归元寺中英文导游词(缩写)

归元寺中英文导游词(缩写)
GuiyuanTemple
ChineBuddhisttemplesareneversinglebuildings.Theyalwaysconsistofagroupbuildingsfollowingafundamentalpatter,whichcan,however,bemodified.Themainbuildingsandtheirsymmetricallycorrespondingcondarybuildingsformindividualgroupsandcourtyards.Theentiretemplecomplexisspacious.Thebuildinginsidethecomplexareusuallysingle-storiedandthemainhallsaresometimesdecoratedwithadoubleroof.Thetowers,pavilionsandhallscanbemulti-storiedstructures.
TheChinetemplecomplexhasbeensubjecttogreatstructuralchangesthroughoutthecenturies.ButtemplearchitectsfollowthebasicprinciplesofcularstructuresfromtheTangDynastyonwards.Thecomplexesstandonacentralaxis,usuallya
ItwassaidthatBuddhismwasspreadtoChinain2BC.Atthebeginning,itwasonlyregardedasakindofwitch.About200AD,ChineversionofBuddhistscripturesbegantoappear,andthus,BuddhistdoctrinesbegantoemergewithtraditionalChinereligiousthought.From2ndcenturytolate6thcentury,translationandrearchofBuddhistctswithChinecharacteristicswerebecomingmoreandmorepopularandmanytempleswerebuilt,whichreacheditspeakinSuiDynasty(581AD-617AD)andTangDynasty(618-907).SomeBuddhistctswithChinecharacteristicscameintobeing.BuddhismexertsagreatinfluenceonChinephilosophy,literature,artandfolkcustoms.
WhatisprentedbeforeoureyesisacopperstatueofafamousbodhisattvainHynayanaBuddhism.BodhisattvaisatittlewhichisonlynexttoBuddha.ThisstatueistheimageofAvalokitesvara,whichhasbeenpopularwithChinepeopleormorethan1,000years.SheiscalledtheGoddessof
MercycordiallybyChineandisregardedasthesymbolofkindness,mercyandbenevolence.WhenwevisittheAvalokitesvaraPavilionafterawhile,Iwillgiveadetailedintroductionabouther.ThiscopperstatuewasnttoGuiyuanTemplebyTaiwanBuddhistsinSeptember1990.ItshowsthatallChine,whetherinthemainlandorinTaiwan,areeagerforthereunionofthecountry,evenincludingreligionbelievers.
ThebuildingweenowistheBuddhaHallwhereonecertainBuddhaandhistwoassistantbodhisattvasareworshiped.ThisBuddhaisAmitabhaBuddha.Amitabhameansincomparablebrightness.AccordingtoBuddhism,timeandspaceislimitlessandthustherearemanymanyBuddhasindifferentspacesandtimes.Butinacertainspaceorina
certainperiodoftime,thereisonlyonecertainBuddhawhoisinchargeofinstructingalllivingcreatures.AmitabhaBuddhaistheBuddhawhopresidesovertheLandofUltimateBlissinthewest,whichwillcomeinthefuture.BuddhistscripturesdescribetheLandofUltimateBlissasawonderland,inwhichnopainexistsandthepeopleenjoytheirlives.Inoneword,it’sveryattractive.Somepeoplewillthinkitmustbeverydifficulttoentersuchaworld.HowcanIgotosuchaparadi?MaybeIhavetoworkhardandbearalotofsufferings.Infact,it’sveryeasytoentertheworld.Heonlyneedoftenmurmur‘MayBuddhaprerveus’sincerely.It’nough.
Youe,thestatueinthemiddleistheveryBuddha.OnhisleftistheGoddessofMercy.OnhisrightistheotherbodhisattvawhofollowstheBuddha.Itissaidthathecansaveallthelivingcreaturesfromthreekindsofterribledisasters.
Now,let
’sstepintotheBuddhistscripturesPavilionwherethescripturesofBuddhismarekept.ButI‘mafraidwhatattractsourattentionatthefirstsightmustbethissnow-whitestatue.ItisastatueofSakyamuni,thefounderofBuddhism.Thisstatuewascarvedoutofabigpieceofjadewhichis2-meter-tallandweighs3tons.ItwascarvedbyMyanmarhandicraftsmenanddonatedtothetemplebytheRangoonBuddhistsin1935.
Ifwewatchthestatue,wemaynthatthepeacefulexpressionontheBuddha’sfacehasbroughtustoaquietandharmoniousstate.
ThelastbuildingwewillvisitistheAvalokitesvaraPavilioninthenorthyard.Whenweenteredtheyardjustnowwesawastatueofher.NowI
’dliketointroducehercarefully.
Asagoddess,shesworethatshewouldnotbecomeaBuddhauntilallthelivingcreaturessufferingfrompainsweresaved.SoshebecameabodhisattvawhoismostpopularamongthepeopleandattractsthemostbelieversofallthegodsandgoddessinBuddhism.Itwassaidthatonewouldbesavedfromtroubleanddisasteraslongashe(she)chantedhernameandifitwasheardbyher.ThussheiscalledGuanshiyin,whichmeans‘hearingorlookingonthevoicesofthesuffering’.Becauofherkindheartandbenevolenceshegotanothertitle‘theGoddessofMercy’.
AccordingtoBuddhism,bodhisattvashavenodistinctionofx,thatis,theyareneithermalenorfemale,becautheyareimmortals.Butit
’sverystrangeandinterestingthatmostofbodhisattvaswereengravedorcarvedintheimagesofvariouskindsofmeninhumansociety.Changesdidn’ttakeplaceuntilanemperor’smotherthoughtitwasinconvenienttoworshipamalebodhisattvainherbedroom.Fromthenon,Guanshiyin,thebodhisattvasbegantoappearbeforeherbelieversintheimageofabeautifulandelegantlady.
We’llpayavisittoaveryrious,sacredplace.Generally,theplaceisregardedasthemostholybyBuddhists.ItistheGrandHall,wherethefounderofBuddhism,Sakyamuniisworshiped.ItisalwaysthecenterofaBuddhisttempleinconstructionandinBuddhists’mind.
ThestatueinthemiddleisSakyamuni.AccordingtoBuddhismhismothergavebirthtohiminagarden.HebelongedtoKshatreyaCaste.Hemarriedhiscousinwhenhewas16or17yearsold.Attheageof29,hewasconfrontedwiththesightsofano
ldman,asickman,acorp,andawanderingascetic.Witheyesopenedtoaspectsoflifenewlyrevealedtohim,hebrokefromthematerialworldandbecameanascetic.Sixyearslater,hegaveupmysticconcentrationthatatlastbroughthimenlightenmentunderabotree.Hethenfoundedanorderofmendicantsandspenthisnext45yearspreachinghisideasuntilhisdeath.
ThetwostatuebesidetheBuddhaarehistwodisciples.TheoneontherightwassaidtobeSakyamuni’scousinandhehadgoodmemorysothathecouldrememberalltheBuddhatoldhisdisciples.TheoneontheleftwassaidtobethelordofBrahmnismandheoncewasSakyamuni’stutor.ButafterwardshewasconvincedbyBuddhismafterlong-termdebatebetweenBuddhismandotherreli