The problem of children's education is currently plaguing parents of all ages.
In order to avoid the child becoming the class teacher's mouth" "You are the worst I have ever taught", parents can be said to have done everything in their power...
However, the reason why it is "difficult to bring a baby" may be difficult in a communication. Parents do not understand the child, the child does not understand the parent, and the generation gap between the two sides is like a natural barrier.
So, how did parents in ancient times educate their children?
Song Dynasty parents invite you to climb the mountain together
Don't worry, climbing is a safe activity.
Ascending can not only relax the mood, but also strengthen the body. The ancients especially liked to climb high and walk, they could slowly collect flowers and plants along the road, and when they were interested, they would "sing songs to sing", and when they climbed the mountain, they would also express the "panoramic view of the mountains".
In Dazu during the Song Dynasty, parents will definitely take their children to this place for "outdoor education" - that is, Baoding Mountain.
Baoding Mountain is located in the northeast of today's Dazu District of Chongqing City, where a famous Southern Song Dynasty monk Zhao Zhifeng spent more than 70 years to build the Grotto Temple, bringing the Dazu stone carvings to the peak.
In the group of statues in the Baodingshan Grotto Temple, there is a group of Rock Carvings, depicting the disguised story of the "Parents' Grace Sutra" in the Buddhist scriptures, showing the whole process of parents raising their children with hard work.
Parents grace in disguise
After entering China, Buddhist art, which combines traditional Confucian concepts, became more secular and rich in local characteristics.
For example, "Long Journey Remembrance of Grace and Change" vividly depicts the scene of parents sending their children out on a long journey: after sending a journey after a ride, the father persuades the mother to say goodbye here, and the mother pushes and shoves the father with her elbow, complaining about the child's father's mouth.
Presumably, when the ancients brought their children to Baoding Mountain to ascend, they also had to tell a story on the stone carvings, hoping that the children could understand their parents more.
The stone carvings on Baoding Mountain also attracted "Master Sister" Zhang Jin
In addition to being an educational landscape, did you know that the stone carvings of Baoding Mountain are actually a World Heritage Site?
On January 16, 2022, the fifth phase of Zhejiang Satellite TV's "Ten Thousand Miles of Single Riding - China in heritage 2" was launched. Led by Shan Jixiang, president of the Chinese Cultural Relics Society and director of the Academic Committee of the Palace Museum, in this issue, the "Wanli Youth Group" entered Dazu in Chongqing to visit the peak work in the history of world grotto art - Dazu stone carvings, leading the audience to re-understand the grotto art "monument" composed of stone carvings.
Dazu stone carvings are distributed on the dangerous peaks of Baoding Mountain, North Mountain, Nanshan Mountain and Shizhu Mountain in Dazu Territory, and the "Parents Grace sutra disguised" introduced at the beginning of the article is located on Baoding Mountain.
And in other mountains, what are the valuable stone carvings?
Beishan: Stone carved by Tang and Song
Because Beishan includes stone carvings from various periods, it truly reflects the evolution of Dazu stone carvings from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty.
The Wei Junjing Monument records the story of the late Tang Dynasty great general Wei Jing organizing craftsmen and painters from the north to come to Dazu to excavate the grottoes, which is also one of the witnesses to the earlier origin of Dazu stone carvings.
Wei Junjing Monument
In the Guanyin disguised cave, you can see guanyin wearing a flower crown on its head, and on both sides of the main figure, there are twelve guanyins standing in turn, and the artifacts held by these guanyin are proof of identity.
There are also many Guanyin caves excavated in the Song Dynasty in Beishan, and the soft and beautiful image of Guanyin also reflects the unique aesthetics of the Tang Dynasty after entering the Song Dynasty.
The Beishan Wheel Pass Cave is a very special cave. Its overall shape is the Wheel sutra – it is a Buddhist vessel for storing scriptures, which was later transformed into a "prayer wheel" that is now common in the areas where tibetan people live. The carving of the grotto into the shape of a prayer wheel is evident in the ingenuity of the designers.
The North Mountain Wheel passes through the Cave
Stone Seal Mountain: A witness to the confluence of the three religions
Since the Tang Dynasty, the three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have always had a tendency to learn from each other and integrate with each other, and this trend finally became the main melody in the Song Dynasty. During the Northern Song Dynasty, a manor lord named Yan Xun reverently offered statues that fused the images of the three religions at Shizhu Mountain.
Visiting here, you can see the Taoist Taishang Laojun Shrine, the Buddhist Pilu Shakya Maitreya Shrine, and the Wenxuan Wang Shrine representing Confucianism.
In addition to the characteristics of the confluence of the three religions, the statues here also have a more "alternative" place. For example, the statue of Confucius in the Wenxuan Shrine is different from the image of an old wise man with a long beard in other places, and this statue of Confucius depicts a young literati and shortens the gap between the statue and the secular mortals.
All these practices reflect the great inclusiveness of the Song Dynasty people and show their new ideas and new culture.
Senju Kannon: Stone carvings from the Song Dynasty during the convalescent period
The stone carvings of the Thousand Hands Guanyin on Baoding Mountain are gorgeous and spectacular, according to scientific statistics, there are a total of 830 hands, which is a veritable "Thousand Hands Guanyin".
The "hand" of the Thousand Hands Guanyin contains a variety of objects, including lotus flowers, weapons, pagodas, grapes, scrolls, etc., bringing together Buddhist scriptures and common artifacts at that time, vividly reflecting the secular life of the Song Dynasty.
Baoding Mountain Senju Kannon
However, such a magnificent statue that has lasted for thousands of years is also very fragile.
In 2008, when he heard that one of the fingers of the Thousand Hands Guanyin had fallen off, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage immediately organized a repair work for him.
During the restoration process at that time, the experts of the restoration team performed scientific disease scans for each hand of Senju Kannon, and even took X-rays!
From this, they analyzed the pathological conditions of each hand and repaired it in a targeted manner, which makes it possible to see this beautiful giant statue today.
Dazu Stone Carvings: Guardianship and Inheritance
In the mountains full of stone carvings, there is such a group of guardians, they are the scribes of Dazu stone carvings. There are a total of 190 grottoes in the Dazu area, and 70 "mountain keepers" are not afraid of wind and rain, cold and heat, and guard the heritage of their ancestors day after day.
The brothers Liu Shunjiu and Liu Shunzhong of MyoGao Mountain are also one of the 70 mountain keepers. The nearly elderly Liu brothers, who have been patrolling the mountain for more than thirty years, are familiar with the origin and details of the grotto statues on the Miao Mountain. Guarding the Dazu stone carvings has become a part of their lives.
At the Dazu Vocational Education Center, many local youth have also joined the inheritance of Dazu stone carving art.
Here, they need to start from the classic Dazu stone carving image, and when the technology is perfect, they can enter the new style creation that is more closely integrated with the current life. According to reports, a stone carving takes one to two days. But behind these one or two days is the precious spiritual wealth left by the ancients through thousands of years of time for future generations.
epilogue
In the restoration, protection and inheritance, the Dazu stone carvings are truly enjoyed by everyone who sees them. Today, there are many world heritage sites scattered around you and me, which requires more people to join the ranks of guardians of the world heritage.
Parents may also wish to take their children on a walk around the world heritage sites in the surrounding area during the holidays. Over the centuries, generations of people have poured their love and energy into it, combining the unique cultural values of world heritage. Feeling the power of the world heritage during the tour may be the best lesson in the growth of children.