Nanputuo Temple faces south, and the halls and pavilions rise layer by layer along the mountain, with distinct levels. In the overall layout, you can take the main hall on the central axis as the center, pitching up and down, uneven. All the buildings are double eaves and cornices roofs of ancient palaces, decorated with apricot tiles to make them unified and coordinated. One of the most unique buildings, Compassion Auditorium, is a beamless hall with a bucket arch structure, commonly known as cobwebs.
The Millennium Temple has left many cultural relics and historical sites for future generations: the cliff stone carvings in front of the Five Old Peaks, and the excellent poems and songs of many famous people in ancient and modern times; In Xishan Gate, the memorial tablet of the Eight-Party Qianlong Imperial System has more precious historical value. Temple collection: there are 28 Buddha statues of the size of white jade carvings from Myanmar; There is a big clock newly cast at the same time when Shi Lang built a temple in the early Qing Dynasty; There are seven pagodas built in the Song and Yuan Dynasties; There are many wonderful lotus sutras and rare Tibetan sutras written by monks and nuns in the Ming Dynasty.
In the history of Buddhism in China, Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen has an important position. It is the spreading base of Buddhism in southern Fujian. Nanputuo Temple originally belonged to the descendants of Lin Ji Drinking Cloud School. 1924 changed to the jungle system of selecting talents by ten parties. In the second year, Minnan Buddhist College was founded in the temple. Since then, eminent monks in the sea have lived in Xi Chuan Jing one after another, and ten Buddhists competed to enter the hospital to study Taoism. Buddhism was once famous at home and abroad.
1983, Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen was listed as a key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area of China by the State Council.
The current abbot of Nanputuo Temple is the great monk Wu Ze, born in 1974, a native of Ruian, Zhejiang, and graduated from Minnan Buddhist College.
There is a couplet on the stone pillar of the main hall of Nanputuo Temple, which reads: "Tang Kaiyuan traces back to ancient times, and Puguang was enhanced from Xiamen Island to Wu Tai." This clearly shows that Nanputuo Temple was founded in the Tang Dynasty with a history of 1 200 years. According to legend, Chen people, who first developed in Xiamen Island in the Tang Dynasty, reclaimed 52 mu of land on the mountainside of Wulaofeng as a place to build temples. The temple is located between five lush ancient peaks, facing the sea and the lush southern Mount Wutai, which is really a treasure trove of geomantic omen. In the Five Dynasties, Nanputuo Temple was called Sizhou Courtyard. In the early Song Dynasty, it was called Endless Rock. In peacetime, that is, A.D. 1064, it was changed to Zhao Pu Temple and Zhao Pu Courtyard. It was abandoned in the Yuan Dynasty in about 134 1 year. During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty from 65438 to 0368, it was rebuilt by monk Jueguang, but unfortunately it was destroyed by the war at the end of the Ming Dynasty. In the 23rd year of Qing Emperor Kangxi, that is, A.D. 1684, Emperor Shi Lang of Jinghai unified Taiwan Province Province and returned to Xiamen to rebuild the temple. This temple is dedicated to Guanyin, which is located at the southern foot of Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang Province, the original place of worship for Guanyin, so it is called Nanputuo Temple. This is the history of the origin, evolution and rise and fall of Nanputuo Temple.
In the history of Buddhism in China, Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen has an important position. It is the spreading base of Buddhism in southern Fujian. Several abbots of Nanputuo enjoy a high reputation in the Buddhist community in China. Since 1927, Master Tai Xu, the abbot of Nanputuo and the president of Minnan Buddhist College, has given lectures in Nanyang, Europe and America, which has a great influence. Moreover, the Buddhist reform and sectarian unity he advocated were also very effective, which made great contributions to Buddhism and made the reputation of Nanputuo Temple widely spread at home and abroad.
Nanputuo Temple faces the afternoon, the mountain and the sea. The whole building of Nanputuo Temple has a well-balanced layout, rigorous structure and rich national style, which fully embodies the superb architectural art of the working people in China. Standing in the distance, from the endless rocks to the mountainside of Wulaofeng, on the north-south central axis, the four buildings, the Heavenly King Hall, the Ursa Major Hall, the Great Compassion Hall and the Tibetan Classics Pavilion, are elevated layer by layer, with distinct levels and corresponding elevation. The left and right wing rooms, the porch and the bell and drum tower are symmetrically arranged to protect the three halls, forming a whole, showing the majestic momentum of Nanputuo Temple and the boundless majesty of Buddhism.
In front of Nanputuo Temple, there are seven white marble Buddha pagodas and two longevity pagodas 1 1 floor. In front of the pagoda, there is a release pool. In midsummer, the lotus is in full bloom, with blue sky, white pagoda, green leaves and flowers, which shows that this is an exceptionally clean and noble Buddhist country. The release pool between the towers is specially set up for the releasers. Release is a custom in the history of our country. Later, it merged with Buddhism's teachings of "compassion" and "not killing", and then evolved into a more common Buddhist activity. From the perspective of Buddhist teachings, Buddhism should not kill innocent people indiscriminately, but should care for all living beings, all living beings live in harmony, and mankind will live in peace forever. Advocating release and opposing killing is just a sign that the whole world should become a peaceful paradise without war and suffering.
When I entered the gate of Nanputuo Temple, the first pavilion I saw was the Heavenly King Hall. 198 1 Four gold-lettered plaques inscribed by Zhao Puchu, President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, are hung in the center. In the Temple of the Heavenly King, Maitreya sits in the middle of the dish, with kind eyes, earlobes and shoulders, a bare chest and a bulging belly, and a smile. Behind Maitreya is the majestic protector Wei Tuo. On both sides of the "Temple of the King of Heaven" are four heavenly kings with different expressions and lifelike.
Behind Tianwang Temple, the bell tower and drum tower are symmetrically arranged. This was put forward by 192 1 monk when he was the abbot of Nanputuo.
Curiously, there are two peaks in Wulao Peak behind Nanputuo Temple, one is a bell and the other is a drum. There is a stone hanging on the top of Zhongshan Mountain, which looks like an ancient clock, and there is another stone beside it, which looks like a clock hammer. On the lonely mountain, two big stones, such as drumsticks, are hung side by side to beat drums. The bell and drum tower, which is far away from each other, is the natural symbol of Nanputuo Temple and the masterpiece of Chinese working people corresponding to natural landscape and human landscape.
The second pavilion of Nanputuo Temple is the Hall of the Great Hero, which is the main center of Nanputuo Temple. It was rebuilt by the then Nanputuo abbot on 1932. The stone court in front of the Hall of the Great Hero is flat and spacious, with the Baoding incense burner standing upright in the middle, and the white stone pagodas on both sides towering, showing the solemnity in the hall. Daxiong Hall is a temple where monks recite scriptures in the morning and evening, and the Dharma will worship. It is also the center of Buddhist bells, pots and A Ring of Endless Light. In the center of Ursa Major Hall, there are three "past lives" Buddhas: Sakyamuni Buddha, Pharmacist Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. Behind the temple, there are "Three Saints of the West": Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva and Great Trend Bodhisattva. On the wall of Daxiong Hall, there are traditional landscape flower-and-bird paintings such as Qing Ying Shakes the Wind, Chu River Qiu Ge, and Buddhist stories such as Bathing in the Zen River and Immortality. The whole Hall of Heroes, with blue tile columns, carved beams and painted buildings, is light, smart and antique, full of the characteristics of traditional China architecture. Porcelain cut on the tail ridge is inlaid with patterns such as Kyubi no Youko fish dragon, phoenix spreading its wings, Kirin displaying splendor, exquisite stone carving technology and excellent Minnan stone, which makes Daxiong Hall full of rich Minnan cultural characteristics.
The third temple in Nanputuo Temple is the Hall of Great Compassion. This 20-meter-high temple was originally built in the Ming Dynasty and made of wood. Burned on 1928 due to excessive incense. Master Taixu was rebuilt on 1930 when he was the abbot of Nanputuo.
1962 has undergone another major renovation, with the main body built of reinforced concrete and the wooden bucket arch retained as decoration. This octagonal pavilion-style building, resplendent and magnificent, with two sparse bodhi trees, embodies the unique traditional style of national architecture and shows people's desire for mercy to Guanyin Bodhisattva. Triple cornices, such as dragonfly; Decorations with beautiful patterns. There are porcelain-cut, porcelain-inlaid and painted sculptures on the top of the hall, and some symbolize auspicious fairy riding cranes, which is rare in the morning; Some are like dragons spitting pearls, holding their heads high and wanting to fly. People, lotus flowers, animals, birds, etc. Attached to the bucket arch are scarlet as the background color, decorated with green, yellow and gold foil, gorgeous but not vulgar. Dome-shaped caissons in the temple are all arched with wooden barrels, and no nails are needed. They are ingenious in shape, rigorous in structure and unique. There are four avalokitesvara bodhisattvas in the temple, holding avalokitesvara in both hands on the front and sitting on the lotus seat, with a quiet and kind expression. The other three sides are Guanyin with 48 arms. Each arm has a small eye carved on the palm of your hand, and each hand holds a sacred object. Different objects and postures indicate that Guanyin's desire to cross the crowd is different.
The last temple pavilion in Nanputuo Temple is the two-story Sutra Pavilion. Built in 1936, this sutra depository is a combination of Chinese and western architecture. The top is the roof of the rest mountain, and the bottom is a western-style structure, with a double attic and double eaves. Go to the Tibetan scriptures and go to the Dharma Hall. There is a spacious rooftop on the second floor, surrounded by verandahs on three sides, overlooking the first three halls. Looking back, the mountains and peaks are green and the artistic conception is far-reaching. At the bottom of the temple, there is a calligraphy of the Jade Pavilion in the Ming Dynasty, which depicts the scenery of the four seasons in quadruple. Spring scenery: the spring breeze warms thousands of willows, and the dawn color opens thousands of wells. Summer scenery: Park Trail is surrounded by mountains and the Songshan Mountain is dark, and the fragrance of rice and flowers in Chai Men is fragrant. Autumn scenery: The trees in the clouds are full of colorful flowers, and the springs in the bamboo sound. Winter scenery: drunk to the flower path, walking in the clouds, firewood and snow. These couplets are rare calligraphy treasures.
On the second floor of the Golden Pavilion in Tibet, you will first see a jade statue of a reclining Buddha, a four-foot-five-inch-long nirvana statue of Sakyamuni, carved with white jade from Myanmar. It is a rare treasure, with a poised attitude. There are many cultural relics in the Golden Pavilion, and there are tens of thousands of Buddhist scriptures at home and abroad. Among them, the more precious ones are Zhasha Tibetan Sutra and Ming Tibetan Sutra, the manuscript of Amitabha Sutra by the famous monk Hongyi, the Lotus Sutra written by believers and Shamini during the Chongzhen period of Ming Dynasty, and the Japanese Tibetan Sutra presented by Japan in 1936. In addition, there are many precious cultural relics here, such as the bronze bell, incense burner and copper tower in the Song Dynasty, and the white porcelain Guanyin statue made by He Chaozong in the Ming Dynasty, which is exquisite and dignified. It can be said that there are countless priceless treasures in the sutra depository of Nanputuo Temple.
Anyone who visits Nanputuo Temple will go to the back of the temple to have a look at the big word "Buddha" embedded in a big stone. This is the biggest word in Minnan temple. It is more than 4 meters high and 3 meters wide. It was written by Hui Zhen in the thirty-first year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty, that is, A.D. 1905. The huge word "Buddha" is full and round, rough and bold, and strong and powerful. In the courtyard of Nanputuo Temple and in front of the Five Old Peaks in Houshan Mountain, there are many cliff stone carvings and inscriptions in the past dynasties, mainly including Flying Springs written by Lin Qingzong of Taichang Temple in Ming Dynasty, The Best Way to Do Good by General Shi Lang in Qing Dynasty, the inscription by Shen Yourong, the general who fought against the Dutch, the historical stone carvings of Nanputuo Temple, and the police songs of Master Hanshan, all of which are quite valuable. The inscription "Tianzu Entering the Hall" written by Lin Zongzai in the 13th year of Chongzhen in Ming Dynasty is now embedded in the left gallery wall of Daxiong Hall, which is worth reading. Lin Zongzai also warned future generations not to cut down trees, pick rocks indiscriminately, destroy forests and protect places of interest. The monument is an important local document and a precious historical material for studying the society in the late Ming Dynasty.
Adjacent to Nanputuo Temple is Minnan Buddhist College, which is the base of Buddhist higher education in China. It is almost as famous as Nanputuo Temple, so it is necessary to introduce it. Minnan Buddhist College, founded in 1925, is headed by the abbot of Nanputuo Temple and the Buddhist leader of China, Master Taixu. Master Taixu took Minnan Buddhist College as an experimental garden to reform the education of monks in China, making it a famous Buddhist institution of higher learning at home and abroad. It was not until 1937 that War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out that Minnan Buddhist College was closed. 12 years, Minnan Buddhist College graduated more than 200 people, many of whom became outstanding Buddhist talents. Most of the monks who were still alive in those years became famous mountain elders or Buddhist masters. The spring breeze of reform and opening up blew, and Minnan Buddhist College officially resumed classes on 1985. Zhao Puchu, president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, rewrote the number of the Buddhist College, with Miao Zhan, abbot of Nanputuo Temple, as the dean. Under the auspices of Dean Miao Zhan, Minnan Buddhist College has made great progress and has now become a key college for monks' education in China. Minnan Buddhist College has two departments for men and women, and there are nearly 300 male and female monks in the hospital. Most of the graduates are presiding or deacons in monasteries all over the country, and some even give lectures in overseas monasteries, greatly expanding the influence of Minnan Buddhist College.
Su residence in Nanputuo Temple is unique. Su Zhai is famous for Nanputuo Temple, which attracts more believers and tourists. Su Zhai has become a treasure of Nanputuo Temple. The vegetarian dishes in Nanputuo Temple are famous at home and abroad for their pure and elegant unique flavor. Chefs strictly follow the cooking techniques of vegetarian dishes and get rid of the tradition of imitating the appearance of meat and fish. Their vegetarian dishes are unique, paying attention to color, fragrance and taste, as well as shape, spirit and utensils. Every dish has an elegant name, elegant charm and poetic meaning. The vegetarian dishes in Nanputuo include Colorful Flowers Welcome Guests, Golden Lotus in the South China Sea, Rainy Clouds, Treasures in Sweet Mud, Wishes of Five Old People, Snow Reflecting Silver Wave, Van Gogh Jade Palace, White Jade Yun Lan, and Ginkgo Fragrant Balm, which are colorful. Among them, the dish "Half Moon Sinking into the River" is particularly interesting. 1962165438+1On October 24th, Guo Moruo, then vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, a famous historian, writer and poet, and his wife Yu Liqun visited Nanputuo and tasted Nanputuo vegetarian dishes. After reading the menu, Lao Guo sorted out the names of the dishes, made them into rhythmic poems, and sang them while eating. It's really interesting. Lao Guo saw that half of the mushrooms were black and half of the gluten was white, just like the half moon sinking into the bottom of the river. He gladly named this dish "Half Moon Sinking the River" and embedded the name of this dish in the poem after dinner. Lao Guo wrote in his poem: "I come from Zhoushan, and Putuo is Putuo. Natural forests are good, but I deeply regret that there are many titles. Half a month sinks to the bottom of the river, and a thousand peaks enter the eye socket. " What do you think of Sanhuaitong Avenue? "Since then, the vegetarian dish" Half Moon Sinking the River "is worth a hundred times. Nanputuo Temple chefs who are good at cooking vegetarian dishes have performed in Singapore, Hong Kong and other places many times, and Nanputuo's vegetarian dishes are well-known at home and abroad. Is really "mo Fuchiyama Zen, also know the secular. "
Nanputuo Temple is world-famous for its magnificent temples, spacious and dignified Buddhist temples, treasure-rich Tibetan Pavilion, base of Buddhist higher education and elegant vegetarian houses. Under the illumination of the party's religious policy, Nanputuo, a thousand-year-old temple, will be more brilliant and famous.