There are two kinds of classics in Southern Buddhism. One is transliteration, that is, transliteration of Pali classics with Dai letters. The other is the free translation of classics. It was created by senior monks according to Buddhist teachings and combined with local actual conditions. This kind of classics also contains many literary stories, history, folklore, fables, astronomical calendars, laws, medicine and so on. These scriptures were originally carved on the leaves of Bayeux with an iron pen, called Bayeux Sutra. According to statistics, there are more than 500 Buddhist scriptures with titles listed in Southern Buddhism.
Southern Buddhism is mainly distributed in Xishuangbanna, Dehong, Simao, Lincang and Baoshan. Religious nationalities include Dai, Bulang, De 'ang, Achang and some Wa. The number of religious believers is about 700 thousand. By 1996, Southern Buddhism had restored and developed 1702 Buddhist temples. The main pagodas in Southern Buddhism, Yunnan are Manfeilong Pagoda in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna, Bajiao Pavilion in Jingzhen Town, Menghai County, Guangyunmian Temple in Cangyuan County, Lincang (these three pagodas are national key cultural relics protection units), Yunyan Pagoda in Yingjiang County, Copper Buddha Hall in Yuantong Temple in Kunming, Mange Buddhist Temple in Jinghong, Wuyun Temple in mangshi, Daihan Temple in Bordet Ji, Bukoji, Ruili and Dajie Pagoda.
Buddhist temples in Southern Buddhism are mainly places where Buddhist activities are held, and the monks living in the temples also undertake the obligation to teach national culture. Therefore, when Dai boys reach a certain age, they have to become monks for a period of time, ranging from 7 days to several months. Then, most people returned to China, and a few people stayed to continue their practice and become religious professionals.
Ethnic groups in Southern Buddhism's communication areas generally believe in religion. Southern Buddhism has a great influence on the daily life of these ethnic groups. For example, after Southern Buddhism was introduced into the Dai area, it gradually combined with the rule of feudal lords, forming the unity of politics and religion, which had a far-reaching impact on the social life and culture of the Dai people. Dai language, Dai calendar and many religious festivals of Dai people have evolved from the combination of Southern Buddhism and local national culture. Dai folk literature, sculpture, painting and other arts, whether subject matter, content or artistic style, are all influenced by Southern Buddhism's thought and culture. In a word, Southern Buddhism has become an inseparable part of the local national culture.
Yunnan Dai Buddhism and other minority Buddhism belong to the Pali language family, that is, Southern Buddhism, which has different development and characteristics from the northern Hinayana Buddhism. There are relatively complete versions of Hinayana Sutra and Sanzang in China. Fa Xian, a monk, went to Shizi country (now Sri Lanka) to copy scriptures, but it is impossible to verify whether the original version of Zaagama translated with him is Pali. In the Southern Dynasties, Qi Yongming's Interpretation of Pipa Sand (489) and DuDu's Interpretation of Taoism (5 15) both originated in the south. China legalists' four-division method of law collection department is also in the same system as the southern spread. When explaining the meaning of law, practitioners often cite the theory of "understanding the law of Viposha". China's precepts of becoming a monk were originally taught by more than ten people, including Buddhist monk Bhikuni Tiesaro. Therefore, the precepts of the Han dynasty have a deep origin with the spread to the south. There are also many similarities in doctrine. In Sanzang's Biography to the South, Xiao Buben's journey to Tibet is a collection of all kinds of paramita deeds, acknowledging that Buddhism and Taoism are different from smelling Taoism and are the first of Mahayana theories. In particular, the idea of "pure mind, infected by guest dust" is also in line with the basic idea of "containing the same life truth and preventing guest dust" in the early Zen of Nantianzhu. Modern research has found that Dharma's view of face and wall may be related to the application of the theory of spreading south from place to place. It can be seen that there is a profound and complicated relationship between Bali Buddhism in the south and Mahayana Buddhism in the Han Dynasty.
-Pali Buddhism spread to the south. According to historical records, it was introduced from Myanmar to the Dai area in Yunnan, China in the middle of the 7th century. At first, there was no pagoda temple, and the classics were just passed down from mouth to mouth. 1 1 Around the century, Buddhism disappeared because of the spread of war and people's flight. After the war subsided, Buddhism spread from Mengrun (now Qingbian, Thailand) to Xishuangbanna via Jingdong, Myanmar, and then to the Buddhist scriptures written by Tairun. This is the Runpai Buddhism in the Dai area now. In addition, another Myanmar Baizhuang Buddhism was introduced to Dehong Prefecture and other places. It was not until the second year of Jingyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1277) that the Dai language was created that the Bayeux Sutra was carved. In the third year of Ming Dynasty (1569), when Princess Jinlian of Myanmar married the 19th Xuanwei ambassador, the king of Myanmar sent a monk group to preach with Sanzang classics and Buddha statues. At first, a large number of pagodas and temples were built in Jinghong area, and many Burmese monks spread Buddhism to Dehong, Gengma, Menglian and other places, and then left-leaning Buddhism prevailed among Dai people in these areas.
-The classic content is the same as that of Sanzang of Pali language family in southern China, but the arrangement is slightly different. Sanzang ancient books include transliteration and annotation of Pali in Dai language, some important translations of Dai language, and a large number of works in Dai language and Brown language, including astronomy, calendar, medicine, history, poetry, legends and Buddhist stories.
According to its name, Shangzuo Buddhism in Yunnan can be divided into four schools: Runrun, Baizhuang, Duolie, Zuo Yi and Zuoyi, and can be subdivided into eight tribes. Dai boys must become monks at school age, study cultural knowledge in monasteries, and return to the secular world when they are close to adulthood. Individuals who are considered outstanding can continue to study in the temple and gradually become formal monks according to their level of becoming monks. Generally speaking, the monk group can be divided into Pa (Misha), Du (Monk), (Elder Du Tong), (Elder Samoan Sect), Sinhalepo (Elder Monk King and Master, this monk group has been vacant for a long time), Pa Zhaohu (Elder Buddhist) and (Elder Monk). Or increase the Pano (Walking Boy) level before Pa and the Dulong (Sandu) level to ten after du. Promotion from Grade 5 or above is very strict, and the last two grades are only awarded to the Dai and Bulang nationalities in Xishuangbanna, becoming the highest religious leader in the region.
Dai people generally believe in Hinayana Buddhism (also known as Southern Buddhism) and primitive religion, and some Dai people believe in ghosts and gods and witchcraft. In Xishuangbanna, when boys are seven or eight years old, they will live in a Buddhist temple, recite the scriptures and then go home to be respectable people. Although women do not enter temples and become monks, they are all devout Buddhist believers. "Mwasa" and "Owassa" are two important religious festivals. Translated, they are the opening day and the closing day, which are held on September 15 and1February 15 respectively in the Dai calendar. A grand Buddhist activity will be held in these two days.
The most important traditional festival of the Dai people is the Water-splashing Festival. The time is June in the Dai calendar (mid-April in the Gregorian calendar). Held for three days, the first two days to send the old, the last day to welcome the new. On the morning of the festival, men, women and children bathed and changed to the Buddhist temple. Women in the village poured water on the Buddha statue to "wash the dust". Then young men and women throw water at each other, thinking that this can prevent diseases and keep the seasons safe. Afternoon is a sex activity for young men and women. During the festival, there are activities such as flying high and dragon boat racing.
De 'ang nationality, formerly known as "Benglong". It is one of the oldest ethnic groups among the existing residents in the southwest frontier. They are mainly distributed in luxi county, Dehong Prefecture and Zhenkang County, Lincang District, while others are distributed in Yingjiang, Ruili, Longchuan, Baoshan, Lianghe, Longling and Gengma counties. It is interlaced with Dai, Jingpo, Wa, Wa and Han.
De 'ang people have their own language, belonging to the Wa people of the Mon Khmer language family in South Asia. There are three dialects, and many people are familiar with Dai, Chinese or Jingpo. No mother tongue, Dai and Chinese are commonly used. Believe in Runjiao in Hinayana Buddhism. Mainly engaged in agriculture, planting rice, corn, buckwheat, potatoes and so on. Be good at growing tea.
De 'ang people like to eat hot and sour, drink strong tea, and are also good at growing tea. Almost every household grows tea trees, which is called "ancient tea farmers". He is good at weaving bamboo wares and grass rafts (processed from wild thatch into roofing materials) and collecting wild plants. Making silverware is a traditional craft of De 'ang nationality and enjoys a high reputation among the surrounding nationalities.
Achang
Achang people mostly live in Yunnan, which is one of the earliest ethnic groups in China. Due to different places of residence, there are also names that call themselves "Monza", "Monza Zen", "Duisai" and "Hansa". After liberation, they were collectively called Achang nationality. Huijie, a traditional gathering of Achang people, is held in the middle of September of the lunar calendar every year. Achang people believe in Hinayana Buddhism, and Huijie was originally a religious gathering. The main religious festivals include entering the depression (closing the door), leaving the depression (opening the door), burning white firewood, water splashing festival and so on. In addition to religious festivals, there are many traditional festivals unique to this nation. For example, Torch Festival, Varo Festival, Flower Watering Festival and Spring Festival.