Brief introduction of Kou Qianzhi, founder of new Shi Tian Taoism in Northern Wei Dynasty, and the story of Kou Qianzhi and Hangkong Temple.
Kou Qianzhi practiced at home, but despite the poor results, he persisted. On this day, he visited his aunt's house and saw a helper named Cheng Gongxing. He worked very hard, but he looked strange and had a huge body, like an elephant with inexhaustible strength. With the consent of his aunt, he took Cheng Hongxing home to help. Cheng Gongxing worked in Kou's family, and he was not afraid of being dirty and tired, which won the satisfaction of Kou's family.
One day, Kou Qian-zhi always miscalculated and was in a hurry when he calculated the running laws of the sun, the moon and the five major planets with Zhou Bi suan Jing. Cheng Hongxing didn't want to see him, so he took Cheng Hongxing's expenses with trouble. Kou continued to calculate, but he always couldn't get a correct result. Just as Kou Qianzhi was frowning, Cheng Gongxing came to his calculus desk again and said sincerely, "I saw Mr. Wang's calculus method. How about you calculate according to my rough method? " Kou didn't think so. "Sir, you might as well give it a try. If not, forget it. " Cheng Hongxing will try to say. Seeing the kindness of the helper, Kou took a try attitude and calculated step by step according to the operation method of Success Star. Sure enough, he worked out the operating procedure of "Seven Obsidian" in one breath, and Kou was very unhappy! At this time, I opened my eyes and looked at Cheng Hongxing, thinking that he was a strange man! Now send Gong Xing as a teacher. Cheng Gongxing refused because of his resignation, but let Kou accept him as an apprentice. Kou was puzzled, so Cheng Gongxing became Kou's disciple, and the two of them worked together to develop Tao, which was full of tacit understanding. It turned out that Cheng Gongxing was a disciple of a fairy. Because the Fairy Palace caught fire, his master punished him for seven years of hard labor among the people. Cheng Gongxing atoned for his sins by teaching Taoism. Seven years later, he returned to the fairy palace.
Shortly after Taoist Tianshi Kou said that modesty was accepted by Taoism, Cheng Gongxing said to Kou, "If you are interested in learning Taoism, follow Gong Xing and hide in the mountains." Kou readily agreed. So, after three days of fasting, he left home with Cheng Gongxing and went to the monastery. Kou Qian first went to Huashan with Cheng Gongxing, collected the fairy medicine, and was not hungry after taking it; Soon, the master and the apprentice went to Songshan and devoted themselves to monasticism.
Songshan Mountain is among the five mountains, so it is called "Zhongyue", which belongs to the land of Luoyang, the capital of the ancient capital, and is located in the north of Dengfeng County, the sixth cave of Taoism. After Zhongyue, he was named the "King of the Middle Heaven". There are two mountains and seventy-two peaks in Zhongyue Mountain, the most famous of which is Jijun Peak in Yitai Mountain and Wuru Peak in Shaoshi Mountain. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty closed the temple to Zhongyue, Zhongyue has become a place of cultivation for immortal Taoist priests. Bao Liang, a famous Taoist priest in the Western Jin Dynasty, once climbed Songshan Mountain, entered the stone chamber, got the ancient san huang Classic, and became an immortal. So Cheng Gongxing and Kou Qianzhi followed their predecessors and came to Songshan. They chose the stone room in Taishi Mountain to stay for practice. Cheng Gongxing taught all the secrets of cultivation to Kou, who was smart and eager to learn, and made progress day by day.
Cheng Gongxing taught Taoism in Songshan Mountain. He didn't realize that it was seven years ago and it was time for him to return to the Heavenly Palace. When he left, Cheng Gongxing said to Kou many times: "You have devoted yourself to Taoism, and your ambition is commendable. However, due to unfinished relationships and worldly desires, it is difficult to go to Lu Xian. However, you need to work hard. You can be an emperor's teacher or a great instrument in the future. " Kou listened to the teacher's instruction and did not dare to neglect it. After Cheng Gongxing left, Kou was "unswerving and devoted to his work" and began to recruit disciples, give lectures and practise, and publicize Taoism.
Kou has been practicing in Songshan for thirty years. He has a dignified style and ethereal charm. He knows that his appearance can be a Buddhist teacher, but his inner quality is very vague. If he wants to by going up one flight of stairs, he needs to work hard in this respect. Therefore, Kou decided to take Taoism itself seriously. Kou Qianzhi realized the above truth through the enlightenment of public interest, so he created his own fantasy "Pray for God's Surrender".
In the second year of Shenrui in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 4 15), Kou came to Songshan under the guidance of Bailing on the pretext that the old man had been supported by a fairy and a jade girl, and told him, "Last year, after Zhang Tianshi Daoling went, there was no teacher to teach the monks on the ground. Nowadays, Taoist Kou in Songshan Mountain is upright and natural, and deserves to be a teacher. I have come to give you the position of heavenly teacher and the commandment of reciting the new classics (that is, the precept of reciting the classics by the old gentleman). When you declare my new topic, please rectify Taoism, get rid of the three false laws, unpaid taxes and the combination of men and women, focus on etiquette, but add diet and exercise. "
Since then, Kou preached as a missionary and rectified Taoism three times. Shi Tian Taoism spread in the world with a new look. In the eighth year of Beitaichang (AD 423), when Wan Li was in a crisp autumn, Kou sat in a stone room and recited the old gentleman's Commandments. Suddenly, the mountain in Shao Shi is at the top of the cloud, the cloud is steaming and the lights are shining brightly. On the top of the colorful clouds sat a fairy, and the great-grandson and guru Li Puwen of the old gentleman came. Kou immediately walked out of the stone house and looked up to inquire. The guru said, "On the orders of the old gentleman, I have specially given you the ability to' call on God', set up a true record of' changing clothes at the altar', and taught you how to refine the elixir, Yunying, Bashi and Jade Slurry. I hope you will carefully support the northern Taiping Zhenjun. " After that, Kou lobbied around as a "national teacher" and thought it was time to join the imperial court and strive for the status of Taoism. It was also in this year that Emperor Tuoba Tao of the Northern Wei Dynasty succeeded to the throne. 10, early winter came, and the abundant capital accumulated by Kou who lived in Songshan for 30 years became. He left Songshan to display his ambition, wearing the laurel of "Shi Tian" to realize his dream of "national teacher".
In the first year of Yao Dynasty (AD 424), Tuoba GUI, the great emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty, entered the Buddha, and Kou went down from Songshan Mountain happily, and went to the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (now Datong, Shanxi) to present his masterpiece "Collected Taoist Scriptures". Unexpectedly, the emperor asked him to live in a home called Zhang Yao, and raised him. Kou doesn't want to be idle either. He asked around about people who could get close to the emperor, and finally found a strong supporter, that is, Mao Zuo Guanglu, a famous scholar Ho Choi.
Ho Choi, a native of Qinghe, is the largest family in the north and a branch of Ho Choi, which is even more obvious and particularly popular. Cui Hao's father, Cui Hong, is a brilliant assistant. He is an official of the Ministry of Heaven, named Baimagong, and an important official of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Ho Choi was spoiled since childhood, and was born "slim and fair, like a beautiful woman". His words are poor, he reads classics, yin and yang, learns the words of a hundred schools of thought, is proficient in everything, studies deeply and stands out from others. He inherited his stepfather's career and entered the imperial court. In the Ming Dynasty, from Daowudi to Yuan Di, I was an official with Dr. Zuo Guanglu, and my father and son were close ministers of the imperial court. Mao acceded to the throne and was also one of the masterminds of military affairs. Because he advocated using * * * to govern the country with the Han system, and offended some Xianbei nobles, Mao was forced to temporarily let Ho Choi go to the butler, and when it comes to state affairs, he will definitely decide Ho Choi. Kou Qianzhi's choice of Ho Choi is the most suitable person. Cui Hao wants to win over Mao with the help of Kou's Taoism. With the help of imperial power, the idea of sinicization was promoted. Therefore, the book strongly recommends Kou. It is a good omen for Heaven to praise Mao Shengming first, and then hold Kou Qianzhi as a god and a fairy to visit the Northern Wei Dynasty. The saints should be resigned to their fate without worldly interference.
Sure enough, Mao was very happy to hear this. He immediately sent someone to take "Shi Tian" to the palace, and sent someone to worship the emperor, and went south to worship Songshan, and sent the disciples of Songshan to Pingcheng. So "Shi Tian" and "a teacher" came together; Declare the world, publicize the new law, and prosper Taoism.
Kou didn't eat in the palace, he was in high spirits; There are still many days to ask God for help. Draw symbols to eliminate disasters and hope for peace; Lecturing on Taoism and practicing teaching won the respect of Emperor Wu.
Kou Qian-zhi, an ancient scholar, gave an admonition to the old man to reform the road in Shi Tian. At the same time, it is considered that Wei Zhiguo must use Confucianism, but he is not good at Confucianism and becomes a defect; Ho Choi and Ho Choi responded positively and were in urgent need of application, which made up for their respective deficiencies in Confucianism. The strategy of governing the country by Cui and Kou Confucianism and Taoism was gradually implemented in North Korea.
In order to gain the trust of the emperor, Kou displayed his magical powers and actively participated in the military operations in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the second year of Guang Guang (AD 425), Helian Bobo, King of the Summer, died of illness, and his son He Lianchang succeeded to the throne. The courtiers disagreed on whether to cut Xixia. Ho Choi fought the main battle, and Sun Song, the eldest son, fought for peace. Mao tended to fight the main battle, and his will was not firm. He specially invited Kou's Shi Tian to decide good or ill luck. Kou first agreed that Xia has always been a war of bellicose expansion, which is disturbing. The new monarch was lost and the political situation was unstable. If we send troops to attack, we will kill three birds with one stone and return home in triumph. So, Kou was in the palace, praying for victory. Later, he said to Emperor Mao, "This battle is inevitable. Your majesty should use force to meet god's will. If you use troops to decide Kyushu, you must use force first, so that you can become the real king of peace. "
Mao was very happy, so he led 18 thousand troops to the west. As a result, Xixia lost its vitality, captured tens of thousands of enemy troops, captured hundreds of thousands of livestock, captured more than 10 thousand Xia people, and returned home in triumph.
Kou Qianzhi, with his Taoist skills, magical powers, political skills and scheming, finally gained a firm foothold in Wei, a country where the northern ethnic groups live together, and realized his dream of becoming a "national teacher". I got what I wanted.
The new school of Taoism, after the reform of the new school of Taoism, developed vigorously in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Taizu worshipped, pushed the new law, and wrote to Kou and his disciples, which was declined. Mao ordered Kou Qianzhi to be treated as a gift outside the Party, so he demanded that "Shi Tian and his disciples stand side by side with the ministers and don't listen to their words". Taizu also ordered a five-story Taoist altar to be built in the southeast of Beijing (symbolizing Songshan Mountain) for Kou Qian's master and apprentice, and named it "Du Xuantan" according to its new classics. Taoist 120 people, the court provides food and clothing. Taoists and Taoists "fast and pray at six o'clock" every day, and hold a "kitchen party" once a month, with thousands of people attending, and the expenses are provided by the state. In the sixth year of Taiyan (A.D. 440), Taizu also changed the name of "Taiping Town Army" to the national title according to Kou's suggestion. Later, at the invitation of Kou, he personally went to the Taoist altar to accept the symbol. Since then, when the Northern Wei emperors ascended the throne, they all went to the altar and became a legal system, which served as the basis for Xianbei Tuoba Department to rule the Han nationality. For example, in the first year of Xingguang (A.D. 454), Wen Chengdi Tuobajun "went to the altar to get a picture". In the first year of Tianan (AD 466), Emperor Tuoba Hong, a writer, "was lucky for the altar and personally accepted the symbol".
Before the Northern Wei Dynasty arrived in Pingcheng, the imperial court believed in Buddhism. Kou Qianzhi's Neo-Shi Tian Daoism was highly praised by Mao, which naturally influenced the development of Buddhism, but Mao was not malicious to Buddhism at that time. Later, Mao discovered that monks and nuns were unruly and did immoral things, and was resented by Mao, so he ordered that monks and nuns be forbidden to associate. In the sixth year of Taiping Zhenjun (AD 445), he found that the monks in Chang 'an Buddhist Temple were related to Gaiwu, a barbarian who opposed Wei, and ordered the killing of the shaman Chang 'an. The following year, the state ordered the killing of monks, the destruction of Buddha statues and the prohibition of people from believing in Buddhism. For a time, Buddhism in the Northern Wei Dynasty suffered a devastating blow and went into decline. This is the famous "Three Heroes Case" in history. However, Kou was not enthusiastic or even opposed to Mao's activities to destroy Buddha. He believes that Taoism is in the position of state religion, and Buddhism is unable to compete, so there is no need to exclude Buddhism; He believes that Taoism in New Shi Tian has absorbed many Buddhist principles. Taoism and Buddhism can coexist, and they have not developed to the point of life and death at all; He realized that Xianbei nobles, headed by Prince Huang, worshipped Buddhism and suppressed Taoism. Excessive expulsion of Buddhism will inevitably affect political instability and be detrimental to Taoism. Therefore, Ho Choi, who insisted on destroying the Buddha, argued many times about gains and losses, but Ho Choi did not listen. Cui Hao wanted to govern the country with Confucianism and weaken the aristocratic forces; Kou Qianzhi realized that this may be a temporary emergency, which will eventually lead to death, and the prospect is quite grim.
Kou not only thought about the future disaster in Ho Choi, but also thought about his current situation. He built the "Palace of Static Wheels" in the name of Emperor Ether, which was criticized by the Crown Prince and his gang, because he "would turn a deaf ear to the sound of chickens barking and dogs barking, and he would give it to the gods, but he could do nothing all the year round". "Kou Qianzhi spends endless time doing the impossible, wasting financial resources and wasting people's money. I'm afraid it's not right?" Mao also thinks it doesn't make sense, and Kou knows this inside story very well. He also realized that all his new and old disciples, after entering the capital, were greedy for enjoyment and did not make progress. He is over 80 years old, and Taoism has no heir. He has been in the Temple of Heaven for 18 years, but his completion date is uncertain, which makes Kou powerless. Does he think his time is coming? One day, he said to his disciples, "Kou Qian can achieve prosperity when he is alive. Once I die, this static wheel palace is really hard to build! " In the ninth year of Taiping Zhenjun (AD 448), Kou quietly passed away in the unfinished static wheel palace at the age of 83. Two years later, Ho Choi was ordered to compile the national history, and the prince swaggered to avenge the "Buddha". First, he agreed with his straightforward writing; After the compilation of "National History", Ho Choi was killed and his family was slaughtered on the pretext of "doing all the state affairs, being prepared but not standardized". Kou predicted the death. In the 11th year of Emperor Taiping (A.D. 450), under pressure, Taizu ordered the demolition of the Static Wheel Palace. In the twelfth year of Taiping Zhenjun, Taizu suddenly terminated the title of "Zhenjun" and changed it to "Zhengping". Ten months later, Emperor Mao was killed by a servant. Due to the early death of the prince, the emperor's grandson F succeeded to the throne for Wen Chengdi. The little emperor, who was only twelve years old, immediately announced the abolition of Buddhism and the restoration of Buddhism. After Kou's death, none of his disciples was famous! Although Shitianlu is still active.
Since then, the new emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty acceded to the throne, and according to the old precedent of his ancestors, he personally boarded the altar and accepted the symbol. In the 15th year of Yuan Hongyuan, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 49 1 year), the Taoist altar was moved from the south of the city to the southern suburbs, and the number of people was reduced from 120 to 90. After Emperor Xiaowen moved to Luoyang, he built a new Dojo in the south of Luoyang as usual, with a capacity of 106 people. In the third year of Xiaowu in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 534), Emperor Xiaojing moved the capital from Luoyang to Yecheng, established the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and established an Dojo in the south of Yecheng, with a quota of 106 people. In the sixth year of Wuding in the Eastern Wei Dynasty (AD 548), Gao Cheng took control of the state affairs and demanded the cancellation of the Taoist altar. In the sixth year of Tianbao in Levin, Wen Xuandi in the Northern Qi Dynasty (AD 555), there was a dispute between Taoism and Buddhism, and Taoism failed. Wen Xuandi ordered the abolition of Taoism, so there was no Taoism, and Kou's new Taoist group disappeared.
The main achievements are as follows: Thought Kou carried out a comprehensive reform on the teachings and systems of early Taoism, absorbed the concepts of the Confucian Five Permanent Principles (father's righteousness, mother's kindness, brother's friendship, brother's respect and son's filial piety), absorbed the etiquette rules of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, established a relatively complete Taoist doctrine and fasting ceremony, reformed the hereditary system of Taoist official positions, advocated meritocracy, and abided by precepts and conventions.
He attached great importance to Taoist rituals and added many rituals and ceremonies to Taoism, which laid the foundation for later Taoist rituals. After kou's reform, Lu was later called Xin Lu or Bei Lu. In 448 AD, Kou Qian died at the age of 84 and was buried as a Taoist priest.
His works include "The Ring of Reciting New Subjects in the Cloud", which is the earliest written record of Taoist classical music that can be seen today. The original book has been lost, that is, the remnant volume of "The Ring of Reciting New Subjects in the Cloud". Mr. Tang Yongtong, a close friend, and others think that the existing books, such as the precept of the old gentleman on the Supreme Master, the precept of the three-hole legal department, the precept of the righteous instrument method Shi Tian, and the law of female ghosts, are also the contents of the new precept recited in the Cloud. It is generally believed that the volume "Laojun Chanting Scriptures" collected in the orthodox Taoist collection is a copy of the original work by later generations.
In addition, it was awarded by Lao Tzu's great-grandson Li Puwen.
In order to adapt to the historical trend, Kou Qianzhi of the Northern Wei Dynasty reformed the monasticism in Songshan Mountain for 30 years, so that Taoism got rid of the crude and superficial wind of primitive religion, which was recognized by the Northern Wei Dynasty, and Kou Qianzhi became a master. Since then, Taoism has been enriched and developed by Taoist masters in past dynasties, and its ideological system and fasting ceremony have been improved day by day, making Taoism an important part of China traditional culture. Kou Qian-zhi's "emphasis on ceremony" in the reform of Taoism in Shi Tian accords with Confucian etiquette norms. These reforms were mainly carried out:
1 Remove three false tables. Resolutely oppose the use of Shitianlu to commit crimes.
Abolish the previous system of collecting rice rent tax in Tianshidao.
Strengthen discipline, rectify the organization, abolish the original practice of offering wine and other Taoist officials to teach classes privately, abolish the hereditary system of some Taoist teachers in Shitiandao, demand "only doing things", and abolish the original 24 rules of Wudou Rice Road, stipulating that believers should not change their official positions at will, and Taoist officials should first inspect their disciples for three years.
4. Revise the precepts and rituals, write twenty volumes of "The Old Man Reciting the Commandments", and take Confucianism such as loyalty and filial piety as the code of conduct of Taoist priests.
In order to distinguish it from the previous road, the reconstructed Shitian Road is called Shi Tian North Road or Xinshitian Road.
Anecdotal allusion Shi Tian's location was in the second year of Shenrui in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 4 15). It is said that the old gentleman in Taishang visited Songshan to give him the post of Shi Tian, gave him twenty volumes of "Reciting the Ring of New Branches on the Cloud", taught him all kinds of methods of guiding clothes, and ordered him to "clear the way, except for the three false methods (three fingers, Zhang Heng, Zhang Lu) and rent rice. Kou also cleaned up Taoism according to it.
In the eighth year of Taichang in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 423), Li Puwen, the great-grandson of Northern Dao, also known as Laozi, came to Songshan and personally presented him with more than 60 volumes of True Classics, and gave him secret methods such as illegally summoning ghosts and gods and elixirs, instructing him to assist the "True Prince of Taiping" in the North (Northern Wei Emperor Tuoba Tao). In the second year (AD 424), Kou went to Pingcheng (now Datong City, Shaanxi Province) to present a book. With the help of Ho Choi, the emperor built a new Shi Tian Dojo for him in the southeast of Pingcheng, with five altars, which was later called "North Shi Tian Dojo".
In the last years of Taiyan (435-440 AD), following Kou's suggestion, he changed his name to Taiping Town Army. After he proclaimed himself emperor, he went to the Taoist platform, became a Taoist emperor, and made Kou a Buddhist. As a result, Beishitian Road flourished in the north.
Character evaluation: Kou (365 ~ 448), a sincere Taoist, a famous Taoist in the Northern Wei Dynasty and a Taoist reformer. Formerly known as modesty, the word auxiliary truth. His ancestral home was Shanggu Changping (now Beijing), and later he moved to Fengyi Wannian (now Lintong North, Shaanxi). Claiming to be the 13th grandson of Kou Xun, Duke of Yong Zhou in the Eastern Han Dynasty. His father repaired it, and Fu Jian came from the east as a satrap; The Kouzan brothers were appointed as the secretariat of Nanyong County in the early Northern Wei Dynasty. Kou Qian-zhi's "being good and becoming immortal" has a unique intention; Practice Zhang Lu less, and taking bait medicine has had no effect for years. "After meeting the' immortal', he became a public welfare, and then he entered Huashan, and he was no longer hungry after taking medicine. He lived in seclusion in Songshan for seven years and became famous in one fell swoop. Since Zhang Ling, Shi Tian Knife (commonly known as Wudou Rice Knife) has been used by farmers to organize and launch uprisings. The ruling class was wary of this and was deeply dissatisfied with the literati at that time. Kou took advantage of the Northern Wei Emperor's worship of Taoism and suppression of Buddhism to reform and rectify Taoism to meet the needs of the ruling class. As early as the second year of Shenrui in the Northern Wei Dynasty (4 15), he lied that Taishang Laojun visited Song Yue, awarded him the post of Shi Tian, and presented him with 20 volumes of "Reciting New Branches on the Cloud" to teach him the method of conviction and guidance; He was ordered to announce this "new branch", clean up Taoism, remove the "three false laws" (Zhang Ling, Zhang Heng and Zhang Lu), pay taxes by renting rice, combine the skills of men and women, attach importance to ceremony, and combine it with feeding and training.
In 423, a Taoist priest from Shi Tian was in Taichang for eight years, also known as Li Puwen, the great-grandson of Gaozu, as Lin. He recorded more than 60 volumes of the true scriptures, and illegally summoned ghosts and gods and the secret method of the elixir, and ordered him to assist the true king of Northern Taiping (referring to Emperor Tuoba Tao of the Northern Wei Dynasty) and take charge of the "politics of people and ghosts." In the year of Guang Guangyuan (424), he went to Pingcheng, Dewey (now Datong, Shaanxi) and presented a Taoist book to Taizu. At first, Mao was indifferent to the modest gift of books, "making modesty stop at Zhang Chu for food." Zuo Guanglu's doctor, Ho Choi, praised him for his profound words.
The peak of prosperity is "the ancestors are all happy, so that worshippers can offer sacrifices to jade and silk, to Song Yue, and to welcome their disciples to rest in peace in the mountains". The following year, the Shi Tian Dojo was located in the south of Yuping, with five layers of heavy altar, which honored its new Confucian classics, and gathered 120 Taoist priests to pray six times a day. In the sixth year of Taiyan (440), Kou Qianzhi claimed to be the restoration of the old gentleman and gave Wu Tai the title of Taiping Zhenjun, and the emperor changed his name to Taiping Zhenjun. Two years later, he became a Taoist and made Kou a Buddhist. At this point, Shi Tiantao is a great success. At the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, faith was still strong. Later, Zhou inherited Wei and worshiped Taoism, which was accepted by emperors in previous dynasties, just like Wei Lao. Zhen Jun was peaceful for nine years (365), and Kou died of illness at the age of 83.
Good Dao has developed Kouqian's good immortal Dao, and he has a unique heart. When I was a teenager, I learned Zhang Lu's skills and took bait medicine, but it was ineffective after years. Later, I became a charity with the immortals, and then I went to Huashan, where I was no longer hungry after taking medicine. He lived in seclusion in Songshan for seven years and became famous in one fell swoop. After China's entry into WTO, we have cleaned up and reformed the old system of Taoism in Shi Tian, such as the etiquette of science and ceremonies and the doctrine of Taoist officials. This is inappropriate and laid the foundation for Taoist fasting in later generations. Everyone in the world calls kou.