Chapter 20 Section 4 Living Buddha of Jokhang Temple

The Jokhang Temple is located in the center of the ancient city of Lhasa. It was built in 647 AD, more than 1300 years ago. It is the most sacred temple of Tibetan Buddhism, where the ordination ceremonies of the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama were held here. It is also the earliest wooden structure building in Tibet, which combines the styles of Han, Tibet, Nepal and India. The Jokhang Temple gave me more shock than the Potala Palace, not because of its magnificent architecture, It is the devout Tibetans who kowtow to the Jokhang Temple clockwise. Stand at attention, recite the six-character mantra, put your hands together and raise your head above your head, and take a step forward;

Keep your hands clasped together and move them to your forehead, and then take another step; Continue to fold your hands together and move them to your chest, taking the third step. After the knees are on the ground, the whole body is on the ground, the palms are down, the hands are stretched forward, and the forehead is lightly tapped on the ground. After getting up, go round and round. These devout Tibetans wear protective gear on their hands and knees, and the corners of their Tibetan robes are covered with morning dew and dust. There was a rustling sound when he prostrated himself on the ground and stroked the ground with his palms forward.

Although their faces are weathered, their expressions are always solemn. Relying on a strong belief, measure the land with your body, make three steps and one bow, and slowly circle around. Even just walking around the Jokhang Temple clockwise would take hours. What if Tibetans from far away want to come to the Jokhang Temple for pilgrimage? They have to trek across mountains and rivers, eat and sleep in the open, and kowtow all the way, without relying on any means of transportation at all. When encountering wading, they will also fill the river width on the bank of the river, and then try to cross the river.

Keeping the posture of prostrating the long head all the way, it may take several years to reach the holy place in the heart. And next to the Jokhang Temple, there is also a group of Tibetans kowtowing on the spot. Although they don't need to walk, everyone agrees that at least 10,000 kowtows are required, to express devotion. I was deeply moved by these Tibetans kowtowing outside the Jokhang Temple, and stood there for a long time. After finally waking up, I bought a ticket and walked into the Jokhang Temple. Visit the temple in a clockwise direction, from the Thousand-Buddha Gallery full of painted Buddha statues, through the Yaksha Hall,

Dragon King Hall, bypassing hundreds of butter lamps, came to Juekang Hall. The most famous thing in Juekang Hall is the life-size statue of Sakyamuni when he was 12 years old. This golden Buddha statue was sent to China from India, and then brought into Tibet by Princess Wencheng. Its significance lies not only in historical value, cultural relic value or artistic value, Most importantly, this Buddha statue is exactly the same as the real Shakyamuni more than 2,500 years ago. The waiting body is a Buddha statue that is the same as the real body built at the request of the disciples after Sakyamuni attained enlightenment.

It is said that it refers to the memories of the Buddha's mother and was consecrated by Sakyamuni himself. Tibetans firmly believe that praying in front of a full-length Buddha statue is tantamount to praying directly to the Buddha. And as long as you are sincere enough, your wishes will come true. I am very glad that there are very few tourists at this time, and I am the only one standing in front of this life-sized Buddha statue. Unknowingly, learning from the Tibetans who kowtowed outside the Jokhang Temple, they kowtowed in front of the Buddha statue. I pray to the Buddha to bless the world with peace and well-being, and please also bless my trip to Tibet smoothly.

Again and again, I don't know how many times I kowtowed, until I heard someone say: "Are you from Taiwan?" I stopped kowtowing, stood up, and turned around to see a 40-year-old lama. "how do you know?" I wondered, could it be that I have a sweet potato face, so I can tell I'm from Taiwan? "Your Taiwan compatriot card has been lost." He held the light green Taiwan Compatriot ID in his hand and shook it at me. I touched the pocket of my coat, and the Taiwan compatriot card was indeed gone, maybe it was lost when I kowtowed just now. I took the Taiwan compatriot card he handed over and said thank you.

Seeing the A4 photo in the Taiwan compatriots card, I mustered up the courage to say: "Excuse me..." "Is something wrong?" He turned around. I spread out the photo, handed it to him, and asked, "Do you know what's going on here?" He glanced at the photo and seemed taken aback. "Want to see the Living Buddha?" He asked suddenly. "Is it possible?" I couldn't believe it, "Is it really possible?" "it should be OK." "Then what should I do?" I was nervous. "It's fine to offer a khata." He smiled slightly.

I hurried to the Barkhor Street outside the Jokhang Temple to buy a white hada, and then went back to the Jokhang Temple. The lama led me forward in the temple, carefully explaining some taboos along the way, For example, it is not allowed to touch the living Buddha's body and the prayer beads worn by him, nor to ask for a photo. When we got to a seemingly unremarkable room, he asked me to wait outside the door, and then he walked in. When he leaned out and nodded to me, I walked into the room nervously and respectfully. The Living Buddha was sitting on a low bed covered with a Tibetan blanket, and a pot of charcoal stove was placed at the foot of the bed, and the charcoal fire was flourishing.

I knelt down on both knees, held the khata in both hands and raised it above my head, bent over and leaned forward, Stretch out your hands and hold the hada to the living Buddha's feet. The living Buddha took it with his hands, hung the khata on the back of my neck, and tied the two ends with a knot. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the living Buddha holding a scripture in his right hand, and placed the scripture lightly on top of my head. The Living Buddha murmured, as if reciting scriptures. I closed my eyes and listened until the chanting stopped. "You can get up now." The lama behind him whispered.

I stood up slowly, bent my waist and lowered my head, took two steps back to the lama, and then straightened up. "Tashi Dele." The Living Buddha clasped his hands together. "Tashi Dele." I hurriedly bowed down again, clasped my hands together. The living Buddha smiled slightly, although he looked over seventy years old, his smile was like that of an innocent child. I wanted to ask about the aperture on the photo, but I was worried that it would be impolite. Just when he didn't know what to do, the lama beside him said: "Each circle of light represents a Buddha and Bodhisattva." "Ah?" I was taken aback and turned to look at Lama. "The living Buddha just told me that it means that you have a predestined relationship with the Buddha." The lama said again, "He reminds you to remember to have kind thoughts in your heart anytime, anywhere." "En." I folded my hands together and nodded towards the Living Buddha. The Living Buddha smiled at me again and said a few words. The living Buddha probably spoke Tibetan, but I couldn't understand it, so I didn't know how to deal with it. "The blue sky is pierced with white spears, and the withered willows are covered with golden clothes." The lama said. "what?" "The living Buddha's words are translated into Chinese, which roughly means this." I read these two sentences silently in my heart, but I didn't understand the meaning at all. The lama reminded me that it was time to leave, so I followed him out of the room. "That is the diamond knot, which can ward off evil spirits." The lama pointed to the knot on the khata on my chest, "Remember not to untie it." "I see." I exchanged Tashi Delek with the Lama, and he returned the photo to me and left. I boarded the gorgeous golden roof on the top floor of the Jokhang Temple, overlooking the Jokhang Temple Square, Looking at the magnificent Potala Palace on the top of the mountain in the distance. After contemplating for a long time, I left the Jokhang Temple. Passing rows of cylindrical prayer wheels, I started turning all of them clockwise. The outer wall of the prayer wheel is engraved with six-character mantras, and the interior of the prayer wheel is also filled with mantras. Tibetans believe that every turn of the prayer wheel is equivalent to reciting the mantra inside the prayer wheel. After turning the prayer wheel, I wandered casually on Barkhor Street and came to Maji Ami. I went up to the second floor and walked into the store, just in time to meet Shi Kang. Shi Kang pulled me to sit down at the table by the window, and brought a pot of buttered tea over. "Have you seen the Living Buddha?" "See you." I said. Shi Kang was very surprised. When he asked about the Living Buddha, I told him the two sentences that the Living Buddha said. "White spear pierced by the blue sky?" Shi Kang shook his head violently, "Withered willows covered with golden clothes?" I shook my head, indicating that I didn't understand either. "The meaning of the blue sky piercing the white spear is too simple." Shi Kang and I turned our heads at the same time, and there was a young man in black, black pants and a black hat standing by the table. "Look." The man in black pointed his right hand out of the window, "That's the blue sky." Shi Kang and I looked at each other, not knowing what to say. "Take another white spear and look at it." The man in black said again. "Bastard! What are you talking about!" Shi Kang stood up. The man in black ran to the stairs and said: "I'm not an asshole, I'm the mysterious man Cai Jun." After finishing speaking, he ran downstairs. Shi Kang said that although Tibet is holy, there are still lunatics. "But the phrase "withered willow" reminds me of something." Shi Kang said suddenly. "What?" I asked. "Princess Willow." Shi Kang took me to the small square in front of the Jokhang Temple, next to the famous "Tang-Tibet Alliance Monument", There is a wall, and a willow tree is planted inside the wall. It is said that it was planted by Princess Wencheng herself, so the local people call it "Princess Willow". Shi Kang said that the princess willow still has lush green leaves in summer, but leaves all fall off in winter. Perhaps it can be regarded as a withered willow. We stayed by Princess Willow for a long time and studied it for a long time, I still can't figure out the meaning of "withered willow covered with gold". It was getting dark, and the hawkers selling Tibetan jewelry also started closing their stalls, so we left. "It's rare to come to Tibet, you should go out more often." Shi Kang said, "Walk and ponder, maybe you can get an answer." I thought about it, so I nodded and said goodbye to Shi Kang. Back in the hotel room, after a simple wash, I plan to go downstairs for dinner. Step into the elevator and look at the numbers illuminated on the elevator doors: 4, 3, 2, 1. The bright "1" suddenly dimmed, and the lights in the elevator went out instantly. ah?Power outage again!