Diamond Throne Pagoda
Diamond throne pagodas ( Chinese 金刚 宝座 塔 , Pinyin Jīngāng bǎozuò tǎ ) or Vajrasana pagodas are Buddhist buildings of the esoteric school of Buddhism in which the five Buddhas or five Dhyani Buddhas (chin. 五方 佛) are venerated. Five small pagodas (a larger one in the middle) sit on a square pedestal or "throne" with artfully carved decorations. They are reminiscent of the Indian "place of enlightenment" Bodhgaya , where Siddhartha Gautama , the historical Buddha , achieved enlightenment .
Famous Diamond Throne Pagodas include the Zhenjue Temple in Beijing , the Miaozhan Temple of Guandu in Kunming ( Yunnan ), the Guangde Temple (Duobao Pagoda) in Xiangyang ( Hubei ), and the Yuanzhao Temple in Wutai ( Wutai Shan , Shanxi ), the place Zhangye ( Gansu ), the Temple of Azure Clouds (Biyun Temple) and the Xihuang Temple in Beijing and the Cideng Temple with its Sarira pagodas in Hohhot ( Inner Mongolia ), and also the Longxing Temple in Pengzhou ( Sichuan ).
The bamboo shoot pagoda , which consists of nine pagodas, is also assigned to the diamond throne pagoda type. The five pagoda style was used for other buildings as well.
See also
Web links
- Introduction - English
- Pagodas on Vajrasanas - English