Zuoxi Mountain

　　Zuoxi Mountain is a sacred mountain where Master Xuanlang, the eighth-generation patriarch of the Tiantai sect who made outstanding contributions during the transition from decline to prosperity in the Tang Dynasty, led his direct disciple, the ninth-generation patriarch Jingxi, as well as the founders of the Korean Tiantai sect—Master Farong Lǐyīng and Master Chunying Lǐyīng of the Silla Kingdom (now Korea)—to practice meditation. It earned its name due to its location on the left side of Shuangxi, a tributary of the Puyang River. The Tiantai sect is commonly known as Eastern Buddhism, and Tiantai Mountain and Zuoxi Mountain are jointly referred to as sacred sites of Tiantai Buddhist learning. Master Xuanlang of Zuoxi was born in the fourth year of the Xianheng era of the Tang Dynasty (673) and passed away in the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era (754). According to the local chronicles of Pujiang: the master’s name was Xuanlang, courtesy name Huiming, and he was a descendant of the sixth generation of Fu Xi, a lay Buddhist of the Liang Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, hailing from the Fu family of Yiwu. At the age of 19, he became a monk; at 21, he traveled far and wide, mastering various Buddhist scriptures. Later, he studied the zhiguan method—the fundamental meditation technique of the Tiantai sect—from Master Huiwei, the seventh-generation patriarch of the Tiantai sect. Around the age of 50, he established a hermitage on Zuoxi Mountain. At that time, Zuoxi Mountain was an overgrown, fearsome wilderness where wild beasts roamed, offering virtually no living conditions. In order to comprehend the true essence of Buddhism, he brought his disciple Jingxi here and spent over 30 years elucidating the profound philosophy of the “Zhiguan” (Stop and Contemplate). Today, more than 20 works expounding on the Tiantai sect, amounting to hundreds of thousands of words, are displayed—these are the lifelong achievements of Master Xuanlang’s practice, which led the Tiantai sect from decline to flourishing and ushered in a brand-new golden age for Chinese Buddhist studies. Yuanguan, a scholar from the Yuan Dynasty (1270–1342, a native of Pujiang), visited Zuoxi Mountain and left behind this verse: “What practice did Master Lang pursue, dwelling in tranquil unity through day and night? When his 'Zhiguan' was complete, the bright moon’s light pierced through the darkness.” This means that Master Xuanlang’s completion of the “Zhiguan” was like a bright moonlight shining through the night, illuminating the obscurity with perfect clarity.