Forthousandsofyears,thecoexistenceofmultireligions,mutualprosperityandprosperityintheoldGuangzhouCityhavedemonstratedthebroadmindofthesouthGuangdong.Allkindsofreligionstakerootinthiscity,whichhasawonderfulbeginningformodernpeopletotracetheirrootsandasktheirancestors.AndthemoreintelligentLingnanscholarssincerelysigh:"ratherthanthedaoyuepeople'sadmirationforDharmaZenmasterandthesixthancestorHuineng,theyaremorefamiliarwiththeallusionsderivedfromthem."
Isn'tthatright?Perhaps,withalittleexperience,Xiguanpeoplecanpointouttheexactlocationof"thebirthplaceoftheWest--theancientcoast"bythenarrow,old,popularandnoisystonestreetswithoutthinking.Becausetheanecdotesandanecdotesburiedinthemareinterestingforgenerations,and"thebirthplaceofthewest"isthetreasureofXiguanpeople'slongcompanions.ThereisastonetabletonXiajiuRoad,whichsays"cometotheancientshorefromthewest"-thisistocommemoratetheIndianDharmamonk'seastwardmissiontoChina.
That'sastoryofalongtimeInthe1920s,intheordinaryyearsofEmperorWuofLiangDynasty(520-527),thatis,inthesouthernandNorthernDynastiesperiodwhentheancientpoem"PeacocksFlysoutheastandwanderfiveli",theareaalongXiajiuroadwasanancientcoastwithwavesandwater.InordertospreadBuddhism,Dharma,thethirdsonofthekingofTianzhu,traveledacrosstheocean.Afterthreeyearsofhardsailing,hefinallyarrivedinGuangzhouCityinthe620s.Dharmalandedatxiuyifangwharf.Atthattime,thesceneof"Buddhismlanding"mustbequitespectacular.
AfterDharma,thefounderofZenBuddhism,cametoChina,peoplebuiltamissionarybuildingnearXiuyisquare,calledXilaitemple.Today,thenamesofxilaizhengstreet,xilaixistreetandxilaidongstreetinXiajiuroadareallnamedinmemoryofDharmaChan'spreaching,andarealsorelatedtothenameofxilaian.Dharma,thefounderofFengshenXiaoshu,camefromtheeastofIndia,preachedBuddhistscripturesandbroadcastalmsinXilaitemple,whichplayedanimportantroleinenlighteningtheestablishmentofChineseZenBuddhism.LaterbelieversrespecteddharmaastheancestorofChineseZenBuddhism,sotheycalledhislandingplace"Xilaibirthplace"andXilaiTemple"XilaiTemple".
Forthousandsofyears,thecoexistenceofmultireligions,mutualprosperityandprosperityintheoldGuangzhouCityhavedemonstratedthebroadmindofthesouthGuangdong.Allkindsofreligionstakerootinthiscity,whichhasawonderfulbeginningformodernpeopletotracetheirrootsandasktheirancestors.AndthemoreintelligentLingnanscholarssincerelysigh:"ratherthanthedaoyuepeople'sadmirationforDharmaZenmasterandthesixthancestorHuineng,theyaremorefamiliarwiththeallusionsderivedfromthem."
Isn'tthatright?Perhaps,withalittleexperience,Xiguanpeoplecanpointouttheexactlocationof"thebirthplaceoftheWest--theancientcoast"bythenarrow,old,popularandnoisystonestreetswithoutthinking.Becausetheanecdotesandanecdotesburiedinthemareinterestingforgenerations,and"thebirthplaceofthewest"isthetreasureofXiguanpeople'slongcompanions.ThereisastonetabletonXiajiuRoad,whichsays"cometotheancientshorefromthewest"-thisistocommemoratetheIndianDharmamonk'seastwardmissiontoChina.
That'sastoryofalongtimeInthe1920s,intheordinaryyearsofEmperorWuofLiangDynasty(520-527),thatis,inthesouthernandNorthernDynastiesperiodwhentheancientpoem"PeacocksFlysoutheastandwanderfiveli",theareaalongXiajiuroadwasanancientcoastwithwavesandwater.InordertospreadBuddhism,Dharma,thethirdsonofthekingofTianzhu,traveledacrosstheocean.Afterthreeyearsofhardsailing,hefinallyarrivedinGuangzhouCityinthe620s.Dharmalandedatxiuyifangwharf.Atthattime,thesceneof"Buddhismlanding"mustbequitespectacular.
AfterDharma,thefounderofZenBuddhism,cametoChina,peoplebuiltamissionarybuildingnearXiuyisquare,calledXilaitemple.Today,thenamesofxilaizhengstreet,xilaixistreetandxilaidongstreetinXiajiuroadareallnamedinmemoryofDharmaChan'spreaching,andarealsorelatedtothenameofxilaian.Dharma,thefounderofFengshenXiaoshu,camefromtheeastofIndia,preachedBuddhistscripturesandbroadcastalmsinXilaitemple,whichplayedanimportantroleinenlighteningtheestablishmentofChineseZenBuddhism.LaterbelieversrespecteddharmaastheancestorofChineseZenBuddhism,sotheycalledhislandingplace"Xilaibirthplace"andXilaiTemple"XilaiTemple".
ThisnunnerydatesbacktoSui,Tang,song,yuan,MingandQingDynasties,andtherearemanylanterns.Inthe12thyearofShunzhi(1655A.D.),ZenmasterZongfufirstbuiltthemainhall,thenbuiltthePavilionHall,andchangedXilaitempleto"HualinTemple".ThetemplewasoneofthefourBuddhistforestsinGuangzhouatthattime.
Inthe29thyearofDaoguang(1849),theabbotofthetemple,monkZhiyuan,begantobuilda500arhathall.Sittinginthenorthandsouth,ithasawaterpolishedgreenbrickwall,agranitefootwall,ahardtop,agrayplastictileridge,aLuHuitube,andaglasshookonthecornice.Theplaneisintheshapeofafield,withawidthof31metersandadepthof44meters.InadditiontoofferingthethreetreasuresBuddha,500claystatuesofArhatswithdifferentexpressionsarealsodisplayed.
ThefivehundredArhatsareresplendentinshape,posture,expressionandcharacter.Theyareallalike.Theycanbeseeninmeditationoringames.Theiractionsandactionsshowthecharacters'character.Theyaresuperb.AmongthemisawoodenstatueofMarcoPolo,anItaliantraveler,whichisnowintheCorellMuseuminVenice.Infrontofthe500arhathall,thereisasevenstoreywhitemarblerelictowerbuiltin1701,the40thyearofKangxi.ItsexquisiteshapeandexquisiteworkmanshipareuniqueinGuangzhou.
FivehundredArhatsweredestroyedinthe"CulturalRevolution".InJune1986,thetemplewasreopenedafterbeingrebuilt,andfundswereraisedtorebuildthefivehundredArhats.Luohantangisnowamunicipalculturalrelicprotectionunit.
Uptonow,Hualintempleisstillfullofincense.AlthoughthereareonlyafewfaithfulmenandwomenwhoactuallytwistBuddhistbeadsandrecitescriptures,manycitypeoplestillhaveacommonheartofprayingforblessingsonthefirstandthefifteenthdayofthelunarnewyear.Theyburnincenseinthetemple,kowtow,chantscriptures,spendaspiritualSunday,andenjoyacleanspiritinthedust.Inthetemple,500LuoChongsitsuprightinrows,lifelikeandlifelike.Sittinginthecorridorofthetemple,heisquietandquiet.InthesilentpoweroftheBuddha,heshowshiscompassionateviewofhumanfeelings.ThisisatreasurethatCantonesepeopleenjoycounting.ItisashadowofZenandapurelandinthebustlingandvulgarworld.Inthetranscendentandmysteriousatmosphere,ithasaccumulatedalonghistoryofQinpiChenxiangandhumanfeelings.ThisnunnerydatesbacktoSui,Tang,song,yuan,MingandQingDynasties,andtherearemanylanterns.Inthe12thyearofShunzhi(1655A.D.),ZenmasterZongfufirstbuiltthemainhall,thenbuiltthePavilionHall,andchangedXilaitempleto"HualinTemple".ThetemplewasoneofthefourBuddhistforestsinGuangzhouatthattime.
Inthe29thyearofDaoguang(1849),theabbotofthetemple,monkZhiyuan,begantobuilda500arhathall.Sittinginthenorthandsouth,ithasawaterpolishedgreenbrickwall,agranitefootwall,ahardtop,agrayplastictileridge,aLuHuitube,andaglasshookonthecornice.Theplaneisintheshapeofafield,withawidthof31metersandadepthof44meters.InadditiontoofferingthethreetreasuresBuddha,500claystatuesofArhatswithdifferentexpressionsarealsodisplayed.
ThefivehundredArhatsareresplendentinshape,posture,expressionandcharacter.Theyareallalike.Theycanbeseeninmeditationoringames.Theiractionsandactionsshowthecharacters'character.Theyaresuperb.AmongthemisawoodenstatueofMarcoPolo,anItaliantraveler,whichisnowintheCorellMuseuminVenice.Infrontofthe500arhathall,thereisasevenstoreywhitemarblerelictowerbuiltin1701,the40thyearofKangxi.ItsexquisiteshapeandexquisiteworkmanshipareuniqueinGuangzhou.
FivehundredArhatsweredestroyedinthe"CulturalRevolution".InJune1986,thetemplewasreopenedafterbeingrebuilt,andfundswereraisedtorebuildthefivehundredArhats.Luohantangisnowamunicipalculturalrelicprotectionunit.
Uptonow,Hualintempleisstillfullofincense.AlthoughthereareonlyafewfaithfulmenandwomenwhoactuallytwistBuddhistbeadsandrecitescriptures,manycitypeoplestillhaveacommonheartofprayingforblessingsonthefirstandthefifteenthdayofthelunarnewyear.Theyburnincenseinthetemple,kowtow,chantscriptures,spendaspiritualSunday,andenjoyacleanspiritinthedust.Inthetemple,500LuoChongsitsuprightinrows,lifelikeandlifelike.Sittinginthecorridorofthetemple,heisquietandquiet.InthesilentpoweroftheBuddha,heshowshiscompassionateviewofhumanfeelings.ThisisatreasurethatCantonesepeopleenjoycounting.ItisashadowofZenandapurelandinthebustlingandvulgarworld.Inthetranscendentandmysteriousatmosphere,ithasaccumulatedalonghistoryofQinpiChenxiangandhumanfeelings.