During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1938, a New Fourth Army unit suffered heavy casualties in the fierce battle, but fortunately met the rescue of the small novice of Longchang Temple and hid in this thousand-year-old temple. The Japanese army soon learned of this information and, with the ambition of plundering, surrounded Longchang Temple with great vigour. They threatened to raze the monastery to the ground if they did not hand over the wounded of the New Fourth Army. In the face of the murderous Japanese army, the abbot of Longchang Temple unexpectedly pointed to the big bell next to him, and the Japanese soldiers turned pale when they saw this, and then began to kneel, and finally withdrew from the temple tremblingly. What is the mystery of an ancient bell that can deter the Japanese army? How did the abbot use this bell to protect the New Fourth Army and Longchang Temple? What kind of story is hidden behind this thousand-year-old temple?
The past and present life of Longchang Temple
Longchang Temple was founded in the first year of Liang Tianjian in the Southern Dynasty, and has a long history of more than 1,500 years. This monastery is located at the top of Baohua Mountain in the northwest of Jurong County, Jiangsu Province, and has a unique geographical location. It is bordered by Tie Weng Mountain in the east, Nanjing in the west, Juqu River in the south, and the Yangtze River in the north, surrounded by 36 small peaks that resemble lotus flowers, constructing a peaceful and tranquil Buddhist scenery.
Since its establishment, Longchang Temple has always been an important dojo of Chinese Buddhism. Legend has it that more than 70% of the country's monks and nuns have been ordained here. The famous "Jigong Living Buddha" has also preached the Dharma and preached in Longchang Temple many times, pushing this place to the highest hall of Buddhism. The Ming and Qing dynasties were the most prosperous period of Longchang Temple, and the emperor Qianlong VI visited Longchang Temple six times, which shows its important position in Buddhism.
Although the influence of modern Western thought has caused Buddhism to decline in China for a time, Longchang Temple still stands tall and incense is endless. This thousand-year-old temple has witnessed the rise and fall of Chinese civilization and has become a powerful testimony to the endless life of Buddhism in this land of China. Even in the smoke of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Longchang Temple still stands on the top of Baohua Mountain, providing a temporary refuge for the wounded of the New Fourth Army who have fled.
The establishment and development of Longchang Temple reproduces the inheritance and development of Chinese Buddhism in the long years. As one of the most representative monasteries of Buddhism in China, the past and present life of Longchang Temple reflects the rise and fall of the entire Buddhist sect. This thousand-year-old temple has undergone countless baptisms of war, but it is still standing, witnessing the tenacious and immortal spirit of the Chinese nation.
The ambitions of the Japanese army and the fate of the New Fourth Army
On July 7, 1937, under the pretext that a soldier had "disappeared" during an exercise near the Lugou Bridge in Beiping, the Japanese army launched a long-planned full-scale war of aggression against China. This battle, known as the "Lugou Bridge Incident" or the "77 Incident", opened the prelude to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
In the face of the Japanese army's iron shoes, although the Nationalist government army resisted bravely, it was finally defeated due to the backwardness of weapons and equipment. Only three months later, Nanjing was captured by the Japanese army, and the "Nanjing Massacre" tragedy that shocked China and the rest of the world was staged. In the largest single massacre in human history, 300,000 innocent civilians were brutally killed.
The atrocities of the Japanese army aroused the anger and resistance of the people throughout the country, and guerrilla units came into being in various places. In October 1937, the Communist Party of China (CPC) formed the New Fourth Army in 15 base areas including Jiangxi, Fujian, and Zhejiang, and became an anti-Japanese armed force under the direct leadership of the central government. Since the day of its formation, the New Fourth Army has waged a life-and-death struggle with the Japanese army.
In the spring of 1938, the New Fourth Army waged an arduous battle with the Japanese army in southern Anhui. Although the officers and men of the New Fourth Army were extremely brave, they were eventually forced to retreat due to heavy casualties and running out of ammunition. Along the march, the New Fourth Army was constantly sniped and pursued by the Japanese army, and the officers and men were killed one after another, and the wounded were also increasing.
At this critical moment, a New Fourth Army unit was fortunate to be rescued by the small novice of Longchang Temple and hid in this thousand-year-old temple. The officers and men of the New Fourth thought that they could finally take a breath, but unexpectedly, the Japanese army soon learned of their whereabouts. With plundering ambitions, the Japanese army surrounded Longchang Temple with great vigour, threatening to raze the temple to the ground if the wounded of the New Fourth Army were not handed over.
In the face of the murderous Japanese army, the abbot of Longchang Temple unexpectedly pointed to the big bell next to him, and the Japanese soldiers turned pale when they saw this, and then began to kneel, and finally withdrew from the temple tremblingly. What is the mystery of an ancient bell that can deter the Japanese army? How did the abbot use this bell to protect the New Fourth Army and Longchang Temple?
The mysterious power of the big clock
In 1928, in order to repair relations with China, Emperor Hirohito of Japan specially presented a large bell to Longchang Temple. The shape of this large bell is not special, the only thing that stands out is that the body of the clock is engraved in Chinese and Japanese.
At that time, in order to maintain the overall situation of Sino-Japanese friendship, Longchang Temple accepted this bell that symbolized the relationship between the two countries. Who would have thought that just three years later, Japan would launch a brutal war of aggression against China, and this bell also contains a deep irony.
The Chinese inscription on the bell reads: "The Celestial Empire is a great country, the state of ceremonies." And in Japanese, it is: "The Yamato nation, the hometown of the samurai." Although the two scripts come from different language families, their connotations are the same. China has been a country of etiquette since ancient times, and Japan has always boasted of being the "hometown of samurai".
However, what the Japanese army did in the war of aggression against China is far from the connotation of Zhong Ming. They not only committed crimes against humanity in Nanjing and other places, but also desecrated and destroyed Buddhist monasteries. During the Nanjing Massacre, the Japanese army looted and burned hundreds of temples and killed countless monks and monks.
It is precisely because of this crime of the Japanese army that the bell of Longchang Temple has an extra layer of irony. The Japanese claim to be the "home of the samurai", but what they do is contrary to the spirit of "bushido". As a "country of etiquette", China also showed its national integrity of not fearing power and stubbornly resisting during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
In 1938, when the Japanese army surrounded Longchang Temple and attempted to capture the wounded of the New Fourth Army, Abbot Miaorou unexpectedly pointed to the big bell, and the Japanese soldiers turned pale when they saw this, and immediately began to kneel.
This scene gives people the feeling that the Chinese and Japanese inscriptions on the big bell are interrogating the Japanese army: Why did you, a nation that claims to be the "hometown of samurai," do such despicable deeds? Should China, as a "country of etiquette," be trampled by you like this?
In the face of the silent accusation of the big bell, the Japanese army had no place to be ashamed and could only withdraw from the temple tremblingly. It is truly amazing that an ancient bell can deter the murderous Japanese army.
Abbot Miaorou's wisdom not only saved the lives of the wounded of the New Fourth Army, but also saved the thousand-year-old temple of Longchang Temple. He took advantage of some of the Japanese army's superstitious psychology of Buddhism and skillfully defused a crisis.
However, a bell alone naturally could not deter the Japanese army forever. What kind of secret is hidden behind Longchang Temple, so that it can be safe and sound during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and become a temporary refuge for the New Fourth Army? This mystery needs to be further solved.
The thousand-year-old foundation of Longchang Temple
Since Longchang Temple was founded in the first year of Liang Tianjian in the Southern Dynasty, it has gone through more than 1,500 years. This ancient temple reached its peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with strong incense and pilgrims. Even under the impact of modern Western thought, Buddhism in China once declined, Longchang Temple still stands, and the incense is endless.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, although Longchang Temple was far away from the war-torn front line, it also made its own contribution to the liberation of the country and the people. In 1938, a New Fourth Army unit suffered heavy casualties in a fierce battle, but fortunately met the rescue of the small novice of Longchang Temple and hid in this thousand-year-old temple.
The Japanese army soon learned that the New Fourth Army was hiding in Longchang Temple, and with the ambition of plundering, they surrounded the temple with great vigour. They threatened to raze Longchang Temple to the ground if they did not hand over the wounded of the New Fourth Army. In the face of the murderous Japanese army, the abbot of Longchang Temple, Miaorou, unexpectedly pointed to the big bell next to him, and the Japanese soldiers turned pale when they saw this, and then began to kneel, and finally withdrew from the temple tremblingly.
It is truly amazing that an ancient bell can deter the Japanese army. Abbot Miaorou took advantage of some superstitious psychology of the Japanese army towards Buddhism, skillfully resolved the crisis, and saved the wounded of the New Fourth Army and the thousand-year-old temple of Longchang Temple.
However, a bell alone naturally could not deter the Japanese army forever. There are deeper reasons behind the fact that Longchang Temple was able to survive the Anti-Japanese War and become a temporary refuge for the New Fourth Army.
First of all, the geographical location of Longchang Temple is unique. It is located at the top of Baohua Mountain in the northwest of Jurong County, Jiangsu, bordering Tieurn Mountain in the east, Nanjing in the west, Juqu River in the south, and the Yangtze River in the north. Surrounded by 36 small peaks shaped like lotus flowers, it creates a peaceful and tranquil Buddhist landscape. This environment made Longchang Temple not have frequent contact with the outside world, which became an important reason why it was spared during the war years.
Secondly, Longchang Temple has been an important dojo of Chinese Buddhism Vinaya since its establishment. Legend has it that more than 70% of the country's monks and nuns have been ordained here. The famous "Jigong Living Buddha" has also preached the Dharma and preached in Longchang Temple many times. The status of this Buddhist holy place made the Japanese army have some jealousy of Longchang Temple.
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Finally, the performance of Longchang Temple during the Anti-Japanese War is also worthy of admiration. Although they could not directly participate in the battle as monks and monks, they also contributed to the cause of the liberation of the country and the people in their own way. In addition to taking in the wounded of the New Fourth Army, the monks of Longchang Temple also provided shelter for the nearby people and prayed for blessings for the officers and soldiers on the front line. This spirit of patriotism and love for the people is also an important reason why Longchang Temple was able to survive the years of the Anti-Japanese War.