Zhulin Temple

Zhulin Temple

Zhulin temple, one of the eight ancient temples in Xuzhou, is located in Luotuoshan, east of Heping Bridge in Xuzhou. It has a history of more than 1600 years.

Zhulin temple was originally known as Qingyuan temple. Master Jingjian was invited to stay in xiqingyuan temple. Emperor mu of Jin Dynasty changed it into Zhulin temple. According to the biography of bhiksuni written by Liang chaobaochang in the Southern Dynasty, the first bhiksuni in China to be cut off according to the commandment was the Jingjian of Zhulin temple in Luoyang. Jingjian, a native of Pengcheng (today's Xuzhou), has a common surname of Zhong and a surname of Lingyi. Zhulin temple in Luoyang is the first monastery for female monks in China, while Zhulin temple in Xuzhou is the first Buddhist monastery in China.

Zhulin temple was opened to the public in September 2009, and master Mingdao was invited as abbot. In 2013, it became a national 3A scenic spot.

Brief introduction to temples

Zhulin temple, the first monastery for female monks in China, was founded and named by master Jingjian, the first bhiksuni in China, in Luoyang. Master Jingjian, a native of Xuzhou, was born in the late Western Jin Dynasty (291 AD). He became a monk at the age of 24 and passed away at the age of 70.

In order to commemorate his achievements, Xuzhou rebuilt the Qingyuan temple on the lion mountain in the eastern suburbs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty into a bamboo forest temple, which has a history of 1600 years.

It is reported that Sakyamuni, the Buddha, once went to a small country called Jiemo Buddha in Tianzhu to promote Buddhism. The king was so happy that he converted to Buddhism, sent bamboo groves to Buddha, and built temples in bamboo groves for Buddha to live in. The Buddha named this place "Zhulin jingshe", also known as "Zhulin Temple".

Main symbols

Master Jingjian named the temple "Zhulin Temple". On the one hand, it refers to the place where the Buddha preached. On the other hand, it is also because bamboo is a symbol of integrity.

Zhulin temple was abandoned and built repeatedly in the past dynasties, until the Japanese invaders invaded China in the middle of last century. Zhulin temple was plundered wantonly, and the millennium old temple was destroyed. In 2004, Xuzhou municipal Party committee and government respected history, complied with public opinion, and restored and rebuilt Zhulin temple.

Main building

Zhulin Temple mainly consists of five groups of buildings, including the main hall at the top of the mountain, Guanyin Pavilion, China's first bhiksuni memorial hall, Zhulin temple jingjiannvke, three stele pavilions, North and South Mountain gates, which reproduce the deep and quiet artistic conception of Zhulin temple.

Completed and opened in September 2009, master Mingdao was invited to abbot, effectively showing the style of China's famous temples.

After his visit, poet Wang Xinjian wrote a poem "Zhulin Temple": "in the ancient bamboo temple, the sound of bamboo is loud, the green clouds cover the lion mountain, the thousands of hectares of fertile land yield good wishes, and the thousands of poles repair the peace.". The clouds are rolling, the clouds are relaxing, the country is compassionate, and people come to the Bodhi Garden. It was originally a meditation to plant bamboo

Historical status

Zhulin temple in Xuzhou has an important historical position. The newly built Zhulin temple is located in Luotuo mountain, north of Xuzhou Han culture scenic spot. It covers an area of about 350 mu, with a construction area of 4000 square meters and a total investment of about 150 million yuan. It is a typical "mountain temple". The main hall at the top of the mountain, the Guanyin Pavilion, the memorial hall of China's first bhiksuni, three stele pavilions, and the north and South Mountain gates. It is the main part of the second phase project of the Han culture scenic spot. The project will make full use of the existing natural terrain and natural environment to plan the building group of Zhulin temple as a whole, and reproduce the deep and quiet artistic conception of Zhulin temple.

The future development of Zhulin temple will be based on the five major cultural construction, including special training, agricultural Zen experience, social charity, sightseeing and performing arts, and international exchanges, with supporting facilities improved.

Tour route

From the south gate, there are three reasons

If you are the first time to come to the Han culture scenic spot, it is suggested that you go up from the Nanshan gate. There are three reasons: Zhulin Temple scenic area is located in the north of Han culture scenic area. After browsing the first phase of the landscape, your location is just at the Nanshan gate; second, from the Nanshan gate, according to the design of the building location, it is convenient for you to understand the Zhulin Temple culture step by step; third, considering the physical strength, you need to climb the mountain to visit Zhulin temple.

The square in front of the Nanshan gate is the Dharma phase of master Jingjian. Inside and outside the base, there are 24 lotus petals, symbolizing a 24-year-old monk. The Nanshan gate is a temple style, with two vajras worshipped. There was only one Vajrayana in early Buddhism. Later, Chinese people liked symmetry, so they added another. Their duties are similar to those of the guard captain of the guard room. Walking up is the temple of heavenly king. Maitreya is worshipped in the middle. Maitreya is shaped according to the appearance of this monk in Fenghua, Ningbo during the Five Dynasties.

Folklore

According to legend, monk Qiben is an expert in weather forecast. As long as people see him wearing wet cloth shoes, it will rain the next day. After the temple of heavenly king, it is the three holy halls. This is mainly a place for family members to chant Buddhism and practice. The hall is dedicated to the "three saints of the west", Amitabha and his left and right flanks to serve Guanyin Bodhisattva and dashizhi Bodhisattva.

From the three holy halls to the west, there are Liu Ying and Zuo Rong Memorial Pavilion, both of whom have made contributions to Buddhism in Xuzhou. Liu Ying, the son of Liu Xiu, the king of Chu, believed in Buddhism in his later years, which created a situation of Buddhism spreading in the eastern coastal area with Xuzhou as the center, and also made Xuzhou one of the earliest cities where Buddhism was introduced into China. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, after he failed to take part in the Huangjin uprising, he took refuge in Xuzhou governor Tao Qian. He believed in Buddhism and built a Buddhist temple during his tenure. The size of the temple can accommodate thousands of people. On one side of the memorial Pavilion is the bell and Drum Tower. The beating method of Buddhist temple bell and drum is particular. The so-called morning bell and evening drum means that in the morning, the bell should be struck first and the drum should be used; in the evening, the drum should be struck first and the bell should be used. In the morning, the bell should be rung three times before dawn. Each time, there are 18 tight clocks, 18 slow clocks and three repeated times, a total of 108 times. Why 108? It is said that people have 108 kinds of troubles. When the bell rings 108, the troubles in the world will be eliminated.

291 steps, you can count up, it is the main hall, pick up the steps, a total of 291 steps, symbolizing the birth of master Jingjian in 291 ad. 291 steps, divided into seven sections. In the main hall of the main hall, Sakyamuni Buddha is worshipped. To the west, to the memorial hall of master Jingjian, there is a statue of master Jingjian. To the East, around the main hall to Guanyin Pavilion. Guanyin Pavilion is 23 meters high and equipped with stairs for visitors to view the whole scenic area and the main city. The transformation and greening of the whole mountain forest are mainly made of bamboo, with 150000 bamboo trees in succession.

After browsing the Guanyin Pavilion, you can go north, walk through the bamboo forest, pass under the north gate, and watch the north gate archway.

Reconstruction and expansion

Zhulin temple in Xuzhou is the first Buddhist temple of bhiksuni in China. It was built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Northern Wei Dynasty invaded the Southern Song Dynasty and was destroyed when it attacked Pengcheng. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, ordered the whole country to worship Buddhism, and the Zhulin temple was restored and expanded.

During the reign of Jiajing, it was destroyed by Japanese invaders. It was restored during the Longqing period. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty went down to Jiangnan to visit Zhulin temple to worship Buddha and expand it again, which further showed the style of famous Chinese temples. Zhulin temple is one of the eight major temples in Xuzhou. As early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the first Chinese Buddhist monk who was born in Xuzhou was invited to take charge of the Qingyuan temple in Xuzhou. When the emperor learned of this, he changed the name of Qingyuan temple to Zhulin temple. Then Zhulin temple in Xuzhou was known as the first bhiksuni dojo. Born in an official family at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, master Jingjian was diligent, knowledgeable, and good at piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was a versatile talented woman. She engaged in women's education together with her mother, so that people could grasp the wisdom of sages. She eventually became a monk and received precepts. She was the abbot of Daoism, which fully demonstrated the energy and positive role of women. Master Jingjian is the incarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the name of her Abbot's Taoist temple Zhulin Temple obviously has its inevitable relationship. In the Western Jin Dynasty, because of the expansion of empress Jia's selfish desire, she provoked the princes to fight for power and profit, which led to the "eight kings' rebellion" for 16 years. The Bodhisattva Guanyin was born in Xuzhou, which showed all kinds of women's experiences, especially the creation of Chinese bhiksuni, which gradually transformed the statue of Guanyin into the female image, and strengthened the female moral education.

The cultivation of women's virtue is the hope of the nation. Zhulin temple in Xuzhou will pay special attention to the demonstration and training of women's virtue cultivation, and actively contribute to social harmony, world peace, life and beauty.

Legalist activities

In the face of wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear radiation and other disasters in the world, master Mingdao, the abbot of Zhulin temple in Xuzhou, China's first bhiksuni Dojo, chose the auspicious day of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Christmas and held the national treasure of Weituo Bodhisattva, Starting from the mountain gate at Heping intersection of Zhulin temple, the nine steps of worshipping are to climb to the top of the mountain, and then walk around Guanyin pavilion to Daxiong hall. Then a grand prayer meeting is held to pray for the special protection of Bodhisattva Weituo with one arm, so as to alleviate the heavy disasters brought by natural and man-made disasters. At the same time of holding a series of activities, on March 23, 2011, master Mingdao invited the Bodhisattva to pray for the first time.

Because the statue of Bodhisattva Weituo in Zhulin temple is not only an ancient wooden statue with gold, but also has a vivid and vivid experience of rescuing disasters. It is the treasure of Zhulin temple.

There is a special legend about Bodhisattva Weituo in Zhulin Temple: in the late 1930s, during the war that should not have happened, the Japanese family from Lu'an Island, Kyushu, a talented student of Imperial University of Tokyo, yoshiichi Nakajima, came to China as an Army translator.

In May 1938, when the Japanese army occupied Xuzhou, the headquarters of Nakajima's troops were stationed in Zhulin temple. One night, Nakajima jiichi heard footsteps outside the window, so he got up to check, but no one was seen. He immediately went out to catch up with the footsteps and came to the bamboo forest in the backyard of the temple, but the footsteps were strange

Chinese PinYin : Zhu Lin Si