Buddhism has really captured my interest this year. Living in Beijing, most of my exposure to Buddhism was through grandiose temples like the Lama Temple, one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. That temple is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also, touristy. Being out in the countryside, my interaction with Buddhism has become more intimate, as many of the temples I've visited are smaller, more modest, and in some ways, more real.
Some of my recent travels have given me a closer look at the role of Buddhism in Chinese life...
(1) Nanyue mountain
China has many sacred mountains. There is a group of five mountains in China known as the Five Great Mountains or the Five Sacred Mountains. These mountains are significant in terms of Chinese history; emperors throughout the ages would make spiritual pilgrimages to the top of each mountain. Buddhism and Taoism have a strong presence on the mountains as demonstrated by the many temples you come across along the hikes. Nowadays, people make their own spiritual pilgrimages to the mountains. In fact, there is a phrase in Chinese that actually means "pilgrimage to a holy mountain", 朝拜圣山.
I currently live about 20km from the southern sacred mountain, known as Hengshan or Nanyue, or the "balancing mountain". A couple weeks ago, Shane and I made our own pilgrimage to the top of Nanyue. It took us about 4 hours to reach the highest point, but much of that time was spent exploring all the temples we passed along the way- some big, some small, some crowded, some empty. In one temple a monk took us around and explained the significance of the Buddhas and Guanyins. That has inspired me to learn some Buddhist terminology in Chinese because I understood about 25% of what he said.
I fully realized the concept of 朝拜圣 at the very top of the mountain. People come from all over China to climb this mountain, and specifically to reach Zhurong Feng, or Wishing Harmony Peak. This final temple on the top of the mountain was one of the least impressive, yet it was packed with people. It was dark inside, paint was peeling, it felt very worn. Yet, I still felt something, as if I was standing in the presence of something powerful. People were kneeling and praying, and burning incense. Outside you would hear sudden bursts of firecrackers.
As my tutor Nancy says, people practice Buddhism to pray to the gods, to find peace and to "store things in their hearts". I currently have an infant understanding of Buddhism, but that is something I can connect with.
(2) Xintang temple
Nestled at the base of some mountains lies Xintang's own temple (Xintang is the town where I live. Outside of Xintang, no one has heard of it, it is that small). The temple is relatively new- just constructed about 5 years ago with donations from local people who wanted a temple in the area. It is said that Nanyue mountain has a total of 72 peaks and one of the peaks is in Xintang. The temple is near that mountain.
I took a walk to visit this temple, on a day when it was foggy and rainy. The temple is about a 30 minute walk from our school, on the outskirts of town. I think the ultimate goal is for it to bring more tourists and revenue into Xintang, but right now it is just a place of worship for the locals. I think I passed what is going to be the ticket office- the small booth seemed mid-construction, but I did notice what looked like a ticket window.
I heard the temple before I saw it. As I approached the temple, I saw people inside, men and women, wearing robes and circling the main deity (I think it was a Buddha?) and doing a kind of singsong chant. The woman at the front was ringing a bell. I wondered how long they had been doing that before I showed up. I stood outside and listened, and as the line passed in front of me, each person would smile and make a slight bow in my direction. I felt welcomed. The scent of incense was in the air and the chanting was actually being played over loudspeakers, which is why you could hear it a distance away. It was a completely captivating experience. I'm planning on making a weekly visit in the hopes of building relationships with and learning from the people who practice (and live?) at that temple.
(3) Shao Feng
My final recent experience with Buddhism was when I visited Shao Shan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong. This is another place where people make a pilgrimage, but this time to pay homage to the Great Helmsman. At Shao Shan you can visit Mao's childhood home, school, and 1966 retreat (complete with quake and air raid-proof rooms).
There is also a mountain, Shao Feng, where you can take a chairlift to the top. Shao Feng is another one of Nanyue's 72 peaks, so I was expecting more temples at the top. I was right, there were temples, except instead of Buddhas inside, there were statues of Chairman Mao. The routine was the same as in other temples- offerings, incense, kowtowing, but this time it was in front of Mao Zedong. I overheard one woman explain that people come here to ask Mao for happiness, good fortune and success. Fascinating. A whole new spin on the concept of a "scared mountain". Under Mao's rule, tens of millions of people died, and yet he is still honored and glorified for his dedication in uniting China.
