Dazu (First day in Chongqing)

First day in Chongqing we arrive at Dazu Rock Carvings, a mountain of stone carvings. there are stone carvings of respected people which you will soon find out.

 

 

 

The big figure on the left is a bodhisattva (an enlightened being). This stone carving is Niche of the Netherworld.

This figure is the Sleeping Buddha. The Buddha is bathing in sunlight enjoying a peaceful place.

 

This stone image is called Nine Dragons Bathing the Prince.

The prince is right under the nine dragons. The nine dragons made streams allowing them to bathe Prince Sakyamuni.

This figure is called the 1000 armed  Avalokiteshvara. He has 1007 arms and each hand has an eye. That is a sign of wisdom. He is considered to be bodhisattva. Avalokiteshvara symbolizes the care and concern for the misfortune and suffering of others. In Chinese, her name is Guan-shi Yin, which means Observing the Sounds of the World. They named her that because she listens to the cries of help from people.  Guan meaning observing, shi meaning the world, and yin meaning all the sounds of the world such as people seeking for help. In Chinese Guan-shi Yin is a lady but in other countries that call him Avalokiteshvara he is a Buddha so he is a guy.

Fengdu Ghost City

The Ghosts of Fengdu Ghost City    

 Heng-Ha Temple

The two ghosts on the sides are the gatekeepers to the ghost world. The ghost with it's mouth open on the left is named Ha. The ghost on the right is named Heng. A way to remember their names is if you say "ha," your mouth is opened, and Ha, has his mouth opened. When you say "heng," your mouth closes, and Heng has his mouth closed.

In Ghost City the stories tell that the ghosts have to go through three tests until they can move on to the next life. If you do not make it you will get punished. There are many ways to get punished. It mostly depends on which test you fail.

There are three bridges. The middle one is the test of Good and Evil. The bridge people are walking on is one of the tests. It is the first test. This bridge is called "The Bridge of Helplessness." There will be demons waiting and to decide your fate. There are certain procedures to walk upon the bridge. If you are a female then you walk your first step with your right foot and you can only walk an odd number of steps. The male have to walk their first step with their left foot on the bridge they also have to walk an odd number of steps. If the demons let you pass, because they know your good, then you will go to the next test. If you are bad then they will throw you into water. The bridge on either side is not for testing but when you walk out Ghost City you will have to go on either side of the testing bridge. The left bridge couldn't fit in the picture but the bridges all look the same. The right bridge which can be seen in the picture is to let you be rich in the future. The left bridge which can not be seen in the picture is to let you be healthy in the future.

This is Hei Wu Zhane he is a jailer. He catches the bad people and takes them to the Underworld.

These three pictures are judges. They judge your fate.

The Second Test

The second test is to put a VERY heavy stone on a hump. If you can do this then you passed the test.

The Third and Final Test

This is the third and final test. The dead must stand on one foot for thirty seconds before they can move on. This test is not based on how talented you are. This test is based on if you are good or evil. While a good person would be able to do it an evil person would fall down and be sentenced to the Underworld. A female has to stand on their left foot and a male has to stand on their right foot.