MapEmbed SkyDoorMobile versionFacebook pageFeedbackEntries
Pilgrims reach new heights at Yen Tu
A Vietnamese saying goes "You may be charitable and lead a religious life for a hundred years, but if you haven’t made it to Yen Tu, you haven’t reached the highest religious bliss. (Tram nam tich duc tu hanh, chua di Yen Tu chua thanh qua tu)."
The
location behind this proverb is Yen Tu Mountain, also known as Bach Van
Son (White Cloud Mountain), in the north-eastern province of Quang
Ninh. While itmay seem like a bit of an exaggeration, one look at the
Dong (Bronze) Pagoda, the only bronze pagoda to sit on a mountain’s
peak, and the saying starts to make sense. Sitting on the peak of the
mountain, the 6,000 bronze features fused together weigh a total of 70
tonnes, a site magnificent enough to bring even sceptics to their knees.Yen Tu has been home to the Truc Lam Zen School of Vietnamese Buddhism since the 13th century, founded by King Tran Nhan Tong.
History says that Tran Nhan Tong (1258-1308), whose real name was Tran Kham, led the country to victory over the powerful Mongolian army of the Yuan Monarchy in two wars in 1285 and 1287.
King Tran was renowned for encouraging unity among his people and armed forces. By rallying public support at the Dien Hong meeting and also the support of the armed forces at the Binh Than meeting, the Vietnamese were able to fight off the barbarous Yuan army that had already conquered large parts of Asia and Europe in the 13th century.
Once the wars were over, he devoted his energy to caring for his people and developing the country. He paid special attention to improving agriculture, expanding irrigation systems, allocating land to farmers, developing the economy, improving living standards, attracting talent, encouraging education and developing culture. He exempted taxes and put forced labour on hold for many regions that were seriously damaged by the wars.
As peace came to the country, the King was determined to lead a religious life. In 1293 he abdicated the throne to his son Tran Thuyen (King Tran Anh Tong), although he continued to pay attention to the country’s situation, and maintained a background political influence.
In 1299 he travelled to the mountainous region in Quang Ninh and chose the mountain with a stone statue of An Ky Sinh, a Taoist hermit, to study to be a Buddhist monk.
Legend has it that one day, Tran Nhan Tong sat on the peak and saw a nearby mountain covered with colourful clouds. He asked his followers about that mountain, and they answered that the mountain was Yen Phu Mountain, where An Sinh Vuong (Tran Lieu) – one of his great uncles – was worshipped.
Upon hearing this news, Tran Nhan Tong dropped to his knees and bowed five times towards the Yen Phu Mountain, saying "An Sinh Vuong is my forefather, I am just his descendant. He named his mountain Yen Phu (Phu means Father) so I should name my mountain as Yen Tu (Tu means Children)." On top of the legend’s explanation, historians also say that Tran Nhan Tong may have chosen Yen Tu Mountain to lead his religious practise not only because it is very high and isolated, but also because he could remain connected to the secular world, offering some strategic advantages.
Standing on the peak of the mountain, 1,068m above sea level, the King could look over a large north-eastern region of the country, with Ha Long Bay in the distance. Even further back he could see Bach Dang River, the location where the attempts to bring Viet Nam under the Yuan Monarchy were buried under the river’s waters in the great Bach Dang Battle in 1288. Looking north, the King could see Xa Ly and Noi Bang, important border gates close to China. Historians say that these strategic viewpoints may have led to King to consider the mountain as more than just a religious sanctity, but also as a watch-tower, looking over the whole north-eastern region. Researcher Nguyen Lang was one of these historians. In his book Viet Nam Phat Giao Su Luan (Discussing History of Vietnamese Buddhism), he wrote that Truc Lam School was a type of involved Buddhism, closely connected to politics.
Celebrate good times
A ceremony to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the King’s death on November 16, 1308 was recently held in Yen Tu Ceremony Square.
On such a memorable occasion, many witnesses will tell you that there was something mystical in the air. Early in the morning, thousands of people arrived in the square. Strong winds blew through the crowds, vigorously shaking the trees. As the flags fluttered in the winds, many attendees noted that their forefathers and other supernatural beings were likely travelling on the clouds and winds to arrive at this sacred land.
Pilgrim Pham Xuan Chi from Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong City expressed his own appreciation for the sanctity of the ceremony.
"This is the first time I ‘ve attended such a ceremony with so many participants. I’m just a simple farmer so I can’t describe how I feel with fancy words, but I feel so happy to see thousands of people attending the ceremony, and I pray for good health for everyone," he says.
Difficult journey
With my own appreciation for this cultural hero, I also decided to make this pilgrimage, travelling 120km from Ha Noi to Yen Tu on Highway 18. >On the pilgrimage, 20km from the foot of Yen Tu mountain, sit 11 pagodas and hundreds of towers. In the past, pilgrims had to walk thousands of stone steps through the forest to reach the Bronze Pagoda.
Today the path is much easier, thanks to a cable system that links the foot of the mountain with Hoa Yen Pagoda.
While this system is available to all, it’s mostly used by sightseers and the younger generation. Those who consider themselves real Buddhist pilgrims, including many old women over 80, still choose to walk, as they believe that taking the challenging path is a way to express their sincerity to Buddha.
I joined these dedicated followers as they made their way along the rough forest path, passing bamboo and pine trees. These two kinds of trees on Yen Tu Mountain are meant to manifest the noble and honourable men.
Along the way, Nguyen Thi Oanh, a young Buddhist follower from Mong Duong Ward, Cam Pha Town, Quang Ninh Province says the ceremony was a rare opportunity for ordinary people like her.
"Coming here, we want to express our sincerity to Buddha, especially to King Tran Nhan Tong. We also want to pray for good health for our family, and wish our country to always be peaceful and prosperous."
Climbing up the rough path to the mountain top, Oanh continues to encourage others, "Come on, try to walk, Buddha helps us and we will not feel tired."
On the way, pilgrims pass the Giai Oan (Exoneration) stream. Legend says that many imperial concubines who failed to convince the King to return to the secular life drowned themselves in the stream.
Pilgrims then reach a 3,000sq.m zone of 97 towers used to worship the
King and his 97 high-ranking mandarins. The towers were built under
ancient pines trees that date back as far as the King’s death, and have
grown to 0.8-1m in diameter each. Leaving the towers, pilgrims head to
Hoa Yen Pagoda, 543m above sea level. Initially, the pagoda was named
Van Yen Tu (Pagoda of Clouds and Smokes). This pagoda has a statue of
King Tran Nhan Tong and a 700 year old tree, surrounded with daisies.
Closed to the pagoda is the Ngu Doi (The King Baths) stream.
The path takes pilgrims to a small temple named Ngoa Van (Lying
Clouds), the Mot Mai (One Roof) pagoda, then Bao Sai and Van Tieu
pagodas at 700m above sea level. While the path is steep, the followers
don’t seem to get tired, somehow energised by their faith in Buddha.The group then arrives to Heaven’s Gate, where the path passes by a high cliff. From the path, the group spots the 2.2m high An Ky Sinh statue, carved manually out of the natural rock in its place of origin.
Above the huge rocks, the Bronze Pagoda (also known as Thien Phuc Tu) sits on the top of Yen Tu Mountain. Once again, strong winds hit the crowd and clouds move wildly around the group. The pagoda has statues of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni, and the three founders of Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen School: King Tran Nhan Tong, Phap Loa and Hue Quang.
Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, vice president of the Executive Council of Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha, says that the Sangha has asked the Party and the State to undergo a more thorough investigation of the life and achievements of King Tran Nhan Tong, to recognise him as a national cultural icon, and to seek even further UNESCO recognition.
Seven centuries have passed since the day the King joined Nirvana, but his outlook on life, and his ideas on how to help his people are still alive today.
Source: travelnews.asianatravelmate.com
Post to FacebookPost to Twitter
