▲Looking at the Baiyun Peak of Baoding Ridge under the blue sky and white clouds in summer. There is a temple on Baoding Ridge today. It is said that this is the place where the founder of Xiangshan Temple in Quanzhou, Monk Quanzhen (namely the Buddha Amitayus), once lived in sec

▲Under the blue sky and white clouds in summer, you can see the Baiyun Peak of Baoding Ridge in the distance.

Today, there is a temple on Baoding Ridge. It is said that this is the place where the founder of Xiangshan Temple in Quanzhou, Monk Quanzhen (namely the Buddha Amitayus) once lived in seclusion and practiced cultivation. This temple has many folk names. Some call it Baoding Temple, some call it Guansheng Temple, and some call it Shoufo Temple. In this article, I will only call it Baiyun Temple . Experts and scholars have previously given the answer to the present life of Baiyun Nunnery in Baodingling after conducting detailed research, so I won’t go into details here. In late May this year, I climbed Baoding Ridge and stayed overnight at Baiyun Nunnery. I did some on-the-spot investigation of Baoding Ridge, Baiyun Nunnery and the surrounding environment. Let’s talk about Baoding Ridge and Baiyun Nunnery together. An bar.

▊The topography and relief of Baoding Ridge and Baiyun Nunnery

First, let’s take a look at the topography and relief of Baoding Ridge and Baiyun Nunnery.

▲This is looking from south to north

As you can see from the above picture of , the main peak of Baoding Ridge is located in a belt of peaks extending from southwest to northeast of the Yuecheng Ridge Mountains. The altitude of these peaks is generally above 1,600 meters. The highest peak, Zhenbaoding, is 2,123 meters above sea level. This series of peaks is the watershed between the Xiangjiang River Basin and the Zijiang River Basin, as well as the dividing line between the Xiangjiang River airflow trough and the Zijiang River airflow trough.

▲Looking from north to south

▲Looking from east to west

Autumn . In winter, the cold air from the north moves south along the Zijiang River Valley, and is blocked and lifted by the Yuechengling Mountains and weakened; in spring and summer, the cold air from the south comes from the south. Hot and humid air moves northward along the Xiangjiang River Valley and is blocked and weakened by the Yuechengling Mountains.

▲ From the 2D satellite image, you can see that the main peak of Baoding Ridge - Baiyun Peak - Baiyun Temple is basically in a line from east to west.

▲ Baiyun Temple is located in the gentle slope area just east of Baiyun Peak.

Baiyun Temple is built on the gentle slope area just east of Baiyun Peak. It is like a recliner, Baiyun Peak is the backrest, and Baiyun Temple is like sitting on a chair. The wind blowing from the north is blocked by Tangjia Mountain, Guanyin Mountain and other highlands to the north and weakens. When the wind reaches the gentle slope area where Baiyun Temple is located, the wind has weakened greatly.

In addition, , both the airflow from the south and the airflow from the north will be blocked and lifted when encountering this series of ridges, so this area is very prone to clouds, fog and rain. Abundant rainfall provides necessary conditions for the growth of rich vegetation in Baoding Ridge, and also creates a virtuous cycle of dense virgin forests.

▲A view of Baiyun Temple in the clouds

▲Looking at Baiyun Peak from the south

There is a mountain spring not far behind Baiyun Temple (about 20-30 meters) on the mountainside. Solved the problem of drinking water all year round. In recent years, the monks of Baiyun Temple have opened up another water source point on the east slope of Baiyun Peak and installed a water storage tank. Since then, Baiyun Temple has been using tap water. In order to prevent the lack of water in the year of severe drought, the ancestors of Baiyun Temple also built a large reservoir based on local conditions and local materials in the lowland northeast of Baiyun Temple.

▲The reservoir in the northeast of Baiyun Temple

▲The open space in front of Baiyun Temple

白There is an open space in front of Baiyun Temple, and there is a platform on the cliff in front of the open space, with a total area of ​​nearly one acre.

▲The main hall of Baiyun Nunnery is surrounded by walls made of granite.

▲The granite stone walls of Baiyun Nunnery

stone walls further serve as a good shield against wind and rain for the wooden main hall of Baiyun Nunnery.It is impossible to verify when the stone wall was built. From the "Travel to Busan" written by Jiang Qilu in the Qing Dynasty, we can learn that before the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, there were "two front and back halls, with Guanyin Pavilion, parents' hall, monks' dormitories, guest houses, etc. on the left and right." There are dozens of chefs”—it’s not a small scale!

▲The view from the kitchen door of Baiyun Nunnery is very wide, and you can also enjoy the scenery while having breakfast.

▲Looking eastward from the viewing platform in front of Baiyun Nunnery, if the weather is fine, the whole state county can be clearly seen.

China is a traditional agricultural country. In this big country, for thousands of years, the vast majority of the people lived a self-sufficient farming life. Therefore, when people choose a place to live, they will consider the mountains, water, and fields. When building a house, they will consider the comfort of living, the convenience of traveling, and the safety of living. All these It’s all related to Feng Shui.

▊​Why did Monk Quanzhen choose to live in seclusion and practice in Busan?

In order to avoid the disaster that destroyed Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty , Monk Quanzhen came to Fusan to live in seclusion and practice for 12 years. Preliminary analysis may have the following reasons:

1. Busan Mountain is surrounded by steep cliffs. The mountains are high and the roads are dangerous and rarely visited by ordinary people. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Living in seclusion here can avoid the court's accountability and avoid worldly interference.

2. There are mountain springs in Busan that never dry up all year round, providing water resources for drinking and farming irrigation.

3. There is relatively flat land near Baiyun Temple, which is conducive to farming. If different crops and vegetables are planted in different seasons, and some mountain products can be picked in different seasons as supplements, long-term living needs can be met.

4. The altitude of Mount Busan is high. Living on it, you can overlook the earth, watch the sunrise, admire the sea of ​​clouds, and absorb the energy of heaven and earth, which is more conducive to practice.

5. Baiyun Nunnery is located with Baiyun Peak as its support and the mountains to the north blocking the north wind. Building a house here is an ideal place for daily living.

6. Busan is only more than 80 miles away from the administrative site and less than 20 miles away from the nearest village. It is more convenient to go down the mountain to buy oil, salt, soy and vinegar. When people come to ask for help, it is also convenient to go down the mountain for rescue.

7. Every cold winter, you can retreat to the Kulian Temple in the middle of the mountain to the east. Kulian Temple also has an excellent livable environment. Zhang Cong, who served as "Guangnan West Road prison official" in the Song Dynasty, wrote in "The Record of Kulian Temple in Fushan": There are fields next to it, there are medicine borders, and there are sheep areas, which can be cultivated and grown. Eat what you can. Morning fragrance and evening light, the vase on the left and the bowl on the right, spotless and peaceful.. [ Note: "The Overturning of Busan Kulian Temple" was written around 1237. Perhaps this place was not called Kulian Temple before, but was just a simple thatched hut where Quanzhen once lived ].

风 Water science is a people-oriented science. It is closely related to people's lives. It is not a mysterious metaphysics or superstition.

Although Buddhist Buddhism does not believe in Feng Shui, it does not reject Feng Shui. Of course, we cannot simply use Feng Shui to define the scientific nature of Monk Quanzhen’s choice of location for his seclusion. As an eminent monk, Monk Quanzhen’s choice of Baodingling/Busan to live in seclusion is inseparable from his extensive knowledge.

▊​Is the former Baiyun Temple at its current location or at Shengshui Rock?

▲ Located on the cliff of the main peak of Baodingling Ridge, the Seongsu Rock

sheng Seongsu Rock is a recessed cliff on the east side of the main peak of Busan. It is not large in area. Although it can be sheltered from wind and rain, it is not suitable for long-term living. Crossing the Dingxin Bridge from Baiyun Peak to Shengshui Rock, the back-and-forth path is "slanted across the cliff, descending to the bottom" and "the stone is untouched when you step on it, and it is almost overturned when the breeze blows". If you are not careful, you will be in danger of falling into the abyss. It would be understandable if you just go to Shengshuiyan to see the scenery, experience the steepness of Sheshen Cliff, or stay at the " Bigu Practice" at Shengshuiyan for ten and a half days.When Monk Quanzhen came to live in seclusion in Busan, he was already over a hundred years old. No matter how good his health was and his steps were as light as a strong man, after all, the risk factor on that stretch of road was too high! Who would not put the safety of life as their top priority when choosing a year-round residence? Going back to the previous analysis of the geographical location of Baiyun Nunnery, although Monk Quanzhen is old, it is still appropriate for him to ask his disciples to help cut down a few big trees and build a simple thatched hut at the current location of Baiyun Nunnery. Reasonable.

▊​What is the difference between an nunnery and a temple?

People often mistake temples for monks' residences, and nunneries for nuns' residences. The main reason for this misconception is that there have been few monks and nuns since ancient times, and the places where nuns live are smaller and more primitive than the places where monks live. In fact, the difference between the names of temples and nunneries is not determined by whether monks or nuns live there, but by the scale of the building where the monks and nuns live. For example, Xiangshan Temple is large in scale, with many temples, buildings for monks and nuns, and guest rooms for pilgrims, so it is called a temple. Nunneries are often small in scale and can accommodate a small number of monks and nuns, so they are called nunneries. For example, Kulian nunnery and Baiyun nunnery are where monks live, and they are also called nunneries because of their small scale. Another characteristic of the difference between temples and nunneries is that monasteries have many buildings and a large scale of construction, which is difficult to complete by oneself. They usually have official support, while the construction of nunneries is small in scale and is often a private effort. When a nunnery continues to increase in popularity and scale, its name is changed from "nunnery" to "temple".

▊The current situation of Baiyun Temple

▲This is the main entrance in front of the main hall of Baiyun Temple

▲The statue of Emperor Guan

白The main entrance in front of the main hall of Yun'an Temple consists of two doors, and a statue of Emperor Guan is placed between the two doors. "Guansheng Temple" is engraved on it, and "Baoding Temple" is written on the wall above the door. According to research, "Guansheng Temple" was written by people in the Qing Dynasty, while "Baoding Temple" was written by people in modern times.

▲Behind the main entrance

▲Behind the statue of Emperor Guan, there is a statue in the shrine. It holds a mace in its hand. I don’t know who it is. What is the meaning of being placed here?

▲In the main hall of Baiyun Nunnery

such as Nowadays, Baiyun Nunnery uses solar energy to charge mobile phones, and the lighting at night is basically sufficient. There were chanting sounds around the yard day and night. When I got closer, I saw that the sound was coming from a record player powered by solar energy.

Looking at the entire Baiyun Temple, it is still very simple. I really hope that Baiyun Temple will become a veritable temple in the near future. In order to keep the name consistent with Baoding Ridge, it is okay to call it Baoding Temple, but if it matches the special natural landscape here with white clouds all year round, and allows the Baiyun Temple recorded in ancient books to continue, it may be better to name it Baiyun Temple.