Lingyin Temple
Coordinates: 30 ° 14 ′ 34 ″ N , 120 ° 5 ′ 48 ″ E
The Lingyin Temple ( 靈隐寺 / 灵隐寺 , Língyǐn Sì ), also known as Lingyin Monastery (in German as Temple / Monastery of the Refuge of Souls , Temple / Monastery of the Hidden Immortals or Temple / Monastery of the Miraculous World Afar ) is a Zen Buddhist Monastery northwest of Hangzhou , Zhejiang Province, China .
It is one of the largest and most prosperous monasteries in China.
Location and surroundings
The monastery is located in a long, narrow valley at the foot of the 168 m high Feilai Feng (German: Herbeigeflogener Gipfel ) about four kilometers west of the West Sea between the northern summit and the Beigao Feng mountain (314 m). The distance to the six million inhabitants of Hangzhou, east of the monastery, is about ten kilometers as the crow flies.
history
The monastery was founded in 328, during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, by the monk Huili, one of the first Buddhist missionaries from India. According to tradition, Huili chose the 168 m high mountain because he considered it part of a sacred summit of his homeland that "flew here according to divine advice". This story alludes to a legend about Buddha Shakyamuni , who preached the Lotus Sutra from Mount Ghridhrakuta , when the mountain was approached through the air.
The temple complexes were destroyed in the 9th century during the Buddhist persecution, but were rebuilt afterwards. In the 10th century, during the Wuyue Kingdom (907–978), the monastery had reached its heyday with 270 halls, 18 pavilions and 9 towers. Up to 3,000 monks are said to have lived in the monastery at that time. During the Taiping uprising (1851–1864) the monastery complex burned down almost completely and was only rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, i.e. at the end of the Qing dynasty .
Two sutra columns (from 969) and two damaged stone pagodas date from the 10th century , while all other buildings are less than 140 years old. Huili's remains are said to be kept in one of the two pagodas. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) the monastery was not destroyed by the Red Guards . It is widely believed that this was thanks to then Prime Minister Zhou Enlai .
After an extensive renovation, the monastery reopened its doors in 1971.
Attractions
In front of the monastery
On the way to the temple, the visitor passes many Buddhist sculptures carved out of the rock. The Feilaifeng rock sculptures consist of over 400 figures and were carved into the rock by monks between the 10th and 14th centuries. The most famous of these is certainly the smiling Budai from the time of the Southern Song Dynasty (1126–1279), which is diagonally opposite the current entrance to the temple.
Within the monastery, five large halls define the appearance of the monastery complex.
The Great Hall of the Great Hero
The Mahavira Hall, the Great Hall of the Great Hero in Chinese 大雄宝殿 , Pinyin Dàxíong Bǎodiàn , is the main hall of the monastery. It is from 1953 and with a height of 33.6 m it is the tallest single-story building in China. In it stands a nine meter high Shakyamuni - Buddha . It was carved from 24 individual parts of camphor wood in 1956 and has a height of 19.6 m with the base and halo. It is the largest wooden Buddha in China. Around the Buddha, which is covered with gold leaf , there are 18 arhats and twelve figures of famous disciples of the Buddha. A 20 meter high relief scene on the back of the statue illustrates the story of Prince Sudhana . He visited 53 teachers for Buddhahood, including the goddess of mercy Guanyin on a dolphin. In the middle of the relief is Sakyamuni as an emaciated ascetic . At his side a monkey and a deer. They are said to have provided the needy Buddha with milk and fruits. On the side of the Buddha there are also 18 arhats that ride on various animals to the guanyin. In front of the hall are the two octagonal and nine-story stone pagodas ( yuetai ) from the 10th century. Figure groups and Buddhist sutras are depicted on it.
The Great Hall of the Kings of Heaven
In the Great Hall of the Kings of Heaven ( Chinese 天王 殿 , Pinyin Tiānwáng Diàn ) there is another Milefo, the back of which is the Buddha Weituo (Buddha of the future, defender of Buddhist teachings) and is in the center of the hall. The approximately 5 m high sculpture dates from the time of the Southern Song Dynasty . Four guardians (the kings of heaven) surround him. One guard for each direction. A pipa player who guards the east and controls the wind, a swordtail guards the south and the climate. A serpent-bearer guards the west. The snake is a symbol for the dragon that brings rain. An umbrella carrier guards the north. With an umbrella he is supposed to ward off the evil forces threatening from this direction.
The umbrella carrier for the north
The pipa player for the east
The swordtail for the south
The snake bearer for the west
The Hall of the Medicine Buddha
The Hall of the Medicine Buddha ( Yaoshi Fo ) was not completed until 1991. The figures on the side walls represent the Chinese zodiac signs .
The hall of the 500 arhats
There are 500 life-size arhat statues in the Hall of 500 Arhats, all of which are different.
Others
The temple is one of the national focus temples of Buddhism in Han Chinese areas .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e A. Kausch: China - the classic journey - imperial and garden cities, holy mountains and boomtowns. Mair Dumont Dumont, 1999, ISBN 3-7701-4313-2 .
- ↑ Hangzhou. ( Memento of the original from October 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at: chinatouren.net , accessed November 11, 2007.
- ↑ a b H. W. Schütte: China. Mair Dumont Baedeker, 2006, ISBN 3-8297-1109-3 .
- ↑ Ling Yin Si Temple. ( Memento from February 18, 2009 in the web archive archive.today ) at: chinareisedienst.de , accessed on November 11, 2007.
- ↑ chinatravelkey.com: Lingyin Temple , accessed November 11, 2007
- ↑ a b c East Asia - excursion to Hangzhou. ( Memento from March 28, 2005 in the web archive archive.today ) University of Zurich, accessed on November 11, 2007.
