Jiuhua Mountain, the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Pure Land
Known as the “First Mountain in Southeast China”, according to “The Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain” by Fei Guanqing of the Tang Dynasty, “Jiuhua Mountain was anciently known as Jiuzishan. It rises to the east of the great river, saluting Qianlu on the west bank. It stands as if carved from the sky. Adjacent to it are thousands of li. High peaks and lofty ridges are its subordinates. Continuous ridges and undulating hills are like its children. Since the primordial qi condensed, tens of thousands of years have passed. During the Six Dynasties when capitals were established, this place was a key area. People look at the mountain and feel that heaven is long. The mountain watches people pass by like waves flowing away. During this time, there were sage queens and virtuous ministers. Songs and odes arose in succession. For those not mentioned, this mountain is unjustly overlooked.” This passage not only reveals the origin of Jiuzishan’s name but also vividly depicts its majestic beauty. As of now, Jiuhua Mountain is located within Qingyang County, Anhui Province, covering an area of more than one hundred square kilometers. It is adjacent to the Yangtze River in the north and faces the scenic Huangshan Mountain across Taiping Lake in the south. “The Annals of Qingyang County” states that there are “forty-eight peaks with names” on Jiuhua Mountain (or it is said there are ninety-nine peaks, probably an allusion to the fact that Monk Jin Ksitigarbha lived to be ninety-nine years old). The main peaks include Tiantai Peak, Lianhua Peak, Tianzhu Peak, Shiwang Peak, Yuping Peak, Guanyin Peak, Eagle Climbing Wall Peak, Jiuzifeng, and so on. Among them, Shiwang Peak, with an altitude of 1342 meters, is the highest peak of Jiuhua Mountain. Tiantai Peak is commonly known as the main peak of Tiantai. It is closely connected to Shiwang Peak. With an altitude of 1325 meters, although slightly lower than Shiwang Peak, it is the main peak of Jiuhua Mountain. On top of this peak, there are two more peaks. To the east is Longtou Peak, on which there is a platform. On the platform, there is the Sunrise Pavilion. To the west is Longzhu Peak. The two peaks are connected by an arch bridge called “Du Xian Bridge”, which has a certain Taoist flavor. The words “Middle Heaven World” are engraved in the shade in the middle of the bridge. The highest point of Tiantai Peak is “Yunxia”. Yunxia is formed by two huge rocks standing narrowly opposite each other. The space is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Looking up, only a narrow strip of sky can be seen. This is the best place to watch the sea of clouds and sunrise. “Sunrise at Tiantai” is one of the “Ten Scenes of Jiuhua Mountain”. There is a temple on Tiantai Peak, named Tiantai Temple (or also called Ksitigarbha Zen Forest). This is a place that pilgrims must visit when coming to the mountain. It is also the highest point on Jiuhua Mountain that tourists can climb. Tianzhu Peak is 3.5 kilometers south of Tiantai Peak, with an altitude of more than one thousand meters. The peak is like a huge turtle. There are peaks on the peak, shaped like stone pillars, reaching straight into the sky. Around the peak, five stones stand in a circle like five old men touring the mountain. It is commonly said that this is “The Celestial Trace of Tianzhu”. Jiuzifeng is also known as Jiuziyan. It is at the back of Jiuhua Mountain, with an altitude of 800 meters. It is only 20 kilometers away from Qingyang County seat. There are also peaks on the peak. The number is nine. Like children standing in a circle, facing in different directions, gathering and playing, hence the name Jiuzifeng. There is a temple on Jiuzifeng named Jiuzisi. To the left of the temple is Qibu Spring, whose sound is like bells and drums. To the right of the temple is Chuiyun Gully, whose sound is like jade pendants. It is commonly said that this is “Listening to the Spring at Jiuzifeng”. Jiuhua Mountain was originally called Jiuzishan. After the famous poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty first called it “Jiuhua Mountain” and compared it to “Nine Lotus Flowers Showing Their Beauty”, the common name followed. However, “Jiuzifeng”, as one of the peaks of Jiuhua Mountain, still retains its original name.
In addition to the peaks, Jiuhua Mountain also has 16 ridges, 14 rocks, 22 stones, 12 caves, 18 springs, and 10 streams. Prominent ridges include Shenguang Ridge. It is under Pingtian Hill and in front of the pagoda of the monk from Silla. According to legend, after the passing of Ksitigarbha, a pagoda was built here and a round light appeared. Hence the name. Tianxiang Ridge is north of Shaowei Peak and in front of Woyun Nunnery. Fei Guanqing, a court official, once lived in seclusion here. He refused the imperial summons. Fearing that he might escape, the envoy burned incense on the ridge to convey the imperial decree. Chengfeng Ridge is south of Xiejiji Temple. According to legend, there is a phoenix on the ridge. When a woodcutter caught it, a flock of birds fought to snatch it. Prominent rocks include Suigu Rock. It is deep in the mountains where people rarely go. The rock cave is high and lofty. There is no heat even in summer and autumn. There is even ice and snow in summer and autumn. Shuangshi Rock was the former site of Jingju Nunnery. Two steep rocks stand tall. There is a hanging waterfall. There is a poem that says, “In the past, the pine and bamboo around the Zen gate were secluded. The temple has been moved westward for several autumns. Who would have known that this withered thatched land was once where stones nodded as scriptures were expounded.” Guanyin Rock is west of Buze Peak. Steep rocks form a majestic pass. It is as deep as a stone chamber. Light shines through from above. In the late Tang Dynasty, a high monk built a nunnery here. Feeling the appearance of Guanyin Bodhisattva, it got its name. Toubi Rock, also known as Toubi Wall, is beside Dicui Peak. It is about two zhang high and wide, and twice as deep. It forms an interesting contrast with Wulao Peak. Sanfu Rock is northeast of Jiuzifeng. There are three marks on the stone similar to those made by a big axe, hence the name. Dongyan Rock is east of Huacheng Temple. Also known as Dongfeng Peak and Dongya Cliff. There is a cliff to the north of the cliff. It is deep like a house. According to legend, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha once stayed here. The strange monk Zhou Jing and Wang Yangming also once lived here. Baotuo Rock is north of Lianhua Peak. The rock cave is high and 突兀. It looks like a pavilion. There are silk-cotton flowers and bodhisattva threads hanging down. Inside, it is like the living quarters of an immortal. With stone beds and alchemy stoves, it is vividly real. Prominent caves include Jinguang Cave. It is under Xiangling Peak. There is a hole in the cave. It can be seen but not entered. If one enters, a golden divine light fills the cave entrance. According to legend, if one shows respect and enters, one may see a golden statue inside. Some say that Monk Jin Ksitigarbha once lived here. Yulong Cave is about five li from Nanyang. There are seven caves in total. There is a meandering stream in the cave. There are also green fish and white birds, as well as sandbars. The rock walls are jagged, like jade shoots, lotus flowers, and clustered halberds. There are jade pillars, Furong Hill, bell and drum stones, the chessboard of immortals, the immortal old man emerging from a niche, and the lion and immortal frog. All are in strange shapes, all in the form of stalactites. At the end of the cave, there is a hole leading outside. When sunlight shines in, colorful lights immediately appear in the cave. The brilliance is indescribable. Yunyan Cave is north of Yunmen Peak. It is as spacious as a hall and can accommodate several hundred people. There are stone statues inside, like bodhisattvas and fairies. There are also stalactites like canopies and bottles. There is a stream in front of the cave. The cloud path is secluded.
Streams and springs in Jiuhua Mountain are also very beautiful and famous. The streams include Huangshi Stream, Lan Stream, Gaoxi Stream, Long Stream, Piaoxi Stream, Shu Stream, Shuang Stream, Lian Stream, and so on. The waters of five streams, namely Long Stream, Piaoxi Stream, Shu Stream, Shuang Stream, and Lian Stream, converge into one stream at Liuquankou. This section of the stream is commonly known as “Five Streams”. The water flows through Wuxi Bridge to Meigen and then enters the Yangtze River. It can be seen that the Five Streams are actually the gateway to Jiuhua Mountain. According to legend, the Five Streams are the traces left by five dragons crawling. Standing on Wuxi Bridge and looking up, the Five Streams rush down from the peaks of Jiuhua Mountain, like silver snakes winding and flowing with a murmuring sound. Distant mountains, nearby trees, flowing water, and drifting clouds. The “scenery of Five Streams” is extremely beautiful. When the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty toured Jiuhua Mountain and faced this scene, he couldn’t help being moved. So he composed a poem that says, “In the past, I had seen a picture of Jiuhua Mountain. I asked if there was such a place in Jiangnan. Today, looking from Wuxi Bridge, the painter still lacks skill.” Wang Zehong of the Qing Dynasty also had a poem that says, “Going out in the morning sun and looking at the bright stream. Suddenly, many peaks come into view and surprise me. Only realizing that the cold at night is the same climate. How can the sky be different in sunshine and shade? The mountains, with a little snow, are pale and white. The water with remnants of ice is exceptionally clear. Coming here, I doubly realize the illusion of life. Jiuhua Mountain truly has the affection of an old friend.” Jiuhua Mountain has a total of eighteen famous springs, namely Sanjiao Spring, Tianquan Spring, Baziquan Spring, Qibu Spring, Mulou Spring, Longnü Spring, Baigui Spring, Yingluo Spring, Biyu Spring, Hot Spring, Shuangquan Spring, Paipai Spring, Jinsha Spring, Lian Dan Spring, Jiayu Spring, Yanquan Spring, Hupao Spring, and Liuquan Spring. There are two Jinsha Springs. One is in front of the pagoda of Ksitigarbha. There are remnants of the three characters “Jinsha Spring” engraved in stone. The other is south of Wuxiang Temple. It is not as big as a bowl. It never dries up all year round. With yellow sand at the bottom, it sparkles like gold. According to legend, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha often made tea with this spring water. Qibu Spring is west of Fuhai Temple. In summer and autumn when there is heavy rain, the spring water divides into seven streams and scatters in the cliff valley. It is like a wild crane coming from the edge of the clouds and a cold monkey falling on the stone. There is a poem that says, “One spring divides into seven streams. It is beautiful in summer and autumn. Cranes and monkeys often peek at their reflections. How can worldly affairs be known?” Longnü Spring is under the western cliff of Dongyan. The spring water is clear and blue. When drunk, it is sweet and refreshing. The swimming fish in the water can be counted. According to Fei’s “Record of Huacheng Temple”, it is said to be the spring offered by the Nine Sons Gods to Monk Jin Ksitigarbha. Later generations attached the story of “The Dragon Girl Offering the Spring”. In any case, this spring indeed has a beautiful legend with Ksitigarbha. The poem “Relying first on water. The spring opened by the dragon girl. Under the clear flying mirror, shining like pearls playing. Making tea, a cold fragrance emerges. Boiling with a lively fire. Talking about things outside the mundane world with plain porcelain. It is better than spring wine.” narrates the relationship between Monk Ksitigarbha and this spring. The natural beauty and Buddhist relics of Jiuhua Mountain form various beautiful scenes. In addition to the “scenery of Five Streams”, there are also “Flying Waterfall at Longchi”, “Sunrise at Tiantai”, “Meditation at Dongyan”, “Evening Bell at Huacheng”, and so on. Commonly known as the “Ten Scenes of Jiuhua Mountain”. Among the ten scenes, there are both naturally formed ones and those deliberately carved and pursued by people. It is precisely the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the extraordinary craftsmanship of humans that have created this “First Mountain in Southeast China”!
The Formation of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Pure Land
The beautiful scenery of Jiuhua Mountain attracted the residence and cultivation of Korean monks. Thus, the history of the specialized pure land for the belief in Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha opened its first page.
The earliest historical document recording the deeds of the monk from Silla is the aforementioned “The Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain”. According to this text, at the end of the Kaiyuan period (713 – 741) of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, “the elder Hu Yan of the countryside” once invited Monk Tan to come to Jiuhua Mountain to preach Buddhism and widely convert men and women. However, he was envied by local tyrants. The government then burned his residence and abolished his teaching. At this time, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha from Silla crossed the sea and entered China and came to Jiuhua Mountain. He “lived in seclusion by a valley facing the sun and wide and flat, gathering water from the mountain stream and living a pious life of practice.” Soon after, with the help of Yu Dang from Nanling and others, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha completed four Buddhist scriptures and returned to the mountain to offer them. In the following decades, he never left the mountain. “He was far from human habitation.” In the stone cave, he sat with his eyes closed day and night, practicing meditation and entering a state of concentration. He cooked and ate white clay and rice. At the beginning of Zhide (756), Zhuge Jie and others from Qingyang entered the mountain. When they reached the depths and saw the monk living such a hard life, they couldn’t help crying out loud. They vowed to “take out silk and cloth to buy the old land of Monk Tan. Cut down trees and build a chamber. After it is completed, invite him to live there.” Subsequently, the leading monk Sheng Yu and others further expanded the temple area, built terraces and halls, cut down trees to make a gate, released fish in a pond, and set up a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in the main hall. On both sides, there were decorations. Then a high platform was built and a large bell was hung in the middle. A gate tower was built to crown the temple. Thus, “Colors of red and white intermingle. Layer upon layer, it leans against the sky. Peaks rise in rows in front. Pines and cypresses spread out in the back ridges. The changing light of the sun and moon enhances its color. Clouds gather and disperse, changing its appearance. The sound of the wind in the pines and the cries of apes continue intermittently. None of this is like the human world.” At the beginning of Jianzhong (780 – 783), the prefect Zhang Yan admired the lofty style of Master Ksitigarbha. In addition to generous donations, he also petitioned the imperial court for a new plaque. This is called “Huacheng Temple”. After that, wealthy merchants and powerful families donated generously. Local officials and the righteous respected him with courtesy. Monks and laypeople from Silla also followed the wind, crossed the sea, and became his disciples, respecting and learning from him. At this point, Huacheng Temple became a grand and famous temple with extensive buildings and many monks. Despite this, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha and his many disciples still lived a simple life of practice. “In summer, they ate a mixture of earth and food. In winter, they wore half-burnt firewood for warmth. Without distinction of age or rank, they gathered firewood from the fields to support themselves.” During the year, Monk Ksitigarbha himself led a disciple and moved to Nantai. He wove linen clothes by hand. “Its weight was double that of a normal one.” It served as both clothing and a quilt. Other than that, he had nothing else. In addition, Monk Ksitigarbha built a platform beside the release pond in the temple and placed four Buddhist scriptures on it. He burned incense all day long and tasted their profound meaning. In the summer of the tenth year of Zhenyuan (794), Monk Ksitigarbha passed away sitting in this temple. He was ninety-nine years old.
In “Biographies of Eminent Monks in the Song Dynasty”, there is also a biography of Ksitigarbha. In fact, it is based on “The Record of Huacheng Temple”, so the text is mostly similar. Only the year of his passing is wrongly recorded as the nineteenth year of Zhenyuan. “The Comprehensive Records of the Buddha’s Teachings” refers to Ksitigarbha as Monk Wuxiang Jin of Jingzhong Temple in Chengdu. In the “Commentary on the Rules of Purity of Baizhang” written by Yi Run in the Qing Dynasty, it is said that Ksitigarbha “surname is Jin and his name is Qiaojue”. These are all unfounded statements.
It is said that when Monk Jin Ksitigarbha passed away, there were many auspicious signs. First, the temple bell fell to the ground and three rafters of the hall broke, foretelling the master’s impending passing. Second, after his passing, according to his sitting posture, he was placed in a coffin. Three years later, when the coffin was opened and his body was placed in a tower, his face was as fresh and alive as when he was alive. When his bones were moved, there was a sound like shaking a golden lock, which exactly corresponded to the scripture that “Bodhisattva’s hook and lock make all bones resound.” Third, after the tower was built, the tower site emitted light like fire, forming a round shape. According to the deeds and auspicious signs of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha before and after his death, the local monks and laypeople deified him as the manifestation of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. They protected and worshipped the cultural relics of Huacheng Temple where he lived and his flesh body tower, and promoted the ideas of karma and reincarnation such as “giving one coin will bring a great reward. If one cannot achieve remarkable feats to help the masses, nor can one use one’s remaining wealth to support noble causes, then one will be blamed as a human being for one’s wrongdoings and as a ghost after death.” Thus, during the Yuanhe period (806 – 820) of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, Jiuhua Mountain was declared as the specialized place of worship for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Whether viewed from the social and political situation of the Tang Dynasty or the development situation of Chinese Buddhism, its emergence had a profound historical background.
There are not many scriptures about Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Among them, the most important one is “The Sūtra of the Ten Wheels of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva” translated by Master Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty. The central content of this scripture can be summarized in three aspects: (1) The Buddha spoke of ten kinds of wheels and compared them one by one with the ability of worldly emperors to govern the world, illustrating the great power of the Buddha and his methods and steps to save all living beings. (2) It shows various divine powers of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha and the various merits and benefits that all sentient beings can obtain through sincere chanting, reciting, respecting, and offering to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. (3) It fully describes the various karmic rewards and retributions of all monks, nuns, lay people, and other sentient beings in the defiled world of the five turbidities, as well as the great vow of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha that he will not achieve enlightenment until all living beings are saved and hell is empty. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha became a “special envoy” who came to the human world to perform the task of educating all living beings during the period between the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha and the appearance of Maitreya Buddha. Therefore, he is a bodhisattva with greater spiritual power and merit than Bodhisattvas Manjusri, Samantabhadra, and Avalokitesvara. Thus, he had a greater influence not only among common people but also among emperors, generals, and wealthy families. After the specialized place of worship for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha on Jiuhua Mountain was formed at the junction of the middle and late Tang Dynasties, it was expanded and rebuilt in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties and became more prosperous. Especially in the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, this place of worship reached its peak. This is inseparable from the “meritorious deeds” of emperors in protecting Buddhism. In the fourteenth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1586), Empress Dowager Cisheng, Xuansu, and Civilized of Emperor Shenzong Zhu Yijun ordered the printing of 41 volumes of the continued Tripitaka and 637 volumes of the old Tripitaka. The emperor decreed that they should be promulgated and distributed to the place of worship of Ksitigarbha on Jiuhua Mountain (i.e., Huacheng Temple). The monks were ordered to chant solemnly and respect and treasure them. In the twenty-seventh year, Emperor Wanli personally ordered the printing of the Tripitaka and bestowed it on temples in the capital and famous mountain temples all over the country for worship. He also commanded the monks of Jiuhua Mountain’s Ksitigarbha temples that “everyone should be pious and pure in offering and maintaining peace. They should chant morning and evening to ensure my health and well-being, purify the palace, be ashamed of past mistakes, and pray for boundless longevity and blessings, peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and peace in the world, so that people from all directions will return to the benevolent and kind teachings.” In the forty-second year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty (1703), Emperor Shengzu made an inspection tour to the south and stayed in Jiangning Prefecture. He approved the request of Asan, governor-general of Liangjiang, Yu Chenglong, governor of Anhui Province, and Hu Zeng’en, vice minister of the Ministry of War. He sent Heyi, a bondservant official, Li Huan, an inner court attendant, and Geerfen, a vice minister of the Ministry of the Imperial Stud, to Jiuhua Mountain to offer incense and bestowed three hundred taels of silver for support. In the forty-fourth year, Emperor Shengzu, during his inspection tour to the south, responded to the request of Liu Guangmei, governor of Anhui Province, and wrote with his own hand the four-character plaque “Holy Realm of Jiuhua” and bestowed it on Huacheng Temple. The original copy was collected in the scripture depository behind the temple. In the forty-eighth year, Emperor Shengzu again ordered Wuerhu, an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to go to Jiuhua Mountain to offer incense and bestowed one hundred taels of silver for support. In the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766), Emperor Gaozong responded to the request of Gao Jin, governor-general of Liangjiang, and wrote with his own hand the four-character plaque “Fentuopujiao” and bestowed it on Huacheng Temple. The original copy was collected in the scripture depository. In the seventh year of Xianfeng (1857), soldiers disturbed Jiuhua Mountain. Temples, towers, and monk’s quarters were all looted and burned. The Ming Dynasty’s bestowed Tripitaka stored in the scripture depository was also mostly damaged. Only the “original copy of imperial calligraphy” (i.e., the original copy written by the emperor) of the plaques bestowed by Emperor Shengzu and Emperor Gaozong remained intact as before. During this heyday of receiving grace and favor, the temples on Jiuhua Mountain developed to more than three hundred. There were four to five thousand monks. The morning bell and evening drum, morning chanting and evening singing, incense and paper offerings never ceased throughout the four seasons. It is also said that the fifteenth day and the thirtieth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar are respectively the birthday and the day of preaching of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Therefore, every year on these two days, good men and women who come to the mountain to offer incense come in groups and continuously travel on the road. After entering the mountain, the monk’s quarters cannot accommodate them all. So they sit and lie everywhere. From the flesh body tower hall to the mountain gate, people are so crowded that there is almost no space. For these reasons, Jiuhua Mountain is commonly known as the “Buddhist kingdom and celestial city”, which is truly not an exaggeration.
Spiritual Sites and Temples: After the formation of Jiuhua Mountain as the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s place of practice, it attracted Buddhist disciples from all directions to come for pilgrimage, worship, and reside for spiritual cultivation. Therefore, in addition to the existing spiritual sites of Monk Ksitigarbha, many temples and nunneries were later added. There were especially many constructions during the Ming and Qing dynasties. By the middle of the Republic of China era, there were about 150 Buddhist temples (nunneries) on the whole mountain. Among them, nine were major temples: Jin Ksitigarbha Pagoda, Huacheng Temple, Zhiyuan Temple, Wannian Chan Temple, Ganlu Temple, Shangchan Hall, Dongyan Chan Temple, Leshan Temple, and Huiju Temple. The rest were smaller temples and nunneries. Their distribution is as follows: Taking Huacheng Temple as the center, on the east side (east quarters) there are six places, namely Jiulian Nunnery, Tanlin Nunnery, Tonghui Nunnery, Tianran Nunnery, Bodhi Pavilion, and Li’an Nunnery. On the west side (west quarters) there are seven places, namely Fotuli, Baoji Nunnery, Changsheng Nunnery, Long’an Nunnery, Yongqing Nunnery, Tianchi Nunnery, and Gongjin Pavilion. Along the Tiantai Road, there are 21 places, namely Huixiang Pavilion, Huayun Nunnery, Jixiang Temple, Changsheng Cave, Xingtian Temple, Chaoyang Nunnery, Cuiyun Nunnery, Chongxing Temple, Yuantong Nunnery, Scripture Worship Terrace, Ksitigarbha Zen Forest, Middle Permanent Residence (Zhaoyin Nunnery), Normal Permanent Residence (Deyun Nunnery), Old Permanent Residence (Guochan Temple), Zhenru Nunnery, Huayan Cave, Guidance Nunnery, Ksitigarbha Nunnery, Dabei Nunnery, Puji Nunnery, and Yanshou Temple. On the east road of Huacheng, there are six places, namely Fahua Temple, Shami Nunnery, Huangjin Nunnery, Xin’an Temple, Fuhu Cave, and Xitiandi. On the south road of Huacheng, there are seven places, namely Jinghui Nunnery, Third Heavenly Gate, Turning Cave Meditation Room, Second Heavenly Gate, Zhengtiangate, First Heavenly Gate, and Chongjue Temple. On the west road of Huacheng, there are three places, namely Xiaotian Terrace, Jiansongshu Nunnery, and Xilai Nunnery. On the north road of Huacheng, there are 24 places, namely Julong Temple, Huatian Temple, Wanshou Temple, Banxiao Pavilion, Longchi Nunnery, Swallow Cave, Second Heavenly Gate, Daqiao Nunnery, Xizhu Nunnery, Yixiu Nunnery, Wuxiang Temple, Second Holy Temple, Huayang Pavilion, Huilong Nunnery, Xin’an Nunnery, Guanyin Pavilion, Huilong Nunnery, Xiaoganlu Nunnery, Yongfeng Nunnery, Shizilin, Guanyin Nunnery, Wanyuan Nunnery, Deyun Nunnery, and Tonghua Nunnery. These are the “existing temples” at that time. In addition, there are 67 “abandoned temples”. The prosperity of Buddhism on Jiuhua Mountain in the past can be glimpsed from this.
There are still many existing temples on Jiuhua Mountain. The main ones are:
Huacheng Temple:
This is the founding temple of Jiuhua Mountain as the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s place of practice. It is located in the central valley of Jiuhua Mountain, which is today’s Jiuhua Street. To the south of this valley is Furong Peak, to the north is Baiyun Mountain, to the east is Dongya Cliff, and to the west is Shenguang Ridge. Surrounded by four mountains, it is like a city. The temple was built in the second year of Zhide (757) of the Tang Dynasty. After the temple was completed, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha was invited to move from the stone chamber to live here. Soon after, the leading monk Sheng Yu further expanded the temple area and added terraces, halls, mountain gates, release ponds, and scripture offering platforms. At the beginning of Jianzhong (780), Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty bestowed the temple name “Huacheng Temple.” Emperor Xuanzong (1426 – 1435), Emperor Shenzong (1573 – 1620), Emperor Shengzu (1662 – 1722), and Emperor Gaozong (1736 – 1795) either bestowed the Tripitaka, wrote plaques with imperial calligraphy, and gave gold for repairs. In the seventh year of Xianfeng (1857), except for the scripture depository, the temple buildings were all destroyed by war and fire. It was rebuilt during the Guangxu period (1875 – 1908). The temple buildings are built against the mountain and progress from low to high. “Colors of red and white intermingle. Layer upon layer, it leans against the sky.” It is very spectacular. Today, the temple has four courtyards. Except for the scripture depository, the rest are buildings from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. In the past, the scripture depository not only collected scriptures, imperial edicts, and original copies of imperial calligraphy, but also precious cultural relics such as the kasaya said to be worn by Ksitigarbha, a bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha about five feet tall, an iron statue of Dingguang Buddha, several copper square seals, a copper unicorn (ground listening) weighing several hundred catties, and a purplish-black stone tablet engraved with the image of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. During the “Cultural Revolution,” many Buddha statues and cultural relics in the temple were destroyed. What remains today is an ancient bell weighing about more than two thousand catties. Inside the scripture depository, there are also a white jade Buddha statue, a Ming edition of the “Sutra of Nirvana,” and a “Flower Ornament Sutra” written in blood. There is a thousand-year-old ancient pond in the square in front of the temple. It should be the release pond mentioned in “The Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain” that “where the water gathers is the release pond.”
Huacheng Temple:
This is the founding temple of Jiuhua Mountain as the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s place of practice. It is located in the central valley of Jiuhua Mountain, which is today’s Jiuhua Street. To the south of this valley is Furong Peak, to the north is Baiyun Mountain, to the east is Dongya Cliff, and to the west is Shenguang Ridge. Surrounded by four mountains, it is like a city. The temple was built in the second year of Zhide (757) of the Tang Dynasty. After the temple was completed, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha was invited to move from the stone chamber to live here. Soon after, the leading monk Sheng Yu further expanded the temple area and added terraces, halls, mountain gates, release ponds, and scripture offering platforms. At the beginning of Jianzhong (780), Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty bestowed the temple name “Huacheng Temple.” Emperor Xuanzong (1426 – 1435), Emperor Shenzong (1573 – 1620), Emperor Shengzu (1662 – 1722), and Emperor Gaozong (1736 – 1795) either bestowed the Tripitaka, wrote plaques with imperial calligraphy, and gave gold for repairs. In the seventh year of Xianfeng (1857), except for the scripture depository, the temple buildings were all destroyed by war and fire. It was rebuilt during the Guangxu period (1875 – 1908). The temple buildings are built against the mountain and progress from low to high. “Colors of red and white intermingle. Layer upon layer, it leans against the sky.” It is very spectacular. Today, the temple has four courtyards. Except for the scripture depository, the rest are buildings from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. In the past, the scripture depository not only collected scriptures, imperial edicts, and original copies of imperial calligraphy, but also precious cultural relics such as the kasaya said to be worn by Ksitigarbha, a bronze statue of Vairocana Buddha about five feet tall, an iron statue of Dingguang Buddha, several copper square seals, a copper unicorn (ground listening) weighing several hundred catties, and a purplish-black stone tablet engraved with the image of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. During the “Cultural Revolution,” many Buddha statues and cultural relics in the temple were destroyed. What remains today is an ancient bell weighing about more than two thousand catties. Inside the scripture depository, there are also a white jade Buddha statue, a Ming edition of the “Sutra of Nirvana,” and a “Flower Ornament Sutra” written in blood. There is a thousand-year-old ancient pond in the square in front of the temple. It should be the release pond mentioned in “The Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain” that “where the water gathers is the release pond.”
Zhiyuan Temple:
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain and the crown of all Buddhist temples on the mountain. Originally named Zhishu Nunnery and Zhiyuan. It is located to the east of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Street. It was first built during the Jiajing period (1522 – 1566) of the Ming Dynasty and was renovated and expanded many times in the Qing Dynasty. During the Jiaqing period (1796 – 1820), Master Longshan held a ceremony for transmitting precepts in the temple. Since then, it has become a monastic grove open to all directions. Jiuhua Creek flows around the temple. There is a “Bridge to Welcome Immortals” on the creek. The approach road in front of the temple is quite distinctive, paved with more than a hundred stone slabs engraved with lotus and money patterns. The main building in the temple, the Great Treasure Hall, is about 13 zhang high. It has a golden glazed tile roof, upturned eaves and painted pillars, resplendent and magnificent. The statues inside the hall are solemn. The three golden Buddha statues offered are each three zhang tall and are the largest Buddha statues on Jiuhua Mountain. In addition, there is a statue of Guanyin of the Sea Island and seven relief carvings engraved with the story of Tang Sanzang’s journey to the west for scriptures. There are also eight large cauldrons in the temple. The largest one has a diameter of more than one zhang. One cauldron can provide vegetarian meals for a thousand people.
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain and the crown of all Buddhist temples on the mountain. Originally named Zhishu Nunnery and Zhiyuan. It is located to the east of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Street. It was first built during the Jiajing period (1522 – 1566) of the Ming Dynasty and was renovated and expanded many times in the Qing Dynasty. During the Jiaqing period (1796 – 1820), Master Longshan held a ceremony for transmitting precepts in the temple. Since then, it has become a monastic grove open to all directions. Jiuhua Creek flows around the temple. There is a “Bridge to Welcome Immortals” on the creek. The approach road in front of the temple is quite distinctive, paved with more than a hundred stone slabs engraved with lotus and money patterns. The main building in the temple, the Great Treasure Hall, is about 13 zhang high. It has a golden glazed tile roof, upturned eaves and painted pillars, resplendent and magnificent. The statues inside the hall are solemn. The three golden Buddha statues offered are each three zhang tall and are the largest Buddha statues on Jiuhua Mountain. In addition, there is a statue of Guanyin of the Sea Island and seven relief carvings engraved with the story of Tang Sanzang’s journey to the west for scriptures. There are also eight large cauldrons in the temple. The largest one has a diameter of more than one zhang. One cauldron can provide vegetarian meals for a thousand people.
Wannian Chan Temple: Commonly known as Baishou Palace. It is listed among the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain and is located on Mokong Ridge of Jiuhua Mountain. According to the temple stele, during the Wanli period (1573 – 1620) of the Ming Dynasty, there was a monk named Haiyu, also known as Wuxia. He came from Mount Wutai to Jiuhua Mountain and lived in a thatched hut beside the Star Picking Pavilion on this ridge. The nunnery was named after the pavilion. He lived to be a hundred years old. People at that time called him “the Centenarian Master.” At the same time, the old nunnery was rebuilt into a palace to commemorate him. Emperor Chongzhen conferred on Haiyu the title of “Bodhisattva of Response” and personally wrote with his own hand the ten characters “Guochan Wannian Temple, Bestowed by Imperial Decree to Baishou Palace” and bestowed it on him. The temple name came from this. The existing temple buildings are built into a five-story pavilion according to the mountain terrain. It is adjacent to a cliff on the east and faces a secluded valley on the west. The majestic temple on the perilous rock has extraordinary momentum. Inside the temple’s flesh body hall is enshrined the gilded flesh body (mummy) of Monk Haiyu.
Dongyan Temple:
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain. It is located on the Dongya Cliff about three li east of Huacheng Temple. A steep cliff that is as sharp as if cut is called a cliff. A cave chamber in the cliff is called a rock. According to legend, when Monk Jin Ksitigarbha first came to Jiuhua Mountain, he practiced meditation and cultivated the Dharma in the cave on this Dongya Cliff. The cave is named Dongyan, also known as Ksitigarbha Cave, Golden Light Cave, Cliff of Self-Sacrifice, and Cliff of Self-Giving Life. These names are all given according to different legends about Ksitigarbha’s cultivation here. In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi (1502) of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming came here for the first time to play. In the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519), he entered the mountain again and sat in meditation and read in this cave. In addition, the strange monk Zhou Jing also lived in seclusion in this cave after Ksitigarbha. During the Wanli period (1573 – 1620), the Meditation Hall on the top of the cliff for worshipping Monk Jin Ksitigarbha was rebuilt into a temple and named after the cave. In 1933, the temple was destroyed by fire. Only the bell pavilion and the huge bell for the nether world remained. Near the temple, there is a huge rock that looks like a great warship. Hence it is named “Cloud Ship.” Standing on Dongya Cliff, looking east, one can see the peaks of Tianzhu and the Five Elders. Looking west, one can see the scenic spots of Ancient Immortal Rock. Looking south, one can see Tiantai Peak. Looking north, one can see the Yangtze River. The natural scenery is all in sight.
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain. It is located on the Dongya Cliff about three li east of Huacheng Temple. A steep cliff that is as sharp as if cut is called a cliff. A cave chamber in the cliff is called a rock. According to legend, when Monk Jin Ksitigarbha first came to Jiuhua Mountain, he practiced meditation and cultivated the Dharma in the cave on this Dongya Cliff. The cave is named Dongyan, also known as Ksitigarbha Cave, Golden Light Cave, Cliff of Self-Sacrifice, and Cliff of Self-Giving Life. These names are all given according to different legends about Ksitigarbha’s cultivation here. In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi (1502) of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming came here for the first time to play. In the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519), he entered the mountain again and sat in meditation and read in this cave. In addition, the strange monk Zhou Jing also lived in seclusion in this cave after Ksitigarbha. During the Wanli period (1573 – 1620), the Meditation Hall on the top of the cliff for worshipping Monk Jin Ksitigarbha was rebuilt into a temple and named after the cave. In 1933, the temple was destroyed by fire. Only the bell pavilion and the huge bell for the nether world remained. Near the temple, there is a huge rock that looks like a great warship. Hence it is named “Cloud Ship.” Standing on Dongya Cliff, looking east, one can see the peaks of Tianzhu and the Five Elders. Looking west, one can see the scenic spots of Ancient Immortal Rock. Looking south, one can see Tiantai Peak. Looking north, one can see the Yangtze River. The natural scenery is all in sight.
Ganlu Temple:
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain. It is located on the northern mountainside of Jiuhua Mountain. This place is surrounded by mountains and waters, with lush forests and tall bamboos that block out the sun. In 1667, the sixth year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, National Master Yulin was ordered to come to Jiuhua Mountain to offer incense. When he came to this place, seeing the extremely beautiful scenery, he said, “If a temple is built here, there must be eminent monks in successive generations.” According to this suggestion, Monk Dong’an of Fuhu Temple (i.e., Dongyan Temple) raised funds through donations to build a temple. On the day of the start of construction, all the trees and bamboos in the mountain were covered with sweet dew. In Buddhist scriptures, “sweet dew” is the medicine of immortality for all heavens. Those who eat it will have a long life, be safe in body, be strong in body and radiant. Also, “the Dharma of sweet dew” is metaphorically referred to as “the supreme Dharma.” Therefore, Monk Dong’an took both auspicious signs and the meaning of scriptures and named it Ganlu Temple. The temple is built according to the mountain terrain. There are five layers of halls, all with golden glazed tile roofs. Among the myriad greenery, the red pillars and golden light are faintly visible, full of poetic and picturesque beauty. Beside the temple, there is a “Mind-Settling Stone.” According to legend, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha once sat in meditation on this stone. When a snake came, he was not frightened. When tempted by a woman, his heart did not waver.
One of the “Four Great Monastic Groves” on Jiuhua Mountain. It is located on the northern mountainside of Jiuhua Mountain. This place is surrounded by mountains and waters, with lush forests and tall bamboos that block out the sun. In 1667, the sixth year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, National Master Yulin was ordered to come to Jiuhua Mountain to offer incense. When he came to this place, seeing the extremely beautiful scenery, he said, “If a temple is built here, there must be eminent monks in successive generations.” According to this suggestion, Monk Dong’an of Fuhu Temple (i.e., Dongyan Temple) raised funds through donations to build a temple. On the day of the start of construction, all the trees and bamboos in the mountain were covered with sweet dew. In Buddhist scriptures, “sweet dew” is the medicine of immortality for all heavens. Those who eat it will have a long life, be safe in body, be strong in body and radiant. Also, “the Dharma of sweet dew” is metaphorically referred to as “the supreme Dharma.” Therefore, Monk Dong’an took both auspicious signs and the meaning of scriptures and named it Ganlu Temple. The temple is built according to the mountain terrain. There are five layers of halls, all with golden glazed tile roofs. Among the myriad greenery, the red pillars and golden light are faintly visible, full of poetic and picturesque beauty. Beside the temple, there is a “Mind-Settling Stone.” According to legend, Monk Jin Ksitigarbha once sat in meditation on this stone. When a snake came, he was not frightened. When tempted by a woman, his heart did not waver.
Flesh Body Pagoda Hall: It is located on Shenguang Ridge of Jiuhua Mountain. Shenguang Ridge is the ancient “Nantai.” According to “The Record of Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain” by Fei Guanqing, after Monk Jin Ksitigarbha completed Huacheng Temple, he still insisted on austere cultivation. Every summer, he would lead a disciple and live on Nantai, weaving linen clothes by himself. After his passing, his disciples built a flesh body pagoda here to offer worship. When the pagoda was completed, it emitted light like fire. It was round and called “round light.” Later generations then changed Nantai to Shenguang Ridge. The original pagoda was a small three-level stupa. Later generations again protected it with a wooden pagoda and built a high hall outside to shield it from wind and rain and for grandeur. For more than a thousand years, the pagoda hall has alternated between prosperity and decline and has been repaired many times. Among them, during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor bestowed the name “Guochun Flesh Body Pagoda” and gave gold for its construction. There were also many repairs in the Qing Dynasty. During the Tongzhi period (1862 – 1874), the pagoda hall was destroyed by mountain torrents. During the Guangxu period (1875 – 1908), a large-scale renovation was carried out again. Up to now, it basically maintains its original appearance. The existing flesh body hall is square, five zhang in width and length each, and about six zhang in height. The roof of the hall is covered with iron tiles and supported by more than 20 stone pillars inside and outside the corridor. With double eaves, brackets, painted pillars and carved beams, and wind bells tinkling, it is extremely magnificent. Under the corridor in front of the hall hangs a golden plaque with the words “First Mountain in Southeast China.” Above the lintel of the front and back doors hangs vertically a blue and white ancient porcelain plaque with the words “Flesh Body Treasure Hall.” In the center of the hall is the flesh body pagoda. The protecting wooden pagoda is seven stories high and octagonal in shape, about 17 meters high. The inner wall is pasted with the “Original Page Sutra of Ksitigarbha” in pure gold. The outer wall is painted with vermilion lacquer. Each side of each floor is equipped with a niche. In each niche is enshrined a golden seated statue of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha. Inside the wooden pagoda is the three-level flesh body pagoda made of stone. On both sides inside the hall are lined up golden standing statues of the Ten Kings. The ground, base of the pagoda, and divine seat in the hall are all paved or built with white marble, forming a seamless whole. It not only gives people a sense of holiness but also sets off the brilliance and solemnity of the vermilion pagoda and golden statues with a strong contrast. The hollow octagonal glazed lamp hanging in front of the pagoda burns brightly all the time. The flesh body hall is the location of the founding ancestral grave of Jiuhua Mountain. Together with Huacheng Temple, it is an important place for Buddhist ceremonies and a central building of this place of practice for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. It is a must-visit place for monks, nuns, believers, and even ordinary tourists entering the mountain. On the birthday and enlightenment day of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha, monks, nuns, and believers flock here to offer sacrifices. They guard the pagoda day and night and circumambulate the pagoda, chanting sutras and paying respects.
Shangchan Hall: It is located below the Flesh Body Hall on Shenguang Ridge of Jiuhua Mountain. Originally named Jingde Hall. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Zongyan, a disciple of National Master Yulin, expanded the temple and renamed it Shangchan Hall. Judging from its previous and current names, it should be a Zen temple. The mountain gate of this temple is not large, but the halls are spacious and the environment is quiet and secluded. Among the temples on Jiuhua Mountain, this temple has the most prosperous incense, the best scenery, and the most beautiful halls. The Jinsha Spring, the inkstone washing pool beside the temple, and the money tree, one of the three treasures of Jiuhua Mountain, are said to be related to Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty in many legends.
Tiantai Temple: It is located to the north of Sunrise Pavilion on Tiantai Peak (i.e., the main peak of Tiantai). Also known as Ksitigarbha Zen Forest. It was built in the Ming Dynasty and renovated during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Like Baishou Palace and Ganlu Temple, it is built into a five-entry pavilion according to the mountain terrain. The main building is the Ten Thousand Buddhas Tower. There are countless small Buddha statues carved between the beams and walls inside the tower, hence the name. In addition, there is also a Ksitigarbha Hall where the statue of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha is enshrined. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Master Mo’an lived in the temple. Monk Chenchenzi lived in a thatched hut beside the temple and named it Huomai Nunnery. In 1920, the ninth year of the Republic of China, Monk Chede was the abbot and rebuilt the Buddha hall. The newly established regulations were neater than before. Around 1938, Monk Minghui lived in the temple.
Eminent Monks and Buddhist Sects: Wherever there is a Buddhist sacred place, there must be eminent monks and virtuous ones. The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s place of practice on Jiuhua Mountain is no exception. According to relevant records, from the Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, there were more than a hundred eminent monks and respected elders on Jiuhua Mountain, including twelve in the Tang Dynasty, one in the Five Dynasties, seven in the Song Dynasty, forty-eight in the Ming Dynasty, forty-one in the Qing Dynasty, and three in the Republic of China. Among these outstanding ones are: Sheng Yu, a monk in the Tang Dynasty and the leading disciple of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha. He was mainly responsible for building the terraces and halls of Huacheng Temple, setting up the vermilion platform and hanging the large bell. He arranged the solemn statues and opened canals and reclaimed fields. He is the founder of the grand Huacheng Temple. Dao Ming is also a disciple of Ksitigarbha. After Duke Min donated land to build a temple for Ksitigarbha, his son also became a monk under Ksitigarbha. That person is Dao Ming.
Xinglian was a monk in the Ming Dynasty. His lay surname was Wang, and he was from Xianyuan, Taiping. At the age of 22, he became a monk and joined Qixia Temple on Sheshan Mountain in Jinling. After receiving full ordination, he once studied various sutras and treatises. Since he could not understand the major matter of life and death through this, he returned to his hometown and engaged in farming. Later, he went to Qinghe to visit the Dharma hall, received the teachings of samadhi through chanting Buddha’s name, and since then deeply believed in it. Hearing that Master Miaofeng was expounding the Dharma in Luya, he went to seek an audience and was greatly influenced. Several years later, he finally attained enlightenment. Thus, he established a temple by planting his staff in Shanshan, Chiyang. After becoming the head of the monastic community on Jiuhua Mountain, he endured hardships and forgot himself, and patiently influenced people for twenty years. Wherever he went, he engaged in construction. He passed away in 1597, the twenty-fifth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, at the age of 54. His deeds can be found in “The Dream Journey Collection of Master Hanshan.”
Zhou Jin was a monk during the Zhengde period (1506 – 1521) of the Ming Dynasty. He once visited Shaolin Temple and later returned to live on Dongyan of Jiuhua Mountain. When Wang Yangming visited Jiuhua Mountain, Zhou Jin went to visit him and had heart-to-heart talks with him. They got along very well. Wang Yangming presented him with a gatha and a poem. His gatha was once engraved on the inverted hanging stone on Dongyan. It was on March 8, 1520, the fifteenth year of Zhengde. Zhou Jin was both a Zen monk and advocated the practice of chanting Buddha’s name. There is a gatha as proof: “The sages are all alike in essence. Amitabha is Sakyamuni. Asked about my way back home, I sit in a ox cart at noon.” The year of his passing is unknown.
Gujian was a monk in the early Qing Dynasty. He was from Emei, Sichuan. After becoming a monk, he lived in Sanjiao Nunnery in Yanjing. Then he visited famous mountains all over the world. Coming from Putuo to Jiuhua Mountain, he resided in Huayan Cave for decades and many people became his followers. His teachings did not rely on words. He used shouts and blows to guide Zen disciples. He also established rules and did not engage in fundraising. He earned his clothes and food by farming himself. If there was a surplus, he gave it all away. He passed away in his nunnery in 1651, the eighth year of Shunzhi.
Zhi Xu, also known as Ou Yi. He was a monk in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. His lay surname was Zhong, and he was from Mudu (Wuxian), Suzhou. When he was young, he studied Confucianism and took on the responsibility of “sacred learning.” He wrote dozens of essays refuting Buddhism. Later, after reading Master Lianchi’s “Preface to Record of Self-Knowledge” and “Random Notes from the Bamboo Window,” he was enlightened into Buddhism and burned his essays refuting Buddhism. At the age of 20, after reading the “Sutra of Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows,” he developed the aspiration to leave the secular world. In 1622, the second year of Tianqi, he became a monk. He successively listened to lectures on the “Sutra of Shurangama” and “Vijnaptimatrata.” Then he went to Jingshan to practice Zen meditation. After receiving the bodhisattva precepts, he thoroughly studied the Vinaya Pitaka. Soon after, he turned to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. He also once took on the responsibility of promoting the Vinaya. In 1562, the forty-first year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, he lived in Huayan Nunnery on Jiuhua Mountain (i.e., Huixiang Pavilion). During this time, he went to the front of Ksitigarbha’s pagoda to make a vow. In the text, he stated the reason as follows: “Zhi Xu has long created deep karmic obstacles. In this degenerate age, although I have received the precepts, I have frequently violated them in many ways. Although I have practiced Zen meditation, my coarse delusions are continuous. When reading and chanting the Mahayana sutras, I only open up intellectual understanding. When chanting the name, I have not entered samadhi. Externally, seeing the demons running amok, I am deeply grieved. Internally, seeing the turmoil of afflictions, I am ashamed before heaven and earth. Moreover, due to evil karma, I suffer from illness. Painfully aware of the evils of Saha World and sighing at the endless sinking, thus, I enter the mountain while being sick, seek the mercy of the Bodhisattva, vow to attain Bodhi for all eternity, and entrust my body and life to the floating clouds…” Later, he passed away at Lingfeng. It was in 1655, the twelfth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty. In his lifetime, he wrote more than forty works. Especially advocating chanting Buddha’s name for rebirth in the Pure Land, he was thus regarded as the ninth patriarch of the Pure Land Sect by its followers.
Dong’an, also written as Dong’an. His birth and death years and native place are all unknown. It is known that he was a monk during the Kangxi period (1662 – 1722) of the Qing Dynasty. He lived in Fuhu Cave for more than twenty years, sitting silently in the cave all day. According to legend, there were tigers guarding him. In 1667, the sixth year of Kangxi, National Master Yulin came to Jiuhua Mountain to offer incense. Dong’an followed his instructions and raised funds to build a monastic community, which is Ganlu Temple. The prefect Yu Chenglong respected his ascetic practice and invited him to give lectures on precepts. Thus, the study of Vinaya flourished for a time.
Shengchuan, lay surname Wang, was from Dongcheng, Anhui. At the age of six, he became a monk. At the age of nineteen, he made a great vow and sought to receive the pure precepts. Soon after, he visited Jiuhua Mountain and studied Mahayana scriptures here for four years. Later, he was invited to be the abbot of Ganlu Temple for one year. Then he built a thatched hut on the site of Wuxiang Temple. After six years of operation, he finally turned the ruined temple into a grand temple. And here he held a ceremony for transmitting precepts and tonsured disciples three times, with more than 400 disciples in total. Later, he transformed Dashi Pavilion in Datong Town into Puji Temple. As before, he held a ceremony for transmitting precepts and widely promoted the study of Vinaya. He passed away in 1889, the fifteenth year of Guangxu, at the age of 61. Wuxiang Temple regards him as the patriarch who revived it, and Puji Temple regards him as the founding patriarch.
Guojian, also known as Fazhuang. His lay surname is Yan and he is from Tongcheng, Anhui. At the age of twenty, he became a monk and went to Wuxiang Temple on Jiuhua Mountain to take Shengchuan as his teacher. After receiving ordination, he successively served as the vice abbot and supervisor of Wuxiang Temple. He was known for his ascetic practice. He vigorously assisted his teacher in reviving Wuxiang Temple. Later, he was invited to be the abbot of Puji Temple in Datong Town. Observing the situation, he specialized in widely converting those with affinity by means of the Pure Land Dharma. He established a Lotus Society and took Huìyuǎn, the founder of the Pure Land Sect, as a model. Many men and women from all directions became his followers. After the Revolution of 1911, Buddhism was regarded as “superstition” and “theocracy” and was impacted. Guojian then ordered his disciple Miaolong to organize a Buddhist association and took it as his responsibility to protect Buddhism and expound the essence of Buddhism. He passed away in 1927, the sixteenth year of the Republic of China, at the age of 80.
As the specialized place of practice for Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, Jiuhua Mountain has always taken Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha as the object of worship, regarded the monk Jin Ksitigarbha from Silla as the incarnation of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha for worship, taken the ascetic practice of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha as an example for spiritual cultivation, and taken “only when all sentient beings are saved can one attain Bodhi; if hell is not empty, one vows not to become a Buddha” as the ultimate goal. This is the greatest characteristic of Buddhism on Jiuhua Mountain. Based on this characteristic, Jiuhua Mountain also advocates “the worship of gilded flesh body.” The so-called “the worship of gilded flesh body” means that after special treatment and air-drying, the body of a certain eminent monk is covered with gold foil all over and then enshrined in the hall of a temple for monks and laypeople to pay respects and worship forever. This custom of gilding the flesh body is undoubtedly related to the establishment of a flesh body pagoda for worship after the passing of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha, or it is developed from the flesh body pagoda. This is a special honor given by monks and laypeople to monks with outstanding moral conduct. According to “Records of Jiuhua Mountain,” there were four (or seven) gilded flesh body statues here before and after. These monks whose bodies were gilded after death are Haiyu (Zong Wuxia) of the Ming Dynasty, Longshan of the Qing Dynasty, Falong, and Dinghui of the Republic of China. These four monks have a common characteristic, that is, they live an ascetic life and have a long life. For example, Haiyu lived in seclusion for a long time in the Star Picking Pavilion on Mokong Ridge of Dongyan on Jiuhua Mountain. He lived to be more than a hundred years old. After his death, his body was placed in a coffin for three years and his complexion was still as if he were alive. For example, Longshan cultivated himself in Fuhu Cave for more than twenty years. People near and far all praised him for his virtue. For example, Falong sat in meditation in Cuiyun Nunnery on Tiantai Mountain for decades and lived to be 96 years old. In these people, one can see the shadow of Monk Jin Ksitigarbha when he entered the mountain for spiritual cultivation.
In addition to the belief in Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, due to the differences in inheritance, interests, and experiences of the resident monks, different sects also exist in Buddhism on Jiuhua Mountain. Some “pursue lofty understanding of Zen principles” and “guide Zen disciples by shouts and blows.” Some “take on the responsibility of promoting Vinaya,” hold ordination ceremonies several times and tonsure disciples. Some combine teaching and Zen, practice both Zen and Pure Land, and wholeheartedly seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Some study the teachings and contemplation of Tiantai Sect and advocate the doctrine of the harmony of the three truths. And so on. Obviously, this is quite similar to Buddhism on Mount Putuo. The reason for this is closely related to the general trend of Buddhism in the era.
The Coexistence of Three Religions on the Same Mountain with Buddhism Flourishing: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all exist on Jiuhua Mountain. In terms of chronology, Taoism came first, followed by Confucianism and Buddhism. According to records, the “Taoist way” on Jiuhua Mountain began in the Han Dynasty. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Dou Bówáng (named Zǐmíng) lived on Lingyang Mountain for more than a hundred years and then rode a white dragon and became an immortal. His two daughters also turned into wild ducks and ascended to heaven. Jiuhua Mountain was called Lingyang Mountain in the Han Dynasty. In the Jin Dynasty, Ge Hong (named Zhíchuān) refined elixirs on Jiuhua Mountain. There was once a “Ge Xian’s Elixir Well” to the north of Woyun Nunnery, and there was also a “Ge Xian’s Cave” under the twin peaks. In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Guolao once rode a donkey to Shibao Rock to see the flowers. During the Kaiyuan period (713 – 741), a Taoist temple was first built on Jiuhua Mountain, named Kaiyuan Temple. It was located under Yunmen Peak and to the west of Sanji Spring. The Guanchong behind Xuetan today is its ruins. During the Qianning period (894 – 898), Zhao Zhiwei built Yanhua Temple on Phoenix Ridge. Later, Zhiwei became an immortal here. Today, Shami Nunnery is its former site. In the Ming Dynasty, Cai Pengtou was good at talking about the Taoist way. In 1501, the fourteenth year of Hongzhi, Wang Yangming visited Jiuhua Mountain and once talked with him. Pengtou thought that Wang Yangming “would never forget his official status” and did not talk with him. He just smiled and left. After that until the Qing Dynasty, there were also two legends of Ning Cheng and Deng Yu encountering immortals on Jiuhua Mountain, which may be unfounded talks. From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, a time span of about two thousand years, the so-called “Taoist way” on Jiuhua Mountain is only these few things, and there are only two Taoist temples. Its weakness is obvious. Even in the Tang Dynasty, its influence could not compare with that of Buddhism.
The spread of Confucianism on Jiuhua Mountain was approximately at the same time as Buddhism. This can be clearly seen from the activities of famous virtuous people, recluses, and literary figures on Jiuhua Mountain and the construction of study halls (academies). The first recluse on Jiuhua Mountain was Fei Guanqing from Qingyang. In 807, the second year of Yuanhe, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. Before he could be appointed to an official position, he rushed back home for his mother’s funeral. He built a hut beside his mother’s grave and lived there for fifteen years. In 822, the second year of Changqing, the court praised his filial piety and summoned him to be appointed as a You Shiyi (a low-ranking official position). Guanqing said that “official salary is for supporting parents. Now that parents are gone, what’s the use of official salary?” Therefore, he did not take up the position and lived in seclusion under Shaowei Peak on Jiuhua Mountain all his life. There was Fei Shiyi’s study hall there. In the Tang Dynasty, there were also recluses on Jiuhua Mountain such as Wang Jiwen and Li Zhaoxiang. Study halls were also built at their places of seclusion. The former was under Toutuo Peak, which is the site of Wuxiang Temple; the latter was under Biyun Peak.
It is said that Li Bai, the great poet, also visited Jiuhua Mountain. Therefore, there was also Li Bai’s study hall beside the Dragon Lady Spring and to the east of Huacheng Temple. After that until the Ming Dynasty, eight more study halls (academies) were built on the mountain successively, namely Teng Zijing’s study hall of Song recluse Teng Zongliang (under Yunwai Peak), Tang Shilang’s study hall of Song literati Tang Yungong (under Wenshu Peak), Shuangfeng Jushi’s study hall of Song literati Cheng Pengfei (in front of Fuan Temple), Jiuhua Academy of Yuan recluse Chen Yan (location unknown), Shoushan Academy of Ming virtuous person Zou Yuanbiao, Tianzhu Study Hall of Ming recluse Shi Da (under Tianzhu Peak), Yunbo Academy of Ming recluse Wu Zhong (in Liuchong), and Hongsu Study Hall of Ming literati Cheng Mao (son of Cheng Pengfei) (under Tianzhu Peak). These academies were undoubtedly places for spreading Confucian ideological and cultural. However, since most of them were privately run and often mainly for recluses to read and amuse themselves, not many people studied there. Therefore, their influence seems to be not great. This can also be seen from the fact that records in past dynasties are not very detailed.
Relatively speaking, the period when Confucianism spread and had a greater influence on Jiuhua Mountain was the Ming Dynasty. In addition to those mentioned above, famous virtuous people active on Jiuhua Mountain at this time also included Wang Shouren (Yangming), Zhan Ruoshui, Lü Nan, Zhang Yuanbian, Luo Cixiang, Bi Yifan and others. Among them, the most influential one was Wang Shouren. He visited Jiuhua Mountain twice during the Hongzhi and Zhengde periods of the Ming Dynasty. It is said that the Meditation Rock on the mountain is named after his sitting in meditation there. There were eminent monks on the mountain who had interactions with him. For example, when Wang Shouren came to visit during the Hongzhi period, Monk Shian had conversations with him and their interests were very compatible. Wang Shouren presented an inscription saying, “I have never seen the glittering aura, nor do I know the round and perfect appearance. Green bamboos and yellow flowers, what are we talking about Penglai and Fangzhang? Look at the King of Ksitigarbha on Jiuhua Mountain. What good descendants he has, and there is also Monk Shian. Alas, those wonderful aspects cannot be depicted by painting.” There was also Monk Zhou Jin. When Wang Shouren visited Jiuhua Mountain during the Zhengde period, he also had heart-to-heart talks with him and their words were in harmony. Wang Shouren also wrote a gatha and presented it to him, saying, “Not facing the wall at Shaolin Temple, but coming to Jiuhua Mountain to see the scenery. The monk’s staff knocks over dragons and tigers. Wearing only one shoe, one steps on and breaks through Shanqiao and Pitu Rock. This naughty monk, how can he be tolerated in this world? Hehe, if you understand, I will give you a stick; if you don’t understand, just put it aside and take a break in the black lacquer bucket.” In addition, he also presented a poem to him. In 1528, the seventh year of Jiajing, the prefectural magistrate built the Yangzhi Shrine on Jiuhua Mountain, in which Wang Yangming was worshipped. Later, when the shrine collapsed, Monk Huian tried his best to repair it and made the sacrificial ceremony flourish.
What Monk Huian studied was Buddhism, but what he admired was Confucianism. In him, the characteristic of the unity of Confucianism and Buddhism is embodied. The reason why Wang Shouren associated with monks and the reason why monks were friendly with him reflect that Wang Yangming’s doctrine has similarities with Buddhism, mainly with Zen. Wang Yangming’s philosophy is a further development of Lu Jiuyuan’s subjective idealism that “the universe is my mind, and my mind is the universe,” that is, the theory of “extending innate knowledge.” It holds that “knowledge is the essence of the mind. The mind will naturally know without seeking from outside.” “Innate knowledge” is innate and everyone has it. “All things in the world are nothing but in my mind.” Therefore, “the learning of a gentleman is only to seek his mind.” This is exactly the same as the Zen teaching that Buddha-nature is inherent, all dharmas are entirely in one’s own mind, becoming a Buddha does not require seeking from outside but is verified in one’s own mind. If one recognizes one’s own mind and sees one’s nature, one can become a Buddha. The difference is that the ultimate goal of Wang Yangming’s philosophical thought is to “seek his mind,” that is, the so-called “extending innate knowledge.” Once one obtains his mind, one can obtain “heavenly principles.” The ultimate goal of Zen is to see one’s nature through understanding one’s mind. Once one sees one’s nature, one becomes a Buddha. To a certain extent, Wang Shouren’s philosophical thought is the result of being influenced by Zen thought. And Wang Shouren’s adoption and recognition of Zen thought bring Confucianism and Buddhism closer.