Our great motherland has a long history and magnificent mountains and rivers. The famous mountains of the mainland have been known as "five mountains and three mountains" since ancient times. The "Five Mountains" are: Taishan in the East, Mount Hua in the west, Hengshan in the south, Hengshan in the North and Songshan in the middle. The "three mountains" are: Wutai Mountain, Emei Mountain, and Putuo Mountain, that is, the "three holy places of Buddhism".
In modern times, people have called Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province the "Four Famous Mountains of Buddhism" together with the "Three Holy Sites of Buddhism"
Why is Mount Wutai regarded as a Buddhist holy place by Buddhists? This has to start with Manjushri in Buddhism.
The fruits of practice in Buddhism include "Buddha", "Bodhisattva", and "Arhat". Buddha, full name "Buddha", is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Buddha, also translated as "Buddha", "Buddha", "Buddha", "Buddha", "Buddha", etc., meaning "enlightened" and "knowing". Theravada Buddhism speaks of Buddha, which is generally used as an honorific title for Shakyamuni. In addition to Shakyamuni, the Buddha mentioned in Mahayana Buddhism also refers to all enlightened and accomplished people in the three worlds and ten directions. Such as Burning Lamp Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, etc. The bodhisattva in Buddhism, full name Bodhi Saya, is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Bodhisattva, which translates to "feeling sentient beings", "Taoist beings", etc. It refers to a Buddhist practitioner who has become enlightened himself and can benefit from the ashes of life and can achieve the Buddha's fruit position in the future. The bodhisattvas often mentioned in Buddhist scriptures include Manjushri, Puxian Bodhisattva, Miyu Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Daishi Bodhisattva.
Manjushri, full name "Manjushri", "Manjushri", abbreviated "Manjushri", is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Mañju'sri, meaning "Miaode", "Miaoji", etc.
- According to the Buddhist scripture "Buddha Says Manjushri Treasure Dharani Sutra": "Buddha (Shaying Muni) told the Vajra Tantra King: 'After I perished, in the northeast of this southern Zhaobu continent, there is the name of the country, the Great Earthquake, among which there are five peaks of the mountain, and Manjushri children parade and dwell, for all sentient beings to say in the middle saying".
Buddhists believe that China refers to Nanzhengbuzhou in Buddhist scriptures, and Mount Wutai is located northeast of Zhennaguo, Nanzhaobuzhou. Wutai Mountain "Five peaks towering out, the top is without trees, like a platform of earth, so it is called Wutai (mountain). Also known as Five Peaks Mountain. The geographical location and geography of Mount Wutai is very similar to the residence of Manjushri Bodhisattva described in the Buddhist scripture Treasure Dharani Sutra, which is one of the reasons why Mount Wutai is regarded as a holy place for Buddhism by Buddhists.
According to the Huayan Sutra of Buddhism, a Buddhist canon reinterpreted by Buddha Vadra of the Jin Dynasty, it is said: "In the northeast, there is a bodhisattva's residence named Qingliang Mountain, and in the past, the bodhisattvas used to live in the middle, and the current bodhisattva name Manjushri has 10,000 bodhisattva ridges, which is often said. "Mountains
Wuhe Mountain "years accumulate ice, summer still snow, once no inflammation, so the day is cool (mountain). "The climate environment in the mountain is very clean and cool, which is a good place to spend summer and avoid potatoes, so Wutai Mountain was called Qingliang Mountain in ancient times, and was known as "Cool Holy Land". The ancient name and climatic characteristics of Mount Wutai are also quite similar to the residence of Manjushri Bodhisattva described in the Huayan Sutra, which is the reason why Mount Wutai is known as a sacred place of Buddhism
Hence the second one.
The Buddhist holy places on the mainland were said to have three famous mountains in ancient times, and now there are four famous mountains. The four famous mountains are: Wutai Mountain (Manjushri Bodhisattva Dojo) in Shanxi Province, Xiamao Mountain (Puxian Bodhisattva Dojo) in Sichuan Province, Putuo Mountain (Guanyin Bodhisattva Dojo) in Zhejiang Province, and Jiuhua Mountain (Dizang Bodhisattva Dojo) in Anhui Province. Among the famous Buddhist mountains on the mainland, Mount Wutai has been worshipped as the leader for thousands of years.
The Kangxi Emperor, the Holy Ancestor of the Qing Dynasty, said: "Qingliang Mountain is also known as the area where Manjushri taught in ancient times. Mount Zi towers over the surface of the clouds of Yanmen, connects Hengyue and overlooks Tuotuo, crosses Shuosai, and Fanping Gyeonggi. Its wind is strong and cold, the layer of ice is frozen in the yin rock, and the snow is left in the hot summer, hence the name cool. However, although the land is cold, and the Jiamu grass, the valley of the mushroom, is called spiritual. The five peaks stand tall, the sky is high, the sun and the moon are looping, the smoke is lost, and it is deep, it is the Shenfu Ao District, and it has been covered since the past. Since the Han Dynasty, there have been Chongjian in successive dynasties, and the ancient temples are fine blue and full of rocks. Unai is called Lingshan Buddha Land, and there are three authors: Emei, Putuo, and Wutai is You Shengyan. ”
The Buddhist historical texts in the "Dunhuang Stone Chamber Testament" also say: "In the past, people praised the realm of spiritual wonders in the inner world, and beyond the five mountains of Hengyan, there were three mountains. Gai is called Wutai, Emei, and Putuo. The three mountains are all because of the Buddha's deeds, and Wutai is especially the earliest mountain, the most ghostly, and the most spiritual, so it is named unique. ”
Why is Mount Wutai "uniquely named" among the famous Buddhist mountains on the mainland?
The image of Manjushri is usually a knotted bun, holding a sword, and the statue of a lion riding to indicate wisdom, sharpness and might. People need wisdom and strength the most, and Manjushri is the most believed.
Manjushri is the "left waki attendant" of Buddha Shaying Muni Buddha, Puxian Bodhisattva is the "right waki attendant", and Avalokiteshvara is the "left waki attendant" of Amitabha Buddha. Manjushri, Puxian and Guanyin are collectively known as the "three great masters" in Buddhism, among which Manjushri, as the "left attendant" of Shakyamuni Buddha, has the highest status, so Mount Wutai has the highest status in the famous mountain of Buddhism.
Among the four famous mountains of Buddhism, Wutaishan has the greatest international reputation. For thousands of years, Buddhists from India, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other countries have made pilgrimages to Wutaishan to pray for Dharma, and some even stayed in Wutaishan to practice for life. In the Tang Dynasty. Many famous monks in Japan have visited Mount Wutai to seek Dharma, and the Emperor of Japan even regularly sends emissaries to Mount Wutai to present gold and silver jewelry to Manjushri.
Wutaishan is the only Buddhist ashram on the mainland that combines Han Buddhism and Lamaism, and Tibetan Buddhist (Lamaism) Da Lama, Panchen Lama, and Zhangjia Hutuktu (Great Living Buddha) all lived and practiced on Mount Wutai, and some were buried on Mount Wutai after their deaths. Therefore, Wutaishan is most respected by ethnic minorities in Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, Heilongjiang and other places. Some did not fulfill their long-cherished wish of worshipping Mount Wutai before their deaths, and their children sent their ashes to Mount Wutai for burial.
Due to the above reasons, coupled with the repeated worship of Wutai Mountain by successive emperors and strong respect, Wutai Mountain occupies a special position among the four famous mountains. Since ancient times, it has always ranked first among the famous Buddhist mountains in the mainland, which is fascinating.