Does the legend of phoenix reborn from the fire originate from China?

Phoenix nirvana, reborn from the fire. According to legend, Phoenix is the messenger of happiness in the world. Every five hundred years, it will bear all the pains and grievances accumulated in the world, throw itself into a raging fire, and exchange the end and beauty of life for peace and happiness on earth. It is also after the body has experienced great pain and reincarnation that they can be reborn. The dying phoenix was thrown into the fire and bathed in the fire to be reborn. Its feathers are richer, its voice is clearer, its spirit is more marrow, and it becomes a beautiful, brilliant and eternal fire phoenix. This allusion implies the persistent spirit of not being afraid of pain, never looking back, and constantly pursuing and perfecting oneself. This story and its metaphorical significance, in Buddhist scriptures, phoenix nirvana is also called "nirvana".

Phoenix nirvana (Phoenix Nipan) is a legend in the Arabian Kingdom. The phoenix in the phoenix nirvana refers to the fire phoenix, not the phoenix in the traditional sense of China. The hometown of Fire Phoenix is in Egypt, and the ancient word for Phoenix is "Fenice". Fenice originally refers to the immortal firebird in Egyptian mythology. It is said that this beautiful and lonely bird, which grows in the Arabian desert, burns itself to ashes every 500 years, and then reborn from the ashes, circulating endlessly and becoming eternal life. Extended meaning: Phoenix is the messenger of world happiness. Every five hundred years, it will bear all the unhappiness and hatred accumulated in the world, throw itself into a raging fire, set itself on fire, and exchange the end and beauty of life for peace and happiness on earth. It is also after the body has experienced great pain and tempering that they can be reborn with a better body.

I. Introduction

Nirvana is also called Nihuan, Niyue, Nirvana, Niripana, Tienan and Tienan. Free translation means death, silence, extinction, silence and lifelessness. Synonymous with words such as selective extinction, separation and liberation. Or general nirvana (generally, the transliteration of Sanskrit pari, the complete meaning, the free translation is death), general nirvana (great, that is, the meaning of extraordinary victory. There was another great silence. Sanskrit nirva^n! First, the Pali nibba^na. originally refers to the state of blowing out, or blowing out; The latter refers to the burning of the fire of trouble, and the realization of wisdom (namely Bodhi) is completed. This is beyond the realm of life and death (mystery) and the ultimate practical purpose of Buddhism. Therefore, it is listed as one of France and India to express the characteristics of Buddhism and is called "Nirvana Silence". Although sects other than Buddhism also have nirvana theory, it is very different from Buddhists.

Interpretation: In addition, the phoenix nirvana means to be executed, which means that the dream and goal of experiencing disaster are better.

Second, the source of words.

The theory of phoenix nirvana comes from Mr. Guo Moruo's book of the same name, which is not an ancient legend in China. In the ancient myths and legends of China, there is no saying that the phoenix will be reborn from the ashes. The phoenix in Mr. Guo Moruo's poem "Phoenix Nirvana" actually refers to the fairy bird in the western legend (there is an ancient fairy bird named "Phoenix" in Tian Fang, which set itself on fire after 500 years old, was reborn from the fire, was delicious and never died). Based on the legend of fairy birds in the west, the author expresses the idea of burying the old society completely and striving for the freedom and liberation of the motherland and the poet's infinite yearning for a free, equal and harmonious new society through the story of phoenix nirvana and rebirth.

The "immortal bird" in western mythology is somewhat different from the legendary phoenix in China. The fairy birds in the west are similar to eagles, while the legendary phoenix in China is more like chickens and pheasants in image. However, in modern times, influenced by the myth of fairy birds in the west and popular culture in Japan, Chinese people sometimes regard fairy birds as phoenix or suzaku in translation and cognition.

Third, get married.

Legend has it that the phoenix is the messenger of human happiness. Every five hundred years, it will bear all the unhappiness and hatred accumulated in the world, throw itself into a raging fire, set itself on fire, and exchange the end and beauty of life for peace and happiness on earth. It is also after the body has experienced great pain and reincarnation that they can be reborn with a better body.

This story and its figurative meaning are called "Nirvana" in Buddhist scriptures.

The record in Nirvana Anonymity goes like this: "Anonymity says: the husband is empty, and everything is made by me. People who know everything and be themselves are just saints! What is this? Unreasonable and unholy, unreasonable disregard, rational and holy, saints are the same. So the Emperor of Heaven said: What should Prajna ask for? Shanji said: Prajna can't seek from color, nor can it seek from color. He also said: Seeing the origin means seeing the Dharma, seeing the Dharma means seeing the Buddha, and then the thing is me. Therefore, for people, the mystery is unknown, the hidden ghost is instantaneous, and the total Liuhe is a mirror, and the future is an adult. Ancient and modern, always connected, poor at the end, nothing else. Dzogchen is nirvana. As the saying goes: Nirvana is inseparable from all laws. He also said: all laws are boundless, so bodhi is boundless, so that you can know the way of nirvana and keep the wonderful Covenant. The reason for the wonderful behavior is that it is a mystery, but things are no different from me. I am not foreign, things are mysterious, and they belong to infinity. After going in, it is the first, and after coming back, it will start in the meantime! "How long will it take to get rid of the old?" asked the heavenly daughter. "

It means: anonymous people say that people who reach a certain level will definitely have an empty and ignorant experience. When they experience emptiness, they will not care about everything in the world. Everything flows out of my heart and everything is integrated with me. Only a saint can do it! Why do you say that? Because if you don't master this truth, you can't be a saint. On the contrary, if you don't become a saint, you can't know this truth. It is because you have mastered this truth that you become a saint. Therefore, saints and truth are in harmony, and no saint can leave this truth! This is just like Prajna's observation of the second color center, that is, separation, emptiness is color, and color is the only principle of emptiness. From the perspective of origin law, all laws are empty, and emptiness is all laws. When you see Buddha, you will see Dharma, and when you see Dharma, you will see emptiness. All dharma is empty, that is, you will be biased against Buddha and forget things. Therefore, to achieve the holiness of the Tao, we always explore mysteries in omens, hide the future in changes, unify the southeast, northwest and up, and integrate the past and the future. It is the same from ancient times to the present, and so is poverty. Dedication to greatness is nirvana. This is what the Buddhist scriptures say, "Nirvana is formed without all laws." Because all laws are infinite, and there is no end to liberation. Therefore, it is inferred that the way to nirvana lies in maintaining the "wonderful agreement" of the wonderful cause. With the "wonderful contract", it is the truth of the unity of all laws. There is no essential difference between everything and me. I am essentially the same as everything else. Things and I are mysterious, and infinity is their ultimate destination. Nirvana is to enter, retreat, have no beginning and no end, and it is not in it! The goddess said: There is no end to the liberation of the old year. The image of Phoenix in China is very similar to that of Peacock, but the difference is that Peacock has many tail feathers, while Phoenix has only a few long tail feathers, and its whole body is red.

Fourth, related legends

Legend one

A beautiful myth related to fire. In the legendary Arab kingdom, there are a pair of divine birds, the male is a phoenix and the female is a phoenix. At the age of 500, Ji Xiangmu set himself on fire and was reborn. From then on, it was delicious to death.

Legend 2

Phoenix is the messenger of happiness in the world. Every five hundred years, it will bear all the unhappiness and hatred accumulated in the world, throw itself into a raging fire, set itself on fire, and exchange the end and beauty of life for peace and happiness on earth. It is also after the body has experienced great pain and tempering that they can be reborn with a better body.

Legend 3

The origin of the ancient fire phoenix in Jingzhou: Jingzhou is the birthplace of Chu culture. According to legend, Chu flooded for three months in a row, and the whole country became a water country. People are miserable. The king of Chu set up an altar to worship the sun and prayed for the sun to come out as soon as possible. Unexpectedly, the evil oolong continued to rain, and the monarch ordered all the warriors in the world to fight against the evil oolong, and the result was defeated and eaten by the evil oolong. A counselor said that there is a Phoenix Mountain in the east of Chu, and there is a god bird named Fire Phoenix on the mountain. The monarch and counselor of Chu invited the fire phoenix to exorcise evil spirits, which is the duty of the fire phoenix. Fire Phoenix and Oolong didn't win the battle in 7749 days, so Fire Phoenix finally had to sacrifice herself and burn her heart to fight against Oolong. Finally, the fire phoenix and the oolong were reduced to ashes at the same time, and the world reappeared. In order to commemorate the fire phoenix, the Chu people built a fire phoenix altar on Phoenix Mountain. Still on our plain, this mountain is a big red clay bag several kilometers from Fiona Fang.

Legend four

The fire phoenix is in Egypt, and the original word of the phoenix is "Fenice", which originally refers to the immortal firebird in Egyptian mythology. It is said that this beautiful and lonely bird, which grows in the Arabian desert, burns itself to ashes every 500 years, and then reborn from the ashes, circulating endlessly and becoming eternal life. But there is also a saying that the phoenix may (or may not) be reborn from the ashes after being baptized by fire, and once it fails to be reborn, it will disappear forever. The legend of the Fire Phoenix spread from Egypt to China a long time ago. In China, this legend has been interpreted even better.

Five, "Phoenix Nirvana" related stories

In Henghe Town, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China, there is a beautiful legend called "Phoenix Nirvana". Nirvana, Buddhism means the process from birth to immortality.

Zen master gave his life to save Feng Chu.

On the right of "Yujin Street" in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, there is a small earth mountain named "Yufeng". It is said that a long time ago, there was a small Buddhist temple on this mountain where an old monk lived. At the southern foot of this mountain, there is a buttonwood tree that ten people can't hold with open arms, and a phoenix from Uvogin perches on its branch; On the north side of this mountain, there is an east-west long river called Beijiang, and on the south bank of this river, there is a small town called Henghe Town. Phoenix, Zen master and people of different nationalities live a harmonious and quiet happy life day after day and year after year. One year, there was a sudden flood in the Beijiang River, and the waves were rough and rolling, which would soon flood the whole Qingyuan area, and people flocked to the small earth mountain in Yujin Street, which was on the higher ground. The flood followed the fleeing crowd and soon surrounded Xiaotushan and the buttonwood tree below. The rising flood will soon submerge golden phoenix's nest on the buttonwood below the mountain. The newly hatched chicks of Phoenix are chirping anxiously, hoping that their parents will come back to help them. However, two golden phoenix have flown far away to find delicious food for their children. They have no idea of the dangerous situation their children are facing. Because phoenix is not a buttonwood tree, a treasure, a fountain or a bud; So you have to fly far away to find food. At this critical moment, the old Zen master of Xiaotushan Shaolin Temple risked his life, carrying a big wooden basin for laundry in the temple, jumped into the water and swam down the south to the Phoenix Nest. Then, holding the branches in one hand and the big wooden basin in the other, Feng Chu was put into the big wooden basin one by one with his mouth. Feng Chu was saved in a big wooden basin downstream. However, it was difficult for the Zen master to go back to the monastery against the current, and finally he was caught in the water by the ruthless waves.

The refugees fled to Yufeng Mountain.

The flood is still rising, and the evil waves are still scouring the soil around Xiaotushan. The living space of people fleeing in the small earth mountain is getting smaller and smaller by the rising flood and the evil waves that wash away the soil, and everyone is faced with the choice of life and death. At first, people knelt in front of buddhas and bodhisattvas in Buddhist temples and prayed for blessing. Later, when the flood had invaded people's feet in the temple, many irrational people scrambled to seize the commanding heights, so the roof and walls of the temple were covered with tyrannical people. Good people are still kneeling in shallow water, praying for Buddha's blessing. On the one hand, the foundation of the house and the courtyard wall of the Buddhist temple were loosened by the flood, on the other hand, they were tilted and weightless because of the extrusion of people who could not escape, and suddenly collapsed. Suddenly, people standing on the roof or riding on the courtyard wall first encountered an accident. Screams and screams filled the top of Xiaotushan Mountain, blood stained the surrounding floods, and terror enveloped everyone's heart. Under the scouring of the flood crest, the originally gentle slopes around Xiaotushan have all turned into cliffs, and people piled up on the edge of the mountain will fall into the abyss if they are not careful. But someone must fall into the constant water, and others may gain a foothold for survival, which is a helpless choice; Therefore, people desperately squeezed into the center of the mountain top; As a result, the crowd was in chaos. Some people just bend their heads into the crowd. Before he could look up, he was trampled to death. Someone was originally pushed to the edge in the center and eventually slipped into the water; Some people desperately grab other people's hands and feet before sliding into the water, and the result is a roll of two people pushing and dragging in the deep water ... In short, because of chaos, people are constantly turbulent, and eventually the death caused by chaotic trampling is no less than the number of people who fall into the flood waves. It seems that the flood is not torturing these refugees, but testing people's moral bottom line and survival wisdom. Finally, people discussed and decided to take the initiative to deal with the death threat, not passively bear it. So people decided to let lonely people stand on the periphery, followed by the elderly, and then women and children stand at the core. In this way, one is to reduce the disorderly trampling death; The second is to make everyone who rolls in the abyss feel extremely happy and proud, because their sacrifice can be exchanged for permanent respect and commemoration for those who may survive.

Jinfeng repays her kindness and gets nirvana.

The roaring flood finally reached the feeding place in golden phoenix, and golden phoenix and his wife quickly flew upstream to help their children. However, when they were halfway there, they suddenly heard the cry for help from Phoenix chicks, and then they found their children by searching. Phoenix chicks told their parents about their rescue experience in bird language. After listening to Feng Chu's story, their mother, Jin Feng, in order to repay the kindness of the Zen master in saving their children, she gave Feng Chu to her husband for gold protection and continued to fly against the current until she reached the small earth mountain in Yujin Street. I happened to see only a few mothers with babies in their arms and a group of children who had completely lost their parents on the hill. I saw the tragic scene of older children standing outside and jumping into the water in turn without fear. I think people can sacrifice their lives to save a litter of little golden phoenix. Why can't they make a little contribution to mankind? So Jinfeng landed in the middle of the crowd, leaving the rest of the mother and son crawling on their backs, clutching their golden hairs, and then flying to a high mountain. After landing, she was exhausted by physical exhaustion.

The story of people and birds helping each other.

After the flood receded, people built a temple called Feilai Temple on the high mountain where the phoenix was nirvana in order to commemorate the story of Jin Feng's self-sacrifice to save others. People were reluctant to part with the place where Jinfeng helped them take off, so they settled there. The place name is Yujin Street, which means the place where Jinfeng was born again. In the middle of Yujin Street, an earthen terrace called Phoenix Terrace was built in the geomantic treasure-house where buttonwood trees once grew and attracted golden phoenix to nest, to worship this grateful golden phoenix at four o'clock. In order to repay the old Zen master for saving his life, people rebuilt the Buddhist temple in Yujin Street. It is also said that Jinfeng's body eventually turned into this small town, so Qingyuan looks like a phoenix, with three piers as the phoenix head, the low profile as the phoenix wing of Qingyuan, the phoenix back as the seat of New Century Square and the phoenix tail (in the old area). It has been extending from Songgang Road to Beijiashan, where Phoenix died. We call it Li Qifeng (meaning that we hope Phoenix can stand up again), so Qingyuan is called Fengcheng. Do you know there are two Fengcheng in Guangdong? Besides Qingyuan, Shunde Daliang is also called Fengcheng. Why? It is said that Gong Fenghuang of Qingyuan came back and was very sad to see his wife's sacrifice. He flew away from this sad place with the little phoenix, and flew to Shunde as soon as he flew, so there were two Fengcheng in Guangdong Province. This is a female Fengcheng, and Shunde is a male Fengcheng.