In Sichuan, China, there is a “daughter country”:
This is the only place in China where adult males are prohibited from entering, and the scenery is no less beautiful than Daocheng; But this is not like the land of daughters in Journey to the West, where there is no singing and dancing of birds and swallows, only the most devout faith, and eating is prohibited at night.
This is Yaqing Temple in Garze, Sichuan.
The only water Buddhist kingdom
On the picturesque western Sichuan Plateau, there are the two largest colleges of the Ningma School.
One is the famous “Red Buddhist Kingdom” – Seda Wuming Buddhist Academy, with red houses covering the mountains, which was once a pilgrimage site for countless travelers;
And the other one is Yaqing Temple.
The temple here is located in a remote mountainous valley, not as famous as Seda. There is no wifi or internet, and it has only been electrified in recent years. It is primitive and peaceful.
The photo of Yaqing Temple looks very similar to Seda at first glance. There are over 20000 red houses here, densely packed like a red ocean;
But unlike Seda, Seda’s house is built along the mountain, while Yaqing Temple is built along the water, known as the “Water Buddhist Kingdom”.
The criss crossing rivers surround the entire architectural complex of Yaqing Temple, creating a picturesque paradise;
On the grassland wetlands surrounded by mountains on all sides, thousands of small wooden houses of believers are scattered;
The Changqu River, which has a 180 degree turn, has also divided a “daughter country of Tibet” – Juemu Island.
Adult males are prohibited from entering
Tibetan Daughter Country
Yaqing Temple is the place with the largest number of female monks practicing collectively in the world. The female monks who practice are called “Juemu”.
Here is the river as the boundary, with Juemu (female monks) district inside the island and Zhaba (male monks) district outside the island;
A straight bridge connects the world of “Juemu Island” and “outside the island”.
Adult males are prohibited from entering Juem Island and can only walk around the island by the riverbank during the day; And underage boys are allowed to accompany female relatives to the island. Juemu, who practices, is almost isolated from the outside world as soon as he lands on the island;
They must abide by the rules here, and basically meditate, listen to lectures or recite scriptures every day except for eating. They cannot go out to buy things or eat after dark.
The temple distributes 300 yuan of “prayer money” to Juemu every month, which is their entire income;
For many people, this amount of money may only be enough to gather for a meal, but for Juemu, reducing material desires is also a part of spiritual cultivation.
After entering winter every year, they will also face the annual “big exam” – a hundred day seclusion.
One hundred days of seclusion is the most important content of Juemu’s one-year practice in Yaqing; They are going to enter a “matchroom” hut that can only accommodate one person and undergo a 108 day seclusion practice.
When in seclusion, one should follow the “three door seclusion”: seclusion from being seen by others, seclusion from vulgar language, and seclusion from greed, anger, and discrimination.
That is to say, during seclusion, you cannot have any communication with others.
At this time, it was also the coldest day of the year in Yaqing Temple, and the Juemu people sat alone in a small room without any insulation facilities, practicing meditation throughout the winter.
After the annual retreat, less than 3% of the Juemu can receive confirmation of the achievements of the Aqiu Lama, which is considered the supreme honor.
This kind of practice, which is almost like an ascetic monk, is incomprehensible to ordinary people, but for the Juemu people, it is a kind of practice and experience.
The Pure Land of the World, the Last Holy Land of Cultivation
Yaqing Temple is known as the “last holy land for spiritual cultivation in Tibet”.
Not only the Juemu people, but also the Zhaba people living outside the island, day after day, meditate, listen to lectures, recite scriptures
Perhaps you may not understand this ascetic style of practice, but there are already many ways of living in this world.
To the west of Yaqing Temple, there is an inconspicuous small hill top, with the golden statue of Master Lianhua sitting on a towering lotus throne;
To see this statue, you need to follow a muddy path, pass through the red hut of the lamas, and walk all the way up. And here, you can always meet monks sitting at the top of the slope meditating.
Dante said, “Faith is to believe in things we have never seen before, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe
Before meeting the practitioners of Yaqing Temple, you may have had many imaginations about their lives and asceticism, but when you actually set foot here, you will find that everything here is beyond your imagination.
Yaqing Temple is a holy place for practitioners, and practicing here is nothing special, just a daily routine for practitioners.
On this land shrouded in culture and architecture, the sky is so blue that one can temporarily take a break from worries, and the occasional drifting clouds are so cute that they look like P’s.
The morning smoke fills the air, and the river shimmers with golden light; The stars twinkle in the night sky, and the Buddhist pagoda on the mountaintop witnesses the passage of time… Monks dressed in red clothes shuttle day after day between the red houses, turning around the long scripture corridor. The sound of chanting scriptures comes from afar with the wind, like heavenly music, touching the heart.
Here, whether in the school, on the hillside, or by the valley, you can always meet monks practicing meditation. As long as you are willing, you can sit down and meditate anytime, anywhere.
Wearing red clothes to cultivate the Buddha’s heart, once separated by a red wall from the mortal world. The people here may seem to have nothing, but their hearts are very wealthy.
