Where did the title Buddha come from? In the early years of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi had just turned 40 years old. In order to achieve the goal of hearing politics twice, she used various means, but she was afraid that someone in the court would object, so she was depressed all day long.

Eunuch Li guessed the truth, so he built a Buddha statue behind the Manzhuji Mahavira Hall.

Photos of the Empress Dowager Cixi

After it was completed, Li quickly told Cixi, saying: I heard that there are often two Buddha statues in the Manjuji Mahavira Hall, which is a sign of great prosperity. The servant wants to invite the Queen Mother to visit and watch.

Still photo of Empress Dowager Cixi

Cixi was very surprised after hearing this, so she got up and drove out of the palace. Get off the Gaoliang Bridge at Xizhimen, take a royal boat, and walk along the long river to Manjuji.

Cixi went to the pier, entered the mountain gate, and went straight to the Main Hall.

When I entered the temple and saw that the original Buddha of the Three Realms was still enshrined, I became furious: It was obviously the Original Buddha of the Three Realms. Where do the two Buddhas shine?

Cixi stills

At that time, the slave deceived his master and was going to be beheaded, but Li knew what he was doing and said: Queen Mother, please calm down and go to the back hall to take a look.

The Empress Dowager Cixi slowly moved behind the third Buddha and saw a kind-faced Guanyin Bodhisattva sitting in the center of the hall. The abbot of this hall and the civil and military ministers of the Empress Dowager Cixi were also here.

At this time, Li shouted: Lafayette is here. Others immediately knelt down and shouted: Welcome Lafayette! Cixi understood half of it, but pretended to be confused and asked: Which Lafayette are you welcoming?

Li replied, I just came to see the Queen Mother, your old Buddha! You are the Guanyin Bodhisattva who saves the suffering today! Now, the new emperor is still young, and the country cannot be left without an owner for a day. Your subjects ask you to lower your curtains and take care of national affairs. You must rescue the common people from the quagmire!

Mandala Mahavira Palace

The words made Cixi feel elated. From then on, the name Lafayette spread from Manjuji to Beijing, and Cixi was called Lafayette and Queen Mother all over the country. Cixi felt at ease and listened to politics.

It is said that this Guanyin was shaped in the image of Li Cixi. Later, Cixi came to Manjuji to burn incense and worship Buddha, and signed autographs for her birthday.

On the right in the front row is Cixi’s confidant eunuch Li.

Cixi admired Guanyin Bodhisattva very much, so she put on the Guanyin clothes prepared for her by the abbot of the temple. Li assumed a patronus pose, clasping his hands together and placing them on his wrists. The two of them took a photo in front of the Buddha statue.