游湖北归元寺的英文导游词.doc

游湖北归元寺的英文导游词 GuiyuanTemple 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. BuddhismissaidtobefoundedinIndiainthe6thcenturyBCbySiddathaGautama(BC565BC486),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.SheiscalledtheGoddessofMercycordiallyForChineseandisregardedasthesymbolofkindness,mercyandbenevolence.WhenwevisittheAvalokitesvaraPavilionafterawhile,Iwillgiveadetailedintroductionabouther.ThiscopperstatuewassenttoGuiyuanTemplebyTaiwanBuddhistsinSeptember1990.ItshowsthatallChinese,whetherinthemainlandorinTaiwan,areeagerforthereunionofthecountry,evenincludingreligionbelievers. ThebuildingweseenowistheBuddhaHallwhereonecertainBuddhaandhistwoassistantbodhisattvasesareworshiped.ThisBuddhaisAmitabhaBuddha.Amitabhameansinparablebrightness.AordingtoBuddhism,timeandspaceislimitlessandthustherearemanymanyBuddhasindifferentspacesandtimes.Butinacertainspaceorinacertainperiodoftime,thereisonlyonecertainBuddhawhoisinchargeofinstructingalllivingcreatures.AmitabhaBuddhaistheBuddhawhopresidesovertheLandofUltimateBlissinthewest,whichwilleinthefuture.BuddhistscripturesdescribetheLandofUltimateBlissasawonderland,inwhichnopainexistsandthepeopleenjoytheirlives.Inoneword,itsveryattractive.Somepeoplewillthinkitmustbeverydifficulttoentersuchaworld.HowcanIgotosuchaparadise?MaybeIhavetoworkhardandbearalotofsufferings.Infact,itsveryeasytoentertheworld.HeonlyneedoftenmurmurMayBuddhapreserveussincerely.Itsenough. Yousee,thestatueinthemiddleistheveryBuddha.OnhisleftistheGoddessofMercy.OnhisrightistheotherbodhisattvawhofollowstheBuddha.Itissaidthathecansaveallthelivingcreaturesfromthreekindsofterribledisasters. Now,letsstepintotheBuddhistscripturesPavilionwherethescripturesofBuddhismarekept.ButImafraidwhatattractsourattentionatthefirstsightmustbethissnow-whitestatue.ItisastatueofSakyamuni,thefounderofBuddhism.Thisstatuewascarvedoutofabigpieceofjadewhichis2-meter-tallandweighs3tons.ItwascarvedbyMyanmarhandicraftsmenanddonatedtothetemplebytheRangoonBuddhistsin1935. Ifwewatchthestatue,wemaysensethatthepeacefulexpressionontheBuddhasfacehasbroughtustoaquietandharmoniousstate. ThelastbuildingwewillvisitistheAvalokitesvaraPavilioninthenorthyard.Whenweenteredtheyardjustnowwesawastatueofher.NowIdliketointroducehercarefully. Asagoddess,shesworethatshewouldnotbeeaBuddhauntilallthelivingcreaturessufferingfrompainsweresaved.SoshebecameabodhisattvawhoismostpopularamongthepeopleandattractsthemostbelieversofallthegodsandgoddessesinBuddhism.Itwassaidthatonewouldbesavedfromtroubleanddisasteraslongashe(she)chantedhernameandifitwasheardbyher.ThussheiscalledGuanshiyin,whichmeanshearingorlookingonthevoicesofthesuffering.BecauseofherkindheartandbenevolenceshegotanothertitletheGoddessofMercy. AordingtoBuddhism,bodhisattvaseshavenodistinctionofsex,thatis,theyareneithermalenorfemale,becausetheyareimmortals.Butitsverystrangeandinterestingthatmostofbodhisattvaseswereengravedorcarvedintheimagesofvariouskindsofmeninhumansociety.Changesdidnttakeplaceuntilanemperorsmotherthoughtitwasinconvenienttoworshipamalebodhisattvainherbedroom.Fromthenon,Guanshiyin,thebodhisattvasbegantoappearbeforeherbelieversintheimageofabeautifulandelegantlady. Wellpayavisittoaveryserious,sacredplace.Generally,theplaceisregardedasthemostholybyBuddhists.ItistheGrandHall,wherethefounderofBuddhism,Sakyamuniisworshiped.ItisalwaysthecenterofaBuddhisttempleinconstructionandinBuddhistsmind. ThestatueinthemiddleisSakyamuni.AordingtoBuddhismhismothergavebirthtohiminagarden.HebelongedtoKshatreyaCaste.Hemarriedhiscousinwhenhewas16or17yearsold.Attheageof29,hewasconfrontedwiththesightsofanoldman,asickman,acorpse,andawanderingascetic.Witheyesopenedtoaspectsoflifenewlyrevealedtohim,hebrokefromthematerialworldandbecameanascetic.Sixyearslater,hegaveupmysticconcentrationthatatlastbroughthimenlightenmentunderabotree.Hethenfoundedanorderofmendicantsandspenthisnext45yearspreachinghisideasuntilhisdeath. ThesetwostatuebesidetheBuddhaarehistwodisciples.TheoneontherightwassaidtobeSakyamuniscousinandhehadgoodmemorysothathecouldrememberalltheBuddhatoldhisdisciples.TheoneontheleftwassaidtobethelordofBrahmnismandheoncewasSakyamunistutor.ButafterwardshewasconvincedbyBuddhismafterlong-termdebatebetweenBuddhismandotherreligionsandheaeptedSakyamuniashistutor.ThushebecametheeldestoneofallSakyamunisdisciples. Next,wellpayavisittotheAhratHallinthesouthcourt. TheAhratHallisanimportantstructureinaBuddhisttemple.ButnotalltempleshaveanAhratHall,especially,well-keptAhratHallsareveryrareinChina.Thisoneisamongthem,andwhatsmore,ithasitsownuniquecharacteristics. Generally,anAhratHallisasquarebuilding.Thebuildingissubdividedintofoursmallsquarecourtssothatthehallcangetenoughsunlight.ThiskindofstructureshowsomeluckyimpliesinChineseBuddhistculture. Anothercharacteristicaboutthehallliesinthesesculpturesthemselves.Theywereneithermadeupofwood,norstone,norclay.Aspecialwaywastakeninmakingthem,whichcouldpreventsthemfrombeingburned,beingsoakedorbeingeatenbyinsects.AllthesculptureswerefloatinginwaterwhileWuhanwasfloodedin1954,but,surprisingly,theyweresoundandsafeafterthefloodhadreceded.Itwasreallyawonder. AhratsaretheimmortalsinBuddhism.Butwhenyouhavealookaroundthesculptures,youmayfindfromtheexpressionsontheirfacesthattheyaresofamiliartoyou.Thatsonlybecausetheyweremoldedonthebasisofthepeopleinthereality,sotheyarehumanbeingsinourdailyliferatherthanimmortals. Ahratsarethesymbolsofharmony,happiness,andgoodluck,sothe