World Cultural Landscape Heritage: Mount Wutai (7)

Regarding Buddhist scriptures, the newly-translated "Avatamsaka Sutra" mentions that the Bodhisattva Manjusri's residence was called the Qingliang Mountain. Furthermore, the "Bodhisattva Manjusri Prajna Sutra" also records that "the Buddha told the warrior attendant: to the Southeast of this continent (India), there is a country named Da Zhen Na (China). In the country there is a mountain named Five-Peak (Wutai). It is the place where the Bodhisattva Manjusri lives and gives lectures to believers."

Since the Bodhisattva Manjusri's residence of the "Qingliang Mountain" or "Five-Peak" described in the Buddhist scriptures was quite similar to Mount Wutai in all aspects including appearance, climate and environment, all the Buddhists of the world have regarded this five-peak Mount Wutai with a comfortable climate as the real residence of the Bodhisattva Manjusri in their illusory world. For this reason, Mount Wutai is renowned all over the world and has become a sacred land for Buddhists to worship. Without question, Mount Wutai's prosperity and international fame is closely connected with the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Buddhism was very popular during the Tang Dynasty, especially the Manjusri Bodhisattva who was highly respected by Buddhists. There was a rule during the Tang Dynasty that all temples in the country must worship the statue of the Manjusri Bodhisattva in their dining halls. As the government and the public all worshiped the Manjusri Bodhisattva and considered Mount Wutai as the holy land of Buddhism, Mount Wutai became unprecedentedly prosperous and cultivated many famous monks, and Cheng Guan was one of the prominent representatives.