Wenbi Feng's seeking prose essay
“The mountains are not high, if there are immortals, they will be famous; if the water is not deep, there will be dragons.” Wenbi Peak, which is only more than 100 meters high in Ding’an, is adjacent to the glistening Nanli Lake. The place where Bai Yuchan, the fifth ancestor of the Southern Taoist Song Bai Zhenren sect, became an immortal. The Taoist spirit is filled with immortality, believers gather, and tourists flock to it, making it famous far and wide. During the National Day Golden Week, the autumn air was crisp and clear. I drove here to seek Taoism and experienced the unique Taoist culture and peculiar natural scenery.
Walking into the wide square at the foot of the mountain, you can see the 20 to 30 meter long relief wall of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Each Showing His Abilities" across the south side. I counted carefully and there were nine gods. They were all in high spirits, and each carried their belongings, such as bamboo flutes, Chaohuts, lotus flowers, cattail fans, flowers, bamboo slips, whisks, gourds, etc. They all have their own mounts: Lan Caihe rides an ox, Cao Guojiu rides a horse, He Xiangu rides a deer, Tieguai Li rides a lion, Han Xiangzi rides a unicorn, Zhang Guolao rides a donkey, Lu Dongbin rides a leopard, Han Zhongli rides a tiger, respectively. The left and right sides face the center. In the middle is Lao Tzu riding a crane - his "Tao" is the highest belief of Taoism, and the thoughts of "Tao Te Ching" are the main teachings of Taoism. He is revered as the ancestor.
Opposite the relief, the majestic Daluo Holy Land Archway with six pillars and five doors and beams towers into the sky. Looking up at Wenbi Peak from here, you can see that the mountain is covered with red walls, green tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, and brightly colored palaces and pavilions. These buildings vary in height, size, complexity and simplicity, and are very impressive.
Passing through the Daluo Holy Land Archway and going up the mountain, the main path leads to the famous Yuchan Palace at home and abroad, the Nanzong Zongtan Archway, the Qionglang Xianyuan Archway, the Left Bell Tower, the Right Drum Tower, Tiantianmen, and Ertianmen. Yuchan Pavilion, Nantianmen, and finally the steep and long stone stairs that turn left and right until the top of the mountain. On both sides of the square of each large building on the main road, there are halls dedicated to different gods facing each other, such as the Temple of Wealth and the Temple of Medicine King. The connections between the large buildings are paved with ascending stone steps or carefully designed and carefully carved dragons, phoenixes, and cranes. The entire righteous building is grand in scale and majestic in appearance.
On the hillsides on both sides of the main road, there are also independent Qiongtai, waterside pavilions, temples, halls and other buildings, such as Guanyin Hall, Wenchang Pavilion, Yuanchen Hall and Yangsheng Hall. Fascinating major attractions such as Laohukou, Tongtian Cave, Listening Table, Niangzi Street, Sutra Talking Platform, Medicine Drying Platform, Millennium Cave, Inkstone Washing Pond, etc. are scattered all over the mountain.
Walking among the righteous roads, palaces and scenic spots, listening to the melodious Taoist music, you will see many immortals.
The top of the peak is surrounded by huge rocks and lush trees. It is surrounded by stone steps and divided into separate paths to go down the mountain. Standing on the small platform at the end of the main road under the peak and looking down, there is a huge stone nearby, looking like a stone toad looking at the world. In the distance, palaces, pagodas, archways, statues, ponds, fields, and green landscaping are taking shape, and the roads winding down the mountain are all in sight, and there are many things to see. In the palaces and pavilions at the foot of the mountain, nature and humanity, religion and philosophy blend with each other. Watch the ravine and mountain shapes, natural creations and miraculous craftsmanship; understand the charm of architecture, the gathering of humanity, and endless meaning. Many palaces and pavilions are extraordinary and exquisite. They not only retain the majestic beauty of the natural mountains and forests, but also reflect the excellent charm of the Feng Shui treasure land. They are a match made in heaven.
In the Yuchan Pavilion, I saw the golden body of Bai Yuchan, the fifth ancestor of the southern sect of Song Bai Zhenren. He sat on a high platform and accepted the worship of the believers.
Bai Yuchan of the Song Dynasty was a famous poet, painter, calligrapher, Taoist, and talented. The widely circulated "Poems of a Thousand Families" in my country selects his poems, the "Dictionary of Chinese Painters" contains his biography, and the "History of Chinese Art" records his deeds. He traveled all over the mountains and rivers of southern China and left more than a thousand poems in various styles, including Tao Yuanming's free and easy, Li Bai's boldness, Du Fu's sadness, and Wang Wei's leisure. His "Youth Journey" has heroic language, high spirit, lofty ambitions and tall image:
A heart is strong and strong, but a side is frosty.
When I write, ghosts and gods cry, and when I speak, things turn upside down.
I am so angry that Mount Tai falls, and my eyes are filled with the vastness of the sea.
Standing on the back of a big roc in anger, rushing towards Nine Tiger Pass drunkenly.
Floating on the clouds, looking down at the world.
The moon is shining brightly, and the gods and humans look up at it.
In the Jade Toad Palace, I heard Taoist Taoist music with peaceful rhythms and long ancient rhymes. He also heard the Taoist leader paraphrase the words from the Taoist Etiquette "Xisheng Jing·Zai Dao Zhang": "People are in the Tao, and the Tao is in the people. Fish are in the water, and water is in the fish. When the Tao dies, people die, and when the water dries up, the fish dies." He Explained: Tao is in our life and life, and cannot be separated from it for a moment. Man cannot lose the Tao, just as a fish cannot leave the water. The road is not far away from people, so if you practice it, you should follow it. People can spread the Tao, and the Tao will not let people down. Life and Tao are unified, nature is eternal. The formless "Tao" gave birth to all things in the world. The manifestation of "Tao" in people and all things is "De". Therefore, all things should respect Tao and value virtue.
Apart from anything else, since Taoism "respects Tao and values virtue", especially "valuing virtue", it is very suitable to my liking. Doesn't a harmonious society require "valuing virtue"! I didn't understand what Taoism was, but I seemed to have a little enlightenment.