Above the clouds of Sichuan, a place of pilgrimage invites us to consider how a compassionate intention becomes a way of life.
A golden figure rises against the blue sky. Below, elephant forms support the seated bodhisattva, while rows of devotional lamps gather around the base. The photograph brings together the grandeur of Mount Emei and the intimate gestures of those who come to pay respect.
For Buddhist pilgrims, the mountain holds a particular meaning. Mount Emei is revered as the sacred place of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, known in Chinese as Puxian Pusa (普贤菩萨). His presence gives the journey a direction: to cultivate a generous aspiration and carry it into the things we actually do.
Mount Emei and the meaning of a sacred mountain
Located in Sichuan, China, Mount Emei—also called Emeishan—is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. Its landscape brings forests, mountain paths, and Buddhist temples into close relationship. In 1996, the Mount Emei Scenic Area, together with the Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its cultural and natural significance. UNESCO describes this relationship between religious architecture and the natural environment as central to the mountain’s heritage.
In Chinese Buddhist tradition, Emei is Samantabhadra’s daochang (道场): a sacred setting associated with his presence, teachings, and the cultivation of his path. A daochang can also mean a place where Buddhist practice takes place. At Emei, that meaning extends across a mountain shaped by generations of pilgrimage and devotion. Cham Shan Temple’s account of Emei’s Buddhist history traces its longstanding association with Puxian.
The changing landscape gives that pilgrimage a physical rhythm. Walking, resting, entering a temple, and continuing uphill can each become an occasion to return attention to the present step.
Who is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva?
Samantabhadra is a revered bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. A bodhisattva cultivates awakening with the aspiration to benefit all beings. His name is often rendered in English as Universal Worthy or Universal Virtue.
In Chinese Buddhism, Puxian is especially associated with great conduct and vows. He is often depicted alongside Shakyamuni Buddha and Manjushri Bodhisattva. Manjushri is associated with wisdom; Samantabhadra emphasizes its expression through practice. Together, they invite a life in which understanding and compassionate action develop together. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum introduces these associations.
This gives Puxian’s teaching a close connection to ordinary life. An intention to be patient takes shape in the next difficult conversation. Generosity becomes real when we give time, attention, or practical help. A vow gives direction to these choices and encourages us to return to them when we fall short.
The elephant and the Golden Summit
One of Samantabhadra’s most recognizable attributes is a white elephant, traditionally shown with six tusks. This imagery appears across Buddhist art; the Nara National Museum’s description of Samantabhadra connects the six-tusked white elephant with his compassionate activity.
At Emei’s Golden Summit, or Jinding (金顶), the monumental golden image is known as Samantabhadra of the Ten Directions. Its location is recorded in the Mount Emei scenic area plan. The image makes devotion visible on an extraordinary scale, while the lamps below it bring attention back to individual acts of reverence.
Emei’s connection with Puxian also lives in older temple traditions. Wannian Temple preserves a historic bronze image of Puxian, one of the mountain’s significant Buddhist treasures. UNESCO’s heritage account includes the temple and its statue.
Samantabhadra’s Ten Great Vows
The Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra, associated with the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Adornment Sutra, presents ten great practices and vows. The following is a brief paraphrase, rather than a quotation:
- Honor every Buddha with sincere reverence.
- Celebrate the awakened ones and their qualities.
- Give offerings generously, with an open heart.
- Acknowledge harmful actions and commit to change.
- Welcome the goodness of others with joy.
- Ask that the Dharma be taught, keeping learning alive.
- Ask the Buddhas to stay, continuing to guide beings.
- Learn from the Buddhas continually, through sustained practice.
- Respond compassionately to beings, attending to their needs.
- Dedicate the good of practice to everyone, widening its benefit.
These vows encompass reverence, generosity, responsibility, learning, and care for others. Readers wishing to explore the full teaching can consult the Buddhist Text Translation Society’s translation.
Bringing a mountain’s teaching into daily life
The vows offer many places to begin. Choose one that speaks to the circumstances of your day.
If you are struggling with comparison, practice rejoicing in someone else’s achievement. If you have caused hurt, acknowledge it and take a concrete step toward repair. If someone needs help, listen before deciding what to offer.
Before a period of chanting or quiet reflection, you might form a simple intention: May today’s practice help me meet others with greater patience and care. At its close, take a moment to extend that goodwill beyond yourself.
These are suggested reflections inspired by Puxian’s vows. Their value grows through repetition: an aspiration becomes familiar, then begins to influence a response, a habit, or a relationship.
A wider horizon
The photographs move from the golden statue to the details of a temple, then outward toward snow, clouds, and distant peaks. They leave room for both reverence and contemplation.
At ZenSambodhi, we approach Buddhist places and symbols with attention to the traditions they carry. Mount Emei offers a particularly vivid encounter with Puxian’s path: great vows sustained through practice, and compassion expressed in the care we bring to others.
After the last image, there is still the next action: a word spoken thoughtfully, a kindness offered, a promise kept. That is a place to begin.