Prajna Temple

Prajna Temple

Prajna temple is located at 377 Changchun Street, Changchun City, Jilin Province. In 1923, master Dade shiruxu (Master Zhanshan) of Tiantai Sect of Buddhism came to Changchun to teach "Prajna Sutra", and then established a temple, named Prajna temple. Prajna temple was originally built in Xisi Road, Nanguan District. In 1931, he moved to the West Changchun Street for reconstruction. It was named "Huguo Prajna Temple" in 1934. Covering an area of 7200 square meters, the temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Changchun.

The origin of the name

Prajna (pinyin: B ō R ě), a Buddhist word, also known as "Borra", "Borra", etc., is fully known as prajntilde (Sanskrit: prajntilde; ā P ā ramit ā) or Prajna paramita. It is a transliteration of Pali pantilde; ntilde; ā, Sanskrit is prajntilde; ā, which means "wisdom". It's not the "wisdom" in everyday life, but refers to the supreme wisdom of seeing, listening and knowing everything. In order to be different from ordinary wisdom, transliteration is used instead of free translation. In view of this, the name of the temple should be banru temple, rather than banru temple.

Historical evolution

The temple was built in 1922. In 1923, master Dade shiruxu (Master Zhanshan) of Tiantai Sect of Buddhism came to Changchun to talk about "Prajna Sutra", and then created a temple. The temple was originally located in Xisi Road, Nanguan District, Shangbu District, and was named Prajna temple. In 1931, he moved to the West Changchun Street, now Changchun Street, Changchun City

Reconstruction.

Prajna temple was designed and supervised by the Construction Bureau of the puppet capital of China, and constructed by Sixian company of the people's office of China. The construction began in 1932. Because it is a traditional Chinese Buddhist building, the layout of traditional Chinese Buddhist temples is used in the design, and the practices of northern temple buildings are referred to. Individual cumbersome, perhaps due to the interpretation of traditional Chinese architectural culture barriers. But it may be the only large building designed and built by the Chinese at that time.

It was named "Huguo Prajna Temple" in 1934.

Huguo Prajna temple was built in the northeast of Datong square at that time, north of Changchun Street and east of Qingming Street. The whole courtyard is 78.9x174m rectangular, covering a total area of about 13700m2. After many times of renovation, it has a building area of 2700 square meters, which is the largest Buddhist building complex in Changchun.

During the Japanese puppet period in 1941, due to the implementation of the urban construction plan of Changchun City, the original temple was demolished, and a new temple was rebuilt at the current site. After the reconstruction, it was officially renamed the Huguo Prajna temple.

geographical position

Prajna temple is located in the northeast corner of people's Square in the center of Changchun. It is only about 100 meters away from the square. Changchun Street in the south, workers' Cultural Palace in the West and Qingming Street in the East.

building structure

Covering an area of 7200 square meters, the temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Changchun. The Mountain Gate of the temple is composed of three parallel arches. The eaves and corners of the gate tower fly up, and the construction is exquisite. The red wall on the side of the gate is written with the six characters "Amitabha Buddha in the South". The temple hall stands up, and the trees are in shade, which is magnificent. There are Drum Tower and bell tower on the left and right of the entrance. The front of the hall is the heavenly king hall. In the center of the hall, there are Maitreya Buddha statues. On both sides, there are four statues of heavenly king stepping on eight monsters, which are lifelike. There is a statue of Bodhisattva Wei Tuo at the back of the hall. The main hall is built behind the Tianwang hall, which is the center of the whole temple. The appearance of the hall is solemn and majestic, with crisscross brackets, high eaves, painted pillars, carved beams, beautiful color paintings, and resplendent. The center of the hall is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha, with eighteen Arhats on both sides; the back of the hall is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva; and then there is the Sutra library, which contains a large number of Buddhist classics. In front of the hall, green pines and cypresses, towering ancient trees, and red and Green Palace, it is particularly magnificent. There are also dozens of East and West rooms in the temple, including Zen hall, Zhaitang, living room, etc.

This is the Prajna temple in Changchun, which is called "great temple" by Changchun.

Prajna temple covers an area of 10000 to 40000 square meters, with a construction area of 2700 square meters. It is the largest Chinese Temple in Changchun. Entering the mountain gate, there is a bell tower in the East and a drum tower in the West. These two buildings are of peculiar design and exquisite workmanship. In case of important festivals, the bells will ring together here.

The temple is three stories deep. The first floor is Maitreya hall, in which the seated statue of Maitreya is worshipped. In front of the hall is a white marble tablet, The inscription records the detailed process of building the temple; the second floor is the main hall, which is the center of the whole temple and the largest building; the third floor is the western three saints hall, which is a two-story Xieshan style building. The upstairs is the Sutra collection building, and the downstairs is dedicated to the three saints of Amitabha, dashizhi and Guanyin. On both sides of the western three holy halls are the backyard side halls of the main hall. The east side hall is the Guanyin Bodhisattva hall, and the west side hall is the dizang Bodhisattva hall. Compared with the first two courtyards, the pines and cypresses here are towering. Birdsong around the beam creates a simple and mysterious religious atmosphere.

The backyard of the western three holy halls is the end of the Prajna temple. Outside the wall are the noisy roads and markets. There are three tower type buildings in this small courtyard: one in front is the memorial building of master Xu's 70th birthday; the other two are the relic towers of master Xu and master Pei, the first abbot of the temple.

Abbot of the temple

First term

In 1932, master Shu Pei came to Prajna temple and took over the temple construction project from master Shu Xu. Until 1936, the mountain gate, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall and Sutra collection building were completed one after another. In that year, the opening ceremony was held, and master Shu Xu was the first to preside over it. In 1936, Prajna temple also held its first Dharma preaching chamber, with more than 1300 people receiving Dharma preaching and more than 1300 people receiving Dharma preaching.

Since the founding of the people's Republic of China, Prajna temple has been the center of Buddhist activities in Jilin Province. Especially after Prajna temple was listed as a national key temple in 1983, Buddhist circles helped to renovate the temple as a Buddhist activity. At the beginning of every Buddhist Festival, Buddhists from all over the country gather in the temple to hold Buddhist activities such as Dharma meetings in accordance with Buddhist customs.

Second term

The second abbot of Prajna temple is master Shupei. In 1986, after master Shupei passed away, he was released as Abbot by his apprentice. In 1981, Master Cheng Gang studied in Qixiashan Buddhist College in Nanjing. After graduation, he returned to Prajna temple. Now he is abbot of Prajna temple and President of Jilin Buddhist Association.

In December 1989, Prajna Temple held the completion ceremony of master Shupei's pagoda and the Buddhist recitation meeting. The pagoda is made of white marble with a height of 3.5 meters and a base of 1.8 meters. It is surrounded by a lotus base. It is located behind the Sutra tower of Prajna temple. The spiritual bones of master pengpei are hidden in the pagoda. The shape of the pagoda is beautiful and solemn. The Dharma association was attended by Abbot Cheng Gang, elders of Zhushan and four disciples. The monks said that they should inherit Xie Lao's will, love the country and religion, and contribute to the establishment of a pure land in the world.

From September 7 to 22, 1991, the Buddhist Association of Jilin Province held a preaching ceremony in Prajna temple in Changchun. Monks and believers unanimously expressed that they should be patriotic and religious Buddhists and contribute to the prosperity of the country and the people's living and working in peace and contentment.

The third term

The current abbot of Prajna temple is Master Cheng Gang, a native of Changchun, Jilin Province. In 1980, he became a monk in Changchun Prajna temple. In 1981, he studied in Qixiashan Buddhist College in Nanjing. In 1986, he returned to Changchun Prajna temple as abbot. Social part-time job: executive director of China Buddhist Association, President of Jilin Province and Changchun Buddhist Association, member of Jilin provincial CPPCC Standing Committee. Prajna lecture hall was founded in 1992. In recent years, it has explained the Heart Sutra, Vajra Sutra, Lengyan Sutra and other classics, and expounded the Mahayana doctrine. From October 1996 to January 15, 1997, he was appointed by the Chinese Buddhist Association to teach the three altar Dharma Association in Guanghua temple, Putian. Elder Mingshan, elder Yicheng and master Chuanyin served as the three masters, and master Xuecheng, master Chenggang and master Miaohua served as the honorary witnesses.

Temple Fair

On the eighth, eighteenth and 28th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, believers hold temple fairs here, and tens of thousands of people come here for sightseeing.

Get honor

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

Human anecdotes

The story of Tan Yuling and "monk"

"Monk" is a good product of Clivia in Changchun. About its name, there is a classic story with Puyi and Tan Yuling. After the death of Tan Yuling in 1942, Puyi ordered a basin of Clivia to be placed in front of Tan Yuling's spirit in Huguo temple. After Tan Yuling was buried, the flower was not recovered. It was conserved by monk Puming of the Prajna Temple of the Huguo temple, and later spread among the people, so people called it "monk".

There is another saying about the origin of "monk". The cultivator of monk Clivia is not "monk", but a carpenter named Wu heting. In 1958, Wu heting transferred this Clivia to Wang Baolin, a teacher of Posts and Telecommunications School. The next year, Wang Baolin left a bud and sold it to monk Puming of Prajna temple. In 1963, Puming put it again

Chinese PinYin : Ban Ruo Si