It is spring now, and the wind is blowing all the way. Our reporter and his party followed the local tour guide in Leshan City, Sichuan Province and drove to Lingyun Mountain where the Giant Buddha is located. This is really an outstanding place, where the noise of the city is silent. We can calm down and feel the Buddhist culture rooted here. The tour guide told us to do as the Romans do, saying that since we came to see Buddhism, we should take the opportunity to learn more about Buddhism. She kept telling us about the complex and philosophy of Buddhism all the way. Although she hasn't arrived at the Buddha yet, someone has eagerly introduced her:
A set of figures of the tour guide makes a giant Buddha looming in our mind. It is the largest stone statue of Maitreya Buddha in the world, dug up by a mountain and facing a dangerous river. It is said that people can sit on the instep alone 100. The popular description is that the mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain. Such a behemoth has undoubtedly become a miracle of the world. Then naturally we will ask when it was dug. How to complete it? Like many other great projects and buildings in China, Leshan Giant Buddha comes from unimaginable long years and hard work handed down from generation to generation.
With the reverie all the way, we came to the bank of Minjiang River at the foot of Lingyun Mountain. The giant Buddha sat facing the water and wanted to enjoy it by boat. We set foot on the cruise ship, which left the shore and headed for the Giant Buddha. The tour guide continued to introduce us:
There is a Buddha in the heart, and the Buddha is in the heart. This is not what we usually say that people believe in Buddhism, but the location of Leshan Giant Buddha. It turned out that a giant reclining Buddha composed of several mountains was found outside the Leshan Giant Buddha. This sleeping Buddha has sound limbs, well-proportioned figure and delicate face, lying peacefully on the ridge line by the river, with his back facing the sky, kind and dignified. The famous Leshan Giant Buddha is located in the center of the giant Buddha. One is naturally formed and the other is artificially dug. The natural position of these two buddhas should correspond to the saying that there is a Buddha in the heart and the Buddha is in the heart. Therefore, following the cruise ship, we can enjoy the whole picture of sleeping Buddha from a distance first.
The tour guide said: Buddhism is not only philosophy, but also metaphysics. The combination of nature and labor is just right, so we can indulge in the mystery of this great project without exploring why there is such a wonderful arrangement. This is a gift from nature to human diligence and wisdom. The cruise ship has sailed to the foot of the giant Buddha. The location of Leshan Giant Buddha is really special, at the confluence of the three rivers:
We sailed all the way from the foot of the reclining Buddha, and from the foot to the top of the head, Leshan Giant Buddha appeared, really in the heart of the reclining Buddha. Our boat stopped at the foot of the famous Leshan Giant Buddha and looked up at the Leshan Giant Buddha. It has a kind face and sits safely. The Buddha has been arguing for some years, as if listening to the running water calmly and looking down at all sentient beings calmly. The boat can't stop for long, it's a bit bumpy. The tour guide told a long-standing legend:
The rapidity of the water is probably the function of the confluence of the three rivers, but I would rather believe the ancient legend, those people's natural and simple ideas, their reverie of the natural river, and the integration of the giant Buddha and the scenery are the inheritance and sustenance of Leshan people's simple feelings. It is said that before the giant Buddha was built in the Tang Dynasty, the flood in Leshan was very serious, so some monks wanted to build a Buddha statue to stop the flood for the benefit of generations. It is said that after the completion of the giant Buddha, there was no flood here miraculously, and the river never rose above the toes of the giant Buddha. No wonder the locals believe it so much. The tour guide joked: Because everyone here has a Buddha in their heart, they live happily!
In addition, according to the tour guide, this giant Buddha finally chose the Maitreya Buddha statue with Indian image characteristics. Maitreya always brings laughter to the world, and I think there is also a profound meaning of reducing pain here!