Tsing Shan, Ancient Monastery, Memorial

Updated Date: 10/09/2007

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The startup ceremony of Tsing Shan, Ancient Monastery, Memorial【Cultural Heritage and Oral History Collecting Project】 was held on 2nd June. This project was jointly organized by Managing Trustees of The Charitable Trust of Tsing Shan Monastery, Hong Kong and South China Historical Research Programme of Lingnan University, and Yan Chai Hospital No. 2 Secondary School, with a view to collecting more information about Tsing Shan Monastery and reviving the care and memory of the citizens towards Tsing Shan Monastery.  After the startup ceremony, Mr. Leung Wai Man, Chairman of Sulan Literary Association volunteered to provide the service of guided tour and kindly dedicated an article for sharing by all.

Commemorating a Guided Visit to Tsing Shan Monastery (Startup ceremony of the Oral History Collecting Project) on 2 June 2007 Ding Hai Year

In summer when the lichee fruit just turned ripe, we took a guided tour to Tsing Shan. The air was filled with the songs of cicadas and the breeze from the sea nearby.

There stood the ancient monastery of Tuen Mun which was surrounded by fragrant bushes and was once home to the legendary Master Pei Tu and being admired by learned Confucius scholars.

The monastery has 1500 years of history which can be traced back to the Liu Song periods. It had once survived the fate of decline, but was soon raped by officials and peasants. Later, Buddhist worshippers and volunteers from around the world joined hands to rescue what was left of the monastery and called on scholars and learned elderly to conduct research with reference to ancient scriptures and to collaborate the monastery’s oral history. This benevolent project can complete the missing puzzle of the monastery’s unwritten history and inspire people to care for this place.

A person with a great mind will be inspired by what one has seen and can gain better insight about current affairs by learning from history.

As the light of the monastery continues to shine, it remains the pride of local folks and will bring about great development, so that the heritage will be treasured for generations.

The Book of Change states, “Be great and thus long lasting.” Let it be a lesson to those with cultivated minds!

Hong Kong is a great miracle in itself, but will it be a long lasting one?

As I have been called upon to express my view, I wrote this article which would be preserved for all to share.

By Mr. Leung, a worshipper being charged with the mission of expressing humble opinion of the guided visit and come up with this short article for commemoration.

Note: The books of The Wai’s Book of Elderly Monks, The Biographies of Learned Monks and Tai Ping Collection, have all recorded that an able Master Pei Tu travelled to Tsing Shan by a floating wooden cup and stayed there.

【Supplement】

The following poem is from the collection of my clansman the Leung’s from the reign of Dao Guang of the Qing Dynasty:

Return from an Autumn Visit to Tsing Shan

by LEUNG Wai Yeung

A thousand stair steps lead to the holy monastery on the hill --

Where the magnificent peak stands out amidst other gentle dales.

As the monastery’s bell being tolled for three times,

Several levels of enlightenment come to the eased mind.

The time keeps track even of a leisured walk,

The setting sun is there to urge the visitors back.

As many clouds gather to wrap around the hills,

One may reach a piece of the Western sky at will.

The following poem is written by me:

Tsing Shan Monastery

by LEUNG Wai Man on 29 April 2000

A group of hills marks the outline of the blue sky,

Blocking the sun and hiding the monastery behind layers of clouds from the eye.

Looking down can one see the high-rise buildings shooting up from the ground below, High above around the tower birds often soar where the wind billows.

By the cliff old pines are struggling for running water,

As the life and view down the hill keep changing as time goes by;

Only the monastery has remained there for a thousand years,

Tolling the morning and evening bell for the common ears.

The startup ceremony marked the beginning of the Cultural Heritage and Oral History Collecting Project. The activities include:

In order for more people to appreciate the unique features of Tsing Shan Monastery, Managing Trustees will organize a guided tour programme titled “Touring the Fragrance Sea and Visiting the Prestigious Hill”. Please refer to the details to be announced later.