Pure Daoist Priest Sat in Meditation for 400 Years
A newspaper in Yan’an has reported that the 400 year old, and perfectly preserved body of a Daoist priest, has been discovered (sat in the crossed-legged meditation position) in a grotto on the summit of Matou Mountain, which is situated in the Ziwuling area of Zhidan County, Shaanxi province. As the body was preserved using clay, the local villagers referred to it as the ‘Seated Transformation Goddess’. This was before the outer layer of clay was damaged and the real body was revealed. Yesterday (18.10.2009), the mummified body was taken to a Daoist temple situated in the National Park on Matou Mountain, where the preserving outer layer of clay was respectfully, and carefully removed from the body. This investigation revealed what is certainly the body of a male Daoist priest who had ‘transformed through sitting’ whilst experiencing the death process. Matou Mountain is located 40km southeast of Zhidan County, in an area of very old natural forest and lush vegetation. Around 2000 years ago, the Qin Dynastic engineers built straight roads through the region, and ancient stone tablets, tiles and architectural ruins can be found all over the mountain. Tong Bo Shu Village is not far from these ancient ruins. Locals refer to this place as the Luan Shi (i.e. ‘Broken Stone’) Cliff, and there has been for some time a legend that a ‘Seated Transformation Goddess’ – with her hair held in a bun by a comb and wearing exquisite clothing – resided in one of the caves on the mountain.
According to the person in charge of Matou Mountain tourism, development and construction (named Mi Yu Jin), the Yan’an Prefecture Records state that the ‘Xuan Tien Shangdi Daoist Temple’ used to be found in the area. It was established during the Song Dynasty under the Emperor Huizong during the second year of the Xuan He Era (1120 CE), and was extensively expanded during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1972, Beijing Community Youth workers were clearing areas of the forest on Matou Mountain under the supervision of park rangers, when they discovered the body of the Daoist priest sat in the meditation posture. In 2005, Su Yu Cheng and son – Yu Su Ping – both Zhidan County Museum cadres, hiked into the mountains on four occasions to study the body of the Daoist priest who had died sitting-up in meditation. After this research brought publicity to the find, the local government became involved and resources were allocated. On June 29th, 2009, over 30 experts and scholars were invited from all over the country to Zhidan County to examine the find. They all agreed that this was a rare find of a body of a Daoist priest, who had ‘transformed whilst meditating’, before his dead body was then encased in clay in an attempt to preserve it. The radiocarbon dating suggests an age originating in the latter Ming or early Qing Dynasties. The man appears to have been a Daoist of considerable attainment, who possessed the advanced ability to end his life using the practice of ‘transformation through meditation’. Due to his particular Daoist style of headdress and clothing – local villages mistook him for a woman and referred to him as a ‘Seated Transformation Goddess’.
The height of the mummified body is 0.85m, its torso is 0.45m wide, whilst the crossed-legs measure 0.93m across. The stone platform measured 0.4m long. When the clay outer covering was broken, the human bones could be seen (through breakages in the skin) as being fundamentally intact. The bones of the skeleton were white, and the bone structure retained its integrity and resilience. There was a layer of skin covered by mud, grains and straw, but its structure was both tough and pliable. As a means to protect the clay-covered mummified body, in 2005, the Zhidan County authorities established the Matou Shan Daoist Temple – Site Protection and Management Committee. Experts from the Xi’an Heritage Restoration Centre were requested to assist in this project. On this site is the new ‘Xuan Tien Shangdi Daoist Temple’, the ‘Zhen Shen Zuo Hua Temple’ (or the ‘Pure Body Sitting Transformation Temple’), and five other buildings. A new Zuo Hua Temple has also been built in the cave area – where the mummified body was originally found. As Matou Mountain is an area of untouched forest, flowers and wildlife, Zhidan County authorities have developed an association with Daoist practitioners so that this beautiful area may be opened to visitors.
©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2015.
Original Chinese Language Source Text: http://xian.qq.com/a/20091019/000014.htm
道人真身一坐400年 "坐化娘娘"原为男性(图)
本报延安讯 在志丹县子午岭马头山之巅的一处石窟内,一道人真身一坐就是400年。由于其身体被泥封,当地人称之为“坐化娘娘”,直到泥塑被敲开,真身露出后才被保护起来。昨日,以道观及道士真身为主体的马头山森林公园开业,道士坐化像也同期开展。 马头山位于志丹县东南40公里处,这里原始次生林生长茂盛,附近除了两千多年前的秦直道外,山上古代的残碑、砖瓦等建筑遗存随处可见。桐柏树村距离这些古建筑遗址不远,当地人称这个地方叫乱石崖,传说在山上一石窟内有一位“坐化娘娘”,头上梳着发髻,服饰异常讲究。
据马头山旅游开发建设负责人米玉金介绍,《延安府志》记载,此处原为玄天上帝宫,始建于宋徽宗宣和二年(公元1120年),后经屡次扩建至明末清初。1972年,北京知青宿玉成在马头山当护林员时发现了坐化像。2005年,宿玉成之子——志丹县文化馆干部宿平,先后4次上山才将坐化像找到,并逐级上报后引起当地政府高度重视。当年6月29日,志丹县邀请全国30余专家学者考察论证。专家们一致认为,这尊坐化像是道教真身彩绘泥塑像,在全国罕见。经碳十四测试,其年代应在明末清初。其肉身可能是位得道高人,在他坐化后,经特殊处理一直保存至今。由于道教的特殊头型及服饰,才被当地人误认为女性,称为“坐化娘娘”。
这尊坐化像高0.85米,宽0.45米,坐在宽0.93米、长0.4米的石台上,从坐化像残损处可以看到真身泥塑的人骨基本完好,骨骼完整洁白,表面泥层中谷秆仍然黄亮而有韧性。为保护好这尊真身泥塑像,志丹县2005年成立了马头山道观遗址保护管理委员会,又邀请西安文物保护修复中心对其进行修复保护,并在遗址上新建了玄天上帝宫、真身坐化殿等5处建筑,还把坐化像从石窟请到新建的坐化殿。由于马头山是原始森林区,万木葱茏,野生动物品种繁多,志丹县结合道教旅游,开发了马头山森林公园旅游景区。
According to the person in charge of Matou Mountain tourism, development and construction (named Mi Yu Jin), the Yan’an Prefecture Records state that the ‘Xuan Tien Shangdi Daoist Temple’ used to be found in the area. It was established during the Song Dynasty under the Emperor Huizong during the second year of the Xuan He Era (1120 CE), and was extensively expanded during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1972, Beijing Community Youth workers were clearing areas of the forest on Matou Mountain under the supervision of park rangers, when they discovered the body of the Daoist priest sat in the meditation posture. In 2005, Su Yu Cheng and son – Yu Su Ping – both Zhidan County Museum cadres, hiked into the mountains on four occasions to study the body of the Daoist priest who had died sitting-up in meditation. After this research brought publicity to the find, the local government became involved and resources were allocated. On June 29th, 2009, over 30 experts and scholars were invited from all over the country to Zhidan County to examine the find. They all agreed that this was a rare find of a body of a Daoist priest, who had ‘transformed whilst meditating’, before his dead body was then encased in clay in an attempt to preserve it. The radiocarbon dating suggests an age originating in the latter Ming or early Qing Dynasties. The man appears to have been a Daoist of considerable attainment, who possessed the advanced ability to end his life using the practice of ‘transformation through meditation’. Due to his particular Daoist style of headdress and clothing – local villages mistook him for a woman and referred to him as a ‘Seated Transformation Goddess’.
The height of the mummified body is 0.85m, its torso is 0.45m wide, whilst the crossed-legs measure 0.93m across. The stone platform measured 0.4m long. When the clay outer covering was broken, the human bones could be seen (through breakages in the skin) as being fundamentally intact. The bones of the skeleton were white, and the bone structure retained its integrity and resilience. There was a layer of skin covered by mud, grains and straw, but its structure was both tough and pliable. As a means to protect the clay-covered mummified body, in 2005, the Zhidan County authorities established the Matou Shan Daoist Temple – Site Protection and Management Committee. Experts from the Xi’an Heritage Restoration Centre were requested to assist in this project. On this site is the new ‘Xuan Tien Shangdi Daoist Temple’, the ‘Zhen Shen Zuo Hua Temple’ (or the ‘Pure Body Sitting Transformation Temple’), and five other buildings. A new Zuo Hua Temple has also been built in the cave area – where the mummified body was originally found. As Matou Mountain is an area of untouched forest, flowers and wildlife, Zhidan County authorities have developed an association with Daoist practitioners so that this beautiful area may be opened to visitors.
©opyright: Adrian Chan-Wyles (ShiDaDao) 2015.
Original Chinese Language Source Text: http://xian.qq.com/a/20091019/000014.htm
道人真身一坐400年 "坐化娘娘"原为男性(图)
本报延安讯 在志丹县子午岭马头山之巅的一处石窟内,一道人真身一坐就是400年。由于其身体被泥封,当地人称之为“坐化娘娘”,直到泥塑被敲开,真身露出后才被保护起来。昨日,以道观及道士真身为主体的马头山森林公园开业,道士坐化像也同期开展。 马头山位于志丹县东南40公里处,这里原始次生林生长茂盛,附近除了两千多年前的秦直道外,山上古代的残碑、砖瓦等建筑遗存随处可见。桐柏树村距离这些古建筑遗址不远,当地人称这个地方叫乱石崖,传说在山上一石窟内有一位“坐化娘娘”,头上梳着发髻,服饰异常讲究。
据马头山旅游开发建设负责人米玉金介绍,《延安府志》记载,此处原为玄天上帝宫,始建于宋徽宗宣和二年(公元1120年),后经屡次扩建至明末清初。1972年,北京知青宿玉成在马头山当护林员时发现了坐化像。2005年,宿玉成之子——志丹县文化馆干部宿平,先后4次上山才将坐化像找到,并逐级上报后引起当地政府高度重视。当年6月29日,志丹县邀请全国30余专家学者考察论证。专家们一致认为,这尊坐化像是道教真身彩绘泥塑像,在全国罕见。经碳十四测试,其年代应在明末清初。其肉身可能是位得道高人,在他坐化后,经特殊处理一直保存至今。由于道教的特殊头型及服饰,才被当地人误认为女性,称为“坐化娘娘”。
这尊坐化像高0.85米,宽0.45米,坐在宽0.93米、长0.4米的石台上,从坐化像残损处可以看到真身泥塑的人骨基本完好,骨骼完整洁白,表面泥层中谷秆仍然黄亮而有韧性。为保护好这尊真身泥塑像,志丹县2005年成立了马头山道观遗址保护管理委员会,又邀请西安文物保护修复中心对其进行修复保护,并在遗址上新建了玄天上帝宫、真身坐化殿等5处建筑,还把坐化像从石窟请到新建的坐化殿。由于马头山是原始森林区,万木葱茏,野生动物品种繁多,志丹县结合道教旅游,开发了马头山森林公园旅游景区。