Wutai Shan
Mount Wutai () is one of the four sacred mountains in
Chinese Buddhism. Each of the four mountains are viewed as the abode or place of practice (dàocháng "場) of one of the four great
bodhisattvas. Wutai is the home of the
Bodhisattva of wisdom,
Manjusri. It takes its name from its unusual topography, consisting of five rounded peaks (North, South, East, West, Central), of which the the North peak, called Beitai Ding or Yedou Feng, is the highest, and indeed the highest point in northern China.
Wutai was the first of the four mountains to be identified and is often referred to as "first among the four great mountains." It was identified on the basis of a passage in the
Avatamsaka Sutra (Ch: Húayán jīng 華嚴"), which describes the abodes of many bodhisattvas. In this chapter, Manjusri is said to reside on a "clear cold mountain" in the northwest. This served as charter for the mountains identity.
The bodhisattva is believed to frequently manifest himself on the mountain, taking the form of ordinary pilgrims, monks, or most often unusual five-colored clouds.
