How Long Moped Lasted

Heavenly Mountains Terraces 天台山 - Part 3 - The Palace Taoistyczy Tongbai and immortality seekers

Earlier parts of the relationship are located here:

Part 1 - the town and the master Zhiyi
Part 2 - Temple of High Light and rocky valley

DAY 4

today we woke up very late, just in time to eat an early dinner at the restaurant. Lunch was OK, as usual, no meat (stronimy from him during the short, because the meat in China are often stored in rather poor conditions sanitation, often thawed and refrozen). To add a large amount of energy have ordered pasta, and that's survived almost a whole day. Because we had a really late start - we finished lunch after 13:00 - this and we have changed plans. We decided to see rather close to the site - and specifically Taoist temples Tongbai 桐柏 宫. I checked on the map that goes in the rustic surroundings bus No. 8, but to save time We have taken a well, which for Y35 drove us into the temple itself. During negotiations with the taxi driver had a lot of doubt - he claimed that a ride us into the temple itself, and I had a feeling that something is filming - as that in 1996, when we were here for the first time, there was no road and we had to climb nice piece of gore. But taxi driver swore that he speaks the truth, so I gave him a chance to prove it - and to our surprise, took us to a completely new road, the gates of the temple. Time flows, everything is changing, and China also - quite unrecognizable. The temple could not either know - then it was just one building is built on the meadow below the peak of the picturesque mountains. Today it was the entire temple complex - yet still under construction - located in a fairly busy road. Frankly, with me a little worried by this change - many lost their place, for its secrecy and seclusion. 12 years ago lived in the temple nun Ye Qiumei 叶秋梅 with a small group of students, who managed the place and taught by the principles of Taoist Meditation South branch of the variety of the Final Reality 全真道 南宗. This variety was founded by Zhang Bodu 张伯 端 the living at the turn of 10 and 11 AD

Photo: The emphasis on moral conduct has always been strongly emphasized in Taoism, and the secret formula and the science communicated only choice - the inscription in the pavilion proclaims:
"goodness - when Man followeth well, although success is not yet come, disaster already moved away from him, and when a man followeth evil, though disaster has not yet occurred, the success already left him "

Taoists strive to achieve immortality, and initial tried to create a period of so. External Elixir 外 丹 - natural substances that, when ingested has done that immortal man. However, a main substances because they used for synthesis were the elixir of lead and mercury, the consumption of life has completed many alchemists, as well as any immortality emperors. Centuries of failed experiments led to the development of so-called. Inner alchemy, whose rules say that you should take advantage possessed by every human being "Three Treasures" - the life force Qi 气, Jing 精 vital essences and Shen 神 consciousness - that through a very specific form of meditation lead to the so-called pretworzenia. Internal Elixir 内丹 - who has give immortality.

Photo: Zhang Boduan (984-1082), nicknamed the "Purple" Excellent Human Being 紫阳 真人, founder of the South branch of the School of Inner Alchemy

Zhang Boduan 张伯 端 was born in 984 years a family of academics, from the youngest year reading treatises associated with Taoism, and Confucianism Budyzmem, had even a small success in the imperial examinations and clerical career began. Zhang liked to eat fish, and his colleague pewngo immediately hid under the canopy ordered as a fish. Zhang, convinced that they ate maid, I am punished severely, which led to her suicide. After some time, began to fall from the ceiling and the whole thing bugs came to light. It was a breakthrough moment for Zhang. Soon after the destruction of the act he is sent down to the wild south of the country, and enlisted strength of the army, and then repeatedly moved to the various garrisons. Ok. 1069 years while in central China's Zhang unexpectedly receives a secret message from the Internal Alchemy fortuitously encountered "immortal". This encounter results in writing by Zhang treaty "Understanding the Reality" 悟真 篇, in which he expounded his teachings, and who became one of the most important classics of Inner Alchemy. Sam Zhang, passing the text to his disciple said: "It is provided in everything we learned throughout his life, please issue it in the future, surely someone thanks Tao reaches him. "Zhang Science Bodu contain strong influence of Buddhism Chan / Zen, very popular in times of Zhang Bodu. At the age of 99 years, knowing that come the end of his life, Zhang clears up body, sat in meditation position, and left the living world, bearing 99 years. His corpse was cremated and the ashes were found the type of crystals with a greenish tint, proof that the Zhang achieved the Tao 成 道.

Science Zhang Bodu gave rise to the so-called. branch of the South School of Inner Alchemy. cultivar North was created by Wang Chongyanga 王重阳 and made famous by Qiu Chuji 丘处机 person, the most important of the seven students and the personal adviser to Genghis Khan. Tiantai - namely Tongbai temple - a place where he meditated Zhang Boduan and where he wrote his treatise, hence they are so important to the Chinese Taoist mountains.

Photo: Newly built building Tongbai Palace, in the foreground surrounded by stone lanterns and the Eight Trigrams nearby Taiji

The temple could have found a soul, only one of the buildings of the speakers came the Taoist chanting prayers. We started a walk on the complex, which is a mixture of new buildings with a bit older. In the courtyard there is a big circle in the shape of connected 太极 图 fish, commonly called taiji symbol, the Eight Trigrams 八卦 (symbols, which you describe the whole interaction the process of transformation of the world) around. A little further was located one of the main old buildings, before whom erected stone statues badly damaged and completely unreadable plates, also made of stone.

Photo: Purple Hall, in which Zhang Boduan is revered, as every religion, Taoism is a popular form of worship where a whole range of deities, and elite - where through meditation, develops internally:

Behind It was located three darkened Hal 三清殿 purity - with figures of three most important deities of Taoism: Jade Purity 玉清, Supreme Purity and chastity 上清 太清. In Taoism This folk deity worship subject, but symbolize the esoteric processes in the meditator's mind. For nearly 2tys. years - times of a famous Hong Ge 葛洪 - The Taoists believe that the destiny of man lies in his own hands and not Heaven 我 命 在 我 不在 天.

Photo: Tucked in the middle of the Pavilion complex, three clean:

The temple burned incense, which you smoke and the prevailing silence introduced in the specific atmosphere.

Photo: The interior of the Pavilion of the Three clean:

Nowhere, however, did not see Taoist monks, swept only a group of tourists who will cry, pocharczeli, popluli, tried to break the marble lamps (unsuccessfully) and myself went in the end. Once you have planned to get out of the complex, the courtyard appeared an elderly man, so I asked him, where are the monks. In response, he brought us into the back yard, where at a table in the open air, sat a nun and monk together with some woman.

Photo: Yang Taoist nun with a colleague (who supposedly has healing powers to cure stroke:

greeted and asked if the temple still lives Champion Ye, as we were here 12 years ago, one time I wrote her a letter, not on who received no response. Nun (by the name of Yang 杨 道 长) said that Ye Champion died in 1999, shortly after his departure to the USA. Reminded me that indeed in our conversation many years ago, Ye recalled his "brother" - with whom I studied together in August from the same master - who went to the USA, where it promoted the Tiantai teachings of Taoism. As it turned out that this "brother" and went back to Tiantai in 2000, bringing the body of Ye, and remained in the Temple Tongbai as its provost. Yang was just a student of his. As she said, been interested in religious practices for many years, mainly Buddhism, but somehow she did not have luck to find a master (Chinese people believe that that this may become just a matter of destination 缘分). Originally from the city of Zhengzhou 郑州 in the northern province of Henan 河南 in 2005 at the age of 39 years came to Tiantai - and remained there. Currently, the temple is home to several Buddhist monks who meditate here under the direction of the master, at the same time gathering measures to further extend the temple, to restore its former splendor.

Photo: View of the older part of the temple complex in the foreground, a pond, where we as a gesture of charity releases for fish, bought at the market:

Palace Tongbai 桐柏 宫 has stories numbering many more than 1000 years. Founded in 711 AD r imperial edict in a place where famous Taoist master Ge Xuan 葛玄 3 in the AD kept creating an elixir of immortality, was a place of religious practices and many famous Taoist meditation. The temple originally stood in a completely different place - in the valley, which was flooded in 1958 as a result of building a dam and reservoir. I saved the resident monks as they could, while the surrounding population was robbed, which fell into the hands, local authorities also were not passive - reportedly many hundred wooden statues have been used on a wood furnace. These few objects destroyed - which became one of the buildings of the temple - was rescued from an old temple and moved to its current location. The present site was originally the Temple stood screaming Zurawia 鸣鹤 观, dedicated to the legendary Taoists Qiao Wang 王 乔, Gor Tiantai Protecting deity, who supposedly here on a nearby summit has achieved immortality Qiongtai and floated toward the sky on a crane. In 1958 the monks of the Palace Tongbai of necessity have moved here and gave it the name of the flooded temple.

Photo: The rear entrance to the Purple Hall, with the inscription "Palace Tongbai and Taiji Circle of Eight Trigrams:

the superior of the temple is a disciple of the deceased in the 80s the temple abbot, Master Xie 谢 希 纯 Xichun. Master Xie was famous show of completely stopping breathing and heart rate at over 20 minutes while medical research in 杭州 Hangzhou (the provincial capital), and died the elderly 94 years. He had several students - among them champions Ye, the current abbot of Gaocheng 张高澄 Zhang and one other person. Yang is not a nun told me his name or exactly where it is located. She mentioned only that is 85 years old, lives in one of the Buddhist temples in Ningbo 宁波 (large provincial town) and spend the whole time (meditation practice of internal alchemy). It found in this age it is necessary to use time because it remained much to be able to achieve the objective, to which she nodded in understanding the head. Sitting next to a monk asked me if I was in the mountains Zhongnan 终 南山. These are the top in the northern province of Shaanxi 陕西, famous for living large quantities There recluse. Many years ago I was there - once alone, once with a large M and large J - though not to look for meditating recluse.

Photo: View from the Pavilion of the Three clean, the fortune telling sticks in the foreground, a small ceramic censer and an olive light:

conversation turned to the glorious book by Bill Porter "Road to Heaven" (The Way to Heaven) , released at the beginning of the 90s in the U.S. a few years ago in China. Bill describes his meeting with the hermits in the mountains Zhongnan. As it turned out that Yang would read this book (it evoked violent interest in religion and life in seclusion among young people in China), but thought he met with Bill true Champions - by her people, who after this went into the mountains to escape the hustle and bustle, and certainly avoid any meetings. Apparently now lives in the mountains Zhongnan very many young people, girls aged 18-19 who live there in very primitive conditions searching for solitude. We both agreed that, going to the hermitage should be rather the consequence of achieving a high stage in the practice of internal alchemy, when even higher to achieve the skills necessary to find a special place - not romantic spurt, escape from normal reality, a desire to surrender to the test. After a while, Yang himself suddenly realized something and said that probably has our old photo of the temple. We went for it, and to our great surprise - among several other photographs (mostly collective Taoist congresses are any) were smiling photo of Ye Champion, with a large J (big now - then he was 8 years old) and M. Large Photo moreover, he did and I sent the Master Ye. And Big M and it surprised me very much, it is jealously stored picture, the trace left by us, the elapse of time. Anyway, it was a nice touch, which by the end of the ice melted. M a little long, and watched in disbelief Stock unable to believe that this little boy to her is her big brother. Then he looked weird brother.

Photo: Taoist monks from Tongbai Palace - their clothes and hairstyles (long hair in men) are a reflection of habits prevailing in China 400 years ago:

Yang took us further into the building with remnants of the old Palace Tongbai, said that the remains of stone statues were gifts of the Emperor Yongzheng 雍正 for the then abbot of the temple, after the latter healed emperor. Statues depict two ministers legendary Shang Dynasty - Boyi 伯夷 and Shuqi 叔齐. When the Shang was conquered by the Zhou in the 11th century BC, Boyi and Shuqi refused to služby new rulers, saying they do not want to be fed by Zhou, went to the mountains, where he ate wild fruits of the forest. But when they were told that the whole country - and everything in it, and variously dead, also eaten by their fruit - Belongs to Zhou, in disgust, they also rejected the fruit and died of starvation. Boyi and Shuqi thanks Confucius have become symbols of loyalty of subjects to rulers.

Photo: Damaged historic stone statues zawieruchami Boyi and Shuqi, salvaged from the old Palace of Tongbai:

We made the monks along with some pictures of the pictures from the temple, helped us with this woman, who spoke earlier with Yang. As it turned out she came from Canton, is very interested in Taoism and its methods of maintaining health. She said as the cheers, with easy access to the temple, it makes ordinary people will be able to find directions here and learn about health care methods. These methods are good, not as a Buddhist - as with the Buddhist monks more often than others suffering from cancer. Yang nun sat quietly looking at me, I also sat quietly for a while fought, not to start controversy, she had good intentions, only unnecessarily Buddhism mixed with mud. It is known to Buddhists and Taoists very like each other, which does not mean you do not have great respect for each other, and no one welcomed by Taoist cultivation spitting on Buddhists. Not important - a woman suddenly surprised me because she went into the room and she brought a unique edition of the book "History of Tongbai" - their own copies - and he gave me. Do they guess that I like books?

Photo: magic formulas and spells are still closely guarded part of Taoism, and their writing - Hua Fu 画 符 important skills an advanced practitioner of religion:

nun Yang is left behind - also after a while she brought a small booklet - "The Precious Book of Jade Axis 玉 枢 宝 经. Book contains a description of the so-called. Methods Lightning 雷 法 - Apparently that allow you (along with spells and the advancement of high-Inner Alchemy) to change the weather, induce rain and lightning. The latter will surely be useful, as someone starts to bounce ...:)

Photo: View of the slopes of the mountains, on which there is a palace Tongbai:

time passed quickly, we decided to come back, we asked more to show us the old mountain path (the one who 12 years earlier walked up to the temple), Yang escorted us, and after a half hour of brisk walking in dollars found ourselves in a village at the foot of the mountains.

Photo: A small temple of the pathway leading to the Palace

Village was not already but this charming place, which we remembered, but a collection of stone and brick bunkers, out of style and taste. Unfortunately, another proof of progress of civilization in China. Impression of a rather grim, the addition of the road we walked along the stream, over which the steel before each house of the outlet pipe privy human excrement into the water.

Photo: outhouse with a view:

not even want to describe that reigned there smells. The only sympatyczniejszy accent it with the small flock koz kozletami, whom I was thrilled Mala M. On the way we passed yet charming pub, full of garbage and the Hog's Head lying on the dirty floor and waiting for the consumer ...

Photo: "Adorable" pub at the bus loop:

... and one of the reasons for eating pork which he abandoned completely:

Finally we reached the bus loops 8, and drove to the bus station to find out how to get to the cliff Hanshana (Cold Mountains), a famous Zen monk, poet and the hermit, who in Tiantai spent 70 years living here, has created his most famous poems. Station at this hour (18:00) was closed for 4 releases, but near the luggage office at the end of the given information to us. We got on to the No. 5 bus and drove to the center. The big M wanted to go back to the hotel and eat dinner there, Lesser M wanted to go to KFC, I exit I suggested some sort of indirect or pub in the city. The pub we found the recommendations in the shop with toys (M Mala got the notebook, and 4-color pen), inexpensive, clean and tasty.

Photo: A friendly local pub found thanks to a recommendation, the entire staff gathered to admire Mala M:

vegetarian food we ate, and Thanks to the powerful idea of \u200b\u200bthe Big M drank over half a liter of rice wine, of course, heated. Food pokrzepilo us, the wine warmed, took well to the hotel with a stop at the station north - as that I wanted to know what time the buses depart from the top of the Tiantai - Huading 华 顶.

Photo: From this perspective, the world becomes more intense colors:

This station was also closed, but a few tipsy my master told me that at 8:00 am riding a bus. Finally we arrived at the hotel, Mala M had more repetition of the Chinese and mathematics, also told us a terrible dream, who had a few weeks ago in Shanghai - the fact that it was scary ghost, who wanted to sleep on a chair in the temple, and I'm at it I yelled, not to burn. Poor thing ...

fourth part of the relationship can be found here:

Part 4 - Cold Poetry Gory