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GuiyuanTemple

ChineseBuddhisttemplesareneversinglebuildings.Theyalwaysconsistofagroupbuildingsfollowingafundamentalpatter,whichcan,however,bemodified.Themainbuildingsandtheirsymmetricallycorrespondingsecondarybuildingsformindividualgroupsandcourtyards.Theentiretempleplexisspacious.Thebuildinginsidetheplexareusuallysingle-storiedandthemainhallsaresometimesdecoratedwithadoubleroof.Thetowers,pavilionsandhallscanbemulti-storiedstructures. 

TheChinesetempleplexhasbeensubjecttogreatstructuralchangesthroughoutthecenturies.ButtemplearchitectsfollowthebasicprinciplesofsecularstructuresfromtheTangDynastyonwards.Theplexesstandonacentralaxis,usuallyanorth-southaxis:east-westonlyasanexception.(GuiyuanTempleisjusttheveryexception.)Themainbuildingsarestrungalongthiscentralaxis,theirbroadestsidesfacingsouthoreast.

ThemostimportantandmostfrequentlypresentedbuildinginsideaBuddhisttempleplexarethemainentrancegate,thebellanddrumtowers,theHalloftheHeavenlyKings,theHalloftheBuddhaandapagoda.

BuddhismissaidtobefoundedinIndiainthe6thcenturyBCbySiddathaGautama(BC565–BC486),thesonofanoblemanandmemberoftheKshatriyacastenearthepresentbordersofIndiaandNepal.BuddhismadvocatesthatallthepeoplearecreatedequalandturnsagainstthecastesystemofBrahmanism,soitwaspopularwiththemonpeople.

ItwassaidthatBuddhismwasspreadtoChinain2BC.Atthebeginning,itwasonlyregardedasakindofwitch.About200AD,ChineseversionofBuddhistscripturesbegantoappear,andthus,BuddhistdoctrinesbegantoemergewithtraditionalChinesereligiousthought.From2ndcenturytolate6thcentury,translationandresearchofBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicswerebeingmoreandmorepopularandmanytempleswerebuilt,whichreacheditspeakinSuiDynasty(581AD-617AD)andTangDynasty(618-907).SomeBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicscameintobeing.BuddhismexertsagreatinfluenceonChinesephilosophy,literature,artandfolkcustoms.

WhatispresentedbeforeoureyesisacopperstatueofafamousbodhisattvainHynayanaBuddhism.BodhisattvaisatittlewhichisonlynexttoBuddha.ThisstatueistheimageofAvalokitesvara,whichhasbeenpopularwithChinesepeopleormorethan1,000years.SheiscalledtheGoddessofMercycordiallybyChineseandisregardedasthesymbolofkindness,mercyandbenevolence.WhenwevisittheAvalokitesvaraPavilionafterawhile,Iwillgiveadetailedintroductionabouther.ThiscopperstatuewassenttoGuiyuanTemplebyTaiwanBuddhistsinSeptember1990.ItshowsthatallChinese,whetherinthemainlandorinTaiwan,areeagerforthereunionofthecountry,evenincludingreligionbelievers.

ThebuildingweseenowistheBuddhaHallwhereonecertainBuddhaandhistwoassistantbodhisattvasesareworshiped.ThisBuddhaisAmitabhaBuddha.Amitabhameansinparablebrightness.AordingtoBuddhism,timeandspaceislimitlessandthustherearemanymanyBuddhasindifferentspacesandtimes.Butinacertainspaceorinacertainperiodoftime,thereisonlyonecertainBuddhawhoisinchargeofinstructingalllivingcreatures.AmitabhaBuddhaistheBuddhawhopresidesovertheLandofUltimateBlissinthewest,whichwilleinthefuture.BuddhistscripturesdescribetheLandofUltimateBlissasawonderland,inwhichnopainexistsandthepeopleenjoytheirlives.Inoneword,it’sveryattractive.Somepeoplewillthinkitmustbeverydifficulttoentersuchaworld.HowcanIgotosuchaparadise?MaybeIhavetoworkhardandbearalotofsufferings.Infact,it’sveryeasytoentertheworld.Heonlyneedoftenmurmur‘MayBuddhapreserveus’sincerely.It’senough.

Yousee,thestatueinthemiddleistheveryBuddha.OnhisleftistheGoddessofMercy.OnhisrightistheotherbodhisattvawhofollowstheBuddha.Itissaidthathecansaveallthelivingcreaturesfromthreekindsofterribledisasters.