Ashokang Temple

Asoka temple was built in the Western Jin Dynasty. It is known as the "six great and eight auspicious" sample site. It has been ranked among the five Zen mountains in the world. It is the only existing Millennium Temple named after Asoka in China. There is a famous Buddhist relic Pagoda in the temple. In the temple, there are only two yuan pagodas in the whole province, and inscriptions of Tang, song, Ming, Qing, Republic of China and modern times. Among them, the most precious are the stele of the permanent residence of ashokang temple, the stele of chenkuige and the inscription of miaoxiquan.

Ashokang Temple

Asokang temple is located at the foot of Taibai Mountain in Baozhuang, Wuxiang Town, Yinzhou District, Ningbo City. It was built in 282 A.D., the third year of Emperor Wu of the Western Jin Dynasty, and has a history of more than 1700 years.

Asokang temple, known as the "southeast Buddhist kingdom", is a famous Buddhist temple and the "fifth mountain" of Chinese Buddhism. It is also the only existing Millennium Temple in China named after Asoka of India. The temple is famous for its collection of Sakyamuni's real relic and exquisite relic pagoda. In 1984, it was announced by the State Council as "the key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area of China".

On May 25, 2006, as an ancient building from Yuan Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, asokang temple was approved by the State Council to be listed in the Sixth Batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Historical evolution

Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties

Ashokang temple was founded in 282, the third year of Taikang in Western Jin Dynasty. According to the records of ashokang temple in Mingzhou by Wanli of Ming Dynasty, in the third year of Taikang, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, when Liu Sahe, a stone man in Bingzhou, was critically ill, he dreamed that a Buddhist monk signaled to pass. Su was a monk in xuangaiye, and his name was Huida. According to his dream, he sought for a pagoda. When he arrived at wushiao, he heard the bell clanging underground, and dedicated himself to worshiping and chanting scriptures. Three days and three nights later, the pagoda gushed out from the ground, and the light was shining. Its shape is cyan, stone like and non stone. It is 1 foot 4 inches high and 7 inches wide. It is decorated with five layers and four corners. Huida built the road here. This is the beginning of the foundation of Asoka temple.

In the first year of Yixi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (405), the relic pagoda was moved to the present site from Huida jiemao feeding place in wushi'ao. The pagoda pavilion was built by Emperor an with 14 monks. It is the origin of the Relic Hall of King Ashoka.

In the second year of Yuanjia (425) of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty granted Daoyou, the abbot of the Song Dynasty, a Buddhist temple, a permanent residence, and 27 dusengs as guardians.

In the 12th year of Yuanjia (435), another pagoda temple was built. So far, Asoka temple has begun to take shape.

In the third year of Liang Dynasty (522), Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty ordered to expand the hall and house, and granted the "asokang Temple". The temple's forehead was written by Xiao Ziyun, a famous calligrapher in the Liang Dynasty.

In 540, Emperor Wu ordered that 500 taels of gold be appropriated to transform the futu into a five storey pagoda, and that bronze Buddha and iron tripod be cast, sutras be written, and the emperor asokang temple be exempted from the land tax. Thanks to the attention of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty, asokang Temple became famous all over the world. The pagoda was the first in China. Zhu YIZUN's postscript to the permanent residence field of asokang temple in Tang Dynasty was a famous person's conversion.

Tang and Song Dynasties

In 713, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty built the West pagoda temple.

In the third year of Yuanbao (744), Jianzhen's third eastward voyage failed. After Zhoushan, he once lived in ashokang temple. During this period, monks from Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Huzhou, Xuanzhou and other places came to the temple to ask monk Jianzhen to preach and receive precepts.

In the first year of Huichang (841), Emperor Wuzong of Tang Dynasty ordered the destruction of Buddhism, and the relic pagoda was filled into Yuezhou Treasury.

In the first month of the fourth year of Tang Dazhong (850), the relic pagoda was restored to Asoka temple, and 8000 monks and customs participated in the grand ceremony of worshiping the relic pagoda.

In 958, the temple was destroyed by fire.

In the sixth year of Kaibao (937) of song Taizu, it was restored.

In the first year of Xiangfu in Song Dynasty (1008), asokang temple was named as "asokang mountain Guangli Chan Temple" by the imperial court, and was expanded into a ten square Chan temple.

In the first year of Xining reign (1068), master Huailian of Dajue became the fifth chair. In the third year of Xining (1070), Huailian built chenkui Pavilion. He collected three handles of song Renzong's Yubi Jisong, Yushu 53 axis and Tuanshan. Yingzong issued a hand edict. Su Shi, a scholar, wrote chenkui Pavilion for it and wrote a handwritten inscription on it. Under the chairmanship of Huailian, the Asoka Temple accumulated talents for a while, and "the Dharma seats were prosperous and famous all over the world", showing an unprecedented resurgence.

During the reign of Jianyan (1127-1130) of the Southern Song Dynasty, the pagoda was welcomed to the palace. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty gave a plaque to the pagoda of light on the top of the Buddha.

In the 26th year of Shaoxing (1156), Zonggao received an imperial edict from the abbot of ashokang temple, "four apprentices, running from Sichuan to taoyong.". At that time, there were more than 6000 monks and foreign practitioners in Yuwang temple. Most of them were short of food. Zong Gao spread to Buddhist monk Deguang. There were more than 4000 mu of youshitian, which was called "auspicious Village".

In the first year of Chunxi (1174), Emperor Xiaozong sent an angel Li Yuwen to offer sacrifice to the forbidden area, and the abbot escorted him. Xiaozong paid homage to the relic for three times. He wrote the "Miaosheng hall" and granted it the title of "Miaozhi Zen master" and Qian wanluo. In Chunxi (1174-1189), Zhao Kai, the prefect of Mingzhou, built a pagoda with gold, and Fengan pagoda was in it.

During the reign of Jiading (1208-1224), the "five mountains and ten temples" of the "Chan yuan" were established. Asokang temple was listed as the fifth mountain of the "Five Mountains", which was as famous as Jingshan temple, Lingyin Temple, Jingci temple and Tiantong temple. At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, a fire broke out in the ashokang temple, and the relic tower was attached to the anbieyuan (ancient king Yu).

Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties

From the emperor Shizu of Yuan Dynasty to Yuanjian (1264-1294), the abbot ashokang temple was as stubborn as Gong, and the monks and Buddhists came to the temple in accordance with the law. As a result, Rugong Da built a hall to solve the problem of believers' accommodation, and acquired more than 1000 mu of Yu's tideland, known as "Guangli village".

In 1342, abbot ashokang Temple of Wuguang took back the land and gardens occupied by the powerful families, built ancestral hall, FA hall, Meng hall, and kuowu, and built Chengen pavilion with the silver granted by the imperial court.

In 1382, Zhu Yuanzhang named the "asokang Temple" as the fifth mountain of Zen in the world.

During the reign of Emperor Wanli (1537-1620), the Empress Dowager gave a copper pagoda to collect relics. At that time, the abbot Chuanping and the monks worked together to repair the hall of antler, erect the mountain gate, rebuild the hall of relic pagoda, the pavilion, the Zen hall and the white room of the monk's room, and restore the style of the famous temple.

In 1662, the temple was destroyed by fire. In 1680, the Buddhist FA Zhong was rebuilt.

In the middle period of Qianlong (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, the abbot Wan Quan was given purple cassock, dragon Satin Robe, palace satin, imperial tea, Dongguan incense, zidang, embroidered bag and other objects, as well as the imperial book "Heart Sutra" Volume 1, the great compassion and Dharma Sutra letter 1 and the plaque "Jue Xing Ju Yuan".

During the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908), more than 90 houses including Putong pagoda courtyard, Yangxin hall, Yunshui hall, lingju hall, Abbot's room and Tianwang hall were built in ashokang temple, and the adida pool was dredged, walls were built, and pines, cypresses, bamboos and plums were planted.

In the third year of Xuantong (1911), the main hall was rebuilt, which improved the architecture of Asoka temple.

After the Republic of China

From the first year to the fifth year of the Republic of China (1912-1916), the abbot Zong Liang rebuilt the Dabei Pavilion, the Zen hall, etc. all the Relic Hall and the Sutra collection building were covered with glazed tiles. In 1930, the temple of the heavenly king was accidentally burned. In 1932, the abbot Yuanqi rebuilt it.

During the cultural revolution, monks were demobilized, and temples became factories and barracks. In September 1988, after the Third Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the temple was returned to the monks for management. The government allocated more than 600000 yuan to start the comprehensive renovation of asokang temple, with Tongyi monk as the consultant. After the renovation, the central axis of asokang temple was basically rebuilt as it was, and the lower tower was also rebuilt.

On January 10, 2003, a ceremony was held at Asoka temple to mark the opening of five hundred Arhats and the ascent of great monk Jieyuan. At present, many famous traditional Dharma associations, such as the seventh Dharma Association of Chan, the three altar Dharma teaching association, and the qiansengzhai Dharma Association, are held every year in asokang temple.

Architectural features

Asokang temple now covers an area of 124100 square meters, with a construction area of 23400 square meters. There are more than 600 existing halls, halls, buildings and pavilions, which are built on the hillside. On the central axis, there are Shanmen, ershanmen, fangshengchi, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, Sheli hall, Fatang and cangjing building. On the right side, there are 361 rooms, such as Yunshui hall, Fufeng thatched cottage, shicuilou, zushi hall, Chengen hall, abbot hall, chenkui Pavilion, Liaofang, etc.; on the left side, there are 264 rooms, such as songguangzhai, bell tower, Shelidan, xianjue hall, Dabei Pavilion, etc. Daxiong hall was rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. On the hall, there is a plaque of Qianlong's book "Jue Xing Ju Yuan". The hall of relic was built in 1678, with double eaves, yellow glazed tiles and a stone pagoda. It is built with a pavilion inlaid with seven treasures. The pagoda is blue in color, with five floors and four corners, four windows and holes. Each floor is carved with a statue of Bodhisattva. A chime is hung on the top of the pagoda, and the relic beads are hung in it. In the temple, there are only two yuan pagodas in Zhejiang Province. They are of brick and wood structure, imitating the style of pavilions. They have six sides and seven floors. Each floor has a waist eaves and a flat seat. There are corridors around the bottom floor.

Cultural relics

Comprehensive

Architecture

Research value

The site of asokang Temple plays an important role in the history of Chinese Buddhism and the history of cultural exchange between China and Japan, especially because of the collection of Buddhas in the temple

Chinese PinYin : A Yu Wang Si