monk in charge, Shengxiu, was from Baoding. In the Shuli Temple, the blue Manjusri was the main image, and I went to see it, but it was just a golden body. The upper eyelid of Manjusri hangs in the middle, so the eyes are wavy, and all the images are the same, perhaps the original spirit. I asked about the blue Manjusri, and the monk said: "Putuo Peak is the yellow Manjusri, Xiantong Temple is the green Manjusri, Luohu Temple is the white Manjusri, Pagoda Temple is the black Manjusri, and blue is called five colors. Is it the incarnation of the Bodhisattva?" Or did the monks deliberately multiply the names to confuse the world? Since Manjusri attained enlightenment in the Five Platforms, there have been spiritual responses from time to time. The monks also attached and fabricated stories among them, and the incense fire became more prosperous. People in the north believe in Buddha, and the Tatar people are particularly devout, often spending their families to serve the Buddha. Therefore, the temples have been increasing, and statues have been standing, with over 100 temples since the Han and Tang dynasties. In our dynasty, when the emperors settled here, the palaces and pavilions were extremely luxurious. The yellow was changed to green, and 800 people ate from the imperial kitchen. Therefore, the land where tigers and dragons were subdued, where magic bowls flew and ducks flew, where the unicorn gathered and the deer gathered. Since the imperial carriage did not come, the treasure mountain stopped, and the living Buddha and monks were like hellish hungry ghosts, snatching people to eat. Some were robbed on the road, some waited at the door, or fought to throw incense to be the first to give, or beat the wooden fish to be malicious, and all kinds of bad behavior cannot be enumerated. I have seen that people in the world are shameless and greedy, and I have never laughed at them. Those who are outside the world regard purity as the highest, but they actually behave like merchants, fishing for their ambitions, and the Buddha's teachings are trampled, how can I not sigh! How can I not sigh! On the 23rd, I gave alms to the various temples, with different amounts. I packed my belongings and said goodbye. Putuo Peak gave wooden bowls, kelp, golden lotus, and recording pearls. I refused the gift, as I had already received rice and flour before. Cifufu Temple gave a map of the Five Platforms, Luohu Temple gave beads and four wooden plates. The monk Han Rongshou of Xiuyin Temple gave three wooden boxes, three wooden spoons, and medicinal powder, all of which were to repay the alms, and I accepted them. At noon, I set off. At sunset, I stayed at Taifu Temple, and I talked and laughed happily with the two Lamas. Because I recited the poem "Farewell to the Five Platforms," the Lama Lin wanted to carve the poem on the Central Platform. The poem goes: "I came to the Five Platforms, and everything I saw was Manjusri. The disciples have good roots, but my master abandoned me. I left my traces in the dust of the world, and my hair and beard are already in my sixties. My body and family, and fame and wealth, are all eternal. Like a bird in a cage, when will I fly free? Like a fish in a net, when will I be free in the rivers and lakes? I am ashamed of my incompetence as a sage, and my wish to be a Buddha is also empty. I have lived sixty years in vain, and I have wasted this thousand-bodied body. I climbed the high mountain and admired it, and I cried and returned to my old home!" Translated from Journal of Geographical Magazine, April-May 1924 issue.
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Translation of the additional text:
Author: [Qing] Zhongdu Yisou
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Snow-covered peaks like jade, with paths blocked; and rugged rocks, impassable for horses. We paused at the Luoduo on the mountain slope, with Wu Lama and the young monks from Ruhua Pool leading the way, followed by Li Bingyi, Zilai, Li Fu, and the team leader Gao Wanshan, Wei Tingrui surrounding the mountain to advance. Where the mountain path could not be circumvented, I walked. After another twenty-nine li, we reached Mount Tai. From all directions, the peaks were towering and countless. The East Platform is southeast of the Central Platform, the North Platform is northeast of the Central Platform, the South Platform is southwest of the Central Platform, and the West Platform is northwest of the Central Platform. The West Platform is the farthest, faintly visible in the distance; the East Platform has two platforms, roughly the same size; the North Platform is long like a embankment, flat like a palm, the highest; the South Platform is also high. Among the mountains, there are many peaks with the name "Cooling Peak"; but the Five Platforms are named after the peaks, so the name "Cooling Peak" is, and the other peaks cannot compete with it. The Central Platform is also two platforms. Although there are peaks, there is a flat mountain to the west of the peak, covering an area of over 100 acres, this is what is called "Platform." The platform of the North Platform is self-evident. The other three platforms are probably the same, but I couldn't visit them all. In fact, it was late autumn and the weather was cold, and the desert was also a cold place. Without my determination to persevere, I would not have been able to climb it. Even when I climbed the platform, the coldness of the sky, the slipperiness of the steps, need not be mentioned; the fierce wind on the platform pricked the bone and flesh, my eyes blurred, my nose ran, I was in doubt, and it was truly freezing and unbearable. The time for climbing the platform is from April to July, and other months are not suitable. Generally, sacred and mysterious places in the world may prohibit people from visiting. I have always been timid, and before visiting the southeastern two mountains, and this time visiting the Five Platforms, climbing their peaks, all made my soul tremble and my heart and mind shocked, beyond my control. In the past, Changli climbed Mount Hua and became crazy and could not come down, how could there be a doubt! When I first arrived, the great lama of Putuo Peak offered me a sheep, two packages of tea, and a bushel of rice and flour each, with messengers Demqul and Balongdo. I declined the gifts and left them behind. On the 22nd, I went to thank them. I came from the northwest path, winding and turning, to the foot of the mountain gate, where there were more than 100 steps, two people supporting me on the sides. The two monks Dem and Ba had been waiting for a long time and led me into the main hall to worship Manjusri, then followed to other halls. The monks chanted Tibetan scriptures, which were probably words of flattery to the Buddha for blessings. After drinking tea in the guest hall, I gave ten gold pieces in alms and bid farewell to visit Xiantong Temple. Inside the temple, there was a bronze hall, with beams, rafters, statues, and utensils all made of bronze. The donors competed to gild them, so the gold was dazzling. The Jizhou Garden was covered with gold, but it was not as brilliant as this. I went to another temple and saw a lotus flower over a meter high behind the Buddha's seat. The Buddha sat in the lotus flower, and when he turned right, the flower bloomed; when he turned left, the flower closed, like a dragon lantern on the Lantern Festival. The lama's name was Han Cheng, and he was good at talking. He had the calligraphy of Emperor Renzong. When I saw it, it was the language of Arhat, and the temple was named Luohu, so that's why. Wu Lama said that there was a sitting Buddha in the stone cave of Cifufu Temple, so I went to see it, but it was a fake decoration to deceive people. I also went to the Pagoda Temple to see the pagoda. The pagoda was also very spectacular, similar to the White Pagoda in Beihai, with many small Buddha niches around it. In front of the niches, bronze pillars stored scriptures, with pillars on top and bottom, and when they were pushed, they rotated like a mill. One rotation of the pillar was one reading of the scripture, and the principle was also incomprehensible. The monk in charge, Shengxiu, was from Baoding. In the Shuli Temple, the blue Manjusri was the main image, and I went to see it, but it was just a golden body. The upper eyelid of Manjusri hangs in the middle, so the eyes are wavy, and all the images are the same, perhaps the original spirit. I asked about the blue Manjusri, and the monk said: "Putuo Peak is the yellow Manjusri, Xiantong Temple is the green Manjusri, Luohu Temple is the white Manjusri, Pagoda Temple is the black Manjusri, and blue is called five colors. Is it the incarnation of the Bodhisattva?" Or did the monks deliberately multiply the names to confuse the world? Since Manjusri attained enlightenment in the Five Platforms, there have been spiritual responses from time to time. The monks also attached and fabricated stories among them, and the incense fire became more prosperous. People in the north believe in Buddha, and the Tatar people are particularly devout, often spending their families to serve the Buddha. Therefore, the temples have been increasing, and statues have been standing, with over 100 temples since the Han and Tang dynasties. In our dynasty, when the emperors settled here, the palaces and pavilions were extremely luxurious. The yellow was changed to green, and 800 people ate from the imperial kitchen. Therefore, the land where tigers and dragons were subdued, where magic bowls flew and ducks flew, where the unicorn gathered and the deer gathered. Since the imperial carriage did not come, the treasure mountain stopped, and the living Buddha and monks were like hellish hungry ghosts, snatching people to eat. Some were robbed on the road, some waited at the door, or fought to throw incense to be the first to give, or beat the wooden fish to be malicious, and all kinds of bad behavior cannot be enumerated. I have seen that people in the world are shameless and greedy, and I have never laughed at them. Those who are outside the world regard purity as the highest, but they actually behave like merchants, fishing for their ambitions, and the Buddha's teachings are trampled, how can I not sigh! How can I not sigh! On the 23rd, I gave alms to the various temples, with different amounts. I packed my belongings and said goodbye. Putuo Peak gave wooden bowls, kelp, golden lotus, and recording pearls. I refused the gift, as I had already received rice and flour before. Cifufu Temple gave a map of the Five Platforms, Luohu Temple gave beads and four wooden plates. The monk Han Rongshou of Xiuyin Temple gave three wooden boxes, three wooden spoons, and medicinal powder, all of which were to repay the alms, and I accepted them. At noon, I set off. At sunset, I stayed at Taifu Temple, and I talked and laughed happily with the two Lamas. Because I recited the poem "Farewell to the Five Platforms," the Lama Lin wanted to carve the poem on the Central Platform. The poem goes: "I came to the Five Platforms, and everything I saw was Manjusri. The disciples have good roots, but my master abandoned me. I left my traces in the dust of the world, and my hair and beard are already in my sixties. My body and family, and fame and wealth, are all eternal. Like a bird in a cage, when will I fly free? Like a fish in a net, when will I be free in the rivers and lakes? I am ashamed of my incompetence as a sage, and my wish to be a Buddha is also empty. I have lived sixty years in vain, and I have wasted this thousand-bodied body. I climbed the high mountain and admired it, and I cried and returned to my old home!"
---
Translation of the additional text:
Author: [Qing] Zhongdu Yisou
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Snow-covered peaks like jade, with paths blocked; and rugged rocks, impassable for horses. We paused at the Luoduo on the mountain slope, with Wu Lama and the young monks from Ruhua Pool leading the way, followed by Li Bingyi, Zilai, Li Fu, and the team leader Gao Wanshan, Wei Tingrui surrounding the mountain to advance. Where the mountain path could not be circumvented, I walked. After another twenty-nine li, we reached Mount Tai. From all directions, the peaks were towering and countless. The East Platform is southeast of the Central Platform, the North Platform is northeast of the Central Platform, the South Platform is southwest of the Central Platform, and the West Platform is northwest of the Central Platform. The West Platform is the farthest, faintly visible in the distance; the East Platform has two platforms, roughly the same size; the North Platform is long like a embankment, flat like a palm, the highest; the South Platform is also high. Among the mountains, there are many peaks with the name "Cooling Peak"; but the Five Platforms are named after the peaks, so the name "Cooling Peak" is, and the other peaks cannot compete with it. The Central Platform is also two platforms. Although there are peaks, there is a flat mountain to the west of the peak, covering an area of over 100 acres, this is what is called "Platform." The platform of the North Platform is self-evident. The other three platforms are probably the same, but I couldn't visit them all. In fact, it was late autumn and the weather was cold, and the desert was also a cold place. Without my determination to persevere, I would not have been able to climb it. Even when I climbed the platform, the coldness of the sky, the slipperiness of the steps, need not be mentioned; the fierce wind on the platform pricked the bone and flesh, my eyes blurred, my nose ran, I was in doubt, and it was truly freezing and unbearable. The time for climbing the platform is from April to July, and other months are not suitable. Generally, sacred and mysterious places in the world may prohibit people from visiting. I have always been timid, and before visiting the southeastern two mountains, and this time visiting the Five Platforms, climbing their peaks, all made my soul tremble and my heart and mind shocked, beyond my control. In the past, Changli climbed Mount Hua and became crazy and could not come down, how could there be a doubt! When I first arrived, the great lama of Putuo Peak offered me a sheep, two packages of tea, and a bushel of rice and flour each, with messengers Demqul and Balongdo. I declined the gifts and left them behind. On the 22nd, I went to thank them. I came from the northwest path, winding and turning, to the foot of the mountain gate, where there were more than 100 steps, two people supporting me on the sides. The two monks Dem and Ba had been waiting for a long time and led me into the main hall to worship Manjusri, then followed to other halls. The monks chanted Tibetan scriptures, which were probably words of flattery to the Buddha for blessings. After drinking tea in the guest hall, I gave ten gold pieces in alms and bid farewell to visit Xiantong Temple. Inside the temple, there was a bronze hall, with beams, rafters, statues, and utensils all made of bronze. The donors competed to gild them, so the gold was dazzling. The Jizhou Garden was covered with gold, but it was not as brilliant as this. I went to another temple and saw a lotus flower over a meter high behind the Buddha's seat. The Buddha sat in the lotus flower, and when he turned right, the flower bloomed; when he turned left, the flower closed, like a dragon lantern on the Lantern Festival. The lama's name was Han Cheng, and he was good at talking. He had the calligraphy of Emperor Renzong. When I saw it, it was the language of Arhat, and the temple was named Luohu, so that's why. Wu Lama said that there was a sitting Buddha in the stone cave of Cifufu Temple, so I went to see it, but it was a fake decoration to deceive people. I also went to the Pagoda Temple to see the pagoda. The pagoda was also very spectacular, similar to the White Pagoda in Beihai, with many small Buddha niches around it. In front of the niches, bronze pillars stored scriptures, with pillars on top and bottom, and when they were pushed, they rotated like a mill. One rotation of the pillar was one reading of the scripture, and the principle was also incomprehensible. The monk in charge, Shengxiu, was from Baoding. In the Shuli Temple, the blue Manjusri was the main image, and I went to see it, but it was just a golden body. The upper eyelid of Manjusri hangs in the middle, so the eyes are wavy, and all the images are the same, perhaps the original spirit. I asked about the blue Manjusri, and the monk said: "Putuo Peak is the yellow Manjusri, Xiantong Temple is the green Manjusri, Luohu Temple is the white Manjusri, Pagoda Temple is the black Manjusri, and blue is called five colors. Is it the incarnation of the Bodhisattva?" Or did the monks deliberately multiply the names to confuse the world? Since Manjusri attained enlightenment in the Five Platforms, there have been spiritual responses from time to time. The monks also attached and fabricated stories among them, and the incense fire became more prosperous. People in the north believe in Buddha, and the Tatar people are particularly devout, often spending their families to serve the Buddha. Therefore, the temples have been increasing, and statues have been standing, with over 100 temples since the Han and Tang dynasties. In our dynasty, when the emperors settled here, the palaces and pavilions were extremely luxurious. The yellow was changed to green, and 800 people ate from the imperial kitchen. Therefore, the land where tigers and dragons were subdued, where magic bowls flew and ducks flew, where the unicorn gathered and the deer gathered. Since the imperial carriage did not come, the treasure mountain stopped, and the living Buddha and monks were like hellish hungry ghosts, snatching people to eat. Some were robbed on the road, some waited at the door, or fought to throw incense to be the first to give, or beat the wooden fish to be malicious, and all kinds of bad behavior cannot be enumerated. I have seen that people in the world are shameless and greedy, and I have never laughed at them. Those who are outside the world regard purity as the highest, but they actually behave like merchants, fishing for their ambitions, and the Buddha's teachings are trampled, how can I not sigh! How can I not sigh! On the 23rd, I gave alms to the various temples, with different amounts. I packed my belongings and said goodbye. Putuo Peak gave wooden bowls, kelp, golden lotus, and recording pearls. I refused the gift, as I had already received rice and flour before. Cifufu Temple gave a map of the Five Platforms, Luohu Temple gave beads and four wooden plates. The monk Han Rongshou of Xiuyin Temple gave three wooden boxes, three wooden spoons, and medicinal powder, all of which were to repay the alms, and I accepted them. At noon, I set off. At sunset, I stayed at Taifu Temple, and I talked and laughed happily with the two Lamas. Because I recited the poem "Farewell to the Five Platforms," the Lama Lin wanted to carve the poem on the Central Platform. The poem goes: "I came to the Five Platforms, and everything I saw was Manjusri. The disciples have good roots, but my master abandoned me. I left my traces in the dust of the world, and my hair and beard are already in my sixties. My body and family, and fame and wealth, are all eternal. Like a bird in a cage, when will I fly free? Like a fish in a net, when will I be free in the rivers and lakes? I am ashamed of my incompetence as a sage, and my wish to be a Buddha is also empty. I have lived sixty years in vain, and I have wasted this thousand-bodied body. I climbed the high mountain and admired it, and I cried and returned to my old home!"