Posted by Anadon on November 06, 2007 at 07:13:07:
Shaolin
Temple, in the region of Song Mountain, Dengfeng City, Henan Province,
is reputed to be 'the Number One Temple under Heaven'. The temple
is the cradle of the Chinese Zen Buddhism and the Shaolin Martial
Arts such as Shaolin Cudgel. One can see wild flowers and pines
on the mountain. With birds singing and a brook spattering, a
beautiful scene full of life and vitality is revealed to the visitors.
Shaolin Temple embraces many exciting attractions, such as the
Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwangdian), the Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian),
the Pagoda Forest, the Dharma Cave and the Shaolin Temple Martial
Art Training Center. Visitors may follow the virtual guide about
the Shaolin Temple.
First we see the Shanmen Hall. Hung on its top is a tablet reading
'Shaolin Temple'. The tablet was inscribed by the Emperor Kangxi
(1622 - 1723) during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). Under the
stairs of the hall crouches two stone lions made in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). The hall enshrines the Maitreya Buddha. Two sides
of the corridor behind the hall's gate are paved with inscriptions
on stone steles made during several different dynasties.
Next we arrive at the Hall of Heavenly Kings. The gate of the
hall is guarded by two figures depicting Vajra (Buddhist warrior
attendants). Inside the hall are figures of the Four Heavenly
Kings who are responsible for inspecting peoples' behavior, helping
the troubled, and blessing the people.
Then
we come to the Mahavira Hall. The complex's center is right before
your eyes. Both important celebrations and regular prayers are
held here. 18 Buddhist Arhats stand along the eastern and the
southern walls of the hall. Buddhas of the Middle, East and West
are enshrined in this hall, respectively Sakyamuni Buddha, Pharmacist
Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. Figures of Kingnaro (the founder of
Shaolin Cudgel) and Dharma (the founder of Chinese Zen Buddhism)
stand beside those three Buddhas, a placement which is very different
from other Mahavira Halls. At the feet of the pillars in this
Mahavira Hall are stone lions that are more than one meter (about
3.33 feet) high. On the ground there are about 50 small pits,
20 centimeters (about 7.87 inches) deep. It is said that they
are the footprints left by monks when they practiced Shaolin Martial
Arts.
Unexpectedly, we come to the Pagoda Forest, a graveyard for Buddhist
dignitaries through the ages. On average, the pagodas are less
than 15 meters (about 49 feet) high. The layer and the shape of
a pagoda depend on many factors, such as one's Buddhist status,
attainment and prestige during his lifetime. The Pagoda Forest
in Shaolin Temple is the largest of China's pagoda complexes.
Outside the temple we continue walking to the northwest, and
then we will take a look at two monasteries, named the Ancestor's
Monastery and the Second Ancestor's Monastery. The first monastery
is built by a Dharma's disciple to commemorate Dharma's nine years
of meditation in a cave. It has a big hall supported by 16 stone
pillars on whose shafts are exquisitely carved warriors, dancing
dragons and phoenixes. The second monastery is a nursing home
of the second ancestor Huike who cut his left arm in order to
show his sincerity to study Buddhism from Dharma. In front of
the monastery are four springs created by Dharma to help Huike
to fetch water easily. They are called 'Spring Zhuoxi' and each
has its own distinctive flavor.
The
cave we see next is the Dharma Cave. In this cave Dharma patiently
faced the wall and meditated for 9 years. Finally, he reached
the immortal spiritual state and created the Buddhist Zen. The
cave is seven meters deep (about 23 feet) and three meters high
(about 9.8 feet). Many stone inscriptions are carved on both its
sides. There is a Meditating Stone in the cave. It is said Dharma's
shadow was reflected upon the stone and embedded on it because
of the long time of his meditation facing the wall. Unfortunately
the stone was ruined during the war.
After passing the Dharma Cave, we come to the Buddhist Living
Quarters for transient monks. It is on the south bank of the Shaoxi
River opposite the temple. First built in 1512 of the Ming Dynasty,
it was repaired in the Qing Dynasty. The quarters are noted for
the simple and distinctive design. It collapsed in 1958 and then
repaired in 1993.
The Shaolin Temple Wushu (Martial Arts) Training Center comes
last. Its perfect scenery makes it an ideal place for practicing
the Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin monks have been practicing
Kung Fu for over 1,500 years. The system was invented by Dharma
who taught the monks basic methods to improve their health and
defend themselves. The Martial art performance shows the true
Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu. For example, Tong Zi Gong, performed
by teenagers, is a kind of martial art to train one's flexibility
and strength.
In a word, Shaolin Temple is worthy of a visit. It will give
you a better understanding of Chinese Buddhism and the martial
arts.
00000000000
The Establishment of Shaolin
Towards the end of the 5th Century CE an Indian Buddhist monk by name
of Ba Tuo (Chinese Name) was traveling through China teaching Buddhism,
helping and guiding those he met. His great wisdom and kindness came to
the ears of the Emperor who summoned Ba Tuo to come to him. Exact
details of what happened at this meeting are not entirely clear but is
seems that Ba Tuo was offered riches, a place in the palace and
encouraged to continue his teachings. Ba Tao kindly declined this offer
and asked for a piece of land far away from any 'civilized' place in
the province of Henan, on the side of the Song sang Mountain. There he
was given a large piece of land and the resources to build a monastery
in an area called 'Wooded Hill' or 'Small Forest', which translates to
Shaolin in Mandarin or Sil-Lum in Cantonese.
According to the Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks (AD 645)
by Daoxuan, the Shaolin Monastery was built on the north side of
Shaoshi, the western peak of Mount Song, one of the Sacred Mountains of
China, by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty for the monk Bu
To. Yang Xuanzhi, in the Record of the Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang
(AD 547), and Li Xian, in the Ming Yitongzhi (AD 1461), concur with
Daoxuan's location and attribution. The Jiaqing Chongxiu Yitongzhi (AD
1843) specifies that this monastery, located in the province of Henan,
was built in the 20th year of the Tàihé era of the Northern Wei
Dynasty, that is, the monastery was built in 497 CE.
According to one of the oldest books Deng Feng County Recording
(Deng Feng Xian Zhi) where Shaolin is situated, a Buddhist monk name Ba
Tuo, came to China for Buddhist preaching in 464 A.D. Thirty-one years
later, the Shaolin Temple was built in 495 CE, by the order of Wei Xiao
Wen emperor (471-500 CE) for Batuo's preaching. Yet, the most
influential person in Shaolin was the Indian monk Sardili, also know as
Bodhidharma and named Da Mo by the Chinese.
,
,
,
,