Today's relics usually refer to the remains of Buddha, but they are also called Buddhist bone relics, and later they also refer to the remains left by the burning of eminent monks after their death. Generally speaking, the relic is a bone block, so the shape and size are different, and the texture is hard and meticulous; In China, bean-shaped people are called relics.
For example, after the Buddha's nirvana, as many as one stone and six buckets of relics were burned. At that time, eight kings competed for the Buddha relic, and each got a share. They brought the relics of the Buddha back to their own country and built pagodas for people to watch and worship.
Successful monks and believers in their families can also get Buddhist relics after their death. For example, Huineng, the sixth ancestor of China, and modern masters Hong Yi, Yin Guang, Taixu and Zhang Jia all left a considerable number of relics.
Heritage type:
Whole body relic, broken body relic. The whole body relic does not need to be cremated, and the whole body will not rot. This is called the whole body relic, also known as the body bodhisattva.
Broken relics are cremated remains.
However, there are also some Buddhist relics that do not change from the human body, such as running out of the sky or underground, or being born from oil lamps or flowers, and there is also a kind of Buddhist relics that are sincerely worshipped and reborn from Buddhist relics.
In the merit of bathing Buddha, the relic is divided into: 1. Living Buddha relics, also known as body and bone relics, are the remains of the Buddha; The second is the relic of the instrument, also known as the relic of the instrument, which refers to the teaching methods and commandments left by the Buddha.
It is said that 2,500 years ago, when Sakyamuni was in nirvana, his disciples got a skull, two bones, four teeth, a middle finger relic and 84,000 beaded relics from the ashes. These relics of the Buddha are regarded as sacred objects by believers, competing to offer them. In the changing history, most cultural relics have been lost, annihilated and destroyed. Fortunately, in 1987, many Tang antiquities were found in the underground palace of Famen Temple, among which the only Buddhist relic in the world was found. When unearthed, the Buddha's Finger House was wrapped in a 50-fold letter, with a height of 40.3mm and a weight of16.2g. It was yellowish with cracks and spots. According to historical records, in the Tang Dynasty, this relic was "one inch and two minutes long, straight up and folded down, with different heights, flat on three sides, slightly higher on one side, with hidden marks in the middle, slightly blue as rain, fine and smooth, large pulp, and connected up and down". The record is consistent with the real thing, but the color has turned yellow because it has been soaked in liquid for thousands of years.
According to the scripture, the relic is obtained by a person through practicing discipline, determination and wisdom, plus his own great will. It is very rare and precious.
In Hokkekyo Tathagata's Quality of Life, the Buddha himself said:
Everyone saw me destroy my wealth and the relics I provided.
Salty taste causes thirst and thirst.
All beings believe in quality, straightness and softness.
See the Buddha with all my heart and not cherish my life.
It can be seen that the Buddhist relics left by the Buddha, the eminent monk and the great virtue can make us yearn for the cause, thirsty and believe in Buddhism. Originally, the Buddha was immortal. The reason why he died soon is a convenient performance, in order to prevent all beings from rising dependence and even rising tired and slack hearts.
Hokkekyo said, "If the Tathagata doesn't die, then get up? I am arrogant, but I am tired of it. I can't bear the thought of suffering, and the heart of respect is convenient to say. Monks should know that it is difficult to meet a Buddha. " After the Buddha's extinction, leaving the relic to build a tower for all sentient beings is to let all sentient beings offer a rare thought, think about seeing the Buddha when they see the relic, and even "see the Buddha wholeheartedly without cherishing their lives", so as to forge ahead and practice diligently. If we sincerely respect the Buddhist relics, we will feel the intercourse of Taoism and the appearance of the Buddha. This is always the case. In Hokkekyo, the Buddha said to himself, "When I was with all the monks, I came out of Lingjiusan. When I was talking about sentient beings, I stayed here to make things simple, but the existing ones cannot be destroyed. " He also advised: "If you have a wise man, don't be suspicious here. When the order is broken forever, the Buddha's words are true. " In the Sui Dynasty, when the master of Tiantai wise men read the "The Art of Medicine King and Bodhisattva" in Beijing, he suddenly fell into deep thought and watched Lingshan for a while. Master Hui Si confirmed: "I don't know, I can't prove it." This thing can prove.
There are various incredible phenomena in supporting and commemorating relics. Master Yin Guang gave an example: Before Emperor Wendi became emperor, an Indian monk gave him several relics. When he became emperor, he found hundreds of relics. Another example is the stupa of Asoka Temple, which you can hold in your hand and look inside. Everyone sees different scenes, and the size of the stupa will also change. All kinds of spiritual relics can be described as "God is unchangeable". All these supernatural changes have incredible value in spreading Buddhism. Everyone benefits from paying tribute to the relic. Master Yin Guang said that the supernatural phenomenon of the relic is that "all buddhas and bodhisattvas want to make all who see and hear deeply rooted in good roots, especially to show their sense of existence" (Yin Guangda, master Wen Chao). Therefore, the relics should not be blindly measured by secular wisdom.