Chapter 17 15. Wind and Rain Samye Monastery

Regardless of the turbulent changes experienced by Buddhism in Tibetan areas, Samye Monastery still accepts monks and laymen of all sects with its inclusive mind, making it the most sacred temple in the minds of Buddhist believers in Shannan and even the entire Tibetan area. Tibetan civilization originated in the Yalong River Valley in the southern Shannan area, where the myth of the origin of the Tibetan macaque turning into a human took place.The first monastery in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, the Samye Monastery, which is complete with Buddha, Dharma, and monks, is located in the south of Shanxi, the richest place in Tibet with the deepest historical and cultural origins.I have long admired the prominent reputation of the Samye Monastery, and finally had the honor to visit this monastery with a high status in the entire Tibetan area the day before I was about to leave Lhasa and fly back to Beijing.

On the morning of leaving Lhasa, the sky was raining heavily.Although it is early autumn at the end of August, it still makes people feel as if the rainy season in Tibet is really coming at this moment.In Yiyi's farewell love, I finally took a look at the Balangxue Hotel where I had stayed for many days, and waved goodbye to several Tibetan waiters who had given me meticulous care.Boarding the "Land Cruiser" driven by Nima in the rain, he was already drenched.The jeep drove slowly along Beijing Road, as if it wanted us to relive the good times we had spent in Lhasa.When I passed the Potala Square, I stuck my head out of the car window and looked at the majestic Potala Palace on the top of the Red Mountain. In the misty rain, the mist floated like rising auspicious air, lingering over the temple. , making this temple even more mysterious.Farewell to Potala and Lhasa, I hope to see this spiritual and divine city again in the near future.

On the ferry across the Brahmaputra The jeep galloped along the Lhasa River in the heavy rain, passed the Qushui Bridge, and then turned to the Shannan road.Not long after the car drove on the Shannan Highway, I felt that the terrain in front of me was gradually opening up. There were tall shade trees on both sides of the road, and a large golden field appeared not far from the road. It is a rare sight.The altitude of Shannan is low and the land is fertile. It is said that not only the plateau crops can get high yields here, but also the wheat in the inland grows well. Shannan is worthy of the title of "Tibet's granary".Shannan is also the cradle of Tibetan civilization, and its prototype "Yalong Culture" originated in the Yalong River Valley in Shannan.According to legend, Nie Trizanpu, the first generation of Tubo, descended from the sky in 237 BC and landed on the Yala Shambo Mountain in the Yalong River Valley. Since then, he has created the world-famous history of Tibetan civilization.From the cultural relics and historic sites flashing on both sides of the road from time to time, I really feel the richness of the cultural heritage in the Shannan area.

Due to the good road conditions, our car arrived at the Nianguozhuka Ferry in Zhaxiang County at noon. As long as we cross the Yarlung Zangbo River from here, we will soon reach the Samye Monastery.However, the rain showed no signs of stopping. Looking at the turbulent Brahmaputra River, it was impossible for the ferry to sail. We were all very anxious.After a while, another Dutch tour group came, and more and more people crossed the river.After everyone's begging, the Tibetan boatmen finally agreed to ferry us across the river.In the wind and rain, a small open cargo ship carrying about 30 people staggered slowly on the choppy river.If it was in the interior, in such a storm, it would be unimaginable to cross such a vast river in an overloaded broken boat.But in Tibet, in order to fulfill the long-cherished wish in my heart, I have no choice but to take risks.It took about an hour and a half, and the boat finally crossed the Yarlung Zangbo River safely.There were several Dongfeng trucks waiting for us on the bank of Jiangbei.The truck drove us drenched and distraught guests towards Samye Monastery.The rain stopped at some point, and the sky returned to the clear azure blue unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The truck turned around a small hill, and the Samye Monastery appeared in front of us, so elegant, antique, and full of exoticism.

Exterior view of Uzi Hall in Samye Monastery Samye Monastery was first built in 762 AD and took seventeen years to complete.Before the completion of the Samye Monastery, temples such as the Jokhang Temple, the Ramoche Temple, and the Twelve Zhenmo Temples had been built in Tibet.However, these temples are only used to enshrine Buddha statues and classics. There are no monks living there, and there are no Sangha organizations and standardized religious activities. Therefore, they are only traditional temples and shrines, not formal temples.In the middle of the eighth century AD, Chisong Detsen, the grandson of Songtsan Gampo and the son of Princess Jincheng, succeeded the 38th generation Zanpu of Tubo. As soon as he took office, he vigorously promoted Buddhism and invited eminent monks from India and Han to Tibet to give lectures. Law.It was in this situation that Samye Monastery was built under the auspices of Trisong Detsen.The structure of the entire temple was designed by the famous Indian Buddhist master Jihu.It is said that as soon as Master Jihu arrived in Tibet, he offended all the vicious ghosts and gods in Tibet because of his preaching of Buddhism, which led to large-scale natural disasters in Tibetan areas.So Chisong Dezan invited Master Padmasambhava, who is proficient in secret arts, from India to deter the evil gods.At the same time, Master Padmasambhava proposed to build a formal monastery in Tibet with all the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, so that Buddhism can establish a stable position in Tibet.The location of the Samye Monastery was surveyed by Padmasambhava, and it was chosen on a flat sandy plain near Zama Zhisang, the Winter Palace of the Tibetan King.The choice of this place as the address of the first monastery in the Tibetan area has deep intentions.Firstly, it is located at the intermediary point between the Yalong River Valley, the birthplace of Tibetan culture, and Lhasa Valley, the new political center of Tubo. It is possible to use the power of religion to connect this core area belonging to the "belly button" into one; Relying on the forces, they control the noble groups living in Lhasa.After Trisong Detsen presided over the foundation laying ceremony, with the assistance of two masters, Jihu and Padmasambhava, the Samye Monastery was finally completed in the struggle against Tibetan ghosts, gods and demons. The first batch of monks in the district, historical data called them "Seven Enlightened Masters".The establishment of the Samye Monastery is an important event in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. It marks the beginning of Buddhism from foreign countries taking root in Tibet.

As the bustling tourists and Tibetans entered the gate of Samye Monastery, I clearly felt that it was different.The architectural complex of the Samye Monastery is on a grand scale, which I have never seen in other monasteries in Tibetan areas.According to historical records, the architectural pattern of Samye Temple is completely designed according to the layout of the universe world (that is, the mandala) in Buddhist scriptures.In the center is a tall and exotic building known as the Wuzi Hall, which represents Mount Sumeru, the center of the world; on each side of it there is a hall that symbolizes the sun and the moon in the universe; at the four corners of the Wuzi Hall are red, green, The four white and black pagodas represent the four heavenly kings; in the Wuzi main hall, there are four four halls and eight small halls evenly distributed, which symbolize the four major continents and eight small continents in the four salty seas.And the whole building complex is surrounded by a tall circular wall, which represents the Tiewei mountain on the outer edge of the universe.From the unique layout of the Samye Monastery, it fully reflects the ingenious design ideas of the eminent monk Jihu.

The ancient Indian-style architectural corridor on the third floor of the Uzi Hall Spend 25 yuan to buy a ticket and enter the Wuzi Hall.A young lama at the gate of the hall sprinkled willow branches with clear water from a vase on my head and body. The cool feeling made me tremble all over, as if it was rain from a holy place.The first floor of the main hall is a typical Tibetan architectural style, and the building materials are the same mixture of soil and grass as other buildings in Tibetan areas.Judging from the standing Buddha statues, it is not much different from other Tibetan monasteries.Probably because of the combined practice of Gelug, Nyingma and Sakya, most of the statues here have the characteristics of these three schools.There are many murals on the sutra-turning corridor on the first floor. Among them, I can also recognize the scene describing the early days of the construction of the Samye Temple. Master Jihu personally presided over the "Khenbu" ceremony and the "Seven Enlightened Men" were ordained.From the steep stairs to the second floor, this is a typical Han architectural style, and the building materials used are bricks and tiles commonly used in Han architecture, making people feel as if they are in a temple in the mainland.Among the many Buddha statues, Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is very familiar to mainlanders, has also been found.The murals in the corridors also describe a large number of translators from India and China working diligently in translating scriptures and classics in the Samye Monastery.Up to the third floor of the Uzi Hall, what is presented in front of you is a typical ancient Indian wooden structure architectural style.In fact, there is only a circle of corridors on the third floor, which is entirely made of wood, with carved beams and painted buildings, filled with various Buddha statues and Indian characters.Looking at the entire Samye Temple from the window on the third floor, it is found that there are countless large and small buildings underneath. It is said that there are 108 large and small halls here.Walking out of the Great Hall of Wuzi, after being reminded by my companions, I specially visited the stele of "Xingfo Alliance Oath" standing at the entrance of the hall. This was set up by Chisong Dezan when the temple was built; It is said that the inscription clarifies the will of the Tubo royal family to fight against the anti-Buddhist forces.Looking back and looking up at the Uzi Hall again, it is only at this moment that I feel more deeply about its architectural style that combines the three characteristics of Tibet, Han and India.

From the moment I entered the Samye Monastery, I had a strong sense of curiosity about the four pagodas with different colors in the monastery.After walking out of the Great Hall of Wuzi, I went straight to the green tower in it.Stepping up the steps at the entrance of the tower, an old man with ragged clothes, ugly face and blindness came out from inside, and he warmly invited me in.When I saw the old man, I already felt an inexplicable fear.Entering the dark belly of the pagoda, one can see a stone platform surrounding the inner wall, on which a row of small white pagodas are neatly placed, and there are countless ashes and clay sculptured Buddha heads called "chacha" beside them; This eerie atmosphere gave me goosebumps.Reminiscent of the famous celestial burial altar in Qingpu near the Samye Monastery, it must be a place for storing the remains of the dead similar to the columbarium in the mainland.Thinking of this, a sense of extreme fear surged up, and I ran out as fast as I could, almost knocking the old man down, and escaped from the green tower all the way.

Green Pagoda outside Samye Monastery Due to time constraints, we had no time to visit other halls of Samye Monastery, so we had to embark on the journey back.When we arrived at the bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the river had already calmed down; under the cover of the green hills on both banks, the river slowly flowed from west to east;Boarded the ferry and sailed to the other side, listening to the sound of fine waves beating the boat, looking back at the direction of Samye Monastery, the ancient Indian-style golden treasure of the Uzi Hall gradually disappeared among the green trees.Looking at the Taotao of the river, my heart suddenly filled with infinite emotion.After more than two centuries of ups and downs, the Samye Monastery remains undiminished; no matter how turbulent changes Tibetan Buddhism has experienced, this ancient temple still accepts monks and laymen of all sects with its open-minded mind, making it a Buddhist monastery in Shannan and even the entire Tibetan area. The most sacred temple in the eyes of Buddhist believers.The green hills can't cover it, after all, it flows eastward; it is precisely because of its infinite inclusiveness that Samye Monastery has ensured its supreme status among monasteries in Tibetan areas.