廬山記 2.2

English (machine translation) 2.2

Language: English

2.2.1

Traveling twenty li from Yuantong, one reaches Jingde Abbey in King Kang Valley, formerly named King Kang Abbey. Entering the valley and traveling five li upstream along the torrent, one reaches the Longquan Cloister. Another twenty li further, there is the Water Curtain; the flying spring drapes the cliff and cascades down in twenty or thirty streams. Its height cannot be measured, and its breadth is more than seventy feet. Lu Hongjian in his Cha jing once ranked its water as the finest under Heaven. Old traditions say that King Kang of Chu was hard-pressed by the Qin general Wang Jian and hid within this valley; because he secluded himself here, it was called King Kang Valley. The stele inscriptions at the abbey all state this to be so, but examining the facts shows it is incorrect. King Kang of Chu, Zhao, was buried outside the west gate in the twenty-eighth year of Duke Xiang of Lu in the Spring and Autumn period, together with the rulers of Song, Lu, Chen, Zheng, and Xu, and the grandees of the feudal lords all arrived at his tomb. At that time Chu was just growing strong; from then until Wang Jian captured Fuchu and extinguished Chu was a full 326 years. In the intervening time there could not have been another King Kang. That when the state fell someone hid himself in the mountain valleys—perhaps a descendant of King Kang—is not known. The old site of the abbey was inside the valley, founded in the second year of Datong of the Liang by the Daoist master Zhang Fashi. In the tenth year of Kaihuang of the Sui, the Daoist master Ding Xuanzhen, who was able to subdue ghosts and spirits, moved the Bronze Horse Shrine into the valley and founded the present abbey. Half a li west of King Kang Abbey, there is the Daming Hermitage. From Daming Hermitage to Pilu Hermitage and Changxing Hermitage, each is two li. Five li south of King Kang Abbey, there is also Qianshou Hermitage. From Qianshou it is two li to Renwang Cloister. From Renwang it is seven li to Jinghui Cloister. From King Kang Abbey via the official post road, it is also fifteen li to Jinghui Chan Cloister. Jinghui was formerly named Huanglong Lingtang Cloister. It has a hot spring, boiling in all four seasons, emitting a smell of sulphur. In a brief moment it cooks raw things; people suffering from sores bathe in it and are healed. Mount Huanglong lies south of Lingtang and is also a separate peak of Lushan. Ten li south of it, there is also Qingxia Abbey. Two li east of Lingtang, beside the road, is Duke Xie of Kangle's Platform for Sutra [Chanting]. Another three li past the source of Lili, there is Magistrate Tao's Drunken Stone. Magistrate Tao's name was Qian, with the style Yuanliang; some say his style was Yuanming. In the third year of Yixi, while serving as magistrate of Pengze, he said, “How can I, for the sake of five pecks of rice, bend my waist to a village youth?” and thereupon abandoned his post and left, composing Returning Home. The Jin shu and Nan shi have biographies for him. At his residence in Lili, between two mountains, there is a great stone; gazing upward, one looks at a hanging waterfall, and the stone's flat expanse can seat over ten people. Yuanliang gave himself over to wine, hence it was named the Drunken Stone. Three li from Lili, one reaches Chengtian Guizong Chan Cloister. In the sixth year of Xiankang of the Jin, Wang Xizhi, General of Pacifying Remoteness and Regional Inspector of Jiangzhou, established it to house the Indian monk the venerable Narendrayaśas, also named Dharmottara; hence there is the Ink Pond of the General of the Right Army. When the Baoli reign era of the Tang began, the monk Zhichang resided there and first greatly expanded the Chan monastery. In the Dali reign era, Zhichang attained the Dharma from Chan Master Daoyi of Jiangxi; Daoyi was surnamed Ma, and the monastic histories refer to him as Patriarch Ma. Zhichang had double pupils in his eyes; he rubbed them with poisonous herbs to make the canthi completely red, and the world called him Red-Eyed Guizong. The dialogues between Li Bo, Regional Inspector of Jiangzhou, and Chang are recorded in the Jingde chuandeng lu. In the grandeur of its timber and masonry, it ranks first on the south side of the mountain. Jinlun Peak and Shangxiao Peak sit directly behind it; on the left and right the ridges sprawl, their aspect level and far-reaching. Divining the site in the past, someone said, “This mountain has the posture of a soaring luan spreading its wings.” The water east of the cloister is thus named Luan Stream. There is a bridge over the stream; west of the stream a stone channel carries a flowing spring for more than two hundred zhang. Using the water they run a mill, water the gardens, and plant vegetables; its scale and atmosphere are all noteworthy. On the left and right of Jinlun Peak are stone mirrors; they appear and disappear unpredictably, glossy and smooth like bronze mirrors. In the summer of the fifth year of Xining, a traveler visited Guizong and returned to tell me: “Today, above the temple gate, I saw the stone mirror of Jinlun Peak. The temple monks said there are those who have lived here for years and never seen it.” Shangxiao Peak is remarkably the highest; the First Emperor of Qin climbed it and said that it touched the firmament, whence its name was derived. A poem by Liu Shan, Court Director of the Imperial Stud under the Chen, says: “The First Emperor of Qin gazed across the universe; / The Han emperor hoisted his banners,” which refers precisely to this. Tradition says that halfway up the peak there seems to be a stone chamber containing writing said to have been carved by Yu of the Xia. The characters are as large as a palm, the text completely in low relief, shielded on the outside by a stone wall; one can reach it only by dangling from ropes above. In spring and summer the flowing springs make it indistinguishable; in autumn and winter it becomes clear. In the past a curious person went to make rubbings of it, obtaining only a hundred-odd words; nowadays people no longer reach it. The Biandichi (Boat Bottom Pond) also lies behind Shangxiao Peak. The Xunyang ji says that Wu Meng rode in a boat carried by dragons; Meng warned the boatmen to keep their eyes closed, but the boatmen, hearing the sounds of the boat dragging and colliding against the forest trees, were frightened and peeked secretly; the dragons then abandoned the boat on the mountainside. Old traditions say that former elders truly saw the derelict boat still on the mountain peak. East behind Qixian is the Broken Oar Source, also named because of Meng. The years have been long, and it can no longer be verified. The Xunyang ji also says that the mountain has three stone bridges, several zhang long and less than a foot wide, bottomless and unfathomable. Wu Meng crossed along the stone bridges with his disciples and saw golden gates and jade rooms, the ground all in five-colored patterns, the stones shaped like pheasant eggs, together with chessboard trees, all over a zhang high. As a gentle breeze occasionally passed by, the sounds of bells and lithophones were heard. They saw an old man sitting beneath a cassia tree, who offered Meng sweet dew syrup in a jade cup. They also met several people who appeared like old acquaintances, and jade ointment was again served. A disciple of Meng impulsively stole a precious vessel, wanting to return and show it to worldly people; in an instant, clouds and mists turned dark and dim, and the bridges shrank to the size of a finger. Meng ordered it returned; then taking his disciples by the hand, they closed their eyes and returned. Hence Liu Shan's poem says: “A perilous bridge crosses the great gorge; / A waterfall trails across mid-sky.” Li Bai's poem also says: “Golden gates open in front, the two peaks are long; / The Milky Way hangs upside down over three stone bridges.” As for matters of the immortals, their whereabouts can indeed never be known. Walking more than a hundred paces west beside Guizong, there is Xiangfu Abbey, formerly named Lingxi.

2.2.2

The Record of Jiujiang says: In the first year of the Yongming era of the Qi, the Daoist Song Wenchao founded it along the southern foothills of Lushan. The abbey record says: The Record of Mount Yusi says: In the turmoil of the Qin dynasty, thirteen famous officials abandoned office to study the Dao and passed by Lushan. Among them, three warriors—named Tang Jianwei, Li Deshu, and Song Yundao—wished to dwell here. The other ten said, "Not so. Our initial intent was to return to the grotto-heavens of Qunyu; how can we abandon it midway?" Having spoken, before they departed, thunder and lightning suddenly struck one evening on either side of their thatched huts, transforming into two streams. On a boulder within the stream was celestial seal script inscribed on a jade tablet, saying, "Spirit-transformed Divine Stream; jade tablet titled; perfected person receives the mandate; hidden dwelling in the jade cave." It is not known what became of the ten men, but the three warriors thereupon dwelt beside the stream. During the time of Emperor Wu of the Han, it was bestowed the name Lingxi Abbey. King Jingda of Qi under the Southern Tang died before the reconstruction was completed, but his virtuous and compliant consort brought his intention to fruition. As for this stele: Song Huan, Gentleman for Court Audiences, Probationary Proofreader in the Palace Library, and Director of Palace and Mansion Memorials, composed it by command. It was erected on the sixth day, Jiyou, of the eighth month, beginning on Wuzi, in the ninth year of the Taisui, the Renxin year of the Kaibao era. On the wall of the old building, there is a portrait inscribed: "Holding the post of Grand Preceptor and Director of the Department of State Affairs, King of Qi, with an estate of ten thousand households and a real fief of three thousand households, Li Da, posthumously named Zhaoxiao, invested as the Crown Brother. Painted on the twenty-fourth day, Jiyou, of the second month, Bingxu, in the Guiyou year." One li from Lingxi brings one to Xiangquan Monastery. In the sixth year of the Dahe era of Wu, the monk Huizhen erected an upper stūpa and then a lower stūpa, which face each other a hundred paces apart. As for the name "Fragrant Spring," it is because the flowing water passes by Dong Feng's apricot grove. The two stūpas are the square tombs of Guizong. Five li from the lower stūpa is Longjiao Monastery, situated on the summit of Prajñā Peak, formerly named Prajñā Terrace. Beside Longjiao is Shimen Hut, next Bushui Hut, and then Juexing Hut, also named Master Cui's Terrace, none of them more than a hundred paces distant. More than a hundred paces above Juexing is Chongyan Hut. Passing Chongyan, after three li one reaches the Thatched Cottage of Xie Jingxian. Jingxian, on account of his medical skill, was a visitor at the residences of the nobility. Prime Minister Han, Duke of Wei, as well as distinguished scholars of the ministries, frequently presented him with poems. He himself said that his dwelling was the former site of the Apricot Grove. The Apricot Grove is north of the mountain, its details given under the Taiyi Abbey. Three li from Master Xie's thatched cottage is Lingqi Monastery. A single peak stands loftily more than a hundred paces above it; it is also named Zixiao Peak. On the peak's summit is a nine-tiered iron stūpa. A record says: Liu Yuan's preface says: In the Xiande era of the Zhou, an auspicious light appeared in that place, and people all marveled at it. Digging twelve feet down, they found an ancient record saying: In the second year of the Chiwu era, an Indian śramaṇa entombed relics of Śākyamuni Buddha here. However, examining the Biographies of Eminent Monks, in the tenth year of the Chiwu era of the Wu, the dingmao year, the śramaṇa Kang Senghui first arrived in Jianye. At that time, the state of Wu had just seen the unusual appearance and dress of a śramaṇa. The authorities memorialized that this should be investigated. Sun Quan immediately summoned Senghui and questioned him: "What spiritual efficacy does the Buddha have?" Senghui said: "It has been over a thousand years since the Tathāgata departed his traces, but his mortal relics work spiritual responses without limit." Quan considered it boastful and said: "If you can obtain a relic, I shall build a stūpa for you." Thereupon [Senghui] purified a clean chamber, placed a bronze vase on a table, and worshipped and prayed. On the twenty-first day, a clinking sound was suddenly heard in the vase, and indeed relics were obtained. The entire court gathered to view them; they shone with five colors. Quan again tested them with a fierce fire, but they did not burn; struck into iron, they did not shatter. Quan sighed with great submission and immediately built a stūpa for them. Because this was the first Buddhist monastery, it was named Jianchu. Thus, it is clear that eight years prior, there was no one entombing relics. When worldly people wish to aggrandize matters, they consequently lose the truth; cases like this are many. During the Jingde era, the stūpa was first replaced with iron, and it was repaired in the second year of the Huangyou era. During the Xiankang era of the Jin, the Indian monk Yaśas also died and was entombed at Lingqi. Eight li below Lingqi is the Temple of the Three Generals, one li from Guizong, which refers to the three men from the Qin warrior Tang Jianwei on down. The villagers sacrifice to them annually. From Lingqi, it is four li to Chongyun Hut, next Wansui Hut, and then Tiangong Hut, all a hundred paces apart. From Tiangong, it is one li to Yufeng Hut. Beside Yufeng, ascending the mountain for twenty li, one reaches White Cloud Peak. Above it is a cave with a large stone like a bed; a spring flows within the cave, and the land can be tilled, though no one dwells there now. Wayfarers in the mountains who look upon the hanging cascade plummeting straight down hundreds of feet all know that it comes out of the White Cloud Cave. From Yufeng, it is two li to Xiantian Abbey, formerly named Chongshan. In the second year of the Datong era of the Liang, it was founded by the Grand Protector of Poyang, Yang Youjiang. Early in the Baoda era, the Daoist adept Yang Baozong repaired it, and it was granted the name Zhenfeng. There is an inscription composed by imperial command by Han Xizai, Court Gentleman for Consultation, Vice Director of the Bureau of Forestry and Hunting in the Department of State Affairs, Commandant of the Cavalry, and recipient of the Scarlet Fish Bag, on the twenty-eighth day, Jiyou, of the eighth month, Renwu, in the fifth year of the Baoda era, the Dingwei year. It says in brief: "Within the six palaces, they vied in donating fine garments, trinkets, pearls, precious gems, and embroidered silks, totaling over tens of millions." On the reverse of the stele are carved the names of more than ten concubines and palace women of that time. Half a li northwest of it is Liu, Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, whose personal name was Hong, a native of Jianyang. He held office in Jiangdong and, delighting in this transcendent realm, built a dwelling here. From Xiantian, it is two li to the Taixu Jianji Abbey. This was the retreat of Master Lu of the Song dynasty. The Master's personal name was Xiujing, a native of Dongqian in Wuxing. At the end of the Yuanjia era, because he was buying medicinal herbs in the capital, Emperor Wen, who had long admired his demeanor, made the Tingxia Jeweled Carriage and dispatched Xu Zhan, Left Supervisor of the Department of State Affairs, to convey the imperial decree retaining him. The Master firmly declined and then traveled through the Jiang and Han rivers. Later, when the Emperor met with the disaster of the Dahe [era], everyone marveled at his foresight. In the fifth year of the Daming era, he first established an abode on Lushan. In the third year of the Taishi era, Emperor Ming again issued an imperial summons, repeatedly sending the Regional Inspector Wang Jingwen to urge him. Having repeatedly declined without success, he went to the palace, where [the Emperor] set up the Chongxu Cloister and the Tongxian Hall to await him. Furthermore, he gathered Confucian and Buddhist scholars, and [the Master] expounded the Dao in the Zhuangyan Buddhist Monastery for a long time. In the beginning of the Yonghui era, he submitted a memorial requesting permission to return to the mountain, but it was not granted.

2.2.3

On the second day of the third month of the fifth year, he passed away. His complexion appeared as though alive, and a pure fragrance did not cease. Three days later, the followers on Mount Lu all saw the Master's rainbow banners fluttering as he arrived and halted, but in an instant they knew not where he was. When the Master departed, he was always wearing a cloth sack; at this time the cloth sack was hanging from a tree upon the crags. Now a peak by the western stream is named Cloth Sack Cliff (Bunang Yan). He was posthumously granted the title Master Jianji. His former dwelling was first made into the Jianji Abbey. On the seventh day of the second month of the first year of the Taiji era of the Tang, an imperial order decreed an offering (jiao) at the abbey, where anomalies such as a black dragon and a flock of cranes occurred. An imperial edict was issued praising the wondrous event, which was then submitted to the Historiography Institute; its words are too extensive to record here. The abbey lies below White Cloud Peak (Baiyun Feng). Among them, a peak that rises singly, elegant and towering, is called Purple Cloud Peak (Zixiao Feng). Thus Zhang Hu's poem says: 'Beneath Purple Cloud Peak is the thatched cottage immortal; / For a thousand years, left in vain, the stone chiming-stone hangs.' To its north there is also Screen Mountain (Pingfeng Shan), with vermilion precipices and purple cliffs encircling and sprawling grandly; it is truly the finest sight south of the mountain. One li before it is Cock-cage Mountain (Jilong Shan), over a hundred zhang high; beside the peak is a stone that, viewed from afar, resembles cocks, one bluish-green and one red. The Xunyang ji says: 'Below Cock-cage Mountain is stream water, constantly one foot deep. The spring surges like a tidal bore, without erring by a moment, and is especially large on the new and full moons.' The local people call it the Tide Spring (Chaoquan). Today it is overgrown and unknown. Above the abbey gate is the Court of Facing the Perfected (Chaozhen Ge). In front of the hall is the Master's sacrificial stone, six or seven feet high and over a zhang square, facing qian-hai; it is also called the Stone for Worshipping the Dipper (Lidou Shi). Behind the hall is a stone-carved catalogue of the Daoist Canon arrayed upon the four walls. Within the canon repository is a bronze statue of the Heavenly Worthy; elders say that this statue was originally the Buddha of Guizong Temple. When temples were destroyed in the Huichang era, it was obtained by Daoists; although the temple was restored, it was not returned. Thus its statue wears śramaṇa robes but has a crown added above. Those who hear of it smile. Next there is the Master's stone chime; its sound is pure and clear. West of the shrine hall is White Cloud Tower (Baiyun Lou). During the Liang, this abbey was called Jianji Lodging (Jianji Guan). Shen Xuan of Wuxing, Right Senior Clerk of the Minister of Works, Groom of the Heir Apparent, and Founding Marquis of Jianchang County, composed the record, erected in the eleventh month of the fourteenth year of Tianjian. By the Baoying era of the Tang, the Daoist Wu Yun again composed a stele for the Master, erected on the thirteenth day of the ninth month of the xinchou year, the second year of Shangyuan. Both steles were re-erected in the Baoda era. This abbey preserves many poems and inscriptions by people from the Chen and Sui dynasties down to the Tang. A hanging waterfall from the western stream drops before the covered walkways. When Wei Yingwu served as prefect, he wandered beneath it; thus the final stanza of his poem says: 'Long have I cherished this delight for years, / Only on this spring excursion do I seek it anew. / For now I take my horizontal flute, / To express all the sounds of the streams and hills.' To its north is another waterfall that joins the western stream below; seated in White Cloud Tower, one sees both waterfalls. Bitter bamboo grows continuously in the mountain valley; its spring shoots newly emerge, sweet and delicious in taste. Popular lore relates a Mount Lu poem: 'Sweet bitter-bamboo shoots in Jianji Abbey; / Bland salted pickles in Guizong Temple.' This means both are rare delicacies. Outside the abbey gate is the Master's elixir-refining well. Next there is an entwined-branch tree (lianli shu); its trunks unite in a single embrace, and its roots coil and cover over a giant rock. In the stream is Xu Jian's clothes-washing stone. Jian was a rustic man of Jiangnan who possessed Daoist arts and was also skilled in chanting poetry. He died in an inn in Jinling, but later people still encountered him; he was fond of washing clothes and drying them on this stone. From Jianji to Qiyin Abbey is five li. Anciently named Qiyin Grotto, tradition holds it was the study of Crown Prince Zhaoming of the Liang. During the Baoda era, the Daoist Tan Zixiao came from Min; granted the title Feathered Guest of the Golden Gate, he first founded the abbey here. When Tan was in Min, he was styled Heavenly Master of Cavernous Mystery, Master Zhenyi. Five li east of Qiyin is Guling Hermitage. From Guling to Kaixian Chan Cloister is ten li. Tradition holds that when Crown Prince Zhaoming of the Liang dwelt at Qiyin, he also built the Chamber for Beckoning the Recluse (Zhaoyin Shi) here. When Yuanzong of the Southern Tang resided in his princely estate, it was his study; after ascending the throne, in the Baoda era, it was first made a saṅghārāma named Kaixian. Feng Yanji's stele record is still extant. In the second year of the Xingguo era of our dynasty, it was bestowed the name Huazang. Crane Cry Peak (Heming Feng) is behind it. When Yuanzong moved to the Southern Capital, he came to this cloister and lingered in appreciation for a long time; thus portraits of Liezu, Yuanzong, and the Last Lord, as well as Yuanzong's former couch, are preserved here to this day. The monks of the four cloisters—Kaixian, Qixian, Guizong, and Yuantong—all prepare vegetarian feasts on the three death anniversaries to commemorate them. Proceeding from the official road across the stream bridge, above is Four Assemblies Pavilion (Sihui Ting), then Red Bayberry Pavilion (Yangmei Ting). Directly facing the temple gate is Beckoning Recluse Bridge (Zhaoyin Qiao); beneath the bridge is a stone well called Beckoning Recluse Spring (Zhaoyin Quan), ranked sixth in Lu Yu's Tea Classic. 'Zhaoyin' is an ancient name; Yuanzong first built the bridge here. The waterfall is to its west. Waterfalls south and north of the mountain number no fewer than ten-odd places; hence Guanxiu wrote of Mount Lu: 'A small waterfall is already three hundred feet high; / Short pines are mostly a thousand years old.' Only this cascade was renowned in former generations. Xu Ning's Tang poem says: 'From ancient times to now, ever like white silk flying, / A single strip slicing through the green mountain's hue.' Li Bai said: 'Its flying stream plunges directly down three thousand feet, / Suspected to be the Silver River falling from the midmost sky.' It is precisely this cascade. Incense Burner Peak and Twin Swords Peak (Shuangjian Feng) connect beside the waterfall. Fledgling Orioles Valley (Qianying Gu) is to its northeast. The water source is at the mountaintop, and no one has ever traced it to its end; some say it enters Kangwang Valley to the west to become the Water Curtain, and flows east to become the waterfall of Kaixian. From Great Compassion Pavilion (Dabei Ting) and the various halls and terraces east of the cloister, one often sees it while leaning on an armrest. The stones in the stream sometimes contain mica; on them one can sit, lie down, rinse the mouth, or wash. Above the stream is a stone bridge, upon which is Rinsing Jade Pavilion (Shouyu Ting). This is the supreme scene south of the mountain. Crossing the creek one li west in front of the cloister is Stone Stele Hermitage (Shibei An). A large rock stands on the mountain ridge, naturally resembling a great stele, hard and mineral-rich, incapable of being engraved. Ascending the mountain seven li from the Stone Stele, one reaches Yongtai Cloister. Above it is Yellow Rock Cliff (Huangshi Yan). The Jiujiang lu says: 'The ancient Zhaoyin Temple was beneath Yellow Rock Cliff.'

2.2.4

This is indeed the place. Above Yongtai, there is Daoren Hermitage, followed by Shengseng Cliff, then Shancai Cliff, and Luohan Cliff. These four hermitages and cliffs are spaced within five li of each other, where the cascading waterfall passes. Ascending another five li of perilous terrain brings one to Huangshi Cliff; popular tradition holds that Master Huangshi lived here, but this is erroneous. Its cliff walls are all yellow in colour, and in comparison to the previous three cliffs, it is uniquely flat and expansive, able to hold over a hundred people. In front of Yongtai, there is Mañjuśrī Terrace, rising and falling in height alongside Incense Burner Peak and Shuangjian Peak. In front of the waterfall at the foot of the mountain, everyone looks up at it from below, and it is certainly grand and majestic; yet when one reaches Mañjuśrī Terrace and views it on a level plane, only then does one realize that comparisons to booming thunder and flying white silk fall short of capturing its true likeness. East of Kaixian, halfway up the mountain, there is another small cascade, drifting and spraying no less than a hundred feet down, called Mawei Spring; this name conveys that its smallness prevents it from sharing the name of a full waterfall. From Kaixian, it is two li to Wanlin Cloister. It was first built in the second year of Jingde of our present dynasty. Formerly, an ancient stone cliff stood here. Before this, a monk named Taichao planted ten thousand cedars throughout the mountain. Someone spoke of this to the imperial court, which then bestowed funds to construct the cloister, along with land, Buddha images, and ritual vessels. When it was completed, Renzong granted an imperial seal-script plaque for its hall, reading 'Treasure Hall of the Golden Immortal.' Academician of the Hanlin Academy Qian Yi brushed the inscription for its gate plaque. Kept there are the imperial portraits of Emperor Renzong and Empresses Zhangyi and Mingsu, along with several brocade quilts, mattresses, and garments adorned with melted gold, all bestowed at the time. Taichao was also granted the title Grand Master Guangzhi. This cloister was formerly named Qingyun; during the Tiansheng reign era, an imperial decree changed it to its present name. A stele with a record by Xu Shi, Auxiliary Academician in the Hall of Worthies, still survives. Behind the cloister flows a spring, beside which stands the Dicuiting Pavilion; visitors inevitably linger there. Three li southeast of Wanlin is Lingyun Hermitage, formerly called Lingyun Study. The Jiujiang lu states: Liu Ke's study was beneath Lingyun Peak; he lived here in his early years. Surveillance Commissioner Lord Pei appreciated his talent and recommended him for a high examination pass to serve as a history official. His writings circulated widely in the world, and everyone from Han [Yu], Vice Minister of Personnel, on down esteemed him. There is also the study of Remonstrator Xue, which was formerly the residence of Investigating Censor Liu Yan. During the Huichang era, after completing his term as Secretary of Nanhai, Xue personally developed it; sitting there, one can see two waterfalls, and the springs, rocks, pines, and bamboos are exceptionally vast and secluded. When the prefect toured in spring, as well as when travellers passed by, many would visit it. The personal name of Remonstrator Xue is not recorded, and neither he nor the two Lius have biographies in the Tang histories. Ke passed the jinshi examination in the fourteenth year of Yuanhe. In the early Taihe era, he successively served as an Investigating Censor, and in the fourth year, transferred to Palace Censor. During the Kaicheng era, he was promoted to Assistant in the Palace Library and Compiling Academician of the Historiography Institute, later going out to serve as Prefect of Mingzhou. Many of the stelae and inscriptions at the Two Forests were brushed by his hand. The so-called Lingyun Hermitage is indeed the former site of Liu and Xue. Some say that Vice Minister He Qianyao was the first to turn the study into a residence for monks; Qianyao's lineage is also not clearly known. Today his tomb lies in Qianying Valley. From Wanlin, it is three li to Zhenjiao Cloister, formerly named Yunfeng. The previously mentioned ancient stone cliff lies behind it, jagged like a screen. From Zhenjiao, it is three li to Jingde Cloister, formerly named Gaoyao. From Jingde, it is one li to the study of Li Zhenggu. During the Baoda era, Zhenggu served up to Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs; implicated in the faction of Song Qiqiu, he was ordered to commit suicide. Four li above the Li family study is Xiangji Cloister, situated beneath Wuru Peak. From Xiangji, it is two li to Jūti Hermitage. Beside Jūti is Guanyin Hermitage, and about half a li further is Qiyun Hermitage. From Qiyun, it is three li to Wolong Hermitage. Mount Lu's fame throughout the realm is largely due to the waterfall of Kaixian, which appears in the poems of Xu Ning and Li Bai, and the waters of King Kang, which appear in Lu Yu's Classic of Tea; as for its secluded depths and perilous precipices, all possess the beauty of water and stone. To the west of this hermitage, dark cliffs rise on four sides, an angry waterfall cascades down the middle, and a great ravine plunges profoundly, inspiring solemn dread. Several tens of feet of yellow rock, faintly visible and interconnected, lie amidst the surging waves; gazing at them makes one's eyes spin, as if they are writhing and dancing, hence the name Wolong ('Crouching Dragon'). This is an especially scenic spot of mountain and water. Five li below Wolong is Qinglian Cloister, formerly named Baiyun Hermitage. During the Southern Tang, the monk Chongzhao was titled Chan Master Huiwu; Tang Yue composed an encomium for his portrait, and Xu Xuan's seal-script stone carving still survives. Beside Qinglian is Lingfeng Hermitage, formerly named Xiayan Terrace Āraṇya. From Lingfeng, it is five li to Daolin Hermitage. Beside Daolin is Chanjing Cloister, formerly named Zhongxing Hermitage. Among all the hermitages, Chanjing alone lacks a flowing spring; they dig a well to drink, and having no farmland, they sell blood-activating pills to support themselves. Yet its halls and buildings are especially intact and immaculate. Next is Baoqing Hermitage, followed by Jingyin Cloister, formerly named Baofeng Hermitage. Twin torrents emerge from within it; when the spring rains swell, they scour the rapids and roar angrily, making it a fine place of water and stone as well. In the western torrent stands the hermitage of Layman Liu. The layman's name was Huan, courtesy name Ningzhi, a native of Junzhou. In the eighth year of Tiansheng, he was selected as a jinshi; holding office, he possessed an unbending integrity, and dismissing [worldly affairs], he promptly abandoned his post. Divining a residence at Xingzhu, he often rode a yellow calf back and forth in the mountains, especially loving this torrent. Thereupon, the mountain monks thatched a cottage to await his visits. From Daolin to Baofeng, the three cloisters are each one li apart. Proceeding to Zujiao Cloister, formerly named Shangyan Terrace; to its south are Panlong Hermitage and Xiyuan Hermitage, and behind it is Baolun Hermitage, none more than a hundred paces away. From Baolin, it is three li to Choumu Hermitage, one li from Choumu to Yousui Hermitage, and one li from Yousui to the stūpa of Chan Master Chiyan. The Chan master was the so-called Chiyan of Guizong who passed away and was buried beneath Zhiren Peak on this mountain; a stone statue was made of him, imposing as if alive. In the second year of Jianlong, he was posthumously titled 'Stūpa of Wondrous Form of Chan Master Zhijue.' From the stūpa cloister, it is ten li to Xixian Chan Cloister. Along the way, for three li tall trees cast dense shade, sheltering travellers above from the scorching sun; travellers passing through inevitably delight in it and rest. Beside the road, one passes the vegetable gardens of Xixian, whose broad plots and ridges are also quite a sight. In total, from Xiangji Cloister beneath Wuru Peak to this place, there are eighteen sites.

2.2.5

They are likewise on the west of Qixian Ravine. The elders call them the various hermitages and cliffs west of Qixian Ravine. Shiren Peak (Stone Man Peak) of the Qixian Cloister lies to its north. It is now called Baojue, an honorific bestowed during the Xingguo era. In the beginning, in the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Southern Qi, Zhang Xi, Army Supervisor of Consultative Debates, memorialised to establish a temple twenty li southwest of Xunyang. Early in the Baoli era of the Tang, Li Bo, Prefectural Governor, moved it to this mountain, settling the monk Zhichang there. Zhichang had several hundred disciples; in spring and summer they resided at Qixian, and in autumn and winter at Guizong. During the Huichang era, the temple was abolished. During the Jingfu era, the monk Huaiyou restored it, calling it Qixian Baoguo Chan Cloister. During the Qianning era, it was named Huguo Qixian Temple. Its plaque was written by Zhong Kuangshi, Investigating Courier, Gentleman for Service, and Acting Palace Scrivener for the Crown Prince. Kuangshi was sixteen years old at the time, which is why people today treasure and preserve it. Passing through the Baoda era of the Southern Tang, the temple flourished even more greatly. Over ten Imperial Edicts from that time are still preserved. Among them is one issued in the seventh month of the first year of the Qianning era granting the plaque for Qixian Temple; it is signed by thirty-three officials, ranging from Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites and Joint Manager of Affairs of the Secretariat-Chancellery Zheng, up to the Imperial Father, Acting Palace Attendant, and Director of the Chancellery. Another one was issued in the eleventh month of the fourth year of the Qianning era, granting Huaiyou's stūpa the name Chuandeng Stūpa (Transmission of the Lamp Stūpa) and bestowing on him the title Great Master Xuanwu. The imperial decree was signed by thirty-two officials, ranging from Vice Director of the Secretariat and Joint Manager of Affairs of the Secretariat-Chancellery Cui, up to Grand Preceptor and Director of the Secretariat. At that time, Zhong Chuan, Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangxi, executed it. Early in the Jianlong era, when Yuanzong moved the southern capital, he toured and lingered here for a long time; hence there is the Zhuluan Pavilion (Resting Simurgh Pavilion). Some say that on the rocks beside the ravine there is Yuanzong's stone carving, but it has now sunk away and can no longer be seen. The Sanxia Ravine (Three Gorges Ravine) emerges to the left of the temple; its source is very distant. In the ravine are three or four dragon pools, the depths of which no one knows. Just when summer rains repeatedly arrive, the numerous gorges of the mountain thunder down together like crashes of lightning. The large and small rocks of the ravine, countless tens of thousands of them, are all dumped into the pools; from ancient times to the present, not the slightest blockage has ever been seen, leading people to suspect that it connects below to the sea. Beside it, a dragon shrine was erected, where prayers are made during droughts. In the Xiangfu era, the Fujian monk Wenxiu constructed a stone bridge above it. It measures sixty feet in length and is covered by a spacious hall, standing as the most magnificent sight in the mountain. Beside the ravine is Lu Yu's Well, followed by Hanquan Pavilion (Cold Spring Pavilion) and Yuyuan Pavilion (Jade Abyss Pavilion). From the dragon pool beneath the pavilion, aquatic creatures occasionally emerge; people revere them as divine beings. To the west of the monks' hall are Luohan Cliff (Arhat Cliff) and Baotuo Cliff. Over a hundred paces to its south is Baiyun Hermitage (White Cloud Hermitage). Behind the cloister is the Ai Hall; travelers invariably take rest there. Ten li in front of Qixian is Luohan Chan Cloister. Luohan Cliff lies one li to its north. In the third year of the Xianping era of the present dynasty, Great Master Guangji, Fajian, first founded it. The court additionally bestowed farmland to support his disciples, designating it Shenghui Estate. In the third year of the Xiangfu era, Great Master Zuyin, the monk Xinglin, succeeded him. He began planting pines covering the public road for ten li, reaching as far as the military garrison. Yang Danian, Duke of Letters, composed the 'Record of Planting Pines'. There is a very large drum in the Dharma Hall, twenty-three feet in circumference; when struck, its sound moves the mountains and valleys, making it truly extraordinary among drums. The water west of the cloister is called Yu Ravine (Jade Ravine); it flows east ten li into Lake Pengli. Zuyin is buried north of the ravine; former Grand Councilor Zhang Shixun composed the stūpa inscription. Five li east of Luohan is Zhezhi Cloister Estate. Another five li brings one to White Deer Grotto. During the Zhenyuan era, Li Bo, whose courtesy name was Xunzhi, dwelt in seclusion here with his second older brother. Later he moved to Shaoshi. Summoned to serve as Rectifier of Omissions of the Right, he did not take up the post; he is precisely the 'Hermit of Mount Shaoshi' mentioned in Duke Han of Letters' poem. During the Dahe era, his official career reached Guest of the Crown Prince. Earlier, in the Baoli era, he had served as Prefectural Governor of Jiangzhou; he then erected terraces and pavilions at the grotto, encircled them with flowing water, and planted various flowers and trees, making it a scenic wonder of the time. Liu Mengde (Yuxi) climbed the Qinghui Hall and wrote a poem: 'Xunyang River’s color swells full with the tide, / Pengli’s autumn sounds usher the wild geese in. / Looking south to Mount Lu, ten thousand fathoms high, / Together we praise the timber for fresh-hewn ridgepoles.' Qinghui Hall was located in Jiangzhou; it was also founded by Bo, which is why Yuxi praised it. During the Shengyuan era of the Southern Tang, an academy was established at the grotto, and fields were provided to supply the students. Scholars gathered in great numbers; Li Shandao, Master of the Nine Classics from the Directorate of Education, was appointed Cave Master to oversee instruction. During the Baoda era, fields were bestowed upon the summonable scholar Shi Xubai. Xubai was a man from Beihai who had fled to Mount Lu; Han Xizai recommended his abilities. Yuanzong summoned him to an informal hall and inquired about state affairs; Xubai declined, saying, 'How could a mere fisherman know the grand strategies of state?' He then became drunk and urinated in the hall. Yuanzong said, 'A true recluse indeed!' Thereupon, he granted him fields, sent him home, and exempted him from taxes. When Xubai died, his descendants were impoverished by tax exactions and could not maintain the fields, which eventually passed to other owners. In the fifth year of the Xianping era, an imperial decree ordered its restoration, along with the sculpting of statues of the Declared Sage and the Ten Philosophers. Today it is entirely overgrown with lush weeds. Three li from White Deer Grotto brings one to Chengtian Abbey, formerly called Baihe Abbey (White Crane Abbey). The Jiujiang lu states: 'In the twelfth month of the first year of the Hongdao era of the Tang, it was first established by imperial decree at the foot of Xunyang City. On the third day of the sixth month of the second year of the Shenlong era, an imperial decree ordered the establishment of Longxing Abbey, so it was moved into the mountain and renamed Longxing.' During the Dali era, the Daoists Liu Xuanhe and He Ziyu resided there. The Zhang Hongdao men lingyan ji states: 'Liu Xuanhe was an earthly immortal. Whenever he petitioned Heaven on behalf of the prefectural governors Li Cheng and Xue Bian, all of the memorials received imperial approvals from the Heavenly Bureaus, and matters were verified in every detail.' On the mountain northeast of the abbey is Mugua Cliff (Papaya Cliff). Liu Xuanhe first dwelt within the cliff and once planted them there; even now, offshoots still survive. Within the abbey is a large Chinese fir, over a hundred feet tall and twenty feet in circumference, also planted at that time. In the fifth year of the Xining era, when the court was building the Central Taiyi Palace in the capital, an imperial edict sought banner poles one hundred and twenty feet long; officials were dispatched throughout the empire to inspect the mountain forests, and this fir was almost felled. From the west of Chengtian Abbey to Qixian Cloister is only five li; travelers often pass back and forth between them. To the east of Qixian Cloister, walking half a li along the ravine...

2.2.6

Reaching Jingzhu Cloister, formerly named Dengyun Hermitage. Crossing the ravine from Jingzhu to Guangshou Cloister is nearly two li; its former name was Zisheng Taixuan. Peak lies before it; more than a hundred paces to its side stands the Master Jin Terrace. In the past, the monk Daomiao of Donghai had the secular surname Jin; hence it was named Master Jin Terrace. Entering Wanshou Source from Guangshou, it is two li to Wanshou Cloister. Setting out again from Wanshou and travelling three li south, one reaches Lengyan Cloister, formerly named Lower Baishi. Its mountain is called Luduanyuan. Lengyan Cloister contains the Mountain Study of the Li Family. Li's name was Chang, styled Gongze. In his youth, he and his brothers read books in the mountains. After he left, the temple monks kept his chambers empty and did not reside in them; because of this, nearly several tens of thousands of fascicles were stored in the chambers. Su Shizi Zhan wrote the Record of the Mountain Study's Library, which is now carved on stone and preserved on the wall. Climbing three li east up the mountain from Lengyan, one reaches Zhengdao Cloister, formerly named Upper Baishi. Travelling three li from Zhengdao, one reaches Taiping Xingguo Cloister, formerly named Woyun Hermitage. There is a peak behind it, also called Xianglu Peak. In front stands a sūtra pavilion; the scriptures stored there were bestowed by the court's Sūtra Printing Office by imperial decree in the second year of the Xiangfu reign era. Travelling one li from Taiping, one reaches Xianglin Cloister of Upper Wufeng. Halfway along the path, one crosses a secluded ravine, its ripples clear and shallow, exceedingly pleasant to linger by. Travelling five li from Xianglin, one reaches Jingju Cloister, formerly named Upper Hermitage. Travelling five li from Jingju, one reaches Yanfu Cloister of Lower Wufeng. It preserves thirty handwritten edicts bestowed by the Southern Tang on Chan Master Daguan, Zhiyun; three were signed by Yuanzong, and the rest were all by the Last Ruler. Zhiyun was a native of Hezhong. During the Baoda reign era, he resided at Qixian Cloister; during the Kaibao reign era, he was summoned by imperial decree to reside at Qingliang Temple. Later he returned to Wufeng; it was initially named Youqi Cloister, and later named Qixuan Hermitage. In the first year of the Xiangfu reign era, it was changed to Yanfu. Travelling three li from Yanfu, one reaches Zhulin Cloister. Travelling two li from Zhulin, one reaches Fuyuan Hermitage, formerly named Lingyuan. Travelling half a li from Fuyuan, one reaches Shiquan Hermitage. Travelling two li from Shiquan, one ascends Lingxiao Rock to Mingzhen Cloister. In all, from Jingzhu to Mingzhen there are thirteen places; of their waters and stones, none are not delightful. Only Mingzhen's rocks are exquisitely craggy, either tilting or standing upright, having the appearance of an immortal's grotto; sitting upon the great rocks, one faces the Five Elders Peak like guests—this too is among the mountain's finest scenic spots. Descending five li down the mountain again from Mingzhen, one reaches Jingmiao Cloister, formerly named Dezheng Hermitage, anciently called Qingniugu. The Jiujiang Record states: 'In the past, there was the Daoist Hongzhi, who rode a green ox and attained the Way here; the sacrificial altar still remains.' The Tang poet Yang Heng's poem 'Lodging at Green Ox Valley' says: 'Following clouds, I stepped into Green Ox Valley; / The green-ox Daoist lodged me for the night. / Lovely indeed, late into the night under the bright moon: / Only a single stem of bamboo beside the altar.' It was indeed an ancient famous site, but is now cultivated ridges. Travelling one li from Jingmiao, one reaches Yuntai Hermitage. Behind the hermitage is a stone cliff; upon the cliff is a flowing spring. Following a small path for three li from Yuntai, one reaches Shengguo Cloister, formerly named Jingming Hermitage. In front of Shengguo stands Jiekong Cloister, formerly named Jixiang Hermitage. Looking at the three hermitages of Dezheng, Jingming, and Jixiang, compared to other monastic dwellings, all are completely pure and immaculate. A hundred paces northwest of Jiekong stands Guyuan Hermitage. To the left of the path before the hermitage are piled stones; though not towering and lofty, they are naturally wondrous and grand. Behind the hermitage, a secluded spring trickles incessantly without drying up; it does not need to be rushing and turbulent to be lovable. Travelling two li northeast from Guyuan, one reaches Zhengji Cloister, formerly named Zhezhi Hermitage. The Tang chancellor Li Fengji formerly relied on Li Bo to study on this mountain; after Fengji left, it became a monastic dwelling, hence it was named Zhezhi. Fengji was styled Xuzhou. During the Changqing and Baoli reign eras, he attached himself to Zheng Zhu and Wang Shoucheng, and rose in office to chancellor; his biography is recorded in the Tang history. The monks of the hermitage carved records from Fengji's family collection on stone, but the phrasing has many errors. The mountain is named Fan'ganyuan. On the mountain is the stone tomb of Chan Master Huiji of the Southern Tang. Travelling half a li from Zhengji, one reaches Huayan Cloister. Travelling three li northeast from Huayan, one reaches Yongfu Cloister, formerly named Longyun. Gazing at the Five Elders Peak from along the path, they can be distinctly counted; rising and falling, they form more than ten peaks. In their midst is Lion Peak, shaped as if carved and chiseled; shimmering amid clouds and mists, it resembles one all the more. Behind the hermitage are many scattered stones; directly ascending to the northwest stands Eagle Beak Peak, also situated among the Five Elders Peak. Altogether from Jingzhu to Yongfu Cloister, there are twenty-one places; all are located east of the ravine of Qixian. The elders call them the Various Hermitages and Rocks East of the Ravine. Descending the mountain from Yongfu into Dafuzhuang is eight li. Travelling ten li northeast from Dafuzhuang, one reaches Huiri Chan Cloister. The cloister is to the west of the official post road; descending from the post road and travelling beside the ravine, two mountains flank the ravine in folded layers for five li, just like an immortal's grotto. Its former name was Xianju Grotto. The cloister record states: 'During the Qianning reign era of the Tang, the monk Ruyi first built a thatched hermitage. In the beginning of the Dahe reign era of Wu, the monk Huicong greatly erected a Chan monastery. At that time, Yang Che served as governor of Jiangzhou; he donated abundant offerings from faithful patrons and personally inscribed in seal script the plaque for Xianju Yong'an Chan Cloister, entitling it: "In the fifth year of the Dahe reign era of Wu, the year guisi, first month, wuyin new moon day. Seal script written by Yang Che, Military Commissioner of Fenghua Army, Surveillance and Disposal Commissioner of Jiangzhou, Specially Advanced, Acting Grand Commandant, Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Envoy Holding the Tally, Concurrently in Charge of Military Affairs of Jiangzhou, Governor of Jiangzhou, Upper Pillar of State, Prince of Dehua, Beneficiary of an Appanage of Three Thousand Households." In the second year of the Xiangfu reign era of our present dynasty, it was changed to the present title, and the monks treasure that former seal inscription.' Formerly, when Ruyi dwelt in the mountain, Zhu Po once relied on him to pursue his studies. During the Qianning reign era, there was the Daoist Xu Yanshi, who frequented the inner court and committed corrupt deeds; Po attached himself to him and was thereby recommended as possessing managerial talent. Emperor Zhaozong summoned him for an audience, and when questioned on the classics, he was greatly pleased; on that very day, from Erudite of the National University, he was appointed Policy Advisor and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. His discussions were broad and impractical, constantly serving as a laughingstock. Within a few months, Yanshi's enterprise collapsed, and both were slain by Han Jian; therefore, people nowadays call it Zhu Po's Library. Beside the path is Sleeping Dragon Pool, followed by White Turtle Pool, followed by Mañjuśrī's Terrace. It produces white quartz, suitable for use in medicine.

First 6 of 9 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

廬山記 — Classical Chinese