Monday, June 9, 2014

SH! SH! 09: Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

perfectly clear sky

crispy clean air

after the rain

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

I like the fact that

they didn’t really touch up

with thick acrylic-like paints

everything is just fine as it is 

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

Contrasting Jing An Temple 靜安寺

where you find elements of fusion

Long Hua Temple is a classic Chinese  

from architecture, layout, to the

fine crafting of statutes 

 

classic Chinese roof

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

500 Arhats 五百羅漢

this is the most “town-hall” version

I have ever seen

yet the crafting isn’t compromised at all

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

the statues of

Gautama Buddha and

the two Bodhisattvas,

Manjusri & Samantabhadra

釋迦三聖:釋迦牟尼佛、文殊菩薩、普賢菩薩

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

I think the golden colour is not

gold colour paint but

coated with pure gold which

is pasted on inch by inch from

the “gold-paper”

because the glow is glowing

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

the spiral roof is known as Zao Jing 澡井

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

the other side of the hall

reveal a greater surprise

Guan Yin 觀音 and the deities

I must say that these are not really

Buddhism, per say

but more of Chinese mythology

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

since (almost) everyone pray to Guan Yin

(especially) when they are in need

these deities who have their

respective roles to play in

the administrative government of heaven

they assist Guan Yin in solving problems

which are told by the people, like us

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

Three Sages of the Pure Land 西方三圣

Amitabha 阿彌陀佛  (centre)

Mahasthamaprapta 大勢至

Avalokitesvara 觀世音

who take care of the heaven where

the good people are supposed to go

that’s in a Buddhism’s perspective

different from the one illustrated above

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

Avalokitesvara 觀世音

I know this will be kinda confusing

but the Guan Yin belief is also

merged into the Buddhism concept of

Three Sages, as Guan Yin is Avalokitesvara

well..  this integration and blending

made it easier for the Chinese to

accept Buddhism, maybe?

 

because Guan Yin is what the Chinese

have faith in for a long time

down the history

so there’s another hall

dedicated to Her

 

the Thousand Faces of Guan Yin 千手觀音

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

33 Manifestations of Guan Yin

觀音33相

 Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

this is Guan Zi Zai 觀自在

which represents a mentality of

being Free

as portrayed by the statue

it’s somehow easy to identify Her

out of her 32 other counterparts

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

and the other one who is easy to identify

and being really popular is

Child-endowing Guan Yin 送子觀音

who is always holding a little baby 

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

really cheeky pair of Lion parents

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

this is exactly how I felt

about spending a Sunday morning

here at Long Hua Temple

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺

 

and by the way

the Lo Yan noodle is real good

awwh.. especially after a long missed

pure veggies meal

Long Hua Temple 龍華寺 LoHan noodle

 

How to get here:

Metro Line 11 (Maroon)

Long Hua 龍華 station