Stairway to Heaven: A Journey to the Summit of Mount Emei

1. Introduction

1 Chapter 1 Introduction I’ve come to understand that there’s an interaction between people and environments that changes us, and I suppose it also changes the environment. Which is the actor and which is the reactor is not always clear.1 —Peter H. Hackett, M.D. Text and Context Since first conceiving the idea to write a book about Mount Emei, I have been concerned about the context in which to present such a study. There are certainly enough primary and secondary sources available to produce a general history of the mountain organized along chronological or dynastic lines. I also considered adopting a framework that would present topically arranged chapters on key subjects critical in the development of the mountain’s identity and role in Chinese culture. Examples might include individual essays on Mount Emei’s rich Daoist immortal (xian) tradition , the later arrival and development of Buddhism on the mountain, and literary works written by famous visitors through the dynasties. While there is no denying that religious activity, especially Buddhism, is central to Mount Emei’s growth as a cultural phenomenon in China, it is limiting to view Emei shan simply as a “famous Buddhist mountain.” This is because religion represents just one part of the mountain’s history and identity. I am more interested in looking at Emei in its greater complexity. But this approach presents a formidable challenge, for the full complexity I seek to define is an intricate and diverse picture and there are many factors that determine why and how Mount Emei functions as a “famous mountain.” In other words, there are numerous ways in which Emei shan is understood. Now, mindful of avoiding a plunge into what James Robson calls “the abyss of loose syncretism,”2 I propose a methodological approach that 2 Stairway to Heaven: A Journey to the Summit of Mount Emei includes scrutiny of, and yet at the same time is not limited to, religious traditions. Essentially, I view all of China’s “famous mountains” as multifaceted phenomena of human experience. My main interest lies in examining Mount Emei’s various properties of place, in particular, the special features of the mountain’s remote location and the distinct physical, botanical, and meteorological characteristics that make it unique; space, that is, the relationships among various sites on Emei, both natural and man-made; and what I call interaction. This last category refers to the different ways in which humans have either reacted to and/or modified Mount Emei’s place and space. Examples might include writing a poem, carving an inscription into a cliff-side wall, taking up residence in one of Emei shan’s caves, building a monastery, or even hurling oneself off the summit in order to reach the arms of Buddha and achieve “instant nirvana.” Without a doubt, Emei’s remote location and unique environment have played decisive roles in what has happened there since humans first arrived thousands of years ago. Of course, there are many reasons why particular persons might react to a given place and attempt to modify it to serve their own purposes. For instance, people of different occupations, religious interests, and educational backgrounds often brought their own understanding to Emei and thus responded to it differently. As we will see in later chapters, those persons who came to Emei tend to fall into certain groups with common interests and they reacted to and sometimes modified the mountain’s place and space in ways that can be isolated and studied. Once this examination is complete, some assessment can be made of Mount Emei’s role concerning sense of place in traditional China. The most practical way to undertake such an examination is to articulate and examine the various “imprints” of human activity that have been made there throughout the dynastic period. Although these phenomena appear in many forms, based on my readings and visits to the mountain I identify five that seem to be the most important and influential: (1) myths about the mountain’s religious origins; (2) legends of Daoist immortals who are associated with Emei; (3) the arrival and development of Buddhism on the mountain; (4) the numerous poems, prose works, and inscriptions written about Emei through the dynasties; and (5) recent developments in the tourism industry there. These key imprints are all “present” on the mountain and affect its residents and visitors in one way or another. For instance, one cannot properly understand Buddhist activities on...