Ningbo Ashoka Temple, known as the "Southeast Buddha's Kingdom", is one of the five major Zen monasteries in China and the only surviving thousand-year-old temple in China named after Ashoka of India. Originally thought it was one, but when I came to Ningbo, I learned that there were two. Moreover, the new temple is ancient, and the ancient temple is new. Most people don't know the mystery, my mother and I first went to the ancient temple of Ashoka (see the content of the previous issue), and there was no relic in the empty space. Then came the so-called new Ashoka Temple.
In the square in front of the mountain gate stands four stone pillars, on which are carved the Diamond Sutra, which is magnificent and solemn. Before entering the temple, I already felt that this new Ashoka Temple must be very attractive.
On the side of the "Ancient Temple of the Jin Dynasty", the wall tells the visitors that this is a thousand-year-old temple that was built in the Western Jin Dynasty, but this is based on the founding date of the ancient temple. What year was the temple actually built? What exactly is the relationship between the two Ashoka temples that makes us a little dizzy.
Many people say that this is a "new temple", but I think it should be described as "back temple", its age is definitely after the ancient temple, but it is not new at all. The temple is not so much like a large garden, after entering the mountain gate, it comes to an infinite Jiangnan scenery, which now covers an area of 124,100 square meters and a construction area of 23,400 square meters. It's a long way from the mountain gate to the temple, so take your time to enjoy the landscape.
After The Buddha attained Nirvana, Ashoka built 84,000 stupas and escorted them to the "Eight Auspicious And Six Special Places" under the heavens. Among them, there are 19 Stupas of Shakyamuni in China, Ningbo has also been chosen as a place to be laid, and the only remaining of the 19 is ashoka's temple.
Watching the video is even more exciting: it is not easy to finally see the relics in the Ashoka Pagoda
In the last issue we said a beautiful legend in the ancient Ashoka Temple, the Indian monk to dream to a monk named Huida about the stupa, after Huida began to look for the stupa, walked to the ancient temple to hear the sound of bells in the ground, Huida reverently chanted for three days and three nights, and sure enough, he saw a five-story and four-cornered stupa rising from the ground, the tower was about four feet high, seven inches wide, with an inner hanging treasure, and the relics were embellished in the middle, just like the Indian monks in the dream. Legend has it that the worship and admiration of holy relics by later generations cannot become historical facts in the end.
Contents of the ancient Ashoka Temple in the previous period: The Buddha apparition emerged from the ground in the Tali Pagoda, and the Ashoka Temple was born
Relevant historical records and historians' research, the Buddha Stupa may have come to Ningbo through the Maritime Silk Road as early as BC, whether it was intentional to put the Pagoda here or encountered special circumstances temporarily placed here is unknown, a few years later Master Huida found the stupa here, on the spot Tou first protected the stupa, that is, the prototype of the "Ashoka Temple", which refers to the ancient Ashoka.
Later, because of the Buddhist relics, it received more and more attention from people, and the scale of the monastery became larger and larger. It attracted many Japanese monks, one of whom was named Shigegen, who came to China three times between 1167 and 1176, and also brought a lot of precious wood to Ashoka Temple to build a relic. Another monk named Rongxi came to China in 1168 to visit Tendai Temple and Ashoka Temple. He obtained the True Scriptures here, and after returning to Japan, Rongxi founded the Linji Sect in Japan and honored Ashoka Temple as his ancestral court.
Above the gray three-sided relief wall is the life of the Buddha, and it is only when you come here that you have come to the door of the monastery.
There are many pigeons in front of the Tenno Hall, and they are not afraid of people and interact with tourists.
Enter the temple first on a pillar of incense, the temple provides incense for free, 1 or 3 incense can be, not the more the better, what to ask for has nothing to do with how much incense. And the incense is more than one is a waste of incense two is polluting the air, in addition to no benefits but also many disadvantages.
The Daxiong Treasure Hall was rebuilt after a fire in the Kangxi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, more than three hundred years ago, and the "Juexing Juyuan" was given to the temple by the Qianlong Emperor. (Was it rebuilt after the fire in this temple, or was it moved here to rebuild after the fire in the ancient temple?) Who knows, I looked up a lot of information and didn't find the exact one, but a volunteer on the other side of the temple said it was the latter)
One of the side halls is called "Relic", and it is recommended that everyone come in and have a look. It is the exhibition of ashoka temple cultural relics, left over from all the dynasties, as well as the reconstruction and excavation, and some big people have donated, all of which are treasures worth seeing. Two of the big black pots occupy a large part of the place, and I don't know what it does for half a day, you know?
We were anxious to worship the relic, so we didn't go anywhere else and went straight to the shrine. However, he was stopped by the volunteer master and brother, saying that he could not enter casually, and that it was conditional. I thought to myself that I had been turned away after a long time, but I was not discouraged, but asked more, what conditions are needed? Master said you should go to the guest hall to find Master.
The last time I went to the Lingguang Temple in Beijing's Badachu To pay homage to the relic, I didn't have the opportunity to see it, because the requirements were too harsh and required the Buddhist Association to issue a certificate. This time will not be the same request, no matter what the good guys come to ask. We are really lucky enough not to need any certificate from the association this time, as long as we recite the Heart Sutra or the Great Compassion Mantra, we can get a permit signed by the master to enter the temple. This is a small dish for me, and before I finished reciting it, Master said, Very good, very good, and gave me a white note.
Finally saw the relic! After praying, my mother and I looked through the glass on the front of the tower and seemed to see a circle of colored light, but my mother said it was white. What we see is different, this is also everyone's fate. If you want to see the relic, you must stick it in front of the tower, which can only be the chance of a special time. (Photography is not allowed in the temple, so let's worship in person.)
Buddhas have no birth or death, so why should we pray to tangible "relics"? Isn't that a phase? The reason why the Buddha disappeared and soon lived in the world is a convenient manifestation, to prevent sentient beings from rising up to be dependent, or even to be bored and sluggish. For Buddhists, in addition to playing the role of "cautious pursuit of the far side", the Buddha relic is also a symbol of the essence of the Buddha's teachings. If we sincerely respect the relics of the Buddha, we will feel the intercourse and feel the buddha appear.
My mother and I have another wish, Fa Xi walked out of Ashoka Temple full of happiness and joy, and also learned so much about the history of Ashoka Temple, reading thousands of books is not as good as walking thousands of miles, taking my mother all over China We have been on the road. I heard that the vegetarian food at Ashoka Temple is particularly delicious, but it has not been opened due to the epidemic situation, so I will have the opportunity to come back later.
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