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Vandana Aggarwal
Rich history and tranquil location has given Hangzhou, in the Zhejiang province of China, a near mythical status. West Lake is the centrepiece of this lovely town, where the Leifeng pagoda stands tall on a small hillock, watching over the hordes of local tourists thronging the place to enjoy its exquisite charm. Today, it is a popular technology hub and home to e-commerce giant Alibaba. In spite of modernisation knocking at its door, history and legend abound in various tourist spots that dot the city, especially the Lingyin Temple and the Fei Lai Feng (Peak flown from afar) that make up the Lingyin Scenic Area. Located in the north-western side of the city, it is home to 1,700 years of history, which is surprisingly connected to India.
Believed to be the earliest Buddhist temple in Hangzhou, the Lingyin Temple was established by an Indian monk, Huili, in 326. Huili finds no mention in Indian folklore but his Indian name is said to have been Matiyukti. Literally translated, ‘Ling’ means ‘spirits’ and ‘Yin’ stands for ‘seclusion’. Also called the Temple of the Soul’s retreat, Huili felt that it was an auspicious locale for establishing a monastery. The mountainous and serene surroundings of the temple added to the myth that fairies and gentle souls lived there in seclusion. A sign above the entrance doorway reads, “The Western Heaven is within reach”. The term ‘Western Heaven’ in Chinese Buddhist mythology refers to India, which lies to the west of China.
The temple
Over the last 1,700 years, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times. It is among the wealthiest and most revered Buddhist temples in China. The buildings that we see today are more recent but they carry the weight of rich history. The Hall of the Heavenly Kings houses a delightfully joyous Laughing Buddha. The devotees toss ceremonial paper money and wave incense sticks while paying obeisance to the 80-feet high Sakyamuni Buddha carved out of camphor wood and covered with gold leaf. It is housed in The Hall of the Great Sage.
There is a rich library housing Buddhist Sutras. In an annex to the temple lies the Hall of the 500 Arahants (followers), laid out in the shape of a swastika, a symbol venerated by both the Hindus and the Buddhists. In its heyday, the monastery housed over 3000 monks.
On his visit to Hangzhou in 1924, Rabindranath Tagore spoke about Huili as “the man from India who lived and died here in the midst of those who gathered to accept the gift he had brought…” The ‘gift’ was the Buddhist faith that Huili brought with him to this part of China.
Fei Lai Feng is the entry point to the Lingyin Temple. The first thing that catches the eye is Elder Li’s Pagoda. It is a six-sided structure made of stones and bricks. Constructed in 1590 AD, it rises to modest six stories and is said to house the ashes of Huili. It is the only surviving structure here that dates back to the times of the Ming dynasty. Just behind it are the words Om Mani Padme Hum inscribed on the rock face. A popular mantra in Buddhist tradition, it is a little surprising to see an inscription in Sanskrit, with the Om distinctly decipherable.
Fable behind Fei Lai Feng
There are several legends that bring forth the connection between India and Fei Lai Feng. It is believed that Huili, in his quest for a quiet place to meditate, was surprised to find this craggy, limestone hillock, which was so different from the hills that surrounded it. He said it resembled a hill in India where Buddha loved to meditate and identified it as Gadhrakuta (Vulture Peak), which is frequently mentioned in Buddhist texts and lies in Rajgir, in the present-day Bihar. “When did this fly here,” he is said to have exclaimed on seeing the hillock. The villagers, sceptic of his claims, asked for a proof that the hill had indeed flown in from India. Huili then called out to his monkey friends who had lived on the hill in India and they ambled out of the caves. The villagers were convinced that the hill had divine powers and had indeed come from India, and named it Fei Lai Feng or the ‘hill that flew in from afar’.
The belief in the mystical power of the hill is very strong among the devotees. There are hundreds of Buddhist statues carved on the hill. They sit there serenely, mostly meditative, some laughing joyfully, or seated on the lotus flower. There are Bodhisattvas, their eyes closed in meditation and prayer, hands raised in blessing or folded in supplication. More than 320 statues dot the hillside. It is said that when the mountain landed there, it destroyed several villages. The carvings were intended to bring peace to the area and avoid further tragedy.
Forays into India
Across a small gurgling brook, a stone relief depicts the pilgrimage made by Chinese monks to India to get Buddhist scriptures. Horses laden with goods, led by three men, can be clearly seen. Unfortunately, the faces of the travellers have been ravaged by time. Statues are also located inside the caves and in little grottos. Carved between the 10th and the 14th century, they are quite well preserved. Visitors can climb rough-hewn, stone stairs to view them from up close. This is also called the staircase leading to heaven. It is undoubtedly heavenly and supremely serene area.
It is believed that Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722 AD) had plans to change the name of this area but the symbolism of the sacred vulture was too strong in the minds of the worshippers and he dared not to meddle with it.
In his book Himalaya Calling: The Origins of China and India, well-known historian and authority on Sino-Indian relations, Padma Bhushan Tan Chung, mentions that Bai Juyi, who was the Governor of Hangzhou, in the early part of the 19th century, wrote a poem which when translated reads:
Three years as the Hangzhou Governor
Frugal was my life true to my scruples,
Only once on the Holy Indian Hill,
I picked up two pebbles,
To me, they are a priceless treasure,
Yet I remain a clean officer.
Naturally beautiful and culturally rich, the Lingyin Scenic Area is a reminder of the long-standing but oft-forgotten cultural interplay between the two great civilisations of India and China.
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