Potala Mountain Enter Samadhi

"Samadhi is a transliteration from Sanskrit. It essentially means entering meditation. Entering meditation refers to attaining a meditative state. Sometimes, the passing of an enlightened being is also referred to as entering samadhi. Meditation is one of the Three Studies and Fivefold Dharmakaya, enabling the mind to focus on a single state. It can be categorized into various types such as conscious meditation and unconscious meditation. Some enter meditation for the practice of the Buddhist path, while others do so in anticipation of the future arrival of a sage. To help someone come out of meditation, it is best to snap your fingers near them.

Potala Mountain Enter Samadhi

There are two stone inscriptions of "Enter Samadhi" on Mount Putuo. One is located at the entrance of Miaozhengyan Road, inscribed by Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty; the other is carved on a rock at the entrance of Huiji Temple, created in 1882 by Monk Qinghua as a copy of Dong Qichang’s handwriting.

At the entrance of the front section of Miaozhengyan Road, you can find the stone inscription "Enter Samadhi" written by Dong Qichang, the famous Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, and literary figure, along with the couplet "Golden Rope Opens the Path of Enlightenment, Precious Raft Ferries the Lost". According to records, many cultural figures and eminent monks once practiced meditation and worshipped here along this road. The Baihua Nunnery, built in the 40th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1612), is one of the oldest structures on Mount Putuo. Many eminent monks and cultural personalities gathered here to compose poetry, enjoy tea, and admire the moon. The nunnery once had a spring called "Zhenxie Spring" and a stone stele inscribed by Shi Hao, a literary figure from the Song Dynasty. Today, the ancient site of "Zhenxie Spring" still exists, but the spring itself is no longer active; the stele is kept by a resident and is the oldest surviving stone inscription on Mount Putuo.

According to the Records of Mount Putuo, in the spring of the third year of the Chongzhen era in the Ming Dynasty (1630), Dong Qichang, the then Minister of Rites and a great calligrapher, sailed across the sea to Mount Putuo and stayed at Baihua Nunnery. He was well-versed in Zen philosophy and skilled in discourse, speaking "not a single word of worldly talk all day," and was "exquisite in his critiques." After arriving at Mount Putuo, the abbots of various temples eagerly sought his calligraphy. At that time, the five-mile-long Lotus Stone Path—Miaozhengyan Road—funded and constructed by Monk Xingzhu, the abbot of the nunnery, had just been completed. Dong Qichang composed a thousand-character inscription praising the virtues of Monk Xingzhu and carved the "Enter Samadhi" stele, which was erected at the road’s entrance. The calligraphy is refined, vigorous, and highly artistic. "Samadhi" is a transliteration from Sanskrit, referring to the mental state of "eliminating all distractions and unifying the mind." Dong Qichang spent three months on Mount Putuo, inscribing steles, bridge names, road names, and nunnery names at over ten locations. Unfortunately, due to poor preservation by later generations, only three remain today: "Enter Samadhi," "Pantuo Nunnery," and the couplet "Golden Rope Opens the Path of Enlightenment, Precious Raft Ferries the Lost." As such, they are especially precious.

Location of the Scenic Spot

Entrance of the Front Section of Miaozhengyan Road