Sacred Mountains and Pilgrimage

1. Sacred Mountains and Pilgrimage • Pilgrimage: A “social process” • Rites of passage (separation, transition, incorporation) • Basic elements • Sacred space/place: holy city or mountain, sanctuary, temple, monastery, relic site, shrine, etc. • A sanctified man or woman (deity) • pilgrims • A religion or a cult associated with the space & deity

2. Efforts Required to Make a Pilgrimage • Austerity, patience, and perseverance needed to make a long and distinct journey • Different from (1) an ordinary worship at a sacred place, (2) travel to a historical or scenic site, (3) procession of gods, sacred objects, and devotees to a series of holy places • Be involved in sophisticated or complex rituals and ceremonies • Perform prayers and penance

3. Buddhism and Pilgrimage • The paradox of pilgrimage in Buddhism: • Mahayana’s idea of “emptiness” does not differentiate spaces • No place or site should be more sacred than others • The idea of the “path” (marga) leading to enlightenment and nirvana serves as a metaphor for pilgrimage • Buddhist pilgrimage sites: • Places sanctified by history (hagiography) • Lumbini, Deer Park • Places marked by remains of enlightened beings • Bodhgaya: Mahabodhi Temple and Bodhi Tree • Buddha’s relics and stupas, Bodhisattva’s holy mountains

4. Chinese Pilgrims • Chinese monks made pilgrimages to India from the third century to the twelfth century. • Most famous pilgrim: Xuanzang (Hsuan-tsang, 596-645?)

5. the most respected Chinese pilgrim and one of the greatest Buddhist masters • Traveled to India for 16-18 years (629-645?), brought back 657 items of Buddhist scriptures, as well as translated and compiled translations of 74 works in 1335 volumes

6. Founder of a new Chinese Buddhist school in the Tang dynasty—the Faxiang or Weishi (Consciousness-only) School (Yogācāra) • Probably responsible for the composition of the Heart Sutra (Xinjing), the shortest Buddhist sutra, but the most-recited one. • His pilgrimage, which was to resolve the controversy regarding “Buddha nature,” inspired storytellers to write stories about his adventurous journey….The Journey to the West or Monkey (an abridged translation done by Arthur Waley)

7. Pilgrimage in China • Three Great Seats of Enlightenment • Mt. Wutai (Wenshu or Maňjuśrī), Mt. Omei (Puxian or Samantabhadra), Mt. Putuo (Guanyin) • Four Famous Mountains • The above three and Mt. Jiuhua (Dizang or Ksitigarbha) • It took Putuo several centuries to become a sacred place • 10th C, 16th C, 18th C. • One reason: existence of other Guanyin centers prior to Putuo’s prominence • The Cliff of Hidden Dragon (in Guilin, Guanxi) • Xiangshan monastery (in Henan) • Southern Mt. Wutai (near Xi’an) • Upper Tianzhu Monastery (in Hangzhou) • Putuo assumed the status of Patalaka

8. Reasons for Guanyin’s Prominence/Popularity • Myths and Legends • Thaumaturgical presence (to subdue poisonous dragon etc.) • Compassionate feat/work done for a community • Magical and spontaneous manifestation in different forms (e.g., sculptor cuts wood and sees her image) • Her saving power (rain making etc.) • Imperial and official patronages • Pilgrims continued to show gratitude to Guanyin

9. Characteristics of Pilgrims in China • National rather than local/regional • Pilgrims from different provinces pay tribute to Guanyin • Many large groups • Multifarious purposes • From Vow-making, vow fulfilling, to praying for good career and childbearing • Different levels of devotion • More women than men and more country folks than urban residents

10. Mt. Putuo or Pu-tuo-shan • Places known for their numinousness and efficacy • Cave of Tidal Sound • Diamond Boulder • Purple Bamboo Grove • Dragon Princess’ Cave • Sudhana’s Rock • Parrot Stone • Cave of Brahma’s Voice • Patrons historicized the pilgrimage site • Compiled local gazetteers, systemized the history of pilgrimage • Seven gazetteers stress the influence of historicalaccounts • They provide records of “efficacious wonders”