Chapter 21
Buddha's Finger
Mount Phat Chi is also known as Mount Buddha's Finger. This rugged and majestic land is one of the most sacred sites of the Dao folk of Mau Son. The common folk do daily pass down and tell one another manifold accounts of ancient times and old anecdotes, mingled true and false, from legends wherein truth dwelleth within falsehood unto hearsay wherein falsehood hideth within truth.
According to legend, in ancient times, this region is joined as one, and all species coexist in peace. However, ever since the Tree Demon Quy Xuong Cuong has sown calamity among mankind, all falls into chaos. Wood spirits, seeking to absorb the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, often venture deep into the wild thickets.
Every time they lose demonic energy in battle, this monster returns to the desolate forests. One of the places the Tree Demon Quy Xuong Cuong haunts most frequently is that vast sylvan mountain range of Mount Phat Chi.
The foul miasma exhaled by the monster pervades the entire firmament; beasts thus turn into monstrosities, and most flora is also tainted, transforming into tree ghouls and specters.
The sole exception occurs after absorbing the celestial aura from Hoa Dung; the vast grassland resolutely resists and struggles, passing all celestial aura to the natural enemy of the Tree Demon Quy Xuong Cuong, a formidable ally to help defeat the evil demon race and cleanse the defiled land.
As the great war ends, fresh air returns through the efforts of Lac Long Quan, and the fauna and flora revert to their former tranquility. The trouble is, the grassland still resents those crimes of slaughtering innocent lives and steadfastly refuses to coexist with them.
Because this resentment cannot be resolved, Lac Long Quan has no choice but to split the massive mountain range in twain: on the right is the vast, boundless primeval forest, perpetually shrouded in gloom, dwelling in dark and somber corners.
The grasslands, gratified in contentment, leisurely dye the vast expanse in pale yellow, joyfully welcoming travelers to visit the former battlefield—once a place of such harrowing dread that ghosts wail and gods lament, and that overturns heaven and earth.
Now, the sky and earth are returned to clarity and peace, yin and yang are in harmony, bringing favorable wind and rain. The elders in the Dao village of Mau Son tell another tale. Mount Phat Chi is a sacred realm that leads to folk legends:
An immortal loves Hoa Diep deeply. Displeased with the Jade Emperor's coldness toward his daughter, he gradually falls into evil ways, transforming into a wicked baleful god who triggers droughts among men, using the excuse of avenging his dream lover to attempt to usurp the Jade Emperor.
However, after the plot fails, he is banished to the mortal realm by the Jade Emperor, punished to hew wood daily and transport it to the Heavenly Court to rebuild the celestial palace he once destroyed.
For thousands of years, the evil god hews the vast primeval forests until they are gone, leaving behind a vacant grassland. It is human nature to harbor dread toward existences mightier than oneself.
Although the evil god is already under heavenly punishment, the Dao folk of Mau Son still worry the demon might bring disaster again; thus, they journey to Mount Phat Chi every year to offer tributes, praying the evil god does not disturb the people's livelihood.
According to the village elders, this worship reflects the unique folk beliefs of the Dao folk. People worship the evil god not only to pray for fortune and peace, hoping that evil does not run rampant, but also to remind themselves: good and evil coexist within each of us.
We must resolve to do good and accumulate merit, diminishing evil thoughts so that wickedness loses its chance to stir. Humans must be strict in self-discipline, warning themselves not to commit crimes, tempering a steel-like will to confine evil within the cage of karmic retribution. Good is rewarded with good, and evil is met with evil.
This custom is akin to that of the lower reaches, where folk worship the Water Spirit to comfort the god of lost love, hoping the fires of his wrath might cool and subside during the seasons of wind and rain.
This landmark is one of the three great peaks in the limestone range southwest of Mau Son, standing tall amidst the cool and refreshing wilderness. Along the roadside, a hundred flowers compete in brilliance, blooming in profusion.
The path leading to Phat Chi Mountain is winding and circuitous, with countless crossroads and side alleys. Initially, they have no interest in visiting this place. However, enchanted by the legends of the Flower Immortals, several individuals set out immediately.
Another group, having kin settled in the heart of Lang Chau, invite their relatives to join the journey. The crowd travels along the official road from Lang Chau to Loc Binh, and upon reaching the pavilion station, they turn left, crossing rugged stone paths to reach Mau Son Village.
Along the way, their horses and carriages find the path barred by obstacles, and several souls, disheartened, turn back. The remaining crowd must journey on foot, treading along a miry trail a hundred rods long until they reach Khuoi Cap village.
Midway, a band of rustic youths stands in the road, demanding passage money. One part of the group argues indignantly, while the other chooses to pay the fee. Afterward, they turn left, climbing the high mountains toward the southwest, entering the primeval deep forest[3].
The Cho Chi trees rise tall above the forest canopy, their crowns spreading widely in the wind; travelers encounter a temple to the Earth Deity. On either side lie great stone slabs, forming a hollow amid the primeval forest. The travelers, curious, inquire of a local woodcutter; he says that Mau Son is a land where the Dao, Tay, and Nung peoples have dwelt of old.
Following ancient customs, the Dao folk build wilderness temples. These temples have long upheld polytheistic beliefs. Especially to the Dao folk of Mau Son, Phat Chi Mountain is a most sacred site.
Generation after generation, the people go up the mountain to burn incense and pray, hoping for their families' well-being, peace, freedom from disease, and smooth trade in their livelihoods. Rumor says:
"Those who pray with a sincere heart shall be protected by the mountain deity. Those lacking sincerity who offend the deities—the weak of soul and body shall suffer the deities' punishment, and even the robust may fall ill."
At first, the people of Khuoi Tang and Khuoi Cap villages come to offer sacrifices. Gradually, the surrounding folk also arrive with offerings, regarding it as a deity of paramount importance[4].
Travelers from all directions, hearing the villagers speak of the Dao people in Khuoi Cap brewing renowned rice wine to offer to the spirits, flock there to purchase wine and observe the fine craft of brewing for the deities. The ancient rites preserved here have endured since the age when deities and mortals together reclaimed the wild lands, continuing unto this day.
The people immediately burn incense and kowtow, praying for the deities' blessings. Amidst the murmured prayers, several people are startled to see a dark shadow dimly appearing where the gray mist lingers and swirls. The shadow seems to possess two heads; the crowd mistakes it for the deities' manifestation and prostrates in gratitude.
When the crowd looks closer, they realize it is but a white-haired elder cradling a young child—that child is his disciple, the little Thien.
Fearing the crowd might arrive there first, the elder hurries forward, passing straight through the woods. The teacher and disciple travel through the deep forest for a long time.
The old man runs swiftly, while little Thien keeps turning back, striving to remember the untamed scenery with a gently flowing waterfall in the forest.
Beside the waterfall stands a thousand-year-old tree, its ancient shadow falling over the white waters. The spring flow is at times gentle and calm, at times roaring like thunder, shaking the ancient tree and causing fallen leaves to tumble into the falls and drift away with the current.
Though the teacher and disciple have traveled far, the little Thien still hears the roar of the waterfall echoing through the mountain woods. He clicks his tongue, unwilling to let such sights pass unobserved, for he lacks the time to set them down in his leather tomes.
Emerging from the forest, the teacher and disciple reach the region of Phat Chi Mountain. The vast wilderness slopes gently from north to south, with countless hills and mountain ranges soaring into the clouds[5].
Scattered across the verdant stretch of grass along the hillside, there stand at each place but a few sparse clumps of trees. Where the flower thickets bloom in vivid pink, they draw bees and butterflies to chase one another, pressing close to draw nectar.
So absorbed in their joy are they that the days simply pass; trees grow side by side with the grass, yet from the time the blossoms first open, both tree and flower turn a dark gray, as though scorning the grass that strives to grow into a vast green wilderness.
Now, this tree remains with only yellow leaves upon slender, decaying branches. The barren trunk and feeble limbs are soaked in frost and dew; whenever the wind passes, withered leaves fall into the grass carpet.
In the time cast aside, only flowers as white as snow stand silently by the side of the grass. Whether flourishing or fading, the flowers shed their fragile petals unbidden to befriend the grass, silently watching as the grass strives to spread into a vast green wilderness. The grass creeps toward the primeval deep forests at the foot of Phat Chi Mountain.
Within the dense thickets here, trees grow slanted against one another, hindering the grass from rebuilding a new life. At first, the grass must contend with various plant species for the land.
Day by day, the grass weaves its way through tangled bamboo and dense bamboo groves, disordered with neither rank nor path. Gradually, it clings to and enwraps both bamboo and thickets of bamboo, spreading to cover the wild mountain wilderness.
All species and objects in the forest endure the fierce contention of the grass, yet the cluster of So trees standing lonely in the dark, hidden corner remains unviolated by it.
Wherever the grass encounters the So trees, it gives way, turning toward the western tea groves—a paradise for medicinal herbs to flourish, though the path is rugged, sticky, and miry.
Disregarding the hardships, the grass still spreads a soft carpet for the villagers to harvest and plant. All proceeds smoothly; the grass releases its soul, following the scent of medicinal herbs drifting from the deep mountain forests.
The blades of grass are everywhere; strangely, they do not look toward Phat Chi Peak. This curious sight lends wings to dreaming souls to fly afar. Sentimental folk say the grass cannot bear to leave the azaleas[6].
At first, the grass avoids the flowers. Every morning when the sun shines, that snow-colored flower waits in the desolate depths of the forest. Every twilight, every branch and every blade of grass is deeply permeated with the mellow fragrance of flowers. As the months pass, gentle fragrance soothes the soul, even stirring the heart of the grass that knows no feeling.
Rational folk realize the grass does not care, for atop the mountain, the azaleas display a shimmering pink. The magnificent flowers give off a rich fragrance. The intense and intoxicating scent forces the grass to evade the painful past.
The grass avoids, and the people fear. For thousands of years, those who go up the mountain hurry back down; having come once, they do not wish to return. A band of travelers, having journeyed far up the mountain, are dazed by the bewitching fragrance borne upon the air by those immaculate, dustless blossoms.
Interest wanes, wearied by the ruined ancient temple standing solitary amid endless clouds and mist; most depart in displeasure, cursing the wasted effort and muttering curses at the few who remain behind to view the scene.
Those seeking joy approach the jutting rocks to admire the panorama. Ruling the forest but yet unsatisfied, the grass extends to the rolling mountains like waves at the forest's edge. The grass goes hand in hand with the high mountains toward the horizon to pioneer new lands.
Standing on tiptoe and watching for a long time, yet still not knowing where the final destination of the mountain and grass lies, the travelers watch the thin mist drifting leisurely across the prairie.
Beneath the mist, at times blurred and at times clear, houses with red roofs and mossy walls dot the green grass background.
Since the time the green grass has spread like a carpet here, various tribes have brought their customs to dwell together with the local Dao people. For centuries, they have lived in peace and prosperity, have striven to resolve tribal strife, and have paved the way for the rise of polytheistic worship.
At the beginning of that ancient epoch, the people have been united as one to build the village. The spirit of solidarity has stood as a shining example for the people of Lang Chau, and has been the source of power for the striving to transform Mau Son into a bountiful realm.
Every path is filled with the villagers' spirit of solidarity. Travelers occasionally see villagers coming out from their homes toward the green terraced fields that stretch to the horizon, situated behind the majestic mountains that soar into the clouds.
The deities cast vast, towering shadows, shielding the world below from the scorching, blazing sun; in this land, the farmers labor diligently, leading water to the fields and aiding one another in taming the wilds. As for the cowherds and herdsmen, before passing the pastures of Phat Chi Mountain, each carries a stone with him.
Footnote
[1] This mountain now belongs to Khuoi Tang and Khuoi Cap villages of Mau Son commune, Loc Binh district, Lang Son province. Phat Chi Mountain was designated as a provincial-level landscape site in 2012 (according to Decision No. 1841/QD-UBND dated December 7, 2012, by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son Province).
[2] Today, the average annual temperature of Phat Chi Mountain ranges between 15 and 18°C; the cool climate, combined with the open space, makes it a stunning natural landscape relic. Currently, the area still maintains its pristine natural state and is less affected by human activities.
[3] The path to Phat Chi Mountain is as follows: from Lang Son city, follow National Highway 4B (Lang Son - Loc Binh) to Km 14, then turn into the asphalt road on the left toward Mau Son tourist area.
After reaching Km 12, turn right along a residential path and walk about 500 meters to Khuoi Cap village, then continue turning left to the southwest to climb the high mountain.
After passing through about 1 Km of primeval forest, bamboo, and arrowroot, you reach Phat Chi Mountain. The road from Km 12 to Phat Chi is quite difficult and can only be traveled on foot along trails.
[4] After discovering this mountain around 2002, a new trail was opened through the primeval forest, which is now the main road to Phat Chi Mountain. In the two places of worship in this area, typical Dao cultural features are still preserved. In the forest temple, there is only a simple incense burner for people to worship.
At the peak of Phat Chi Mountain, the altar consists of a simple, large stone with an incense burner placed on top for people to burn incense and pray, conduct sacrifices, and hold rituals.
Today, the position of Phat Chi Mountain in human life is increasingly important; it is a spiritual sanctuary for the Dao people of Mau Son and polytheistic beliefs.
[5]The natural slope of the Phat Chi mountain area tilts slightly from north to south (the forest in this area is sparse, with vast grasslands). In addition, there are many surrounding mountains of various sizes with an average altitude of about ±1000 meters (about 100 meters lower than the Mau Son tourist area).
[6]The area is home to a rare variety of azaleas that bloom every February and March with white flowers, in addition to many precious medicinal plants.
The Cho Chi tree (Parashorea chinensis) is a majestic, high-canopy hardwood native to the primeval forests of Southeast Asia and Southern China.
So tree: a type of oil-bearing camellia used in mountainous regions to produce lamp oil.