The history of Wu Ye Temple can only be traced back to the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, there was only one ten thousand Buddha Pavilion, which belonged to Tayuan Temple. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that the Longwang Temple dedicated to Wu Ye was built, and it was changed from the Qing Palace to the independent Huangdi Temple.
Because of the folklore that the five lords are responsive, this small temple has won the devout worship of many billionaires, the lower class and the common people, and has become the most popular and fragrant temple in the cool and holy land.
Longwangdian make a wish
This small and exquisite, cigarette-filled temple is the core building of Wu Ye Temple-the Dragon King Hall.
This temple was built in the Qing Dynasty in the sixth year of the Republic of China (A.D. 19 17). It is said that Wu Ye thought it was small and old, so he had a dream for the abbot of the Tayuan in the evening, demanding that the temple be rebuilt and gilded.
Otherwise, Wu Ye will fly into a rage and there will be disasters everywhere. "
The Longwang Temple in front of us was rebuilt according to the dream of Wuye.
Wu Ye is the unique god of Wutai Mountain. There is a legend about his origin:
It is said that Wutai Mountain was desolate and hot a long time ago.
Later, Manjusri Bodhisattva borrowed a cool stone from the Dragon Palace in the East China Sea, and the whole mountain immediately grew grass, which was cool and pleasant.
But things are not over.
The Dragon King of the East China Sea has five sons, the fifth of whom has a bad temper and a black face, and is called the black-faced Fifth Master.
They go out to sow the wind and rain every day, and when they come back, they are tired and hot, but as long as they lie on the cool stones, they immediately feel comfortable and refreshed.
On this day, five little dragons came back from the rain and saw whether there were any dragon stones. After asking, they learned that they were brought to Wutai Mountain by Manjusri Bodhisattva, and they angrily came to Wutai Mountain to beg for the Dragon Stone.
As a result, it is conceivable that they are no match for Manjusri Bodhisattva. After several rounds, they were taken away by the Bodhisattva with divine power, and finally they were assigned to the top of five platforms to sow the wind and rain, among which Wu Ye was assigned to the top of the North Platform.
Up to now, there is a Black Dragon Temple dedicated to Wu Ye on the top of the North Platform, and the sparkling Black Dragon Pool next to the temple is its home.
A long time ago, people had to go to the top of the North Platform to worship Wu Ye. The top of the North Platform is covered with snow for thousands of years, with steep roads and bad weather, which makes it very inconvenient to worship.
In order to facilitate sacrifices, in the Qing Dynasty, people built the Dragon King Hall next to the Wanfo Pavilion, and invited Wu Ye to Taihuai Town, which was expanded during the Republic of China, forming the present pattern.
There are two statues of Wu Ye in this temple. The wooden statue in the back is 1979 and the bronze statue in the front is 1996, so people usually make wishes in the Dragon King Hall.
The golden dragon robe, the royal plaque and the armor made a wish, which made a great event in their hearts. Some people say that Wu Ye has a bad face. How can I tell he has a golden face?
In fact, as long as you look closely, you can see that Wu Ye not only has a golden face, but also wears a crown and embroidered robe, facing the horse in front of the temple, which is a magnificent royal style.
It turns out that all these glories were given by Emperor Kangxi.
It is said that one year when Emperor Kangxi went to Wutai Mountain to worship and walked near the temple at the foot of the platform, a strong wind suddenly blew and it was dark, and Kangxi and his party were in a panic.
Just then, I heard someone shouting in front of me: "Don't panic, my Lord, I am humble, come and pick up the driver."
Kangxi asked, "Who are you?" ?
The other party replied: "I am the fifth person in the Dragon King Hall of Wanfo Pavilion".
Kangxi quickly agreed: "If you can bring me back to the palace safely, I will definitely make you a duke."
In an instant, I saw a flash of light in mid-air, and a smooth road appeared in front of me. Along this road, Emperor Kangxi successfully returned to his palace.
The next day, Kangxi, who was shocked at first, was impressed by Wu Ye's contribution to the rescue, so he gave him a crown, a dragon robe and a golden face, and wrote the word "Dragon Ginseng" with imperial pen.
You see, this small plaque on the pavilion is the dragon ginseng plaque inscribed by Emperor Kangxi.
People in Wutai Mountain say that if you make a wish in Wu Ye Temple, you must come back to realize it, otherwise Wu Ye will be angry, so if your wish comes true, you must remember to come back to Wutai Mountain to realize it.
There are many ways to make a wish, the most common one is to make a plaque to express gratitude, and some people also make a dragon robe. However, the most solemn thing is to invite a troupe to sing some plays for Wu Ye. This kind of play is called "wishing play".
Opposite the Dragon King Hall is a stage specially built for Wu Ye.
Generally, Buddhist temples pay attention to quietness and solemnity, stay away from the noise of the world, and abandon song and dance entertainment. Therefore, the stage is rarely built as an entertainment facility, and Wu Ye Temple is an exception.
Because Wu Ye is different from Buddha and Bodhisattva, he is the Dragon King, has secular desires and eats human fireworks. He also likes secular festivals and excitement as much as we do. In addition, some people say that Wu Ye is the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Wutai Mountain has various Manjusri statues, such as the Qiaotou Manjusri in Muxiang Temple, Manjusri in Liangqing Bridge, Manjusri in Qian Bo Temple and Manjusri in Yuemingchi. Wu Ye is called Manjusri.
About his origin, the monk in the temple said this:
One day in June of a certain year, the monk of Wu Ye Temple reported to the abbot:
"Master, the head of a troupe in Fan Shi asked for an audience and said that he would sing for us." . The abbot said:
"Monks are not greedy and have no singing."
The monk said, "People have a contract signed by Master. You can't deny it." .
The abbot was puzzled and asked the monitor to come to the abbot's room.
The abbot said, "I have never seen you, let alone signed any contract with you." You have the wrong house. "
The monitor said, "I haven't seen you either, but I'm sure I didn't go to the wrong door." I don't believe you read the contract. "
Said, and took out the contract to the abbot, presided over a look, the red seal on the contract is indeed a temple.
In desperation, the abbot summoned all the monks in the temple and asked who wrote the contract. All the monks shook their heads like rattles.
Just as the monitor admitted that he was unlucky to go home, he caught a glimpse of the statue of Wu Ye in the Dragon King Hall:
"That's him, that's the contract he signed with me." Only then did people discover that there was an identical contract with the monitor in Wu Ye's sleeve robe.
It dawned on the abbot that it was Wu Ye who wanted to go to the theatre and wrote such a contract with the monitor privately. What else can he say? Immediately set up a stage opposite the Dragon King Hall and sing as agreed.
Since then, Wu Ye has been called Manjusri.
Believers from all over the world gradually learned that Wu Ye had such a hobby of going to the theatre, so every June, Wu Ye Temple opened its doors wide and invited celebrities to sing good plays for Wu Ye to enjoy, so as to benefit the world and the fine weather.
After some rich people realize their wishes, they should also ask the best local troupe to sing some plays for Wu Ye. This is a wish.
After 1985, with the increasing number of tourists in Wutai Mountain, more and more people paid the troupe to sing a wish play for Wu Ye. Every June, July, August and September, there is a play every day, which is basically the most prosperous open-air theater in the world.
So, why is Wu Ye Temple so prosperous?
Is Master Wu really that smart?
Why do visitors to Wutai Mountain have to burn incense in Wu Ye Temple?
In fact, this problem was deeply analyzed as early as 1948 when Chairman Mao Lu lived in Wutai Mountain.
According to the memories of the staff at that time, on April 8, the day after the Chairman lived in the Tayuan, the Chairman visited the Tayuan accompanied by Premier Zhou, Ren and the abbot of the Tayuan.
In a hall, the chairman saw a statue of a bodhisattva with a big hole in its chest. The abbot said it was the liquidation of farmers and temples during the land reform. I heard that the Buddha had gold in his stomach and paid for it. The chairman said humorously:
"It turned out that the Bodhisattva had a heart attack and the masses came to operate on him. You should protect him well, and then explain to the people who come to visit him what disease he has and why he needs surgery. "
After visiting the Tayuan, under the introduction of the host, the Chairman came to Wu Ye Temple with great interest.
In sharp contrast to the dilapidated Tayuan Temple, Wu Ye Temple is resplendent and magnificent, and its incense is flourishing. The chairman is very strange and asks:
"Why isn't this temple destroyed?"
The host replied: "There is a dragon king in this temple, which specializes in broadcasting wind and rain. The people not only did not destroy it, but also sent special personnel to protect it. "
After hearing this, the chairman was deeply touched: "You see, the conclusion drawn here is so obvious, and the attitude of the masses towards the Bodhisattva on the mountain and the Dragon King below is so different.
The bodhisattva on the mountain is high above the mountain, ignoring the sufferings of the people and staying away from the masses. The people treat him coldly and liquidate him;
The Dragon King at the foot of the mountain is in charge of the rain and dew, and the people depend on him for food, clothing, housing and transportation, so we should love and protect him. This is the so-called "win the hearts of the people and win the world"! "
Chairman Mao's words hit the nail on the head, pointing out the fundamental reason why Wu Ye is loved and the incense of Wu Ye Temple is flourishing, that is, serving the people, being a public servant of the people, and really doing good for the people!
The Wanfo Pavilion in Ming Dynasty is the oldest and most magnificent building in Wu Ye Temple, and it is an east-west attic. Built in the forty-fourth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, it is divided into two floors, with three eaves resting on the top of the mountain. It is one of the landmark buildings in Taihuai Town.
The first floor is dedicated to Manjusri Bodhisattva, Wu Ye's immediate boss. He rides a green-haired horse with wooden squares on three walls around him. The square is full of three-inch clay sculptures and gilded little Buddha statues.
On the second floor of the pavilion, a bronze bell, which was cast in Wanli period of Ming Dynasty and weighed 7000 Jin, is the second bell of Wutai Mountain. It is surrounded by a plastic "ten halls where the dead are hidden underground". The three walls are also wooden squares, and there are also small gold-plated Buddha statues in the squares. The small Buddha statues on the upper and lower floors add up to 10 thousand, hence the name Wanfo Pavilion.