The most interesting folklore

Chapter 25 The Most Interesting Worship Belief (5)
"Cassock" is the sound of Sanskrit, and its original meaning is "not correct color" (variety).According to Buddhist rules, shaving hair, dyeing clothes, and receiving precepts are necessary conditions for obtaining monk qualifications.Dyeing clothes is the same as shaving hair, which means to abandon beautiful decorations and live a simple life.Therefore, the monk's clothing discards the "three positive colors" of green, yellow, and red, and the "five secondary colors" of scarlet, red, purple, green, and green.But dyeing salty "cassock" colors, that is, copper green, mud brown, and wood blue, is considered the "three such colors".In this way, "cassock" has become a special term for monk clothes.

The cassocks worn by monks were originally limited to three robes.One of them is "five clothes", that is, a shirt made of five cloth seams; one is "seven clothes", that is, a top made of seven cloth seams; one is made of nine or even two cloth seams The embellished coat (commonly known as "ancestral clothes" in our country) is worn when there are ceremonies or going out.

Now monks all over the world have changed.According to Buddhist classics, cassocks have 12 names and 5 merits.

53. What is wooden fish used for?
Wooden fish is another common Buddhist instrument. There are two types. The most common one is the round wooden fish with fish patterns carved on the surface. .Both are made of hardwood, hollowed out in the center, and when monks recite sutras, they hit it with a wooden hammer to make a crisp sound.Its purpose is to facilitate mastering the rhythm of chanting and adjusting syllables.In fact, apart from this purpose, the monk knocking on the wooden fish has a deeper meaning, just like the story mentioned below, which is called "self-warning".Because "the fish never closes their eyes day and night, and those who want to practice forget to sleep day and night, so that they can reach the Tao."It is very clear here that the "police" and "self-police" (that is, insomnia) of Buddhists in practice is the religious connotation of the reason for knocking on wooden fish.

According to legend, a good person once asked a well-cultivated eminent monk: "What is the wooden fish used for?" The eminent monk replied: "It is used to gather monks." It has to be carved in the shape of a fish, can't it be in the shape of other animals?" But the eminent monk couldn't answer.So, the eminent monk went to ask his master back then.His master told him: Fish never close their eyes, so it was made into a fish shape to inspire us monks to concentrate on Buddhism and Taoism like a fish that sleeps day and night.And because the fish live in the water, it is impossible to see and think about it all the time, so the body of the fish is hit with a wooden hammer so that the monks and nuns can hear the sound, so as to play the role of supervision.

Another kind of wooden fish, often hung near the temple hall, is straight fish-shaped, flat and hollow, also known as "bang", and the knocking sound is very loud, which is used as a signal to notify the monks to enter the fast.This kind of wooden fish is mostly hung under the wooden beams of the verandah, and the direction of hanging is also very particular.According to the Buddhist rules, the general monastery only allows the fish's head to face the direction of the temple, and only the forest in the ten directions can face the fish's head outward.

54. What are the Eighteen Arhats of Shaolin Temple?

The eighteen arhats are named according to the image characteristics of body practice, not formal Buddha names, referring to subduing dragon, crouching tiger, laughing lion, riding an elephant, sitting on a deer, cloth bag, plantain, long eyebrow, joy, meditation, crossing the river, exploring Hands, holding the tower, picking ears, guarding the door, opening the bowl, lifting the bowl, and sitting quietly.

Dragon Subduing Arhat: Venerable Qingyou, legend has it that he subdued the evil dragon.

Subduing Tiger Arhat: Venerable Bintoulu once subdued a fierce tiger.

Laughing Lion Arhat: Venerable Lofudo, who was originally a hunter, learned Buddhism and no longer kills this name.

Elephant Riding Arhat: Venerable Kalika, originally a mahout trainer.

Arhat sitting on a deer: Venerable Bin Roba Luoduo once rode a deer into the palace to persuade the king to learn Buddhism and practice.

Cloth bag arhat: Venerable Ingatuo, often carries a cloth bag and smiles.

Banana Arhat: Venerable Vanapus, after becoming a monk, he often practiced hard under the banana tree.

Arhat with long eyebrows: Venerable Ashido, it is said that he had two long eyebrows when he was born.

Joyful Arhat: The venerable Janovas was originally an orator in ancient India.

Meditating on the Arhat: Venerable Rahula, among the top ten disciples of the Buddha, the secret practice is the first.

Arhat crossing the river: Venerable Bhadhara, crossing the river is like a dragonfly touching water.

Probing Hand Arhat: Venerable Ban Tuojia, who often stretches his waist with one hand raised after meditation, got this name.

Tota Arhat: Su Pinta, the last disciple received by the Buddha, he often held the stupa with his hands in memory of the Buddha.

Ear-digging Arhat: Venerable Naga Shina is famous for his theory of "clean ears", so it is called ear-digging Arhat.

Gatekeeper Arhat: The Venerable Tuojia, who pours tea for half a day, is dedicated to his duties.

Happy Arhat: Venerable Shu Bojia once exposed his heart, making people aware of the Buddha in his heart.

Arhat holding alms bowl: Kanojia Bali Sui Pavilion is a walker who begs for alms.

Sitting Arhat: Venerable Nuojuluo is also a powerful Arhat. Because he was born as a warrior in the past, he has infinite power.

55. How Taoism Developed and Evolved
Taoism is a native religion in China. It was formally formed in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and its religious form was gradually completed during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of nearly 2000 years.It is an organized religion formed on the basis of ancient Chinese Taoist ideology and theory, absorbing the cultivation methods of immortals, folk ghost worship concepts and witchcraft activities.Taoism regards Lao Tzu as its ancestor, and is honored as "Taishang Laojun".The main classics are "Tao Te Ching", "Zheng Yi Jing" and "Tai Ping Dong Jing".The Jade Emperor is regarded as the highest god, asking people to break away from reality and make alchemy to become immortals.

Taoism initially formed religious organizations including Wudoumi Dao and Taiping Dao.After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Ge Hong, a Taoist scholar, wrote "Baopu Zi Nei Pian", which laid a theoretical foundation for the further development of Taoism.During the Sui, Tang and Northern Song Dynasties, official Taoism flourished.Famous Taoists include Wang Chongyang, Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji and so on.Taoism tended to decline during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and its social status gradually declined.By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the period of the Republic of China, although Taoism had declined very much, as a traditional religious belief, it still had a certain degree of influence on Chinese ideology, culture and social customs.For example, Lao Tzu's thought of being open-minded, tolerant and humble, calm and simple, helping others, opposing the thought of fighting for fame and fortune, using softness to overcome strength, and using the weak to overcome the strong, etc.

57. The Four Famous Rivers of Taoism
The four famous mountains of Taoism include:
①Heming Mountain, located in Heming Township in the northwest of Dayi County, Sichuan Province, belongs to a branch of the Minshan Mountains. Shan founded Taoism.Therefore, Heming Mountain has always been called the Holy Land of Taoism.

②Wudang Mountain, located in Danjiang, Hubei Province, on the south bank of the Han River in the city, has 72 peaks, 36 rocks and other scenic spots. The Taoist temple in the mountain was first built in the Tang Dynasty. Wudang Mountain is also the birthplace of the "Wudang School" of Chinese martial arts and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad. .

③ Longhu Mountain is located in the southwest of Guixi County, Jiangxi Province.During the Yongjia period of the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhang Sheng, the fourth grandson of Zhang Daoling, moved the ancestral home of Taoism from Heming Mountain to this mountain.Longhu Mountain is not only rich in cultural landscapes, but also has beautiful natural scenery. The Shangqing River stretches for more than ten kilometers, with beautiful mountains on both sides, clear water and red cliffs, which is known as "Little Guilin".

④ Zhongnan Mountain, located in the south of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, is said to be the place where Taishang Laojun (Lao Tzu) taught the Tao Te Ching, and is considered to be one of the birthplaces of Taoism. The Louguan Terrace at the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain is said to have been built in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Known as "the first view of China".In the temple, there is a statue of the Supreme Lord, and there are inscriptions by Tang Xuanzong, Li Bai, Su Shi, Mi Fu, Zhao Yubin and other famous artists.Now every day on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, tourists can watch the Taoist fasting and offering ceremony when they come to Louguantai.

57. What is five buckets of rice road

Wudou Rice Dao is an early Taoist sect founded by Zhang Ling during the Shun Emperor period of the Eastern Han Dynasty on the basis of Fang Xiandao and Huang Lao's thoughts in the pre-Qin period, combined with the national beliefs of the ancient Bashu area.

Zhang Ling (34-156), a native of Pei Guofeng (now Feng County, Jiangsu Province).According to legend, it is a descendant of Zhang Liang, the founding hero of the Han Dynasty. He entered Shu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, learned Taoism at Heming Mountain (now Dayi County, Chengdu City), and made Taoist scripts (or Fushu), saying that he is "" "Heaven and man have descended", and he came here specially to teach the common people "the way of righteousness and alliance power", and began to preach in the name of curing people's diseases.Because those who want to be humane and ask for medical treatment must first hand in five buckets of rice as "trust rice", it is commonly known as "five buckets of rice".And because the Taishang Laojun also gave him the title of "Heavenly Master", so it is also called "Tianshi Dao".

After Zhang Ling died, his son Zhang Heng continued to preach.Heng died, followed by Sun Zhanglu.The three generations of ancestors and grandchildren are collectively referred to as "Three Zhangs" by the world. His son Zhang Heng is the "Heavenly Master" and his grandson Zhang Lu is the "Heavenly Master".Later, "Tianshi" became a respectful title for a few Taoist priests.

When Zhang Lu was in power, he called himself Shijun. He taught the people to be honest and not cheat. The "ghost officials" pray for the sick.

Zhang Lu also established a local political power in the Hanzhong area that combined politics and religion, and dominated Bahan for nearly 30 years.By the 215th day of Jian'an ([-]), Cao Cao attacked Hanzhong, Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao, and the Five Dou of Rice Taoism also spread to the northern Central Plains, becoming the main Taoist school in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.The father and son of the great calligrapher Wang Xizhi once participated in the five buckets of rice.

Later, Lu Jingxiu in the Liu and Song Dynasties of the Southern Dynasties and Kou Qianzhi in the Northern Wei Dynasty developed and established the Nantianshi Dao and the Beitianshi Dao on the basis of the Wudou Rice Dao believed by the gentry.After the Tang and Song Dynasties, the Tianshi Taoism in the north and south merged with the Shangqing School, Jingming Taoism, and Lingbao School, and after the Yuan Dynasty, they all belonged to the Zhengdao School.

58. Is the Jade Emperor the most noble god of Taoism?
The Jade Emperor is referred to as the Jade Emperor for short, and the full name in the Taoist scriptures is "Haotian Jinque Supreme Supreme Nature Mira Supreme Jade Emperor God".He is revered as the most lofty god by Taoism. The gods in the sky, the immortals on the ground, the dragon king in the water, and the kings in the world, whether it is Taibai Jinxing or Tathagata Buddha, must pay homage to him and obey his call.

According to the Taoist scriptures, the Jade Emperor is the son of King Guangming Miaole and Queen Baoyueguang in Wu Tianjie. When he was born, he was covered with flames of precious light that could be seen all over the country.He has been very wise since he was a child, and he is very kind when he grows up.After the death of the king, he ascended to the throne and was able to govern well, but he was still not satisfied with his achievements, so he gave up his position as a king and went to Puming Xiangyan Mountain to practice Taoism. Emperor" status.

Belief in and worship of the Jade Emperor began as early as the 4th century AD.In the "True Spirit Position and Industry Map" written by Tao Hongjing of the Southern Dynasties, there are gods such as the Jade Emperor and the Jade Emperor Daojun.Belief in the Jade Emperor was most prosperous in the Tang and Song Dynasties.However, the Jade Emperor and the Jade Emperor in the Tang Dynasty were mainly immortals, and had not yet obtained the status of the supreme ruler of heaven and earth.

(End of this chapter)