Save someone's life, better than create a seventh-level floating slaughter? Futu refers to the pagoda, and the seven levels indicate many.
Chinese culture is profound, and through the long history, we will find many idioms that can be understood at a glance, and there are also many idioms and colloquialisms that are frequently used in daily life, but the deeper meanings contained in them are often overlooked.
In many cultural classics, we often see the quote "save a life, win the seventh-level floating slaughter", and in life, we can't help but often use this sentence.
However, we never really understand the deeper meaning behind this statement. What makes us wonder is that although this sentence is widely circulated, many people still find it difficult to decipher its true meaning, and most people can only stay in the literal sense and do not know what "floating tu" is. ”
This sentence emphasizes the importance of saving people, even more than the "seventh-level floating slaughter". However, the term "floating slaughter" is not common in traditional Chinese culture, and there is no reason to create a new word to express this meaning.
According to Encyclopedia, "Futu" is a foreign word, not part of China's native culture. When we talk about Buddhism, we often think of Xuanzang in the Tang Dynasty.
The allusion of Xuanzang's westward journey has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. People generally think"Futu"The term was brought back after he set out from Chang'an and arrived in Tianzhu after 17 years, but it was only introduced to China during the Tang Dynasty.
However, this is not the case. As early as the Han Dynasty, China's national strength was prosperous and powerful, and the Silk Road was formed, which provided confidence for people who came and went to do business. This ancient ** route not only introduced China's exquisite items to Western countries, but also brought back their culture, including the introduction of Buddhism.
So,"Futu"It was not brought back by Xuanzang, but with the prosperity of the Silk Road, it was naturally introduced to China.
Although it is difficult to determine when Buddhism was introduced to China, most scientists believe that Buddhism was quietly introduced as early as the Han and Han dynasties. Such a view is not groundless, because with the passage of time, Buddhism has gradually developed in our country, and various Buddhist terms have gradually appeared in people's lives.
The appearance of these terms makes one wonder how far-reaching and lasting the influence of Buddhist thought was in ancient Eastern cultures.
In our country, Buddhists regard the floating pagoda as a stupa, therefore, the seven-level floating pagoda usually refers to the seven-story stupa. According to Buddhist teachings, the merit of saving someone's life is far greater than what can be obtained by building a seventh-level stupa.
So, why is this specifically referring to the seventh-level stupa? This is because, before Buddhism was introduced into China, China did not specifically express the word "tower", and it was not until the Sui and Tang dynasties that the word "tower" existed.
Still, due to the widespread use of the term "floating Buddha" in Buddhist teachings, it has not been changed.
The origin of stupas can be traced back to ancient India, when stupas were mainly used to treasure the relics of eminent monks, and to worship Buddha images and sutras. Legend has it that after Shakyamuni Buddha was cremated, people found many relics in that place.
As a product of the death of a high monk, it is believed that the worship of relics will bring prosperity to the country. As a result, there began to be a competition between the nations for the relics, and stupas were built to worship them upon their return.
For this reason, the stupa is also translated as "square tomb" or "round mound". In China, the form of stupas varies due to different building materials, types, and plane forms, but they all share one common feature: they were all built to commemorate and worship the Buddha and eminent monks.
The stupas are mostly seven-storey, why? According to the information, the seven-story pagoda is the highest level in Buddhism, so it is mostly used. Although higher stupas exist, in Buddhist thought, the seven-story stupa has the highest status.
In Chinese idioms, most of them are simple and easy to understand, and this sentence has a profound meaning.
The origin of this sentence can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty, when An Shigao quoted this idea when he translated the Buddha Saying and Scolding the Sutra. Since then, literary masterpieces such as "Journey to the West", "Xingshi Hengyan" and "Three Heroes and Five Righteousness" have similar expressions, making this sentence widely known.
Why is it said that saving people is more meritorious than building a stupa? This is because, at that time, the construction of a stupa was considered a great act of kindness, yet the Buddha said that saving people was more meritorious than building a stupa.
This notion has a profound impact on people.
With its profound insights and unique propositions, the Buddha said that the Sutra of Scolding had a far-reaching impact on the future. It emphasizes that although the merit of building a Buddhist temple is enormous, it can never exceed the merit of saving people.
No matter how great the merit of saving others is, it is not as important as one's own practice. Only through one's own efforts and accumulation can one obtain true knowledge, wealth and status. Although "saving a person's life is better than creating a seventh-level floating slaughter", before saving someone, we must consider our own strength and ensure that we can successfully save the lives of others on the premise of protecting ourselves.
Before we can save others, we first need to protect ourselves and cherish our lives.