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Jade Buddha Temple
The Jade Buddha Temple has always stressed the importance of sitting during
meditation. Since the end of 1970s when temple restorations were made, apart
from their daily meditation, monks also sit to meditate in the Meditation Hall
for seven days, with the abbot as the head from the first to the eighth day of
the 12th lunar month every year.
** The Great Shrine Hall
The Great Shrine Hall is the main part of monastic architecture. Surrounded
by carved stone balustrades, the Great Shrine Hall at the Jade Buddha Temple is
over 1 meter high and rests on the terrace. There is a stone lion on each
balustrade pillar carved in a different posture. The hall is a two-storied
imitation of the royal palace of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and is seven bays
(one bay equals the distance between two pillars) wide and five bays deep. Under
its upturned eaves hang bells that jingle in the breeze. In the middle of the
hall are three tall Buddha: Sakyamuni in the center, the Buddha of Medicine in
the east and Amita Buddha in the west. All three figures are 4 meters high and
seated on large lotus flowers. Their serene eyes are narrow and long, looking
down below; their ears droop down to their shoulders. All of the gilded Buddhas
shimmer, with a solemn and serious disposition.
Along the sides in the hall are 20 sculptures of the 20 devas. They are:
Indra, Vaisravana, Kinnara, Prthivi, Mohesvara, Laksmi, Guhyapati, Marici,
Candra, Bodhidruma, Mahabrahman, Pancika, Hariti, Skanda, Virupaksa,
Dhrtarastra, Sarasvati, Surya, Sagara, Yama-raja.
Behind the three Buddha is a great painting of the island and Avalokitesvara
-- a Bodhisattva of great mercy who helps people suffering from misery and
hardships. According to the "Universal Door of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower
Sutra," people in disasters such as floods, fires or war can only be saved if
they piously chant the name "Avalokitesvara." Therefore, many ordinary people
worship the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
It is said that Luojia Hill of
Putuo in the South Sea is where the Bodhisattva lives and teaches. Thus, the
Bodhisattva is also called "Avalokitesvara of the South Sea". The image of the
Bodhisattvasa standing on the head of a great turtle suggests that
Avalokitesvara saves all people from disasters. On the surrounding walls are
stuccos of boys that tell the story of the 53 worships of Sudhana. According to
the "Entry into the Dharma Realm of Avatamsaka Sutra," Sudhana seeks the way of
Buddha, gets help from Manjusri and visits many places; Sudhana finally he meets
Samantabhadra and obtains the "right" wisdom. Below the stuccos are various
aquatic animals and 18 arhats arranged in different postures. The 18 sculptures
all have different facial expressions: Some are kind-faced and some stare
angrily with their eyes wide open.
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