The history and culture of Baita Temple

There is a beautiful legend about the origin of the name of Baitasi Guocun: In ancient times, an old man named Meng in Gangxia Village buried potato vines in order to seize the seeds at noon on a wheat harvest day. , at five o'clock, they would drive their animals to plow the fields. Unexpectedly, when we walked more than a mile to the east of the village, halfway up the hill, we suddenly heard a rumble in the air from south to north, and the sound became louder and louder. The whole thing was like a cloud moving quickly, with the force of thunder, and the light was colorful. , The mules and horses were so frightened that they stamped their hooves and tried to run away in a hurry.

"Uh-" The panic-stricken old man quickly tightened the reins and shouted to the animals to stop. Unexpectedly, a golden pony pulling a white pagoda came out of the sky and sent a crystal-clear white pagoda away. It falls on the high port on the north edge of the road. After daybreak, the neighbors who had heard the news and told each other swarmed in, all cheering for the auspiciousness coming from the sky. According to the county annals, in order to commemorate and pay tribute to this extraordinary visitor, in the second year of the Yuan Dynasty (1265), the Baita Temple was built in the southeast of the village, and the village has since been called Baita Temple Village.

A thousand-year-old temple originated from the prosperous times. The White Pagoda Temple was built in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. It is in the same line as the Shaolin Temple and is the birthplace of the Zen and martial arts culture in the Central Plains. During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the Shaolin Temple was renovated and expanded with the permission and reward of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty. From then on, monks gathered in Shaolin Temple and the incense was flourishing. During the Kaiyuan period, the Tang Dynasty entered its heyday and the world was at peace. In order to expand the relationship of the temple, eminent monks of Shaolin Temple traveled around, spread Buddhist scriptures and built temples. In 715 AD, the Zen master of Shaolin Temple founded the White Pagoda Temple at the "Golden Triangle" at the intersection of Xiang, Jia and Yu, at the foot of Wenfenggang, on the banks of the Luliang River and the Mahuang River. From then on, Baita Temple and Shaolin Temple were connected with Zen and martial arts. They grew up together and formed an indissoluble bond. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the rule was dark and the people were in dire straits. In 1395 AD, Zhu Yuanzhang led a peasant uprising army to fight in Henan. He was defeated and surrounded, and was trapped on the banks of the Ru River. When Zhu Yuanzhang was young, his parents died and his family was poor, so he was forced to become a monk and had frequent contacts with Baita Temple. Once a disciple of Buddhism, Zhu Yuanzhang turned to the White Pagoda Temple for help when faced with a powerful enemy. The warrior monks sacrificed their lives to save him, and finally found a bloody path, allowing Zhu Yuanzhang to escape from danger and escape from the tiger's mouth. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the world and gave Baitasi a thousand acres of fertile land, and the temple was repaired. Since then, the Zen martial arts culture of Baita Temple has been carried forward.

The mysterious "White Pagoda" descended from the sky. The mountain is named after the immortal, and the temple is named after the Holy Spirit. The "White Pagoda" in Baita Temple, with its magical legend "Flying Pagoda", adds a lot of mystery to the mighty holy name of Baita Temple. Legend has it that before the construction of Baita Temple, in the golden autumn season, an old man surnamed Meng in Gangxia Village took advantage of the moisture to grab seeds. He drove his cattle and drove his car, got up early and went to the fields to cultivate in time. At five o'clock in the morning, when the old man walked to the east of the village, more than a mile away, halfway up the hill, suddenly there was a strong wind, rumbling in the air from north to south, and the sound became louder and louder. The whole thing was like a cloud moving quickly, with great momentum. Like thunder, the light appears in five colors, coming from far and near, whizzing in, frightening the lassoed mules and horses to jump with their hooves, ready to run away in a hurry. "Uh-", the panic-stricken old man quickly tightened the reins and shouted to the animals to stop. Unexpectedly, a golden pony pulling a white pagoda descended from the sky and dropped a white pagoda as clear as jade to the north edge of the road. Go up to Gaofu. After daybreak, villagers who heard the news rushed to tell the news, and they all cheered for the auspiciousness from heaven. According to historical records, in order to commemorate the extraordinary deeds of this extraterrestrial visitor, in the third year of Kaiyuan of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, after the enlightenment of the Buddha, monks built a Buddhist temple in the southeast of the village and named it Baita Temple, also known as "Laita Temple".

Buddha's light aura, the number one scholar comes out. The white pagoda of the Buddhist temple has cherry blossoms, and the small bridges and flowing water are among the people's houses. Ancient rivers and sacred hills are the swan song of the gods of heaven and earth. Since the Song Dynasty, Baita Temple has been a world-famous Buddhist scenic spot. The mysterious white pagoda, the tall and magnificent mountain gate, the morning bells and evening drums in the temple, the monks sitting in meditation and practicing martial arts, the east-west courtyard connected by the cloister, the four main halls with the Tianwang Hall with the tower, the connected nunnery behind the temple, and the thousands of acres of cherry orchards surrounding the temple and other scenic spots complement each other, attracting tourists from far and near to visit, burn incense and worship Buddha. According to legend, anyone who goes to the White Pagoda Temple to burn a few sticks of incense, listens to eminent monks reciting scriptures, eats a few consecrated cherries, drinks a few sips of blended Mahuang River water, and then climbs to the top of the White Pagoda and circles around it will be able to get rid of the disease. Eliminate disasters, turn bad luck into good luck, time will come, and all wishes will come true. To this day, the incense in Baita Temple is always very strong. Since the Ming Dynasty, martial arts has been prevalent in Baita Temple, and the long history has shaped the unique martial arts culture of Baita Temple. Baita Temple is famous in the martial arts world for its unique stunts such as "flying a hundred-jin guillotine with both hands", "Eighteen Arhats' "human"" formation", "Stone Roller Kung Fu", "One-finger Zen Diamond Hole", "flying over eaves and walking over walls" and other unique stunts by the monks in the temple.

Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the annual martial arts conference of Baita Temple takes place. At that time, all sects, heroes from all over the world, and ordinary people will gather at Baita Temple. The temple is consecrated to worship Buddha, there are martial arts competitions outside the temple, cherry blossom viewing and sightseeing. It is very popular and lively. The sun and the moon rise and fall, and history evolves. After entering the Qing Dynasty, Baita Temple's martial arts reached its peak. There was a young man from a village adjacent to Baitasi, whose surname was Liu Jinhua. Because his family was too poor to go to school to study and read, he made a living by herding cattle. Young Liu Jinhua was very curious about the monks sitting in meditation and boxing in the temple. He often came outside the temple and climbed on the wall to peek at the monks practicing martial arts. As time went by, he would herd cattle and imitate the movements of monks practicing every day. He was very interested in the scenes of monks hitting sandbags and sparring. Without sandbags, he used trees as targets and punched and kicked them. Without a partner to practice with him, he used the cow as his companion, fought with the cow, jumped the cow's body, moved the cow's legs, and knocked the cow down with all his strength. In this way, day after day, year after year, Liu Jinhua, who has entered a young age, is tall and strong. He can carry a cow on his back. It’s another year of martial arts competition. Through the ring competition, Liu Jinhua’s skills surpassed the others and became a blockbuster. Master Jingkong, who was the abbot of Baita Temple at the time, was very fond of talents, so he accepted Liu Jinhua as a lay disciple and personally taught him martial arts. Later, under the guidance of eminent monks and his own hard training, Liu Jinhua's skills greatly increased and he possessed unique skills. According to historical records, in the fifth year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty, Liu Jinhua went to Beijing to take the exam. He was on the list and became the number one scholar in high school. According to the rules of the court, the number one scholar should have been recruited as the prince-in-law, but due to his poor appearance, he was demoted to the rank of military detective and stayed in Kyoto, reaching the fifth rank. Later, he was transferred to Guangdong, Fujian and other places as military governor and admiral. Liu Jinhua became famous and became a model for future generations.

It is our duty to inherit civilization. Baita Temple has a long history and profound heritage. The martial arts culture has a long history, is extensive and profound, and is a precious national treasure. Baita Temple has a superior geographical location and convenient transportation. Wenfenggang, Mahuang River and Luliang River depend on each other. Zhengping Highway and Zhengyao Highway are connected to each other and are located in the transportation hub area of ​​two districts and three counties. It is known as the economic "hinterland" and the "Feng Shui Treasure Land". Baita Temple has outstanding people and great popularity. In the past, the "White Pagoda" descended from the sky, which was the appearance of the Buddha, sending the pagoda to transform into a saint and save all living beings. The people of Baita Temple are hard-working, simple and hospitable. They are known as the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation and have an epoch-making pioneering spirit and progressive consciousness. Baita Temple is famous for its colorful cultural connotations and unique natural resources. It is the unshirkable responsibility of the people of Baita Temple to develop Baita Temple and promote national culture. Actively apply for world intangible cultural heritage and strive to create a comprehensive tourist resort integrating scenic spots, tourism, chanting sutras and worshiping Buddha, practicing martial arts, catering and entertainment. It contains the essence of the sun and the moon, and absorbs the aura of heaven and earth. Looking towards Baita Temple, the prospects are infinitely broad. At present, the first phase of the Baita Temple development project has been completed ahead of schedule, and the second phase of the project has been fully launched. Infrastructure projects such as roads, schools, water, electricity, village planning and services have been successfully completed. Key projects such as the White Pagoda and the Mountain Gate have come to an end. The construction of a new rural area in the White Pagoda Temple has begun to take shape. Temples, the Main Hall and other projects are under intensive construction. The third phase of the tourist attraction development project is under active planning. Martial arts is a business card of Henan. In Henan, there are two major Buddhist martial arts temples: Songshan Shaolin Temple and Xiangcheng Baita Temple. In the development of Baita Temple, martial arts is a beautiful scenery.