|
|
Buddha Statues In China And Japan
Many countries have their own collections of buddha statues of different sizes and in different locations. Some of the Buddha statues in China can be seen at the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province and at Dazu in Sichuan Province; two completely different locations. One of the buddha statues in China, on a less grander scale to the buddha statues at Shaolin and Dazu, is the one at Zhong Shang Park in Longzhou, which was once buried by the local people, for safe-keeping during war time. The Laughing Buddha Statue has now been returned to the cave near the river, reached by a flight of steps.
Click any Buddha Statues links below for the relevant page which will open in a new window.
BUDDHA STATUES
SHAOLIN TEMPLE
During October and November 2003, the Shaolin Temple was the venue for a series of 49 Buddhist ceremonies. Abbots came to the Shaolin Temple from 49 other Temples to conduct the Buddhist ceremonies including the act of placing lit incense sticks on the Shrine, the ceremonies being performed on 49 different days. The purpose of the Buddhist ceremonies was to raise funds to support orphaned children and poor people. The Buddhist Mantras were performed by the Shaolin Temple Monks in the Library Hall where Guan Yin reclines on the Buddha Shrine, decorated with many Buddhist artefacts.
Outside the hall many visitors gathered to witness the ceremonies, including members of the respective Abbot's entourage, who joined in with the chanting of the Mantras. On some days, when the entourage included a phototographer, he would film his Abbot as he performed the Buddhist Ceremonies.
|
|
BUDDHA STATUES
DAZU
The Baoding Buddha Crescent, with niches and small caves, containing thousands of statues, was completed in the year 1249, taking about 70 years. The work was directed by a Song Dynasty monk named Zhao Zhifeng. Besides the Buddha statue, there are carvings of mountains, trees and people. A mother gives birth, and a son gets married. The Buddha site has a spiritual atmosphere rather than a religious one.
The largest stone carving in the Baoding Grotto is that of the sleeping Buddha entering the state of Nirvana . The sculpture is about 100 feet long and 20 feet high, but only the upper part of the body is visible. The sculpture of the Sleeping Buddha, dominates the valley scene making the attendant images of disciples, ordinary people, and animals, look very small. This is a World Heritage Site.
|
|
BUDDHA STATUES
LONGZHOU
In 1990, during a visit to Zhong's family in Longzhou, we went to Zhong Shan Park, which is near the river, and my friends took me to see the statue of the Buddha in a cave. The statue is of the Laughing Buddha looking very plump but very happy with his lot. On the rock face of the cave were some inscriptions in Chinese characters, but the translation is not available.
My friends told me about some of the gruesome events that had taken place at the river side during the conflict involving the occupation of a foreign army. When the invading army was seen to be getting closer to Longzhou a decision was made to remove the Laughing Buddha from the cave and have it buried for safekeeping. It was only after the end of occupation that the statue of the Buddha was unearthed and returned to the cave.
|
|
BUDDHA STATUES
LINKS
Quote...........,
"Kamakura was the shogun's capital from 1192 to 1333 when Minamoto Yoritomo established the Kamakura government. Kamakura is in the prefecture of Kanagawa and is about an hour from Tokyo by train. Kamakura has over 100 temples and is most known for the famous landmark, Daibutsu, the Great Buddha."
|
|
There are Buddha statues to be seen in most places that you are likely to travel to in China. There are likely to be a number of Buddha statues in the temples and even in homes.
" "
A common misconception among Westerners views the Buddha as the Buddhist counterpart to “God”; Buddhism, however, is non-theistic (i.e., in general it does not teach the existence of a supreme creator god or depend on any supreme being for enlightenment; the Buddha is a guide and teacher who points the way to nirvana). The commonly accepted definition of the term "God" describes a being that not only rules but actually created the universe. Such ideas and concepts are disputed by the Buddha and Buddhists in many Buddhist discourses.
" " "
Src: Wikipedia
|
|
*****
*****
|
