广东英文南华寺导游词.docx

广东英文南华寺导游词.docx

《广东英文南华寺导游词.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《广东英文南华寺导游词.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

广东英文南华寺导游词

[Introduction]---[TheCaoGate]---[TheHallofHeavenlyKings]---[TheSkyamuniHall]---[TheVegetarianHall]---[TheScriptureHouse]---[TheSixthPatriarchHall]---[TheLingzhaoPagoda]

TheNanhuaTemple

（LadiesandGentlemen:

WearenowonourwaytoaBuddhistmonastery-theNanhuamayhavevisitedsomeotherBuddhisttempleselsewhereinChina,buticanassurethatnoknowledgeofChineseBuddhismiscompletewithoutavisittotheNanhuaTemplebecauseitistheancestralhomeofChanBuddhism,whichisthedominantBuddhistsectin,thetemple’simposingoldstructure,itsBuddhiststatuesthataremadeofrealhumanbodies,anditspervadingreligiousatmosphere,aresuretostrikeyouasmorethanworthavisit.What’smore,itislocatedinaquietandserenehill-side,absolutelysecludedfromthebustingworld.Youwillfinditgreattoforgetalltheworldlytroubles-thoughnotforlong-andfeelclosertoMotherNature.）

[Introduction]

TheNanhuaTempleissituated24kilometerstothesouthofShaoguanCityisa1500-year-oldBuddhistmonasterydatingbackto504ADduringChina’sSouthernandNorthernDynastiesPeriod.

BuddhismwadintroducedintoChinafromindiain67ADduringtheEasternHanDynasty（25-220AD）.Inthecourseofitslong-termcoexistenceandmutualpermeationwithConfucianismandDaoism,itgraduallyevolvedintomanybranchesinChinaand,downtothe7thcenturyduringtheTangDynasty,ChanBuddhismbecamethedominantsectofChineseBuddhismafterHuiNengpreachedhisChanBuddhistdoctrineandestablishedthesouthsectofChanBuddhism.HuiNengBuddhistdoctinespreadthroughoutthecountryandwasdisseminatedtoJapan,Korea,SouthEastAsiaandeventoAmericaandEurope;thereforetheNanhuaTemplehasbeenreputedadthe“ancestralhome”ofChanBuddhismandoccupiesanimportantplaceinthehistoryChineseBuddhism.

HuiNengwasbornintoapoorfarmer’sfamilyinXinxingCountryofGuangdongProvincein638ADduringthereignofEmperorTaizongoftheTangDynasty.HeneverlearnedtoreadandwritebutwadbornaBuddhistgenius.Attheageof24hebecameadiscipleofHongRen,thefifthpatriarchofChanBuddhistSect,andwasfirstassignedtoworkasanodd-jobberinthetemple.Eightmonthslater,thefifthpatriarch,consideringhimselfgettingtooold,orderedthatcatchofhisdisciplesshouldhandinapieceofBuddhistlibretto,bywhichhewouldchoosethebestassuccessortothepatriarchate.Hiseldestdisciple,ShenXiubyname,wasdeterminedtowin.Hewrote:

”Mybodyisapipaltreeandmumindisasclearandcleanasamirror;Iwilloftenwipethemtokeepthemawayfromdust.”Thepatriarchwasnotsatisfiedwithhislibretto,sayingthatitwasnotthepointandwasjust“walkingwithonlyonefootinandtheotherstilloutoftheBuddhisthouse”.HuiNengalsoobjectedtoShenXiu‘sidea:

”Thepipalisnotanactualexistenceandneitheristhemirror;sincenothingisexistencewherecanthedustreston?

”TheFifthPatriarchthoughthighlyofHuiNeng’sBuddhistnatureandsosecretlypassedtheBuddhistvestmentandalmsbowlontoHuiNeng,whichwasasymbolthatHuiNengwouldbecomethesixthpatriarchoftheChanBuddhistSect.

HuiNenghadstayedandpreachedBuddhistdoctrineintheNanhuaTemplefor36years（677-713AD）.Hepassedawayin713ADandhisdeadbodywasmadeintoaBuddhiststatue,whichisstillenshrinedinthetemplenow.

YoumaywonderwhatandhowHuiNeng’sChanBuddhistdoctrinetoBuddhistdogmas,sufferingsandmiseriesexisteverywhereinthisworldandevilsarecausedbypeople’sdesireandattachment.Life,aswellastime,iscyclicalandallbeingsaresubjecttothesufferingsofchangesindifferentincarnations.Thesoulmayenduremanyliesbuttheconditionsofthenewlifedependonthebehaviorofthesoulinitspreviousanindividualignoresopportunitiesforrightthinkingandrightaction,initsnextlifeitwillhavetopayforitspast,inordertoescapethewheeloflifeandtoescapefromsufferingandmisery,humanbeingsmusteliminatealldesiresandattachments,suchasthoseformoneyandsex,whicharethecausesofallevils.ThewaytoachievethisgoalmaydifferwithdifferentsectsofBuddhistsdeemedthat,inordertoescapethewheeloflifeandtobedeliveredtotheWesternParadiseinthenextlife,onemustfollowtheBuddhistdogmastocultivateoneselfandaccumulatebeneficenceallone’slife.ButHuiNengmadeitverysimple.Hediscardedallred-tapesandclaimedthat,toachievethisgoal,oneshouldonlypracticeumbilicularcontemplation,thisis,torestrainoneselffromanydesireandemotionsbyquietlysittingcross-leggedtoconcentrateone’smindontheumbilicusofone’sown,inaposturelikethatofhisstatueinthetemple.ThesouthsectChanBuddhistsbelievethateverybodyhasaninherentBuddhistnature,thatis,apeacefulandundistractedstateofmindthatwasoriginallyfreefromevilintentionandanxiety;thatthisBuddhistnatureinhisownmindcanberealizeaslongashegivesupalldesireandattachmentand,oncehehascometorealizeit,hewillinstantlybecomeaBuddha;andthatevenabutcherwhousedtokilllivingbeingseverydaycanbecomeaBuddhistnature.（Lateron,thistheorybyHuiNengwasevenextendedtoassertthat,undercertainconditions,aheavybeatingwithastickorasuddenloudshoutatsomebodycouldalsobreakhisobstinacyinmindandmakehiminstantlyrealizehisBuddhistnaturetobecomeaBuddha.）

HuiNeng’sdoctrineof“instantrealization”notonlyhadexertedagreatimpactontheBuddhistcircles,makingtheChanSectthemainstreamofChineseBuddhistcircles,butalsohadproducedasignificantinfluenceonChina’sphilosophical,HuiNeng,togetherwithConfuciusandLaozi（aChinesephilosopherinthelateSpringandAutumnPeriodandfounderofDaoism）,wasknownasoneofthethreesagesinChinaandwasoncereferredtobyEuropeaneducationalcirclesasoneofthegreatthinkersoftheworld.

（Wearenowgettingneartothetemple,we’llstayherefortwohoursandourbuswillstaywhereitwillbecanleaveyouroddsandendinthebusbutbesuretotakeyourvaluableswithhopeeverybodywillstaytogetherandkeepmovingwiththegroup,sothatimaytellyousomethingmoreindetailabouttheanyofyoushouldgetseparatedfromthegroup,youshouldtrytocomebacktothebusbytwelve,sothatwecouldleaveontimeforlunchinanearbyrestaurant.Hereweistheyou.）

[TheCaoxiGate]

ThisisthemainentrancetothetwoChinesecharacters“CaoXi”onthegatestructure,meaning“CaoBrook”inEnglish,arethenameofthegate,whichisnamedafterthesmallstreaminfrontofthetemple.

Accordingtohistoricalaccounts,in502ADduringtheSouthernandNorthernDynastiesPeriod,anIndianBuddhistmissionarypassedthroughhereandnoticedthatthewaterinthestreamwasclearandsweet,oldtreesweregrowingeverywhereandthesoundingswerebeautiful.HethoughtthattheplacewasextremelysimilartotheBaolinMountaininthePureLandthatwasdescribedintheBuddhistscripture,soheproposedthataBuddhisttempleshouldbebuiltWuoftheLiangDynasty,whowasacrazyBuddhistdisciple,soonconsentedtotheproposalandbestowedaninscribedboardtonamethetempleasBaolinpresentname,NanhuaTemple,wasgivenbyZhaoKuangyin,firstemperoroftheSongDynasty,inthemiddleofthe10thcentury.

[TheHallofHeavenlyKings]

ThishalliscalledTheHallofHeavenlyKingandistheshrineforMile（Maitreya）BuddhaandtheHeavenlyKings.ThestatueinthemiddleisMileBuddhaorthelaughingBuddhaasisoftencalledbythetotheBuddhistscripture,hewilldescendtotheearthfromHeaventotakeoverSakyamuni’smissionswhenSakyamuni’sBuddhistpowerisexhaustedinthefuture,andsoheisalsoknownastheFutureBuddha.

OneithersideofthehallwecanseetwoarethefourHeavenlyKingswhoareprotectorsofBuddhistdoctrines,witheachtakingcareofonesidetheeast,west,northandsouth.Itisthriejointeffortsthatensureharmony,peaceandprosperityoftheworld.Thefourobjectstheyareholdindasword,a“pipa”（achinesepluckinstrument）,anumbrellaandasnakecombinetomeanthatBuddhawillensureafavorableweatherforthecropssathatpeoplemayliveahappylife.（Individually,theoneplayingapipatakeschargeoftheaffairsintheeastandisassociatedwithharmony,asareallmusicians;theoneholdinganumbrella,whichisasymbolofrainthatnourishesthecrops,isinchargeofthenorthernaffairs;thethirdprotector,holdingasnakeinhishandandtakingchargeoftheaffairsinthewest,isbelievedtobeabletotameallevil-doersandkeepthemundercontrol;theswordcarrier,wholooksafterthesouthernaffairs,issupposedtobeabletobringwind.）

　　ThestatuebehindtheLaughingBuddhaisthepatronofthetemple,weituoorVedabyname,whoisnumberoneamongthe32generalsunderthefourHeavenlyKings.

[TheSakyamuniHall]

　　TheSakyamuniHallissituatedinthemiddleofthetemple,withthebelltowertoitseastandthedrumtowertoitswest.Insidethehall,threeBuddhiststatueareenshrined.Theyaremeterstallandareallgildedwithgold.ThestatueinthemiddleisSakyamuni,BuddhaoftheCentralWorldandfounderofBuddhism.TheoneonhisleftisknownasthePharmacistBuddha（calledBhaisajya-guruinSabskrit）,whoisthemasterBuddhaoftheEasternWorldandissaidtobeabletorelievealllivingcreaturesfromillness.TheoneontherighthandsideofSakyamuniisAmitabhaBuddga,themasterBuddhaoftheWesternParadise.ThesethreeBuddhaarereferredtoasthe“ThreeMasterBuddha”ofthethreeworldsexisting