translated by shirley tan - asiapac books · weiqi: and chinese chess 围棋与象棋 104: ......

Translated by Shirley Tan

China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations

with an illustrious history. Since ancient times, the

Chinese people have created a rich and vibrant

cultural heritage, resulting in a myriad of unique and

interesting folk customs.

Chinese folk customs that have been cultivated

through the daily lives of the people are of social

and collective significance. Today, faced with the

influx of Western culture, the challenge for the

Chinese lies in perpetuating their traditional values.

For the sake of the new generations who have a

diminishing knowledge of traditional customs, they

must explore easy and feasible ways to ensure that

their traditional culture is not lost in the generations

to come.

There are just too many customs for us to include

here in this book. As such, we have selected the

more interesting and representative ones to give

you a succinct idea of the diversity and scope of the

traditions.

This book aims to provide a better understanding

of Chinese folk customs and Chinese culture. It

takes you through the diverse range of customs and

traditions from various perspectives and enables

you to feel the pulse of Chinese history through

the centuries. From the stories and origins of the

Preface

english_content.indd 1 9/5/2012 3:30:03 PM

customs, it is clear that the culture of a nation and its

history are very closely linked with the environment

in which it thrives.

The many myths and stories in this book are

portrayed in a simple and vivid manner while the

generous use of pictures and illustrations has added

another dimension for understanding and reading

pleasure.

We wish you an enjoyable and enriching journey

exploring the myths and customs of the Chinese,

as much as we have enjoyed making this

compilation.


Gods and Spirits in Folklore 民间神灵

Lofty Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven 玄穹高上玉皇大帝 2

The Heavenly Mother of the Jade Pool 瑶池金母王母娘娘 4

The Supreme Master of the Way 大道至尊太上老君 6

Sakyamuni Buddha 南无本师释迦牟尼佛 8

Goddess of Mercy 大慈大悲观世音菩萨 10

Maitreya Buddha 当来下生弥勒尊佛 12

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva 大愿地藏王菩萨 14

Bhaisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha 消灾延寿药师佛 16

Civil and Martial Gods of Wealth 文武财神和五路财神 18

The Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity 福星、禄星和寿星 20

Guan Yin and the Goddess of Mount Tai 送子观音和碧霞元君 22

Ma Zu, Goddess Mother of the Sea 海神娘娘妈祖 24

Mythology 神话传说

Pan Gu Creates Heaven and Earth 盘古开天 28

Nüwa and the Creation of Mankind 女娲造人 30

Jing Wei Fills the Sea 精卫填海 32

Xing Tian’s Headless Dance 刑天舞戚 34

Nüwa Mends the Sky 女娲补天 36

Kua Fu’s Pursuit of the Sun 夸父逐日 38

Hou Yi, the Archer who Shot Down the Suns 后羿射日 40

The Eight Immortals 八仙过海 42

The Youth who Cleaved the Mountains to Save his Mother

劈山救母 44

Madam White Snake 白蛇传 46

Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy 董永与七仙女 48

The Butterfly Lovers 梁山伯与祝英台 50

Ji Gong, the Living Buddha 人间活佛济公 52

Liu Sanjie, the Song Goddess 歌神刘三姐 54

Contents


Traditional Festivals 传统节日

Lantern Festival 正月十五闹花灯 58

Spring Dragon Festival 二月二，龙抬头 60

In Celebration of Spring 三月三, 遍地歌舞欢 62

Remembering the Dead on Qing Ming 清明时节雨纷纷 64

Duan Wu, Festival of Rice Dumplings and Dragon Boat Races

端午节吃粽子赛龙舟 66

The Cowherd Meets the Weaving Maiden 七月七，牛郎见织女 68

Chinese Ghost Festival 中国鬼节中元节 70

Mid-Autumn Festival 月到中秋分外明 72

Chong Yang, Double Ninth Festival 九九重阳菊花香 74

Winter Clothes for the Deceased 十月一，烧寒衣 76

Winter Solstice 冬至到，数九始 78

La Ba Porridge for a Bountiful Harvest 喝了腊八粥，年年大丰收 80

La Yue, the Minor New Year 腊月二十三，欢喜过小年 82

Chinese New Year 爆竹声声辞旧岁 84

The Dai Water Splashing Festival 傣族新年泼水节 86

The Torch Festival 东方狂欢夜火把节 88

Mongolian Naadam Festival 蒙古族那达慕盛会 90

Traditional Games 传统游戏

The Eagle and the Chicks; Hide-and-Seek 老鹰捉小鸡与捉迷藏 94

Shuttlecock, Tops and Rolling Hoops 踢毽子、打陀螺与滚铁环 96

Diabolo Juggling and Kite Flying 抖空竹与放风筝 98

Cricket Fights and Cock Fights 斗蟋蟀与斗鸡 100

Drinking Games 雅俗共赏的酒令文化 102

Weiqi and Chinese Chess 围棋与象棋 104


Chinese Zodiac Animals 生肖文化

The Rat that Gnawed the Sky 子鼠咬天 108

The Industrious Ox 丑牛耕地 110

The Roaring Tiger 寅虎啸天 112

The Rabbit on the Moon 卯兔弄月 114

The Soaring Dragon 辰龙腾云 116

The Snake in the Clouds 巳蛇乘雾 118

The Horse that Traverses the Sky 午马行空 120

The Sacrificial Goat 未羊开泰 122

The Ingenious Monkey 申猴无邪 124

The Lucky Rooster 酉鸡有吉 126

The Prosperous Dog 戌狗旺财 128

The Contented Pig 亥猪送福 130

Rites and Taboos 礼俗禁忌

Kneeling and Bowing Rites 跪拜礼 134

Respect for the Teacher 尊师之礼 136

Respect for the Aged 尊老之礼 138

Heaven Worship 祭天之礼 140

The Rites of Birth 诞生礼 142

Birthday Rites 寿诞之礼 144

Rite of Passage 成年礼仪 146

The Wedding Ceremony 结婚礼仪 148

The Rites of Burial 丧葬仪式 150

Dining Etiquette 宴饮之礼 152

Tea Etiquette 饮茶之礼 154


Han Chinese Marriage Customs 汉族婚俗 158

Wedding Customs of the Wa Ethnic Group 佤族婚俗 160

Marriage Customs of the Tujia Ethnic Group 土家族婚俗 162

Marriage Customs of the Li Ethnic Group 黎族婚俗 164

Marriage Customs of the Dai Ethnic Group 傣族婚俗 166

Marriage Customs of the Yao Ethnic Group 瑶族婚俗 168

Wedding Customs of the Uygur People 维吾尔族婚俗 170

Marriage Customs of the Bai Ethnic Group 白族婚俗 172

Marriage Customs of the Miao Ethnic Group 苗族婚俗 174

Wedding Customs of the Mongols 蒙古族婚俗 176

Folk Marriages 民族婚俗

Folk Costumes 民族服饰

Han Chinese Costumes 华夏霓裳汉族服饰 180

The Simple Li Costumes 自然纯朴的黎族服饰 182

Colourful Costumes of the Yao Ethnic Group 五色斑斓的瑶族服饰 184

Simple but Elegant Ethnic Korean Costumes 素雅轻盈的朝鲜族服饰 186

Magnificent Costumes of the Qiang Ethnic Group 盛世华衣羌族服饰 188

Elegant Costumes of the Manchu Ethnic Group 雍容华贵的满族服饰 190

Vibrant Ethnic Costumes of the Miao People 瑰丽多彩的苗族服饰 192

Classic Costumes of the Tujia Ethnic Group 清新典雅的土家族服饰 194


Beijing Courtyard Houses 北京四合院 198

Cave Dwellings in Huangtu Plateau 黄土高原窑洞 200

Mongolian Yurts 草原蒙古包 202

Vernacular Stilt Houses 古色古香的吊脚楼 204

Dai Bamboo Houses 绿荫中的傣家竹楼 206

Xidi, the Ancient Village in Anhui 古黟桃花源西递 208

The Ancient Fishing Village of Shitang 千年渔港石塘 210

Zhang Guying Village 江南第一村张谷英村 212

Hakka Walled Villages 客家围屋 214

Traditional Teochew Dwellings 潮汕传统民居 216

The Qiao Family Courtyard 乔家大院 218

Wang’s Manor 王氏庄园 220

Chinese Architecture 中华民居

Chinese Paper Cutting 中国剪纸 224

Chinese Block Art Print 中国版画 226

Chinese New Year Paintings 中国年画 228

Jingdezhen Ceramics 景德镇陶瓷 230

The Four Treasures of the Study 文房四宝 232

Xiuyan Jade Carving 岫岩玉雕 234

Fuzhou Bodiless Lacquerware 福州脱胎漆器 236

Weifang Kites 潍坊风筝 238

Fengxiang Clay Sculptures 凤翔泥塑 240

Luoyang Palace Lanterns 洛阳宫灯 242

The Chinese Knot 中国结 244

Folk Craft 民族工艺


2

The Jade Emperor is

known as the Most

Venerable Jade Emperor

of the Heavenly Golden

Palace, and has other

aliases such as Jade

Emperor of the Clarity

Golden Palace as well

as Lofty Jade Emperor of

the Mysterious Heaven.

He resides in the Palace

of Jade Purity and, in the

Taoist belief, is regarded as

the emperor of all the gods.

The Jade Emperor rules 36

heavens and 72 earths,

presides over all gods,

Buddhas, deities, saints,

and the earth and hell.

Lofty Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven

The Beginnings of the Jade EmperorThe birth of the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) is recorded in the Scripture of the Jade Emperor, an important Taoist book. In the records, King Jing De and Queen Bao Yue of the Kingdom of Pure Felicity and Majestic Heavenly Lights and Ornaments were childless. As they were getting old, they summoned a Taoist priest to hold a ceremony to pray for a child for them. Subsequently after the ceremony, the queen dreamt that the Heavenly Grand Old Master had blessed her with a baby, and when she woke up, she discovered she was pregnant. A year later, she gave birth to the crown prince at noon on the ninth day of the first lunar month. When the prince grew up, he took over the throne, but subsequently went to the Bright and Fragrant Cliff to practise Taoism. After going through three thousand disasters, he became a golden deity, and after another one hundred million disasters, he finally became the Jade Emperor.

Yet another tale about the Jade Emperor tells of a commoner who ascended to the heavens. After Pan Gu created the world, everything between heaven and earth was at peace. However, the gods soon started to fight amongst themselves and mankind became excessively dissolute, so the White Star descended to earth to look for a suitable candidate to rule the three worlds. He disguised himself as a beggar and began his search. When he reached Zhangjiawan, he met a bandit chief named Zhang Youren, also known as Zhang Bairen. He was a good and kind leader who managed the fortified mountain village very well as everybody lived in peace and harmony. The White Star brought Zhang to heaven to become the emperor. Subsequently, the gods from the three worlds suggested that Zhang be the ruler of the three worlds, and addressed him as the Eternal Emperor of Heaven.

The Jade Emperor, as seen on a wall mural in Shipihu Temple, Shijiazhuang city

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CHINESE FOLK CUSTOMS

3

Folk WorshipThe Jade Emperor is the incarnation of the Three Pristine Ones (三清 San Qing) . He rules the Ways of Heaven and controls all things on Earth. The Three Pristine Ones are aided by Four Venerable Gods. They are the North Pole Emperor, the South Pole Emperor, the Great Heavenly Emperor and the Imperial Goddess of Earth. The North Pole Emperor oversees the administration of the longitudes and latitudes of Heaven and Earth; the South Pole Emperor looks after the health of mankind; the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris is in charge of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth and Man, and of war in the world; and lastly, the Imperial Goddess of Earth takes care of birth and nature.

According to legend, the Jade Emperor would descend to Earth on the 25th day of the 12th lunar month to inspect the world. He would judge and observe so he could give out rewards and punishments accordingly. Taoist temples and households would offer incense and prayers to welcome the Jade Emperor and commemorate his arrival. On the ninth day of the first lunar month, which is the Jade Emperor’s birthday, the Jade Emperor would return to the Heavenly Palace, so Taoists followers would hold various rituals and ceremonies and would abstain from eating meat to pay their respects to the Jade Emperor and ask for blessings. From midnight till daybreak on the ninth day, believers would have vegetarian meals and shower before making solemn prayers to the Jade Emperor. Each household would put up an Eight Immortals altar, where they would place a holy light, five fruits (oranges, kumquats, apples, bananas and sugar cane), six vegetarian items (dried lily flower, fungus, mushrooms, mustard leaves, peas and tofu), and three cups of tea. At the auspicious hour, the whole family would offer joss sticks and prayers in the order of their status at home. The rituals included kneeling three times, bowing nine times and burning joss papers. This is a day where some taboos are observed, such as not hanging out women’s clothing and not emptying the trash bin, as these are deemed as disrespectful acts which may enrage the Jade Emperor. The animals used as offerings during the ceremonies must be male or castrated as female ones are prohibited.

Taoism: Three Pristine Ones

Taoism is a major religion in China which was founded during the Eastern Han Dynasty. One of Taoism’s founders, Zhang Daoling, was given the title of Taoist Master and many schools of Taoism emerged after that. The Taoists regard the great philosopher Lao Zi as the patriarch and address him as Heavenly Grand Old Master. The three highest-ranking gods in Taoism are the Three Pristine Ones, who are the Universal Lord of the Primordial Beginning, the Universal Lord of the Numinous Treasure and the Universal Lord of the Way and its Virtue. Together, they form the trinity of Taoism. This concept began during the Six Dynasties.

The Jade Emperor

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4

The Heavenly Mother of the Jade Pool

In ancient Chinese

folklore, the Heavenly

Mother was originally

a demonic deity who

delivered epidemic and

punishment. Subsequently,

she became more gentle

and feminine, and soon

grew to be a kinder deity.

Legend has it that the

Heavenly Mother lives at

the Jade Pool of Mount

Kunlun, with peach trees in

her garden that bear fruits

of longevity. She is also

known as Golden Mother,

Jade Pool Mother and the

Queen Mother of the West.

The Queen Mother of the West The story of the Queen Mother of the West (西王母)

comprises two versions related to the transformation of the goddess. In the first portrayal during the Han Dynasty, she lived in a stone cave at Mount Kunlun as a demonic deity with a human face, a leopard-like tail, teeth like a tiger and a square hat atop her messy hair. She could also roar in a high-pitched voice. The Queen Mother of the West was hardly a gentle figure like the one she is depicted today; in fact she was an evil monster sent to spread epidemics!

The Wei-Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties saw the second portrayal of the Queen Mother of the West. Here, the Chinese linked the tale of the Queen Mother of the West to historical events during which she took on a human form. The Queen Mother of the West originally lived in a deserted land in the West, cut off from the rest of the world. She was only accessible to the gods, tribal leaders, feudal lords and emperors, albeit for brief meetings. Those who had the chance to meet her found her to be a well-mannered and talented woman. In the Tale of King Mu, the Queen Mother of the West was described as a poised and gentle lady who was well versed in songs and dances. In the Story of Han Wu Di, the Queen Mother of the West was a goddess of unsurpassed beauty. In subsequent literary works, most call her the ‘Queen Mother of the West of the Jade Pool’ who cultivated the divine peaches that ripened every three thousand years. Whenever the peaches would ripen, she would hold a grand party in celebration of her birthday and all deities would be invited to the occasion.

The Queen Mother of the West and the Jade EmperorMost Chinese know of the Queen Mother of the West as the wife of the Jade Emperor. They are parents to seven fairy daughters. However, this was not the original story.

The Queen Mother of the West

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5

Li Infant Rock 立儿石

Beside a huge stone named Li Infant Rock, is a carved statue of the Buddha. Legend has it that the Queen Mother of the West, who had seven daughters, went to pray to Buddha to ask for help in getting a son. The Buddha replied, “If you want to have a son, take three small stones and throw them at the Li Infant Rock. If all three stones hit the rock, you will have many sons and daughters. If two stones strike the rock, it means you will only have boys. Since you already have daughters, it is destined that you will not strike with two stones. If you only strike with one stone, you will have only daughters. No stones means no offspring, a fate you have been spared from.” The Queen Mother did as she was told and ended up striking the rock with only one stone. She lamented, “If it is destined that I will not have sons, then I will have to place all hopes on my daughters!” Subsequently, it has become a tradition on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month for married couples to head to Li Infant Rock to ask for the gender of their offspring.

The Queen Mother of the West was naturally formed from yin energies. As the leader of all the fairies, she was in charge of the Kunlun Mountains. Conversely, Father King of the East, who headed all male deities and was in charge of the Penglai divine islands, was formed from yang energies. As the Queen Mother of the West came about much earlier than the Jade Emperor, they could not have been husband and wife. Only in Chinese folklore and fables do the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother of the West appear as a married couple.

Folk WorshipTo the Chinese, the Queen Mother of the West is a kind and supreme goddess. In temples which worship the Queen Mother of the West, one can usually see the statues of six ladies next to the Queen Mother of the West’s statue. These six ladies have specific duties and roles: two of them are in charge of pregnancy, two take care of birth and delivery while the last two help cure diseases and heal the sick. In Taoism, the Queen Mother of the West is a symbol of longevity and the main goddess of the Golden Register Ritual for Prolonging Life. On the holy birthday of the Queen Mother of the West, Taoists, especially females, would gather in temples to observe birthday celebration rituals for the Queen Mother of the West and to pray for good health and longevity.

Xining city is the hometown of the Queen Mother of the West and has many places of worship dedicated to her. These places mainly surround Zhazang Temple and Dongke-er Temple. Every year, on the eighteenth day of the seventh month, which is the birthday of the Queen Mother of the West, people would dress up for the festivities. They would head towards the temples with hada silk cloths and gifts of worship such as fried highland barley noodles, ghee, five-grain bread (highland barley, wheat, peas, corn and broad beans), spirit, sweets and other offering items. Prayers would then be chanted and a horn would be blasted to express their respect for the Queen Mother of the West. On 25 August 2008, Xining even held China’s first worship ceremony for the Queen Mother of the West.

Painting of the Heavenly Mother’s birthday celebration by Wang Wenting, Qing Dynasty.

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6

The Supreme Master of the Way

The Heavenly Grand

Old Master ranks the

highest amongst all the

gods in Taoism. Originally,

he took the human form

of Lao Zi, a famous

philosopher who founded

the Lao-Zhuang School of

Philosophy. The Heavenly

Grand Old Master is

regarded as the Supreme

God. He is not only the

creator of all things on

earth but also master of the

entire universe. He often

takes on various forms

when descending to earth

and he is omnipresent.

The Origins of the Heavenly Grand Old MasterThere will often be three dignified statues in the halls of Taoist temples. These are the Three Pristine Ones (San Qing). In the middle is the Jade Purity, and on his right is the Supreme Pure One, while the Grand Pure One (the Universal Lord of the Way and its Virtue) is on his left.

In Chinese folklore, the Heavenly Grand Old Master is Lao Zi. He lived at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and penned the first work of Taoist philosophy entitled The Classic of the Way and Virtue《道德经》(Dao De Jing). Lao Zi was sanctified only in the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty when Zhang Daoling founded the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice and upheld the teachings of Lao Zi in challenging the spread of Buddhism. People later addressed Lao Zi as the Universally Honoured One of Tao and Virtues.

From Lao Zi to the Heavenly Grand Old MasterSome said that Lao Zi (老子) was born from heaven and earth, while others claimed that Lao Zi’s mother was pregnant for 72 years before giving birth to a white-haired baby, hence the name Lao Zi (meaning ‘an old child’). In other stories, it was said that Lao Zi was born under the plum tree and was able to talk right at birth, pointing to the plum (li) tree, therefore bearing the surname Li. Based on Bian Shao’s Inscription on Lao Zi, Lao Zi “separated himself from the contaminated realm, became one with the Three Lights, and transformed into Tao, undergoing metamorphosis and reincarnation”.

In the early periods of Taoism, Lao Zi was the highest in rank amongst the gods; he was subsequently relegated to the third position amongst the Three Pristine Ones in orthodox Taoism. Lao Zi, who became the Heavenly Grand Old Master, is highly regarded and worshipped by the Chinese people, who built many temples dedicated to him. The royal families of the Tang Dynasty took on the same surname as Lao Zi and gave him additional titles including

The Three Pristine Ones

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7

The Supreme Master of the Way

Supreme Emperor of Mysterious Origin, Great Sage Ancestor and Great Heavenly Emperor of Mysterious Origin of the Golden Palace of the Great Lofty Tao. All the officials in the country built Xuan Yuan temples that worshipped the Grand Old Master to please the emperors, elevating his status even more. In the Ming Dynasty, the people’s worship of the Heavenly Grand Old Master was comparable to that of the Jade Emperor. They would invite the Heavenly Grand Old Master to earth and build temples for him.

Legend has it that the Heavenly Grand Old Master’s birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month. On the fourteenth night, villagers would go to the temple and perform a ceremony known as zuo xiang (meditation). On the fifteenth day, there would be big celebrations around the temples, where people take part in religious ceremonies and bazaars.

Deification of Yi Xi As the Chinese people addressed Lao Zi as the Heavenly Grand Old Master, Yi Xi (尹喜) then established a religion with Lao Zi as the grand master, while Zhang Daoling founded Taoism with Lao Zi as the religious leader. As the story goes, it was the end of the Spring and Autumn Period when Lao Zi was on his way to Hangu Pass, on an ox-driven wooden cart. The Chief Guard of Hangu pass, Yi Xi, was an ardent follower of Taoism. Before the arrival of Lao Zi, Yi Xi had observed the stars and seen a gust of purple energy coming from the east. He had deduced that a holy person would come, so when he saw Lao Zi approaching on a bullock cart, Yi Xi believed that this was the deity he was expecting. He asked Lao Zi to stay for a few days and gathered some of his fellow colleagues to come and listen to Lao Zi’s teachings. After his sermons, Lao Zi left a document of five thousand words, which became The Classic of the Way and Virtue.

As Lao Zi bade farewell to Yi Xi, he gave him a set of instructions to meet him at Qingyang one thousand days later. Yi Xi did as he was told and waited for Lao Zi at Qingyang. Lao Zi descended from the sky riding a goat. It was said that Lao Zi made Yi Xi into a deity and brought him to the Western Regions to spread the teachings of Taoism.

Lishan Hall of the Grand Old Master

On the Shanxi Xiu Range, there is a famous Taoist temple called the Hall of the Grand Old Master. It was believed that Emperor Xuanzong encountered the Heavenly Grand Old Master twice at this location, so the temple is also known as Jiang Sheng Ge. The statue of the Heavenly Grand Old Master in this temple was the work of a famous sculptor, Yuan Xiong. His white jade statue has delicate and lifelike features and is currently on display at the Shanxi Provincial Museum while a replica is found in the temple.

The Heavenly Grand Old Master

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8

Today, the world knows him as Sakyamuni Buddha (释迦

牟尼佛) or Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. He was born in central India about 2,500 years ago. When he grew up, he gave up his throne in search of truth.

How Siddhartha became the BuddhaQueen Maha Maya became pregnant after dreaming of a six-tusked white elephant. She gave birth to a son whom she named Siddhartha and died seven days later, leaving him in the care of her sister, Prajapati. The prince was intelligent, good looking and bore the 32 marks of Buddha and 80 sub-characteristics of Buddha. When he was 17 years old, Siddhartha married his cousin Princess Yasodhara.

During various trips out of the palace, he witnessed the four sights of birth, aging, sickness and death. He concluded that life was full of sufferings and vowed to become a monk to discover the way to enlightenment. At the age of 19, Prince Siddhartha left the palace and became a wandering monk. As he could not find the answer to attain freedom from suffering, he went to Uruvela, a forest, and began his initial years as an ascetic monk. Five other men were sent to be companions of the prince to practise asceticism. After some time, he was still not able to attain enlightenment, so he left the forest. The five companion monks left him as they thought that he had given up on his practice.

Then, the prince bathed in the Nairanjana River where a girl named Sujata offered him some milk-rice porridge. When he regained his strength, Siddhartha sat on a straw mat under a large Bodhi tree, faced the east and began to meditate. He turned his mind to finding the ultimate truth about life. Soon, he was in a state of deep calm. Forty-nine days later, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, otherwise known as the state of nirvana. He became known as the Buddha, the Supreme Enlightened One.

Sakyamuni Buddha

Sakyamuni Buddha

was originally a

prince of the Sakya clan

in Kapilavastu, India. At

that time, Buddha’s name

was Prince Siddhartha

Gautama. Siddhartha

means “the one whose

wishes will be fulfilled”. The

prince gave up his throne

and immersed himself in

the study of Buddhism.

Sakyamuni Buddha portrait in Tibetan style

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9

The Teachings of the BuddhaAfter Siddhartha became the Buddha, he wanted to spread his teachings to the people. With unconditional kindness in his heart and profound wisdom in his head, he began his journey to propagate Buddhism amongst the masses.

The regions where the Buddha went to spread his teachings were mainly in northeast India. The Buddha spent the longest time at Sravasti and Rajagriha. In Sravasti, a rich merchant named Sudatta and the crown prince Jeta donated a Jetavana Vihara (monastery) to Buddha and his disciples, while in Rajagriha they had the Venuvana Vihara. These Viharas were important locations for Buddha to deliver his sermons to the people.

The Buddha made use of gathas (Buddhist hymns), prose, stories, metaphors, direct explanations and rhetoric to make his point. The content, style and delivery method of his sermon would differ depending on the context and audience. He permitted his disciples to use local languages to preach, instead of standard Sanskrit so that his thoughts could be disseminated easily.

Folk WorshipIn most Buddhist temples, we see Kasyapa and Ananda at the Buddha’s side, and all the 18 arhats (disciples) in two rows.

Buddhists in East Asia commemorate the day that the Buddha became a monk by going to the temples to pay their respects, chanting scriptures, meditating, setting captive animals free, giving alms to monks and repenting their sins.The fifteenth day of the second lunar month was celebrated as the day the Buddha attained nirvana. Performing acts of kindness on this day will have a meritorious impact as compared to other days. Buddhists who release captive animals, pray, chant scriptures, reprint scriptures, become vegetarian would also gain merit.

Buddha’s birth date is known as Vesak Day and on this day Buddhists pray for peace and happiness for the world. Rituals on this day include bathing the Buddha, abstaining from meat, releasing captive animals and praying for offspring.

The Bodhi Tree

The Bodhi tree is a plant from the Moraceae family. It has a straight trunk with grey bark; its crown is round and it has hanging roots from its branches. The Bodhi tree can be planted in temples, streets, parks and walkways. In China, the Bodhi tree grows mainly in the southwest and central-south. In Buddhism, the Bodhi tree symbolises enlightenment and holds great significance. The Buddhists regard the Bodhi tree as a sacred tree, and in India it is designated as the national tree. It holds great significance because Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment after meditating under a Bodhi tree.

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