湖北省施工合同

湖北省施工合同

ChineseBuddhisttemplesareneversinglebuildings.Theyalwaysconsistofagroupbuildingsfollowingafundamentalpatter,whichcan,however,bemodified.Themainbuildingsandtheirsymmetricallycorrespondingsecondarybuildingsformindividualgroupsandcourtyards.Theentiretempleplexisspacious.Thebuildinginsidetheplexareusuallysingle-storiedandthemainhallsaresometimesdecoratedwithadoubleroof.Thetowers,pavilionsandhallscanbemulti-storiedstructures.

TheChinesetempleplexhasbeensubjecttogreatstructuralchangesthroughoutthecenturies.ButtemplearchitectsfollowthebasicprinciplesofsecularstructuresfromtheTangDynastyonwards.Theplexesstandonacentralaxis,usuallyanorth-southaxis:east-westonlyasanexception.(GuiyuanTempleisjusttheveryexception.)Themainbuildingsarestrungalongthiscentralaxis,theirbroadestsidesfacingsouthoreast.

ThemostimportantandmostfrequentlypresentedbuildinginsideaBuddhisttempleplexarethemainentrancegate,thebellanddrumtowers,theHalloftheHeavenlyKings,theHalloftheBuddhaandapagoda.

BuddhismissaidtobefoundedinIndiainthe6thcenturyBCSiddathaGautama(BC565–BC486),thesonofanoblemanandmemberoftheKshatriyacastenearthepresentbordersofIndiaandNepal.BuddhismadvocatesthatallthepeoplearecreatedequalandturnsagainstthecastesystemofBrahmanism,soitwaspopularwiththemonpeople.

ItwassaidthatBuddhismwasspreadtoChinain2BC.Atthebeginning,itwasonlyregardedasakindofwitch.About200AD,ChineseversionofBuddhistscripturesbegantoappear,andthus,BuddhistdoctrinesbegantoemergewithtraditionalChinesereligiousthought.From2ndcenturytolate6thcentury,translationandresearchofBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicswerebeingmoreandmorepopularandmanytempleswerebuilt,whichreacheditspeakinSuiDynasty(581AD-617AD)andTangDynasty(618-907).SomeBuddhistsectswithChinesecharacteristicscameintobeing.BuddhismexertsagreatinfluenceonChinesephilosophy,literature,artandfolkcustoms.

WhatispresentedbeforeoureyesisacopperstatueofafamousbodhisattvainHynayanaBuddhism.BodhisattvaisatittlewhichisonlynexttoBuddha.ThisstatueistheimageofAvalokitesvara,whichhasbeenpopularwithChinesepeopleormorethan1,000years.SheiscalledtheGoddessofMercycordiallyChineseandisregardedasthesymbolofkindness,mercyandbenevolence.WhenwevisittheAvalokitesvaraPavilionafterawhile,Iwillgiveadetailedintroductionabouther.ThiscopperstatuewassenttoGuiyuanTemplebyTaiwanBuddhistsinSeptember1990.ItshowsthatallChinese,whetherinthemainlandorinTaiwan,areeagerforthereunionofthecountry,evenincludingreligionbelievers.

ThebuildingweseenowistheBuddhaHallwhereonecertainBuddhaandhistwoassistantbodhisattvasesareworshiped.ThisBuddhaisAmitabhaBuddha.Amitabhameansinparablebrightness.AccordingtoBuddhism,timeandspaceislimitlessandthustherearemanymanyBuddhasindifferentspacesandtimes.Butinacertainspaceorinacertainperiodoftime,thereisonlyonecertainBuddhawhoisinchargeofinstructingalllivingcreatures.AmitabhaBuddhaistheBuddhawhopresidesovertheLandofUltimateBlissinthewest,whichwilleinthefuture.BuddhistscripturesdescribetheLandofUltimateBlissasawonderland,inwhichnopainexistsandthepeopleenjoytheirlives.Inoneword,it’sveryattractive.Somepeoplewillthinkitmustbeverydifficulttoentersuchaworld.HowcanIgotosuchaparadise?MaybeIhavetoworkhardandbearalotofsufferings.Infact,it’sveryeasytoentertheworld.Heonlyneedoftenmurmur‘MayBuddhapreserveus’sincerely.It’senough.

Yousee,thestatueinthemiddleistheveryBuddha.OnhisleftistheGoddessofMercy.OnhisrightistheotherbodhisattvawhofollowstheBuddha.Itissaidthathecansaveallthelivingcreaturesfromthreekindsofterribledisasters.

Now,let’sstepintotheBuddhistscripturesPavilionwherethescripturesofBuddhismarekept.ButI‘mafraidwhatattractsourattentionatthefirstsightmustbethissnow-whitestatue.ItisastatueofSakyamuni,thefounderofBuddhism.Thisstatuewascarvedoutofabigpieceofjadewhichis2-meter-tallandweighs3tons.ItwascarvedbyMyanmarhandicraftsmenanddonatedtothetemplebytheRangoonBuddhistsin1935.

Ifwewatchthestatue,wemaysensethatthepeacefulexpressionontheBuddha’sfacehasbroughtustoaquietandharmoniousstate.

ThelastbuildingwewillvisitistheAvalokitesvaraPavilioninthenorthyard.Whenweenteredtheyardjustnowwesawastatueofher.NowI’dliketointroducehercarefully.

Asagoddess,shesworethatshewouldnotbeeaBuddhauntilallthelivingcreaturessufferingfrompainsweresaved.SoshebecameabodhisattvawhoismostpopularamongthepeopleandattractsthemostbelieversofallthegodsandgoddessesinBuddhism.Itwassaidthatonewouldbesavedfromtroubleanddisasteraslongashe(she)chantedhernameandifitwasheardbyher.ThussheiscalledGuanshiyin,whichmeans‘hearingorlookingonthevoicesofthesuffering’.Becauseofherkindheartandbenevolenceshegotanothertitle‘theGoddessofMercy’.

AccordingtoBuddhism,bodhisattvaseshavenodistinctionofsex,thatis,theyareneithermalenorfemale,becausetheyareimmortals.Butit’sverystrangeandinterestingthatmostofbodhisattvaseswereengravedorcarvedintheimagesofvariouskindsofmeninhumansociety.Changesdidn’ttakeplaceuntilanemperor’smotherthoughtitwasinconvenienttoworshipamalebodhisattvainherbedroom.Fromthenon,Guanshiyin,thebodhisattvasbegantoappearbeforeherbelieversintheimageofabeautifulandelegantlady.

We’llpayavisittoaveryserious,sacredplace.Generally,theplaceisregardedasthemostholybyBuddhists.ItistheGrandHall,wherethefounderofBuddhism,Sakyamuniisworshiped.ItisalwaysthecenterofaBuddhisttempleinconstructionandinBuddhists’mind.

ThestatueinthemiddleisSakyamuni.AccordingtoBuddhismhismothergavebirthtohiminagarden.HebelongedtoKshatreyaCaste.Hemarriedhiscousinwhenhewas16or17yearsold.Attheageof29,hewasconfrontedwiththesightsofanoldman,asickman,acorpse,andawanderingascetic.Witheyesopenedtoaspectsoflifenewlyrevealedtohim,hebrokefromthematerialworldandbecameanascetic.Sixyearslater,hegaveupmysticconcentrationthatatlastbroughthimenlightenmentunderabotree.Hethenfoundedanorderofmendicantsandspenthisnext45yearspreachinghisideasuntilhisdeath.

ThesetwostatuebesidetheBuddhaarehistwodisciples.TheoneontherightwassaidtobeSakyamuni’scousinandhehadgoodmemorysothathecouldrememberalltheBuddhatoldhisdisciples.TheoneontheleftwassaidtobethelordofBrahmnismandheoncewasSakyamuni’stutor.ButafterwardshewasconvincedbyBuddhismafterlong-termdebatebetweenBuddhismandotherreligionsandheacceptedSakyamuniashistutor.ThushebecametheeldestoneofallSakyamuni’sdisciples.

Next,we’llpayavisittotheAhratHallinthesouthcourt.

TheAhratHallisanimportantstructureinaBuddhistte