Things not everyone knows about Mount Ba Den

At the summit of Ba Den Mountain, there are statues of the Goddess of Mercy and the Maitreya Buddha.

As a popular tourist destination, Mount Ba Den has become a spiritual symbol for the people of Southern Vietnam. Mount Ba Den boasts six temples with a history of 300 years, along with a unique system of spiritual structures. It also features the statue of the Goddess of Mercy on the mountaintop, the highest in Asia.

With its majestic natural scenery and many impressive architectural features, Mount Ba Den is also a sacred land associated with many fascinating and unique stories that few people know about.

6 places of worship dedicated to Linh Son Thanh Mau at Ba Den Mountain

The statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva in the courtyard of Linh Son Tien Thach Pagoda.

Mount Ba Den, standing at 986m, is a sprawling mountain range comprising three peaks: Mount Ba, Mount Phung, and Mount Heo. Notably, Mount Ba is home to the highest peak in Southern Vietnam and is the location of six temples: Quan Am, Hang, Hoa Dong, Linh Son Tien Thach Tu, Long Chau Phuoc Trung, and Linh Son Phuoc Trung.

In particular, Linh Son Tien Thach Tu is the temple with the largest shrine dedicated to Ba Den and is also the oldest temple, established in the 18th century. However, the shrine to Ba Den is not only located in this temple; Ba Den has "manifested" herself throughout the mountain.

In each shrine, the Goddess is depicted in a different form. But all of them convey a sense of majesty.

The story of the Golden Spring

Cloud hunting at Ba Mountain

The story of the Golden Stream has been passed down through many generations. The story goes: “This mountain is rugged and rocky, with lush greenery, a freshwater stream, and fertile land. Above is the Van Son Pagoda, below are swamps and lakes; the scenery is truly elegant, with deep forests and caves. The people all benefit from the advantages of the mountains and forests.”

Here, people often unearth ancient artifacts made of gold and jade. Legend says that sometimes even a golden gong is seen in the lake, similar to the bell floating on the banks of the Yangtze River, but it disappears when approached. On clear nights, a golden turtle more than a meter tall is seen appearing and disappearing erratically; this is due to the accumulation of spiritual energy, not some strange occurrence.”

There was once a story about Japanese experts who came here with a bag of yellow sand for testing. They concluded it was some kind of "unrefined gold."

Venerable Thich Niem Thoi (Abbot of Ba Den Pagoda on Ba Den Mountain) also confirmed that the stream on Ba Den Mountain contains immature gold. Many people go up the mountain to fetch water from the stream to drink or take home. "Many people believe that bringing water from the stream on Ba Den Mountain home to drink brings wealth, good fortune, and health," he said.

The only jade statue in Tay Ninh.

Jade statue of Linh Son Holy Mother

To this day, spiritual stories are still passed down around Ba Den Mountain. The area has also gradually seen the emergence of many spiritual sites with various types of statues made from different materials. However, the rarest and most precious material remains the jade statue.

In Tay Ninh, there is currently only one jade statue, the statue of Linh Son Thanh Mau. This statue is located in the temple on Ba Den Mountain.

According to "Tay Ninh: Land and People" (Thanh Nien Publishing House - 2021), this statue was donated by a family descended from King Gia Long around 2013. The jade stone used to carve the statue of Linh Son Thanh Mau was taken from a quarry in Myanmar and brought back for the artisans to work with.

Buddhist relics from Myanmar are placed at the summit of Mount Ba.

Buddha relics at Ba Den Mountain

One of the lesser-known facts about Ba Den Mountain is the Buddha's relics. At the foot of the statue of the Goddess of Mercy on the summit of Ba Den Mountain is a four-tiered pedestal.

With its concentric architectural design, the base houses a unique space for exhibiting Buddhist art.

The highlight here is the 4th floor, a mystical space housing and displaying the Buddha's relics. These relics were gifted to Vinh Nghiem Monastery by high-ranking monks from Myanmar and were subsequently offered by the monastery to the statue of the Goddess of the West on Ba Den Mountain.

The Buddha's relics are kept in a small bronze stupa, placed respectfully inside a three-tiered crystal pagoda, displayed in a majestic setting.

HQ (according to VTC News)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nhung-dieu-khong-phai-ai-cung-biet-ve-nui-ba-den-393584.html