SUKHA: Temple With Buck Wheat Fabricated Image, Shuxiang-si

Temple Shuxiang-si （殊像寺） situated along the main street in Taihuai-zhen （台怀镇） is one of the five important meditation temples of Wutaishan （五台山）. It was believed to be first established during Tang Dynasty (618-907), restored within years 1314-1320 (元代 Yuan Dynasty)and year 1487 during Ming Dynasty. The Temple is famous for enshrine the largest image of Manjushri Bodhisattva （文殊师利菩萨） in its main hall and the head portion of the Bodhisattva was said to be sculpted from buck wheat flour dough.

The legend said that the artisans when coming to sculpt the head and face of the Manjeshri Bodhisattva, after completed all other parts of the sculpture, were in doubt and had various opinions of how Bodhisattva looks like, as nobody had ever seen him before. The argument continued but without solution and decision. The kitchen worker learn about the problem and advised them to calm down first. He then went back to kitchen and started making buck wheat dough. At a sudden he saw beams of light filled up the kitchen and when he looked out from window, he saw Bodhisattva Manjushri. As there was no time to call the artists in, he quickly captured the countenance and vital principal of Bodhisattva and fabricated with his buck wheat dough. After he had done, Bodhisattva varnished in the sky. The artisans finally decided to use the fabricated wheat dough as the sculpture head and gilded with gold foil. The name of Shuxiang-si must be probably came from this legend.

Temple Shuxiang-si overlooking the Fanxiang-shan ranges （梵仙山）at the opposite side is surrounded with scenic mountain sights.

Car park of the Temple is fully occupied with tourist buses and line of stalls selling Buddhist related items and souvenirs.

Shuxiang-si though is one of the eight unorthodox Chinese Buddhist Temples in Wutaishan, its main shrine hall with two giant stone lions at the door front, appear exactly as a typical Chinese Han Temple. In Tibet Buddhism it was classified as Green Sect as it is managed by monks while usual Yellow Sect is managed by Lama.

The adorable image of Bodhisattva Manjushri enshrined in the main shrine hall, riding on a lion, has a height of 9.3 meter. It is the largest in Wutaishan. The sculpture material used for his head part was believed to be buck wheat dough. Behind the altar, there are images of Buddha Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha and Amitaba.

The three images of Buddha Skyamuni, Medicine Buddha and Amitaba Buddha are enshrined behind the altar. The most interesting and received most attention are the 500 Arahat hanging sculptures displayed at both sides of the main shrine hall. Each sculpture is a piece of art.

The Buddhist brass instruments (法器）and a standing board pasted with red paper written a statement, requesting all tour guides to mind their speeches. I wonder why? Was it because some guides talk too much and mislead the tourists?

The scheme of Shuxiang-si is not that big, but it was treated as a residential worship temple by Emperors and Empress during Qing Dynasty. The 4 Chinese characters read as Rui-Xiang-Tian-Ran （瑞相天然） which literally means Auspicious Feature in Nature was the hand writing of Qing Emperor Kangxi. The Temple also kept two royal stele written by Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. There are about 50 structures over its land area of 6400 sq. meter. Behind the temple at west-north corner, there was a hall called Shanjing-shi (善静室）, named by the 3rd princess of Qing Dynasty when she came and stayed here to seek for peaceful path of her life after her husband and son were killed by her nephew, Emperor Kangxi, as her father in-law Wu-Sangui (吴三桂） turned into a threaten enemy of Qing Empire. At the temple, The princess always studied Buddhist Sutra and theory with a very handsome and knowledgeable monk in the hall. The Palace came to know about the gossip of their relation and was so angry that Emperor Kangsi summon an order to set fire on Shuxiang-si. The whole temple was burnt down to ash except Shanjin-shi remained undamaged. Emperor analyzed that it was the hint of Bodhisattva Manjushri informing him that the princess and the monk were true Buddhist disciples and the love scandal was not true. The Emperor immediately contributed the building fun and ordered to restore the temple.

We heard that there is a spring water fountain near Shuxiang-si given the name as Spring of Paramis (般若泉） as it was said that whoever drink its water could get rid off foolishness and gain wisdom. During those days, it was considered the purest water to offer to Buddha and it was also the only water the emperors of Qing Dynasty would drink when they came for pilgrimage trip. The common lay people when paying visit usually brought along empty bottles to fill the spring water back home to share with relatives and friends. The legend said that there was no water in the neighboring hood in the past and people had to travel far to get water to offer to monks. They faced hard time in traveling especially during winter season when the road was covered with slippery ice and snow. In view of this, The compassionate Rev. Huiqian （慧潜法师） took a vow to recite 10,000 volumes of Diamond Sutra in a hut he built at the hill slope, hoping that a water god would be sent here to solve the difficulty of people. Rain and shine, day and night he never ceased in reciting the sutra. On the 9999th night just about to complete the last volumn of the Sutra, an old man with long white beard approached near him and advised him to give up as he said the moment the monk finished recitation of 10 thousand volumn of Sutra, it also would be time for him to pass away unless he stopped now. Rev. Huiqian while hearing about this, never stopped the chanting. Thinking of the 28 years of effort had to turn to void if he gave up now, he went on. The moment he finished the last page of Diamond Sutra, fountain of water burst out from ground, he laughed loud but at the time he stopped breathing and passed away. The flow of fountain since then never fails to supply clean and cool water to people even in the winter, it never freeze. The monks used his compassion, his vigor even his life to exchange such a wonderful source of water, I do not believe with my eye sight that the pond of holy water was used to soak the dirty blanket. Was this the true Paramis Spring that locals confirmed to me?

The beautiful scenery at the main street outside Temple Shuxiang-si

The white snow-capped East and North Plateau of Wutaishan viewed from Town Taihuai-Zhen.

Wutaishan received its first snow in mid October, one night before our visit. Though we were not able to climb the peaks but we were instead offered the best countenance of its beauty.

The surrounding scenery near the hotel where we stayed for almost a week.

We stayed in a tradition courtyard styled hotel with only two storey of rooms attached with a luxurious bath room to ensure we have hot water supplied throughout the day.

Though the room rate was not too economical, we received very good service from its staff.

We had our first breakfast in the neighboring hotel as our hotel restaurant was having renovation. Chargeable at 15rmb per head, our breakfast looked alright but the food were rather cold as if overnight stuff.

This vegetarian restaurant near our hotel is rather impressive but you paid for the price.

We ordered dishes of gingko pumping, napas and eggplant for our dinner. Food tasted good, and price was also good. We paid 168rmb for these three dishes. .

We had their wild fungus, mushroom and taufoo dishes the next day.

Vegetable soup and soy fish were some of our orders in our following visit.

We had potatoes and tomato dishes for our lunch at another restaurant. Most of the restaurants in Wutaishan offer vegetarian meals.

The old monk from Temple Wanfo-Ge when hearing we were not locals, insisted to bring us to this restaurant to have lunch, though he had taken his in the temple. We ordered noodle and taufoo ball for our meal.