One of the eight old temples and monasteries dotted on the hill slopes of Badachu (Eight Great Sights), the Temple of Divine Light, was first built in the 8th century in the Tang Dynasty when it was named Dragon Spring Temple (Longquansi 龙泉寺). It was rebuilt and renamed Temple of Awakening Mountain in 1162, and changed to its present name in 1478.
The Temple of Divine Light is famous for its Buddha Tooth Pagoda which houses one of the teeth of Sakyamuni perserved after his cremation. The Zhaoxian Pagoda, located at the southeast corner of the Temple of Divine Lights was a multieave, thirteen-storey, octagonal brick structure. Since it was decorated with Buddhist statues and pagoda designs, it was also called Thousand-Buddhist-Statues Pagoda. The Temple of Divine Light was destroyed during the Eight Power’s invasion in 1900, and only the base of a pagoda named Pagoda for Inviting Immortals dating back to the Liao Dynasty, was left. When the site was cleared, a sandalwood box which contained the Buddha’s tooth, was found. According to a Buddhist sutra, after Sakyamuni’s death, two of his teeth were left in the world. One was taken to Sri Lanka, and the other was brought to China after passing through many hands. It was first taken to Xinjiang, and later during the fifth century, it was found in Nanji ng. It was taken to Chang’an during the Sui dynasty and later to Yanjing during the Five dynasties until it was finally cnshrined in Zhaoxian Pagoda.
Formally named Pagoda of the Tooth Relic of Buddha, it is the only great pagoda for the preservation of Buddhist relic tooth of Sakyamuni built after 1949. In 1949, sponsored by the Buddhist circles in China, preparations were made to build a pagoda at the Temple of Divine Light, second of the eight great sites in the Western Hills. Construction started in the summer of 1958 and was completed in the spring of 1964.
The new pagoda is 51 meters high, octagonal, and has 13 levels of eaves, similar to the original Zhaoxian Pagoda. Each side of its square platform is 2.7 meters high and 22 meters long. Like the multi-eave pagodas of the Liao and Jin dynasties, the pagoda was built on a huge pedestal with a prominent first storey topped by thirteen closely layered eaves. The internal structure of the pagoda has seven levels; the ground level has a secret room with stone tablets and Buddhist scriptures engraved on the four walls. Stone steps leading up to the main hall, where the relic tooth is kept, were built outside the room. The relic tooth preserved in a small gold pagoda in the middle of the hall. On the other levels are ceremonial articles, Buddhist statures, and Buddhist criptures.
The other seven temples at Badachu are Temple of Eternal Peace, Three Mountain Convent, Temple of Great Mercy, Hall of Dragon King, Temple of Pilgrimage Boundary, Cave of Treasured Pearl and Temple of Testimonial Results.
---------------------------------------------------------------Author: AmoyTrip.com--Temple of Divine Light
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com
没有评论:
发表评论