White Horse Temple

White Horse Temple

White Horse Temple, the first ancient temple in China, is the world famous Jialan temple. Located in Luoyang City, Henan Province, it was built in the 11th year of Yongping (AD 68) of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is the first official temple built after Buddhism was introduced into China. It is the "source of Buddhism" in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and European and American countries.

Baima Temple spread Buddhism to Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia, making Buddhism popular in Asia. Later, it entered Europe and America and became a holy land for Buddhist believers all over the world.

Therefore, since the end of the 19th century, Japan has donated money to rebuild the bell tower of Baima temple and erected the statue of the empty sea;

The governments of Thailand, India and Myanmar have successively invested in the construction of Baima temple, making it the only international temple with Chinese, Indian, Burmese and Thai style temples in the world.

South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia all came here to receive precepts. The United States, Germany and Canada all attended the promotion of the abbot of the temple

As the temple with the highest degree of internationalization, Baima temple can be called "the first temple in the world".

Its "Horse Temple bell" symbolizes good luck and is listed in the "Eight Sights of Luoyang". But it is forgotten by contemporary Chinese and enjoys a high reputation in Japan. Most of the tourists listening to the bell are from Japan. It is a sacred wish of many Japanese to welcome the new year here. Therefore, the time to ring the bell is changed to the arrival of the Japanese new year.

Baima temple is now the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units and the first batch of national AAAA tourist attractions.

On the ancestral court of Shiyuan

Basic definition

The disciples of Buddhism always regard Baima temple in Luoyang as "ancestral court" and "source of interpretation".

The "ancestral court" is also the ancestral courtyard.

The source of Buddhism is also the birthplace of Buddhism.

Up to now, the ancient inscriptions and sacrificial vessels preserved in Baima temple still have the words "Zu Ting" and "Shi Yuan". This makes the Baima temple in Luoyang different from any other Buddhist temple, and thus occupies a unique position in the history of Chinese Buddhism.

Although Buddhism originated in India, it developed in China. After the Han and Wei dynasties, Chinese Buddhism flourished. From Heluo to Jianghan, from prosperous capital to remote areas, from temples in Kyushu to Tree Towers in five mountains, "Jincha is higher than Lingtai, Guangdian is stronger than Afang", which all started from the creation of Baima Temple by Emperor Han and Ming.

Buddhism not only had a great influence on the thought and life of the Chinese people, but also gradually spread to Vietnam, Korea and Japan (which has always been the main religion in Japan) through China. By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, due to some other factors, as well as the entry of some Chinese and Japanese into Europe and America, Buddhism also spread in Europe and America.

Therefore, in fact, for Buddhism in Vietnam, Korea, Japan and other countries and regions, Baima temple is also its "ancestral court" and "source of Buddhism".

Ten ancient ancestral halls

Baima temple has an important position in the history of Buddhism, which has the saying of "ten ancient ancestral halls".

Baima temple, the first ancient temple in China

Qiyun pagoda, the first relic Pagoda in China

Zhu Shixing's first trip to "West heaven for scriptures" began at Baima temple

Zen, the first Indian monk to come to China, lives in Baima temple

The earliest Sanskrit Buddhist Scripture, the beiyejing, was collected in Baima temple

The earliest Buddhist Scripture Translation Center is located in the qingliangtai of Baima temple

The first Chinese Buddhist sutra, forty two chapters Sutra, was translated in Baima temple

The first Chinese commandment, Seng Zhi Jie Xin, was first translated into Baima temple, and was first set up in Luoyang to preach the commandments

The first battle between Buddhism and Taoism took place in Baima temple

Zhu Shixing, the first Han monk, was ordained in Baima temple.

Historical evolution

Baima temple has a history of more than 1900 years. It is located in Baima temple town, Luolong District, 12 kilometers east of the old city of Luoyang, Henan Province. The existing sites and historic sites are preserved in yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are a large number of Jiagan lacquered statues of the Yuan Dynasty, such as the third Buddha, the second general and the eighteen Arhats.

ancient

Built in the Eastern Han Dynasty

In the seventh year of Yongping in the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 64), Emperor Liu Zhuang (the son of Liu Xiu) spent the night in Nangong. He dreamed that a golden man, six feet tall and shining on his head, would come from the West and fly around the palace. The next morning, Emperor Hanming told the ministers about the dream. Doctor Fu Yi said, "there is a God in the west, which is called Buddha, just as you dream.". After hearing this, Emperor Han and Ming sent more than ten ministers, such as Cai Yin and Qin Jing, to the western regions to worship Buddhist scriptures and Dharma.

 

In the eighth year of Yongping (AD 65), Cai, Qin and others bid farewell to the imperial capital and embarked on the journey of "learning from the west". In Dayue Kingdom (from Afghanistan to Central Asia today), I met Indian eminent monks, such as shemoteng and zhufalan, and met Buddhist sutras and white felt statues of Sakyamuni Buddha. I sincerely ask the two eminent monks to go east to China to preach Buddhism.

In the tenth year of Yongping (AD 67), two Indian eminent monks were invited to carry Buddhist scriptures and statues on white horses together with envoys of the Eastern Han Dynasty to Luoyang. Emperor Hanming was very happy to see the Buddhist scriptures and statues. He was very polite to the two eminent monks. He personally received them and arranged for them to stay in Honglu temple, the official office in charge of foreign affairs at that time.

In the 11th year of Yongping (A.D. 68), the emperor of Han and Ming ordered the construction of monasteries in the north of Sanli imperial road outside Xiyong gate in Luoyang. In memory of Baima tuojing, it was named "Baima Temple". The word "Si" originated from the word "Si" of "Honglu Temple", and later "Si" became a general term of Chinese temples.

 

This is the first Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures in China.

After taking photos of moteng and zhufalan, many Western eminent monks came to Baima temple to translate Buddhist scriptures. In more than 150 years after 68 A.D., 192 Buddhist scriptures, 395 volumes in total, were translated here. Baima temple has become the first Buddhist Scripture Translation Center in China.

In the Warlord's scuffle at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was destroyed for the first time. In the first year of the Eastern Han Dynasty (190ad), the Allied forces led by Yuan Shao, the governor of the Bohai Sea, formed a semi encirclement of Luoyang. In order to prevent the people from fleeing back, he burned all the houses within 200 Li around Luoyang City, and the Baima temple in Luoyang was completely burned.

 

Reconstruction of Cao Wei

In 220 AD, Cao Pi became emperor and rebuilt Luoyang Palace on the ruins of Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty, including the reconstruction of Baima temple in Luoyang. In the second year of Cao Wei Jiaping (AD 250), Tan kejialuo translated "Buddha's law" in Luoyang Baima temple, which proves that Luoyang Baima temple has been restored after Cao Pi, Emperor Wen, and Cao Rui, Emperor Ming.

 

In the second year of Caowei Jiaping (A.D. 250), Tan kejialuo, an Indian monk, came to Baima temple. At this time, Buddhism also entered the public from the deep palace. Later, tankojaro translated the first Buddhist commandment in Chinese in Baima temple. At the same time, Tan Di, a monk of the Sabbath state, also translated Tan Wu De Jie Mo in Baima temple, which regulated the organization and life of the monks. So far, the commandments and the constitution of the monks' group have been completed, and a path of monastic practice has been paved, which is the beginning of the commandments in China.

In the fifth year of Ganlu (260 A.D.), a commandment ceremony was held in Baima temple, which is destined to be deeply engraved in the history of Chinese Buddhism. On this day, Zhu Shixing ascended the altar of abstinence in accordance with the law of karma, knelt down in front of the Buddha, and became the first monk who formally received the bhikkhu commandment in Han China. Since then, the ancient Confucian tradition of "body hair skin, parents, dare not damage" has been broken.

War and destruction

In the first year of Yong'an in the Western Jin Dynasty (304 A.D.), Zhang Fang, the Minister of Sima, attacked Luoyang and burned, killed and plundered it. In the long period of war, Luoyang Baima Temple suffered serious damage again.

After the "Yongxi rebellion" in the late Northern Wei Dynasty, Luoyang City was destroyed again. After moving the capital to Yecheng, there were only 421 temples in Luoyang, among which there was Baima temple in Luoyang. About in the "Yongxi rebellion", although Luoyang Baima temple was not spared, it still survived.

Until the Qing Dynasty, on the left side of the main hall of Baima temple in Luoyang, there was still a "statue building of Baima Temple". There were more than 50 Buddha statues in the building, and there were inscriptions above, below, left and right.

In addition, before liberation, a huge jade seated statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva, 2.16 meters high, was unearthed from Baima temple in Luoyang. It is a valuable work of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It has been lost overseas and is still preserved in a museum in the United States.

Imperial edict in Tang Dynasty

In 685 A.D., Empress Wu Zetian built Luoyang Baima temple, which was the golden age in the history of Luoyang Baima temple.

The "Anshi rebellion" in 755 ad, the 14th year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty, destroyed Luoyang, the eastern capital

Chinese PinYin : Bai Ma Si