Therefore, Zhongnan Mountain is the birthplace of Taoist culture and is known as "the most blessed place in the world" and "the capital of immortality".
According to historical records, more than 60 emperors from feudal society came to Zhongnan Mountain to pay homage and worship, making it the most concentrated holy place for feudal emperors.
Since ancient times, there have been countless emperors and generals who have pursued the art of immortality, and some have gone overseas to Penglai Immortal Mountain, such as Qin Shihuang. There were also those who went to Zhongnan Wonderland, such as Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
It is a pity that the theory of immortality is elusive. Qin Shihuang did not wait for his immortality elixir. At the last moment of his life, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin took the elixir in Cuiwei Palace in Zhongnan Mountain and died three days later.
It is said that when Li Shimin died, he was bleeding from all his orifices, which was terrible. I guess he may have been poisoned by taking medicine randomly.
I just mentioned that Zhongnan Mountain is a holy place for Buddhism and Taoism. Some friends may be surprised. Isn’t Zhongnan Mountain for Taoism? How did it become Buddhism?
In fact, many people know that Zhongnan Mountain is an important place for Taoist culture, but Zhongnan Mountain also plays a pivotal role in the history of Chinese Buddhist culture.
Buddhism originated in India, but has developed greatly in China and has been flourishing for a long time. Chinese Buddhist culture is rich, colorful and exquisite, ranking among the best in the world.
Compared with other provinces, Shaanxi's Buddhist culture is the top priority in the country. In Shaanxi, Chang'an is also an important place of Buddhist culture, especially among the eight major sects of Chinese Han Buddhism, the ancestral halls of five major sects are gathered in Zhongnan Mountain.
It can even be said that Mount Zhongnan is one of the important cradles for the spread of Buddhist culture to China. Therefore, the cultural resources of Zhongnan Mountain, a famous Buddhist cultural mountain, cannot be underestimated.
Tracing back to its origins, shortly after Buddhism was introduced to Chang'an in the first year of Yuanshou, Emperor Ai of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhongnan Mountain also began to establish a base to propagate the religion. This is the Luohan Temple in Pang Village in Hu County.
The temple was built in the early years of Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was originally named Baima Zhaojueyuan, also known as Baima Temple.
However, this White Horse Temple is different from the White Horse Temple that everyone generally knows, because many people know that the White Horse Temple in Luoyang is the first temple in China, and the story of the White Horse Carrying Sutras is also familiar.
But in fact, the White Horse Temple in Chang'an was built earlier, but few people know it today, and its popularity is far less than that of Luoyang.
Therefore, Zhongnan Mountain is also a veritable Buddhist cultural mountain.
Now that I have said this, I would like to say a few extra words. Hu County, where the White Horse Temple in Chang'an is located, is actually also the location of the Chongyang Palace, the ancestral hall of the Quanzhen Sect, and where Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen Sect, lived.
Everyone knows about the Tomb of the Living Dead in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, right? In fact, this is also a real thing. It is in the Chongyang Palace and still exists today.
After talking so much, it can be regarded as promoting traditional culture, but I was not idle either. I walked along the mountain road and watched the beautiful scenery of Zhongnan.
In the Zhongnan Mountains, there are steep cliffs in the Ziwu Valley. Standing on the mountain and looking into the distance, you can see dense forests, deep valleys, gurgling springs, and echoing clear sounds.
Walking in the mountains, I felt the cool breeze and my clothes were fluttering, as if I was above the white clouds.
And looming in the clouds and mist are temples of various sizes.
Walking in the mountains, you can see smoky blue robes everywhere in the green mountains and forests, as well as practitioners holding yellow scrolls on the roadside. They sit on rocks and in front of thatched huts, sit and watch the clouds rise, and watch quietly in front of the courtyard. flower.
Looking at this scene, I really want to drink a handful of clear spring, wash my eyes, and then see the world more clearly.
I also envy these practitioners who place their bodies and minds in the mountains and forests. At this moment, I finally understand why so many people choose to live in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, because only here can you feel a power that guides us to find the truth. of myself.
I remember that Uncle Ma once told me when he was in Zhongnan Mountain that he wanted to find his true self. I guess he was influenced by this and came up with this idea.
But at this time, Uncle Ma told us a saying about the earth in Taoist culture.
What he said is: The earth is like a person's body, breathing all the time, and Zhongnan Mountain is the lungs of the earth.
Under the mountains, in the center of the earth, there are passages connecting each other, and breath flowing through them.
This is true for the Five Famous Mountains, including other famous fairy mountains in China.
Uncle Ma also told us that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling founded the Zhengyi Alliance and established political power in Hanzhong. His descendant Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao. After that, those believers also followed the Ziwu Ancient Road out of Hanzhong and moved north to Chang'an. Scattered branches and leaves.
For thousands of years, this rugged plank road has left behind many hurried footsteps, many messy horse hooves, and many famous hermits who have seen the same scenery and breathed the mountain air in Ziwu Valley in different time and space.
Looking at the Ziwu Valley in front of me, stepping on the moss under my feet, and listening to the mountain springs in the distance, I couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
Halfway through the journey, Uncle Ma, perhaps tired, stopped and pointed in the direction of a white cloud rising in front of him.
"That's where we want to go."
But I tried hard to look for a long time, but I couldn't see where we were going. All I could see was white clouds lingering in front of me, and the fairy spirit floating in the air.
Seeing that we were tired from walking, Uncle Ma proposed to take a rest. He said that there were many hermits practicing ascetic practices in Zhongnan Mountain. Some of them were Buddhas and Taoists, and some were neither Buddhas nor Taoists. They would build a hut in the mountains and it would be a place for pure practice.
Along the way, we also met some hermits, but most of them were from a distance. After all, it is impossible for them to build their residences beside the road.
However, Uncle Ma told us that even though there are so many hermits in Zhongnan Mountain, there are also fake ones. Especially in recent years, there have been fewer and fewer real hermits and more and more bastards.
First of all, many so-called hermits come here simply to escape the pressure of society and life. They call it seclusion here, but after living there for a short time, they can no longer stand the life in the mountains and run away.
Moreover, tourists, believers, Taoists, and media reporters often come to the mountain. Whenever they see the hermits practicing asceticism, they will leave some money to support them.
So some people came up with the idea and regarded this as a way to make money, so they built a hut next to the path into the mountain, put on Taoist clothes and waited.
Or use it as a gimmick, but actually to gain attention and achieve some of your own goals.
Not to mention, some people are doing really well with this, but there are also people who can't survive and can't receive any support, so they pack up their bags and run away and go home.
Therefore, if you see a "hermit" next to the roadside in Zhongnan Mountain, be careful. Since he has chosen to live in seclusion, he should stay away from the crowd, but he has gone to live in seclusion by the roadside. His intentions are unpredictable.
As we talked, we came to a mountain forest. Uncle Ma stopped, pointed inside, and said to us: "There is a true Taoist practitioner here. Come, I will take you to sit down and ask for a cup." Have tea!”
