Preface
By Zhang Xuelin, Vice Commissioner of the Henan Provincial Surveillance Commission for the He-Shan-Ru Circuit
Among the hundreds of famous monasteries on Mount Song, Shaolin is the most renowned. It was first established during the Taihe era of the Northern Wei dynasty. Although it has been destroyed and rebuilt through various dynasties, it has never lost its original site. During the Daxiang era of the Northern Zhou dynasty, it was renamed "Zhihu Temple," but its old name was restored during the Sui dynasty and has remained so to this day, making Shaolin also the most ancient. Mount Song is the Central of the Four Great Mountains, and the monastery occupies a scenic location on one of its peaks. Its fame is brilliantly recorded in the songs and poems of famous scholars. During the Ming dynasty, Fu Yuanding, the magistrate of Dengfeng, researched its history and wrote the thirteen-chapter *Book of Song*.
During the Kangxi era of our current dynasty, the local scholar Master Jiao Rujiang edited the aforementioned book into the *Gazetteer of Mount Songgao*. Thus, the splendor of Shaolin became more widely known, but it still lacked a dedicated chronicle. Such a work began with Jiao Yuanqian. Yuanqian, a descendant of Master Rujiang, believed that although the monastery's age and fame were well-known, without a detailed record of its famous sites and relics, they could not be passed down to posterity. Thus, he took up his pen to write a chronicle with eight sections in four volumes. He often lamented that since the monastery's establishment, particularly during the prosperous Northern Wei and Tang dynasties, it had been graced by imperial visits. The temporary palaces, rare imperial writings, caves of eminent monks, relics of poets, and the forest of magnificent steles once rivaled the peaks of the Two Mounts [Taishi and Shaoshi] in their immortality. But with the vicissitudes of time, they have been eroded by wind and frost, burned in the fires of war, and destroyed by common folk. To seek a glimpse of its former glory is now impossible; only their names survive in fragmented texts. If not for scholars who love antiquity and explored the remote, collecting and unearthing these fragments, even these few names would have vanished. Yuanqian wrote this chronicle more than seventy years after his ancestor. By then, many of the scenic spots had fallen into ruin. Yuanqian, seeing this and remembering the legacy of his ancestor, did not shy away from danger. Through many seasons, among cliffs and crumbling walls, he found fragments of steles and single characters, cherishing them like precious jade and recording them, hoping that the long and illustrious history of the monastery would be forever preserved.
I was appointed as an observer official with Dengfeng county in my jurisdiction. This spring, in the year of Wuchen, I accompanied the imperial procession. After the rites at Mount Tai, officials were sent to offer sacrifices at the Four Great Mountains and Four Great Rivers, and I was ordered to manage these affairs at Shaolin. I have been traveling here for nearly ten years, but official duties have kept me from fully exploring its beauty. After the rites, the county magistrate, Mr. Shi, brought me this chronicle, which he had proofread, and asked me to write a preface. I eagerly read it in my carriage. The green peaks seemed to leap from the pages, as if I were traveling through them in my sleep. It not only fulfilled my regret of not being able to explore them all but also showcased the magistrate's dedication to arts and literature and Yuanqian's success in carrying on his ancestor's work. I hope that all who read this chronicle will cherish and protect it. This is my preface.
*Written on the day after the full moon of the seventh intercalary month, in the autumn of the thirteenth year of the Qianlong reign, the year of Wuchen [1748].*
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**By Shi Yizhan, Magistrate of Dengfeng County**
I have always admired the beauty of Shaolin on Mount Song. In the year of Yimao, I was appointed to Zhongzhou [central plains]. Leaving the capital, I saw the layered peaks of Mount Song from afar. A companion pointed and told me, "The majestic one is Mount Taishi; the steep cliff to the west is Mount Shaoshi. Between them, Shaolin is the most prominent." Since Bodhidharma crossed the river on a reed, it has been called the ancestral court of Buddhism, a magnificent place of pilgrimage.
Upon arriving in Henan, the abbot of a local temple, who was from the Shaolin lineage, told me more, and my admiration grew. Soon after, I was ordered to supervise the renovation of Shaolin Monastery. When I arrived, the work was almost complete. I eagerly viewed the forest of steles—writings from the Tang and Song dynasties onwards, from emperors to scholars, too numerous to count, though many were sadly damaged. In the year of Jiazi, I was ordered to compile the county gazetteer. It seemed clear that Shaolin, a monastery of national importance, deserved its own chronicle. Just then, the scholar Jiao Yuanqian showed me a draft of a Shaolin chronicle from his family's collection, compiled by his grandfather and a former magistrate. It contained many lost inscriptions. We worked together to edit it into a complete work.
When Commissioner Zhang came to Mount Song for a sacrifice, he stayed at Shaolin. He expressed his deep connection to the place, as his father and grandfather had also served here. When Scholar Jiao presented the draft, the Commissioner was pleased and ordered it to be printed, writing a magnificent preface himself. I have long been a student of the Commissioner, and I am honored to follow in his footsteps to glorify this famous site. My former admiration can now be fully expressed. After the book was completed, I added these few words so that future readers of this chronicle can enjoy a "tour in their sleep."
*On the auspicious day of the Zhongyuan Festival, in the thirteenth year of the Qianlong reign, the year of Wuchen [1748].*
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**By Jiao Ruheng**
Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song is a famous monastery, ancient and modern. Its scenery and sights are beautiful beyond measure. Now, we have drawn illustrations and written explanations, compiled them, and sent them to be printed. A single glance at it can be like a tour in your sleep.
*Qianlong, Wuchen year [1748].*
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List of Compilers and Editors
* **Chief Editors:**
* Zhang Xuelin (Dongjiang), Vice Commissioner of the Henan Provincial Surveillance Commission.
* Chen Xilu (Shengyan), Prefect of Henan Prefecture.
* Zhang Yu, Vice Prefect of Henan Prefecture.
* **Original Compilers:**
* Ye Feng (Jingshu), former Magistrate of Dengfeng County.
* Jiao Qinlong (Chulin), Candidate for County Instructor of Dengfeng.
* **Continuing Compilers:**
* Shi Yizhan (Peiqi), Magistrate of Dengfeng County.
* Jiao Ruheng (Yuanqian), Juren of Dengfeng County.
* **Proofreaders:**
* Zhang Ejian (Buqing), County Confucian School Instructor.
* Niu Chengde (Zhenzong), County Confucian School Assistant Instructor.
* Chuan Rugong (Chijiu), Candidate for County Instructor.
* **Publishing Proofreaders:**
* Wen Yuanyuan (Jing'an), County Archivist.
* Jiao Ru (Youqian), Estate Manager of the County Confucian School.
* Jiao Rulan (Fangqian), Xiucai of the County Confucian School.
* Fu Weicheng (Zongzi), Xiucai of the County Confucian School.
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Record of Compiling the Shaolin Monastery Chronicles
**By Jiao Ruheng**
It is said that great mountains and long rivers rely on fine literature for their fame, and magnificent writings depend on enduring stone steles for their transmission. Shaolin has long been a renowned monastery, established in the shade of Mount Shaoshi, with the Nine Lotus Fortress in front and the Five-Teated Peak behind. Since its founding by Emperor Xiaowen and the arrival of Bodhidharma, it has seen moments of great glory. During the Tang dynasty, the monks aided Emperor Taizong, for which they were greatly rewarded. Imperial visits and gifts became common, and the monastery flourished as a center of Buddhism, visited by officials, scholars, and poets who left behind a legacy of inscriptions and art.
It is a pity that with the passage of time, so much has been lost to erosion, war, and neglect. The once-great forest of steles is now covered in moss, its characters illegible. Fifty years ago, my grandfather, Chulin, and the former magistrate, Mr. Ye, collected and copied what they could, preserving a treasure trove of history. I, lacking talent and resources, could only continue their work by proofreading and editing their collection. Now, under the patronage of the venerable magistrate, Mr. Shi, and the venerable commissioner, Mr. Zhang—a man of profound knowledge—this new chronicle has been compiled and published. Thus, the "First Famous Monastery Under Heaven" can be toured by opening a scroll, and this work will be as immortal as the stone and bronze it records.
*On an auspicious day of the last month of winter, in the twelfth year of the Qianlong reign, the year of Dingmao [early 1748].*
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Illustrations
* General Map -- Full Map of the Monastery
* First Patriarch's Hall -- Portrait of Bodhidharma
* Portrait of Returning to the West with a Single Shoe -- Portrait of Guanyin
* Portrait of the Fish-Basket Bodhisattva -- Portrait of King Kinnara
* Portrait of Lord Guan -- Picture of the Wall-Gazing Shadow Stone -- Portrait of Zhong Kui
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Geographical Features
* **Mount Taishi:** East of Shaolin Monastery, the main peak of Mount Song.
* **Mount Shaoshi:** In front of the monastery, with thirty-six peaks. Seen from afar, its layered peaks rise into the clouds like a thousand-petaled flower, possessing a beauty that surpasses even the majesty of Taishi.
* **Five-Teated Peak (Wuru Feng):** North of Shaoshi, a series of five interconnected peaks resembling a phoenix spreading its wings. Shaolin Monastery is built within its embrace. The peaks are round like monks' hats, a fitting place for a Buddhist sanctuary. A later tradition states that the five peaks were also a premonition of the later division of Chan Buddhism into five schools.
* **Alms Bowl Peak (Boyu Feng):** A peak in the shade of Shaoshi, shaped like an inverted alms bowl, where the Second Patriarch's Hall is located. It contains four wells with distinct-tasting water.
* **Imperial Fortress (Yuzhai):** At the top of Shaoshi, a naturally defensible plateau where Emperor Xuanzong of the Jin dynasty stationed troops.
* **Wall-Gazing Cave (Mianbi Dong):** On Five-Teated Peak, the secluded cave where Bodhidharma meditated for nine years. The air inside is chilling, and the stone walls bear strange, ripple-like patterns. A stone archway at the entrance bears the inscriptions "The First Trace of the One Who Came from the West" and "The Place of Silent Origin." Inside, there is also a stone carving depicting Huike standing in attendance.
* **Dragon-Rearing Cliff (Yanglong Ya):** West of the cave, a cliff with a large fissure, said to be the escape route of a dragon when Bodhidharma entered the cave.
* **Dragon-Drinking Pool (Yinlong Chi):** A large stone trough at the base of Five-Teated Peak, said to have been magically created by the Sixth Patriarch's alms bowl to provide water.
* **Tiger Ravine (Hujian):** A dry ravine filled with glistening stones. On quiet nights, a tinkling sound can be heard from within, the sound of a hidden underground spring. Legend says that the founder, Buddhabhadra, magically stopped the water from flowing east to prevent a future empress (Wu Zetian) from being buried there.
* **Demon-Subduing Terrace (Lianmo Tai):** A flat-topped rock in front of the Second Patriarch's Hall, said to be where Huike, the Second Patriarch, practiced walking meditation. It is also called the Heart-Seeking Terrace.
* **Sweet Dew Terrace (Ganlu Tai):** A terrace where sweet dew is said to have fallen from heaven while Buddhabhadra was translating sutras. An ancient, exquisitely carved hall dedicated to the deity Zhenwu stands upon it.
* **Cypress Valley Hamlet (Baigu Wu):** An area northwest of the monastery, once a manor granted to Shaolin by the Sui emperor.
* **Shao Stream (Shao Xi):** A stream in front of the monastery that sometimes runs dry, making Shaolin a place whose beauty lies in its mountains rather than its water.
* **Shaoyang Bridge:** The one remaining of three ancient bridges crossing the Shao Stream.
* **Staff-Striking Spring (Zhuoxi Quan):** A spring in front of the Second Patriarch's Hall, said to have been created when Huike struck the ground with his staff.
* **Morning Sun Cave (Chaoyang Dong):** A secluded area with many natural caves where monks practice meditation.
* **Pearl Curtain Waterfall (Zhenzhu Lian):** A beautiful cascade of water falling from a cistern high on the mountain.
* **Five Dragon Pool (Wulong Tan):** A pool said to have been formed by Huike's staff, feeding the Shao Stream.
* **Manjushri Cave (Wenshu Dong):** A cave containing a natural stone statue of the Bodhisattva Manjushri.
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Architecture
* **Shaolin Monastery:** Founded by order of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei for the Indian monk Buddhabhadra (Batuo), the monastery is magnificently situated. It was visited by many emperors, including Emperor Taizong of the Tang and Emperor Kangxi of the Qing, who bestowed upon it his imperial calligraphy.
* **Mountain Gate:** Built by imperial order in 1735. Flanked by two stone archways with poetic couplets.
* **Hall of the Heavenly Kings:** Formerly bearing a plaque reading "The First Ancestral Court Under Heaven," it now displays the imperial calligraphy "Shaolin Temple" by Emperor Kangxi.
* **Mahavira Hall (Great Hall):** The main hall of the monastery, holding a plaque "Precious Trees and Fragrant Lotuses" by Emperor Kangxi.
* **Kinnara Hall:** Dedicated to King Kinnara, the monastery's unique Dharma protector, celebrated for miraculously repelling rebels during the Yuan dynasty.
* **Hall of the Sixth Patriarch:** Contains a statue of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, and portraits of twenty-nine generations of monks.
* **Bell and Drum Towers:** Two tall towers flanking the central axis of the monastery. The massive bell's sound can be heard for thirty *li* (about 15 km).
* **Other Halls:** The monastery complex includes halls dedicated to Yama (King of Hell) and the Dragon King, as well as a main kitchen and storerooms.
* **Dharma Hall & Abbot's Quarters:** Behind the Great Hall are the Dharma Hall (for lectures), the reception hall, meditation cells, and the abbot's private residence.
* **Standing in Snow Pavilion:** Commemorates the famous story of Huike, who stood in the deep snow waiting for Bodhidharma to accept him as a disciple.
* **Thousand Buddha Hall (Vairocana Pavilion):** A grand hall built with materials from a dismantled Ming dynasty prince's palace. It is flanked by halls dedicated to the Bodhisattvas Guanyin (in a white-robed form) and Ksitigarbha.
* **Other Structures:** The monastery grounds also include several smaller hermitages, gardens, and a cloister that once served as a guesthouse for traveling monks.
* **First Patriarch's Hall:** A separate complex northwest of the main monastery, located near the Wall-Gazing Cave. It is a scenic spot with ancient trees, a hall dedicated to Bodhidharma, and a forest of steles with inscriptions from famous historical figures.
* **Second and Third Patriarch's Halls:** Located in the surrounding mountains, marking places where the second and third patriarchs of Zen practiced meditation.
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Historical Relics
* **Qin Dynasty Pagoda Tree:** A famous ancient tree, now gone, said to have been planted in the Qin dynasty and given the rank of a fifth-class official.
* **Shadow Stone:** A mysterious stone into which Bodhidharma's shadow is said to have been imprinted after his nine years of meditation. The image of a seated monk is faintly visible on its surface.
* **Sala Tree:** A rare tree from the Western Regions, said to be the same species as the *pattra* tree, whose leaves were used for writing sutras.
* **Cypress Planted by the Sixth Patriarch:** A tall cypress tree in the courtyard of the First Patriarch's Hall, said to have been brought from the south by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng.
* **Calligraphy:** The monastery holds several precious examples of calligraphy, including works by the Song dynasty official Cai Jing, the Ming dynasty official Zhang Qin, and was once home to a piece by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang, though it is now lost.
* **Paintings and Steles:** The monastery possesses plum blossom paintings attributed to the famous Song poet Su Shi and numerous steles with calligraphy by masters like Su Shi and Zhao Mengfu.
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Auspicious and Strange Events
* **King Kinnara:** The story of a humble kitchen monk who, during a rebel attack in the Yuan dynasty, miraculously transformed into the giant Dharma protector King Kinnara to save the monastery. He has been revered as the monastery's guardian ever since.
* **Auspicious Fungus (Lingzhi):** In the Song dynasty, twelve stalks of auspicious fungus grew in the monastery, an event considered so important that it was reported to the emperor.
* **White Sparrow:** White sparrows, considered auspicious signs, were seen during the Tang dynasty, once during the Wude era and again during the construction of a pagoda in the Zhenguan era.
* **Five-Colored Cloud:** During the imperially-ordered renovation in the Yongzheng era (1735), a brilliant five-colored cloud appeared in the sky, witnessed by a thousand people.
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Art and Literature (艺林) Imperial Edicts and Writings (宸翰)
**Eulogy for the Great Master Bodhidharma**
*By Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty*
The Great Master, whose name was Bodhidharma, was from India. His place of origin and his family name are unknown. He passed away on the fifth day of the twelfth month of the second year of the Datong era of the Liang dynasty [528 CE] in Luozhou and was buried at Xiong'er Mountain. I bestow this magnificent tribute to make his virtues known for posterity.
**The Eulogy:**
On the peak of Mount Lanka, a precious moon was born,
Within it, a golden man, clad in simple cloth.
His form like the great earth, his substance like the void,
His mind like lapis lazuli, his nature like pure snow.
Neither polished nor ground, yet eternally bright and clean,
He passed through clouds and mists, his mind ever clear.
The *pundarika* flower adorned his body,
He met the world with constant joy.
Neither existing nor non-existing, not coming, not going,
Vast in learning, eloquent, yet beyond words.
Truly empty, beyond life and death,
Great and small, transcending all conditions.
In an instant, he reached the wondrous enlightenment,
Leaping like a fish in the sea of wisdom, surpassing the ancient sages.
The river of Dharma should flow forever,
Why did it surge for a moment, only to recede?
The lamp of the mind within the dragon's pearl has fallen,
The white curl of wisdom's blade is now broken at the edge.
His disciples suddenly lost his compassionate eye,
The river of Zen ceased its flow, the bridge of Dharma is broken.
No coming, no going, no right, no wrong,
The forms of "self" and "other" crumble, the mind is shattered.
To stay or to go, all returns to stillness,
In the silent truth, how can there be sobbing?
He was bid to pass the lamp with a handshake,
Life and death, coming and going, are like a flash of lightning.
If one can be truly sincere, with a mind unshaken,
Even if burned by fire, it will not be destroyed.
The one true Dharma can be possessed by all,
For those still lost and unenlightened, this is the message.
---
**Letter to the Abbot of Shaolin Monastery at Baigu Hamlet**
*By Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty*
From Li Shimin, Prince of Qin, Grand Marshal, President of the Department of State Affairs, Governor of Yizhou Circuit, Commander of the Left and Right Martial Guards, Imperial Commissioner, Grand General of Liangzhou, Supreme Pillar of State:
A notice to the abbot, the monastery head, the disciples, military and civilian leaders, and the common people of Shaolin Monastery at Baigu Hamlet.
Recently, the empire has fallen into chaos, the myriad regions lack a ruler, the world has been overturned, and the path of the Three Vehicles [of Buddhism] has been severed. This has caused turmoil throughout Jambudvīpa [the human realm], with the land ravaged by war and demonic forces competing for power. Our dynasty, receiving the mandate of Heaven, upholds the true teachings. By riding the elephant-drawn chariot, we bring light to the great treasure [the empire]. Thus, our virtue reaches all people, and our teachings enlighten the Buddhist community. Having received the grace of our salvation, all have reached the other shore.
Wang Shichong has usurped a position he does not deserve. With the torch of wisdom, we have opened the eightfold path and restored the nine regions. You, masters, have all been able to deeply understand the changing situation and recognize the profound cause early on. You have offered great counsel and together returned to the land of blessings. You captured the villainous rebel [Wang Shichong's nephew, Wang Renzé] and cleared this pure land. The merit of your loyal service is now known at court. The path of proving the truth and cultivating reality will further glorify the image of the Buddha.
Upon hearing this, I am filled with immeasurable joy. The offerings and rewards for you should be different from the ordinary. Now that the eastern capital is in peril and will be eliminated any day, you should all strive to complete this great work and set a fine example for the future. May you all be at peace in your old professions and enjoy eternal tranquility. I have sent the Pillar of State, Duke of Deguang County, An Yuan, to convey my thoughts to you. One or two of your leaders may come here to meet me. I will not say more.
*The thirtieth day of the fourth month.*
(This stele is in front of the Bell Tower)
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**Letter to Shaolin Monastery**
*By Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty*
I have received your report that new bamboo shoots have grown at the Lingta Monastery. I understand that my late mother, with a mind focused on wondrous enlightenment, chose this sacred place to establish a place of worship. Therefore, in this palace of the Vulture Peak, at the winter season, these phoenix-like shoots have grown. They brave the deep frost to show their beauty, their green stalks presenting their rarity. Shoots in three places signify the three refuges of her past vows; a single stalk manifests the one truth of her former mind. This is also due to the merits of your cultivation and blessed karma. With my meager sincerity, how could I deserve such a thing? I look towards the Jetavana garden with ever-deeper longing. I send this letter to express my thoughts. I will not say more.
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**Imperial Edict on the Repair of Shaolin Monastery**
*By Empress Wu Zetian*
The summer heat is waning, and the hot season is almost over. The mountain forests are quiet, and the Buddhist halls are pure and empty. While you are in seated meditation and walking practice, I imagine you are at rest.
I, the disciple, previously followed the imperial carriage to visit the Vulture Peak. Seeing the sacred place where my late mother practiced her pure karma still unfinished, I was overcome with grief, a thousand emotions gathering in my heart. Clinging to the light of the precious tree, the sorrow of "wind in the trees" [a metaphor for grieving one's parents] deepened. Reflecting on her image in the pearl spring, the feeling of the "cold spring" [a metaphor for a mother's love] intensified. I, with my meager virtue, am deeply saddened. Whenever autumn comes, the pain of a grieving heart is multiplied. As seasons change, the bone-deep sorrow grows. Not yet thirty days have passed, and two anniversaries of death have been marked. My regret grows with time, my sorrow deepens as I tread on the dewy ground. Who can I entrust with creating blessings to express a fraction of my thoughts?
Now, I wish to continue my late mother's will and restore this place of worship. I am sending Sansi with gold, silk, and other items to you to discuss the matter. I hope you understand my intention and begin the repairs at once, aiming to complete the work by the anniversary of her death. I hope that by exhausting my sincerity, I can build a bridge [of merit] for her, slightly express my supportive feelings, and offer some comfort to my lonely and lost heart. I write briefly to express my intent and will not say more.
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**Imperial Poem**
*By Empress Wu Zetian*
Accompanying the Imperial Carriage to Shaolin Monastery, Seeing the Place Built by My Late Mother, My Lonely Heart is Deeply Moved, and My Distant Longing is All the More Poignant. I Write of the Occasion to Express My Grief.
Accompanying the imperial carriage, we toured the garden of nirvana,
Attending the viewing, we emerged from the cloistered gate.
Clouds furled around the magnificent canopy,
Rosy mists hung low, touching the sunlit banners.
The palace opened to the ravine, the moonlit hall revealed its solemn gate.
The golden wheel turns on golden ground,
The fragrant pavilion trails fragrant robes.
Bells chime with the gentle breeze,
Banners flutter in the thin mist.
Once, we encountered the fire on the mountain where auspicious fungus was burned,
The red glow welcomed the soaring wild phoenix.
The flower terrace has not half a shadow,
The lotus pagoda has a complete radiance.
Truly, we rely on the power of the Capable and Benevolent [the Buddha],
To draw upon the might of the one who has attained good release [the Buddha].
A compassionate connection gave rise to this blessed work,
Herein, I exhaust my devotion.
The branches in the wind cannot be stilled,
Weeping blood, what can I pursue?
(This stele is inside the mountain gate)
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**Imperial Edict of the Ming Dynasty, Fifteenth Year of the Wanli Reign (1587)**
An imperial edict to the abbot and monks of Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song.
The teachings of the Buddha are contained in the scriptures, used to guide the good and awaken the deluded. They are not without help in protecting the nation and blessing the people. Now, the Empress Dowager Cisheng Xuanwen Mingsu has ordered the carving and printing of the supplementary Tripitaka, comprising six hundred and thirty-seven cases, to be distributed throughout the land. This monastery shall receive it. You must solemnly chant, respectfully venerate, and treasure this collection. No one is permitted to treat it disrespectfully, causing it to be lost or damaged. This is specially granted for its protection, to be passed down for eternity. Respect this! Thus, this edict is issued.
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**Qing Dynasty, Forty-third Year of the Kangxi Reign (1704)**
By imperial order, a plaque with the four characters "宝树芳莲" (Precious Trees and Fragrant Lotuses) was bestowed to be hung in the Great Buddha Hall.
At the same time, a plaque with the three characters "少林寺" (Shaolin Temple) was bestowed to be hung outside the Hall of the Heavenly Kings.
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**Thirteenth Year of the Yongzheng Reign (1735)**
On the thirteenth day of the fourth intercalary month, Wang Shi, the Governor of Henan, received the following imperial edict:
According to the memorial from Wang Shijun, the Governor-General of Hedong, Shaolin Monastery in Henan province has fallen into disrepair over the years. He has now dispatched officials to inspect it, make a reliable estimate for its reconstruction, and has submitted drawings for review.
In the drawings, I have noted that the twenty-five branch residences are located far from the monastery, scattered about, and are not part of the main temple grounds. In the provinces, the monks of these branch residences are often undisciplined and cause trouble, becoming the corrupt seeds of Buddhism. Since Shaolin Monastery is now being rebuilt into a proper *conglín* (large public monastery), it is not appropriate to allow these branch residences to be scattered outside the temple, making them difficult to inspect and manage.
All these buildings should be dismantled and rebuilt as dormitories on the left and right sides, outside the monastery walls. As for how to carry out this reconstruction, Wang Shijun is to make a discretionary plan. After the work is completed, as for who should be appointed abbot, you are to await my edict. I will dispatch someone from the capital. By imperial command.
(Attached is the dispatch from Governor-General Wang Shijun, detailing the imperial order to use funds from surplus grain taxes and public donations to finance the 9,000 taels of silver required for the reconstruction, and appointing various officials to supervise the work with utmost sincerity.)
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Writings of Feudal Princes (藩王文翰)
**Record of the Reconstruction of Shaolin Monastery**
*By the Prince of Hui, "Shouyangzi," in the year of Guichou of the Jiajing reign (1553)*
I have often heard of the splendor of Shaolin Monastery, said to be the foremost sight in the Songyang region. According to geographical records, Mount Song is the center of the world, where yin and yang, wind and rain converge. Sixty *li* southeast of Songshan lies Shixia Valley, the burial place of my ancestor, Prince Jian. Sixty *li* further southeast is Sanfeng Mountain, where the tomb of my esteemed late father is located. It is said that the spiritual essence of the great mountain is concentrated in its outstanding men; the *Book of Odes* praises the birth of Fu and Shen, a truth known since antiquity.
In the year of Renzi, I received the emperor's gracious command to succeed to the title of Prince. I thought deeply of the virtues of my ancestors and requested permission from the court to visit their tombs to pay my respects and fulfill my filial duties. After the rites were completed, I took the road through Mount Song to seek out the famed Shaolin Monastery. It was mid-spring, and the weather was warm and pleasant. I followed the path of Goushi to pay homage to the mountain god, passed the Two Mounts (Taishi and Shaoshi), and viewed the Three Terraces. I gazed upon the peaks of Chaofu and You, and shook the dust from my clothes on the summit of Huqiu. I felt as if I were chasing a green flame beyond the natural world,恍若與王子下上而聆厥鳳聲焉. The mountains encircled, the waters flowed deep, and the forests were lush and dense. The splendor of Shaolin was before me, solemn, refined, and magnificent, even greater than I had heard.
I then visited the First Patriarch's Hall and said, "How ancient! Is this not the wall-gazing shadow stone, where Bodhidharma sat in silent meditation for nine years? Indeed, the Zen school began from here." I ascended Shaoshi Peak and said, "How remarkable was the will of Huike! Snow piled up to his waist, yet he did not move his heels, and in the end, the Dharma robe was passed to him. Without such utmost sincerity, who could have achieved this?" Then, reading the stele of my ancestor, Prince Jian, I was moved to tears and said, "How beautiful is the aspiration of my ancestor! His handwriting remains here, a testament to his vision. How can I not continue his work?"
Therefore, I donated a sum of gold and ordered the abbot, Wuwan, to oversee the reconstruction of the Sweet Dew Terrace and the Sutra Repository, to house the Tripitaka and the gold and bronze statues bestowed by our dynasty. The Fangzhang (Abbot's Quarters) was renovated, and the Standing in Snow Pavilion was built to commemorate the place of the direct, single transmission of the mind-dharma. Suddenly, an auspicious sign appeared in the heavens: a five-colored, auspicious cloud appeared, and moments later, a golden light shot up to the sky. This was on a day in the middle of autumn of that year. It was truly an auspicious sign of the unique origin of Shaolin's ancestral source, a response to the spiritual energy gathered in the mountains and rivers.
All the halls, pavilions, gates, and steps that were dilapidated were repaired, and those that were worn were embellished. The following spring, Wan came to report the completion of the work and said, "This project has three virtues: first, renovating a place of ancestral worship demonstrates filial piety; second, proceeding according to proper rules shows respect; third, enhancing a famous monastery honors antiquity." To honor antiquity is righteous, to follow rules is respectful, and to be filial is benevolent. A single act has accomplished three virtues. How can it not be recorded? I dare not take credit, so I record the date and have it carved in stone.
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**Stele of Monk Biandun (No Longer Exists)**
*By Zhu Houzun, Prince of Xinchang, grandson of the Prince of Lu of the Ming Dynasty*
The Chan Master Biandun, whose monastic name was Wukong, was from the Chen family of Yuzhou. At the age of twenty, he went to Shaolin Monastery and became a disciple of a foreign Lama, requesting a Dharma name. The master said, "The Dao is originally formless, what name can it have?" Kong replied, "All the Buddhas of the three ages have names, how can I be the only one without?" The master gave him the *Heart Sutra* to read. When he read the line "the five aggregates are all empty," he had a sudden awakening and said, "The body itself is an illusion, where can I seek a name?" One day, he wove a large *biandun* (a flat, round basket) and presented it to his master. The master pointed to it and said, "*Biandun* is your name." He replied, "If my name is *Biandun*, then inside I am also empty (wukong)." The master said, "This is in harmony with the special transmission outside the teachings."
Later, he went to the summit of Mount Emei and built a thatched hut to live in. One day, he saw Amitabha Buddha holding a copy of the *Great Amitabha Sutra*, who said, "This sutra is in the Tripitaka, but outside the Tripitaka, it is not found at all. I entrust it to you to spread widely." Kong then traveled throughout the country, printing and distributing numerous copies of the *Great Amitabha Sutra*. Soon after, he returned to Shaolin, mindful that it was the place of Bodhidharma's single transmission. He donated three hundred taels of silver and, with the monks, held a great Dharma assembly to support the imperial court. In the forty-second year of the Jiajing reign, he went to Emei again. When he reached the middle of a river in a certain prefecture, he said, "The Dao is vast and boundless, meeting people without end." He went ashore, sat in a formal posture, and passed away.
His disciple's disciple, Puming, and others said, "Shaolin is where our master began his journey. We should return him to be buried at Shaoshi and build a stupa." After completing the stupa, they went to Junyang to ask me for a text to describe the Chan Master's life. I, pitying their sincerity, have here detailed the master's life to fulfill their wish and record the date.
*The second year of the Longqing reign (1568).*
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Official Documents (部)
**Ministry of Rites, Fourteenth Year of the Shunzhi Reign (1657)**
Regarding the matter of the public selection of a legitimate successor to the Dharma lineage to continue the tradition and honor the state's statutes.
The Bureau of Sacrifices reports: Based on a petition submitted by the Bureau of Monastic Affairs, led by Xingning and seven others, it is stated that Shaolin Chan Monastery on Mount Song in Henan, since Bodhidharma's wall-gazing and mind-transmission, has been the ancestral court of Buddhism for the entire country. All who succeed to the abbotship and transmit the Dharma have traditionally been appointed by imperial decree, with the Ministry of Rites issuing a certificate for the abbot of Shaolin to promote Chan studies, succeed the ancestors, and transmit the lamp, and to discipline the monks, similar to the descendants of Confucius in the Confucian tradition and the Celestial Masters in the Daoist tradition. This has been the case for a thousand years, unchanging with the dynasties.
Now, the twenty-eighth generation Dharma-transmitting abbot of Shaolin Monastery, Haikuan, is a disciple who received the robe and bowl from the twenty-seventh generation abbot, Huixi. His precepts are pure, and his Chan studies are profound, making him a model for his generation. In the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming dynasty [1639], the Ministry of Rites issued a certificate for him to become the abbot. After several years of transmitting the Dharma, a new dynasty, the Qing, was fortunately established, and all laws were renewed. In the third year of the Shunzhi reign [1646], a dispatch from the provincial governor and a joint petition from Henan officials in the capital were sent to the Ministry, endorsing Haikuan as abbot and requesting a new certificate. However, due to a foot ailment, Kuan returned to the monastery and did not receive the certificate. Now that he has recovered, he has come to the Ministry to request a new certificate, so that the thousand-year-old Buddhist lineage may be preserved and its merits may last for eternity.
Upon receiving this petition, it was sent to the appropriate bureau for investigation. The bureau confirmed that in the third year of the Shunzhi reign, there was indeed a dispatch from the Henan governor and a joint petition from Henan officials endorsing the monk Haikuan as abbot and requesting a new certificate. Now, with the petition from Xingning and the others stating that Haikuan's precepts are pure and his Chan studies profound, that he is the twenty-eighth generation Dharma heir of Bodhidharma, and that he is publicly endorsed, it is appropriate to grant him a new certificate to continue the Chan lineage and discipline the monks.
Therefore, this is issued. Haikuan is to proceed to Shaolin Monastery to serve as abbot, discipline the monks, burn incense, and continue the Zen tradition. This is the command.
*Issued on a day in the second month of the fourteenth year of the Shunzhi reign (1657).*
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Stele Inscriptions (碑记)
**Shaolin Monastery Stele**
*By Pei Cui of the Tang Dynasty*
Originally, the stars hung in the world of Brahma, and holy karma opened the sun of ten thousand transformations. The sun shone on the royal palace, and divine traces contained the beginning of the three spirits. Encompassing the ultimate void to reveal worldly phenomena, the teachings have long been transmitted through vast eons. Embracing all existence to show mortals, the Dharma body first responded in the final antiquity. Seeing the power of supernatural abilities to relieve suffering, opening the gate of wisdom to deeply illuminate the realm of joy. The twin trees of the Crane Grove changed color, showing the disciples' attachment; the Wild Goose Pagoda opened its doors, allowing for veneration.
Shaolin Monastery was established by Emperor Xiaowen of the Later Wei dynasty. Located near the eastern capital, west of Mount Taishi, its upright energy resides in the center of the six directions, and its clear capital controls the nine regions. Mount Gou stands to the north, spanning the celestial gates of Wan and Luo; the Ying River flows south, connecting to the cloudy marshes of Jing and He. It is truly a spiritual land of the imperial domain, a blessed place in Yangcheng.
Buddhabhadra was a man from India. His mind was empty and profoundly pure, his wisdom vast and far-reaching. He transmitted the non-dual Dharma gate and possessed a deep understanding of the Way. He traveled from the Western Regions to the capital. Emperor Xiaowen, from his imperial throne, showed respect for the Buddhist community. In the Taihe era, he issued an edict to establish this monastery for him. Pure provisions and Dharma water were supplied by the public treasury. The Master then built a stupa for relics on the western terrace of the monastery and a sutra translation hall behind the stupa. Fragrant water was used to plaster the walls, and golden ropes were used as guide lines. With painstaking effort, the land of the Many-Jeweled Golden Body was completed in a short time, and the words of the Buddha's golden mouth could be sheltered like continuous clouds. It was bordered by a long stream to the west, flanked by the rustling of pines and cypresses, and backed by a deep cliff to the north, covered by the dense shade of bamboo. The misty flowers and dense haze brought down celestial fragrance at dusk; the clear sound of the spring's music transmitted celestial music at dawn. Buddhabhadra calmed his mind in this place, enjoying the quiet and peaceful life. Through his spiritual connection, he attained enlightenment. In his dreams, it was as if a divine being brought him a stone chime, four feet long, of natural form and perfect pitch.
At that time, the Tripiṭaka Master Ratnamati translated scriptures and gathered scholars at the monastery. Chan Master Chou sought the true Dharma and resided in the stupa temple. In the Jiande era of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou, he accepted the advice of Yuan Song and abolished Buddhism and Daoism. All the monasteries in the land were destroyed. In the Daxiang era of Emperor Ming, Buddhist and Daoist statues were restored. A temple was established in each of the two capitals. Because it was established out of filial piety, it was named "Zhihu" (Ascending the Barren Hill, an allusion to filial grief). The Zhihu Temple in Luoyang was this very monastery.
When Emperor Gaozu of the Sui dynasty received the throne by abdication, the calendar was changed, and the dynasty's name was altered. However, he specifically ordered that the name of this monastery should remain the same. In the Kaihuang era, an edict was issued granting one hundred *qing* (about 1500 acres) of farmland from the Baigu military colony to Shaolin Monastery. At the end of the Daye era, the monastery was plundered by mountain bandits. The monks resisted the bandits, who then set fire to the stupa courtyard. The buildings in the courtyard were instantly destroyed, but the sacred stupa miraculously remained standing.
Fifty *li* northwest of the monastery is the Baigu estate. Its peaks are clustered, and its valleys are deep and winding. A winding path climbs to the clouds, overlooking the dragon's realm. The high peak receives the Buddha's sun, and the path is close to the birds' flight. It was once the Jincheng military post and a county in the Qi dynasty. Wang Shichong, who usurped the throne and called his state Zheng, established a beacon tower here due to its strategic location. He garrisoned troops in Luoyang with the intention of seizing the monastery.
Emperor Taizong, the Civil and Martial Emperor, rose like a dragon from Taiyuan and stationed his army at Guangwu. He opened his headquarters and personally led the troops. Monks Zhijian, Huitan, and others, understanding where the spiritual mandate lay and recognizing to whom the people's songs of praise belonged, led their followers to resist the usurper. They submitted a memorial to declare their great allegiance. They captured Shichong's nephew, Wang Renzé, and brought him to our court. Emperor Taizong praised their righteous and brave act and frequently sent letters of consolation. In addition to receiving favorable edicts, they were also granted forty *qing* (about 600 acres) of land and a water mill, which is the Baigu Manor.
In the Wude era, a white sparrow was seen at the monastery. In the Zhenguan era, during the construction of a new pagoda, a white sparrow auspiciously appeared again. Emperor Gaozong, the Great Celestial Emperor, visited in person during the Xianheng era. He wrote the characters for the *Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* in "flying white" calligraphy on a golden stele and left banners, images, and other gifts. In the Yongchun era, he wrote another imperial letter, with a single character "飛" (fly) in "flying white" calligraphy, which was inscribed on the monastery wall. After the emperor's passing, the Great Sage Empress Wu Zetian performed meritorious deeds for the late emperor. In the Chuigong era, winter bamboo sprouted behind the stupa courtyard, and a vine grew again. In the Zhengsheng era, a court eunuch was sent with money to repair the stairs at the place where the vine grew.
His Majesty, with his brilliant plans and versatile divine abilities, used the ink of the celestial pool to illuminate the world. Because this monastery has traces of the late emperor's creative work, he ordered the seven characters of the stele title to be carved by the monk Yixing and bestowed upon Shaolin Monastery in the winter of the eleventh year. He also issued an edict that the land and mill previously granted by the late emperor to the monastery should be returned to the monks and not be confiscated by the government.
Among the sacred mountains of the world, none is like Mount Song. The place of practice in these mountains is this magnificent hall. The Two Mounts (Taishi and Shaoshi) rise opposite each other, and the eight valleys murmur. The land welcomes the flowers of the treasured gate, which connects to the stone pillars. Wondrous towers and fragrant pavilions overlook the tall forests below. Golden spires and precious bells sway in the clear emptiness above. The subtle aid of the Dharma realm is thus, and the blessed response of the imperial house is thus. Heaven and earth are long-lasting, but they cannot transmit the palace of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. When the eon ends and all turns to dust, who will remember the assembly on the Iron Encircling Mountains?
Seeking out fine stone and skilled craftsmen, I will use the words of a man of letters to praise the virtue of the Golden Immortal [the Buddha], to proclaim the ultimate meaning, and to convey the profound truth to afar.
**The Ode:**
In the lands of the Ganges sands, among countless beings,
False views fly about, the correct mind is hidden in a trunk.
The dark path is not understood, the pure roots are about to fall,
Content in the covering entanglements, as if at peace in a dream.
Magnificent is the Great Sage, who descended into Jambudvīpa,
Secretly turning the precious wheel, widely spreading the compassionate boat.
Truly there is no extinction, yet he showed a gentle descent.
The jade palace was opened in the west, the white horse came to the east.
Delusion is born from arrogance, enlightenment arises from faith.
Jade temples were thus built, precious mountains were established.
Flower terraces and bamboo forests, clear springs and wondrous waters,
Quietly contemplating the true form, profoundly still, therein it resides.
Majestic Mount Song, the great bastion of the He and Luo rivers,
Below it are the nine streams, above it the thousand-仞 peaks.
The heavenly steps are layered and steep, the immortal capital is pure and lofty.
Here a monastery was founded, to guide and advance.
How graceful was the ancient virtue, born in venerable tradition,
Practiced in the west, taught in China.
Emperor Xiaowen showed his respect, his grace was bestowed and increased.
Managing the meditation chambers, they rose above the clouds.
On the north slope of the Central Peak, the west foot of Songgao,
It borders the jade pool, and opens to the Baigu Valley.
Streams connect, water and trees flourish,
Who was it that built this sandalwood grove?
Our master, in his ascetic practice and pure cultivation,
In the place of practice, diligently built the elephant hall [temple].
He focused his energy on the sutra hall,
The golden realm was marked with straight lines, the pepper-fragrant paths were scented with water.
A place to scatter flowers, a place to practice Chan.
Understanding emptiness, responding to truth, the silent Arhats,
Riding cups and shaking staffs, they gathered here.
Translating profound verses, explaining wondrous principles.
A celestial chime responded with spirit, a divine sparrow descended with blessings.
The fortunes of earth and wood turned, the dynasties of Zhou and Sui passed,
The fires of kalpas [eons] rose one after another, the demonic winds blew competitively.
The Dharma body was eclipsed, the pure land was destroyed.
Though one heard of revival, how could the collapsed be raised?
The divine Yao [Tang Emperor Gaozu] responded to the time, quelling chaos and restoring order.
The imperial power's enlightenment was great, and blessings were extended.
Ugly rebels were stopped, and the holy cause was supported.
Edicts of grace were repeatedly issued, and gifts were bestowed.
Emperor Gaozong's visit was foretold, the empress's journey was determined.
The carved carriage quickly returned, the rainbow banner frequently rested here.
He inscribed the jade tablet, the earth shook with a golden sound.
Precious talismans repeatedly arrived, manifesting in things.
Our Emperor has risen, all canons are in order.
This sublime realm stores the divine brushwork.
Clouds shake the great enclosure, phoenixes circle Shaoshi.
Grass drips with immortal dew, the forest raises the Buddha's sun.
Protecting the eightfold path, always awaiting the capable and benevolent.
Buddhabhadra descended with virtue, Master Chou was his neighbor.
Later, true companions transmitted the ultimate cause.
Talented debaters and lofty practitioners continued the pure tradition.
How outstanding are the monks of Brahma, generation after generation of bright sages.
Now, all you masters, embodying the joy of Chan,
Your fragrance surpasses fragrant herbs, your purity is greater than ice and snow.
You have forged a bridge to the other shore, all through arduous effort.
On the sacred Mount Ying, in the treasured halls of the mountains,
They stand out in the realm of Brahma, solitary marks of the divine.
Though a mustard seed's sincerity can be exhausted, and mulberry fields can change,
This true stone is eternally carved, the spiritual flower blooms forever.
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**Translator's Note:**
This was a very long and dense inscription, full of literary allusions and Buddhist concepts. I have aimed for a translation that is both faithful and readable. The chronicle continues with more stele inscriptions, each with its own unique style and historical value.
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**Record of the Shaolin Monastery Kitchen and Treasury Stele (No Longer Exists)**
*By Gu Shaolian of the Tang Dynasty*
To open the formless gate of the True Vehicle (Mahayana) is to silently express the great merit of the teaching of forms (conventional teachings). Without the formless, one cannot reach the ultimate; without form, one cannot transform the ordinary. It is like seeing a shape by looking at its shadow, or knowing a fire by seeing its smoke. It is the path by which the Tathagata skillfully guides sentient beings, a staircase for the unenlightened to find the light. Though one proceeds from the shallow to the deep, the reality is one.
Since Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty dreamed of the golden man in his palace and, questioning his court, received the clear words of Fu Yi and learned of the corresponding image in India, monasteries were first built and stupas subsequently raised. Shaolin Monastery was founded in the Taihe era, abolished during Chengguang, renamed during Daxiang, and granted land during Kaihuang. As for obeying heaven, responding to the people, capturing bandits to aid the true ruler, and destroying the demonic army in its rampant state to protect the pure land in a time of darkness—these acts were made manifest during our Tang dynasty.
Among its more miraculous events are Buddhabhadra's founding of the monastery, where the sacred stupa was not consumed by the fires of a kalpa; his pointing to a stream and causing it to flow west; Master Chou using his staff to stop two tigers from fighting; and Huike cutting off his arm, whereupon the three karmas (of body, speech, and mind) were stilled. Rare flowers were planted in the monks' groves, and phoenixes and cranes flew together in the realm of Dharma. It is truly a hermitage of the Buddhist clan, a separate palace of the Western Paradise.
Moreover, its location is at the center of the earth, where the wind and rain converge. Mount Song is lofty and supreme, the finest of the mountains, gathering the pure energies of the *Gen* and *Dui* trigrams and accumulating the secret traces of spiritual immortals. Therefore, those who are dedicated to the Way and those who love strange and wondrous things, even those entangled in the dusty net of the world, often come here to seek tranquility and eternal rest.
However, the storerooms were not built, and the kitchen was cramped and shabby. Though it received offerings from the faithful of the capital and harvests from the fields of Baigu, and though the nature of True Suchness does not depend on many possessions, the practice of the Great Way abhors waste. The monk Fazhen had long resolved to build anew, with the aim of great benefit for all. The Prefect of Henan, Duke Du Huangshang, personally took charge of managing the work and generously donated from his own pure salary. Furthermore, the people of the capital, Bai Xianhe and others, all planted this fine seedling of merit, contributing to this blessed undertaking. The poor offered their effort, and the wealthy contributed funds. Divine dragons offered pearls, and fragrant elephants offered their strength.
In addition, because the monastery path was halfway up a cliff, it was difficult to transport materials. They felled pines and cypresses on the mountain peaks and fired tiles on the cliffside. The Buddha's good teachings inspired people, and they forgot their toil. The plan was initiated, the ground was leveled, the uneven places were smoothed, and the area was measured. The carpenters set their lines, and the master artisans wielded their tools. Piles of timber rose like mounds, and axes moved like the wind. Without measuring the days, the work proceeded without pause. The beams, pillars, rafters, and posts, both large and small, were made to proper measure, conforming to the carpenter's square. The mortise and tenon joints were perfectly fitted, and the carving and hewing were just right. When the woodwork was done, the walls were raised. The supports were properly placed, making the structure strong and stable.
It was constructed to be solid and firm, protected from wind and rain, and impervious to dust and dirt. A curved chimney was designed to draw out the smoke, and vents were made to let out the bad air. The cooking pots and cauldrons were arranged, and food was steamed and boiled with purity and cleanliness. The thick juices had a place to drain, and the flames and heat had a place to vent. A fragrant breeze would often come and wash away the oppressive heat. Such was the design of the kitchen.
It was made deep and empty to receive goods, and fitted with double doors to control what went out. The granaries were set up, and locks were put in place. What was taken out and used was neither wasteful nor miserly. The public offerings were not depleted, and the annual accounts were kept clear. A strong gate was installed, creating a secure treasury. Such was the design of the storeroom.
The Buddha hall was made more solemn, and the monks' hall was enhanced with a new roof and walls. A new and grand pavilion was built from which to survey the "fragrant rice" being prepared, and a high tower was erected from which to look down upon the Vulture Peak mountain. Whenever the great bell rings at dawn and the sun is three lodges high, the black-robed monks gather together and go to the hall to eat. All of them, with solemn expressions and hands held in respect, first make an offering to the venerable images and then to all sentient beings. When the roar of the *pulao* (a dragon-like creature on bells) ends and the sound of the ocean tide ceases, the five salts and seven vegetables and the fragrant rice are brought from the central kitchen and arrayed in the great hall. All is prepared without profanity, and the work is done diligently. Those who seek food do not suffer from disorderly queues, and the elderly have a place to be cared for until the end. Nothing is extravagant, yet the structure is grand and effective.
At the end of the Dali era, I, Shaolian, served as an official in Dengfeng. In a single tour of duty, two decades have passed. In a previous year, I was an official in Luoyang and happened to meet the monks again. The famous mountain was in sight, and my old friends of the Way were still there. I wanted to follow them, but official duties constrained me. And so, I have recorded their achievements in this record of the kitchen and treasury.
*In the year of Wuyin of the Zhenyuan era, the twentieth year of the Emperor's reign (804 CE).*
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**Letter to Emperor Gaozong**
*By the Monk Xuanzang*
I, Xuanzang, since my youth, have been able to devote myself to the teachings, but I have not had the leisure to calm my mind in the four stages of *dhyāna* (meditation) and the nine stages of *samāpatti* (concentration). Now, I wish to entrust my thoughts to the gate of Chan and clarify my mind in the water of concentration.
I humbly believe that in this province, Mount Song and Shaoshi Peak have overlapping ranges and numerous wondrous peaks and ravines. They contain the wind and clouds and embrace benevolence and wisdom. The fruits and medicinal herbs are abundant, and the vines and creepers are pure and empty. Among them is Shaolin Monastery and other temples, all situated among cliffs and ravines, surrounded by forests and springs. The Buddhist affairs are solemn, and the rooms are spacious and serene. It is the place where the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci of the Later Wei translated scriptures. It is truly a place to which I can turn to cultivate Chan and contemplation.
Even worldly scholars who have served in two courts understand how to return to the sea [retire], and commoners like Chao Fu and Xu You knew to dwell on Mount Ji. I, Xuanzang, have left my family for the sake of the Dharma, yet I am still delayed in the mortal world. The pure breeze of these places stirs me, and the thought of them increases my shame.
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**Inscription for the Precept Platform (戒坛碑铭)**
*By the Monk Yijing*
The *karmavācanā* (monastic procedural rules) are in the holy teachings. They are not mere formulas, but the words from the golden mouth [of the Buddha], to be respected and followed. I have witnessed the flourishing of the Dharma in the Western Regions and traveled with my staff to the East. Seeing this grand event, I joyfully write this record.
(The Shaolin Precept Platform's location is now lost. The *Gazetteer of Mount Song* says: "The Stele of the Precept Platform was written by the scholar Zhang Yue in the third year of the Kaiyuan era [715 CE]." Wang Shizhen says: "At that time, Yue was probably still young and not yet famous for his calligraphy, yet the brushwork is so mature." Wang Shizhen also mentioned that the *Lingyun Stele* was written by a monk of that time, and its calligraphy is very similar to the *Shengjiao Xu*, with every stroke resembling it. Fortunately, that stele still exists, but the Stele of the Precept Platform was lost at an unknown time.)
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**Record of the Reconstruction of the Stele of the Great Master Bodhidharma (No Longer Exists)**
*By Ouyang Xuan of the Yuan Dynasty*
In the past, the Great Master Bodhidharma secluded himself at Longmen and concealed his traces at Xiong'er Mountain. The ruler of that time, Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty, in memory of his wisdom, personally composed a magnificent stele. As generations passed, the old carving eroded, and only the text survived.
In the third year of the Zhiyuan era of the great Yuan dynasty, the year of Yimao [1266], the elder of Shaolin, Xi'an, was about to re-carve the stone in Luoyang to honor the source of Chan. He sent a disciple to the capital to request an imperial endorsement. The Empress Dowager ordered me, your servant, to write a narrative.
I reflect that the first patriarch of the Eastern Land, Bodhidharma, of the true lineage, came from faraway India to China. At that time, the Jin dynasty was promoting the words of "pure talk," and the profound Way was hidden. The Liang dynasty was indulging in construction projects, and the people were suffering. The Master, out of great compassion, came in person to remedy these ills. Emperor Wu of Liang revered the Buddhist community, and monks gathered like a forest. He was a golden bulwark for protecting the Dharma and a medicine stone for saving the world. However, the emperor's self-illuminating wisdom was not receptive, and the master's departure with his sandals was thus decided. The sages of old served their rulers with the Way; if it was not accepted, they would withdraw. Their righteousness in advancing and retreating, how could it be faulted? Although Emperor Wu lacked the affinity of "a needle and mustard seed meeting," there was not the slightest trace of "a square peg in a round hole." Seeing his later lamentations in writing and his sincere devotion, the righteousness of the relationship between ruler and subject was fulfilled and even deepened.
As for the encounter with Song Yun on the Pamir Mountains, where Bodhidharma was seen walking gracefully, one understands that the origin of birth and death is non-existent, and believes that coming and going are not fixed. The profound teachings have not been replaced by distant thoughts. The Four Noble Truths are all integrated, and the three bodies of the Buddha have the same longevity. There is enough to verify this.
The great Yuan dynasty is vast and magnanimous, without dualism. It can illuminate vast eons as if they were a single breath, and contain the Dharma realm as if it were a single house. It has enshrined the golden Buddha in the central land and roofed over the southern altars of the Song. The famous mountains, great rivers, and magnificent relics of previous dynasties have not been allowed to fall into ruin, demonstrating its protection and support. The Empress Dowager, following the ancestral teachings and secretly harmonizing with the Buddhist vehicle, applies the heart of public-mindedness to the world-transcending law. It is like the thunder that moves without error, and all things are of one nature; it is like the moon that shines without bias, reflecting in a thousand rivers.
Thus, the virtue of the Great Master is proclaimed anew because of this illustrious dynasty, and the writings of the former king are restored through this fine sound. How magnificent! I, Xuan, serving in the northern gate, am responsible for such writings. I am ignorant of the inner scriptures and cannot fully praise them. Looking at the old text composed by the Liang ruler, its conciseness is like new, and its old framework remains. There is no need for embellishment. It is re-carved on the left side, to bestow great and lasting blessings for future generations.
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**Abridged Record of the Reinstallation of Buddha Statues (Stele No Longer Exists)**
*By Shan Xizhi of the Ming Dynasty*
Shaolin Monastery was founded by Emperor Xiaowen of the Later Wei dynasty. In the past, Bodhidharma came from the West in fulfillment of a prophecy, advocating a separate transmission [of the Dharma] which did not resonate with Emperor Wu of Liang. He crossed the Yangtze River to the state of Wei and sat facing a wall for nine years. The cave on Five-Teated Peak is a surviving ancient trace. From the Wei dynasty until now, the monastery has experienced periods of prosperity and decline.
At the beginning of the previous Yuan dynasty, Xueting [Fuyu] was summoned by imperial edict to preside over the ancestral court. He directly pointed to the wordless Way, and through severe cold and great heat, he never slacked in his efforts. In a few years, the influence of the Zen school flourished greatly. At the end of the Zhizheng era [of the Yuan], the country was in turmoil, and famous monasteries throughout the land were burned and destroyed. The ancestral court [Shaolin] was only half preserved. The Buddha statues in the hall had their gold scraped off and their backs broken open by ignorant commoners who suspected something was hidden inside. It is a pitiable thing.
When our dynasty pacified the realm, in the summer of the fourth year of the Hongwu reign [1371], a couple from Luoyang, Chai Yuanjin and his wife, were moved with compassion. They redeemed the gold and commissioned artisans to restore the statues of the Buddhas of the Three Ages. They were once again radiant and new. Those who enter this hall now feel as if they have reached the place where treasures are found. Although this was an act of a single sincere thought, with no expectation of reward, the retribution of good and evil follows like a shadow. The *Book of Changes* says, "A family that accumulates goodness is sure to have a surplus of blessings." This is a Confucian saying, but is it not also a principle in Buddhism?
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**Abridged Record of the Reconstruction of the First Patriarch's Hall**
*By Luo Hongxian, in the thirty-ninth year of the Jiajing reign (1560)*
Bodhidharma stayed at Shaolin and faced a wall for nine years. He never chanted scriptures, yet he constantly revealed the secret meaning of the special transmission outside the teachings that began with Śākyamuni. This was his way of constantly chanting the true sutra. In his debate with Emperor Wu of Liang about merit, he did not count the building of temples, yet he established the wondrous, pure, and majestic Buddha land everywhere. This was his way of constantly building precious temples. The Shaolin monastery is to our school what Zhushui and Sishui were to the Confucian school. The "one thread that runs through it all" transmitted at Zhushui and Sishui was understood by few at the time, and those who claimed to understand were rebuked. Even if one were to refute Yang Zhu and Mo Di, even among the sage's disciples who swept the floors and responded to questions, the essential meaning was the same. From this perspective, is it easy or difficult to find someone who can ascend to the hall of Confucius and, among the thousands of disciples at Zhushui and Sishui, practice the zither, sing, and perform rituals without getting tired or bored? Such a person is hard to find.
Since Bodhidharma entered China and was called the First Patriarch, the Dharma gate flourished for five generations until it reached Huangmei [the Fifth Patriarch, Hongren]. Although it split into the sudden and gradual schools, both ultimately returned to the same source. The robe and bowl were held and passed down only after one stood in the snow and cut off an arm [like Huike]. This shows that the teaching requires a certain kind of person.
After several tens of generations, there was Zongshu, named Dazhang, from the Li family of Shunde. He was ordained in his youth and visited many famous monks. In the year of Dingsi of the Jiajing reign, the prefect of Henan, hearing of his fame, invited him and gave him a certificate. In less than four years, he raised the monastery from its ruins and greatly renovated the old sanctuary. In the year of Jiwei, he rebuilt the First Patriarch's Hall at the old site of the wall-gazing. The pillars and beams are strong and firm, the tiles are well-made, and the painting is renewed. Nothing is damaged. It was completed in eight months. The monks of Shaolin sighed that they had never seen anything like it. His old friend, Tianzhen, came to Mount Heng to meet him, and through this connection, sent his disciple, Guanghu, who traveled a thousand *li* to beg me for a text to commemorate the event. I laughed and said, "I have always refuted Yang Zhu and Mo Di, how could I spare words for you?" Guanghu pleaded earnestly for ten days without ceasing. Pitying his dedication, which could inspire our own school, I wrote this record of the date and gave it to him to take back.
(This stele is in the First Patriarch's Hall)
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**Record of the Reconstruction of the Dharma Hall (Full text not recorded)**
*By Jia Yuanshan*
The ancestral court of Shaolin was established during the Later Wei dynasty in the central plains, standing preeminent among all monasteries. For nine hundred years, it has seen several cycles of prosperity and decline. At the end of the Yuan dynasty, when soldiers suddenly rose up, the monks scattered, but the monastery gate still stood. The abbot, Ningran, was unequal to the task, and the halls fell into ruin. He was powerless to restore them.
When the holy dynasty unified the realm, the gate of the teachings was purified again. The monks found their place, and the teaching found its truth. The monk Renshan arose, his virtue pure and even. He was capable and steadfast, standing out from the crowd. He was chosen by the community to preside over this seat. He dedicated himself to his duties, thinking of continuing the work of his predecessors. The Dharma Hall and other temple buildings were made radiantly new. All who visit cannot but rejoice. The Buddha's light shines down, and in response, the water of the spring welcomes them. He who can truly realize the Way can achieve a body beyond the material world. This merit is carved in metal and stone to preserve his good name for eternity.
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**Record of the Reconstruction of the Chan Hall**
*By Yu Bao*
After chaos was divided, heaven and earth were established. After heaven and earth were established, creation was completed. The agents of creation are the sun, moon, and stars in their brilliance above, and the mountains, rivers, and great peaks in their thickness below. The five elements interact, and the ten thousand things are born. A hundred commanderies are arrayed, and the nine provinces are established. Dengfeng county is located under the stars of Zhang and Yi, connected to Luoyang, occupying the heart of the world and possessing the finest beauty of the human realm.
Twenty-five *li* west of the county seat is the ancestral court of Shaolin, a place of extreme beauty under heaven. In front, Mount Shaoshi stands as a screen; behind, Five-Teated Peak provides support. Boyu (Alms Bowl) Peak and Xianglu (Incense Burner) Peak are on its right; Taishi and Yunü (Jade Maiden) Peaks surround its left. Looking up a thousand fathoms, it overlooks a precipitous abyss of ten thousand仞. The land is spiritual, and the people are outstanding. What a marvelous sight to behold! The water is clear, and the mountains are beautiful. How lovely are the four dimensions! It is truly a land of ultimate bliss, a monastery of the Brahma King.
The Great Master Bodhidharma came again from Liang to the ancestral court and faced a wall for nine years. He then met Shenguang [Huike], who cut off his arm to pacify his mind. The celestial secret was leaked. He returned to the West with a single shoe. From then on, since the Tang and Song dynasties, the lamp of the patriarchs has been passed down, and the great school has been promulgated.
In the first year of the Chenghua reign of our great Ming dynasty, there was a Chan Master Baoxin of the Li family of Suiyang. With straw sandals and a bamboo staff, he roamed the rivers and lakes, his movements free and unrestrained. He concealed his light and hid his traces, sleeping on stones and clouds, cultivating the Way for several years. One day, he returned to the ancestral court and wandered around, looking at the pavilions, halls, and cloisters. The right side was still beautiful, but the Chan Hall alone was not complete. The master was moved to rebuild it, making it grand and new. This was the master's effort. His disciple, Wufang, seeing his master's merit, requested a text to be carved on an enduring stone to serve as a mirror for the future. This is the record.
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**Record of the Renovation of the Chan Hall**
*By Zhang Sixiao*
Shaolin is a magnificent sight in the world, the seal of the Zen school. Its ancestral source is the place where Bodhidharma transmitted the Dharma. Emperor Xiaowen of the Later Wei and the eminent monk Buddhabhadra founded it here, because its peaks are beautiful and surround it with feeling, making it suitable for establishing a monastery to seek the truth of one's nature and destiny. Since the Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, the incense has burned ever more brightly.
The monastery still has its old Bell Tower, Sutra Repository, and halls for the guardians and patriarchs, all of which are still solemn. In the middle is the Mahavira Hall to house the Western Sage. To the north is the Hall of Single Transmission to enlighten the monks of the world. To the east is the kitchen, which has its own proper form. Only the West Chan Hall, though its foundation was solid, had its roof tiles, worn by the years, fall off. It suffered from the tremors of wind and rain. Compared to the other halls, its beauty and ugliness were strikingly different. The traveling monks who stayed here could not remain for long, and the wandering pilgrims who stopped here could not find peace.
A monk of the temple, Zhou Guang, was moved in his heart. He generously donated his own funds and ordered artisans to repair the roof beasts and fire new tiles. The scale was renewed, and it flew like a new bird, even better than before. The work began in the fourth month of the year of Gengwu of the Zhengde reign [1510] and was completed in the sixth month of the same year. The cost was entirely borne by Guang, and the plan was entirely conceived by him. Among the Buddhists of today, how many such men can be found?
After the work was completed, the monk Xingran happily told me, "That he could accomplish this great undertaking by himself cannot go without words to inspire future generations." The head monk, Keyu, came to me and told me of the matter. I then wrote down his words to record the date.
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**Record of a Visit to Mount Song and Shaolin (No Longer Exists)**
*By Jin Zhongshi*
Since ancient times, those who speak of grand tours invariably mention the Five Great Mountains. Xiang Ziping of old had such aspirations but was delayed by his yet unmarried status. If even a commoner found it difficult, how much more so for those with official rank and duties? An official's position is fixed, and his administration is dedicated. Is it not even more difficult for him to travel?
Today, among the officials in the world, those who can combine their duties with travel are only the two or three censors. Every year, they receive the emperor's clear mandate to patrol the country. Their administration has no fixed place, and their carriage wheels and horse tracks cover all the famous mountains and great rivers within the realm. I have been serving as a censor for several years. My first assignment was in Guizhou, the ancient land of Yelang. The mountains and waters there are as strange and special as any in China, but because it is a remote borderland not listed in the *Tribute of Yu* or the official geographies, and since few exiles have been sent there and the local people are simple and do not know how to praise it, its fame in the world is negligible.
My next assignment was in Zhejiang, the foremost province in the country. The places I passed, like Mount Tianmu, Kuaiji, Siming, and Yandang, and the waters like the Qiantang River, Lake Tai, the Fuchun River, and the Tiao Stream, have all been extolled by famous scholars and poets, making them seem no less than the mythical islands of Fangzhang and Yingzhou. They are truly beautiful. However, among the Five Great Mountains and Four Great Rivers listed in the sacrificial canons, Zhejiang has not a single one. Thus, it is not a grand sight of the universe.
After my service in Zhejiang was complete, I received an appointment to the Central Plains (Zhongzhou). The Central Plains were the capital region of the ancient emperors. It is where heaven and earth, yin and yang, and the energies of the four seasons converge. I was quite pleased with this, fulfilling a long-held wish, and happily prepared for the journey. In the second month of spring in the year of Wushen, I arrived at Daliang (Kaifeng). Although Daliang is a metropolis, it relies only on the Yellow River for its defense and has no other mountains or waters to see. The high officials of the provincial government often spoke of the beauty of Mount Song. I would often gaze westward and see the peaks of the Two Mounts (Taishi and Shaoshi), faintly piercing the heavens, appearing and disappearing. This is the mountain praised in the *Book of Odes* as "lofty and supreme, reaching to the heavens," from which spirits descend.
Soon, it was time for my inspection tour. My colleagues said that according to custom, I should start from the north of the Yellow River. So I crossed the river at Linyan and stayed in Gongcheng for a long time. I traveled along the Wei and Qi rivers, passed through Yexia to reach Tanhuai, and saw the source of the Ji River. From my carriage, I saw mountains like Hanling, Maimen, and Wangwu, and simply took note of them. My thoughts, however, were always on Mount Song.
On the day after the first quarter of the sixth month, I crossed the Yellow River again at Mengjin and entered Luoyang to the south. This was the place where the Zhou dynasty established its capital, what was called the center of the world. In front, I saw the Yique Pass; behind, I looked at Beiman Mountain. The Yi, Luo, and Jian rivers flowed around it. I asked the local officials about the ancient sites like Yuntai, Tongtuo (Bronze Camel), and Jingu (Golden Valley), but they had all turned into fields of thorns and rubble, with only their names remaining. I felt a sense of regret. After about ten days, my official business was somewhat settled. An official reported that the Central Peak was in Dengfeng county and that according to custom, I should pay a visit and offer sacrifices. I then sent a dispatch to the magistrate of Dengfeng to prepare incense, silk, and sacrificial grains.
On the day after the last quarter of the moon, I set out by carriage, crossed the Yi River, and headed east. I passed Goushi and spent the night at Huanyuan. At dawn on the Gengchen day, I combed my hair and bathed and set out eastward. It had rained heavily, but now the sky was clearing. I looked out and saw the clear clouds in the sky seeming to fall, and the distant and near peaks emerging one after another. I felt very happy. After twenty *li*, I reached the mountain pass. The stone path was winding, steep, and dangerous. This was the dividing point between the Two Mounts. It was originally one ridge, but a road for the imperial carriage was cut through by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang, and now the two cliffs stand opposite each other like the sides of a carriage box.
I traveled southeast for eight *li* and arrived at Shaolin Monastery. The monastery is on the north slope of Mount Shaoshi, on the sunny side of Five-Teated Peak. It was founded by Emperor Xiaowen of the Later Wei for the Indian monk Buddhabhadra. I went to the Fangzhang (abbot's quarters) to rest for a moment. The magistrate, Shaojun Rulong, who was on patrol with me, came to pay his respects. Soon, the county's judicial official, Yao Jiuwan, and the police magistrate, Yang Tireng, and the Dengfeng magistrate, Fu Mei, all came to see me in succession. After they left, I had a light meal. After the meal, the abbot brought tea. I took a few sips and got up.
From behind the Fangzhang, I ascended to the Standing in Snow Pavilion. This is where the monk Huike waited on Bodhidharma while snow fell so deep it reached his shins, and he did not leave, finally succeeding to his Dharma. Further behind is the Vairocana Pavilion, which was built with materials from the former residence of the Prince of Yi. It is extremely magnificent, built on the foundation of a peak, and the temple is vast.
I then returned and walked in front of the Dharma Hall to look at the forest of steles. One of them recorded that during the Tang dynasty, when Emperor Taizong was still the Prince of Qin, he sent a letter to the monks, making a pact with them to raise troops to capture Wang Shichong. Later, thirteen of the monks distinguished themselves. Among them, Tanzong was appointed Grand General, and the rest were granted forty *qing* of land at Baigu Manor. This is a valuable supplement to the *Book of Tang*. To this day, the monks of the monastery are known for their martial skills.
Turning to the west corridor, about a hundred paces away is the Sweet Dew Terrace. In the past, Buddhabhadra translated scriptures here, and sweet dew fell from the sky, hence the name. Northwest, through a grove of trees for three *li*, I reached the First Patriarch's Hall. The pines and cypresses there are wonderfully ancient. Turning northwest again, outside the hall gate, six large characters, "達磨面壁之庵" (The Hermitage of Bodhidharma's Wall-Gazing), were carved in stone, written by Cai Bian of the Song dynasty. Beside it, another stele had a sixteen-character eulogy written by Huang Tingjian. In the room was a statue of Bodhidharma. On the table was a stone, about two feet high and one foot wide. The texture of the stone resembled the image of Bodhidharma. It is said that after nine years of wall-gazing, his sincere spirit penetrated the stone, and his image was indelibly left in it. However, the substance of the stone is completely different from the rocks on the mountain, which is very strange.
The monk with me then led me behind the Sutra Repository to the Qin Dynasty Pagoda Tree. It was ten *zhang* (about 33 meters) high and thirty feet in circumference. Wen Lügong's [Wen Yanbo] poem on Shaolin has the line, "The fifth-rank pagoda tree is still here," but I don't know what his source was.
At noon, Shaojun invited me for a drink south of the stream in the Fangzhang. We watched the monks practice their arts. After ten rounds of wine, I got up and headed east. After about fifteen *li*, I left the official road and took a small path to the north. From a distance, I saw the dense, lush forests of the Huishan and Fawang monasteries, but I did not have time to visit. I went straight to the Songyang Palace to see the three cypresses enfeoffed during the Han dynasty. The largest was three *zhang* and five feet in circumference, the next was three *zhang*, and the smallest was two *zhang*. Their gnarled roots looked like they were from the time of the Three Dynasties. Emperor Wu of Han was a man of great talent who conquered the four barbarians. Reading Sima Qian's biographies of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, it is said that he was blessed by heaven and did not suffer from lack. Now, the man and his bones have all decayed, but these three cypresses are still called "General" and stand majestically. It is truly something to sigh about.
Beside them is a large stele, the *Eulogy on the Response of Sagely Virtue*, by Li Linfu. Why have these flattering words of a treacherous minister not been scraped off? I thought about the postscripts written by Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu. I looked up at the peaks of Mount Song, rising without end. In the setting sun, the color of the green peaks could be scooped up. Looking back at Shaoshi, it was even more precipitous, as if competing with Taishi in splendor. A truly magnificent sight. To the east, I saw the Chongtian and Chongfu palaces, both in ruins, and I did not want to go. So I entered the city and went to the official residence.
The county magistrate came to report that the offerings for the temple were all prepared and asked for the date of the sacrifice. He also reported that southeast of the city were the scenic spots of Luyan, Shicong, Jishan, and Pinshui, and invited me to visit them all. I refused them all, ordering him to save the sacrificial animals and prepare for the rites the next morning. After the rites were finished, I would head south to Ruzhou. The magistrate agreed and left. That night, the sky suddenly turned cloudy, and by midnight, it began to rain. At dawn, it was still drizzling. I sent a message to get a carriage with a cover.
At dawn on the Xinyi day, I went out in the rain. I left the east gate and arrived at the temple. The rain lessened. After the ceremony was completed, it cleared up. Shaojun invited me for a drink at the Tianzhong Pavilion. I declined and went to the Mijie Hall to change my clothes. The magistrate presented rubbings of steles by Song Wangzeng, Chen Zhiwei, and others, but I had no time to look at them. I got up in a hurry. From behind the curtain of my carriage, I could only get a distant glimpse of the shape of Huanggaifeng (Yellow Canopy Peak). The temple itself, with its double gates, lofty halls, forest of steles, and cloud-like pines and cypresses, I was also unable to explore at leisure. As for the legendary traces of Emperor Wu of Han meeting the Green Lad, obtaining the jade man, hearing the cry of "ten thousand years," and the immortal traces of Fuqiu and Yujin, I could only read about them in gazetteers and could not visit each place to verify them.
I left the city by the old road and had a meal. After a short while, I set out from the west gate. The sun was already high. I crossed a small river. The current was quite strong. I switched to a shoulder-borne palanquin and headed south. This year, Dengfeng suffered a severe drought. It had not rained since the first month of spring. By the sixth month of summer, the wheat had withered, and the fields were not green. The elders were weeping by the roadside, begging for tax relief. I immediately sent a dispatch to the provincial administration to discuss it. Traveling in the mountains should be a joyful thing, and the past few days of travel were enjoyable. But seeing the sallow, ragged masses, I was filled with sadness. Wang Bo's words, "to know the waxing and waning of the moon's numbers," are truly famous words.
I have traveled fifty *li* out of the county seat. Looking back from afar, the mountain appears even more distant and majestic. Now I know that the poet's praise of it "reaching the heavens" was no exaggeration. The *Baihutong* says: "Why is the Central Peak alone given the word 'high'? Because the center is in the middle of the four directions and can be high." Alas, I have received three imperial commissions and have traveled tens of thousands of *li* from the capital. My footprints have covered half the country. Of the Five Great Mountains, I have now visited only one. And, being rushed with official business, to try to see all sixty peaks in one day is like trying to taste the nine tripods by sampling one. It is truly difficult. However, having been able to visit the central and highest of the Five Great Mountains, the other four can be imagined. To say that I have visited all Five Great Mountains is perhaps acceptable. This is the record.
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**Fu Mei's Postscript:**
I, Mei, became the magistrate of this county in the year of Wushen. That year, there was no harvest in the territory. In the sixth month of summer, the Censor Jin came to the Central Peak on official business. He passed Shaolin Monastery and Songyang Palace. After completing the rites, he headed south. The elders blocked his path and begged him to stay for a night, but the Censor did not consent. It was as if he said, "I have personally seen that there is no green grass in the fields. I do not wish to burden the people with my entourage and provisions." Soon after, a memorial about the disaster was submitted to the throne, and not long after that, an order for relief was issued. The old and young of the entire region were saved from the ditches and gullies. This is the foundation of his travelogue. The Censor ordered me to carve this record of his visit onto an enduring stone and place it on the wall of the lecture hall. I respectfully add these few words in a postscript. A summer proverb says: "One tour, one preparation, is the measure of a feudal lord." In the past, people praised the imperial inspection tours. Today, I dare to praise the one who inspects on behalf of the emperor. The future will look upon the present just as the present looks upon the past. May those who come after this tour read this three times.
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**Record of a Visit to Shaolin**
*By Yuan Hongdao*
After passing Goushi Ridge and crossing Huanyuan, I turned southwest and entered the mountains, and there was Shaolin Monastery. Mount Shaoshi stood squarely before it, and other mountains encircled it, forming a natural enclosure as if measured by a ruler. Among the ancient sites between the capital [Beijing] and Luoyang, all have been destroyed, but this monastery alone still preserves its original form. Recently, when passing through the eastern capital [Luoyang], I searched for the ruins of the old palace, but nothing could be found. I inquired about the famous gardens recorded by Li Wenshu, but they were also gone. At Yique, the ruined statues and broken steles on the two cliffs, crumbling and covered in moss, brought tears to my eyes. This place [Shaolin] is much more satisfying; I no longer sigh so mournfully.
The Daoist Chushi said, "What those with good taste now value is what is ancient, what is complete, and what is known." The mountain hunt of the sage-king Yu is ancient. The misty clouds of the Wuyun Pavilion and the waterfall cliffs are complete. The forest of steles from the Sui and Tang dynasties onward in the courtyard is known. The head monk said, "Does the Daoist wish to place this mountain in the middle of a bustling city? I ask for a turning word to assess you." The Daoist replied, "Long ago, a man of great strength carried it away." I laughed heartily. The head monk was a descendant of the Caodong school and was the abbot of this monastery.
From the east and west of the monastery, I followed a winding, stone-paved path, passing the Sweet Dew Terrace. There was an ancient tree with roots like leaning stones, and a hollow part like a bridge. I had already left the monastery and, turning west, went to see the First Patriarch's shadow stone. The stone was white with black markings, bearing a striking resemblance to a portrait of an Arhat. An old monk said, "This stone came from the stream. It can create shadows of water, trees, and clouds." I replied, "Indeed. The stone is important because of the shadow, but Bodhidharma's importance is not because of the shadow, nor the stone, nor the wall-gazing. There is no need to add legs to a snake here."
From behind the hermitage, I ascended for thirty-some turns and reached the First Patriarch's Cave. The stone inside the cave was curled like endless waves. The Five-Teated Peak was several *zhang* below. I descended the mountain, crossed the southern ridge, and after about ten *li*, reached Huike's Heart-Seeking Terrace. The terrace was shaped like a bowl, leaning against a green cliff, overlooking the Yi and Luo rivers and the Yellow River below, vast and hazy in the mist.
Returning to the monastery, I wandered through all the rooms and rested in the abbot's quarters. I turned to the Daoist Chushi and said, "There are traces of my robes and shoes here. The cloudy trees and misty peaks are like old acquaintances. I have been dream-traveling to this mountain for a long time."
At dawn, I went out the gate. The novices, both young and old, were standing in rows, begging to see a demonstration of hand-to-hand combat. The abbot said, "This is a custom of the mountain." I watched them try; many had exceptional skills.
I wanted to climb Mount Shaoshi, but there was no path to be found. The strange beauty of Shaoshi cannot be seen up close; only from a distance can it be appreciated. A practitioner of martial arts, looking from afar, saw the ancient bell tower rising above the other mountains. For those coming from Ruzhou, one can only see a thousand-petaled lotus, green as the sky, swaying in the clouds. The mountain is walled on all four sides, and other mountains obscure its outer parts. When one gets close, one cannot see the summit, only the obscuring ranges. Travelers are often dissatisfied, like a hero who is lost in a crowd. Ordinary talents get to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him and obscure him, and when the time and place are right, those who were once far away and obscured emerge, while the hero and his obscure companions perish like rotten leather, and only then does the world see him as if he were a flying immortal. A scholar worries only about not being uniquely prominent. Several years ago, I was traveling on the Nanyang road and saw a distant green peak piercing the sky. The locals called it the "Nine-Topped Lotus Fortress," but I had no idea what it was. It was only when I passed the mountain ridge that someone mentioned this name, and I realized that what I had seen was more than five hundred *li* away. The beauty of Shaoshi can thus be specially known.
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**Record of a Visit to Shaolin**
*By Zhou Xu*
From the Huanyuan road, I turned south for just five *li* and entered Shaolin Monastery. Bamboo and trees shaded the area so that the sun was not visible from above. The lingering fragrance of flowers and grass was rich and pervasive. The monastery is at the foot of Five-Teated Peak, with Mount Shaoshi to its south, arranged like a screen.
The monks, hearing of a guest's arrival, welcomed me very respectfully. Behind the Buddha Hall is the Lecture Hall. Behind the Lecture Hall is the Standing in Snow Pavilion, which is the place where the Buddhist disciple Huike received the Dharma from Bodhidharma. Huike once waited on Bodhidharma while snow fell to his waist, and he did not leave, finally obtaining his Dharma. I sighed and thought, "In the past, You Dingfu and Yang Zhongli stood in the snow at the gate of the Cheng brothers and eventually transmitted their Way. Huike, in learning the Buddhist Dharma, did the same. If all the disciples in the world were like this, how could their studies not be successful?"
I then viewed the steles erected in various dynasties. The oldest text was the *Eulogy for the Great Master Bodhidharma* composed by Emperor Wu of Liang. The rest were all texts from the Tang and Song dynasties and later. I then followed the mountain cliff northwest and went deep for about three *li*, climbing upwards. The mountain was precipitous and encircling. Looking down, the terraces and halls of the monastery and the forests and ravines of the mountain seemed to be right below my seat. This was the Wall-Gazing Hermitage of Bodhidharma. The hermitage has a shadow stone, said to be a relic from Bodhidharma's nine years of wall-gazing.
At that time, the rain had stopped, the clouds had cleared, and the mist had dispersed. The secluded birds and evening cicadas sang high and low. I suddenly had a feeling of being beyond the dusty world. A monk told me that eight *li* to the southwest, on a ridge, was Huike's Hermitage and the Staff-Striking Spring. But as they were covered in overgrown bushes, I could not go up and had to leave.
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**Record of a Visit to Mount Song**
*By Wang Shixing*
At Shaolin Monastery, the rafters of the buildings block the sun, and the monks are as numerous as dragons and elephants. There is no summer heat in the middle of summer. There are many kinds of steles and carvings, with those by Su Zizhan [Su Shi] and Zhao Mengfu being the most outstanding. The cypresses and junipers in front of the hall reach into the sky. I asked about the Qin-enfeoffed pagoda tree, but it was destroyed by wind twenty years ago. Today, a pagoda tree east of the monastery, which is also several hundred years old, is often mistakenly pointed out by monks to impress tourists, who cannot tell the difference.
There are more than eight hundred monks in the monastery. Since Emperor Taizong of the Tang defeated Wang Shichong, he rewarded the monk Tanzong with an official position, and the monks have all practiced martial arts. They all say that the monastery was founded by Buddhabhadra, and forty years later, Bodhidharma came from India. The place where Buddhabhadra translated scriptures had sweet dew fall from heaven, and to the west is the Sweet Dew Terrace.
That night, I stayed in the Fangzhang. The next morning, I went to the First Patriarch's Hall. After walking for a *li* or so, I entered to pay my respects. The patriarch's image was fair-skinned with long, elegant eyes. A monk said this was the image of the prince when he first crossed to the East. Later, living in the Eastern Land, he suffered six poisonings, and his face became slightly red.
In front of the hermitage is a "three-flowered tree," which is actually a trumpet vine clinging to a cypress. The flowers, which were in bloom, were a lovely deep red. It has been there since before Bodhidharma arrived. To the left is a cypress as tall as the flowered tree, which they say was brought by Lu Neng [the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng] in his alms bowl. I wrote the five characters "六祖手植柏" (Cypress Planted by the Sixth Patriarch) on a stone. Behind the hermitage is a small pavilion containing Bodhidharma's wall-gazing shadow stone. It is a stubborn-looking rock, about three feet high, with the faint image of a monk sitting within the stone. I wrote a *gatha* (verse) for it.
I climbed Five-Teated Peak. White clouds began to rise from the mountainside. I caught some of the passing cloud in my sleeve. When I reached the cave, I waved my sleeve, and a piece of cloud flew out from my palm. The cave is in a stone "breast." Entering the cave, the cold made my hair stand on end, and I could not bear it. Beside it, a fissure opened up, bottomless. A monk said this cave was the home of a fire dragon, and when the Patriarch arrived, the dragon left through here.
I descended the mountain, turned south for ten *li*, and ascended to the Second Patriarch's Hall. In front of the hermitage, the sheer wall was embroidered with greenery. There were four wells, created by the Second Patriarch striking his staff. The wells are only a *zhang* apart, but the taste of the water in each is different. One *li* south is the Demon-Subduing Terrace. Ascending the terrace, one can see the Yi and Luo rivers winding around, with Mount Mang stretching across. Beyond that is the Yellow River, a single line coming from the west. Two hundred *li* of scenery can be seen in a single glance. What a magnificent view!
From here, the summit of Shaoshi is not far. But because it had rained heavily, the mountain stream was flowing rapidly, submerging my shins, and there was no other path up the mountain, so I could not proceed.
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**Record of a Visit to Mount Song and Shaoshi**
*By Zhou Mengyang*
From Huishan, I descended a steep slope and walked through a narrow ravine for over ten *li*. The green scenery was overwhelming, and I had no time to take it all in. I saw a building with the color of blue-green glazed tiles, of a strange and different appearance, as tall as the mountain. A follower said, "That is the Vairocana Pavilion. Shaolin is near." I spurred my horse forward. The forest grew denser. Suddenly, from within the forest, the sound of flutes and drums emerged. The monks of the monastery had already come to guide me.
I entered the Chan forest. Rows of cypresses, like those on the east side of the monks' quarters, provided shade over several acres. The Qin Dynasty Pagoda Tree was there. I ascended to the Mahavira Hall. The incense burner in front of the Buddha was ancient and finely made, certainly a piece from before the Song dynasty. Behind the hall was another hall, and at the very back was the Vairocana Pavilion, which I had seen from a distance. It was built by the Empress Dowager Cisheng to store the Tripitaka. It was built on the foundation of a mountain, with a vast and open design. A high-ranking eunuch was in charge of the construction. He came out and greeted me with great ceremony, and wanted to tour with me. I agreed.
We then examined the forest of steles. They were everywhere, and my eyes could not take them all in. I ordered the abbot to point out the steles from the Tang and Song dynasties. All he knew were the poem by Wu Zetian and two or three essays from the Tang and Song.
We went out to the west and walked towards the foot of Five-Teated Peak to find the First Patriarch's Hall. The winding stream twisted and turned, and the path was mostly stone steps, with tree roots emerging like snakes and dragons. The hermitage had three sections. In the last section, I looked at the statue of Bodhidharma. In front of it was an upright stone, about two feet high, which was the shadow stone from his wall-gazing. In front of the hermitage were five cypress trees. One of them was planted by the Sixth Patriarch himself; it was upright, grand, and flourishing, soaring straight into the sky. Three of them were entwined with green vines, which the mountain people call the "Three Flowers of Shaoshi."
I descended from the hermitage and went to the Sweet Dew Terrace. From afar, I saw the Second Patriarch's Hall on top of Boyu Peak, as if it were in the sky. I asked for the way up. The eunuch's face showed fear, and he could not go. He bade me farewell and left. I alone was happy to go and climbed it. The cliff steps were extremely dangerous. I passed a steep cliff, the lower part of which seemed to have been carved away. A monk said this was Ziqiao Peak, and a former monk named Lehu suddenly composed a piece as if Ziqiao were playing his panpipes to welcome me, which made me smile. At that time, many of the peaks were covered in fallen leaves and could not be clearly distinguished. I climbed the stone steps, and after a long time, I finally arrived.
The hermitage faces south, embraced by shade. On the terrace, above and below, are four wells, very close to each other. I drew some water and drank a few sips. It is said that the area of Shaoshi has no water because it was all cursed by Buddhabhadra to flow west, but this peak has water, which is truly strange. I went up to the gate of the hermitage and looked at the Demon-Subduing Terrace. The path was not very far, but it was steep and could not be approached. A monk said that few tourists ever reach the Second Patriarch's Hall, and even fewer reach the Demon-Subduing Terrace. I smiled and left. In a moment, I had climbed it. All the other peaks were below. I shook out my clothes and looked around in all four directions. I saw the northwest was flat, with clouds and trees hazy in the distance. A white line, like silk, was pointed out by a monk as the Yellow River. The two thin lines to its west were the Yi and Luo rivers.
I returned to Shaolin. It was late, but I did not want to go to bed. I sat and waited for the moon to hang between the corners of the hall. When I fell asleep, it was already bright. I got up and got into my palanquin. I looked at Tianmen Peak, a single wall so sheer that a flying bird could not cross it. It must be a place that few people, ancient or modern, have ever reached. Yet, I kept turning my head to look back, unable to let it go.
---
**Record of a Visit to Shaolin**
*By Wen Xiangfeng*
Twenty-five *li* west of Dengfeng is Shaolin Monastery. The monastery is in the shade of Mount Shaoshi. There is a peak called Five-Teated Peak, which extends a northern arm from Shaoshi to embrace the monastery. That day, I stayed in the hall of Bodhidharma's robe and bowl. There was a plaque that read "Single Transmission." The Dharma seat was like a king's throne. I explained the similarities and differences between Confucianism and Buddhism for the scholars, as well as the nature of the great earth, mountains, and waters.
We ascended the Standing in Snow Pavilion. I asked about the Qin Dynasty Pagoda Tree; it had fallen. I finished my tour and had Jiao Zifuheng inscribe my name and the names of ten other scholars on a stone to be carved.
Leaving the gate, the students asked me to visit their head Dharma master, who was a descendant of the Caodong school and a representative of Bodhidharma's lineage. We then went to see the Qin Dynasty Pagoda Tree in the left courtyard. From Buddhabhadra's Sweet Dew Terrace, we climbed northwest to the First Patriarch's Hall to see the wall-gazing shadow stone. The stone, about two feet high, was of white substance with black markings, like a foreign monk seen from the side. It was strange. The cave was carved out of a sheer cliff several hundred *wu* high. Fearing the poisonous heat, I did not go forward. I asked about the *pattra* and "three-flowered" trees, which were vines growing on cypresses. I touched the cypress planted by the Sixth Patriarch.
Returning, I watched the monks practice combat with their palms, swords, and halberds. Then I went southwest to climb Boyu Peak to the Second Patriarch's Hall. Ten students followed, but they could not use horses. They all panted, holding their own parasols, and firmly refused to go further. The hermitage had four wells, two by two aligned. It is said the Second Patriarch obtained them by striking his staff. There was a stone, over a *zhang* long, on the edge of a precipice; this was the Heart-Seeking Terrace. The pavilion on it is commonly called the Demon-Subduing Terrace. I ordered Jiao Sheng to inscribe "摩苍" (Touching the Blue Sky) on it. Descending the slope, we rested on the grass, and I discussed wisdom, benevolence, and courage with the students.
Returning, we ate with the head Dharma master. At night, he showed the students the poems he had written in the mountains. There was the line, "The green color in the cup comes from Song and Shao; the pure fragrance on the seat is sent from the Ying and Ji rivers." The next day, we left. Turning my head, Shaoshi stood like a crown, folded like a lotus, as if seeing us off.
---
**Record of the Cypresses South of the Stream**
*By Liu Yuyou*
The Great and Little Shaoshi Mountains, since the immortal from India struck his staff and the Brahma sage lit the lamp, has been the place where all the patriarchs transmitted the Dharma and all dynasties have revered and transformed. The monk Wufang hung his patched robe here and presided over the monastery, and his profound influence spread far and wide. Therefore, patrons looked up to him, and feudal princes respected him, bestowing thousands of taels of gold to be used for the monastery grounds.
He expanded the southern slope and built a new monastery. He erected thousands of pillars and beams and eight sections of buildings to house his disciples. Behind the dormitories, he planted cypresses that filled almost half the valley. This was not the work of one morning and one evening, nor the labor of one hand and one foot. The Vulture Peak forest was expanded, and the scenery was enhanced, adding solemnity to what already existed, and spreading the teachings in a time of decline. His merit is surely not shallow.
Moreover, this was in accordance with the noble intention of His Highness the Prince of Zhou to widely promote the great heart of the Buddha. All who wear the robe should eternally protect it. If anyone were to cut them down, not only would they tarnish the Dharma gate and bring upon themselves the fall into Avīci hell, but they would also offend the worldly order and find it difficult to escape the punishment of the axe. I use these solemn words to inform future generations.
---
**Postscript:**
On the winter solstice of the year of Bingyin, because I was collecting old records, I went to the White-Robed Hall south of the Shaogu valley. In front of the hall, a broken stele was lying on the steps. I washed it and read it. I learned that it was the words of Magistrate Liu to protect the cypresses. A corner had fallen off. The cypresses mentioned were all cut down for timber during the monastery's renovation in the thirteenth year of the Yongzheng reign [1735]. I have urgently collected this text to be included in the gazetteer so that future generations may see this and see the cypresses.
---
**Record of the Reconstruction of Shaolin Monastery (1652)**
*By Fu Jingxing of the Qing Dynasty*
I have heard that a single lamp illuminates the world, its light transforming the sun and moon of the heavens; that the five petals blossom, their fragrance spreading through the great earth's monasteries. In the Chan school, the robe and bowl are a direct, single transmission, and because of the difference between receiving the skin, flesh, bone, and marrow [from Bodhidharma], the way of the Buddha is attained and the way of the monk is reached.
Examining the history of Shaolin Chan Monastery, it is the ancestral court of all Buddhist schools in the world. It was founded by Emperor Xiaowen of the Wei dynasty for Buddhabhadra. After Bodhidharma came from the West and faced a wall for nine years, the Second Patriarch Shenguang [Huike] stood in the snow and received the Dharma. From then on, it has been transmitted from patriarch to patriarch, lamp to lamp. Thus, those who entered its halls and chambers had their Buddha-mind seals opened. The non-dual Dharma gate attracted sages from the ten directions. The precious raft of the profound ford, the golden rope of the path of enlightenment, meant that monks from all over the country who came here were not just filling their bellies but truly returning to the ultimate truth, their minds awakened upon hearing it.
During the Ming dynasty, which arose from the auspicious signs of the Juehuang Temple, the emperor greatly promoted the Flower Adornment [teachings] and expanded the Zen school. However, in the later years of the dynasty, with its decline, rebels rose up everywhere. Wild monkeys cried as they left the valleys, and flying birds were startled. The wind and sand blinded the eyes, and the monasteries were pierced by clouds. The monks and their Dharma companions feared only that the mountains were not high enough and the forests not dense enough. The grotto-heavens and blessed lands were filled with armored soldiers, and the thousand-year-old ancestral court of Shaolin faced the peril of being occupied by the "Red Eyebrows" [rebels], a calamity from the southern mountains. How dangerous it was! That it did not become a nest for the bandits of the greenwood was thanks to the abbot, Bi'an Dashi, whose Dharma name was Haikuan, style name Hanyue, from the Wang family of Neiqiu in Zhili. He inherited the ancestral position and presided over Shaolin, strengthening the golden bulwark of the Dharma rain and preserving the Buddha's wheel in an age of destruction. This Way was not lost, and the single lamp remained bright. He wielded the authority of the true Dharma and destroyed the palaces of demons. Afterwards, when the seas changed to mulberry fields [i.e., when times changed], he restored the Buddha land. The throne of the Dharma King was suspended by a single thread in the heavens.
The Master, having taken on the robe and bowl as the true head of the Buddhist school, continuing the past and opening the future for the sake of the Buddha, how could he not plan for the Buddha's domain? Suddenly, his voice reached the ears and touched the hearts of heaven and men. A good sound came from the West, inspiring the highest wisdom. The officials, Prefect Xu and Commissioner Fan, each manifesting the body of a ruler and practicing the deeds of a bodhisattva, wished to mend the broken universe and return the world to a state of peace. They visited Shaolin and together donated funds to renew it. They felled timber and quarried stone, gathered artisans, and began work in the early summer of the year of Renchen [1652], completing it in the autumn of the year of Gui'si [1653]. The Hall of Single Transmission, the Mahavira Hall, the Halls of Dharma Joy and Chan Delight, and even the halls of the Martial Sage and Patriarchs, the Bell Tower, the Sutra Repository, the Mountain Gate, and the Abbot's Quarters were all completed in succession. The gold and green were brilliant, and the white plaster shone with dazzling color, reflecting on the ancestral court and radiating the flames of nature.
They requested me to write a few words to be carved for posterity. But can my words be immortal? What is immortal in Buddhism is the wondrous heart of Bodhi. What is immortal in Confucianism is the highest virtue and ultimate goodness. Now, these two officials, with the highest virtue and ultimate goodness, have fulfilled the Master's wondrous heart of Bodhi. The precious lotus of a thousand petals has just opened, and the branches of the tree of wisdom are strong. The Buddhists of the realm now have a place to which they can turn. Moreover, with the shade of the sweet pear tree and the thick, clear dew, the noble gentlemen can never be forgotten. Now that the Qing emperor has established the dynasty and the three teachings are renewed, we pray for the emperor's longevity without end, and the sun of Buddhism will shine again in this new era. It will be eternal, not waiting for my words to make it so. Ashamed of my lack of literary skill, I write this record.
---
**Appeal for the Reconstruction of the Thousand Buddha Pavilion**
*By Jiao Qinchong*
Since the twilight years of the Vulture Peak, when the wheel was turned at the Deer Park, the essentials of the Master's grove were revealed and singularly entrusted to Kāśyapa. The transmission continued for twenty-eight generations, reaching the Great Master Bodhidharma in the West. The precious pearl shone in the south, and the river of virtue flowed east. At the court of Emperor Wu of Liang, the holy truth was not understood. Thus, Shenguang [Huike] sought it, cut off his arm to pacify his mind, and the treasury of the true Dharma eye of the Tathagata spread widely in the land of China. Although the school was divided into five sects and the teaching continued for a thousand lamps, with Vinaya, teaching, and Chan, only Shaolin Monastery, which promoted critical inquiry and used the teachings to illuminate the mind, combined these three and was worthy of being called the ancestral court.
Behind the Mahavira Hall are the Dharma Hall and the Abbot's Quarters. Behind the Abbot's Quarters, built on the Luan Mountain, is a pavilion to house the thousand Buddhas of Vairocana. Its flying eaves are connected, lofty and brilliant, rising far above the forest, clouds, and mist. It is the most magnificent and beautiful structure. For several decades, it has been shaken by fierce winds and battered by spiritual rain, causing the world of the Brahma King and the pearl forest of the Jetavana garden to be destroyed. At dawn, the wind is lonely, and the sound of the bells is silent. At night, under the moon, the tracks of rats can be seen. Visitors from the four directions, where can they look up in reverence? Those who wish to calm their minds and understand the ultimate meaning have no place to go.
The monk Baiyuan of Shanshan was greatly distressed and wished to restore the old structure. He calculated the materials and funds, estimating the cost at a thousand pieces of gold. In these times of poverty, this is not an easy task. He wishes to travel to Yan, Zhao, Qin, and Jin [northern provinces] with this appeal to raise funds. I have never been a person who is deluded by Buddhism, but I have always said that its heart of equality is not at odds with our Confucian loyalty and forgiveness. If this thought can be expanded and fulfilled, then one need not become a *śrāvaka*, a *pratyekabuddha*, or a *bodhisattva*, for the desire for great salvation is not outside of this thought. I pray that my comrades, wherever he may go, will respond with their pens and not dismiss this as a matter of worldly cause and effect with a negligent heart. In the future, when this is carved in stone between the Two Mounts and the Three Flowers, the merit will be immeasurable.
---
**Preface to a Visit to Shaolin Monastery**
*By Fu Ershi*
The rivers and mountains are old, but the ancient monastery still stands. The sun and moon toil on, and the traveler must not fail them. In the summer of the year of Bingshen, I entered the mountains, and the summer air turned to autumn. In the surplus of the Genggui years, I arrived at the monastery, and the lingering fragrance from the incense burners was not yet gone. A wild scholar from my town crossed the foot of Mount Song to explore its wonders. A famous scholar from Jinkou passed Huanyuan, and his elegant entourage lingered.
Facing the wall, I remembered the beginning of the iconic teachings with the Indian monk. Looking up at the grand steles, I knew the Chan forest was founded by the Wei emperor. The Six Dynasties are like a dream, and the jade-green forest is desolate. What was the purpose of the single reed [that Bodhidharma crossed the river on]? The land of the kasaya [monk's robe] is cold and lonely.
So I trod the green halls, passed through the indigo gardens, ascended the layered terraces, and climbed the winding stone steps. Calling for wine in the misty valley, I suddenly met a monk among the bamboo. Composing poetry while sitting on a stone, I happened to cross a bridge and meet a wild deer. The green water carried the sound of the bell in flight; the dark clouds bent with the wings of birds. Listening to the delicate chirping of birds, who is it that comes to the mountaintop? Plucking the fragrant leaves of the pepper tree, I ask at the stream's head. The sounds are not monotonous; the leaves are of different sizes. Occasionally, a woodcutter blows his horn, the sound of *ding-ding* as if in the clouds. There is no lack of herdsmen riding oxen, lazily coming from beyond the pear orchard.
Thus I wandered the wooden paths and rested on the snake-like [winding] beds. I looked down at the high peak of Boyu; how could I know I would meet a tiger? I gazed at the lotus of the Imperial Fortress; I did not fear to ride a dragon. After the rain, the clear stream flowed, and mountain after mountain dripped with green, shattering the heavens of the water mansion. Ancient mist shrouded the secluded valleys, tree after tree entwined with green, making it difficult to find the foot of the gorge. Pushing aside the vines to find the path, I came across a stern waterfall again. Tossing a stone into the deep pool, I wished to shatter the claws of the flood dragons. The greenness was so thick it was an obstacle; what harm in crossing the pearl tree.
When the iron flute fell silent, the evening hills were still, and the roosting birds returned, and the distant peaks grew dark. When a tune from the Pear Garden was played, the old apes of the South Garden listened secretly. When the panpipes and flutes played, the immortal panpipes of Goushi Ridge joined in. The soughing of the pines filled the night, and my clothes were patterned with the light of the stars and moon. My soul entered the forest in my sleep and met the cormorant of my dreams. What I loved were the sounds of the wooden fish and the tin staff, unlike the sounds of the marketplace. What I spoke of were ancient ghosts and gaunt immortals, completely detached from worldly affairs.
When the wind blew, I felt as if Fuqiu and Wangzi Qiao were coming with me, knowing my mood was like that of the ancient sages, on par with the Orchid Pavilion gathering. The beautiful flowers were reluctant to part with the guest, and the fine grass held me back. Listening to the rising and falling of past and present, the waxing and waning of yin and yang, even if there were a war in Yun and Xiang, here one could forget the years. Entrusting the universe to a single conical hat and a single gourd, speaking freely, I could truly transcend the world. When I come to the monastery again, will the monastery spare me a word? The mountains seemed reluctant to let me go. As I left, I saw the red blossoms flying like rain, and I carried with me the rosy clouds of the great beginning. From now on, the greenness stored in my heart will be a dream circling the 磬 of the empty forest.
---
**Record of the Reconstruction of Ciyun Hermitage (Stele in the ruins)**
*Written by Zhang Siming, Calligraphy by Jiao Qincheng*
Mount Song is the most revered of the Five Great Mountains, and Shaolin is the ancestral court of the world. Its forests and peaks are layered and magnificent, something I often dreamed of. In the spring of the year of Renxu, I was serving in Daliang [Kaifeng]. The green peaks often came to my desk [in my mind], and my longing for them grew. However, my official duties were many and miscellaneous, and I had no spare moment. After three years, in the year of Jiazi of the Kangxi reign, I came to the mountain once to assist with sacrifices. By then, it had long suffered from the fires of calamity. Grass grew in the Dharma Hall, and the disciples were scattered. I sighed for a long time.
As I happened to walk west of the Thousand Buddha Hall, I saw among the overgrown weeds and bushes a few scattered tiles on a roof that could not protect from wind and rain. A monk, Yunshi, sighed and pointed, telling me, "This is the Hall of the White-Robed Great Being [Guanyin]. It was originally founded by Emperor Xiaowen of the Wei dynasty with a grand design. It was later destroyed in the chaos of bandits." I was moved in my heart and donated from my salary to initiate the repairs. His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Wang, generously and happily assisted, and my colleagues at the provincial government all praised and supported the effort.
I then chose the fifth month of the year of Yichou to gather materials and assemble craftsmen. The hall, gate, and corridors were all made radiantly new. The work was completed in the winter of the year of Bingyin. Yunshi had a stone cut and came to ask me for a record.
I reflect that Mount Song is a place of scenic beauty, frequently visited by emperors, and followed by famous scholars who left behind poems and songs almost daily. In the last few decades, it has unfortunately encountered the end of an era and suffered repeated military disasters. The Great Being has also been left in a desolate and cold state for many years. Now that the road to heaven is clear and the sun of wisdom shines again, more than forty years have passed. Who would have known that today I would initiate this, and the community would support it, and the work would be completed in such a short time, as if by divine help?
The sentiments and consciousness of ordinary beings are moved by what they encounter. Thus, when one enters an ancestral temple, a heart of reverence arises. When one ascends a burial mound, a heart of sorrow arises. When one enters a jade palace and treasured hall, a heart of purity arises. Seeing the wheel-marked palms, the conch-like topknot, the golden arms, and the pearl-adorned body, a heart of repentance and cleansing of faults arises. Is not the teaching of Gautama a supplement to what the king's government cannot achieve and an aid to what the officials find difficult to administer? It is fitting that the great governor and the worthy magistrate, without prior agreement, had the same mind, each with one heart. The monk Yunshi and the master Penghua were moved to act because of their practice of guarding the monastery for generations. In the future, may their disciples and grand-disciples still respect the rules and regulations and, from time to time, carry out repairs to keep the incense burning for kalpas without end. This is the record.
---
Monk Steles (僧碑)
**Stele Inscription for Chan Master Lingyun (Abridged)**
*By Cui Qi of the Tang Dynasty*
Lingyun was of the Xiao clan, from Lanling. He was a descendant of Emperor Wu of Liang. At the birth of this eminent man, the pearl of the precepts was conceived in his mother's womb, and the water of concentration was manifested in his childish nature. At the time, people could not understand it and thought it was an illusion, not real. "This bubble-like body is mine; I will return to the root to restore the true cause." He traveled to Mount Song and came to Shaolin Monastery, with the intention of staying there for the rest of his life. His eye of wisdom was pure, and his physical body was also like it. Outside the mind, there is no Dharma; what is attained is all illusion. The earth, trees, and wood are all the Buddha's temple. In the empty mountains, blue and vast, he sat in silence through the years. Apes faced his tea bowl, birds meditated in his hermitage. That peak had no mind, which was my mind. The stream water had no nature, which was my nature.
In the seventeenth year of the Kaiyuan era, on the twenty-second day of the fifth month of summer, without showing any illness, he passed away peacefully. His disciple Jianshun built a stupa on this mountain and cut a stone to inscribe this eulogy.
**The Eulogy:**
Eminent man, what is he?
He transmitted our Dharma seal.
His substance was stillness, his actions were accordant.
The waves of consciousness are turbulent, the dream state is confused.
Without illumination, there is no dawn; without clarity, there is no purity.
He was a great king of medicine, a great master of Chan.
Like a mountain peak, like an ancient pine, like a green lotus, like a white moon.
One morning, he passed into transformation, and the six directions were sorrowful.
The world became empty, the clouds and mountains suddenly vast.
The physical body has departed, the Dharma body remains.
The golden realm is dim.
Alas, what I have left behind is only the source of the mind.
---
**Stele Inscription for Duke Yu (Abridged, Stele broken and embedded in an outer wall)**
*Written by Cheng Jufu of the Yuan Dynasty, Calligraphy by Zhao Mengfu*
In the spring of the first year of the Huangqing reign [1312], the Scholar of the Jixian Academy and Grand Master of Glorious Happiness, your servant Chen Hao, petitioned the throne to grant a posthumous title to Fuyu, the abbot of Shaolin. An edict was issued granting him the title of Grand Minister of Works, with the honors of Grand Master of Palace Counsel, and posthumously enfeoffing him as Duke of Jin. I, your servant, was ordered to compose the text for the inscription.
**The Inscription:**
The Buddha transmitted through benevolence; the Sage ruled through benevolence.
What is this benevolence? It is this mind alone.
Unmixed, yet it has never been mixed; its light shines through the great earth.
Pushed, yet it has never been pushed; its depths are as still as water.
The Emperor of Liang acted with intention, so it did not harmonize. Who was it that was so direct?
His lineage was that of Caoxi, which flowed east.
When it came to our Duke Yu, the Way returned to the north.
The Master was extraordinary from a young age, known in his hometown.
The old Buddha of Xiulin [Wansong Xingxiu] showed him the true source.
Until his old age, he maintained the precepts.
Wansong and Xiulin jointly invited him.
He led the assembly across the river, nearly three hundred strong.
Monks and laypeople flocked to him, offerings piled up like mountains.
The monasteries of Songyang were all made of brilliant gold and green.
In Luoyang, the great lectures continued year after year without ceasing.
Two hundred and four ruined places were all rebuilt.
The monks were exempt from corvée labor, and the great assembly rejoiced.
It was said, "A Buddha has appeared in the world, meeting an enlightened ruler."
The man has passed away, but his Way will not die.
Neither non-existent nor abiding, it will last as long as heaven and earth.
The Emperor's edict said: "He is worthy of this official robe. For a hundred generations, the four directions will take him as their model. It is fitting that his Dharma is followed and his words are taken as a teacher."
I, your servant, bow my head. The holy teachings will not be disobeyed.
I spread them as songs and poems, to be eternal on this stele.
---
**Record of Chan Master Huanxiu Run (No Longer Exists)**
*By Wang Daokun*
Since the Buddha descended in the middle kalpa, he was the sage of the Western Paradise. After twenty-eight generations of transmission, the Eastern Land began to have its own patriarchs. Later scholars all took Shaolin as their ancestor and Caoxi as their school. Master Run was of the Ziyou lineage of Shaolin.
His family was of the Huang clan of Jinxian. In his youth, he entered Mount Funiu and had his head shaved by Master Ping, receiving the name Changrun, style name Daqian, and self-styled name Huanxiu. He was tall and well-built, with a solemn and dignified appearance. His responses were like a great bell; his salvation of beings was like a great raft. His holding back the tide of delusion was like a mountain; his skillful manifestation according to circumstances was like a pearl rolling on a plate. As for his stern self-cultivation and awakening of the deluded masses, he diligently took the Way as his own responsibility. He had many disciples and his Dharma talks amounted to several thousand words. His three parting verses are all recorded in his *gatha* collection.
He passed into stillness in the fourth month of the year of Yiyou. His *śarīra* (relics) were buried at Five-Teated Peak. His disciple, Zhengdao, came to me and requested a record. I have written this record for him and also appended an inscription.
**The Inscription:**
Crossing the flowing sands he came, the First Patriarch.
Beyond thought and deliberation he went, the Capable One.
Hesitating at the profound identity, he ranked with the master of Ni [Confucius].
Five paths to the south, the banks of Caoxi.
He obtained a new state, and beat the resounding drum.
He opened up the five schools, on par with Zou and Lu [the lands of Mencius and Confucius].
First among them was Caodong, outstanding and prominent.
The great Qian [Huanxiu] arose to fill the void.
He was dormant like a dragon, fierce like a tiger.
Following his physical form, he cleansed his inner organs.
He dispelled the dust of Dharma and repaired the spiritual mansion.
He set the standard for the school and followed the path of the ancestors.
His star returned to the Pure Land.
Alas, Xiuzai! He was of the orthodox lineage of Caodong, the twenty-fifth generation.
---
**Record of the Stele of Patriarch Huanxiu Run**
*Written by Yuan Liaofan, Calligraphy by Huang Hong*
Throughout the ancient and vast Dharma realm, there is only one mind. Are there truly two ways? Or are there truly no two ways? Therefore, the division of the three teachings arose from the decline of the great Way, not from the intention of the sages. After Buddhism entered the Eastern Land, it was divided into teachings and schools, and the schools were further divided into five. This, in turn, arose from the decline of the way of Chan.
This mind, this way, is beyond words and thought. Both grasping and rejecting are wrong. There is no defilement to be loathed, no purity to be desired. There is no realm to be escaped, no myriad practices to be cultivated. If even one Dharma is a provisional establishment, how much more so five schools? Śākyamuni taught the Dharma for over forty years. Although it was to point out the way for the deluded, it was really creating something from nothing. Since he held up a flower and smiled, the school of the mind was opened. The Dharma he taught for over forty years was collected by Ānanda and became the "teaching." The holding up of a flower and the slight smile was understood by Kāśyapa and became the "school" (Zen). Afterwards, Ānanda actually received the teaching of Kāśyapa and became the second patriarch of the Zen school. Is this not what is called "only this one reality"?
However, while the mind has no two dharmas, the capacities of beings are myriad. The masters, responding to beings according to their capacities and skillfully opening the gate of reception, could not avoid each having their own path. They were not divided, yet they became divided. Today, those who speak of the school throughout the country often point to Shaolin, and the school that Shaolin follows is the Caodong lineage. Bodhidharma's wall-gazing was indeed at Shaolin. After him, Qingyuan and Shitou continued his lineage, and Yaoshan and Yunyan made it flourish. From Dongshan Liangjie to Danxia Zichun, there have been masters in every generation. Is this not the true pulse from the West?
As we are far from the sage, the lineages of the various schools have weakened. The masters of the Ming school at Shaoshi could not bear to see it decline. They took up the tenets of the five houses and expounded them, intending to use words to reveal the wordless and the Dharma to reveal the non-Dharma. The reason the school of the mind does not establish words and letters is to sweep away the dust of emotions and empty the cave of principles. It is not that there is a wordless state to be relied upon. If one must cling to words and criticize it as not being Zen, then one is making a distinction between emptiness and existence within the non-duality of principle and phenomenon.
Chan Master Huanxiu Run received the invitation of Shaolin and succeeded Dazhang in promoting the tenets of the school for three years. His disciple, Zhenkong, came from Shaoshi to request a text to record this.
The Master was from Jinxian in Jiangxi. He had great aspirations to pacify the Dharma. For a number of years, he carried his bowl, polishing himself morning and evening without slacking. All praised his ascetic practice. But the Master said, "If the true interpretation is not yet attained, then all diligence and hardship are but dusty traces." He then left and visited the gates of various lecturers, exploring the classics and gaining a thorough understanding of their profound meanings. The assembly was about to recommend the Master to ascend the seat and teach, but the Master said, "The special transmission outside the teachings is not concerned with words and letters." He went west to Shaolin, met the venerable Dazhang, and investigated the great matter of the school's tenets. Their minds met like a needle and mustard seed, and he thus became his "in-the-room" disciple.
It is said that Śākyamuni entrusted the teaching to Ānanda, but Ānanda then turned to the school and abandoned the teaching. Bodhidharma promoted the school at Shaolin, but Shaolin then used the teaching to illuminate the school. Are they the same or different? To turn to the school and abandon the teaching is called the true teaching. To use the teaching to illuminate the school is called the true school. Why? The Way is not two; the mind is not two. Therefore, the intention of Huanxiu's promotion today is the same as Bodhidharma's intention in coming from the West. Bodhidharma's intention in coming from the West is the same as Śākyamuni's intention in appearing in the world for the one great matter. How can it be discussed in terms of having words or no words?
At that time, there were more than a hundred people attending his lectures. They were all allowed to have their names inscribed on the back of the stele. The flourishing and decline of the Zen school, the rise and fall of the great Way, can all be examined from this. Be careful! Be careful!
---
**Stele Inscription for Master Dao (Broken and embedded in the east wall)**
*Written and calligraphy by Dong Qichang*
The Buddha is the enlightened one among ordinary beings. Ordinary beings, because they are not enlightened, their body and mind create the three karmas. The Buddha, because he is enlightened, his body is the Vinaya, his speech is the Sutras, and his mind is Chan. Chan is the closest to the Buddha, but it is not enough to transmit the Buddha's mind. Is not Shaolin in China like the Vulture Peak in India? Therefore, among the famous monasteries and pure temples in the country, there are Vinaya temples, teaching temples, and Chan temples, but Shaolin is worthy of being called the ancestral court. Their eminent monks and venerable masters are called Vinaya masters, Dharma masters, and Chan masters, but those of Shaolin are worthy of being called patriarchs. Although this is a worldly truth, it is also not something that other places would dare to hope for.
Its ancestor is Bodhidharma, and its school is Caodong. Why? Because from Yaoshan and Lingyan, they used the "three samadhis of the precious mirror" to support the special transmission. The two masters, Liangjie and Benji, established the "five ranks of lord and minister" and the principle of the interplay between the principal and the subordinate. They opened the gateless gate and applied the wedge-pulling wedge. The tenets they promoted were the most precise among the various schools in discerning demons and heretics. Therefore, all five schools are Dharma Kings, but Shaolin's relationship to the Caodong school is like the state of Lu's adherence to the rites of Zhou.
Since the Tang dynasty, one person has been chosen in each generation to preside over the Dharma seat. The twenty-fifth generation was Huanxiu. Among Xiu's hundreds of disciples, Master Dao was the best. After Master Xiu passed away, the assembly wished to treat Master Dao as they had treated Master Xiu, but he firmly refused and would not accept, disappearing among the clouds and trees for fourteen years. Grass grew in the Dharma Hall, and the disciples were scattered. At that time, the magistrate of Dengfeng petitioned the Minister of Rites, and following precedent, appointed him as the abbot of Shaolin. This was in the tenth month of the year of Renchen of the Wanli reign [1592].
Since the Master took charge of the assembly, for seventeen years, his practice of the precepts has been as pure as ice, and his brilliant responses have flowed like a spring. Whether ascending the hall for a public talk or entering the room for a private instruction, he never failed to break down the city of doubt and lead them to the shore of enlightenment. In the past, when Shaolin opened its hall, there had to be a record. The Master's senior disciples, Tonghui and others, entrusted me, Buwang, to write this record.
The Master's name was Zhengdao, style name Wuyan, from the Hu family of Xinjian in Hongdu. His father was Yong, and his mother was from the Yang family. He was first ordained at the Shanglan Temple under Master Ling. He traveled to various places and came to Shaolin, where he received the Dharma from Huanxiu. Master Huanxiu ascended the hall and asked, "What is the style of the house of Dongshan?" Master Huanxiu replied, "Below the sun and moon, the three-flowered tree; in front of the peak, the twin cassia branches." He then asked, "Does the venerable master have anything else?" He replied, "Only this one matter." At these words, the Master had a great awakening and presented a *gatha* saying: "Clouds gather at the peak, the moon gathers in the secluded cliff; a wooden man claps his hands, a stone woman smiles." Master Xiu gave his seal of approval and praised him with a *gatha*, thereby permitting him to be a teacher of men and gods.
**Attached is the inscription:**
One:
Mount Song and Shaoshi are in the center of the world.
The spirit of Mahayana is lush and verdant.
The subtle smile of the final assembly, the true style of wall-gazing.
The patriarch and the Buddha are not different; only through transformation is there understanding.
Its one prajñā is without knowledge, its spiritual light is not obscured.
Like a clear, cool pond, like a great ball of fire.
Right below is it; to question is to turn your back.
How marvelous! All living beings possess the wisdom of the Tathagata.
Two:
The tenets of the five houses are like a painter in the world.
In the empty space, he picks up his cinnabar and brushes without applying mud.
A clay ox roars at the moon, a wooden bird cries in the wind.
It does not reside in the empty kalpa, nor does it fall into the present time.
Three:
There is Master Dao, a hero among monks.
He transmits the mind of nirvana and speaks with a broad and long tongue.
The twin cassia are in bloom, the three flowers stand tall.
The teachings of a generation will be eternally preserved on this stone tablet.
---
**Stele Inscription for Master Dao (No Longer Exists)**
*Written by Wang Xijue, Calligraphy by Dong Qichang*
It is said that the Buddha had spoken words, [yet] the wondrous mind of nirvana was transmitted with a smile. It is also said that the Great Vehicle is the true interpretation. It is said that the Buddha had no words, [yet] the dew moistened the multitudes, and the Tripitaka was published in five thousand scrolls. He who uses the Dharma as a raft, in the secret meaning of Caoxi, the great Way is round. It evolved into the ranks of lord and minister, with both reality and expediency. With wordless words, he was able to continue the ancestral lineage, greatly flourishing his school, and beautifully spreading it through the nine heavens. He hoped the iconic teachings would be carried on and opened the sandalwood gate. At the great Song and Shao mountains, it became the India of China. This magnificent stele is inscribed so that for a thousand and ten thousand years [it will be remembered].
---
**Stele Inscription for Master Xi**
*By Jiao Yuanpu*
The Master's name was Huixi, style name Xinyue, and self-styled name Hanhuī (Cold Ashes). He was from the Liu family of Mancheng. With a pure and sincere heart, he aspired to the Way. In his youth, he settled into Chan practice. He visited Master Wuyan Dao and became his disciple. His cultivation was deep and abundant, and he was esteemed by both monks and laypeople.
After Master Dao passed into stillness, following precedent, he was given a certificate and appointed as the abbot of Shaolin Chan Monastery. The deeds of the successive abbots have been recorded and inscribed on magnificent stones and lofty steles, their voices and tones spread far and wide.
**The Eulogy:**
The snow mountain hides his traces, the multitudes flock to the great sea.
Upholding the practice of non-birth, the lineage is passed down generation by generation.
He aided the kingly transformation and returned to the spirit of the Buddhist clan.
When the emperor's fortune was prosperous, the court gave generously.
How much more so for the wall-gazing hall, Shaolin, which was established by heaven.
The empress opened the treasure realm, the emperor bestowed the lotus domain.
He respectfully received the imperial edict, his glory continuing the tradition.
Breaking the nest, he established the precepts, his victorious master praising his pioneering efforts.
The waves of the broad ford were overturned, the sounds of the robe and drum were heard.
Hundreds entered his chamber, the secret transmission was renewed.
The temple was recorded in numerous volumes, magnificently demonstrating its proof for later prosperity.
In the decline of learning, he hesitated. The wheel of Dharma was not manifest.
If not for the sharp axe, how could it be wielded?
Wishing to sweep away the traces, he fiercely aroused a deep re-examination.
He left behind form and empty models, cutting off words and followers.
When it came to Master Xi, he used clumsiness and dwelt in tranquility.
Relying on the Diamond King, he cut the tangled vines.
With equal compassion and benevolence, some said he practiced the salvation of beings.
His perfect enlightenment shone upon the world without regret.
His sincere devotion moved others, his non-action was spiritually connected.
He promoted the teachings for a long time, holding up his whisk to shake the wind.
When asked the way, he was stern, scattering pearls in the middle.
In the realm of the great void, he begged for the Dharma and was accommodating.
He used analogies that were not illusory, opening the heart with a single word.
He was a model for the world and an ancestor.
---
**Stele for Master Qing**
*By Xue Youjian*
In the winter of the year of Wugan of the Yan [Jiajing] reign, the scholar Chen Hao recorded the deeds of Master Qing and entrusted me with writing the text for the stone. Thus, it says:
The one who has attained the Way on the Five Peaks! The source of the Buddhist teachings is indeed far-reaching. It began in the Eastern Han and came to the central lands. During the Taijian era of the Wei dynasty [This seems to be a mistake in the text, likely referring to the Taihe era], the First Patriarch stayed at Shaolin and faced a wall for nine years. He did not establish words or letters, directly pointing to the mind to see one's nature and realize Buddhahood. This is the principle of nature. The principle resides in the mind, which is inherent in us from heaven. However, without receiving the transmission, how can one know the mind and see one's nature? The Buddhist school uses ultimate words to develop what is inherent. It moves one within and manifests without. Regardless of whether one is noble or humble, young or old, it is fitting to believe in it with devotion and practice it to the utmost. That its teachings have spread so widely in the world is because its source is so distant.
Afterwards, those who followed and practiced its teachings and truly reached the ground of reality were called Great Masters.
The Master's name was Huiqing, his surname was Jiang, and his self-styled name was Wufeng (Five Peaks). He was from Yixu in Xuchang. His mother was of the Ma family. His parents were members of a Buddhist family. He received the Dharma from Xueting [Fuyu] of Shaolin and was greatly esteemed by him. In the year of Yichou, when Shaolin was disturbed by bandits, Xueting appointed the Master to the position of deputy monastery manager. In the year of Renchen, he was promoted to monastery supervisor, and then to the position of comptroller. In the autumn of the year of Yihai, Xueting passed into stillness and was buried at Tianquan. He had wished to acquire a set of the Tripitaka to be stored at Shaolin, but because the temple buildings were decayed and dilapidated, it could not be done.
[Huiqing] selected timber and transported bricks, dismantling the old and building anew. The temple halls and Dharma instruments were all provided for and restored. He purchased a set of the Tripitaka from Jiangzuo [south of the Yangtze] and returned. He also requested a posthumous title and a stele inscription for Xueting in the capital. He protected the monastery gate, and Emperor Wuzong bestowed gifts upon him. In the sixth month, he returned to the monastery and erected two steles. The writings of Xueting were carved and printed. In the spring of the year of Xinyou, he began the construction of the Revolving Dragon Sutra Repository.
The Master was strict and diligent, encouraging and promoting the good. He managed the construction from beginning to end for nearly three hundred bays of buildings. He took on the responsibility himself and brought glory to the work of his predecessors. Therefore, he was repeatedly recognized by the authorities and received honors. A master like him deserves to be known by later generations. I respectfully follow the scholar's command and write these words. The words being insufficient, I add a poem in the style of "High are the mountains, long is the road."
**The Poem:**
The First Patriarch came from the West, wall-gazing at Shaolin.
His ultimate words were without text, based on the transmission of the mind.
It soaked into the skin and marrow, moving people deeply.
Spreading to all regions, it was seen and heard by all who admired it.
In later generations, there was Xueting.
The Master was his Dharma heir, his heart and soul.
This inscription commemorates that the Master was outstanding, his talents extraordinary.
The elders of his time mostly entrusted him with duties.
After Xueting's passing, the Master was his direct successor.
He maintained the Zen school, and the precious monastery was enhanced and repaired.
He accomplished his work without taking credit, like the flowing clouds and water.
Five Peaks stands tall, he had virtue and long life.
This poem is carved on a true stone, for future generations to take as a model.
---
Eminent Monks (高僧)
* **Buddhabhadra (Batuo)**: An Indian monk, also called Fotuo. He had five friends in India who all attained enlightenment, while he did not. Someone told him, "Cultivating the Way depends on affinity. It is not something that can be achieved in a moment. You are wasting your time here. You should establish a connection in China." He followed this advice and, after arduous travel through various countries, reached the state of Wei. Emperor Xiaowen was deeply impressed upon meeting him and provided for him. He later followed the emperor south when the capital was moved to Luoyang. A temple was built for him at the foot of Mount Shaoshi, which is now Shaolin Monastery. He attracted hundreds of students and taught them tirelessly. He later ordained two Śramaṇeras.
* **Huiguang**: From the Yang family of Chenlu. At thirteen, he followed his father to Luoyang and met Buddhabhadra. Buddhabhadra had him recite sutras and ordained him. He could explain any scripture he studied with clear words and profound reasoning. He was known as the "Sage Śramaṇera." Buddhabhadra also taught him the Vinaya and Chan. His eloquence made him famous. When Buddhabhadra was at Shaolin translating the *Daśabhūmika Sūtra*, Huiguang composed commentaries on it and other sutras like the *Avataṃsaka*, *Nirvāṇa*, and *Vimalakīrti*, greatly promoting their teachings. During a drought, he prayed at a pool on Mount Song, and rain fell immediately. He was the first native Chinese person to be ordained as a monk.
* **Sengchou**: From the Sun family of Julu. He understood Buddhist scriptures at a glance. He went to Shaolin and presented his understanding to Buddhabhadra, who told him, "East of the Pamir Mountains, you are the foremost in Chan studies." He received further profound teachings and went to a temple on Mount Song. There were a hundred monks there. A woman in tattered clothes with a broom would often sit on the steps and listen to the monks chant. The monks shooed her away. The woman became angry, stamped her foot on the spring, causing it to dry up, and then vanished. The monks told Sengchou, who called out "Upāsikā!" three times. The woman reappeared. He told her, "The monks are practicing the Way. You should protect them." The woman tapped the ground with her foot, and the spring gushed forth again. Later, he went to Mount Wangwu and heard two tigers fighting. He touched them with his tin staff, and they scattered. Emperor Xuan of Qi once visited him, but Sengchou remained seated on his bed and did not greet him. His disciples were worried, but Sengchou said, "In the past, the venerable Pindola stood up and walked seven steps to greet King Aśoka, causing the king to lose his kingdom for seven years. Although my virtue is meager, I hope the emperor will gain blessings." The emperor held a grudge and was about to have him executed for disrespect. Sengchou, knowing this in advance, went out ten *li* to meet the emperor's troops. The emperor asked why. Sengchou replied, "I fear my blood would stain the monastery grounds, so I came far to meet my execution." The emperor was startled and thereafter treated him with respect.
* **Bodhidharma**: The son of an Indian king of the Kshatriya caste. His original name was Bodhitāra. His master, Prajñātāra, seeing his great understanding, changed his name. After receiving the Dharma, he stayed in India for over sixty years before traveling east to China, arriving in the south after three years. This was in the first year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of Liang [520 CE]. The governor of Guangzhou, Xiao Ang, reported his arrival to Emperor Wu, who summoned him to the court. The emperor asked, "Since I took the throne, I have built temples, copied sutras, and ordained countless monks. What merit is there in this?" The master replied, "No merit at all." The emperor asked, "Why no merit?" The master said, "This is but the small fruit of men and gods, a cause with outflows, like a shadow following a form. Although it exists, it is not real." The emperor asked, "What is true merit?" He replied, "Pure wisdom, wondrously complete, its substance inherently empty. Such merit is not sought through worldly means." The emperor then asked, "What is the highest meaning of the holy truths?" The master said, "Vast emptiness, nothing holy." The emperor asked, "Who is this before me?" The master replied, "I do not know." The emperor did not understand. The master, knowing the affinity was not right, left Liang, crossed the Yangtze River, and went north to reside at Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song. He sat facing a wall for nine years, silent all day. People could not fathom him and called him the "Wall-Gazing Brahman." It was at this time that Huike received his Buddhist Dharma. The master, knowing his mission was complete and he had found a Dharma heir, went to Qiansheng Monastery in Yumen and stayed for three days. The prefect, Yang Xianzhi, earnestly requested his teachings and begged him to stay, but the master said, "I am about to depart." He passed away in a seated posture. In the twelfth month, he was buried at Xiong'er Mountain, and a stupa was built at Dinglin Monastery. Two years later, the Wei envoy Song Yun, returning from the Western Regions, met the master on the Pamir Mountains. He saw the master, holding a single shoe, walking gracefully to the west. When Song Yun returned and reported this, the disciples opened the tomb and found only a single shoe. The shoe was taken and enshrined at Shaolin Monastery. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang, it was stolen and taken to Huayan Monastery on Mount Wutai, and its whereabouts are now unknown. Emperor Daizong posthumously named him "Great Master of Perfect Enlightenment."
* **Huike**: From the Ji family of Hulao. When he was born, a bright light filled the room, so he was named Guang (Light). He was well-read in many books from a young age and also understood profound principles. Later, he read Buddhist scriptures and had a transcendent awakening. He became a monk and spent his days in seated meditation. One day, a spirit appeared to him in a vision and said, "You are about to receive the fruit. Why linger here? The great Way is not far. You should go south." Guang knew this was divine help and changed his name to Shenguang (Divine Light). He told this to Chan Master Baojing, who said, "Your features are auspicious. You will have an attainment. The spirit telling you to go south means Bodhidharma at Shaolin is your master." Shenguang then went to Shaolin and served Bodhidharma. One day, while he was standing in attendance, it began to snow heavily. Shenguang stood unmoving, and by dawn, the snow was past his knees. The master took pity on him and asked, "You have been standing long in the snow. What are you seeking?" Shenguang wept and said, "I only wish for the master, in his compassion, to open the gate of sweet dew and save all beings." The master said, "The supreme, wondrous Way of all Buddhas is attained through eons of diligent practice, doing what is hard to do and enduring what is hard to endure. How can you, with your small virtue, small wisdom, and arrogant heart, hope to glimpse the true vehicle? You will only labor in vain." Shengu's heart was stirred by this teaching. He secretly took a sharp knife and cut off his left arm, placing it before the master. The master, knowing he was a vessel of the Dharma, said, "All Buddhas, when they first sought the Way, gave up their form for the Dharma. You have now cut off your arm before me. Your seeking is also acceptable." He then changed his name to Huike (Wisdom Capable). Ke asked, "May I hear of the Dharma seal of all Buddhas?" The master replied, "The Dharma seal of all Buddhas is not obtained from another." Ke said, "My mind is not at peace. I beg the master to pacify it for me." The master said, "Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it for you." Ke said, "I have searched for my mind, and it cannot be found." The master said, "I have pacified your mind for you." After a long time, he fully received Bodhidharma's transmission. When the master was about to pass away, he told Huike, "In the past, the Tathagata entrusted the treasury of the true Dharma eye to Kāśyapa. It has been passed down to me. I now entrust it to you. You must protect it." He also gave him his kasaya (robe) as a sign of faith. Huike received the robe and continued to spread the profound teachings, seeking a Dharma heir. He passed the robe and bowl of Bodhidharma to Sengcan. He hid his traces and passed away during the Sui dynasty. He is now called the Second Patriarch.
* **Hongzun**: From the Shi family of Xiangzhou. He became a monk at eight and lived at Shaolin Monastery under Master Ziyun. He achieved a clear understanding. He later visited various Chan masters. The ruler of the Qi dynasty appointed him as the "adjudicator śramaṇa." In the seventh year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui dynasty, he was summoned to the capital to translate scriptures with an Indian monk. He was later asked by imperial decree to lecture on the Vinaya.
* **Weikuan**: From the Zhu family of Quzhou. He became a monk and stayed at Shaolin Monastery. In the early Yuanhe era [of the Tang], he was summoned to court. Bai Juyi asked him, "Since you are called a Chan master, why do you also teach the Dharma?" Kuan replied, "The supreme Bodhi, when practiced by the body, is the Vinaya; when spoken by the mouth, is the Dharma; when practiced by the mind, is Chan. Their attainment is one. Like the great rivers, they are given different names in different places, but the water is one. The Vinaya is the Dharma, and the Dharma is not separate from Chan. Why make distinctions among them?" Bai Juyi asked, "If there are no distinctions, why cultivate the mind?" Kuan replied, "The mind is originally undamaged. Why does it need to be cultivated? Regardless of defilement or purity, do not give rise to any thoughts. Gold leaf, though precious, is a sickness to the eye. True cultivation is neither diligent nor idle. Getting close to it is attachment; falling away from it is ignorance. This is the essence of the mind." He was posthumously named "Dache" (Great Penetration).
* **Bao'en**: From the Liu family of Liyang. He studied Confucian classics in his youth and passed the highest imperial examinations before he was twenty. He requested permission from the court to renounce his official position and become a monk. He dedicated his mind to the ancestral Way. He went to Touzi and soon awakened to the essence of the mind. Touzi said, "You are a man who has come again. You should protect yourself well." He then visited various famous masters and received their seals of approval. The prime minister, Han Zhen, invited him to teach the Dharma at Shaolin Monastery. One day, he ascended the hall, held up his staff, and said, "Look, look! The great earth is covered in snow. When spring comes, it is especially cold. Lingfeng and Shaoshi, I reckon, have nothing to do with each other. Don't talk about the Buddha's meaning or the patriarch's meaning. Don't speak of profound words or subtle phrases. The iron ox has been set free and has left no trace. The bright moon and the reed flowers, you must see for yourselves." He then struck his staff on the ground and descended from his seat. His discussions were often strange and paradoxical like this.
* **Fuyu**: From the Zhang family of Wenshui. As a child, he could read a thousand characters a day and was called the "little sage" in his village. He was ordained under Master Xiulin. Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty [Kublai Khan] appointed him abbot of Shaolin. After the destruction of the wars, he revived what was ruined and rebuilt what had fallen. He taught disciples and spread the Dharma. Donors came like mountains, and people gathered like in a marketplace. The monasteries of Songyang were made brilliant and new. The sutra platform was never idle. This was all due to Yu's efforts. In the first year of the Huangqing reign, he was posthumously granted the title of Grand Minister of State and Duke of Jin. For more details, see the stele inscription by Cheng Jufu.
* **Chekong**: His name was Faben. His distant ancestors were from Daxing but became officials in Luoyang and settled there. Ben was born with a character "慈" (mercy) on his hand. He became a monk in his youth. During the Tianshun era, the emperor ordered all unordained monks to return to lay life. Kong returned home, and his parents arranged a marriage for him, but he refused. He later requested to be ordained again and studied under Master Cong, receiving the true lineage of the Caodong school. Master Cong gave him his kasaya, seal of approval, a scroll of Dharma words, and his whisk. He once wrote a poem: "The shadows of the pines and bamboo in the doorway are deep. In the field of fame and profit, I send my good voice. The affairs of the great universe, past and present, are but a few autumn clouds hanging in the forest." Soon after, Master Cong came to be the abbot of Shaolin. Kong attended him for three years. The abbot invited him to open his own hall. Ben ascended the seat, and his words and brilliant responses flew like the wind, impressing the four assemblies. Ben was an eminent monk who was also skilled in poetry and prose. Those who requested poems from him often filled the doorway with their shoes. He died west of Shaolin Monastery.
* **Wenzai**: His other name was Yuezhou (Moon Boat). He was from Tongzhou. As a child, he would playfully perform various Buddhist rituals. After being ordained, he studied at Shaolin and then returned north to read the Tripitaka. In his leisure, he read widely in all kinds of books. During the Zhengde era, the Bureau of Sacrifices appointed him as the abbot of Shaolin. He packed his bags and went south. He presided over Shaolin for sixteen years and had thousands of disciples.
* **Daseng (The Big-Shoed Monk)**: His place of origin is unknown, as is his age. People called him the "Big-Shoed Monk" because he wore large shoes, and he would respond to this name. He could not read a single character. When Shaolin Monastery held lectures, he would always come to listen. He lived in Bodhidharma's cave on Five-Teated Peak. He wore a single robe in winter and summer. Every day, he would walk down the mountain three or four *li* to beg for food. He would always return to his cave alone in the middle of the night. If there was heavy rain or snow, he would not come out for four or five days. Those who were curious went to find him and saw him sitting upright as usual. If someone brought him food, he would refuse it. If he did accept it, he would not eat it, saying, "I originally wanted to simplify things. I fear this will start to trouble people." When people asked him about the Way, he would answer according to their questions. His words were always simple and profound. A scholar-official once pressed him for the true interpretation. He replied, "You gentlemen are always troubled by having this thought, but your heart cannot accept it. If you can just earnestly get rid of it, that's it. Why ask anything else?" One day, he suddenly wanted to leave. When asked why, he said, "More and more people are coming to find me. There is still damage and leakage." He entered the Zhongnan Mountains and his whereabouts are unknown.
---
Generations of Dharma Transmission of the Buddhist School (释氏传法世代)
The lineage of the Buddhas and Patriarchs does not begin with Bodhidharma. Buddhist texts say that there were already twenty-seven patriarchs in the West (India). Bodhidharma was the twenty-eighth generation. He was the first to come to Shaolin. The lineage that branched out from him were all people of the central lands, and there was no further transmission in the West. Thus, the lineage of the West ended with Bodhidharma, and the teachings in the central lands truly began with Bodhidharma.
**Patriarchs Before Bodhidharma:**
1. Śākyamuni
2. Mahākāśyapa
3. Ānanda
4. Śāṇavāsa
5. Upagupta
6. Dhṛṭaka
7. Miccaka
8. Vasumitra
9. Buddhanandi
10. Buddhamitra
11. Pārśva
12. Puṇyayaśas
13. Aśvaghoṣa
14. Kapimala
15. Nāgārjuna
16. Kāṇadeva
17. Rāhulabhadra
18. Saṅghānandi
19. Saṅghayathāta
20. Kumāralāta
21. Śayata
22. Vasubandhu
23. Manorhita
24. Haklenayaśas
25. Siṃha Bhikṣu
26. Basiasita
27. Puṇyamitra
28. Prajñātāra
29. Bodhidharma
**Patriarchs After Bodhidharma (Starting from Shaolin):**
* Bodhidharma -> Huike -> Sengcan -> Daoxin -> Hongren -> Huineng (Luneng) -> Xueting Fuyu -> Liangshan Guangong -> Huanyuan Yugong -> Touzi Qinggong -> Songting Yangong -> Shengxia Fugong -> Jukong Bingong -> Tiantong Juegong -> Wansong Xiugong -> Lumen Juegong -> Yushan Tigong -> Daming Baogong -> Kongyin Taigong -> Dayang Xuangong -> Chunzhuo Caigong -> Tianning Baigong -> Qingzhou Biangong -> Changlu Liaogong -> Wufang Conggong -> Xuemai Jiangong -> Xueyan Mangong -> Xiaoshan Shugong -> Huanxiu Rungong -> Xubai Zaigong -> Ningran Gaigong -> Wuyan Daogong -> Hanhui Xigong -> Hanyu Kuangong -> Wenyuan Purun
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The Five Chan Schools (禅家五宗)
The five schools are all descendants of Huineng. Huineng received the transmission from Hongren and retired to Caoxi. His disciples, Huairang and Xingsi, both deeply penetrated his subtle mysteries.
* **Linji School**: Huairang transmitted the Way to Mazu Daoyi. His teaching was followed in Jiangxi. He transmitted to Baizhang Huaihai, who transmitted to Huangbo Xiyun, who transmitted to Linji Yixuan, the Great Master Huizhao. His teachings flourished, and this became the Linji school.
* **Weiyang School**: A branch from Huaihai was Weishan Lingyou, the Great Chan Master Dayuan. He transmitted to Yangshan Huiji, the Great Master Zhitong. This became the Weiyang school.
* **Yunmen School**: Xingsi transmitted to Shitou Xiqian. His teaching was followed in Hunan. He transmitted to Tianhuang Daowu, who transmitted to Longtan Chongxin, who transmitted to Deshan Xuanjian, who transmitted to Xuefeng Yicun, who transmitted to Yunmen Wenyan, the Great Master. This became the Yunmen school.
* **Fayan School**: A fellow disciple of Wenyan was Xuansha Shibei. His line transmitted to Dizang Guichen, who transmitted to Fayan Wenyi, the Great Master. This became the Fayan school.
* **Caodong School**: A branch from Xiqian was Yaoshan Weiyan. He transmitted to Yunyan Tansheng, who transmitted to Dongshan Liangjie, the Great Master Wuben. He transmitted to Caoshan Benji, the Great Master Yuancheng. This became the Caodong school.
Among the five Chan schools, only the Linji and Caodong are still flourishing today. The school of Shaolin follows the Caodong lineage. This is because from Yaoshan and Lingyan, they used the "three samadhis of the precious mirror" to support the special transmission, and the two masters Liangjie and Benji opened the gateless gate and applied the wedge-pulling wedge. Therefore, while all five schools are Dharma Kings, the Caodong transmission, in its main tenets and its methods for discerning demons and heretics, is considered the most precise among the various houses. Shaolin's relationship to the Caodong school is like the state of Lu's adherence to the rites of Zhou.
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**Translator's Note:**
This completes the full translation of the provided text of the "Shaolin Monastery Chronicles Volume 1." It has been a comprehensive journey through the history, legends, architecture, and lineage of this iconic monastery.
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