Zhenru Temple

Zhenru Temple

Zhenru temple is located on Yunju mountain in the northwest of Yongxiu County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. It was built in the Yuanhe period of emperor Xianzong of Tang Dynasty (806-810), and its founder was Daorong Zen master. Zhenru temple is the ancestral hall of caodong sect, one of the five Zen sects in China. It is honored as one of the three model temples in China by Zhao Puchu, President of China Buddhist Association. Since 2013, Qingyun temple, its lower house, has held meditation classes every year in front of the public

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The great virtue of modern Zen is Xuyun, and Zen master passed away in this temple. The most distinctive feature of Zhenru temple is that it pays equal attention to agriculture and Zen. As early as in the Song Dynasty, the abbot, FA Ru, advocated that the temple should stand outside the peak and water vegetables before the five elders. The building area is about 10000 square meters.

In 1983, it was designated by the State Council as a national key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area.

Historical evolution

Zhenru temple was first built in Yuanhe period of Tang Xianzong (806-820). At that time, a Buddhist monk Daorong and Sima Toutuo traveled together in Yunju mountain. Seeing that it was as flat as a palm, they built a temple here, Yunju temple. After the construction of the temple, Daorong lived with his disciples Quan Qing and Quan Jiao for about 70 years. In the third year of Zhonghe (883) of emperor Fu Zong of Tang Dynasty, he was invited by Nanping King Zhong Chuan, who was in charge of Zhennan Festival envoy in the middle of Jiangxi Province. Daoying, who was known as "the great man of Nanzong" at that time, went up to the mountain to preside over it, so Zhenru Temple became famous all over the world. Emperor Fu Zong of Tang Dynasty awarded "Longchang Temple".

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhenru temple, which had flourished for more than 300 years, was reduced to ashes in the fire.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the temple houses and Hutian mountain products were gradually plundered by local tyrants.

In 1592, monk Hong Duan, the abbot of Wanfo hall in Beijing, went to Yunju mountain to rebuild Zhenru temple. Empress Dowager CI Sheng, the mother of Ming Shenzong, was informed that she sent the envoys to bestow purple clothes and other magic objects, as well as a bronze statue of Qianhua Lushena Buddha. The bronze statue was as high as Zhang Yu, and a total of 678 letters were given to the Tripitaka. Wanli 30 years (1602) Temple monk house phase completed, Emperor Shenzong Royal Book plaque couplets. It is said in the couplet of the Chan hall that "wisdom water dispels the fire of the heart, and benevolent wind sweeps away the dust of the world.". The plaque said, "I have not been able to pass.".

During the Anti Japanese War, Zhenru temple was destroyed by Japanese artillery. Only the bronze statue of Lushena Buddha flashed in the broken wall.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China, the ancient temples have regained their vigor and vitality. In 1953, Shi Xuyun, honorary president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, presided over the reconstruction work. At the age of 100, old monk Xu Yun led monks to reclaim land, plough Longmu, cast bricks, rebuild temples and reshape Buddha statues. By 1959, the temples and monasteries had been completed one after another, with a construction area of about 662l square meters. There were more than 50 Buddha statues and more than 120 abbots in the temple. After master Xuyun died, master Xingfu and master Haideng successively served as the abbot of Zhenru temple.

In the "Cultural Revolution", Zhenru temple, like other temples, was destroyed, occupied, burned and scattered. Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China's policy of freedom of religious belief has been restored and implemented. Zhenru temple has been put under the management of monks again, becoming a national key temple and a place for Buddhist activities.

In 1982, with the support of governments at all levels, Zhenru Temple restored Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, sutra collection building, Zhaitang, bell tower, Drum Tower, Chan hall, Xuhuai building, Yunhai building and other buildings, covering an area of 4764 square meters. In September 1982, a new "Xuyun monk shede tower" was built. The tower is 5.5 meters high, 3 meters in diameter, solemn and simple.

At the end of 1986, the mountain gate, abbot, shadow hall and storehouse were built, more than 200 Buddha statues were rebuilt, 41 ancestral pagodas such as Daorong and Daoying were restored, with a total construction area of more than 8000 square meters. In October 1987, a grand opening ceremony was held.

In September 1990, in memory of master Xu Yun's merit in rebuilding Zhenru temple, another "Xu Yun Memorial Hall" was built.

On September 9, 2015, King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia paid a friendly visit to Zhenru Buddhist temple in Yunju mountain and presented a Buddha statue of Sakyamuni in the main hall, symbolizing the long-standing Buddhist friendship between China and Cambodia.

architectural composition

Zhenru temple takes the three gates as the central axis, and Luohan bridge is passing through the three gates, followed by Tianwang hall, Weituo hall, bell tower, Drum Tower, guest hall and Daxiong hall. According to the size of the temple, other halls are built, most of which are palace style double eaves large bay with brick and wood structure, covered with cast iron and tiles.

The temple of Heavenly Kings is the first hall in the mountain gate, and the four heavenly kings are worshipped on both sides of the hall. There are bell tower and Drum Tower on both sides of Weituo hall. There are three Bodhisattvas at the back of the main hall. On the west side is Puxian Bodhisattva, on the middle is Guanyin Bodhisattva, and on the east side is Manjusri Bodhisattva. Behind the main hall is the Dharma Hall of Zhenru temple, where the temple preaches and receives precepts. The building of the Dharma hall is a two-story building, on which is the Sutra collection building, and on the left is the Abbot's room, next to the Dharma hall. Opposite the Abbot's room is the warehouse. Outside the hall is a flat land. There is a ginkgo tree with a height of 36 meters and a diameter of 9.1 meters. It is said that it was planted by master Daoying himself. Around the old tree is the Xuyun Memorial Hall.

Main attractions

Zhaozhouguan

Zhaozhou pass is a pass at the top of Yunju mountain. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, Zhaozhou monk went up the mountain to visit Daoying Zen master. Daoying sent him down the mountain and said goodbye at the pass. Therefore, it is called "Zhaozhou pass". The original stone stele has been built, all made of granite. It is 7 meters high and 13 meters wide. The structure is rigorous and majestic. "Zhaozhouguan" is inscribed by Xu Deheng, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. It is carved with marble and decorated with gold. In guanlou, it is located in front of Zhenru temple, covering an area of about 2000 square meters. Monks of all ages set free here. Because it is located in the center of lotus City, it is named "lotus pool". Shuangfei bridge is located in front of Zhenru temple in Zhaozhou pass, at the confluence of two streams on the right side of the mountain. It is named Shuangfei bridge because of the rapid flow of the stream.

On the right side of Zhaozhou pass, there is Haihui tower, also known as Putong tower. Built in 1958, it is the place where the ashes of seven disciples were cremated. In the upper layer of Haihui tower, another Xuyun tower was built. The tower is 5.5 meters high and made of granite.

main hall

The main hall is about 24 meters long and 15 meters wide. It was built in 1955 under the leadership of old monk Xuyun. In the main hall is the third Buddha, in the center is Sakyamuni, the founder and founder of Buddhism, in the East is the pharmacist Buddha, in the west is Amitabha, and in the two sides are the eighteen Arhats. Sakyamuni is the founder of Buddhism. His original name is Siddhartha, which means "the one who makes everything" or "Caiji". His surname is "Gautama". Buddha's nirvana day is February 15 of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Xuyun Memorial Hall

Xuyun memorial hall was built in September 1990 to commemorate master Xuyun's merits in rebuilding Zhenru temple.

The memorial hall is located on the ruins of Xuyun's former living room "Yunju Maopeng". It covers an area of more than 200 square meters. The external walls are all made of granite. The hall is 12 meters high, 19.5 meters wide and 100 meters deep. It is a wooden and stone structure imitating Song Dynasty palace style building, covered with Chu colored glazed tiles, which is very simple and solemn. In the hall, there is a bronze statue of monk Xuyun with a height of 1 meter and a weight of 500 kg. Mr. Zhao Puchu, President of China Buddhist Association, inscribed "Xuyun Memorial Hall". The hall also displays pictures of monk Xu Yun's life story, works and relics.

Temple protection

In 1957, Zhenru temple was the first batch of provincial cultural relics protection units announced by Jiangxi Provincial People's Committee.

In 1983, Yunju mountain Zhenru temple was designated as the national key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area.

Cultural value

Cao Dongyuan

Cao Dongzong was founded by Liang Jia (807-869) and Ben Ji (840-901) in Dongshan and Caoshan, Jiangxi Province, respectively, mainly to publicize the idea of "no two directors and no barrier to physical use". However, after the four generations of Cao Shan law system, it was cut off, and only relying on the Dongshan law system, Daoying Chan Master, to spread the law in Yunju mountain Zhenru temple, so that it could continue to be handed down. Zhenru temple is the birthplace of Cao Dongzong. Among the five Zen schools, the three lost after the Song Dynasty. Only Linji and caodong have survived. Tao Ying's apprentice, Hsin Lo Yun Ju, founded the Suu Mishan School of CHO Tung Tsung in South Korea. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Daoyuan, a Japanese monk, went to China to seek Dharma and introduced Cao Dongzong to Japan. In Japanese Buddhist circles, Zhenru temple was regarded as one of the ancestral halls of Cao Dongzong. The late abbot of Nanhua temple, who was known as the 50th generation of Cao Dongzong, strongly advocated "Dongyun Zhengzong" and established Taoism as the second ancestor.

Cultural relics

Around the temple, there are more than 20 ancient monk pagodas. In front of the temple, there are many stone carvings with the words of Buddha seal and Su Dongpo, zhaozhouguan and mingyuehu. There are also unearthed cultural relics from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, Baiguoshu from the Tang Dynasty and qianseng iron pot made in the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.

Successive presiders

Daoying Chan Master (835-902) was a descendant of the Dongshan law system of Cao Dongzong, one of the five Chan schools of Buddhism. After thirty years of living in the Zen academy, Daoying was named "HongJue Zen master" after his death. From the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, there were abbots Daojian, Daochang, huaiyue, huaiman, Deyuan and Zhishen,

Chinese PinYin : Zhen Ru Chan Si