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China and India have by the ages shared not solely commerce however have exchanged vacationers and historians and transmitted cultures and non secular beliefs throughout borders. Disregarding political variations one is curious is a couple of neighbour with whom there has at all times been a really cordial change of commerce, tradition, and ideas. I, fortuitously, had three events to go to China within the final decade and gathered an incredible wealth of information so much like India and to Buddhist and Hindu custom. Let me first checklist the sculptures of Gods and Goddesses which are housed in dwelling temples open to devotees. They arrive in hordes, mild incense, provide cash, kneel and pray, sure in China! A distinguished Buddhist website, Dazu is a World Heritage website. It’s a massive rock with carved pictures. There’s a reclining Buddha of fifty ft. a meditating Buddha and in addition an Enlightenment Buddha. They even depict in stone the Buddha Hell the place the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas gaze down at viewers being tortured on Knife-Mountain with its knee-chopping Corridor and so forth. It’s an superior sight. Some statues of Buddha have an adjoining spring with carved dragons which confer with the Buddha being bathed at start by dragons.
Dazu has some darkish grottos which abound in sculptures primarily based on a harmonious secular synthesis of various philosophical thought patterns within the area. The principle non secular thought streams depicted are Confucianism, Daoism, and Indian Tantric Buddhist thought. The tantrism related to Devi significantly Durga and Kali additionally clearly emerges within the statues. Dharmapals (referred to as as such) are the Defenders of Religion saving Buddhism from the onslaught of enemies. Maha-Kala (additionally referred to as as such) is likely one of the most typical Dharmapals. In its great manifestation it’s depicted just like the Hindu goddess Kali ; darkish., multi armed, crimson eyes , tongue out and in addition adorned with a garland of skulls. From Doa sages to Confucian parental care and filial responsibility and proper upto the well-known segmented wheel Transmigration, from Buddhahood to ghosts, the depiction is superb and establishes how totally different religions philosophies co-exist throughout the Tang Dynasty.
One other most extraordinary and awe-inspiring sculpture is the large androgynous Guanyin and even referred to as Avalokiteswara ( Sanskrit for Lord seen in lots of types). This diety has 1007 arms that rise overhead like a thousand flickering flames, holding a special image in every hand. So akin to our pictures of ‘Sahasrabaho’. Even the outline of the Lord as expressing himself by hundreds of fingers and ft in ‘Purushsuktam’ is so akin to the Chinese language Guanyin. This picture is present in temples throughout China. One other World Heritage website is Dafo, the 230 ft. Excessive Buddha is carved right into a crimson sandstone hill. The UNESCO takes care of it as World Heritage ‘Puxian’ is a mountain that homes a really excessive temple 10,167 ft. It’s referred to as the (Bodhisattva of Common Benevolence). The climb takes weary devotees three days to achieve the highest of the hill. On the way in which, there are meals and tea stalls, lodging for the night time en route, and rain gear additionally bought. The trail is steep and slippery, extraordinarily paying homage to our Vaishno Devi climb. Curiously ‘Yama is the Lord of Demise. You’ve statues of the ferocious Yama within the temples! Many temples have a Triptych sample of Three Buddhas collectively, named: ‘Sa Rymuni’, ‘Maitriya’, and ‘ Dipankara’, these are depicted because the three time representatives, as current future and previous respectively.
Guru Rimpoche is named by the Sanskrit time period (Padmasambhav) translated as a manifestation of the Purity of the thoughts. (lotus= Padma) The commonest diety after the Buddha is the ‘Manju Shri’ this deity represents Data and Studying just like the Hindu ‘Saraswati’. His raised proper hand wields a sword of discriminatory knowledge which cuts as beneath the cords of attachment. It was so paying homage to the verse within the Geeta ‘Asanga Shastrena Dridena Chitva’. The Emei Shan ( Emei Mountain) Temple dates again to 1611 and lodges the well-known golden statue of the Buddha. (Puxian). Devotees flock to this mountain for even one crowded glimpse of the Buddha because the golden Buddha is probably the most auspicious and attributed with powers of want success. Nevertheless, probably the most tough to see, probably the most precipitous to achieve, and probably the most dramatic in its model is Maiji Shan (Cornrick Mountain). This appears like a corn cob and the naked rock construction homes round 200 caves. Of it, some have been closed to guests however might be seen by iron grills, with a flashlight or torch. Carved on the floor is a 53ft. excessive Amita.. Buddha(cave # 98) flanked by two small ‘Avalokiteswaras’. (Cave#13) is one other colossal Buddha which dates again from the Sui Dynasty.
In truth, all of them will not be hewn from rock. Some are made from clay and caught on. An enormous serpentine crisscross of stepped galleries on the cliff face are the one approach to entry these marvelous caves. We had been informed by guides that these had been begun within the fourth century AD and the carving work went on as much as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). A really attention-grabbing stopover was at a spot referred to as Cling Zhou on our manner from Mogan Shan to Shanghai. There was a skinny stream of water working its peaceable manner alongside an entire lot of caves within the mountain. Once more, the caves had been very darkish and damp and with a torchlight, one may see Hindu Goddesses like Lakshmi and in addition Saraswati carved in there. The image of the lotus was freely used and a verse to Lakshmi carved on stone in Sanskrit! A number of Chinese language pray there and kneel, meditate advert provide incense to the deities with deep devotion. The principle temple consists of ranges. Every stage represents an evolutionary step in direction of Nirvana. So after a climb, you’ve gotten a black, crimson, inexperienced, and white Buddha on the topmost stage. Much like ours the Chinese language have 108 as a major quantity in numerology. The Buddhist rosary is 108 beads. They are saying in China that 108 is the doable variety of sins and in addition worries!! One other similarity noticed was their follow of what we observe as ‘Pradakshina’. The Chinese language name it Kora. Circumambulation of Holy Shrines. Essentially the most auspicious surprisingly is Mount Kailash (Mansarovar). That is thought of by them as the middle of the universe. The Chinese language consider that in the event you take the 108th Circuit of this mount then Nirvana is assured.
Chanting of mantras in Sanskrit, starting with OM is believed to be extremely efficient in calming the thoughts. One such highly effective chant which is broadly chanted earlier than and through meditation by them is ‘Om Mani Padme hum.” The usage of symbols like lotus (Padma) representing purity and Chakra (representing the wheel of time and its legal guidelines). The blowing of the conch shell blown to have a good time auspicious beginnings are so akin to India. One other image incessantly utilized in sculpture is the ‘countless knot’ representing the idea of countless and beginningless time, simply as our ‘Adi Anant’. A placing similarity with Yoga and Pranayam are their deep respiratory workouts referred to as ‘qi gong’ primarily based on their idea of ‘Qi”. The Daoists related lengthy and deep respiratory with the longevity of life. At the moment it’s practiced to reinforce well being and well-being. The respiratory is carried out together with hand mudras as in our Pranayam. Qi is the central idea of Chinese language medication as seen from the 2nd Century BC. Identical to Yoga believes in chakras and the pranas flowing by them, the Chinese language believed in meridians within the physique by which Qi or life vitality flows and circulated by a community of channels that are the important factors for the movement of Qi.
They so strongly consider in it that in nearly all public parks you possibly can see individuals working towards Qi. Most company homes, outlets, therapeutic massage parlors make it necessary for his or her employees to assemble within the morning and follow Qi earlier than starting work. What I discovered most intriguing and wishes analysis into is the Chinese language Medicinal Analysis over centuries. Their medicinal data and analysis dates again 4000 years!! The endeavor of researchers was to search out the elixir of life, due to this fact the analysis was inspired and patronized by the Chinese language emperors. Their medication like our Ayurveda is predicated on herbs, roots, bark, fungus even dried animal merchandise, resembling antlers, nails, bones enamel and so forth. They’re all rigorously mixed in diversified proportions for various medicines. Like an Ayurveda Kashyan it’s all boiled and simmered for a given time frame to type a potent decoction. Though affected by a extreme chilly, I in fact couldn’t convey myself to absorb the decoction that our Chinese language home assist introduced at some point. The Chinese language well-known Naturalist Li Schizen (12 Century) compiled all this Natural data right into a e book referred to as ‘The Bencao Gamiu’ itemizing all of the identified illnesses and their doable cures. We even have our father of Ayurveda as Dhanvantari and his books on the shastra of drugs.
There’s a well-known medicinal market in Chinal referred to as Bozhou’s. It’s the largest one in the entire world. They declare that fifty,000 merchants go to it as patrons and sellers yearly. The market boast of stocking each plant, insect, or animal of medicinal worth. A really attention-grabbing cultural custom which is so much like our October Navratras is the Chinese language Moon Pageant. It’s celebrated throughout China, culminating on the complete moon day of Sharad Poornima. Feasting, celebrations change of presents, and lighting up of buildings, Tea Properties and markets is an evening to see. They make Moon Muffins and thread needles within the full moonlight and take a look at their eyesight. That is finished in India within the North Indian villages.
The spirit of enjoyable and feasting in these few days (about one week) is vacation time in China. The sturdy household bonding. The choice for a male youngster, the respect and care of the aged are a few of the traits in jap civilizations that are fairly widespread in China too. We share a socio-cultural thoughts set regardless of the political and financial video games that politicians play. Allow us to deal with the human household and search similarities somewhat than divisive variations and hope for peace and friendship because it existed within the superb previous.
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