James Baquet jamesbaquet@gmail.com MY next stop was by far the most famous Buddhist temple in southern China. Its very name, Nanhua Temple, means “Temple of South China.” It was here that Huineng, the vaunted Sixth Patriarch of Chan, lived and taught for many years. Though he died elsewhere, it was decided that his body would be returned here (a story I will tell later). It is still here, in the form of an effigy said to be his “body relic” — a kind of lacquered mummy. Evidence of Huineng’s influence is everywhere here, not just in the hall where the mummy presides. For example, there is a spring said to have resulted from the striking of his staff in the ground. Faithful devotees still collect water there to take home. Huineng was not always revered, however. About three kilometers southwest of the temple is Refuge Rock. His appointment as Sixth Patriarch had been controversial; after all, tradition says he was illiterate, and at the time of his selection he had not been ordained. So there was a faction that wanted him out, which at one time chased him from Nanhua Temple and, when he hid on a wooded mountainside, set the forest on fire. He hid in an indentation in the rock, and marks there are said to be the imprint of his robe, made by the flames. After much walking and searching, I was able to find this incredible site. In addition to the body of Huineng, the temple also has relics of Master Xu Yun. One of the largest temples I’ve seen on my travels, it has all the usual halls, and there is a small nunnery on the grounds. |