Decryption: Why did Jigong monk become 50 1 arhat after 500 arhats?

Biyun Temple in Xiangshan, Beijing, Zhutong Temple in Kunming, Yunnan, and Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou all have a hall of five hundred arhats. There are five hundred arhats in the hall, all of which are lifelike. In addition, there are 500 arhats in Suzhou Xiyuan Zhuang Jie Hokkeji, Shanghai Longhua Temple and Hanyang Guiyuan Temple. How did the statement of 500 arhats come into being?

Arhat, also known as Arhat, is the result of early Buddhist practice. Buddhism believes that arhat is a person who can never degenerate and reincarnate after death. It is said that many disciples of Sakyamuni have practiced in this realm.

Because the myth of Lohan's protection of the country was widely circulated in the world, Buddhists in the Han Dynasty worshipped Lohan, so there was the legend of 500 Lohan.

The concept of five hundred arhats originated from Buddhism very early. It is said that 500 disciples converted to Sakyamuni when he was alive. However, the "500" in Buddhist scriptures often only means a large number of people and cannot be regarded as an exact number. But in China, especially since the Five Dynasties, there have been five hundred arhats' cults. Qian Ceng, King of wuyue, built a bronze statue of 500 arhats at Fangguang Temple in Tiantai Mountain. Since then, about 500 statues and paintings of Lohan have emerged in an endless stream, which are widely circulated in Buddhist areas of China.

Because there are so many * * * of the five hundred arhats that it is difficult to mention them one by one, later generations often add some new contents and leave some interesting stories when shaping the image of the five hundred arhats. For example, the 444th arhat in Luohantang, Biyun Temple, Xiangshan, Beijing, is named "The Breaker". He wears a helmet, robes and boots, hands on his knees, and his eyes are bright. He is clearly an emperor in uniform. It is said that this is based on the image of Emperor Qianlong. Another example is the statue of Christ Jesus in the Luohan Hall of Zhu Qian Temple in Kunming, Yunnan.

It is worth mentioning that in the 500 Lohan Hall, you can often see the well-known "Jigong Living Buddha", and some people simply call him 50l Lohan. It is said that when the living arhat playing games for poverty alleviation arrived at arhat Hall, the quota of 500 arhats was full, so he had to stand in the aisle (arhat Hall in Hokkeji, Zhuang Jie, Xiyuan, Suzhou) or squat on the beam (arhat Hall in Biyun Temple, Xiangshan, Beijing). He could have occupied a formal position, but he didn't, so he was in distress situation. To this end, his face is often shaped into a half-cry and half-smile. The image of Jigong reflects the sense of humor of China folk artists. Of course, in Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, where he lived, there is still a Taoist Buddhist temple dedicated to a statue of Jigong with a broken fan in his right hand, a rosary in his left hand and his right foot resting on the altar.

Jigong (1 148- 1209), a Taoist Zen master, was originally named Li Xiuyuan, a monk in the Southern Song Dynasty, and was born in Yongning Village, Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province. Later generations are honored as the living Buddha of Jigong, also known as the moonlight. He is a broken hat, a broken fan, a broken shoe and a dirty dress. He seems to be crazy. He first became a monk in Xiaoguo Temple, then lived in Lingyin Temple and then in Jingci Temple. He is not bound by precepts, loves wine and meat, and behaves like a madman. He is a learned monk who does good deeds and is listed as the fiftieth ancestor of Zen and the sixth ancestor of Yangqizong. He knows medical skills and has cured many incurable diseases for the people. He is good at fighting injustice and saving people's lives. His virtues of helping the poor, eliminating violence, promoting good and punishing evil have left a unique and beautiful impression in people's hearts.

Jigong's life is legendary. He is both "bumpy" and "economical". His virtues of helping the poor, eliminating violence, punishing evil and promoting good left a unique and beautiful impression in people's hearts. People miss him and deify him. Deification began with his birth. "The Story of the Western Regions" contains: "The ancient Fangguang Temple of Liang Shi Bridge in Tiantai Mountain, the abbot of 500 arhats, is often known for its vast magical powers." When Jigong was born, it happened that the 17th Luohan in the Luohan Hall of the Treasury Temple (that is, Luohan who descended the dragon) suddenly fell down, so people said that Jigong was reincarnated as Luohan. People look forward to the savior, and society calls for heroes. When people were in urgent need of sages, monks became "living buddhas", and Dao Ji, a mortal, became a deity offering sacrifices in past dynasties. After becoming a Buddha, his honorific title is as long as 28 words: "Great kindness, great compassion, great wisdom, purple gold, arhat, venerable sage, sage", which combines Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, and can be called the ultimate deification. This also shows that Jigong is deeply loved by the broad masses of the people and has become a "living Buddha" in the hearts of the people, reflecting the broad affinity of Jigong's image.