GuiyuanTemple
ChineseBuddhisttemplesareneversinglebuildings.Theyalwaysconsistofagroupbuildingsfollowingafundamentalpatter,whichcan,however,bemodified.Themainbuildingsandtheirsymmetricallycorrespondingsecondarybuildingsformindividualgroupsandcourtyards.Theentiretemplecomplexipacious.Thebuildinginsidethecomplexareusuallysingle-storiedandthemainhallsaresometimesdecoratedwithadoubleroof.Thetowers,pavilionsandhallscanbemulti-storiedstructures.
TheChinesetemplecomplexhasbeensubjecttogreatstructuralchangesthroughoutthecenturies.ButtemplearchitectsfollowthebasicprinciplesofsecularstructuresfromtheTangDynastyonwards.Thecomplexetandonacentralaxis,usuallyanorth-southaxis:east-westonlyasanexception.(GuiyuanTempleisjusttheveryexception.)Themainbuildingsarestrungalongthiscentralaxis,theirbroadestsidesfacingsouthoreast.
ThemostimportantandmostfrequentlypresentedbuildinginsideaBuddhisttemplecomplexarethemainentrancegate,thebellanddrumtowers,theHalloftheHeavenlyKings,theHalloftheBuddhaandapagoda.
BuddhismiaidtobefoundedinIndiainthe6thcenturyBCbySiddathaGautama(BC565–BC486),thesonofanoblemanandmemberoftheKshatriyacastenearthepresentbordersofIndiaandNepal.BuddhismadvocatesthatallthepeoplearecreatedequalandturnsagainstthecastesystemofBrahmanism,soitwaspopularwiththecommonpeople.
ItwaaidthatBuddhismwapreadtoChinain2BC.Atthebeginning,itwasonlyregardedasakindofwitch.About200AD,ChineseversionofBuddhistscripturesbegantoappear,andthus,BuddhistdoctrinesbegantoemergewithtraditionalChinesereligiousthought.From2ndcenturytolate6thcentury,translationandresearchofBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicswerebecomingmoreandmorepopularandmanytempleswerebuilt,whichreacheditspeakinSuiDynasty(581AD-617AD)andTangDynasty(618-907).SomeBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicscameintobeing.BuddhismexertsagreatinfluenceonChinesephilosophy,literature,artandfolkcustoms.
WhatispresentedbeforeoureyesisacopperstatueofafamousbodhisattvainHynayanaBuddhism.BodhisattvaisatittlewhichisonlynexttoBuddha.ThitatueistheimageofAvalokitesvara,whichhasbeenpopularwithChinesepeopleormorethan1,000years.SheiscalledtheGoddeofMercycordiallybyChineseandisregardedasthesymbolofkindne,mercyandbenevolence.WhenwevisittheAvalokitesvarapavilionafterawhile,Iwillgiveadetailedintroductionabouther.ThiscopperstatuewaenttoGuiyuanTemplebyTaiwanBuddhistsinSeptember1990.ItshowsthatallChinese,whetherinthemainlandorinTaiwan,areeagerforthereunionofthecountry,evenincludingreligionbelievers.
ThebuildingweseenowistheBuddhaHallwhereonecertainBuddhaandhistwoaistantbodhisattvasesareworshiped.ThisBuddhaisAmitabhaBuddha.Amitabhameansincomparablebrightne.AccordingtoBuddhism,timeandspaceislimitleandthustherearemanymanyBuddhasindifferentspacesandtimes.Butinacertainspaceorinacertainperiodoftime,thereisonlyonecertainBuddhawhoisinchargeofinstructingalllivingcreatures.AmitabhaBuddhaistheBuddhawhopresidesovertheLandofUltimateBliinthewest,whichwillcomeinthefuture.BuddhistscripturesdescribetheLandofUltimateBliasawonderland,inwhichnopainexistsandthepeopleenjoytheirlives.Inoneword,it’sveryattractive.Somepeoplewillthinkitmustbeverydifficulttoentersuchaworld.HowcanIgotosuchaparadise?MaybeIhavetoworkhardandbearalotofsufferings.Infact,it’sveryeasytoentertheworld.Heonlyneedoftenmurmur‘MayBuddhapreserveus’sincerely.It’senough.
Yousee,thestatueinthemiddleistheveryBuddha.OnhisleftistheGoddeofMercy.OnhisrightistheotherbodhisattvawhofollowstheBuddha.Itiaidthathecansaveallthelivingcreaturesfromthreekindsofterribledisasters.
Now,let’tepintotheBuddhistscripturespavilionwherethescripturesofBuddhismarekept.ButI‘mafraidwhatattractsourattentionatthefirstsightmustbethinow-whitestatue.ItisastatueofSakyamuni,thefounderofBuddhism.Thitatuewascarvedoutofabigpieceofjadewhichis2-meter-tallandweighs3tons.ItwascarvedbyMyanmarhandicraftsmenanddonatedtothetemplebytheRangoonBuddhistsin1935.
Ifwewatchthestatue,wemaysensethatthepeacefulexpreionontheBuddha’sfacehasbroughtustoaquietandharmonioutate.
ThelastbuildingwewillvisitistheAvalokitesvarapavilioninthenorthyard.Whenweenteredtheyardjustnowwesawastatueofher.NowI’dliketointroducehercarefully.
Asagodde,shesworethatshewouldnotbecomeaBuddhauntilallthelivingcreatureufferingfrompainsweresaved.SoshebecameabodhisattvawhoismostpopularamongthepeopleandattractsthemostbelieversofallthegodsandgoddeesinBuddhism.Itwaaidthatonewouldbesavedfromtroubleanddisasteraslongashe(she)chantedhernameandifitwasheardbyher.ThuheiscalledGuanshiyin,whichmeans‘hearingorlookingonthevoicesofthesuffering’.Becauseofherkindheartandbenevolenceshegotanothertitle‘theGoddeofMercy’.
Generally,anAhratHallisasquarebuilding.Thebuildingiubdividedintofoursmallsquarecourtothatthehallcangetenoughsunlight.ThiskindofstructureshowsomeluckyimpliesinChineseBuddhistculture.
Anothercharacteristicaboutthehallliesinthesesculpturesthemselves.Theywereneithermadeupofwood,norstone,norclay.Aspecialwaywastakeninmakingthem,whichcouldpreventsthemfrombeingburned,beingsoakedorbeingeatenbyinsects.AllthesculptureswerefloatinginwaterwhileWuhanwasfloodedin1954,but,surprisingly,theyweresoundandsafeafterthefloodhadreceded.Itwasreallyawonder.
AhratsaretheimmortalsinBuddhism.Butwhenyouhavealookaroundthesculptures,youmayfindfromtheexpreionsontheirfacesthattheyaresofamiliartoyou.That’sonlybecausetheyweremoldedonthebasisofthepeopleinthereality,sotheyarehumanbeingsinourdailyliferatherthanimmortals.
Ahratsarethesymbolsofharmony,happine,andgoodluck,sotheWuhannativeshavegotusedtocountingahratinceancienttimetoprayforpeace.Thereareafewwaysofcountingahrats.Wecancountfromthefirstahratfromlefttorightorfromrighttoleft,whenwejustenterthehall.Wecanalsochooseanyahratasourstartingpoint,andcountinthesameway,lefttorightorrighttoleft.Weshouldbasecountingonourownageswhateverwetake.Forexample,I’m25,soIshouldstopinfrontofthe25thahratfromthestartingahrat.ThesculptureinfrontofwhichIstopismyluckyahrat.Myluckyahratwillaccompanymetospendapeacefulandluckyyear.Wouldn’tyouliketohaveatrynow?Ifyouneed,Icanexplainconnotationofsomeahrats.
That’sallfortheexplanationtoGuiyuanTemple.Thankyouforyourcooperationandunderstanding.Youwillhaveanother30minutestohavealookaroundthetemple.Ifyouhaveanyproblems,doletmeknow.Iwouldliketorepeatourbusnumber,A3074.pleasedon’tforget.Seeyoulater.
