司馬一民
現(xiàn)在杭州龍井的出名,是因為龍井茶。
你喝什么?
我喝龍井。
那一個茶字,基本是省略掉了。龍井就是龍井茶的代名詞。
其實,近千年前龍井就很出名,那是因為一位高僧和一座寺院,還有那里的山水風光。高僧是辯才,寺院是龍井寺。
辯才不但是一位高僧,而且是一位詩人,他與蘇軾、秦觀、黃庭堅等結(jié)為詩友,有詩唱和。又因為有蘇軾等詩人到訪龍井寺,還留下許多趣事,使得龍井名聲遠播。這些留待后文細說,此文單說辯才與龍井和龍井寺。
辯才對龍井的貢獻非常大,先來看看他為龍井寫的十首“形象推廣”詩:
《龍井十題》
獅子峰
獨爾群山里,人稱獅子峰。
無心自哮吼,顯晦煙云中。
風篁嶺
風篁蔭修嶺,挺節(jié)含虛心。
悠悠往還客,孰不聆清音。
歸隱橋
謝講竺峰寺,歸隱新此橋。
院幽結(jié)林表,身老寄煙霄。
寂室
心寂寂自絕,此意焉思說?
寒云散空庭,獨有月照雪。
照閣
高峰銜皎月,深壑瀉飛湍。
誰來白云里,與汝憑欄看。
吶齋
憶昔毗耶老,杜口有誰聽。
還聞寂寂里,其辯過雷霆。
潮音堂
真說無所示,真聽無所聞。
海潮山外過,妙響入深云。
薩陲石
巨石如掌平,兀然半青嶂。
欽哉昔道人,飼虎茲巖上。
沖泉
物外老余生,泉發(fā)幽巖里。
自可給瓶盂,不羨滄溟水。
龍井亭
虛亭亂石間,中有潛虬府。
澄湛源莫窮,旱歲為霖雨。
插播一小段:現(xiàn)在我們都有這樣的經(jīng)歷,因為看了某地的風光片、讀了某個故事、知道了哪個名人事跡等,就想去那個場景看看。比如愛爾蘭的莫赫懸崖,就因為是電影《哈利波特》的取景地,吸引了無數(shù)的游客,其實莫赫懸崖很久以前就在啊,只是電影《哈利波特》的順便推廣,現(xiàn)在變成了特別熱門的觀光景點。
回過來說龍井,盡管辯才描述的這些地、這些景,經(jīng)歷了千年的變遷之后,有的我們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)看不到了,但是在當時大概有不少人是因為讀了《龍井十題》而心生向往,便走訪龍井。要不然,《龍井十題》也不會流傳到今天。因為辯才、因為《龍井十題》、因為龍井寺,引來了蘇軾等名流,才給后世留下了許多佳話和傳說。
辯才的《龍井十題》雖然是寫景,細細品讀,卻蘊含著禪意,與他出家人的身份十分契合。這就要說說辯才的身世了。
《咸淳臨安志》卷七十有條目“元凈”:
元凈
本姓徐,字無象,於潛人,生而左肩肉起如袈裟絳,八十一日乃滅,及師之終實八十有一歲。師生十歲出家,二十五賜紫衣及辨才號。知杭州呂溱請師住大悲寶閣居十年,沈文通治杭命住上天竺,乃以教易禪師鑿山增室,幾至萬礎(chǔ),重樓杰閣,冠于浙西學者數(shù)倍。其故,詔名其院曰靈感觀音,居十七年還於潛。逾年復(fù)歸天竺清獻公趙抃與師為世外友,贊之曰:師去天竺山空鬼哭,天竺師歸道場光輝。復(fù)留,三年謝去,老于南山龍井之上。與僧熙仲會食,仲視師眉閑有光如熒,遽起攬之,得舍利,自是常有于其臥處得之者,及其將化召常所往來僧道潛告之曰,吾西方業(yè)成克期而逝。門下侍郎蘇轍撰碑,翰林學士蘇軾書集賢校理,歐陽棐書額。
此段文字中除蘇軾、蘇轍兄弟之外,歐陽棐是歐陽修第三子,進士出身,做過多地知州,有文名??梢娹q才結(jié)交文人學士之廣。
結(jié)合這段文字,綜合其他史料,我們可以大致知道辯才的身世:
辯才(1011—1091),俗姓徐,名無象,法名元凈,於潛縣(今臨安於潛)人。他家樂善好施,經(jīng)常幫助窮苦之人。相傳,在他出生的時候,有位外鄉(xiāng)客路過,說他家的房子里有瑞氣上升,會出奇男子。剛生下來時,他的左肩上有肉隆起,形狀如同袈裟絳,八十一天后才消失,辯才正好是在八十一歲的時候圓寂。
辯才十歲的時候,父母親把他送到西菩山明智寺出家為僧,師從僧人法雨禪師。辯才天資聰穎,好學精進,博學強記。辯才十八歲離開西菩山明智寺,來到杭州上天竺寺,師從慈云法師,學習天臺教義,深得慈云真?zhèn)?,學行并進。慈云圓寂后,又師從明智韶師,學《摩訶止觀》。在名師指點下,辯才道行漸高,行化東南,在吳越一帶很有名望。辯才二十五歲的時候,宋仁宗聞其德行,特恩賜紫衣袈裟,并賜法號“辯才”。此后,他代韶師講法長達十五年之久,住持大悲寶閣院前后又長達十年之久。嘉佑末年(1063),杭州知州沈遘以上天竺寺住持智月法師之邀,聘請辯才入山住持,并上請朝廷,以教易禪,朝廷恩準,賜改寺名為“靈感觀音院”。吳越信眾解囊相助,辯才“開山辟地二十五尋”,“增廣殿宇”,“幾至萬礎(chǔ)”,且“殿皆重檐”,“重樓杰觀,冠于浙西”,前來求學的僧眾越來越多,上天竺因此而成為杭州名剎。辯才在上天竺住持法席十七年。
元豐二年(1079),年屆古稀的辯才從上天竺退居南山龍井壽圣院。北宋乾祐二年(949),當?shù)匕傩漳季壴诖私▓髧唇?jīng)院,熙寧(1068-1077)中改稱壽圣院,即龍井寺。由于年久失修,已經(jīng)破敗不堪,僅存“蔽屋數(shù)楹”,辯才“策杖獨往”,“以茅竹自覆”。辯才修葺屋宇,寺院得到振興,最后圓寂于此。
辯才法師與寺僧在旁邊的獅峰山麓開山種茶,將上天竺的白云茶種子移到此地,他常用自制茶葉接待來訪的文人墨客和僧人,大家對產(chǎn)自龍井的茶葉極為推崇。據(jù)說茶葉流傳出去就成了最早的西湖龍井茶,他也被后人尊為“龍井茶鼻祖”。究竟如何,待考。
元豐六年(1083)四月九日,杭州南山僧官守一法師到龍井壽圣院辯才住所方圓庵拜會辯才,二人講經(jīng)說法,談古論經(jīng),十分投機。為此,守一寫了《龍井山方圓庵記》一文,以示紀念,并請米芾書碑刻石,留下一段佳話,可惜石碑早已無跡可尋。
乾隆皇帝(清高宗弘歷)曾四次游歷龍井,寫了《龍井八景》組詩:過溪亭、滌心沼、一片云、風篁嶺、方圓庵、龍泓澗、神運石、翠峰閣,這里各選一首:
過溪亭
行云流水視遷留,
奚問虎溪過與不。
一笑詩吟杜子美,
墨名儒行足風流。
滌心沼
辨才歸老開精舍,
沼水曾臨蘇與秦。
卻是清波無芥蒂,
滌乎抑否聽伊人。
一片云
片石玲瓏號片云,
英英常自蔚氤氳。
龍泓本自顛翁碣,
馨折宜應(yīng)于此君。
風篁嶺
靈石峰西翠嶺岑,
蒼莨萬個戈風森。
世間官征安能譜,
此是云山詔頀音。
方圓庵
方圓庵是辨才跡,
葺筑曾經(jīng)聞啟祥。
今日重看新舊址,
有為一切幻誰常。
龍泓澗
鳳凰嶺上龍泓澗,
噴沫成池貯碧流。
飛作瀑泉靈作雨,
攻祈那待法師投。
神運石
移來不及五丁穿,
峭茜亭亭一朵蓮。
聞?wù)f鐵牌同出井,
依稀辨得赤烏年。
翠峰閣
平陵小閣切青宵,
縱目因之意興遙。
頗怪吳人費疏剔,
翠峰今古祗高標。
不管詩如何,也算有心了。
2005年,龍井寺景區(qū)修復(fù),以弘揚龍井茶文化為宗旨,以山澗、清泉、奇石及石刻藝術(shù)為景觀特色。
(作者系杭州市政協(xié)智庫專家、杭州文史專家)
Biancai and Longjing: The Monk and the Tea
By Sima Yimin
When people speak of Longjing (or Dragon Well), what images pop into your head? Most probably tea. “What do you drink?” “I drink Longjing.” “Tea” is no longer needed here, for Longjing has long been synonymous with the tea taken from its name.
Longjing as a place has certainly gained much fame from its high-quality green tea. In fact, it was already quite well-known 1,000 years ago, thanks in part to its charming scenery and also to a monk and the temple he helped rebuild.
Popularly referred to as Biancai or Master Dharma Debater, a title bestowed by Emperor Renzong of Song (1010 1063), the monk was noted not only for his mastery of Buddhist knowledge and practices, but also for his poems. Indeed, he counted Su Shi (1037 1101), Qin Guan (1049 1100), Huang Tingjian (1045 1105), and other eminent poets among his close friends. Many believe it is Biancais close relations with those poets and his own poems on Longjing that have elevated the status of the place to unprecedented levels.
One of Biancais “Ten Poems on Longjing” writes:
Standing out among hills and mountains, Lion Peak it is called.
Roaring without any sound needed, it appears and disappears amid mist and cloud. (“The Lion Peak”)
Another writes:
Amid pavilions and stones, is hidden the mansion of a dragons.
The source of its clean spring never ends, for bountiful rains fall even in dry years.(“The Longjing Pavilion”)
Intentionally or not, these poems became the perfect “advertisements” for Longjing. Remember the last time when you read a story, watch a movie or learn of a famous person, you suddenly feel the urge to see for yourself the settings in which the story took place, the place where the movie was shot, or the surroundings in which he or she grew up? One example is the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, which have stood there for millions of years. While already widely known, the cliffs gained significant increase in popularity once it was revealed that a scene of the Harry Potter movies was shot there.
Although we may never know exactly how many people went to Longjing after they read Biancais poems, those poems have undoubtedly helped boost the image of the place; for otherwise, the lyrical lines imbued with Buddhist connotations would have been long forgotten.
Born in Yuqian county (present-day Yuqian township, Linan district, Hangzhou city) in the year 1101, Biancais original name was Xu Wuxiang. The Xu family was known to be very generous and compassionate, regularly doling out food and money to the needy. Legend has it that on the day when Biancai was born, a visitor passing by the Xu family pointed at their house and said an auspicious light was rising, portending to the birth of an extraordinary man. When he was delivered, a strip of bulge could be seen on his left shoulder, similar to the silk linings on kasaya (robes worn by Buddhist monks). The bulge disappeared after 81 days; coincidently, Biancai also died when he was 81 years old (1091), a number that holds special significance in Buddhism.
When Biancai was 10, his parents sent him to Yuqians Mingzhi Temple on Xipu Mountain, where he obtained his dharma name Yuanjing. A smart and hardworking student, Biancai also benefited a lot through learning from several Buddhist masters. By 25, Biancais reputation had been well established, and Emperor Renzong of Song, after hearing of his moral integrity, bestowed upon him the title of “Biancai” and the purple kasaya, the color of the highest honor.
After serving as abbot in a few temples, Biancai came to the Longjing Temple in 1079. At the time, only a few dilapidated houses remained of the temple because of long disuse. Biancai took the challenge on the chin, repaired the premises, and revived the temple.
During his stay there until his death, Biancai grew tea on the nearby Lion Peak Mountain, which he often used to treat his poet friends and fellow monks, and was highly praised. This, according to some, was the earliest known Longjing tea, and Biancai therefore should be regarded as the “father of Longjing tea”. Later, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), who visited Longjing four times, wrote “Eight Scenery Poems on Longjing” in a similar vein to Biancai, in which he also spoke of the last phase of the monks? life in Longjing.
Whether Biancai is the “father of Longjing tea” or not is still to be determined. What is certain is that when you drink the Longjing tea or visit Longjing next time, you may well remember Biancai and even his poems.