In the west of Xiji Village, Xiji Town, Shanting District, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, there is a thousand-year-old temple called Puzhao Temple, which is called the Big Temple by the locals. This is one of the few famous Buddhist temples existing in Zaozhuang City, and it is also a key cultural relic protection unit in Shandong Province.
This Puzhao Temple was first built in the Kaihuang Period of the Sui Dynasty (581-604). It was expanded and rebuilt during the Dading Period of the Jin Dynasty (1161-1189). It reached its largest scale during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), covering an area of ??100 square meters. More acres. The temple faces south, and the Xijilong River flows slowly in front of the temple, with several steps reaching deep into the river bottom. The Dragon River in front of the temple is rippling with blue waves, with luxuriant grass on both sides and smoked willows blowing across the embankments. The environment is very beautiful.
According to historical records, Puzhao Temple had three eaves gates, a courtyard on the left and a right, and ancillary rooms across the courtyard. The four heavenly kings guard both sides. The five main halls in the courtyard are majestic and majestic. Four bluestone pillars engraved with coiled dragons are erected under the eaves in front of the hall. They are about 3 meters high. The carvings are exquisite, the shapes are lifelike and exquisite.
In the main hall, the statue of Guanyin Buddha sits calmly, and the eighteen Arhats have different postures. On the east side of the main hall is the Canglang Hall, which is dedicated to the God of Water. There are three rooms in the west wing, which are dedicated to Guan Gong. In the temple, there are towering ancient trees and numerous steles. There is an endless stream of devotees burning incense and worshiping the Buddha. The incense is very strong.
Today, there are only five main halls left in the temple. On the walls on both sides of the gate under the eaves, there are two inscriptions inscribed by Jia Sanjin, a Hanlin scholar during the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty. The stipples are exquisite, the handwriting is clear, and they are well preserved. . The inscription on the right side is in regular script, and the inscription on the left side is in running script.
The inscription on the right side reads:
A poem about visiting Puzhao Temple, in order. Yixiji (today's Xiji) is a shining orchid, which has been destroyed for a long time. The chief monk, Yuantai, together with the monks and Tanyue, planned to repair the temple, and restored the ruined temple into a treasure square. This is an act of faith. laugh! The yellow flowers and green bamboos are all bodhisattva; every grass and tree are all meritorious. Only those with good roots can know it.
Since the birth of the lantern, the mountain has been established until now. The gold of Gion is the ground, and the treasure world is the forest of jade.
There is no truth, but no mind is the Tao mind. Humanity and heaven achieve the fruit of victory, and they will be lost forever.
In the tenth month of the Guiwei year in Wanli, it is auspicious, and Yiruru Taoist Jia Sanjin has written a book.
The inscription on the left side of the stele is as follows:
Passing through the Puzhao Zen room in the early spring, I met the monk Yuantai. He had a simple nature and understood the purpose of Zen. Those who flow. I traveled among the Five Mountains earlier, and now I am back to live in my old house. The place is secluded, the springs are clear, and the moon is white on the peaks. It seems that someone has understood the meaning of Buddhism, so he wrote a poem about it.
After hearing about Western scholars, they often turned to Fahua. Read the scriptures and turn over the leaves, and talk about the verses.
In front of the steps of the Deer Garden, there is sand on the palms of the Ganges River. If you already have enough, why look for three cars?
Shi Kui Jia Sanjin’s book is written on the first day of the eleventh month of Guiwei in the Wanli calendar.
According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty·Jia Sanjin Biography", Jia Sanjin (1534-1592), whose courtesy name was Dexiu, also known as Shikui, also known as the Master of the Stone House, Lanling Individual Guest, etc., was a Jinshi in Longqing of the Ming Dynasty. A native of Yixian County, Shandong Province (now Yicheng District, Zaozhuang City), he once served as minister of Guanglu Temple, censor of Jianyoudu of Duchayuan, and right minister of the Ministry of War. On July 29, 1592, he died of back gangrene at the age of 59. Jia Sanjin wrote quite a lot in his lifetime, but most of them have been lost. The "Yixian Chronicle" he organized and compiled is the first county chronicle of Yixian County and preserves many precious historical materials.
Around the eleventh year of Wanli (1583), Jia Sanjin was dismissed from his post as minister of Guanglu Temple in Nanjing and lived at home. During his five years of leisure, he wrote the "Yixian Chronicle", inspected the mountains and rivers, visited the elders in the township, traveled among the springs and forests, and traveled all over Yixian and its surrounding areas. In Puzhao Temple, he met Yuantai, the abbot of the temple. The two had a very good conversation. From then on, they often visited each other and even lived in the temple, discussing Buddhism and Zen with Yuantai. The two poems inlaid on the walls on both sides of the gate under the eaves of the main hall of Puzhao Temple were specially inscribed by him at the invitation of Elder Yuantai when he visited Puzhao Temple in the autumn of the 11th year of Wanli (1583).
Behind the main hall there is also a stele from the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, with the four characters "Longhe Jingshe" written in seal script on the forehead. "Longhe" refers to the Longhe River in today's Xiji County, and "Jingshe" is the nickname of the temple, namely Puzhao Temple.
The inscription on the stele is "The Record of Longhe Jingshe", and the inscription was written by Wang Donghuai, a native of Teng County.
Wang Donghuai (1801--1852), whose courtesy name was Yinzhi, also called Shusheng, was from No. Citun, and was a native of Gai Village in present-day Tengzhou. A Jinshi of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty, he was the teacher of Emperor Xianfeng. He served as censor of Jiangxi Province, magistrate of Hengzhou in Hunan, envoy of Fujian Province, salt law of Hubei Province, etc. The Taiping Rebellion captured Yueyang (some say Wuchang) and the city fell. Wang Donghuai brandished his sword and ordered his brother to flee. His daughter threw herself into a well and died. Wang and his wife, Xiao, hanged themselves to death. Later, he was granted the posthumous title of Captain of Cavalry and was given the posthumous title of Wenzhi. He was the author of "Collected Works of Duke Wang Wenzhi".
According to relevant records, the inscription on the stele of "Longhe Jingshe" is:
Most of the beautiful mountains and rivers in Yuneifan are occupied by the Brahma Palace. This is the place where Gaishuzi chooses Buddhism, not the place where Confucian scholars talk about Taoism. However, those who are serious about learning are afraid that they will not go deep into the mountains, and their traces will be like those of outsiders. There are often places where ancient people studied in jungle temples. Why? When dealing with others, entangled in worldly affairs, your mind will be stagnant, and your spirit will be blocked. Therefore, you should resolutely give it up and find yourself in a state of leisure and solitude. The forest and springs make him wander, and the misty moon makes him roar proudly. The husband then meets him far away, and his encounter is real. Even if it is published as an article, it will also be transcendent and far away. If the Luan in the clouds does not know what dust is, this cliff will beg for inspiration from the Buddhist chanting. It is not accidental that the beauty of the mountains and rivers is in my heart. Sixty miles northwest of Yizhi, there is Puzhao Temple, which is also a place with beautiful mountains and rivers. There is an area behind the temple, which is a hall with three couplets, a quiet room on the left and right wings, surrounded by two short walls and shaded by fine trees. It used to be a place for local people to write essays on Tan Yi, but it has been in disuse for a long time. When Daoguang Yi was still young, all the gentlemen who did good deeds came to repair it. Zhao Yu and seven comrades were among them. Yu Weiyan said: Longhe Jingshe is built with Jingshe, especially in Longhe. The Dragon River originates from Juliang Mountain, winds around the peaks, and converges at the remote temple gate at Xue Shi. When the mountain rises and explodes, flying dragons roar, dragons roar with thunder, electric shocks occur all at once, and the waves of Qujiang River cannot pass by. Or there are fragrant grasses on the bank, smoke from willow trees blowing across the embankment, and three or five fishing boys, sometimes fishing among the clear waves. The pieces of peach blossoms are as good as fish foam, and they seem to be in the realm of fairyland. It seems that the cold leaves are gone from the wood, the clear moon is flowing, and the sandy white shore is high, and the Tan is empty at midnight. When I stop reading, I listen to the broken water holding the pebbles, and the gurgling sound is as if the music of the harp has stopped suddenly, which makes people think beyond the ordinary world. I looked down and rejoiced, thinking that this hidden secret in a corner was a false representation of heaven and earth (the stele was originally damaged, and later generations tried to repair it) and even the text. It is a great blessing for me and my comrades to be able to write about Tan Yi here. Although the rest is like this, it is just like the claws of a claw in the spring mud, and it goes away easily (the monument is damaged and will be repaired later). Those who visit their hometowns instead seek to be content with themselves, explore the true feelings of nature, learn about the wonders of thousands of trees, and use them to soothe their hearts. Expand his knowledge and develop his knowledge, and the colors will be reflected in the giant beams of the Dragon River. Then the construction of this monastery should not be just for the magnificent scenery of mountains and rivers. Otherwise, the Jingshe is also the place where disciples choose Buddhas, so why should they have anything to do with Confucian scholars?
This inscription mainly describes the natural environment around Puzhao Temple, the temple's overview and the maintenance process at that time. It provides important physical information for the study of Buddhist culture in southern Shandong and has high historical and humanistic value. value.
It is understood that when this inscription was written, Wang Donghuai was idle at home as a candidate for the teaching of Bagong. Before Wang Donghuai became an official, he passed the Tribute Examination and was appointed as an alternate teacher in Teng County. At that time, there was a scholar in Xiji, Jiang Kaicheng, who was a wealthy local man. He admired Wang Donghuai for a long time because of his profound knowledge, so he paid a lot of money to hire him to teach his students in Xiji. The location was Puzhao Temple. At that time, there were several spare rooms behind the temple, which were originally places where villagers discussed poetry and essays. Later, they were abandoned. Jiang Xiucai and others funded their renovation, and Wang Donghuai and seven of his disciples studied here. In the third year, all seven disciples passed the exam, and a young novice monk in the temple who leaned on a broom and listened to the lectures outside the window all day also passed the exam. This is the story of Wang Donghuai teaching apprentices at Puzhao Temple and "teaching seven out of eight".
During the Anti-Japanese War, Puzhao Temple was used as a field hospital by the Sulu People’s Anti-Japanese Volunteer Corps, with Comrade Chu Yaqing, the military medical director of the Corps known as the “Black God”, concurrently serving as its director. In June 1938, shortly after the establishment of the Sulu People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Corps, Comrade He Yiping, the political commissar of the Corps, was unfortunately seriously injured during the anti-rebellion struggle and was transported to Puzhao Temple. Although Chu Yaqing and others tried their best to rescue him, Comrade He Yiping was seriously injured and died that night. The sacrifice was made in the temple.
Later, Puzhao Temple became a stronghold of the Japanese army, and the headquarters was located in the main hall.
In 1943, Han Leti, the head of the fourth district of Pupiaoyi County, set up camp in Puzhao Temple, and set up strongholds in Fengzhuang and Liuzhuang near Xiji, with more than 200 armed men. Directly under the command of the Yixian Puppet Army Brigade.
In the spring of 1944, Han commanded the Puzhao Temple stronghold to dispatch more than 20 puppet troops to Lushuiya to seize the people's cattle. Our Shuangshan County Brigade conducted an ambush at the foot of the Xinhedong volcano, captured seven people, and seized two machine guns. Han Leti huddled in the Puzhao Temple stronghold for several months and did not dare to come out.
In the winter of 1945, our army annihilated Shen Xianwu in Yancun. When passing through Puzhao Temple to attack Qicun, Han Leti was frightened by the power of our army and collapsed without a fight. He voluntarily abandoned the Puzhao Temple stronghold and led The traitor Wang Jimei, who was defeated and took refuge in Zaozhuang, continued to be my enemy. It was not until the liberation of Zaozhuang in 1946 that he was arrested by our army and shot in the pine forest of Mazhuang in August of the same year.
After liberation, Puzhao Temple once became a flour mill in Xiji Town. During the "Cultural Revolution", the ancient trees in the temple were cut down and the monuments were smashed and lost.
In recent years, Xiji Town has highlighted the theme of "promoting human-water harmony and building ecological civilization", with a total investment of 70 million yuan to manage the Longhe River, design the river landscape, and rebuild the Puzhao Temple. The main hall, courtyard walls, mountain gates, and a new cultural square in front of the temple have made the scenery of Longhe River more beautiful and pleasant, and also restored Puzhao Temple, a famous Buddhist temple in Guyi County, to its historical glory.