The main attractions of Jiangsu Lingshan Giant Buddha

Jiulong Bathing

According to the Buddhist classic "Ben Xing Sutra": Buddha Sakyamuni was able to speak and walk as soon as he was born. He walked seven times in each of the four directions of southeast, northwest and northwest. Every step, a lotus blossoms on the ground. He pointed to the sky with one finger and the ground with the other, and said: "I am the only one in the sky and the world." At this time, two pools of water suddenly appeared in the garden, and nine giant dragons appeared in the sky, spitting out water columns to bathe and purify them.

This story is very magical and makes people imagine. What’s even more rare is that the large-scale musical and dynamic group sculptures in Lingshan Scenic Spot, “Nine Dragons Bathing, Flowers Blooming and Buddha Seeing,” reproduce the gorgeous scenes in the story. In the Kowloon Bathing Square, we can see a huge bronze sculpture of a budding lotus standing in front. The huge lotus is held up by four mighty strong men. The bottom is set against a white round marble pool, with nine flying dragons and eight dragons. Donors of various shapes surround the huge pool.

When the music of "The Birth of the Buddha" played, six huge lotus petals slowly bloomed, and a 7.2-meter-high golden statue of the Prince Buddha, with one finger pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the ground, rose from the lotus. Slowly rising from the center, at this time, water columns tens of meters high were sprayed out from the mouths of the nine dragons to bathe the Prince Buddha statue. In an instant, the square was filled with drums and music, and the fountains were in various shapes. The Prince Buddha statue circles clockwise in a huge water curtain, symbolizing "flowers blooming to see the Buddha" and "Buddha's light shining everywhere". As the music fades, the petals of the lotus slowly close around the statue of the Prince Buddha.

At this time, clean water will flow out from the mouths of the eight groups of phoenixes around the fountain for everyone to drink. Does anyone know? This is not ordinary pure water. According to Buddhism, this is the "eight merit water", which is the "holy water" of Buddhism. You must have a drink when you arrive at Lingshan, or you can take it home in a bottle. It is said that drinking the "Eight Merits Water" or using it to worship Buddha statues can protect you and your family and bring good luck and peace to everyone.

The thousand-year-old Xiangfu Zen Temple

The thousand-year-old Xiangfu Zen Temple was built during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty. It has a prosperous history and has many eminent monks. Following the reputation of kindness. According to legend, Master Xuanzang Tripitaka of the Tang Dynasty visited here. He saw that the main peak behind the temple was quite similar to the Lingjiu Mountain where Buddhist scriptures are collected in the West, so he named it "Xiaoling Mountain". General Hang Yun saw that Master Xuanzang liked this "Feng Shui" so much. "Treasure Land", he funded the construction of the "Xiaoling Mountain Temple" at the foot of the mountain, and Xuanzang's great disciple Gui Ji served as the first abbot. This historical legend has been widely circulated in the local area since the Tang Dynasty. During the Xiangfu period of the Northern Song Dynasty, the temple was renamed "Xiangfu Temple". However, things have changed, and Xiangfu Temple was destroyed by war in the 1930s. After the reform and opening up, this ancient temple with a history of more than 1,300 years was rebuilt and abboted by eminent monks. Its incense became increasingly prosperous and it became an important Buddhist holy place along Taihu Lake. The existing ancient wells, lotus ponds, ginkgo plum piles, etc. in the temple have become historical and cultural relics and witnesses of the thousands of years of history of the ancient temple. Seeing them makes people suddenly nostalgic for the past.

Endless Yi Zhai

This is the memorial hall in Lingshan of Mr. Zhao Puchu, my country’s outstanding patriotic religious leader, famous social activist, former vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and president of the Chinese Buddhist Association. . Lingshan's "Wuwuyi Zhai" is based on Zhao Pu's former residence of "Nan Xiaoshuan No. 1" in old Beijing. It is an authentic old Beijing courtyard house, consisting of Wuwuyi Pavilion, a study and living room at the north and south ends, and a small study room and Buddhist hall on the east and west sides. , Pu Lao’s hometown and other buildings are combined. The memorial hall displays many materials related to Mr. Zhao Pu during his lifetime: nearly a hundred precious photos, poems and calligraphy, as well as related souvenirs with historical value. Through photos, manuscripts, etc., it records Mr. Pu’s participation in various major Buddhist activities at home and abroad from the establishment of the Buddhist Association in the 1950s to the end of the 1990s, as well as the relevant situations of Mr. Pu’s hometown and family, vividly and in detail showing the story of Zhao Puchu Mr. Hu made great contributions to the cause of Buddhism.

Lingshan Dazhaobi

Lingshan Dazhaobi is magnificent and solemn. Mr. Zhao Puchu, former vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Buddhist Association of China, believes that the scenic spot of Lingshan Mountain and Taihu Lake complement each other, just like the glazed world in Buddhism. Therefore, he wrote the poem "The light of the lake is pure and clear."

On the north facade of the screen wall is a poem "Xiaoling Mountain" written by Zhao Pu - "In the past, I traveled to Tianzhu to visit the vultures, sighing at the desolation and remembering the Lotus. Unexpectedly, the vultures flew here, and the smallpox spread all over my house." This is a poem that Zhao Pu wrote down happily in 1997 when he visited the scenic spot of Lingshan and saw the majesty and kindness of the Lingshan Buddha and the abundant incense. It means: I have been to the Vulture Mountain in India. It was originally the place where Sakyamuni Buddha lectured, but now it is deserted and desolate. But Lingshan scenic spot is full of incense and prosperity, recreating the grand scene of Lingjiu Peak that day, just like the spirit vulture flying. Between the lines, Mr. Pu’s praise for Lingshan can be seen everywhere, as well as his ardent hope that Lingshan can become a Buddhist holy land and a world Buddhist cultural center in the new era.

Wuming Bridge

The Wuming Bridge is a white marble bridge, imitated from the Tiananmen Jinshui Bridge, and is a masterpiece of garden bridges. The five bridges in front of the gate tower of Lingshan Scenic Spot are called "Wuming Bridges". Buddhism divides human civilization into five categories. They are: Statement (linguistics), Yinming (logic), Neiming (philosophy), Yifangming (medicine) and Gongqiaoming (applied science). Among them, "Inner Ming" is the highest state after reaching the "Four Mings". We must learn the five Mings extensively so that we can better serve all living beings. Now we cross the "Wu Ming Bridge" and reach a higher state of civilization through continuous improvement. The five bridges correspond to the five Ming dynasties respectively. If tourists want to improve their ability and level in a certain aspect, they can choose to walk across one of the bridges.

The "Lingshan Scenic Spot" Gate Tower

The "Lingshan Scenic Spot" Gate Tower combines the simplicity and dignity of Hui-style architecture, the majesty of northern royal architecture, and the distinctive and active style of Tibetan architecture. The plaque "Lingshan Scenic Spot" hung at the main entrance was also inscribed by the late President of the Buddhist Association of China, Mr. Zhao Puchu. On the back of the gatehouse is a plaque "Lingshan Scenic Spot" written in Sanskrit, inscribed by Professor Ji Xianlin, a master of Sanskrit research.

Heart-washing Pond

When you enter the gate tower of Shengjing, you can see the heart-washing ponds on both sides. You may be familiar with the Zen poem "The body is like a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror stand. Wipe it frequently, Do not let it be stained with dust." The meaning of the heart-washing pool is that we should always wash and reflect, purify our souls, get rid of the dirt contaminated in the world, let go of all attachments in our hearts, and restore our quiet and pure natural heart, so that we can more deeply feel and appreciate the beauty, artistic conception and true meaning of life.

Buddha’s Football Altar

The first sight when entering the Lingshan scenic spot is the Buddha’s Football Altar. It is said that the Buddha left two footprints for his disciples before his nirvana, which is called the "Two-legged Buddha". It is a sacred relic worshiped by Buddhists for thousands of years. Later, Master Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty copied it and brought it back to my country when he went to ancient India to collect scriptures. The footprints of the Buddha enshrined in the Lingshan Buddha Foot Altar are 1.2 meters long and 0.6 meters wide. The soles of the feet are flat and the five toes are even. Buddha preached for 50 years throughout his life and traveled all over South Asia, large and small, until he reached nirvana. His footprints are a symbol of his down-to-earth and ever-improving spirit. Let us follow the footsteps of Buddha and understand the arduous journey of such an enlightened saint in the creation of Buddhist thought!

Lingshan Wuzhimen

Lingshan Wuzhimen is magnificent and exquisite in shape. It is a large-scale stone archway with profound Buddhist cultural connotations, using more than 1,000 tons of granite stone. On its north and south sides are engraved the six groups of characters of the "Six Perfections" of Buddhism: "generosity, precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, and prajna". In layman's terms, the "Six Perfections" refer to the six codes of conduct for Buddhists to achieve the great wisdom of Buddhism.

"Giving" means giving, selflessly giving to others without asking for anything in return. Buddhism divides giving into: financial giving, Dharma giving and fearless giving.

"Keeping the precepts" means abiding by the law, abiding by laws and regulations, behavioral norms, and social ethics. Practitioners must adhere to the five most basic precepts: no killing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no stealing, and no drinking. Buddhism takes precepts as its teacher, and we talk about governing the country by law.

"Tolerance": It means that we must be patient and patient in life, endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, have endurance, patience, not be reckless, and not impetuous in order to achieve great things. Only by enduring hardship can we become a superior person.

"Diligence" means struggle. To achieve a career, you need to put in more effort and struggle than ordinary people, and you must have the spirit of endless life and endless struggle.

"Meditation" is a kind of mental cultivation that improves concentration and determination. You must persevere in everything you do, concentrate on it, and not be easily tempted by all kinds of things.

"Prajna" means great wisdom, which means that we should pay attention to great wisdom and methods when doing things. Don't be reckless, but be mellow; don't be clever, but be honest.

The door pillars of Wuzhimen are carved from a whole piece of granite. There is a mighty stone lion on each stone pillar. As the saying goes: When a lion roars, it is powerful in all directions. In Buddhism, the lion's roar is a symbol of the spread of the Dharma's message. There are also couplets by celebrities on both sides of the doorpost, which are profound and worth savoring.

Bodhi Tree

The Bodhi tree is a famous tree in India. According to legend, the Buddha attained enlightenment and became a Buddha under the Bodhi tree. Therefore, the Bodhi tree is also a symbol of wisdom. Due to climate reasons, it is generally not popular in China. The longevity ginkgo tree symbolizes the bodhi tree in Buddhism. Bodhi Avenue is also known as the "Way to Enlightenment". There are 216 ginkgo trees planted in the park. In autumn, the shadows of the trees are dancing, and the golden ginkgo leaves fall with the wind, creating a unique Zen state. Seven lotus flowers are carved in the middle of the Bodhi Avenue, which is a reference to the allusion of the lotuses growing at every step when Sakyamuni Buddha was born. The ground on both sides of the avenue is decorated with continuous cloud patterns, which are called continuous clouds and have a homonym of continuous clouds. Walking along Bodhi Avenue, you can feel the Zen state of "one flower, one world, one leaf, one Tathagata".

Prayer Turning Corridor

The Kowloon Bathing Plaza is surrounded by a prayer turning corridor with 108 prayer wheels. The prayer wheel is a special instrument used for praying in Tibetan Buddhism. One rotation of the prayer wheel is equivalent to reading and reciting the scriptures once, and the merits are immeasurable. If you are sincere, you can pray for a week, which means that if you recite the sutra a hundred times, your merits will be doubled and your life will be prolonged.

Conquering Demons and Enlightenment

The Conquering Demons Relief records the story of Buddha's Conquering Demons and Enlightenment. The entire wall is forged from copper, 26 meters wide and 8 meters high. It is a rare piece of art. Treasure. It is said that after six years of asceticism, Sakyamuni meditated under the bodhi tree and vowed that "if he cannot understand the truth of all things in the universe, he will never leave this seat." You can see the Buddha sitting upright in the middle of the sculpture, touching the ground with one hand, which is the "Demon Subduing Seal". The two sides of the Buddha respectively show the devil using lust for power, wealth, and beauty to seduce the Buddha, slandering the Buddha with slander, and using demon soldiers and generals to intimidate the Buddha. In the scene of the Buddha, the Buddha was majestic and unmoved, defeating the attacks of the devil one by one. After seven days and seven nights, he finally overcame obstacles such as money, power, women, fear, slander, etc., and finally achieved enlightenment and became a true great enlightened being. , the heaven and the earth were shaken by it. In front of and below the Buddha, the God of Earth knelt in front of the Buddha and told the local hunters about Sakyamuni's attainment of Buddhahood.

Ashoka Pillar

Lingshan Ashoka Pillar, with a height of 16.9 meters, a diameter of 1.8 meters, and a weight of more than 200 tons, is a rare hand-carved piece of granite in China. stone pillars. The Ashoka Pillar originated from ancient India. It is said that King Asoka of the Mauryan Dynasty in ancient India was at the same time as the First Emperor of Qin. He fought and killed all his life. In his later years, he felt that he had sinned deeply. After being enlightened by monks, he converted to Buddhism and educated the people with Buddhism. In order to promote Buddhism, he Stone pillars were erected in various places with scriptures engraved on them for the people to learn, and envoys were sent to various countries to spread Buddhism to surrounding countries. Thanks to King Asoka's vigorous promotion, Buddhism was able to develop into a world religion.

The stone material of Lingshan Ashoka Pillar is taken from the mountainous area of ​​Fujian, which is rich in granite. The four characters of Ashoka Pillar in Chinese and Sanskrit on the pillar body were inscribed by Mr. Ji Xianlin, a contemporary Chinese master. The Ashoka Pillar has a solemn and simple shape, has high aesthetic and ornamental value, and is a rare masterpiece in my country's sculpture art.

The best palm in the world

The best palm in the world is a copy of the right hand of Lingshan Giant Buddha. It is exactly the same shape and size as the right hand of Lingshan Giant Buddha and is copied at a 1:1 ratio. . The palm is 11.7 meters high, equivalent to the height of a three-story building, 5.5 meters wide, the finger diameter is 1 meter, and the total weight is 13 tons. This shows how majestic and tall the Buddha is. The seal on the Buddha's palm is "the seal of fearlessness", which means to drive away the pain of all living beings and make them fearless. "Touch the Buddha's hands will increase blessings and longevity." We might as well touch the Buddha's hands with good wishes, burn a stick of incense, and let the Buddha drive away your worries and bless you with peace in your life.

Hai Zi Opera Maitreya

The image of Maitreya with a smiling mouth who "allows the world to tolerate things that are intolerable and laughs at the ridiculous people in the world" is familiar and loved by everyone. The large bronze art treasure "Hai Zi Xi Maitreya" shows the reclining Maitreya with a kind expression and a pleasant smile. On Maitreya's huge body, there are a hundred little urchins playing and playing, each with different shapes and spirits, lifelike. You see: some of them are stacking arhats, some are playing tug-of-war, some are using small branches to poke Maitreya's navel, and some naughty ones actually peed on Maitreya. But Maitreya was not moved at all and remained cheerful. Why do these little urchins play tricks on Maitreya like this? It is said that they were testing Maitreya's belly to see whether it is really as praised by the world as "a big belly can tolerate things that are difficult to tolerate in the world; a kind face always smiles at the ridiculous people in the world." Facts have proved that only people with an open mind can truly be happy. people.

Ancient Ginkgo Tree

An ancient ginkgo tree stands in Lingshan Xingtan Square, which is a witness to the long history of Xiangfu Temple. The ancient ginkgo was planted during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty and has a history of nearly 1,400 years. The tree has different postures and is full of milk. Every autumn, the branches are covered with ginkgo fruits, which is amazing. People say that this tree is the sacred tree of the temple.

Dengyun Road

The long staircase leading to the foot of Lingshan Buddha is called "Dengyun Road". There are 216 levels on the first floor of Dengyun Avenue, which is divided into seven platforms. Looking from the bottom up, you can only see the steps but not the platform. Looking from the top down, you can only see the platform but not the steps, which means "saving a life is better than building a life." Seven-Level Pagoda". There are seven giant stone carvings in the middle of Dengyun Road, which form a history of Lingshan, recording the glorious history of Lingshan from the opening of the temple by Master Guiji, a disciple of Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty, to the consecration of the Lingshan Giant Buddha. Buddhism believes that there are 108 kinds of worries and 108 kinds of wishes in life. Climbing the 216 steps means that the worries will be eliminated and the wishes will be fulfilled.

Liujiaojing

An ancient well on the left side of Dengyun Road is called "Lijiaojing". This is an ancient well with quite a history. During the construction, it was specially kept in its original appearance. , the words engraved on the well railing can be remembered and appreciated by tourists. According to historical records, in the Tang Dynasty, the monks of Xiangfu Temple dug a well in the tea garden west of the temple, which was called a tea house well, for cooking and drinking. It is said that tea sage Lu Yu once tasted the spring water in the well and thought it was sweet and sweet. He highly praised it and praised it as one of the top ten famous springs in the south of the Yangtze River.