Caoshan Temple

Caoshan temple is located in Caoshan scenic spot, Chenfang village, South Township of Yihuang County, 64 kilometers southwest of Fuzhou City. Caoshan temple covers an area of 52 mu, with more than 400 mu of surrounding forest. It is one of the five major sects of Zen Buddhism in China. According to the records of Kuaiji annals of Jiatai in the Southern Song Dynasty, Shanyin county annals of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty, and Shanyin Tianle annals of the Republic of China, Caoshan temple was first built in the fourth year of Qiande in the Northern Song Dynasty (996), named Mituo temple; in the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1008), it was granted as the benedictory courtyard; in Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1646), the monk Qiyuan raised money to rebuild it, and now it is Caoshan Temple (Caoshan Baoji Temple).

Caoshan Baoji Temple

synonym

Caoshan Temple generally refers to Caoshan Baoji temple

Located in Yihuang County, Jiangxi Province, Caoshan Baoji temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty (870-873 A.D.). Created by Zen master Benji, a disciple of Qingyuan law system of Nanyue Buddhism, it is one of the five major sects of Chinese Buddhism - the ancestral court of caodong sect. It is an ancient temple in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of 1200 years. There are comprehensive records in three ancient books: Cihai, China tourism culture dictionary and religion dictionary. Caoshan temple is rich in cultural tourism resources. After construction and restoration, Caoshan temple will become a first-class Buddhist Academy, Buddhist research, sightseeing and worship in the south of the Yangtze River.

Historical evolution

According to the dictionary of China's tourism culture, the ancestor Ben Ji, whose surname is Huang and whose name is Yuanzheng, is Fujian Province Putian, 19 years old, became a monk in Lingshan, Fujian Province, and received precepts at 25 years old. He got the true biography of Zen master Liangjie, a eminent monk in Dongshan, Yifeng, Jiangxi Province, and came to Yihuang to promote the patriarchal clan. He was famous all over the world in Caoshan, known as "caodong sect", and one of the five major sects of Chinese Zen Buddhism. Therefore, Caoshan Baoji temple is known as "caodong sect". According to the records of Yihuang County annals and religious Dictionary of song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are more than 1000 monasteries and tens of millions of followers in China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Korea. Historical records: in the 16th year of Jiading in the Song Dynasty (1207 AD), the Japanese monk Daoyuan (Master Chengyang) came to China to attend Zen. He worshipped the 13th generation patriarch of caodong sect, master Rujing, as his teacher for three years. He returned to Japan to build Yongping temple as the basic Daoism field to spread caodong sect. The legal system has multiplied. Up to now, there are more than 8 million believers and more than 15000 temples. Zen master Benji preached Dharma in Caoshan for 31 years, with over 100 disciples and thousands of followers. After his death in 901, he was buried in the Phoenix shaped pit on the west side of Caoshan temple. He was 62 years old. In 1743, Emperor Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty was granted the title of "Zen master of dingzang Yuanzheng", and the ancestral pagoda was restored in 1983.

Since the early Qing Dynasty, temples have been declining. In the Republic of China, only some temples and a few Buddha statues were destroyed. In 1969, all the temples were destroyed. In 1982, Caoshan Temple ushered in the opportunity of recovery and began the new period of the revival of ancestral court. Since 1999, more than 20 white and Han jade Buddha statues have been invited in from home and abroad, becoming the most complete Temple of jade Buddha in Jiangxi Province. As early as 1985, the provincial government listed Caoshan Baoji temple and Benji Chan Master's tomb as the first batch of scenic spots in the province. In August 1994, the county people's Government approved the opening of Caoshan temple to the outside world. In October 2003, Yihuang County Government invited Master Xin Liang, director of the National Buddhist Association, to be the abbot of the temple. Master Xinliang attracted a group of Dade Jushi such as Yang Zhao, chairman of Hong Kong Xuri group, to Caoshan temple. They decided to give financial, material and human support for the reconstruction of the temple, and build Caoshan temple into a Buddhist Taoist temple with Zen teaching as the main part and sightseeing as well. The exploration, planning and design work for the reconstruction of Caoshan Temple by Shanxi Institute of ancient architecture protection, which is engaged by Hong Kong Xuri group, has been completed in an all-round way. The construction of teaching building and Zhaitang has been completed and put into use.

geographical position

Located in Yihuang County, Jiangxi Province, Caoshan Baoji temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty (870-873 A.D.). Created by Zen master Benji, a disciple of Qingyuan law system of Nanyue Buddhism, it is one of the five major sects of Chinese Buddhism - the ancestral court of caodong sect. It is an ancient temple in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of 1200 years. There are comprehensive records in three ancient books: Cihai, China tourism culture dictionary and religion dictionary. Caoshan temple is rich in cultural tourism resources. After construction and restoration, Caoshan temple will become a first-class Buddhist Academy, Buddhist research, sightseeing and worship in the south of the Yangtze River.

Address: Yihuang County

Longitude: 116.114319

Latitude: 27.557815

Chinese PinYin : Cao Shan Si