Legend of Sping Lantern Festival 2
The Eastern Han Dynasty Ming Emperor Yongping ten years (67), CAI Yin sought Buddhism from India to return, "Western Regions" said that India Magadha country on the fifteenth day of the first month monks and lay people gathered, the Buddha's sarra shining rain flowers, is considered to be the auspicious day of the upper Yuan Tianguo. Emperor Ming of Han to publicize the Buddha, ordered the fifteenth night of the first month in the court and temple "lamp table Buddha". "Fayuan Zhulin" contains, Emperor Ming Yongping fourteen years (71), the five mountains and the West monk compared law, Emperor Ming Ling monk road on the fifteenth day of the first month gathered in Luoyang White Horse Temple. To the east of the Taoist priest's room, three altars were set on fire, and the sutras were burned. The Buddhist statue is placed in Daoxi, "the five colors of light, straight up in the sky, the ring like a cover, in the sky rain treasure flowers, the public happiness." This is certainly not reliable, but it can be inferred that the custom of lighting lights on the fifteenth day of the first month started from the Han Emperor Wudi's sacrifice of Taiyi God, mainly held in the imperial palace. After Buddhism was introduced into China, the custom of lighting lights on the fifteenth day of the first month spread among the people. Every fifteenth day of the first month, urban and rural lights, bright day and night, nobles and common people, all hang lights. The old saying of offering sacrifices to Tai Yi God has been blended into the piety of burning lanterns to worship Buddha. The combination of gods and Buddhist rituals has become a unique custom of Chinese and Western elements.
According to the Buddhist scriptures, after Sakyamuni was cremated, believers placed his satyari on a golden throne, and the public scattered petals, played music and burned lanterns 13 li around the city. Since then, lanterns are lit to commemorate Buddha every night of the Yuan snack. The Song Dynasty Gao Cheng "the Original record of things" said: "The Western regions December 30, is the Han Dynasty first month. That place is called the great god change, so Emperor Ming ordered the burning lamp table Buddha." Because the Buddhist scriptures, Nirvana Sutra, say that on the fifteenth day of the first month, the Buddhist gate "burns the lamp every step by step for thirty li." In India, the origin of Buddhism, there is a grand festival of gathering lanterns. In the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, Indians gather to light lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month. Therefore, people believe that the Lantern Festival originated from the behavior of burning lanterns in the ceremony after Buddhism was introduced into China. Buddhism to put lights to symbolize the Buddha Dharma bright, advocated by the emperor, Xiangyan into sections.
