Han Shan Temple
Han Shan Temple
ONE -- THE STORY
Han Shan Temple was built in 502-519 AD. It has more than1400 years’ history. It also had many disasters and rebuilt many times.
At first, HST was called Miaoli Puming Pagoda Yard. Why call HST now?
There is a legend at this temple.
Once there are two men in Tiantai (my hometown). One named Han Shan, born in poor family but quite good at poems. Another one named Shi De, also born in poor family, but he worked in Guoqing Temple. Han Shan always hungry without any food to eat. So Shi De always gave Han Shan food in a box secretly. Han Shan in order to thank Shi De, so he often picked lotus flower to give to Shi De. They had deep friendship. Han Shan’s parents found a wife for him, but this girl loved Shi De. When Han Shan knew this truth, he had so much jealous. But finally, he decided to let Shi De and this girl to marry. He didn’t want to hurt his good friend. So Han Shan left Tiantai with a letter in his room, and went to Suzhou to be a monk in this temple.
Since Han Shan left home, Shi De had couple days didn’t see Han Shan. So Han Shan went to the house of Shi De. He saw the letter which Han Shan gave to him. From then, Shi De felt so sad and whatever do want to find Han Shan. When Shi De past Suzhou, he saw a such beautiful lotus flower that he never seen before, he remembered Han Shan always gave him lotus flower, so he picked it and hold on hand wanted to give to Han Shan and remind the friendship he and Han Shan.
After Han Shan lived in this temple, the temple changed name as HST.
When Shi De finally arrived in HST, Han Shan was so happy to see him and asked Shi De to have meal, he passed a box of food to Shi De. After this they live together and studied Buddhism and poems. Han Shan wrote <Han Shan Poems>. And in HST we also can see the status of these 2 men one held lotus flower and another one held a box like a bottle. They were called “ He He Faeire”. People which family has wedding, they will put there figures on beds or doors. They became the symbol of marriage.
Lotus flower and box in Chinese characters is 荷(he) and盒(he)，these 2 characters have same pronunciation with 合(he) and和(he). It means always together, always harmonious.
Because they always laughed crazy and wore broke clothes, when <Han Shan Poems> reached USA, American like the poems so much, and consider Han Shan and Shi De were the first Hippy of America.
The most famous of their question and answer:
寒山问拾得：世间有谤我，欺我，辱我，笑我，轻我，贱我，恶我，骗我，如何处治乎？
Han Shan asked Shi De: In this world, have people who slander me, bully me, insult me, laugh at me, contempt me, humble me, nauseate me, lie to me, how should I do ?
拾得曰：只是忍他，让他，由他，避他，敬他，不要理他，过十年后，你且看他！”
Shi De answered: Just tolerate him, permit him, allow him, avoid him, respect him, do not care for him, after ten years later, you look back him!
TWO-- THE POEM
枫桥夜泊
唐•张继
月落乌啼霜满天，
The moon dropping, the crows crowing, the frost filled full of sky,
江枫渔火对愁眠。
The maples on the side of Jinhang River and the fire in the fishing boats made my sleep full of worry.
姑苏城外寒山寺，
The Han Shan Temple at the outside of Suzhou city,
夜半钟声到客船。
The bell ring from Han Shan Temple reached to the customer boats made me sleepless.
Explain: A man called Zhang Ji was a great poet in Tang Dynasty. Somehow he went to the capital of Tang- Changan( Xian in nowadays) to join the official exam, but finally he failed in this exam and got nothing of the official. That night he slept on a boat which stopped at Suzhou River. He was in bad mood and saw all the sad things around, dropping moon, crowing crows, and the frost. Even the maples and the light fishing fire usually is a warm symbol to people, but at that moment, to Zhang Ji which just let him felt worse, other people’s happiness became his sadness. Especially when he hugged this worry and sadness just fell a little into sleep, the bell rings from Han Shan Temple woke him up, from then he can’t sleep anymore and the worry and sorrow became more and more…