Hengshan Dajue Temple

Hengshan Dajue Temple

Hengshan Dajue Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former name of Hengshan Dajue Temple in Luan County was Kaijue Temple.

The Jiāqìng-era "Luanzhou Annals • Volume One • Scenic Spots" (collated by Gu Yanxia, compiled by Wu Shihong, edited by Sun Xueheng, September 2007 edition, p. 26) records: “Hengjing Floating Mist: Located at Kaijue Temple on Heng Mountain, five li north of the city. A stone well was drilled, from which water was drawn, and... several zhang of stone railings were erected. At dawn, mist often rises from it.”

The 24th year of the Guangxu era "Luanzhou Annals • Volume Eight • Scenic Spots" (compiled by Yang Wending and Wang Daben, published by Chengwen Publishing House), p. 134, records: “Hengjing Floating Mist: Located in front of Kaijue Temple on Heng Mountain, five li north of the city. Originally a heavenly pool, an enthusiast turned it into a well, with several zhang of stone railings erected. At dawn, mist seems to float above it.”

The 25th year of the Republic of China "Luanzhou Annals • Volume Two • Scenic Sites" p. 44 records: “Hengjing Floating Mist: Magistrate Wu Shihong, considering the mountain's location in the northern Yuanwu region, renamed it Hengyuan Mountain, and the well as Hengyuan Ancient Well. Located in front of Kaijue Temple on Heng Mountain, five li north of the city. Originally a heavenly pool, an enthusiast turned it into a well, with several zhang of stone railings erected. At dawn, mist seems to float above it.”

Luanzhou’s Kaijue Temple has a long history. It was a nationally renowned ancient temple during the Yuan Dynasty, and its abbot Xiangmai, along with Chan master Conglun from Beijing’s Yaoshi Temple, were both eminent monks.

Among the many records about “Luanzhou Kaijue Temple,” the following is noted: Due to Kublai Khan’s inclusive religious policies, the Yuan Dynasty capital of Shangdu became the world’s religious center at the time. China’s traditional beliefs — Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism — intermingled here. Within Shangdu, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianity held equal status. Religious structures included not only Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries but also mosques and churches. During the reign of Möngke Khan, competition and conflict between Buddhism and Taoism within the Mongol Empire intensified, compelling the Mongol royal family to mediate the dispute. In 1255, the first debate between Buddhism and Taoism was held in Karakorum (formerly known as “Kaiping City,” in present-day Zhenglan Banner, Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, in the Jinlianchuan area). Buddhism prevailed. In 1258, Möngke Khan entrusted Kublai Khan to convene representatives from both religions — totaling hundreds of people — for a second debate in Kaiping. Under the eloquent arguments of Tibetan Buddhist master Phags-pa, Buddhism defeated Taoism. Kublai Khan ruled in favor of Buddhism, which subsequently gained the support of the Mongol rulers. After ascending the throne in Shangdu, Kublai Khan appointed the Tibetan Buddhist Sakya master Phags-pa as the “Imperial Preceptor of the Great Yuan,” tasking him with establishing temples in Shangdu. From then on, Tibetan Buddhism spread widely throughout China, including in the north at Karakorum.

The details of the second Buddhist-Taoist debate are as follows: In the eighth year of the Yuan Emperor Xianzong (Wuwu, 1258), the seventh month, Möngke Khan ordered Prince Kublai to summon monks and Taoists from all regions, as well as so-called “nine-scholar gentry,” including Confucians, to the Shangdu and Karakorum palace for a second debate. Kublai presided over the event himself. He appointed Fuyu as the “lead debater” for Buddhism, and Zhang Zhijing (Zhang Zhenren), the “acting leader” of the Quanzhen Taoist sect, as the lead for Taoism. Each side presented seventeen representatives for the debate. Over 300 monks and more than 200 Taoists participated, with more than 200 ministers, chancellors, and Confucian scholars serving as witnesses. Among the monks were prominent figures such as the National Preceptor Namo, the National Preceptor Phags-pa (Barkhashiba, a Tibetan monk), and the Western Tibet National Preceptor, all overseeing Buddhist affairs.

The seventeen representatives who debated for Buddhism were: Elder Congchao of Yuantong Temple in Yanjing, Elder Deheng of Fengfu Temple, Elder Conglun of Yaoshi Temple, Elder Yuanyin of Fabao Temple, and Zhitong of Zisheng Temple; Elder Mingjin of Daming Prefecture; Elder Benlian of Ganquan Mountain in Jizhou and Elder Daoyun of Shangfang Temple; Elder Xiangmai of Kaijue Temple in Luanzhou①; Preacher Liao of Chuanjiao Temple in Beijing (now west of Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia); Preacher Qinggui of Fahua Temple in Daming Prefecture; Preacher Xingyu of Hangzhou in Longmen County; Preachers Daoshou and Xiang?bo of Yanshou Temple and Yangshan Temple in Dadu, respectively, as well as Jiangzhou’s Weishi Preacher Zu?; and Preacher Yuanyi of Shu Province. Among them, Elder Conglun of Yaoshi Temple in Yanjing and Elder Xiangmai of Kaijue Temple in Luanzhou were ordered in the 28th year of Yuan Emperor Shizu (1291) to compile the "Bianwei Lu"②, which documented in detail the early Yuan conflicts and debates between Buddhism and Taoism.

The above historical facts sufficiently demonstrate that Luanzhou’s Kaijue Temple was already as renowned as the aforementioned famous temples even before the Yuan Dynasty. Elder Xiangmai and Elder Conglun of Yaoshi Temple in Yanjing both held top-tier status among Buddhist masters. Though the founding date of Luanzhou’s Kaijue Temple is unknown, it was already an ancient Buddhist temple over twenty-one years into the Yuan Dynasty’s renaming from the Mongol Empire (the sixth year of the Southern Song’s Bao? era). This is supported by the poem “Yuanshi cike tuo kai” (“At that time, this place was developed”) by Pei Qian of Ming Zezhou, a participant in the "Dajue Temple Poetry Collection", who served as Tongzhengshi Canyi, Bingbeidao, and Shandong Fushi, further confirming that Dajue Temple was world-famous even before the Yuan era.

Note ①: Xiangmai: Native of Taiyuan, Shanxi, surname Huyan, descendant of Huyan Zan. Also known as: Maixiangji, Ruyi Monk, and Ruyi Wild Elder. Took monastic vows at age nine, studied diligently under a master, known for intelligence and skill in calligraphy. Initially an elder at Luanzhou’s Kaijue Temple, he participated in the Buddhist-Taoist debate in the eighth year of Emperor Xianzong’s reign, later becoming elder at Yunfeng Temple. His surviving works include the "Bianwei Lu" and commentary on "Han Wengong Biezhuan."

Note ②: "Bianwei Lu": Written by Elder Xiangmai in the early spring of the Year of Xinmao in the Zhiyuan era, preserved in "The Great Treasury of Sutras • Historical Biographies Section Four," Volume 52, p. 2116.

Hengshan Dajue Temple Scenic Area: Travel north along Shouxin Road in Luanzhou Ancient Town to National Highway 205, turn right and head east for about 1 km, then turn left onto Xueliang Road to reach the scenic area directly.