The Holy land of the Shaolin

The Shaolin temple (chin.: Shàolínsì 少林寺) is a Chinese Buddhist monastery famed for its Chan Buddhism (chin.: chánfó 禅彿) and its martial arts (chin.: wǔgōng 武功). According to the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks (chin.: xùgāosēngchuán 续高僧传, 645) by Daoxuan (chin.: dàoxuān 道宣, 596-667), an eminent Indian monk came to China in the fifth century right through India and China, crossing the huge barrier of the Himalaya (chin.: Xǐmǎlāyǎ 喜马拉雅) mountain range, teaching Xiao Sheng Buddhism (chin.: Xiǎoshèng 小乘). Emperor Tuoba Hong (chin.: Tuòbáhóng 拓跋宏), posthumous Beiwei Xiaowendi (chin.: Běiwèixiàowéndì 北魏孝文帝 - 471AD to 499AD) enacted an edict to establish the Shaolin Si (Young --New Planted-- Forest Temple the famous Shaolin Monastery) for this Unknown Great Buddhist Monk of the west, called Ba Tuo Luo (chin.: bátuóluó 跋陀羅); on the north side of the Shao Shi Shan (chin.: shǎoshìshān 少室山) of Mount Song (chin.: Sōngshān 嵩山), northwest of Deng Feng city (chin.: Dēngfēngshì 登封市), at Henan province.

Yang Xuanzhi, (chin.: yángxuànzhī 楊衒之) in the Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang (chin.: Luòyángqiélánjì 洛陽伽藍記; 547), and Li Xian (chin.: lǐxián 李賢), in the Ming Yitongzhi (chin.: míngyītǒngzhì 明一統志; 1461), concur with Daxuan’s location and attribution of the Shaolin Temple.

The Jiaqing Chongxiu Yitongzhi (chin.: Jiāqìngchóngxiūyītǒngzhì 嘉慶重修一統志; 1843) specifies that the Shaolin monastery, located in the province of Henan (chin.: Hénán 河南), was build, in the 20th year of the Tai He era (chin.: Běiwèitàihéshíjiǔnián 北魏太和十九年)—the “Era of Supreme Harmony” (477-499)—of northern Wei (386-534), namely 496 AD.

Since the Shaolin temple was deep in the woods (translated as Lin - forest in Chinese) of Shao Shi Shan (chin.: shǎoshìshān 少室山), it is known as Young Forest Temple (chin.: Shàolínsì 少林寺). Jing Rizhen of the early Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), explained this in his book Mount Song: Shaolin means woods in Shao Shi Shan.

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The Empty Appearance Temple or the Temple of Emptiness (chin.: kongxiangsi 空相寺) was called many names such as the Peaceful Forest Temple (chin.: dinglinsi 定林寺), the Western Mountain Temple (chin.: xishansi 西山寺) and Bear’s ear Temple (chin.: xiongersi 熊耳寺). The Emptiness Temple lies down on the foothills of Bear’s ear mountain (chin.: xiongershan 熊耳山), within the boundaries of Li country (chin.: licunxiang 李村乡), in Sanmenxia city (chin.: Sanmenxiashi 三门峡市) at Shan county (chin.: shanxian 陕县) of Henan Province (chin.: henansheng 河南省).

It was constructed during the Yongping era (chin.: yongpingnianjian 永平年间) 58 – 75, of the Eastern Han Dynasty (chin.: donghan 东汉) and has more than 1900 years history, as it is along with White Horse Temple the earliest Buddhist temples in China.

The Emptiness Temple was known as “Holy Land of the Shan county, under the blue Heaven” (chin.: shanjunzhi shengdi tianxiazhi minglan 陕郡之圣地天下之名蓝) with fine reputation. Together with Shaolin Temple (chin.: 少林寺), Baima Temple (chin.: 白马寺), and Xiangguo Temple (chin.: 相国寺) were the four big prominent monasteries (chin.: zhongzhou sida mingsi 中州四大名寺). At 526, during Southern and Northern Dynasties period (chin.: nanabeichao 南北朝 420-589), the Indian Buddhist Patriarch Bodhidharma (chin.: putidamo 菩提达摩) went to China, who became famous by his 9 years contemplation of facing wall in a niche on Song Mountain (chin.: songshan 嵩山). He is considered the founder of Chan sect (chin.: chanzong chuzhu 禅宗初祖) of Chinese Buddhism for the next generations. 

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The Sea Monastery (chin.: haizhuangsi 海幢寺), is today known as the Sea Park (chin.: Haizhuang Gongyuan 海幢公园). Lying south of the Pearl River (chin; zhujiang 珠江) is located between Nanhua Middle Road (chin.: nanhuazhonglu 南华中路), and Good fortune Tong fu Road (chin.: tongfulu 同福路), and covers an area of 19,700 square metres. Haizhuang Park would be a nondescript park, but for the remains of what was once Guangzhou’s largest monastery dating back to 1662. It was also one of the “Four Great Forests” (chin.:sidaconglin 四大丛林) in Guangzhou. The other three are the Bright Filial Temple (chin.: Guangxiaosi 光孝寺), Magnificent Forest Temple (chin.: Hualinsi 华林寺) and Six Banyan Trees Temple (chin.: Liurongsi 六榕寺).

It survived wars and natural disasters and its historic relics surrounded by Haizhuang Park have become a tourist resort in recent years. There are a few monks in residence today, as the temple is in current use and the scent of incense and sound of prayers floating through the air creates an atmosphere in keeping with the history of the place. The restorations have spruced up the broad south hall with its fine statuary and interlocked wooden beam roof, so typical of south China’s early Qing temple buildings.

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Located 12km east to the ancient capital (chin.: laocheng 老城) city of Luoyang (chin.: 洛阳), Henan Province (chin.: 河南省), facing the Luo River (chin.: Luohe洛河) in the south and sitting back to the Mang Hill (chin.: Mangshan 邙山) in the north, is a temple, with red walls, exquisite halls and a towering pagoda amid green pines and cypress groves, appearing solemn and silent. This is the antiquity monastery of the White Horse Temple (chin.: Baimasi白马寺), the first Buddhist monastery in China, honored as “the Founder’s Home” (chin.: zuting祖庭) and “the Cradle of Buddhism in China” (chin.: shiyuan释源).

According to historical records (chin.: houhanshu 后漢書) of the Eastern Han dynasty (chin.: donghan 東漢 25-220), in A.D. 64, the Seventh year of Yong Ping (chin.:永平七年), Emperor Ming (chin.: han mingdi 漢明帝) dreamed of a pearlescent Gold God coming from the west flied around a temple in circles. On the next day, he told what he dreamed to his ministers (chin.: dachen大臣). His minister Fu Yi (chin.: 傅毅), explained that the deity of the dream was probably the Buddha in India. Hearing that, the emperor sent a delegation of eighteen members headed by Cai Yin (chin.: 蔡愔), Qin Jing (chin.: 秦景) and Wang Zun (chin.: 王遵) to seek Buddha dharma to the Western Region (chin.: xiyu 西域).

In Tianzhu (chin.: 天竺), as India (chin.: 印度) was called that time, the envoy met two eminent monks from the Yueshi (chin.: 月氏) country, what is now Afghanistan (chin.: 阿富汗), Kasyapa Matanga (chin.: Ye Moteng 葉摩騰) and Dharmaraksha (Chin.: Zhu Fa Lan 竺法蘭). The envoy invited them back to China to do missionary work and propagate Buddhism (chin.: chuanjiao 傳教). On the way to Luoyang, Buddhist Scriptures (chin.: Fojing 佛經) and the figure of Buddha, as Sakyamuni Statue (chin.: Shijiamouni xiang 釋迦牟尼像) were carried by two white horses (chin: baima 白马). 

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Wind Hole Temple (Fengxuesi 风穴寺) is one of the oldest temples in China, built in Northern Wei Dynasty (chin.: Beiwei 北魏 386-581), according to historical records. It is located on Fengxue Mountain (风穴山) which also is known as Gu Shan (故山), 79 km northwest of Pingdingshan (平顶) City; 9 kilometres northeast (chin.: Dongbei东北) of Song Mountain (chin.: songshan 嵩山) in the northern foot (chin.: nanlu南麓) of Mountain Shaosi (少室山) in Ruzhou City (chin.: Ruzhou shiqu 汝州市区), of Linru County (chin.: 临汝县), Henan Province (Henansheng 河南省).

It is a picturesque place with a taste of the Jiangnan (chin.: 江南) botanical garden style. It is a gathering of green hills, clear streams, ancient pagodas, halls and steles. The temple hides deep in the mountains, facing 9 hills. At the mouth of Fengxue Hill, the road is flanked by mountains, with dense green woods and streams flowing 1,5 km northward, the temple can be seen. It fills with a sense of poem and picture that “Old temple concealed in the deep mountain, zigzag paths leading to the peaceful and secluded land”.

The temple was once lodging 1000 monks, in 300 abodes, in an area of 2000 acres and along with White Horse Temple (chin.: Baimasi白马寺) in Luoyang (chin.: 洛阳), Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng (chin.: 登封) and Xiangguo Temple (chin.: Xiangguosi 相国寺) in Kaifeng (chin.: 并称) shared the honour of the four great temples (chin.: 中国四大名寺) in the south of the Yellow River area (chin.: 这个中原地区). This is written on one of the numerous steles of the Temple as well as that the temple’s name had changed successively to Xiangji Temple, thousand peaks temple, white clouds temple, wind hole temple.

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