The Main Hall is the main building in the center of the temple. In order, they are the mountain gate, the Heavenly King's Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma Hall, the Pilu Hall or the Sutra Library, the Abbot's Room, etc. Zen Buddhism has the theory of "Seven Halls of Jialan". The "seven halls" generally refer to: the pagoda (which houses the Buddha's relics), the Golden Hall (also known as the Buddha Hall, which houses the original Buddha. Together with the pagoda, it is the central building of Jialan), and the lecture hall (where he lectures on sutras). Hall), Bell Tower (commonly known as Zhongzhong Hall, where the bell is hung), Sutra Collection Building (one is Sutra Hall, which is the Sutra Collection Library), Monk Room (also known as Monk Square, that is, monks’ dormitory). They are distributed on the east, west, north and west sides of the lecture hall. That is, the three-sided monk's room) and the dining hall (also known as the dining hall). The important ones are introduced as follows: Tianwang Hall: Larger Buddhist temples have Tianwang Hall. After entering the mountain gate, the bell tower, drum tower on both sides and the Tianwang Hall in the middle form the first courtyard of the temple. In the center of the Hall of Heavenly Kings is the big-bellied Maitreya Buddha with his bare chest and abdomen exposed. This is the designated successor of Sakyamuni Buddha. There is a couplet on the left and right side of this Buddha in Tanzhe Temple in Beijing, which reads: "A big belly can tolerate things that are difficult to tolerate in the world; smile when you open your mouth and laugh at the ridiculous people in the world." This probably also reflects the qualifications of a successor. Some people believe that the shape of the Buddha was taken from the Budai monk who lived in Fenghua, Zhejiang in the late Tang and Five Dynasties. This man's name is Qibi, nicknamed "Chang Tingzi". He is short and fat with a very big belly. He often picks up a cloth bag with a bamboo stick and goes around asking for alms with a smile on his face. This person can predict the bad weather and good fortune, and his predictions come true, so he became famous for a while. Maitreya Buddha is flanked by four heavenly kings, two on each side. According to Buddhist legend: There is Mount Gandhara on the mountainside of Mount Sumeru, the highest mountain in the world. This mountain has four peaks, on which the Four Heavenly Kings and their retinues live separately. Their task is to "each protect the world" and are respectively in charge of the mountains, rivers, The forests and places are also called the "Four Heavenly Kings of the World". They are the Heavenly King of the Kingdom of the East: white in body, wearing armor, with a sword in his left hand, and a sword in his right hand, and some holding bows and arrows in their hands; the King of Growth in the South, who is blue in color, wearing armor, and holding a sword; the King of Guangmu in the West, They are red, wearing armor, holding a silk bow in their left hand, and a red rope in their right hand. Some of them only hold a sword in one hand. The Northern King of Wenwen is the most prominent among the Four Heavenly Kings. He is the ancient Hindu god Kubera, also known as Dhanada (meaning "the giver of wealth"). He is the patron saint of the north and the god of wealth, equivalent to the Chinese God of Wealth. . The above are all typical images of these heavenly kings in Buddhist portraits in early China, especially in the Tang Dynasty. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Buddhism in the Han Chinese areas of China was further Sinicized, and the functions of the four heavenly kings also changed, becoming the embodiment of "good weather". Among them, the magic gift of the King of Growth is a green-palm blue light sword - the title is "wind"; the magic gift of the King of Guangmu is a red-palm jasper pipa - the title is "tune"; the magic gift of the King of Duowen is an umbrella with Hunyuan beads in the sea palm - The job title is "Rain"; the Purple Gold Dragon Flower Fox and Mink holding the Demonic Gift of the King of Heaven and Longevity Palm - the job title is "Shun".
The back of the big screen behind Maitreya Buddha is the god general Wei Tuo. Wei Tuo, also known as Wei Kun, Wei Tuo Tian and Wei Tuo Bodhisattva, is the head of the thirty-two generals under the throne of the Four Heavenly Kings and a Buddhist protector. Wei Tuo turned his back to Maitreya Buddha and faced the Mahavira Hall to subdue demons and protect the Dharma. The statue is a standing statue with two feet flat and fingers clasped together. The position of the pestle is very particular: if the Skanda pestle is carried on the shoulder, it means that the temple is a large temple and can entertain monks who travel here for free food and accommodation for three days; If the Skanda pestle is held flat in the hand, it means that the temple is a medium-sized temple and can entertain monks who travel here for free food and accommodation for a day; if the Skanda pestle is on the ground, it means that the temple is a small temple and cannot entertain monks who travel here. Free room and board.
Main Hall: the main building in the center of the temple. "Mahayung" is the virtuous name of the Buddha, praising the Buddha as being like a strong man, fearless in everything. The general hall has three bays, while the Mahavira Hall has nine or five bays, symbolizing the "nine-five-bay majesty" like an emperor. There are one, three, five and seven different statues dedicated to the Buddha Sakyamuni. There are usually three statues, called "Buddhas of the Three Worlds". In the middle is Sakyamuni, the present Buddha; on the left is Sakyamuni's teacher Lantern Buddha, also known as the past Buddha; on the right is Maitreya Buddha, a disciple of Sakyamuni. He is also the heir of the Dharma. There are "horizontal three generations" and "vertical three generations". The so-called "Three Worlds" refer to the three Buddhas mentioned above, arranged in chronological order; the so-called "Three Worlds Horizontally" divide the sphere of influence according to space and region: in the middle is Sakyamuni Buddha, the leader of the Whirlpool World, and on the left is Dongfang Jing. Medicine Buddha, the leader of the Glazed World; on the right is Amitabha, the leader of the Western Paradise. The five Buddhas are generally called the five Buddhas in the east, west, south, north and middle. The seven Buddhas include the six Buddhas before Sakyamuni. There are many statues of eighteen arhats or twenty heavens on both sides of the hall. In addition, Bodhisattvas are often enshrined in the temple. Among the Bodhisattvas, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva are the most famous. China's four famous mountains, Mount Wutai, Mount Emei, Mount Putuo, and Mount Jiuhua, are respectively the monasteries of Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. This is also a Chinese characteristic! The furnishings in the hall have also been Chineseized, such as screen walls, archways, stone lions, sutra pillars, incense burners, tripods, cloud boards, pedestals, stone lamps, altars, flag poles (Tibetan legend has wind horse flags) outside the hall, etc.; Huanmen, prayer flags, everlasting lanterns, altars, offering utensils, bells and drums, wooden fish, chimes, candles, futons, etc.
Large-scale Buddhist temples also have east and west side halls on both sides of the main hall. In the east is the Jialan Hall, which houses three statues: King Bosni (middle), Prince Jituo (left), and Elder Gui Lone (right). On both sides, there are often eighteen Jialan gods guarding the temple; in the west is the Patriarch's Hall, which is dedicated to worship. The founder of the sect and his outstanding achievements. Four Halls: refers to the Dharma Hall, the Zhao Hall, the Sutra Hall and the Lecture Hall.
Some large jungles will have Dharma halls and Zhaotangs, which are placed behind the main hall. The Dharma Hall is a place where Zen disciples preach the Dharma. For example, Volume 5 of the Avatamsaka Sutra says: "The World Honored One is concentrating in the Dharma Hall, and the light shines brightly in the palace." This shows that when the Buddha was still alive, in order to preach the Dharma to all living beings, he built a Dharma Hall specifically for this purpose. Spread Buddhism. In the center of the Dharma hall is the Dharma seat, where eminent monks can preach. This is also where monks sit and meditate. The Buddha statue is no longer the main body in the Dharma Hall. Many Buddhist temples do not have lecture halls. They usually recite scriptures or hold Buddhist ceremonies in the Main Hall.
The Zhaotang is after the Fatang. The two halls are actually the front and rear parts of a building. The former is the Fatang and the latter is the Zhaotang. "Baizhang Qinggui" says: "If the abbot has a lot of work and does not have to go to the hall, he will set up a monk's seat and hang a sign. He will enter the room and preach on behalf of the abbot. They will all be there, so the Dharma throne will be set up in the hall. This room is connected to the monk hall and is dark, so it is high up. System, and take the Ming Dynasty, because of the name Zhaotang." This means that if the temple’s “presiding officer” has many things to do, the sermon will be given by the next-level presiding officer. Therefore, it will not be done in the monk hall (dharma hall) but in the Zhaotang, so it is recommended to sit down. This place is behind the monk hall and the light is not very good, so it is named "Zhaotang", which means hoping that the sun (Buddha's light) will shine everywhere. This is also the place where temple administrators, such as the first one, release news to the monks and handle affairs.
The lecture hall and sutra hall are also located behind the Main Hall. The lecture hall is also a place where Buddhist scriptures are taught. Small and medium-sized temples do not have Dharma halls, so lecture halls are used instead of Dharma halls. If there is a Dharma hall, then the lecture hall is placed in the wing rooms on both sides of the Dharma hall, or arranged in the two courtyards between the Buddhist hall and the Dharma hall. Temples are places where Buddhist scriptures are lectured, chanted, and places where people take refuge and take refuge.
The sutra hall is a place where sutras are stored and monks chant sutras. It is different from the Sutra Library. The Sutra Library is the temple library, used to store all the books in the temple. The Sutra Collection Building is dedicated to storing Buddhist scriptures. The Huayan Sutra says: "Return to the Dharma and wish to be with all living beings; if you go deep into the Sutra Collection, your wisdom will be like the sea." The Chinese-style "Sutra Hall" and the Tibetan-style "Sutra Hall" are also different. The Sutra Hall in the Lama Temple is similar to the Chinese-style "Dharma Hall" and is where eminent monks preach their sermons. It is placed in the main position of the temple, with nine to ten bays. It is spacious and grand, and can accommodate more than 2,000 people to attend lectures.
Four platforms: refers to the four major platforms: music platform, worship platform, high platform and Jiedai platform. All are high platforms. The four units have different names and have overlapping functions. Generally, temples will only build one of them and have several other functions.
Jie platform: Generally called the altar, it was called "mandala" in ancient India and translated as "tan" in Chinese. The altar is built on a higher ground in the temple, and the platform is also higher. It is a place for monks to receive ordination. "Zi Chi Ji" says: "The Dharma destroys the respect and uphold it. Do not practice it in the usual place. If you hold the secret mantra, you will definitely form a mandala." Mandalas in ancient India were often built in the southeast outside the temple. This is the layout of the Zhuyuan Jingshe. The mandala of Chinese-style temples is built in an open space within the temple. During the reign of Qi Yongming in the Southern Dynasties, Sanwu first built the altar, which was the beginning of the altar in Chinese history. Monk Daoxuan of the Tang Dynasty wrote the "Jie Tan Illustrated Book", which is the earliest record of the architecture and functions of the Jie Tan. In all Zen Vinaya temples, a stone tablet is erected in front of the ordination platform, which reads "No meat and wine are allowed to enter the mountain gate", which is called the "ordination altar stone".
The orchestra platform and the worship platform: The orchestra platform is commonly known as the "platform", and some Buddhist sects also call it the "worship platform". It is a place used to play Buddhist music when religious ceremonies are held in front of the Buddha in the temple. . It is generally built in front of the Main Hall, and its height is the same as the Xumizuo of the Main Hall. There are usually three to five bays and the shape is square. There is a step on the front. There are two steps on the east and west sides of the ancient temple.
High platform: Build a platform in an independent part of the temple. It should usually be two feet long. A courtyard house or a group of halls is built on the platform, which is an extremely noble place in the temple. It is mainly used to worship the main Buddha statues in temples, such as Yinchuan Haibao Temple and Luoyang White Horse Temple. Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty once translated Buddhist scriptures brought from India in the high platform of White Horse Temple. Arhat Hall: Arhat is a disciple of Sakyamuni and a male monk. Also known as Arhat, the free translation means "killing thieves", "not giving birth", etc., and is a wise and polite person. Some Buddhist temples have Luohan halls, and some have separate Luohan courtyards.
There are many kinds of Arhats worshiped in temples: the most common ones are Eighteen Arhats, Sixteen Arhats and Five Hundred Arhats. Only large temples are built, and they are often the most colorful of the temples, such as Xiyuan Temple in Suzhou, Biyun Temple in Xishan, Beijing, Baoguang Temple in Chengdu, Sichuan, Longhua Temple in Shanghai, Guiyuan Temple in Wuhan, Qiongzhu Temple in Kunming, etc.
Zen room: also known as Zen house, Zen residence, and Zen hall. Zen temples take "Jhana" as their purpose. "Jhana" means "thinking" or "quiet meditation", which means that you need to think about problems quietly, which requires a quiet place to live, which gave rise to the Zen room. The Zen room is usually located at the back of the temple or near the abbot's room, where Zen practitioners live. Jianyuan, Abbot's courtyard: Jianyuan is the general manager of the temple, and its status is second only to the abbot. The difference between the two early monasteries was that the abbot was a highly respected and knowledgeable monk and the spiritual leader of the monastery; the abbot was the highest administrator of the monastery and the actual manager of the monastery. After the Tang Dynasty, the selection of the abbot often emphasized monks who were knowledgeable, understood Buddhism, and could work seriously. The responsibilities of the abbot and the abbot began to be confused.
The abbot’s courtyard is the prison courtyard or the abbot’s sleeping place. Generally, a separate house or courtyard is built at the back of the temple as the residence of the abbot of the temple. In ancient times, the stone chamber of Vimalakirti Vimalakia was square, one foot long and one foot wide, so it was called "Abbott". Although the later abbot's room was the residence of the abbot of the temple, it was not luxurious and the area was not large. According to Wang Jianqi's "Toutuo Temple Stele", the abbot's room built during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Southern Song Dynasty was covered with thatch.
Later, the superintendent or abbot often handled official affairs in the old temple building. Some small temples did not have an abbot's courtyard, but used the side courtyards and cross-courtyards in the temple as the resting place of the superintendent and abbot. Dazhaitang: Buddhism advocates the equality of all living beings. Monks, regardless of their status, eat together and must not eat separately. Therefore, the place where monks eat is called "Dazhaitang". The large pots in the kitchens of large temples can cook more than one stone of rice and more than one hundred catties of vegetables at a time. The Daguo Temple in Sunchang Village, Yongji County, Shanxi Province in the Song Dynasty even got its name from the cauldron. Large temples such as the Shaolin Temple in Henan and the Kumbum Temple in Qinghai still have the cauldron from that time. Even with such a large pot, for a large temple with thousands of monks, plus wandering monks coming from all over the world, even a few large pots cannot satisfy more than a thousand monks eating together at the same time, so there are two types of Dining methods: One is to divide meals into several groups to ensure that everyone dines in one large fasting hall; the other is to divide into several large fasting halls to ensure that meals can be eaten at the same time, which basically does not violate the ancient precept of collective dining. This method is adopted by large temples such as Fo Guang Shan and Zhongtai Zen Temple in Taiwan.
Sutra-Depository Pavilion: Most of the famous temples have a Sutra-Depository Pavilion, located in the last courtyard of the Buddhist temple. It is often a two- or three-story attic used to store Buddhist scriptures. On both sides of the Sutra Pavilion, there are auxiliary buildings or auxiliary pavilions. This practice later spread to Japan. However, the names are slightly different. For example, the Sutra Pavilion of Horyu Temple and Tangzhaoti Temple in Japan is called Sutra Collection, while the Sutra Library of Hohua Temple is called Sutra Library. The sutra collection or sutra treasury enshrines a statue of Fu Dashi, which is the statue of Fu Weng, a good and wise doctor from the Liang Dynasty during the Six Dynasties of my country. Because he invented the wheel Tibetan method and built large-level niches and other methods for Tibetan scriptures. In addition, there are statues of Sakyamuni and two Bodhisattvas in the pavilion. Some even enshrine the statue of Master Saicho, the founder of the Japanese Tendai Sect.
Stele Tower and Stele Pavilion
Stele Tower, Stele Pavilion, and Pavilion: Stele Tower is a pavilion built by the temple to house large stone tablets. Its function is to prevent the stone tablets from being exposed to the sun and rain. Damaged by weathering. The shape is mostly square, with doors on all sides and an enlarged stele in the middle. The top of the stele tower is in the style of a mountain with double eaves, which is similar to the style of the bell and drum tower. The stele towers are generally built on both sides of the courtyard in front of the Main Hall. There are one, two or three pairs in number. In order not to hinder the solemn atmosphere of the main hall, some temples do not build stele towers in front but build stele corridors on both sides of the front. The function is the same as that of the stele tower.
The inscriptions on the stone tablets basically fall into three categories: one is to introduce the history of the temple, including the time of its initial construction and reconstruction, where eminent monks, officials and scribes practiced, visited and sang here; the other is to publish and publicize the temple. The third is to announce the names and amounts of money donated by believers from all over the world during the construction or reconstruction of temples. Some temples also have tablets that record the floor plan of the temple. For example, Cixiang Temple in Pingyao, Shanxi Province. Through its picture stele, we can know the scale and structure of the temple in the Song Dynasty. Some thousand-year-old temples also gather together stone steles from past dynasties, including those in ruined temples, to form a forest of steles. All large and famous temples often invite famous writers and calligraphers to write inscriptions. Its inscriptions have become famous works of literature and calligraphy, such as the Dengci Temple Stele written by Yan Shigu in the second year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty; the Huadu Temple Stele written by Chu Suiliang in the fourth year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty; The teaching preface, the Duobao stele of Yan Zhenqing in the second year of Tianbao; the mysterious stele of Liu Gongquan in the first year of Huichang, etc.
Some temples do not build stele towers and stele corridors but stele pavilions, which have the same function as stele towers and stele corridors. The shape is mostly square, built on a platform, with four pillars on all sides, no door, and a large stele in the middle. Stele pavilions are generally built on both sides of the temple's front yard or backyard, one on the left and one on the left. There are also four temples built at the four corners. The entire stele pavilion is usually painted red, with glazed tiles on the top. For example, if an imperial monument is given by the emperor, then only a tall stele pavilion should be built and placed on the central axis. Imperial power is supreme even in temples that promote equality in Buddhism.
The pavilion is for pilgrims and tourists to rest. The shape is not only square, but also hexagonal and octagonal. Generally built on both sides of the front yard or backyard. Corridor courtyard and group rooms
Corridor courtyard: It is a courtyard composed of cloisters. It was first used in private houses and palaces, and later in temple buildings. There are basically four types: the first is the perimeter corridor type, which has corridors on all sides, with the main building surrounding it, and is arranged as a group of buildings in the front, back or left and right. This form is the most common, especially in the temples of the Tang Dynasty. ;The second is the broken corridor style. There are houses on all sides, east, west, north and south. The corners of the houses on the four sides are connected by corridors. This method is often used in residential courtyards in Beijing and Northeast China; the third verandah style. It is similar to the construction method of broken corridor. The difference is that there are walls on both sides of the corridor, so the interior of the corridor cannot be seen from the outside. There are no walls on both sides of the verandah, so pilgrims, tourists and monks can see the scenery outside the verandah. Verandahs are common in temples. The fourth type is to connect the two halls with a corridor. This kind of palace is also called Gongzi Palace.
Group rooms: In the temple, the main buildings such as the Tianwang Hall and the Main Hall are built on the central axis, while the living and working rooms for the monks are built around the courtyard, either single or in rows. The houses are called group houses. The main purpose of the group room is as a guest room to receive visitors. In addition, it is also used for offices and conference halls. Some temples also use group rooms as Dharma halls, chanting halls, and exhibition rooms for historical cultural relics of the temples. Small temples are also used as dining halls, monk residences, etc. Inclined corridors and flying corridors: Generally speaking, the main building of a temple is very spectacular, while the side halls are relatively low and the corridors are even lower. This architecturally highlights the main hall. However, in order to form a whole or use functions, designers often connect the main hall with side halls and corridors. Because the two are different in height, they form a sloping corridor.
In addition, to connect buildings and pavilions, corridors must also be built. The corridors leave the ground and walk in the air. This is the flying corridor. Inclined corridors and flying corridors not only make it easier for people to enter and exit, but also make a group of temples in the temple look more majestic. This is the application of original techniques of ancient Chinese architecture in temple construction.
The construction of inclined corridors and flying corridors began in the Tang Dynasty and continued into the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are oblique corridors and flying corridors in the grotto aisle at the back of Wuyou Temple in Leshan, Sichuan. There are also two or three reliefs on them, which represent the highest level of oblique corridors in wooden buildings in the Tang Dynasty. On the lintel stone carved Buddhist hall of Xi'an Dayan Pagoda, there are two left and right corridors. The corridor is connected to the main hall and its curves are very beautiful; the Great Buddha Hall of Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing also has a flying corridor. Offering pagoda: There is an offering table in front of the Buddha statue in the Buddhist hall. On the table are placed fragrant flowers, seasonal fruits, alms boxes, Buddhist lamps and other offerings. According to the Lotus Sutra, there are ten types of offerings before the Buddha: flowers, incense, necklaces, incense, incense, burning incense, banners, cassocks, music, and joined palms. The offering pagoda is a small pagoda placed on the offering table. It is mainly made of stone, but also made of gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. It is about 0.3 meters to 0.6 meters high. It houses small Buddha statues such as Zhejiang Tiantong Temple and Ashoka Temple. , Guoqing Temple all have offering pagodas. Inside the Nanchan Temple in Mount Wutai is the Tang Dynasty support pagoda.
Release Pool: Built in front of the temple gate, the size of the pool depends on the size of the temple. For example, the life-release pond in front of the gate of Yongquan Temple in Fuzhou is so big that a low wall needs to be built around it to prevent tourists from falling into the water. The Free Life Pond was founded by Master Zhizhe of the Tiantai Sect. Pilgrims put the purchased fish into the water to show the Buddhist virtue of good health. In the second year of Emperor Qianyuan of the Tang Dynasty (759), he ordered all temples across the country to set up life-release pools. The release pond can also serve as a water storage and can be used to put out fires. When designing the release pond, it is necessary to consider that it is connected to a spring or river, otherwise it will be a pool of stagnant water. The Sanhui Temple in Xianyou, Fujian Province, has the largest life-release pond in the country. Jingzhu: A stone vertical piece in temple architecture generally consists of three parts: the lower part is the base, the upper part of the base is the body of the building, and the uppermost part is the eaves. The top of the eaves is the building tip (bangsha). If the building has two or three floors, add a flat seat, body and eaves to each floor, like a three-level pagoda. There are scriptures engraved on the body of the pillar, so it is called the scripture pillar. The sutra buildings are all carved from stone, not wood or other metal materials. Most of them are hexagonal, with scriptures engraved on six sides. There are also eight sides. Most of the scriptures engraved are "Buddha's Supreme Dharani Sutra", and some are also engraved with "Prajna Heart Sutra", "Diamond Sutra" and "Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra". There are also some sutra pillars with no sutras engraved on them, not even Buddha statues or patterns. Such sutra pillars are called "wordless pillars" and they only serve the purpose of offering offerings and have no role in preaching sutras.
The size of the temple’s sutra building depends on the size, popularity and economic status of the temple. Most temples only have one or two sutra buildings, and some even have none. Yanquan Temple in Xishan, Hongdong County, Shanxi Province has as many as sixteen sutra buildings. Sutra buildings are usually built at the back of the temple, beside the temple or at the roundabout of the mountain road, and are easily overlooked by tourists.