靈骨出土
一九九四年，在中國山東省汶上縣的建築工人，偶然發現一扇通往太子靈蹤塔地下室的門。靈蹤塔與鄰近著名的寶相寺，同築於宋朝，這個地下室藏有數百顆佛舍利子，包括佛牙在內。這些舍利子，經歷史學家及專家鑑定確為佛之舍利子。地下室並有石碑，記載此舍利為宋朝（一七○三年）皇帝玄孫取得，後於農曆三月十五日入塔（見碑文）。於一九九四年也在農曆三月十五日又出土。今該省當局亦選定於今九六年，農曆同月同日，重新舉行入塔典禮。
今年四月初，該山東省濟寧市，邀請法界佛教總會，參加五月二日（陰曆為三月十五日）舉行的舍利子入塔典禮，及寶相寺開光典禮。
典禮取消
萬佛城方丈恆律師，二位居士，及本人一行四人，於典禮舉行前晚抵達。抵達當晚半夜十二時後，當地人員開過會，告訴我們典禮已經取消了。理由是：「省宗教局認為塔地工程尚未完成，不能舉行入塔典禮。」中國官員又稱：「宗教局認為未竣工程，實不適宜舉行任何活動。」，當我們再進一步詢問之下才知道，他們早已在沒有公開的典禮儀式下，把舍利子放入太子靈蹤塔之地下室了。
隔日一早，政府官員即帶我們去參觀寶相寺。並說近期間的寶相寺，每日有一萬至二萬遊客人來此走動，無不希望能參與入塔的典禮。
寶相寺一瞥
五月二日上午六點，我們一行人到寶相寺參觀了半小時，寺外圍著磚牆。呈現我們眼前的是古太子靈蹤塔，跟一座新建的寺院，絲毫找不著寶相寺古舊的影子。該寺的外貌是中國典型的寺廟建築。院裡有間大殿，殿內後牆上，掛有十八羅漢圖，地上沾有遊客帶泥的足跡。
門扉緊閉
寶相寺重建委員會主任，負責招呼我們，他打開了地上一扇鐵門，我們一行人及當地人員進入地下室十呎深的地道，其牆及頂均覆蓋鐵皮，水泥地潮濕，牆上又裝有抽風機及照明燈，沿牆角下排放著已萎謝了的花束。深入地道五十呎處，有一座十面牆的房間，直徑約十呎長。房間另一面，有一扇鐵門正打開著，從門口可看見一扇普通的木框玻璃門，門背垂著綠色門簾，門前貼著一張釋迦牟尼佛相。據說裡面的貯藏室，藏有佛的舍利子，我們並沒有參觀。恆律師表示，瞻仰舍利子，可以啟發人的菩提心與敬佛心，當然必須先做好安全設施。
寺廟入口處，立有四片石碑，其中一片刻有宣公上人的簡傳。我們在廟外，繞著這座十三層、外觀樸素的寶塔而行。塔下很乾淨，沒有花、沒有供養物品，也沒有紙屑，有人在塔下跪拜。我們還來不及繞完塔時，招待人員就帶我們走了，因恐人越來越多。
濟寧鐵塔及觀音像
在我們等候火車票時，我們又去瞻看位於濟寧大學附近的鐵塔。當地的博物館人員（他是一位虔誠的佛教徒），發心當我們的導遊。
這座塔也是十三層，安立在三呎高的磚礅子上。塔的底層有門，接待人員打開門，裡面佈滿灰塵的地上，擱著一片石板，上面勾刻著觀音菩薩像的線條。我們請周圍的人幫忙將刻了觀音像的石板豎立起來，這樣比較恭敬。事後，我們隊裡一位幫忙豎立起石板的人說，在他搬動時，石板忽然輕了起來。
在鐵塔前八十呎的地方，有一座古舊的廟，上了鎖，據說裡面是空的。在塔後有一座樓台，台上有口銅鐘，據說是宋朝的遺物。
尚未面世的佛舍利
館員早先曾告訴我們，鐵塔裡藏有一些佛的舍利子，據說以前從未讓人瞻仰過，我們獲特准得以瞻仰。舍利子藏在附近一間貯藏室，由一條小巷爬上了暗暗的樓梯，在樓上的一間狹隘的小房間內，一條板凳上放著裝了舍利子的盒子。長方形的盒子，外表是水泥製成的，有八十吋長，十吋寬，八吋高，二吋厚。盒裡是一個銀面小一點的盒子，淺淺刻著佛像，銀盒裡放著佛舍利子和一些恆河的沙子。舍利子大約有十顆，在附近窗子透進來的光線照耀下，呈現出白顏色。
館員很虔誠地向舍利子禮拜，我們一團人也頂禮了。館員很恭敬將盒子遞給我們以便我們看得更清楚。他們對舍利子的保管，就像其他出土的文物一樣保管著。
未解之迷
不同的政府人員都曾告訴我們說，將請我們參加入塔典禮，並且還會帶我們去參觀濟寧大學，可是沒想到，二樁事都沒成功。假如農曆三月十五日這個日子，在安排舍利子入塔日期時，是這麼重要，為什麼在這以前就將舍利子入塔？
一九九五年時，中國政府仍宣稱北京的佛牙是真的。故周恩來總理亦持此見。
假如專家們認為有二顆佛牙在中國，世人不會相信的話，那是不是表示只有一顆佛牙是真的呢？那哪一顆是真的呢？或者我們應該和國際權威人士鑑定一下到底有多少佛牙？又到底有多少到中國？
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The Relics Are Found
In 1994 some construction workers in the small town of Wenshang in Shandong province, People's Republic of China, accidentally discovered a secret door leading to an underground vault under the Taizi Lingzong Pagoda. This pagoda, built in the Song dynasty, is near Baoxiang Buddhist Temple, a famous temple built around the same time. The vault contained several hundred sharira (relics) of the Buddha, including his tooth. These were authenticated by historians and various authorities as genuine Buddha relics. An engraved stone tablet found at the excavation site recorded that the relics had been obtained by a descendant of an emperor of the Northern Song dynasty in 1073 a.d. and entombed shortly afterwards on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month. [See note at end of article.] In 1994, the relics had also been discovered on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month, and Shandong authorities had planned to re-entomb the relics on the same lunar date in 1996.
In early April 1996, the city of Jining in Shandong province invited a delegation from Dharma Realm Buddhist Association to attend a ceremony for the entombment of the relics to the depository under the pagoda, as well as to attend the opening of Baoxiang Temple. The ceremony was scheduled for May 2, 1996, which was the fifteenth day of the third lunar month.
The Ceremony Is Cancelled
Heng Lyu Shi, abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, two laymen, and myself arrived in the town of Wenshang in Shandong province on the eve of the scheduled ceremony. Shortly after midnight, three officials told us that the ceremony was cancelled. They said the provincial department of religion had inspected the site and considered the construction incomplete and, therefore, not ready for the ceremony.
Upon further questioning, they stated that the relics had already been restored into the vault under the pagoda. There had been no publicity for the ceremony. To console us, the officials said our delegation could still visit Baoxiang temple, preferably very early in the morning. They claimed that lately ten to twenty thousand people had been coming daily to visit the pagoda in anticipation of the ceremony.
A Brief Look at the New Baoxiang Temple
Our delegation arrived at the temple site shortly after 6 a.m. on May 2, 1996, and spent about half an hour viewing the location. The grounds were surrounded by a brick wall. What we saw was only the historic Taizi Lingzong Pagoda and a new temple, with no trace of the original Baoxiang Temple. The temple was designed in the usual style of classical Chinese temple architecture. The interior consisted of just one large hall. On the back wall were pictures of the eighteen arhats. The floor of the temple was streaked with sand and mud brought in by the human traffic from the muddy grounds outside.
The Door Stays Closed
Our host, the director of the temple restoration committee, opened a metal trap door in the temple floor. Our delegation and the local officials stepped through the trap door into a tunnel about ten feet underground. The walls and the ceiling were lined with metal, while the tunnel floor was of concrete and damp. Lights and ventilation fans had been installed on the walls overhead at regular intervals. On the floor, by the wall, small withered bouquets of flowers had been set up at regular spaces. After about fifty feet the tunnel led to a ten-sided polygonal chamber about twenty feet in diameter. At the far side was a metal door which was already opened for us. In this opening we saw an ordinary wood-frame glass door, with a green curtain behind. A poster of Shakyamuni Buddha had been taped on the door. Behind this door, we were told, was the vault containing the Buddha relics which we never got to see.
Dharma Master Heng Lyu stressed the importance of the relics to be seen by visitors. Viewing the relics would inspire their Bodhi resolve and enable them to venerate the Buddha. Naturally this could only be done after all safety precautions had been duly installed.
Four stone plaques were erected in front of the temple. On one of them was inscribed a brief biography of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua.
We walked around the thirteen-tiered pagoda, which was not very ornate. People were bowing at the base of the pagoda. The base was clean--no flowers, no signs of any offerings, nor any litter. Before we could walk once around the pagoda, the officials told us to hurry up before the crowd grew any more.
The Iron Pagoda at Jining and a Guanyin Image
While waiting for our train tickets, we visited two places. First we visited the Iron Pagoda which is close to Jining University. A local museum official, a devout Buddhist, showed us around. This pagoda is thirteen-tiered and stands on a brick base three feet high. At the base of the pagoda is a door which, the official opened for us. Inside, on the dusty ground was a huge slab of stone engraved with an outline of Guanyin Bodhisattva. As it would be more appropriate and reverent for Guanyin's image to be standing upright than lying down, we asked for volunteers to turn the stone upright. A man from our delegation who volunteered later said that as he was lifting the stone it suddenly became light.
About eighty feet in front of the pagoda was an old temple. It was locked and we were told it was empty. Behind the pagoda was a tower with a huge brass bell dating from the Song dynasty.
Previously Unseen Buddha Relics
The museum official had told us earlier that the pagoda had some Buddha relics, and we were granted the rare privilege of seeing them. It was claimed that these relics had not been shown to anyone before. They were kept in an old storeroom nearby. To get there, we walked through some back alleys and climbed up dark stairs. In a dingy hall upstairs, on a bench, was the box of relics.
The outer, rectangular box was made of concrete, and it was about eighteen inches long, ten inches wide, eight inches high, and two inches thick. Inside was a smaller box made of silver sheet, faintly engraved with Buddhist images. Inside the silver box were the Buddha relics together with some Ganges sand. There were about ten pieces of sharira. In the light coming from the nearby window, the sharira appeared to be white in color.
The museum official very reverently bowed to the box of relics, followed by our delegation. Then he very respectfully handed us the silver lid to have a closer look. It appeared that the relics were stored like any other archeological items.
Unanswered Questions
Our delegation had been told by various officials that we were to attend the entombment ceremony and also to visit Jining University, but to our surprise we didn't get to do either one of these things. Why were the relics entombed ahead of time when the fifteenth day of the third lunar moon was so important in scheduling the events?
In 1995, the central government of the People's Republic still claimed that the Buddha's tooth relic in Beijing was authentic. This view had also been endorsed by the late Premier Zhou Enlai. If it is true that the authorities felt that having two Buddha's teeth in China would appear unbelievable to the world, does this mean that only one tooth can be genuine? If so, which one is the genuine Buddha tooth? Perhaps we should consult various international authorities and Buddhist archives and investigate how many Buddha's tooth relics there originally were, and how many of them were actually taken to China.
Note: (A translation of the inscription inside box holding relics)
In Zhongdu County of Yunzhou, on the twenty-third day of the second month in the sixth year of the Xuning reign, Zhao Shichang went to the office of Sun Wen in the palace of Prince Jia in the imperial capital, and obtained a Buddha tooth and several hundred sharira. Now I and the other donors have placed the relics in an outer chest of gold, an inner box of silver, and an innermost chest of fragrant wood, and with sincere reverence we have entombed them in Taizi Lingzong Pagoda of Baoxiang Temple. This was carved on the twenty-eighth day of the second month in the fourth year of the Yuanfeng reign of the Song dynasty.
Donors:
Madam Wong (wife of Zhao Shichang), initiator of project.
Son of Zhao Shichang by former wife Madam Lee, who was taking the imperial examinations.
Daniang, married granddaughter of Zhao Shichang.
Sanniang, the second daughter of imperial scholar Changwei.
Xuwei, Changwei's grandson.
Yongshi, co-sponsor of the project.
Yongjian, abbot of the temple.
Yuntai, co-sponsor.
Zhirou, recipient of purple sash from the emperor, temple manager. |
