Wenshu Temple is named after its magical legend in history. According to legend, in ancient times, Mother Manjusri taught Buddhism to Sakyamuni, Tathagata, Maitreya, and Bodhidharma on this mountain. All four disciples successfully practiced Buddhism, and the Buddhism is boundles

Guo Jinshuan| Visiting Wenshu Temple

Wenshu Temple (formerly Ming'an Kutuo Temple)The reason why it is named, Due to its magical legend in history. According to legend, in ancient times, Mother Manjusri taught the Dharma to Sakyamuni, Tathagata, Maitreya, and Bodhidharma on this mountain. All four disciples succeeded in practicing Buddhism and the Dharma is boundless. In the hearts of the people, Buddhism and Taoism belong to the same family. Therefore, Ankutuo Mountain is also known as one of the fairy mountains in China, and Ankutuo Temple is named Wenshu Temple from then on. Our Lady of Manjusri is revered as the teacher of ten thousand Buddhas and the mother of wisdom, and has been worshiped by people for generations. Lushan County is a treasured place where Feng Shui gathers, eminent monks stop, gods rest, and the emperor seals it. Lushan people are proud to live in a treasured place, sheltered by mountains and protected by gods, and live a pleasant life.

Wenshu Temple has a long history and many legendary stories. It was originally an ancient altar. After many vicissitudes of life, it was renamed and repaired many times before it became the famous temple it is today in the Central Plains. According to the two existing stone tablets in the temple, the temple was overhauled in the fourth year of Yuan Dynasty (AD 1344), and it has been more than 600 years. As time goes by, the thousand-year-old temple still maintains its calmness and tranquility.

Lushan Wenshu Temple is located halfway up the mountain surrounded by mountains. There are several ginkgo trees in the temple that are more than 2,000 years old. The trunks of the trees are thick and strong, blocking out the sky and the sun. Several people can stretch their arms and it is not enough to hug them. The lush ginkgo trees stretch their branches and leaves towards the blue sky. The scorching sun shines through the gaps between the branches and leaves, swaying in the cool wind, making it appear full of vitality, dragging our thoughts back to ancient times. The ginkgo tree can be said to have beautiful branches in winter, spring buds sprouting in the warm wind, and a cover like an umbrella in autumn, with golden leaves falling all over the ground. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of Wenshu Temple. Every morning bells and evening drums were used, and the temple monks worshiped the Buddha and enlightened the Tao. The temple was glorious and prosperous. Nowadays, the ginkgo trees of that year have reached the sky and become the most beautiful scenery in Wenshu Temple. There are five large ginkgo trees in the temple, the lowest one is 35 meters high. The largest one is 43 meters high and has a chest circumference of 6.85 meters. It requires several people to hold hands to hug it. The entire ginkgo group has intertwined branches and interconnected branches and leaves. It is lush and green, covering the sky and the sun, and the clouds and mist cover it, making it a spectacular sight. October in golden autumn is the best time to appreciate ginkgo trees. As the wind blows from the valley, the ginkgo trees sway to the ground and turn golden. Walking around the temple is like stepping into a golden dreamland, traveling back to and Tang from the present world. The famous geographer and essayist of the Northern Wei Dynasty Li Daoyuan once served as the prefect of Luyang. His "promoting learning and teaching" benefited the whole country. In the "Shushui" chapter of "Shui Jing Zhu", Lushan's river landforms, mountains and scenery, historical sites, customs, etc. are recorded in detail, including Wenshu Temple.

The ancestor of civil craftsmen Luban is also related to the ginkgo tree in Wenshu Temple. It is said that the birth of Wenshu Temple has a legend related to Buddha. In the first year of Huichang of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 841), the eminent Japanese monk Huihe invited an statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province. He returned to China by boat from Putuo, Zhejiang Province, but the boat ran aground. , an iron lotus appeared on the water. Huihe realized that Guanyin Bodhisattva was unwilling to leave China and cross to Japan, so she immediately prayed for permission and built the "Reluctant to Go Guanyin Temple" in Zhoushan, Zhejiang today. The iron lotus immediately receded... When the eminent monk Hui E took a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva back to Japan and passed through Mount Lu, he took a nap under the ginkgo tree of the present Wenshu Temple. In order to commemorate Guanyin and refuse to go to Japan, later generations built Manjusri Monastery under the ginkgo tree. Due to its long history, it has gone through vicissitudes of life, changed its name several times, and repaired many times, and it has become the famous temple that is famous in the Central Plains today.

Only by the magical legend of Wenshu Temple in Lushan can we know the fame of the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree. Wenshu Temple is located in Pinggou Village, Sikeshu Township, southwest of Lushan County. Because the temple is built on Ankutuo Mountain at an altitude of 1,112 meters, it is also known as "Ankutuo Temple".

In the "Inscription of the Reconstruction of Wenshu Nunnery Kutuo Stele" in the 25th year of Daoguang's reign in the Qing Dynasty, Wenshu Temple is specially described, "Between the mountains in the southwest of Luyi, there used to be Wenshu Nunnery Kutuo Temple, Baiyun was the vassal, and Qingzhang was the vassal. The screen, the green bamboo reflecting the steps, and the ginkgo sealing the sky are like the ancient Danqiu Shulin that cannot be surpassed." It can be seen that the scenery of Wenshu Temple was beautiful and the temple was prosperous at that time. Regarding the birth of Wenshu Temple, there is a story related to Buddhism. According to legend, in the first year of Huichang of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, that is, in 841 AD, the eminent Japanese monk Hui E invited a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi. He returned to China by boat from Putuo, Zhejiang. When the boat ran aground, iron lotuses appeared on the water, and Hui E realized this. When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva refused to leave China and cross to Japan, he immediately prayed for permission and built the "Reluctant to Go Avalokitesvara" in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province. The iron lotus immediately receded... When Huihe took the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva through Lushan, he once visited Manjusri in what is today Zhoushan. Rest under the ginkgo tree in the temple. In order to commemorate Guanyin, later generations refused to go to Japan, so they built Manjusri Monastery under the ginkgo tree, and gradually evolved into today's pattern of worshiping Manjusri in the main hall, Guanyin in the east hall, and Luban in the west hall. This is a beautiful legend. As for the real reason for the construction of Wenshu Temple, there is no historical record. According to the two existing stone inscriptions in the temple, the temple was built in the fourth year of Zhizheng in the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1344) and has a history of more than 600 years.

Hundreds of years of great changes, Wenshu Temple has experienced the first year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1465 AD), Hongzhi Dingsi year (1498 AD), Wanli Xinmao year (1591 AD) and the 34th year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. It was overhauled several times in 1769 AD. Because there were sparsely populated areas and rugged mountain roads at that time, it is said that all the bricks and tiles used to build the temple were carried up by goats. In the 1940s, the temple was destroyed, leaving only a few low-rise houses in the west wing. Fortunately, the five ginkgo trees have survived thousands of years of wind and rain. The Wenshu Temple we see today was rebuilt in 1995. It consists of 30 houses including 5 main halls, 3 west halls, and 3 east halls, and 2 small pavilions, covering an area of ​​about 10 acres. The ginkgo trees in Wenshu Temple are composed of three females and two males. Some say they are more than 3,000 years old, some say they are more than 2,000 years old. However, all accounts say they are more than a thousand years old, which shows how old they are. Although these old longevity stars have experienced thousands of years of vicissitudes and witnessed countless ups and downs, their branches are still tall and straight, their green leaves are whirling, and they provide a dense shade for future generations.

Lu Ban was the "skillful craftsman of Lu" in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and was respected as the originator by hundreds of craftsmen. According to legend, when the Zhongyue Temple was built, the monarch asked to use the ginkgo tree of Wenshu Temple to make a large plaque. The people could not bear to cut down the tree, so they told Mo Zhai ( Mozi ) about this. Mo Zhai told the people He conveyed his troubles to Lu Ban. Lu Ban came here and walked around the tree for three days, and finally came up with a way to get the best of both worlds. On a bright moonlit night, he showed off his unique skill and sawed a "center board" vertically in the middle of the ginkgo tree. However, the tree was safe and sound and remained the same for thousands of years. Today, the saw stubble on the bark of the tree trunk is clearly visible, and the traces of the magical work will remain for thousands of years.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Li Shimin sent troops to the Central Plains. He was chased and intercepted by the Sui army. He fled in panic into the deep mountains and valleys of Tuancheng. In despair, he faced Manjushri Bodhisattva and made a great wish: "Please help me decide. Central Plains, build the beautiful rivers and mountains of the Tang Dynasty." After that, the Li family finally conquered the country and established the Li family dynasty. After Li Shimin came to the throne, in the 4th year of Zhenguan, he conferred the title of Manjusri Bodhisattva and Guanyin Bodhisattva in Ankutuo Temple. They were decorated with golden clothes and the Buddha's light shone everywhere. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of Wenshu Temple. There were bells in the morning and drums in the evening, and there were hundreds of monks in the temple. The temple was splendid and prosperous. In the first year of Huichang of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, that is, in AD 841, the eminent Japanese monk Hui E invited a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva (the "Reluctant to Go Guanyin" enshrined in Putuo Mountain ) from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi Province to return to China. He passed by Lushan County and met at Manjusri. He rested under the ginkgo tree in the temple. Legend has it that Manjushri Bodhisattva appeared. After that, a Manjushri Dojo was opened under the tree. Deep mountains breed spiritual energy, and experts are all searching for it. Dayu, Yuan Dexiu, Fan Zhongyan, Mei Yaochen and other famous figures have all bathed in the aura of Buddha's light in Wenshu Temple in Lushan.Feel the pure and elegant life of the monks, listen to the surrounding peaks and thousand-year-old ginkgo , which input endless sounds of nature into the temple; comprehend the auspicious clouds lingering around the temple, seeming to tell the great virtues and good deeds of the Buddha and Bodhisattva; The wisps of fragrant clouds herald happiness and good luck in the future. Living in a temple is full of auspiciousness. Standing on the peak of the heart, forget all favors and disgrace, and everything is under your feet.

Five of these ancient ginkgo trees have unique shapes and were named "Kings of Ginkgo" by Li Shimin. They are arranged three in front and two in back, and are called couple trees. The smaller one is the female, with a tree circumference of 5 meters and a height of 35 meters; the thicker one is a male, with a tree circumference of 6.9 meters and a height of 43 meters. Deep mountains breed spiritual energy, and experts are all searching for it. Famous figures such as Dayu, Yuan Dexiu, Fan Zhongyan and Mei Yaochen all bathed in the aura of Buddha's light in Wenshu Temple in Lushan. Since 2008, Wenshu Temple has rebuilt the Brahma hall, and has successively rebuilt Wenshu Academy, Sutra Collection Hall, Sutra Reading Pavilion, etc. The Main Hall behind Manjusri Hall is being restored and rebuilt on its original site. The Wenfeng Pagoda and Bell Tower on Puxian Peak, the Drum Tower on Yunduo Mountain, and the Dharmakaya Ancient Buddha Hall on Akutuo Mountain are also being restored and under construction. I look at the trees and sigh, human life is not as good as grass and trees. Although grass and trees fall in autumn, they can regenerate, but human life is a one-time consumption. The limit of life is very short, not as good as the ginkgo tree in Wenshu Temple.

I stayed one night at Wenshu Temple and ate at Wenshu Temple, but I was not used to the smell of incense in the temple, and I couldn’t stand the temptation of this thousand-year-old temple. I looked at the pleasing ginkgo trees and felt that I was surrounded by mountains. The Wenshu Temple surrounded by green fields is like a morning bird circling the branches, reluctant to leave quietly. I took my camera to indulge my photography addiction and climbed to the top of the mountain near Wenshu Temple. I saw dead vines bounding my feet , huge boulders blocking the road, and surrounded by bleak trees. Under the broken cliffs, the canopy of trees was densely covered, as deep as the forest sea. I looked at the top of the mountain with rich vegetation, as if the top of the mountain reached into the sky. Under the sky, the blue sky is connected with the mountains, and the water and milk blend together. Beautiful Lushan, with high mountains and long rivers, gurgling streams, fish swimming in the water, and wild ducks playing by the small lake. My body and mind, which have been living in the city for a long time, suddenly felt like I was in a fairyland on earth. I breathed fresh air to my heart's content, enjoyed the natural oxygen bar happily, and relaxedly realized the magical charm that nature has given to Lushan! The clouds in the city are haze, and Lushan is shrouded in clouds and mist. , is the intersection of the yin and yang spiritual energy of the mountain. If you live in this mountain for a long time, and stay with the mountains for many years, it seems that you can live for hundreds of years and live like an old man! I watch the sunrise and moonset here, feel the moment when the mountains block the sunset, and feel the tranquility of Wenshu Temple at night. Bright moonlight. After lunch, there was an endless stream of people burning incense and worshiping Buddha. People sat lazily under the ginkgo tree to cool off. I became acquainted with Master Shi Yuanguo, the abbot of Wenshu Temple, and had a close conversation.

I tried to say that Wenshu Temple is so beautiful, picturesque, and a place where people want to be. You are the abbot here. It seems that you know kung fu, otherwise how can you be able to control it? He was smiling and kind, and asked I tell the story of his life. Therefore, we learned that Master Shi Yuanguo was from Tongbai County, Henan Province. He was rebellious and aggressive by nature when he was young. In the gangster circle of Tongbai County , some became enemies and some became friends. He has entered the police station several times and came out several times. He has a chivalrous heart and can be called a contemporary Lu Zhishen. When he got to an emotional point, he lifted up his trousers and pointed at the scars on his legs for me to see. He said that he once entered the police station and wanted to detain him. Suddenly a monk came in and wanted to take him away. The director refused to take him away, saying that he had injured someone and needed financial compensation. The monk took out a wad of money from his pocket and gave it to the director. I don’t know what the monk said to the director, but the director let him go. When the monk walked out of the police station, he said to him: "I'm leaving, and you follow..." The monk walked forward, and he followed behind. The monk didn't speak, and he didn't dare to speak either. After walking for a while, he thought to himself, I don't know you as a monk, why should I follow you? He didn't leave. The monk was in front and didn't look back at him, just stood there waiting for him. He felt that this monk had an unknown origin and seemed to have great kung fu, so he followed him.

Follow this and you will arrive at Shaolin Temple. He has been in the Shaolin Temple for 11 years and practiced Shaolin Kung Fu for 9 years. The first two years were spent doing odd jobs. In the 9th year, the master said to him, you have been here for such a long time, what will you do in the future? He said that he didn’t know what he would do in the future, so the master asked him to study at the Buddhist College , and then he would go to the altar to give lectures and put on cassocks. ...and then became a monk. He said that in Shaolin Temple, real monks will not persuade people to become a monk unless you become a monk voluntarily. Master Shi Yuanguo told me a lot. He said he rarely told others about his life experiences. I think it was his trust in me. I said to him, since you have lived in Shaolin for such a long time, you must be very good at Shaolin Kungfu. Can you demonstrate it for me to watch? He said, okay! Since we have hit it off, it can be regarded as a kind of fate! I have never been in front of strangers. I have performed martial arts, and I am the abbot here. I also practice boxing secretly outside the temple before dawn in the morning. I am worried about disturbing others' rest. I will demonstrate it to you today.

He is the abbot of Wenshu Monastery and a cassocked mage. We chatted together, which is a kind of fate. He walked into the room, took out the nine-section steel whip , and first performed a set of Shaolin Xiaohong Boxing, one move after another. The chassis was very stable, and the moves were made quickly and powerfully. His feet flew in succession, and his hands slapped his feet, making a snapping sound. After he finished practicing this set of Shaolin Xiaohong Fist, he picked up the steel whip on the ground and made a few mighty movements. Then, like a green dragon emerging from the water or a monkey exploring the moon, wherever the steel whip touched, it made a whooshing sound. The steel whip hit the ground, as if a tiger's head was split and a dragon's body was shattered. In an instant, there was a crisp sound, and the steel whip broke... Master Shi Yuanguo held back his fists and feet, feeling embarrassed, and looked around for another section of the steel whip that was thrown out.

There is a poem praising:

The sky is full of sloping air,

not stained by the dust, just like Buddhism.

In one courtyard, there are fragrant steps and jade halls, and

five ancient trees are in bloom.

Manjusri is admired by ordinary people for his great wisdom, and

Ginkgo biloba is praised by all.

Nunneries have been destroyed and rebuilt for thousands of generations, and

years of work have been carried out without cover.