White Horse Temple , located in Luolong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province today, was built in the 11th year of Emperor Yongping of Han Ming Dynasty (68 years). It is the first Buddhist temple in China. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty dreamed of a tall golden man , so he sent people to India to worship Buddha and learn scriptures. The envoy met two Indian eminent monks in today's Central Asia, so they returned to Luoyang together. Because they used white horses to carry Buddhist scriptures and Buddha statues, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty called the residence they built in Xi the White Horse Temple. The "temple" comes from the Honglu Temple where the two eminent monks lived temporarily. (in charge of diplomacy, Department of Ethnic Affairs). From then on, Buddhist places in my country were called temples. Today, let’s appreciate four poems related to White Horse Temple.
Main entrance
1. " Stay at White Horse Temple " Tang Dynasty · Zhang Ji
The white horse carrying scriptures has been empty, and the ruins of the broken monument and temple can be seen.
The autumn wind blows in the thatched cottage, and the sound of rain all night makes me think.
Drum Tower
The story of the white horse carrying scriptures to Luoyang has long been empty. Today there are only broken walls and broken monuments, which are the relics left from those days. Lying in the hut, the autumn wind blew outside, and the sound of raindrops all night trapped me in an increasingly intense homesickness.
Zhang Ji was from the late Tang Dynasty, and his song " Night Mooring at Maple Bridge" has been passed down through the ages. Luoyang was the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty . As a famous temple, the White Horse Temple should not be desolate. However, in the late Tang Dynasty, politics was dark and natural and man-made disasters continued. In the previous Anshi Rebellion, the imperial army and the rebels fought here. , even the extremely prosperous Dongdu can only decline. By the time Zhang Ji stayed for the night, the White Horse Temple was already dilapidated. Perhaps it was the bleak environment that aggravated the poet's homesickness.
2. "Late Mooring at White Horse Temple" Song Dynasty Qin Guan
The late rain returned to the pond in the dark, and the distant trees could not be discerned.
The characters gradually become sparse and the chimes are broken, and the mandarin ducks stay at the bottom of the thin green bushes.
Bell Tower
At night, it was drizzling, and I returned to the pond in the darkness. The trees in the distance are hazy, and I can't make out how many rows there are in detail. People and things gradually became fewer and fewer, separated by sparse large rocks. Under the green grass, a pair of mandarin ducks stayed overnight.
The author seemed to be on a journey and didn't stop until dark, so he could only stay at Baima Temple. Because it was raining lightly and it was dark. In this case, there was no way to visit the temple. All I could do was hang out by the pond at the door. As a result, a pair of mandarin ducks were found resting at the bottom of the water plants beside the pond. I don’t know if they flew here by themselves or if they were fed by the monks.
3. "Sleepwalking in Luozhong" Song Dynasty Cai Xiang
The crown in front of the White Horse Temple is flourishing, and all the guests and friends are sent off as heroes.
Geng Cheng's blood stained the grass on the sidelines, and his reputation has been growing day by day.
archway
In front of the White Horse Temple, dignitaries gathered, and the relatives and friends who came to see him off were all heroes. Geng Cheng's blood dyed the grass and trees on the border red, leaving a beautiful reputation as high as the sun and the moon.
The author was setting up tribute tea in Fuzhou at that time and traveled to Luoyang, so he wrote ten poems "Dream Wandering in Luoyang", this is one of them. The Geng Cheng here should be a member of the Geng family from the famous Geng family of the Eastern Han Dynasty, perhaps Geng Bing, the Marquis of Meiyang, or Geng Gong of the Thirteen Generals who returned to Yumen. Dignitaries and dignitaries saw off General Geng in front of the White Horse Temple. General Geng lived up to expectations, stained the battlefield with blood, defended his family and country, and left a great reputation.
4. "White Horse Temple" Modern·Lao She
Zhongzhou was originally a good land, and white horses came carrying scriptures.
The wild crane hears the first rock, and the bright glow shines on the ancient platform.
The tombs of the sparse bells are silent, and thousands of lotuses bloom in a dream.
The chaos of the tribulation is still the same as in the past. Burn incense to understand the sorrow of the Buddha.
Qiyun Pagoda
This was originally the paradise of Zhongzhou, full of harmony, and white horses came all the way carrying scriptures. For the first time, I heard wild cranes chirping on the rocks, and the bright clouds reflected the ancient platform. In the silent monks' tombs, several sounds of ringing bells were heard. In the dream, there were thousands of lotus flowers in bloom. Today's tribulations are similar to those in the past. Only when burning incense and worshiping can one understand the sorrow of the Buddha.
This poem was written in 1939, during the Anti-Japanese War period. At that time, China, especially the Central Plains, was ravaged by the Japanese invaders, and the people were in dire straits.The Buddha statue may have witnessed many natural and man-made disasters, but was unable to do anything about it, so it is sad.
