In the north of Fufeng County, Baoji City in Shaanxi Province, exists the Famen Temple, built by the emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 25-220). The underground palace pagoda in the temple enshrines a section of the authentic relic of Buddha Shakyamuni’s middle finger bone.
Red Guards attack the Famen Temple
In 1966, a menacing band of Red Guards suddenly arrived at the Famen Temple. Their reign of destruction first began with the bronze statues in the Buddha hall; they then tried to dig up the actual relic pagoda. The abbot, Master Liangqing, stepped forward to stop the desecration, but they repeatedly beat him over the head until he was bleeding.
Master Liangqing then draped himself in a five-colored kapok cassock, doused himself with kerosene, and set himself on fire before the pagoda. The Red Guards were terrified and then dispersed. Many cultural relics, such as the Buddha’s finger bone relic, were preserved.
More than 50 years later, the heroism of many believers who sacrificed their lives to protect the Dharma still reverberates around the civilized world.
‘Monks and the Red Guards’ memorialized by the Shen Yun Performing Arts company
In 2016, the Shen Yun Performing Art company created the dance drama Monks and the Red Guards, which depicts a group of naughty little monks guarding a monastery and punishing the Red Guards.
This piece brings the audience back to the deranged period of the Cultural Revolution. It depicts the imprints and character traits of the era with expressive music and dance movements, showing profound connotations.
The Red Guards seemed arrogant and fierce with their teeth and claws. Still, after a burst of iconic music, this contingent of “little generals” immediately hung their heads and were paralyzed, showing the darkness and decadence inside them.
Finally, when the Buddha statue showed light, they were so shocked that they quickly knelt to repent and threw away the red armbands one by one. This represents hope in the darkness because life is finally free from the control of the evil Party.
The atmosphere of the dance drama is relaxed and humorous, and at the same time, highlights the solemnity of gods and Buddhas, pointing a way out of the chaos of the present day through the flashback of history, which is thought-provoking.
China before communism revealed: Do good deeds and avoid evil
The Shen Yun Performing Arts company is committed to reviving 5,000 years of orthodox divine culture, showing the glory of China before communist rule and the principles of goodness and faith. With this as the core of its creation, Shen Yun’s dance and music have launched an extensive repertoire of inspiring works highlighting the grave violations of traditional values at the hands of communist tyranny.
Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty and then developed rapidly, reaching its peak in the Sui and Tang dynasties. For over 2,000 years, Buddhism in families has been an essential part of Chinese cultivation culture. In many periods of history, from the emperor to the ordinary people, worshipping Buddha and believing in Buddha was widespread.
Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty was a model of wise rulers. He was well aware of the cycle of cause and effect and encouraged officials and people to accumulate good deeds and avoid evil. He described Buddhism as a “cloud of kindness” in the Preface to the Three Sacred Teachings of the Tripitaka of the Great Tang Dynasty, praising it for attracting the nourishing “Rain of Dharma” as well as making “sin and blessing in return.”
The Cultural Revolution was an orgy of plunder and destruction
Since the spread of Buddhism in the Han Dynasty, it experienced five tribulations, the most devastating of which was the Cultural Revolution during the last century.
After the takeover by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it spared no effort in the suppression of orthodox religions and the persecution of religious believers. In August 1966, the Red Guards shouted in the streets: “We must destroy all old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.” They wanted to destroy 5,000 years of traditional culture.
According to incomplete statistics, during the 10-year Cultural Revolution, in Beijing alone, 4,922 of the city’s 6,843 cultural relics and monuments were destroyed, and 538,000 national treasure-level cultural relics were destroyed. Buddhist monuments and cultural relics throughout the country were also destroyed.
In mainland China, religious monasteries, centuries-old temples, and jungles in various places have been demolished or burned, and precious scriptures, Tang-colored Buddha statues, and countless others have been destroyed or damaged.
Wholesale looting of and destruction of the White Horse Temple
The White Horse Temple in Luoyang, China’s first Buddhist temple, was also looted. The secretary of the party branch of the destruction brigade of the White Horse Temple led peasants to the temple to smash up this sacred abode.
In this incident, the 1,000-year-old Liao Dynasty clay sculpture of 18 arhats was destroyed, and the Bayeux Sutra brought by an Indian monk 2,000 years ago was burned. The rare treasure jade horse was also smashed.
In addition, monks and nuns across the country were forced to return to secular life, criticized, and even shot dead. The self-immolation and martyrdom of Master Liangqing of the Famen Temple was just the tip of the iceberg of tragedies carried out by the Red Guard.
