Wutai Mountain, one of the four famous mountains of Buddhism in China, in the historical records, from the northern Wei Xiaowen Emperor during the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Qing Renzong (颙琰, era name Jiaqing) of the Qing Dynasty, a total of 9 emperors came here 18 times to worship the Buddha. Surprisingly, among these 9 emperors, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty alone accounted for 4, and the number of times they went back and forth accounted for 13 times, so to speak, about 70% of them were included. Specific to the emperors: the Kangxi Emperor went 5 times, the Yongzheng Emperor went 1 time, the Qianlong Emperor went 6 times, and the Jiaqing Emperor went 1 time.
Why did the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty pay special attention to Mount Wutai?
Many people wonder why the emperors of the Qing Dynasty were so fond of Mount Wutai, especially Kangxi and Qianlong, the two emperors of the Qing Dynasty.
For this special habit of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, many people will think of a "dusty" past that has been spread in the air - the mystery of the "collapse" of the Shunzhi Emperor, the first emperor after the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains.
Folk theory unanimously believes that the Shunzhi Emperor was hurt by his feelings, so he saw through the red dust, gave up the emperor's honor to go to Wutai Mountain to become a monk, and even many TV dramas also interpreted it in this way, so the Qing Emperors since the Kangxi Emperor basically loved to go to Wutai Mountain to worship the Buddha, which is believed to be the reason why they went there to find or commemorate their ancestor Shunzhi Emperor.
One of the four famous mountains of Buddhism: Mount Wutai
Of course, in addition to folk sayings, from a historical point of view, the reason why the Qing Emperor loved to go to Wutai Mountain was not only this, but also the special feelings of the Qing rulers and many considerations in governing the country!
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="8" > Kangxi and Qianlong: The number of pilgrimages to Mount Wutai is the highest in history! </h1>
Mention Wutai Mountain, mention the pilgrimage to the Buddha, mention the ancient emperors, the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors of the Qing Dynasty are the most among them.
Kangxi Emperor Wutai Mountain Ritual Buddha: 5 times
The Kangxi Emperor reigned for 61 years (1661-1722), which is the longest reigning emperor of the Qing Dynasty, this emperor, he did not like to live in the deep palace for a long time, and traveled to the people many times in his life to investigate the people's feelings, and went to Mount Wutai 5 times.
According to the Qing History Manuscript, the Kangxi Emperor came to Wutai Mountain for a pilgrimage:
The first time, February 12, Kangxi 22; the second time, September 11 of the same year; the third time, Kangxi 37 March 28; the fourth time, Kangxi 41 February 1; the fifth time, Kangxi 49, February 2, 2012.
Statue of the Kangxi Emperor
Qianlong Emperor Wutai Mountain Ritual Buddha: 6 times
The Qianlong Emperor reigned for 60 years (1736-1795), of course, the Qianlong Emperor seemed to reign one year less than the Kangxi Emperor, but in fact, the Qianlong Emperor took the initiative to abdicate and sit on the Throne, because the Qianlong Emperor had stressed that if he could reign for 60 years, he would definitely choose to abdicate, and he would never surpass his grandfather, the Kangxi Emperor. It can be seen from this that this Qianlong Emperor still knows how to "trade off" art in terms of the way of life. Of course, like his grandfather, he was also a fanatic of the Wutai Mountain pilgrimage. Although the Qianlong Emperor did not reign longer than his grandfather, the Kangxi Emperor, he was unyielding in the number of pilgrimages to Mount Wutai, and he had 1 more pilgrimage than the Kangxi Emperor, with a total of 6 pilgrimages to Mount Wutai before and after.
It can be said that the Qianlong Emperor's interest in worshiping Mount Wutai was not only the most persistent of the Emperors of the Great Qing Dynasty, but also the one that no one could match since the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen.
Historically recorded timelines of the Qianlong Emperor's pilgrimage to Mount Wutai are:
The first time, September of the eleventh year of Qianlong; the second time, February of the fifteenth year of Qianlong; the third time, February of the twenty-sixth year of Qianlong; the fourth time, February of the forty-sixth year of Qianlong; the fifth time, February of the fifty-first year of Qianlong; the sixth time, February of the fifty-seventh year of Qianlong.
Statue of the Qianlong Emperor
Through the number and time of the Kangxi Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor's pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, it is not difficult to see that the two emperors, the two of them have a special love for Mount Wutai.
First of all, both Kangxi and Qianlong were particularly fond of going to Mount Wutai.
Secondly, Kangxi and Qianlong basically liked to choose the time of pilgrimage to Mount Wutai in the early spring of the revival of all things, that is, most of the time in February of the lunar calendar.
Why did kangxi and the Qianlong emperor go to Mount Wutai to worship the Buddha in February?
What was the peculiarity of February for Kangxi and the Qianlong Emperor? The specific reasons we do not know, but the following circumstances have become the reasons for choosing February:
First, if we follow the folk "Shunzhi Emperor Wutaishan monk theory", then the Shunzhi Emperor should have been ordained in February, because the shunzhi emperor recorded in history died on February 5, 1661. This is also extremely close in time to the possibility.
Second, although according to the natural environment, Mount Wutai in February, the mountain should be quite cold, and even the snow and ice cover has not yet melted is very common, but February is indeed a good month for worshiping Buddha, this month, There are more Buddhist festivals.
For example, the eighth day of february is the ordination of Shakyamuni Buddha, February 15 is Shakyamuni Buddha's Nirvana Day, and February 19 is Guanyin Bodhisattva Christmas, so it is reasonable that the two emperors of Kangxi Qianlong and the two of them like to rush to Putuo Mountain in February.
Third, from the perspective of seasonal factors, the February season is more suitable for stepping on the green, and you can observe the people's livelihood after the spring while worshipping the Buddha.
In short, the hobbies of the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors were considered to be together.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="93" > qing emperors were interested in Mount Wutai: a legend from the Qing Palace! </h1>
As one of the famous Buddhist holy places in China, Wutai Mountain is full of good men and women who come here every day to make pilgrimages, especially during the Kang Yongqian period, the incense of Wutai Mountain reached an unprecedented peak. Moreover, from the Kangxi Emperor to Yongzheng and the Qianlong Emperor, they all had frequent pilgrimages to Mount Wutai, so everyone was speculating, did they really just go to Mount Wutai to simply worship the Buddha?
In folk folklore, it is true that several emperors of the Qing Dynasty went to Wutai Mountain to worship the Buddha, but at the same time, there is a more important wish, that is, to find the roots and ask the ancestors! Find and hang the Shunzhi Emperor, the Kangxi Emperor's father, the Shunzhi Emperor (Ai XinJue Luo Fu Lin).
The Kangxi Emperor's father, the Shunzhi Emperor
The mystery of the "collapse" of the Shunzhi Emperor is constantly in doubt
The Shunzhi Emperor (Qing Dynasty Ancestor Ai Xinjueluo Fulin), reigned from 1643 to 1661, was the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, but also the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty to set the capital of Beijing. It has to be said that although the Shunzhi Emperor ascended the throne at an early age and sat on the throne at the age of 6, unfortunately, according to history, the emperor only lived for 24 years, and suddenly announced the news of "collapse" overnight.
Because the death of the Shunzhi Emperor was too young, and it was also very sudden, in the case of being originally strong and healthy, without any signs, it was suddenly declared "collapse" overnight, and for the public, natural doubts arose and there were constant statements.
According to the canonical history, although mentioned in the Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, the account is vague, and only 11 words are used briefly:
"Ding has, night, zi carved, collapsed in the Yangxin Hall."
As for the reason for the collapse, there is no explanation. It is only mentioned in Korean history that the Shunzhi Emperor died of smallpox. But there are also suspicious points, after all, the history records of the Chinese Qing Dynasty can not know what the Shunzhi Emperor actually fell ill and died, and how did the history of The Fan State Korea at that time know this detail?
As a result, the information of Noshi began to spread. There is a widely spread saying that the Shunzhi Emperor did not suddenly die of illness, but saw through the red dust and went to Wutai Mountain to become a monk. The rulers of the Qing Dynasty were reluctant to tell the world this secret, so they had to announce the sudden collapse of the Shunzhi Emperor.
Could the Shunzhi Emperor be a monk? Why do you become a monk?
According to the Manchu archives of the Qing Palace, when the Shunzhi Emperor was 14 years old, when he was hunting in Zunhua, he met a senior monk who was practicing in a cave, so he had an indissoluble relationship with buddhism. When the Shunzhi Emperor was 20 years old, under the careful arrangement of eunuchs, he listened to the abbot of Haihui Temple in Beijing to explain Buddhism, so he had a strong interest in Buddhism. Then, when the Shunzhi Emperor was 24 years old, his favorite Concubine Dong E died suddenly due to difficult childbirth, so the Shunzhi Emperor, who had lost his most beloved, was discouraged from then on, and he had no intention of taking care of the government. Perhaps it was melancholy, 100 days after The death of Concubine Dong E, the News of the Shunzhi Emperor's collapse of the Yangxin Hall came out of the Qing Palace. Of course, for the mystery of the sudden "collapse" of the young and powerful Shunzhi Emperor, this is difficult for many people to believe, so later generations have speculated that the collapse is just a foreign rhetoric, and the Shunzhi Emperor should have seen through the red dust and gone to Mount Wutai to become a monk.
The Shunzhi Emperor and the Dharma were inextricably linked
Of course, this speculation of later generations is not empty, and the Kangxi Rising residence records that soon after the Kangxi Emperor succeeded to the throne, Empress Xiaozhuang took him to Wutai Mountain to worship the Buddha. At that time, many people were also greatly puzzled, there are many famous temples in Beijing, if you want to worship the Buddha, it is not close, why do you have to go as far as Mount Wutai, is it just to talk about your sincere heart to worship Manjushri Bodhisattva?
Later, the Kangxi Emperor went to Wutai Mountain to worship the Buddha a total of 5 times, and the subsequent Yongzheng Emperor, as well as the Qianlong Emperor, they also never pulled down, and they all continued the kangxi emperor's hobby, and the Qianlong Emperor also went 6 times, especially his grandfather Kangxi. Because of this, some later historians made bold speculations that the death of the Shunzhi Emperor was not because of smallpox, and the collapse was nothing more than a cover-up, or he went to Mount Wutai to become a monk.
The mystery of the Shunzhi Emperor's renunciation
In addition, a corroboration was given for the Shunzhi Emperor Wutaishan's claim to be a monk.
When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded, Empress Dowager Cixi fled west in a hurry, and the local officials not only received him, but also borrowed some utensils from Mount Wutai, which, according to the recollections of the accompanying officials, were very similar to those used in the palace. According to the royal regulations at that time, the royal objects were extraordinary, Buddhism as a quiet place, not the Shunzhi Emperor, who dared or would use it out of the ordinary? Therefore, those utensils are likely to be left over from the Shunzhi Emperor when he was ordained at Wutai Mountain.
Where did the Shunzhi Emperor belong? Anecdotes about the Kangxi Emperor searching for his father
Regarding the Shunzhi Emperor's monastic claim, there is also a legend in the folk as evidence:
After Kangxi succeeded to the throne, the Kangxi Emperor had the habit of making pilgrimages to Mount Wutai.
Once, the Kangxi Emperor came to Mount Wutai, and he came here specifically to find his father, the Shunzhi Emperor.
On this day, the Kangxi Emperor was walking on the mountain road, when he suddenly saw an old monk at the mountain pass shaking toward him.
Therefore, the Kangxi Emperor went forward to give a gift and asked, "Master, do you know about shunzhi's father's renunciation in those years?" ”
The old monk laughed and said, "Of course the poor monk knows." ”
Then, the old monk went crazy and said something to the Kangxi Emperor that made him seem to understand and seemed to be incoherent.
The Kangxi Emperor was also confused at that time, and finally had no choice but to ask helplessly, "Master, what is your Fa number?" He planned to continue to ask questions in the future.
But this old monk, who directly put aside the topic asked by the Kangxi Emperor, opened his mouth and recited a poem of oil:
"Write four strokes in one word, neither vertical nor horizontal. The unpaid temple was handed over, and the axe monk was my name. ”
At that time, the Kangxi Emperor still could not understand the reasoning, so he went back to the palace.
When the Kangxi Emperor returned to the palace, he told Grandma Xiaozhuang what he had seen and heard at Mount Wutai in a sullen manner, after all, his father had not been found, and he had met an old monk who said one confusing thing after another in a frenzy.
However, when Xiaozhuang listened to Kangxi's complaint, he immediately exclaimed, "Oh, this crazy monk is pretending, he is probably your father!" Xiao Zhuang continued with some understanding: "Doesn't the word 'axe' of the 'axe monk' have the word 'father' of the father?" Hearing Xiao Zhuang say this, the Kangxi Emperor also realized in an instant, and immediately went straight to Mount Wutai in the starry night to find the old monk. Unfortunately, after that, he never saw the old monk again.
Kangxi Wutaishan searches for his father
Therefore, the speculation that the Kangxi Emperor frequently went to Mount Wutai to find his father spread to future generations.
In summary, it can be basically speculated that the Kangxi Emperor liked to go to Mount Wutai in his lifetime, and he definitely did not go to worship the Buddha just for burning incense, but it was also very likely that he took the opportunity to burn incense to worship the Buddha to find the roots and ask the ancestors, that is, to find or hang his father, the Shunzhi Emperor. Of course, in the hands of the Qianlong Emperor, the Habit of the Qianlong Emperor, who liked to travel in the mountains and rivers, inherited the Kangxi Emperor was not difficult to understand.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="94" > ancestral ideas for the special "religious feelings" of Mount Wutai to "Huairou Mongolian and Tibetan" ideas for consolidating state-based rule</h1>
As one of the "Four Famous Mountains of Chinese Buddhism", Wutai Mountain is known to be the ashram of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and every New Year's Festival, the good men and women who come here to seek talents and wisdom are always crowded. When you carefully observe, among the believers who come to worship Wutai Mountain, one of the biggest differences from other famous Buddhist mountains is that believers of all nationalities have believers, believers who worship the Qingmiao Temple (Handi) come here, and believers who worship the Yellow Temple (Tibet) also come here.
Wutaishan Guanghua Temple, a typical Han Chinese lama temple
The reason for this eclecticism is probably known to many people, because Wutai Mountain is different from other Buddhist Taoist places, and it almost includes all the major sects of Han Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, which can be described as the coexistence of secrets and the competition of various sects, becoming the only Buddhist dojo in China that has both Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, that is, a Buddhist dojo in China where the Green Temple (living monks) and the Yellow Temple (living lamas) coexist. Because of this feature, Wutai Mountain is not only known as the "capital of Chinese Buddhism", but also known as the "International Buddhist Cultural Center".
The coexistence of the Qingmiao Temple and the Yellow Temple mentions this unique feature of Wutai Mountain, which has to start from the special "religious feelings" of the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty and the policy of the Qing rulers to stabilize the rule of "Huairou Mongolian and Tibetan".
Qing Emperor Zu shang's special "religious feelings" for Mount Wutai
The Manchu Qing Dynasty, like the Yuan Dynasty founded by the Mongols, was a firm believer in Buddhism.
First, during the Emperor Taiji, the Manchu nobles admired Mount Wutai.
As early as the time of emperor Taiji, the Manchu nobles were full of admiration for Mount Wutai. This sentiment also has to start in the eighth year of Emperor Tiancong of the Qing Dynasty (1634), when the Morgan Lama of Chahar, a descendant of the Yuan Dynasty, brought the statue of Mahaga Lama to Shengjing and presented it to Emperor Taiji. It is said that the origin of this Buddha statue is not ordinary, he is the golden statue of the emperor of Kublai Khan in the Yuan Dynasty, Bashipa, enshrined in Mount Wutai. Since then, the Manchu nobles have been full of infinite admiration for Mount Wutai.
Second, the Manchu qing aristocracy believed that "Manjushri" and "Manchuria" had deep roots
Mount Wutai is the ashram of Manjushri Bodhisattva, one of the four great bodhisattvas of Buddhism, and the name of Manjushri Bodhisattva is also translated as "Manjushri". In the eyes of the Manchu nobles, they believed that "Manjushri" and "Manchuria" had deep roots.
Statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva on Mount Wutai
In February of the fifty-first year of Qianlong (1786), when the Qianlong Emperor made his fifth pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, not only did Zhang Jia guoshi come to pick him up in advance, but also just in time for the snow to fall from the sky on Mount Wutai, this scene aroused the Qianlong Emperor's poetry, and he felt the beautiful scene of the Buddha's kingdom on Mount Wutai and the prosperous country of Guotai Min'an, so he wrote "To the Spirit Vulture Peak Wenshu Monastery", the poem:
"Kaita once heard about the performance of The Fahua, and burned the scripture mission to lead Zhangjia.
The platform is called the top of the five chongbiao, and the Levi Sandu car is taken.
Haunting The Clouds Stack, The Little Shows Joy Dancing Ceiling.
Manjushri's life is immeasurable, and his treasure number is in line with our country. ”
Regarding this poem, Qianlong said this in his interpretation, he believes that in the Sanskrit sutra, Manjushri is called Manjushri, and Manju's harmonic pronunciation is Manju, and Manju is Manchuria. At the same time, the treasure number of Zhu Lan (referring to Zhu Fa Lan) is also consistent with the "Qianlong" era name.
Wutai Mountain Spirit Vulture Peak
In the Wutaishan "Qianlong Imperial Monument", it is mentioned as follows:
"The Zhulan Bao (the title of Manjushri Bodhisattva) is in line with the name of our dynasty, and the emblem is immeasurable for hundreds of millions of years."
Based on this, the Qianlong Emperor thought that he was extremely intelligent, almost the embodiment of Manjushri Bodhisattva, so he often compared himself to Manjushri Bodhisattva, and specially asked the court painter to paint himself two Buddha statues dressed as Manjushri Bodhisattva, so in the table of Wuszang, the Qianlong Emperor was made the Great Emperor of Manjushri.
From this point of view, in the consciousness of the Manchu nobles, they felt that the relationship between their family and Manjushri Bodhisattva was extremely close and special, and from this, the special "religious feelings" of Mount Wutai could be seen.
Daxing Huangjiao, "Huairou Mongolian Tibet" is needed to consolidate the foundation of the Qing Dynasty
The Tongzhi of Shanxi records that starting with the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty:
"The state of Suirou Mongolia, Tehin Huangjiao." The Hongqi Sect Gate, controlled by capital, is a Chinese and foreign Qi'an, and the border people enjoy the blessings of ascension and peace for more than two hundred people. And cool five tops near the suburbs, years or again. Huairou is the first, so the one who takes pleasure in peace and happiness is especially great. ”
This is to say that one of the major goals of the Manchu Rulers in the Wutai Mountains was to achieve the policy of governing the country by "using the Yellow Sect to sui rou Mongolia".
In this regard, the Kangxi Emperor mentioned in the "Monument to the Special Statue of Mount Wutai":
"Things are in the door of persuasion, and Nie Hongjue is the door of goodness."
The Yongzheng Emperor also said:
"Thinking about Buddhism in ancient and modern times, it is especially based on exhorting good and punishing evil, and helping the people of the world. The yellow religion is passed on, so the purpose of promoting the Buddhist scriptures is also. ...... Spreading the Yellow Religion, preaching the scriptures, making the Fanyi monks and laymen revere the Dharma, the realm of billions of years, and the realm of Eternal Renshou, then the Sasuke kingization, is really beneficial. ”
The Qianlong Emperor even wrote a poem bluntly:
"Teach The Way of The Wise, always for the people of Mus!"
It can be seen from this that the three heroes of the Qing Dynasty who have made outstanding contributions in the history of the Qing Dynasty are in agreement with the ideas of the Wutai Mountain Te xing Huang Sect, that is, "Huairou Mongolian Tibet".
In addition, from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court allowed the great living Buddha Zhangjia Hutuktu (Tibetan), who ruled over the Buddhist affairs of Mongolia and Qinghai, to live permanently at the Zhenhai Temple on Mount Wutai. In this way, Wutai Mountain not only has the Yellow Religion, but even the religious leaders of Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhism have also taken root in Wutai Mountain, so the enthusiasm of people in Mongolia and Tibet to worship on Mount Wutai is self-evident.
From a historical point of view, the Mongols have great reverence for the Buddhist Manjushri Bodhisattva and Mount Wutai, so in the early period of qing rule, the Ming emperors and holy lords of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, such as Kangxi, Yongzheng, and the Qianlong Emperor, through the special revival of the Yellow Sect on Mount Wutai and the encouragement of Mongolian Buddhists to often come to worship Mount Wutai, not only achieved the purpose of using the Manjushri faith to be soft and resolve contradictions, but also further strengthened the relations and exchanges between people in Mongolia and the central government and the interior. This greatly benefited the Qing Dynasty in achieving national integration and national stability.
It was precisely based on the existence of the Qing Dynasty government's original special feelings for Wutai Mountain, and the purpose of consolidating the foundation of the country with soft Mongolian tibet in the needs of rule, that the Yellow Sect flourished in Wutai Mountain during the Qing Dynasty. As for the degree of fanaticism of Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhists to Mount Wutai during the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Xitao, a teacher of education in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, wrote in "Traveling to Wutai Mountain":
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the early Ming Dynasty educated Yuan Xitao
"Incense in inner and outer Mongolia, from April to October every year, is in an endless stream and gathers tanshi." "Tai Ji, the prince of Inner and Outer Mongolia, drove camels, horses, cattle and sheep for thousands of miles, and devoted himself to the Tao. ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="95" > conclusion:</h1>
Behind any special phenomenon, the reason is not accidental, just like the Kangxi Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, their identity as emperors, the attitude towards wutai Mountain's devotion to Wutai Mountain has reached a record high, and the reasons for this are deeply investigated, of course, in addition to the folk saying that it is to find or hang the Shunzhi Emperor in order to find or hang the Shunzhi Emperor, there must be more important considerations, such as the "Huairou Mengzang" in order to strengthen the foundation of the country, consolidate the rule, and increase the unity of the nationalities.
#为什么康熙 and Qianlong went to Mount Wutai many times #
"Wen/Chun Frame Tong'an, pen name Hongluo, grateful to pay attention to, share, and discuss interesting literary and historical topics together!" 」