Jiangsu Province 江 苏 省 简 介 - Tianning (Heavenly Tranquillity) Temple 天宁寺

Located within the city, Tianning Temple was first built in the period 901 to 904 in the Tang Dynasty and was acclaimed as “Number One Monastery in Southeast China” since the Ming Dynasty. It is a Buddhist temple. The temple encompasses 8.66 hectares (21.39 acres) and received its present name in 1111 in the Northern Song Dynasty. Nowadays, in the temple there are Mahavira Hall (the Great Temple of Powerful Treasure), Hall of Buddha’s Warriors, Hall of Samantabhadra (Puxian or Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence), Hall of Manjusri (Bodhisattva of Wisdom, or Wenshu in Chinese), Hall of Avolokitesvara (the Hermaphroditic Guanyin, also described as a Bodhisattva of Great Mercy), and Hall of 500 Arhats. All of these halls were reconstructed in the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty came to Changzhou on his south tours and visited Tianning Temple three times, making incense offering, inscribing a horizontal placard of “Dragon City Buddhism” and the couplets. Every day lots of pilgrims, young and old, come in and kowtow before them with offerings of incense, which presents mysterious atmosphere. Since 1949, some costly renovations have been done and the Chinese Government has listed the temple as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation. It is now not only a functional temple, but also a tourist attraction.

China’s tallest pagoda started in 2001

A 153.79-meter-tall pagoda, the tallest pagoda in China at the Tianning (Heavenly Peace) Temple has been built. The pagoda was completed in 2004 at a cost of 150 million yuan (US $ 18 million).

Buddhist Temples 佛寺

Most of the temples in China today are Buddhist. Buddhism originated in India around the 6th or 5th century BC, based on the teachings of the historical figure, Gautama or Prince Siddhartha, also known as Sakyamuni (the wise one of the Sakya tribe). A later form of Buddhism, known as Mahayana (Greater Vehicle), reached China in the 1st century AD and flourished particularly in the centuries up to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Many different sects developed in China, the most famous being the Chan (Chinese for Zen) sect禅宗, which has some similarities to (Daoism /Taoism).

Chinese Buddhism has a substantial pantheon based on several tiers of divine beings. At the highest level are the Buddhas, who have already achieved perfection and dwell in Nirvana. Chief among them is Sakyamuni, who is usually depicted sitting in meditation or sometimes in a recumbent position signifying his entrance into Nirvana (The state of absolute blessedness, characterized by release from the cycle of reincarnations and attained through the extinction of the self). He is often shown as the central figure in one of several trinities. One is the trinity of the three ages: the Buddha of the Present is Sakyamuni; the Buddha of the Past is Kasyapa迦叶佛; and the Buddha of the Future is Maitreya弥勒佛 . A second trinity often found in Chan temples is formed with Sakyamuni释迦牟尼 , Amitabha阿弥陀 and Blaisajyaguru药师佛 (the Bodhisattva of Pharmacy). A third trinity has Sakyamuni flanked by Vairocana禆卢遮那佛 standing for the law or doctrine and Locana卢舍那佛 symbolizing the priesthood.

On the second level are the Bodhisattvas, beings who have achieved perfection but who remain in this world to relieve suffering and lead others to salvation. Maitreya, the Bodhisattva (“one destined for enlightenment”) of the Future, is a particularly popular figure in this world. Maitreya, the deity who, though now still a Bodhisattva, will in the next cycle descend to earth as the Buddha; to the Chinese he has become milefo 弥勒佛, the pot-bellied ‘god of wealth’ who sits grinning at the entrance of every temple. Known to the West as the “Laughing Budha” or the “Big Belly Buddha,” he is usually depicted smiling broadly and with his ample chest and belly exposed. Another extremely popular Bodhisattva is Avalokitesvara (“the Lord who looks down [in mercy]”, known to the Chinese as Guanyin 观音, the Goddess of Mercy. The other three Bodhisattvas commonly found depicted in Chinese temples are Wenshu文殊 (Manjusri) the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, who usually rides a lion; Puxian 普贤(Samantabhadra), the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevloence, who rides a white elephant, and Dizang (Ksitigarbha or the Bodhisattva of the Earth).)

The third group is the (luohan 罗汉) arhats, who have been commanded to stay in this world and preach the doctrines of the Buddha. They are usually shown in a group of sixteen or of eighteen (including the eminent Chinese monk Xuan Zang [602-664]).

Apart from these three groups there are also various tutelary gods, guardian spirits and the patriarchs of different Buddhist sects.

The Chinese Buddhist temples usually consist of a group of central halls arranged on a south-north axis, separated into courtyards and with lesser buildings flanked in the east and west. Entering the forecourt through the main gate, and passing by the drum and bell towers on either side visitors are usually welcomed by a smiling Maitreya Buddha in a small hall or chapel, over whom the four Heavenly Kings or Devarajas 四大天王stand guard. Behind the altar and facing the inner courtyard is Weituo韦驮 (Skanda塞建陀), the head of the heavenly guards, who is usually depicted as very fierce and who holds a Vajra金刚杵 (a symbol of might). In this position he could guard the inner sanctuary without frightening away visitors. The main hall or sanctuary, in the second courtyard, often houses one of the Buddha trinities. Other halls behind may be dedicated to the patron Buddha, Bodhisattva or patriarch of the temple. A two-storeyed library for the Tripitaka藏经 (the whole collection of Buddhist texts) often stands at the rear. The courtyards are often paved and set with fine old trees, shrubs and ponds; steles, ding (tripods) and other antique and beautiful objects also decorate the temples and courtyards. Behind the main temples are the residence of the abbots. Meditation rooms, and the rear, often a big pagoda.

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