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Tang Seng's purple gold bowl, as a key item in the journey of learning scriptures in "Journey to the West", seems to be just a simple instrument for him to turn his fate along the way, but in fact, there are many layers of deep meaning hidden behind it.
From the starting point of the journey, the bowl followed all the way and became a tool for the four Tang monks and apprentices to deal with various dangers.
However, this seemingly ordinary object became a symbol of his spiritual achievements at the last moment of his journey.
Why did the Buddha take back this bowl? Why does Tang Seng's cultivation path have to start with putting down this instrument?
How is this bowl closely related to the final spiritual sublimation of Tang Seng? The story of its history is full of suspense, and the following narrative will reveal the twists and turns and trials behind it step by step.
1. The origin of the bowl and the starting point of Tang Seng's journey
The purple gold bowl held by Tang Seng was first given by Tang Taizong himself. This was given as a symbolic gift to the king before Master Xuanzang officially set off to the west to learn the scriptures.
In the Tang Dynasty, the bowl was an important instrument for monks to turn their bowls into money, symbolizing a simple and ascetic life.
This move by Tang Taizong shows his support for Buddhism and the importance he attaches to the mission of Tang monks to learn scriptures. The bowl is not only a material symbol, but also a moral responsibility.
Tang Seng set out from Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty and was burdened with the mission of obtaining the true scriptures. Along the way, the Purple Gold Bowl became an important bridge between him and the secular world. In the Buddhist tradition, monks use alms to turn their karma, which is not only a means of survival, but also a form of practice.
Every time, Tang Seng begged the people for food through the bowl, which was actually practicing the Buddhist doctrine of "renunciation of desire" with his body. The bowl is not only a rice bowl, but also a symbol of the continuous cutting with the material world on the path of Tang monks' cultivation.
At first, Tang Seng had not fully comprehended the deep meaning of this "renunciation", and he still relied on the material resources provided by the outside world to support his practice.
During the journey, Tang Seng's bowl became an important tool for masters and apprentices to tide over difficulties several times. It is not only a symbol of food, but also a link between the mundane world.
Tang monks used bowls to turn fate, often not gold and silver wealth, but the farmer's meal of vegetarian food and passers-by's meager alms. These humble foods not only sustain their lives, but also symbolize their relationship with the mundane.
In the process of practice, Tang Seng slowly freed himself from his dependence on material things, and he gradually realized that the true Dharma does not rely on external materials, but needs to achieve detachment within itself.
The existence of the purple gold bowl did symbolize the Tang monk's demand and dependence on external materials in the early days. Whenever he fasted with a bowl in front of him, he seemed to be seeking spiritual support.
He needs these seemingly simple offerings to strengthen his faith and faith, and this form of dependence is a process that every practitioner must go through.
However, as the journey progressed, Tang Seng gradually realized that although the bowl was a daily need, it also invisibly constrained his true path to liberation.
2. The symbolic transformation of the purple gold bowl
The symbolism of the bowl gradually changes as the journey progresses. From the initial material dependence to the gradual becoming the last link between Tang Seng and the material world, the existence of the bowl seems to imply that a trace of obsession in Tang Seng's heart has not been completely severed.
On the path of Buddhist practice, true enlightenment often requires repeated inner training. The existence of the purple gold bowl is a sign that Tang Seng has not completely let go of his dependence on external materials.
On the way to learn the scriptures, Tang Seng and his three apprentices faced danger several times and almost died at the hands of monsters. Every time they were in danger, the bowl became a tool for them to get help from the good people of the local area.
In these seemingly ordinary acts, Tang Seng did not realize the deeper symbolism behind the bowl. The bowl is not only a source of food, but its existence is a reminder that Tang Seng must go through a process of transformation from material to spiritual.
Tang Seng's practice is not only a process of walking, but also a kind of spiritual baptism. The bowl is the symbolic link between his beliefs and worldly needs.
As a monk, the bowl is an essential item in the practice and represents a symbol of simple living.
However, as he gradually approached the ultimate goal of learning the scriptures, the weight of the bowl in his heart began to change quietly. From the initial tool, it gradually became a symbol, a symbol that he had to let go.
The changes in the purple gold bowl echo the changes in the mood of Tang monks on the way to learn scriptures. Every time he gave alms, Tang Seng would accept it with a bowl, and what he received was not only food, but also carried the beliefs and expectations of the local people.
This external support was particularly important at the beginning of his journey, and it helped Tang Seng to strengthen his inner belief. However, as time passed, Tang Seng gradually realized that this dependence on material forms was actually an obstacle that hindered his complete inner liberation.
The existence of the bowl invisibly restrained Tang Seng's final cultivation realm. As the journey progressed, Tang Seng gradually understood that the true Dharma does not lie in the external form, but in the inner epiphany.
He began to realize that the bowl, as a symbol of the mundane world, had actually become the last obstacle in his spiritual path. Only by completely letting go of his dependence on the bowl can he truly reach the ultimate state of the Dharma.
3. The final test on the spiritual mountain
At the last stop of the scripture journey, Lingshan, Tang Seng faced the final test of his practice. Venerable Kaye and Venerable Ananda stood on the top of the spiritual mountain, waiting for Tang Seng and his party.
As two important disciples of the Buddha, Kasaba and Ananda have supreme positions in the Buddhist lineage.
His Holiness Kasya, known for his asceticism, symbolizes the hardships of spiritual practice and inner patience. His Holiness Ananda, on the other hand, is known for remembering the Dharma, symbolizing the inheritance and promotion of wisdom.
In Lingshan, Jiaye and Ananda suddenly asked Tang Seng for "personnel", which caught Tang Seng and his party off guard. The Purple Gold Bowl became their only bargaining chip, and Tang Seng realized that this was not just a material transaction, but also the last level of his cultivation.
At this moment, the bowl is no longer a simple tool for fate, it has become the key to whether Tang Seng can really let go of his obsession.
Kasaba and Ananda's request may seem sudden, but in fact it is an elaborate final test. In Buddhism, letting go of material attachments is a process that every practitioner must go through, and Tang Seng's bowl symbolizes his last connection with the mundane world.
In order to attain true Buddhism, Tang Seng must hand over this bowl and symbolically let go of dependence on material things.
This test is not only a test of Tang Seng's practice, but also a test of his heart. The appearance of Kaye and Ananda, as well as their request for bowls, ostensibly seem to be asking for wealth, but in fact they are testing whether Tang Seng can let go of his last obsession.
Only when Tang Seng truly realized that the bowl was only a material symbol, not the ultimate goal of his cultivation, could he truly pass this test.
At this moment, Tang Seng handed over the purple gold bowl, symbolizing his complete separation from the mundane world. From the initial survival tool, the bowl was transformed into a test in the process of cultivation, and finally became a symbol of his spiritual leap.
At the moment when he handed over the bowl, Tang Seng truly reached the enlightenment of Buddhism and gained inner liberation.
Fourth, the disappearance of the bowl and the acquisition of the wordless scriptures
After Tang Seng finally handed over the purple gold bowl, the Buddha personally granted him the true scriptures. However, the "wordless scriptures" that were initially retrieved confused Tang Seng and his apprentices. Are these seemingly blank scriptures a teasing of the Buddha?
In fact, this wordless sutra represents the essence of the Dharma. The Dharma does not lie in the external form of words, but in the inner enlightenment.
The wordless sutra symbolizes the idea of epiphany in Buddhism. In the Southern Sect's doctrine of Enlightenment, a practitioner must get rid of dependence on external forms through inner enlightenment in order to truly attain liberation.
When Tang Seng retrieved the wordless scriptures, he had not fully comprehended this point and thought that these blank papers had no meaning. However, the Buddha told him that the true Dharma does not need to be conveyed through words, it resides in the heart of every human being.
The wordless scriptures mentioned by the Buddha are actually another test for Tang monks. Through this symbol, the Buddha showed Tang Seng the ultimate goal of the practice.
The letting down of the bowl meant that Tang Seng had let go of his obsession with the material world, and the wordless sutra further reminded him that the true Dharma did not depend on the inheritance of words, but was obtained through inner enlightenment.
Tang Seng finally understood the deep meaning of the wordless scripture. He realized that the true meaning of the Dharma did not lie in the external form, but in the inner epiphany.
The wordless sutra symbolizes that he has reached the highest state of the Dharma, and the disappearance of the bowl indicates that he has completely freed himself from the bondage of matter.
Through this process, Tang Seng completed a thorough leap from material to spiritual, and finally obtained the true meaning of Buddhism.
end
As an important item in "Journey to the West", the purple gold bowl is not only a tool for Tang Seng to turn into a fate on the way to learn scriptures, but also a key symbol in his cultivation process.
From the initial material dependence to the final spiritual leap, the bowl carries the inner transformation of Tang Seng.
Similar symbolic objects have been seen throughout history, and many religions and cultures have used them to represent the connection and separation between people and the world.
The story of the bowl has inspired future generations to think about the meaning of spiritual practice, and the Lingshan test in "Journey to the West" is a typical symbol of the Buddhist path of cultivation.
What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
Journey to the West
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