In the 12th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign (1773) in the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Yu, the elderly abbot of Yongquan Temple in Gushan, assisted the imperial court in compiling Tibetan sutras. Due to this commitment, he recommended that his youngest monk disciple, Fayin, succeed him as the abbot. This appointment marked Fayin as the 100th-generation abbot of Yongquan Temple.
A young monk becomes abbot of Yongquan Temple
At just 16 years old, Fayin, who hailed from Ninghua and was originally named Xiangxian, had already dedicated himself to monastic life. Renowned for his diligent studies and sharp intellect, he assumed leadership as abbot of Yongquan Temple. Despite concerns among senior monks about someone so young managing such a large temple, which included 400-500 monks, they finally agreed to the appointment due to the elder abbot’s endorsement.
While some privately mocked Fayin, they respected Yuan Yu’s recommendation. Undeterred, upon taking office, Fayin delved deeper into Buddhist studies. He painstakingly transcribed scriptures in his blood and delegated all administrative duties, refraining from direct involvement.
After some time, the monk in charge of the temple’s food storage reported that there was only enough food for the monks to last another four to five days. Feeling anxious about the situation, Fayin sent people down the mountain to purchase food, but it wasn’t enough to meet the temple’s needs.
Desperate, he paid his respects to the Tathagata in the Mahavira Hall and Maitreya in the Heavenly King Hall. Finally, he sought help from the guardian deity Wei Tuo, offering incense and prayers to overcome their difficulties.
Message in a dream
That night, as Fayin meditated on his cushion as usual, he suddenly felt sluggish, hovering between wakefulness and dreaming. In this state, Wei Tuo appeared before him, saying: “Someone will deliver rice tomorrow morning. Send people to the riverside to fetch it.”
Startled awake, Fayin found himself lying in bed, feeling a pang of guilt for breaking his meditation. He sat up swiftly, yet his heart continued to race with restlessness and anxiety until dawn. As morning broke, he descended from his meditation cushion, hastily washed his face, and signaled the monks by tapping on the cloud tablet, prompting them to gather and heed his instructions.
After all the monks had gathered, Fayin joined his palms together, silently recited a prayer, and addressed the assembly: “Last night, Wei Tuo appeared in my dream and instructed us to descend the mountain this morning to fetch rice from the riverside. The elderly and frail should remain in the temple, while the younger ones should quickly prepare to carry poles and bags to accompany me.”
His statement stunned everyone, and some voiced their concern, asking: “Is there rice available at the foot of the mountain?” Fayin confidently replied: “We’ll find out once we descend the mountain.”
No one dared to disobey, and they quickly dispersed to prepare, carrying poles and sacks. Several elderly monks, who could have stayed behind, decided to join the group. With over a hundred people, they crossed Lingyuan Cave and followed a small path leading to Kuiqi. As they descended halfway down the hill, they came upon a surprising sight: a ship by the river, surrounded by a group of soldiers.
During the Yongzheng era, maritime trade was strictly prohibited, and smuggling carried the death penalty. The surrounded ship, it turned out, was a smuggling vessel transporting white rice intended for sale in Siam. Despite its typically abundant rice harvests, Siam faced a famine, exacerbated by a succession struggle following King Thaisalo’s death. Having been caught in a storm during its voyage, the smuggling ship sought refuge near the Min River estuary, only to be discovered by inspection officials.
Fearing execution, the rice merchants fabricated a story, stating they were delivering rice as alms to Yongquan Temple in Gushan. The skeptical officials questioned the merchants. Then, out of nowhere, they saw a large group of monks approaching, carrying poles from the mountain. Perplexed, the merchants exclaimed: “We had no prior arrangement with you for almsgiving. How did you know to come here to fetch rice?”
Assistance from a deity
Fayin quickly responded: “I dreamt of Wei Tuo last night. He instructed me to come down the mountain to receive the rice.” The clever rice merchant chimed in: “Indeed! While sailing at sea, a sudden strong wind and thick fog surrounded us. Wei Tuo’s guidance led us safely into the Min River estuary.”
The inspection official, who had a devout faith in Buddhism, dared not inquire about Wei Tuo’s manifestation. He allowed the rice to be unloaded, and the rice merchant’s life was thus spared. He willingly escorted the rice up the mountain and assisted with the almsgiving process.
When the rice entered the temple before being stored away, everyone rushed to express gratitude. Amazingly, as they looked upon Wei Tuo, they were astonished to see him sweating as if exhausted. It was a perplexing sight for a deity made out of clay and wood. In awe, the monks prostrated before him, calling: “Heavenly King Wei Tuo, you have exerted yourself greatly! Please rest.”
Grateful for the deity’s assistance, Fayin promptly instructed the Yongquan Temple sculptors to create another statue of Wei Tuo seated for the main hall, giving rise to the unique “Seated Wei Tuo” of Gushan.
The story of Wei Tuo manifesting in Gushan quickly spread, attracting many visitors to the mountain for worship. Donations flooded in like the tide, and the Yongquan Temple never had to worry about food shortages again.
Translated by Joseph Wu and edited by Tatiana Denning
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