Tang Dynasty Crossing Guide: Chang'an and People's Life Manual

Chapter 34 We celebrated festivals like this more than 1000 years ago (1)
Welcome to Tang Church for Christmas!

Three Persian Religion

Jingle bells, jingle bells, it's my most hated day of the year again.why?Would you like to drag an old fat man around the world in the ice and snow in the middle of the night?It's cold, tired, and no fodder is given, and none of the gift bags full of sleds are mine.Doing this drudgery, might as well take the guests across to increase the business volume.

I said, is there anyone willing to travel back to the Tang Dynasty for Christmas to see what was going on in the Christian church in the Tang Dynasty?

Yes, you heard that right, there was Christianity in the Tang Dynasty.Of course, the proper name is "Nestorianism", which is a heretical sect expelled from the traditional Roman Church.However, regardless of whether they are open or bombarded internally, believers in other religions still come to China to preach with the Bible in their hands.

To put it bluntly, everyone get on the sleigh, sit down, cough... In short, let's go, the destination - Chang'an City, the time is after the 13th year of Zhenguan (639).

Landed safely, which street is this on, you ask?I do not know either.Greet the guests, follow me, let's go west, and just ask for directions when we meet people on the road.

Yes, it should be right to go west, the reason, I will talk about it later.You see a barbarian is coming over there, hurry up and ask.Hey, don't be so aggressive, what are you asking? "Excuse me, where is the Catholic church where Jesus is worshiped?" Move aside!In the Tang Dynasty, you should ask this question——

"Ask my father-in-law how to get to Bosihu Temple in Yiningfang?"

Look, people are here to show the way, right?Go west, keep going west, go to Huangcheng West Second Street and turn north, pass Judefang, and you will be Yiningfang.Bosihu Temple, which is the Catholic Church of Nestorianism, is in the northeast corner of Yiningfang.

Now you understand why I keep telling everyone to go west?A large number of Hu people from the Western Regions lived in the west of Chang'an City, and Yiningfang was one of the most western part of Chang'an City, close to the west city wall.The oldest and largest Catholic church in the city was built in the 13th year of Zhenguan (639), and it is located in this barbarian settlement.

Hurry up and walk quickly, and you will see the church of the Tang Dynasty in a short while.Come on, guests, the front is... yes, that's right, the big temple in front is the Catholic Church.

What are you talking about?How do you look like it?That is, there is no Gothic spire, no Russian onion, no statue of the Virgin Mary and a large cross, just a pure Chinese-style building with white walls, black tiles and cornices. Is this a Catholic church?
Oh, guest, what can I say about you?Don't doubt my Chinese culture's influence and assimilation of foreign religions in architectural aesthetics.

In short, this building, which looks like a Buddhist temple or a Taoist temple, is the Nestorian Catholic Church.There is a mountain gate in front, an archway after entering the gate, and the Daxiong Palace after passing the archway... Cough, it should be called a chapel.Guests please, let us enter the hall.

You see, it's a bit familiar since you came in, right?There are various murals in modern Catholic churches, depicting Genesis, the Virgin Mary embracing the Holy Child, and the Last Judgment... Look at the front wall of this chapel, isn’t there a row of large portraits?Let's take a closer look. Could this one in yellow be the Virgin Mary?
I don't look like it either, I haven't heard of the Virgin Mary with a beard on her face.This guy seems to be a man, with a black curly head wrapped around his head, with a beard and staring eyes. He looks very tall. He wears a yellow round-neck robe, a jade belt, and boots.There are Chinese characters here to describe the identity!Let's take a look at who the one in the Catholic Church is—

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty Great Sage of Civil and Military Affairs Daguangxiao Emperor

Li, Your Majesty Li Shimin, what's wrong with you?Why did they go so far that they even snatched the jobs of the orphans and widows of Jesus, Mary, and even occupied other people's land with their children and grandchildren?Next to the portrait of Taizong, there are also men in yellow robes in the row, "Emperor Gaozong Dasheng Dahongxiao", "Zhongzong Dahe Dasheng Dazhaoxiao", "Ruizong Xuanzhen Dasheng Daxingxiao Emperor"... table!Did I lead the wrong way and entered the Royal Taimiao?
Wait a minute, guests. I'll ask the technical department to see what's going on.

Well, back, the conclusion is that we did not go wrong.People from the technical department checked the information and clearly told me that the largest Nestorian "Daqin Temple" in the Tang Dynasty was dedicated to the "photographs" of emperors (why do I feel that the portraits with so many clothes are not interesting), and It was "gifted" to the temple by the royal family, and the "Godfather" (the general supervisor of Nestorian China) happily accepted thanks, and hung it in the hall for people to worship.

Why do Christian churches hang portraits of Chinese emperors?It is said that this is because after Nestorianism was introduced to China, it has been unswervingly following the line of the upper class of the royal family, hooking up with the emperors of all dynasties, trying to curry favor in exchange for the support of the royal family for their temple construction and missionary work.

Regardless of them, we continue to walk in.Look over there, there are many "Dasuo" (believers) kneeling or sitting on the floor, listening to "priests" (pastors) preaching.We are tired from walking, so let's sit down and have a rest, and listen to the sermons of the Catholic priests of the Tang Dynasty.

That priest in a white robe with a big beard looks similar to a priest in modern times. Why does he speak pure and elegant classical Chinese?

...My three-one wonderful body, Arhat, the Wuyuan Allah, judges the cross to fix the four directions, blows the primordial wind to generate two qi, the dark sky changes and the sky and the earth open, the sun and the moon move and work day and night, and the craftsman makes everything but the first man... …①
You don't understand?It doesn't matter, I will translate and translate for you, and you will be familiar with it after listening.The "Araha" mentioned above is the old man God Jehovah, and the "Trinity Wonderful Body" is the "Trinity" or something. The meaning of this whole sentence is roughly like this:

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.The earth is chaotic, not yet formed.The abyss was dark, and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.God commands: Let there be light.The light appears.God saw that the light was good, so he separated the light from the darkness, and called the light "day" and the darkness "night".Evening passed, morning came, and this was the first day.God commanded again: There shall be a firmament between the waters, separating the water from the lower.Everything was done according to his order.So God created the sky, and separated the water from the bottom...God saw that the land and the sea were good...the land would grow all kinds of plants...the sun ruled the day, and the moon ruled the night...God created all kinds of land on the earth animals...God created man in his own image...②
This is easy to understand, right?Let's continue to listen to the priest:

Conceal the true power, and the same people come from the generation.God and Heaven Xuanqing, Maiden's birthday is celebrated in Daqin; Jingsu announces auspiciousness, Persia sees Yao and pays tribute...③
Don't understand again?In fact, he said this:
A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and her conception will come from the Holy Spirit...Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea.Some magi came to Jerusalem from the east and they asked, "Where is the man who was born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and came here to worship him."...

After telling a story, notice that the priest is going to teach the doctrine to the congregation.

① From Jing Jing's "The Great Qin Nestorian Chinese Popular Monument"

②From the Chinese version of the "Bible".

③From Jing Jing's "Daqin Nestorian Chinese Popular Monument".The first vower, Tianzun said: All sentient beings, rebelling against all evils, etc., rebelling against Tianzun is not filial piety. (I am your God, and you shall not worship other gods besides me.)
The second wish is that if you are filial to your parents and give respectfully, all sentient beings will be filial to your parents and respectfully accept them. When you are dying, you will receive the way of heaven as your home. (Honor your parents so that you may live long in the land I will give you.)
The third vow, all sentient beings, serve their parents.If sentient beings have no parents, where can they be born?

The fourth vow, if there is a precept recipient, show kindness to all sentient beings, and do not harbor evil. (Love your neighbor as yourself. Do not do unto others as you would have them do to you. Love the one who hates you. Then you will be invincible. Don’t hate your neighbor, don’t hold grudges.)
The fifth vow, all living beings do not kill themselves, nor advise others to kill, so all lives share the same fate. (Do not kill.)
The sixth wish is not to rape other people's wives. (Thou shalt not commit adultery.)
The seventh wisher, don't be a thief. (Thou shalt not steal.)
The eighth vow, all living beings have money, see that he is rich and honored, and has slaves and maidservants in fields and houses. (You shall not covet another man's house, nor his wife, slaves, oxen, donkeys, or other things.)
The ninth wish is to have a good wife and a good golden house.Don't try to conspire with others when you write a document. (Do not give false testimony to frame others.)
The tenth wisher accepts his deposit and pays the fee, nothing to do with Tianzun. (Don’t be greedy, don’t be hypocrites who exploit others, and don’t be malicious.) ①

The more you listen, the more familiar you are?Are the Ten Commandments of Moses catchy?That's right, this is a mixed-race work of the Nestorians based on the Ten Commandments, combined with the local culture of the Tang Dynasty (such as the special emphasis on filial piety), and a little bit of personal freedom.

Listening to sermons is still a bit boring, it seems that some of the Dasuo are dozing off.So the priest began to tell the Christmas story again, and we continued to listen to the story of the Virgin and Child.

Tianzun should send cool wind to a virgin named Mo Yan, and the cool wind will enter Mo Yan's belly, according to Tianzun's teaching.Immediately Mo Yan became pregnant. (Before she was married, Mary knew she had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Her conception was by the Holy Spirit.)
①From the Nestorian literature of Dunhuang Stone Chamber "Preface to Listening to Mishi Suo Jing".The () in the text is the content added by the author.

Mo Yan conceived and gave birth to a boy named Yishu, whose father was Xiang Liangfeng.This heavenly deity resides in the heavens, governing the heavens and the earth everywhere, and should be born and moved to the Mi Shi He. (When the child was born, Joseph named him Jesus...a voice from heaven said: This is my dear son, I love him...he will save his people from their sins.)①

Wait, there seems to be something strange mixed in. Comrade Maria Moyan's son is called Yishu?
After asking, that’s right, that’s how the Nestorians of the Tang Dynasty called their savior Messiah (that is, “Mishihe” above).Do you think the name Move Mouse is too ugly?I think so too...how about we switch?People in the Tang Dynasty also called Jesus "Ke Nu Yi Shu", which was translated from Syriac.

Which one do you think sounds better, mouse-moving or guest-nulling?Pick whatever you want, anyway, the Tang Dynasty did not have the name "Jesus Christ". Catholics should be cautious when traveling through the Tang Dynasty, and it is recommended to travel to the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, if you want to travel to the Tang Dynasty to worship foreign gods, I do not recommend you to join the excitement of Nestorianism, because Nestorianism is really not very lively.

There were many "foreign religions" (barbarian religions) popular in the Tang Dynasty, among which Nestorianism received special attention. To be honest, it was because of the strong popularity of Christian culture in the world since modern times.

The most lively and powerful foreign religion in the Tang Dynasty was actually Zoroastrianism, also known as Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism, and the state religion of the ancient Persian Empire. Those Hu merchants who came to China from the Silk Road to do business, a lot Some believe this.

Why is Zoroastrianism more lively than Nestorianism?Come on, let's go out and turn left, you will understand after going with me to have a look.

①From the Nestorian literature of Dunhuang Stone Chamber "Preface to Listening to Mishi Suo Jing".The () in the text is the content added by the author.

In Liquanfang in the southeast of Yiningfang, there is a "Zoroastrian Temple", which is the church of Zoroastrianism, in the northwest corner of the square.On normal days, there are only three raging fires burning inside, and some priests wearing long robes and veils come and go, but we were lucky and caught up with their religious activities. People in the Tang Dynasty generally called it "Sai Zong". , which is a feast for the eyes.

Look, this group of Central Asians with big noses, deep eye sockets, and beards, wearing pointed hats and brocade robes with tufted flowers on the top, are playing and singing around the Zoroastrian Temple, standing or standing, playing and playing Players playing pipa, playing pipa, singing, dancing in circles... A fire was set up in the open space, and the meat was grilled creakingly. In addition, there was a large altar of fine wine unsealed for drinking, and the aroma drifted with the wind.The onlookers gathered more and more.

Suddenly, a Hu monk came out, babbled a lot of Sogdian to the crowd, then pulled out a sharp knife and stabbed it into his naked stomach!

Amidst the exclamation of the crowd, the Hu monk did not change his face, and continued to stab himself until the blade broke through his back.He held the handle of the knife again, cut it horizontally and vertically, chopped his abdomen into seventeen or eight pieces, his stomach was broken and blood flowed all over the ground, but he still looked nonchalant, took out the knife, and sprinkled some water on his body to wash it off , and then it’s all right, go back and rest.

Another barbarian leader came out. This one didn't hold a knife, but took a very long iron nail. He laughed at the crowd. He raised the nail and stabbed it into his own sky cap. There were helpers beside him. , took a hammer and tapped there, and after a while, the tip of the nail came out from the barbarian's armpit!

① Sogdia, an ancient nation in Central Asia.

This hero who nailed the armpit is also the body protector of the Zoroastrian God, and he has no taboos. He ran a marathon with his arms raised high. After running a lap, he returned to the Zoroastrian God, chanted some mantras, pulled out the nails, and went to rest. ①
You said this is very interesting, and you also want to convert to Huozuo to teach some techniques, and be a David Copperfield of the Tang Dynasty?
I'm sorry, Zoroastrianism doesn't spread casually, and basically doesn't accept Han Chinese believers, and only spreads it in the circle of Hu people. Besides, are you sure you can adapt to the canon of this mysterious Central Asian religion?Among other things, I will just give you two canons.

After death, Zoroastrians do not enter coffins, burials, or cremation directly. Instead, they expose their corpses, let dogs eat the skin and flesh, and put the remaining bones into a small urn and bury them. ②
Some "noble pure-blood" Zoroastrians follow the incest law of intermarriage, such as a father marrying his own daughter as his wife. ③
Aversion to cold?It's better for us to avoid it, just watch the excitement and just watch.

There is another kind of foreign religion in the Tang Dynasty that can be talked about.This kind is not as popular as Zoroastrianism at that time, nor is it popular in later generations like Nestorianism, but it is very well-known among Chinese people, and it is quite high. What kind of religion is it?
"Burn my remnant body, blazing holy fire, what joy is there in life, why bother in death..."

"The Supreme Master of the Martial Arts, Slaying the Dragon with a Precious Sword, Commanding the World, Who Dare Not to Follow..."

"Nine Suns Divine Art! Great Shift of the Universe!"

Are you familiar?This is the predecessor of Mingjiao, which was called Manichaeism in the Tang Dynasty.If you don't talk about martial arts novels, the deepest impression left by Manichaeism is that the founder of Manichaeism proudly declared that he is the successor and last of Buddha, Zoroaster and Jesus. prophet.

①Records can be found in Tang Zhang's Chao Ye Qi Zai: "There are Hu Zhe temples in Lidefang, Henan Province and Xifang, Nanshi. Recruit a Hu to be the master of the 祆, and those who watch will give money and give it to him. The master of the 祆 takes a horizontal knife, which sharpens the blood of the frost, but it can't be blown away, stabs the abdomen with the knife, and the blade comes out of the back, still disturbing the intestines and bleeding. , Spray water curses, calm down as before. This is also the illusion of the Western Regions." The same volume also records: "Liangzhou Zoroastrian Shrine, until the day of prayer, the Zoroastrian Lord nailed it from the forehead with iron nails, straight to the armpit, When you go out, your body is as light as flying, and you can travel hundreds of miles. You dance a song in front of the God of Xizhe, and then you go to the old place of Zoroastrianism, where the nails are pulled out without any damage. You lie down for more than ten days, and you recover as before. I don’t know why. "

②The custom of dogs eating corpses can be found in Du You's "Tong Dian" volume [-] "Kang Ju": "There are more than two hundred households outside the country, who specialize in funerals. Don't build a courtyard. Dogs are kept in the courtyard, and every person who dies , That is to go to get the corpse, put it in this courtyard, let the dogs eat all the human flesh, collect the bones and bury them, there is no coffin."

③ For the custom of Zoroastrian father-daughter intermarriage, see "Su Liang's Wife Ma's Epitaph" unearthed in Tumen Village, Xi'an in 1955.

"Wisdom and miracles are constantly passed on to mankind by God's messengers. Therefore, once the messenger was Buddha from India, in another era it was Zoroastrian from Persia, and in another era it was Jesus from the West. Now it is revealed Coming again, the prophecy of this last age is through me, Mani, the Messenger of God from Babylon..."
The influence of Manichaeism on the Tang Dynasty was mainly reflected in the middle and late period. The Uyghur, the main opponent of the Tang Dynasty, believed in Manichaeism as the state religion, so under mutual influence, the Tang Dynasty also built Manichaeism religions such as "Dayun Guangming Temple" facility.Manichaeism’s middle- and lower-level route is better. Compared with other Yi religions (except Buddhism), it can unite the masses at the grassroots level, so it lasts for a long time in China, like Fang Lala in the Song Dynasty, Zhu Chongba in the Yuan Dynasty... …

Cough, in short, students who like religious foreign festivals, travel back to the Tang Dynasty is also very promising, I encourage you to go back and spend, and do your part to stimulate the growth of Datang's GDP.

References & in-depth understanding recommendations for this article:

Weng Shaojun's Collation Notes. Interpretation of Chinese Nestorian Classics. Beijing: Joint Publishing, 1996
Gong Fangzhen, Yan Kejia. History of Zoroastrianism. Shanghai: Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press, 1998
The five-color silk thread is thrown at the Dragon Boat Festival, where are you going to escape, handsome guy

Dragon Boat Festival

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You may find yourself on a boat when you wake up after a successful crossing.Feeling himself, confirming that the gender is male, he went out of the cabin to take a look at the water surface, and found that he was a handsome Tang Dynasty guy with big arms, round waist, white face and beard.Yes, good luck this time.

When I got out of the cabin, I chatted with my colleagues, and I slowly got to know that my surname was Wan Mingchu, originally from Chang'an in Kyoto, and now Sima in Yangzhou.The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and this trip is to go to Chang'an to pay tribute to the "Jiangxin Mirror" and other rituals for the governor of Yangzhou.

What is "Jiang Xin Jing"?

①From the preface of the Manichaean scripture "Shabragan" quoted in Biruni's "Ancient Relics".

(End of this chapter)