With my apologies dear readers somehow, I became lost in time and forgot to continue between the last episode on going to the Southern Peak. So with your permission I will continue…..
The novice guided me out of the room and once outside told me that the Abbot had said I needed to visit the Southern Peak. Here I found another surprise awaited me. My meeting with this remarkable monk has stayed in my heart and mind all these years later. His presence, warmth and gentle wisdom found a grateful place within my heart and mind.
I was puzzled by the Abbot’s words that I needed to visit the Southern Peak. I had no idea how to reach it and little idea pf exactly where it was located. Upon returning to the hotel which Molly and KK had generously organised for my stay in Wu Tai I made enquiries at the front desk. The lady told me a few things about the south peak and handed me a little pamphlet with a tiny bit of information on it. Upon reading I learned that the South Terrace, also known as Jinxiu Peak, is located about 25 km from Taihuai Town. Its elevation is about 2,485 meters. According to the brochure it’s a fascinating place to see vast green mountains dotted with colourful flowers. When I finally went there I could not see any flowers at all but traces of snow still lingered along the slopes.
The next day having lunch in the hotel dining room I met a young American woman and her mother. We chatted about Wu Tai and the wonderful natural beauty and its temples and monasteries. The young woman was studying in Beijing and was fluent in Chinese. I told them of my attempts to discover a way to the Southern Peak and they both looked surprised and told me that they had hired a jeep and were driving there the next day and invited me to accompany them.
I began to think that Manjusri might be closer than I thought! The next morning we set off over rough bouncy roads and began climbing the incredibly steep slope. The jeep felt as though it was really finding the climb hard and I wondered what might happen if we began to roll backward down the mountain. However after a long climb we arrived at the summit.
On the summit, there stands the tiny Puji Temple, honouring Manjusri Bodhisattva. Puji Temple is said to have been built in the Sui Dynasty 581-681 AD. Much of the present structure has been restored over many generations. I had carried a small photograph of my beloved teacher from Thailand with me and had thought that I might be able to leave it in a suitable special location in China. Tanh Visal had often spoken with me about the Bodhisattvas Kuan Yin and Manjusri but he had never been able to visit China himself.
We entered the doorway and were soon greeted by a middle aged monk who rushed up to me and bowing, told the young American lady that they had been expecting me. He then led us into the main shrine room ushering us forward and gesturing toward a small group of photographs of various monks on the table beneath the image of Manjusri. Asking the young woman to interpret for me I told him that I had my teacher’s photo and wondered if I could place it with the others before the image. His reply astonished me. “Of course, we have been expecting it” So, taking out the photo I handed it to him and with great reverence he placed it on the shrine.
Having paid our respects he then escorted us around the temple. Puji is so small that it can only accommodate a handful of monks and in winter they are snowed in. During the summer they gather as much firewood as they can and store it for the harsh winter to come. For water in winter snow is melted. They sleep on traditional “kang” stone beds heated from beneath and use their time cut off from the world in meditation, study and working on stone sculptures inside the buildings which could later be sold to support the monastery. We met two other monks, had a cup of tea and then began the journey back to Tai Huai, inching slowly down the mountainside hoping the breaks would not give out.
The young American lady and her mother I never saw again. I owe them such a debt of gratitude. When I asked after them at the front desk I was told that they had left the hotel that day.
It is said that Manjusri was and is present in Wu Tai Shan and I think they may be right. I hope that one day you too may be able to make this journey and receive the blessing of meeting such remarkable people.
With much metta,
bhante teja
