The Holy land of the Shaolin

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In the Buddhist faith, the Four Heavenly Kings (chin.: Sì Tiānwáng 四天王) are four guardian gods, each of whom watches over one cardinal direction of the world. They reside in the Cāturmahārājika heaven (chin.: Sì Tiānwáng tiān 四天王天) on the lower slopes of Mount Sumeru (chin.: ānmíngshān 安明山). They are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil, each able to command a legion of supernatural creatures to protect the Dharma.

Two wrath-filled and muscular guardians of the Buddha, standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples under the appearance of frightening wrestler-like statues. According to Buddhist tradition, these guardians traveled with the historical Buddha to protect him.

The Shaolin Buddhist temple (chin.: Shàolínsì 少林寺) has an impressive Two Giant Deva’s (Benevolent kings) Gate (chin.: èr Rénwáng mén 二仁王门). The Er Renwang Men of the Shaolin temple in Henan province has been rebuilt in 1980; after the original design. In both sides of the gate there is a huge statue of a Vajra Warrior or Deva Warrior. It is something that all the visitors of the famous temple can’t miss. Their fierce and threatening appearance wards off all evil spirits (chin.: yùnmó 蘊魔) and keeps the temple ground free of demons. 

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Buddhist monk’s staff or staff of authority (chin.: xizhang 錫杖) is also known as walking stick with sound (chin.: yousheng zheng 有声杖), wisdom cane (chin.: zhizhang 智杖) and virtue cane (chin.: de zhang 徳杖). In sanskrit it is known as “khakkhara”.

The monk’s staff usually consists of a wooden pole (chin.: mugan 木桿) topped with a metal finial with two sections, each with three rings (chin.: taohuang 套環). In India, the xizhang’s metal rings were originally used by travelling priests to alert small creatures to keep them from accidentally being harmed by a priest when walking in the woods. It was also used to frighten away dangerous snakes or beasts that the priest might have encountered. The xizhang could also serve as a cane to help the priest walk. When begging, he rattled this staff to announce his arrival at the door or gate of a household without breaking the vow of silence (speaking only the Buddhist Dharma, or scriptures).

The Monk Staff or monk’s mendicant staff known to Buddhists as Staff of authority is an almost unknown sacred hieratic object, which is still used in formal Buddhist ceremonies. Every Temple all around China has its own xizhang which handed down from one Abbot (chin.: fangzhang 方丈) to another. For Shaolin Temple this sacred object called Chan Zhang (禪杖) and is also used as a weapon although it is rarely practiced any more.

The piercing tiny clanging of the magical rings of the Xi Zhang only strengthened my feelings of timelessness.

Master Shi Yong Po (師父 释永坡)

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Buddhists have run a string of beads, called Shuzhur (chin.: shùzhur - 數珠兒 - 數珠兒) or Fozhu (chin.: fózhū 佛珠) through their fingers when they read the sutras, or chanted the names of Buddhas in their practices. The Buddhist prayer beads are a religious implement (chin.: fóxiè 佛械) used during sutra reciting (chin.: qínxíng 勤行) and meditation as one expresses, through heartfelt prayer, his/her appreciation for the Three Treasures of Buddhism (chin.: Sānbǎo 三宝 – fófǎsēng 佛法僧) the Buddha (chin.: fó 佛), the Dharma (chin.: fǎ 法), and the Sangha (chin.: sēng 僧).

The overall purpose of all Shuzhur beads is to create a sense of tranquillity (chin.: āndìng 安定) and inner-peace (chin.: jìng 靖) for not only the individual, but for the community as a whole. In reciting the prayer, a sense of peace will enter making an individual that much closer to reaching Enlightment.

For most Buddhists Prayer beads, represent a meditative tool. Their specific purpose may vary for individuals, but the beads enhance “goodness” and stimulate “virtue” (chin.: zéshàn 责善). The purpose of the Prayer beads for the Buddhist perspective is to drive away evil (chin.: chōngshà 冲煞) and fill you with peace and bliss (chin.: fú 福). Because of the nature of Buddhism, this material object is used as an accomplice for gaining merit on the path to enlightenment (chin.: liǎowùdào 了悟道).

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