Buddhist Mountain Putuo Welcomes a New Abbot |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/06/05 11:48 中国周刊 |
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Stepping into Puji Temple, one was impressed by the brightly burning candles, coiling incense smoke and crowds of people.First built during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Puji Temple is enormous in size with magnificent architecture.It has 9 halls with ancient trees and huge incense burners standing in between. In the center of Grand Yuantong Hall, the main hall, is a glittering 9-meter-tall statue of Guanyin and on both sides are 32 statues representing Guanyin's different images with some of them as ordinary persons. Puji Temple, together with Fayu Temple and Huiji Temple, are known as the three major temples at Putuoshan, each endowed with its own beauty and splendor. At about seven o'lock in the morning, Master Jieren, new abbot for the whole of Putuoshan, departed from Fayu Temple and proceeded in the company of devoted followers of Buddhism to Yuantong Hall in Puji Temple to preach the Law and then to partake in the seat-assuming ceremony in the Hall of the Law.The path he traversed was covered with red carpet and a tasseled canopy was held above his head.Nonetheless, the most important scene in the whole ritual was the opening of the main gate of the temple.It is said that even an Emperor was kept outside of the gate when he tried to make a private visit in disguise, because according to Buddhist rules, the main gate only opens when a new abbot assumes his seat or when the first of the 10 Heavenly Stems and the first of the 12 Earthly Branches meet again after 60 years.At about 9 o'lock the long-closed main gate finally opened in the resounding sound of firecrackers.The pious and celebrating masses, following Master Jieren, crossed the threshold of the gate and joyfully stroked the various steles behind the gate as if they wanted to hold fast in their hands the fortune that had been gathered behind the gate for so long.Coincidently, the sky over Putuoshan cleared up after several days of rain and the sun shined.The whole ceremony lasted for more than three hours.It is such a wonderful experience that it's really an eye-opener. Buddhist doctrines are rich and sophisticated.In the more than 2000 years since its introduction into China, Buddhism, with its immortal wisdom, merciful spirit and peaceful way of preaching, has integrated with the intrinsic culture of China and become a wonder flower in the garden of Chinese traditional culture.Master Jieren, the new abbot, was tonsured to become a monk 22 years ago.Having studied at and graduated from the Qixiashan Buddhist College in Nanjing and the Chinese Buddhist College in Beijing, he served as supervisor at Linji Temple in Zhengding County, Hebei Province and came to teach in the Putuoshan Buddhist College ten years ago.Having served as supervisor at Huiji Temple as well as at Puji Temple and helped his predecessor Abbot Miaoshan to manage the affairs of the whole mountain, he was elected this year as vice president of the Chinese Buddhist Association as well as president of Zhejiang Provincial Buddhist Association and Zhoushan Municipal Buddhist Association.When he assumed the seat of abbot for the whole of Putuoshan at the age of 43, he once again encouraged followers to love the country as well as the faith and to care for state affairs and social development, and at the same time, to work tirelessly to invigorate Buddhism and cultivate more Buddhist talents. The clouds shroud the mountains on the sea where tall rocks and water palaces stand isolated from the earthly world.We have reasons to believe that led by the wise and sagacious Abbot Jieren, the buddhist Fairyland on the Sea will undergo fresh changes, and we look forward to different experiences and gains from Putuoshan in the other three seasons of the year. |
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Buddhist Mountain Putuo Welcomes a New Abbot |
中国的东海上有一座山,那便是浙江省舟山区域一个面积约12.5平方公里的狭长海岛,由于山上林木苍郁,怪石陆离,金沙铺岸,礁石磷峋,不仅天然风景绚丽多姿,又与佛教所寻的清静、庄严、神圣的境界不谋而合,从唐代始便成为观音道场,与山西省的五台山、四川省的峨嵋山以及安徽省的九华山并称为中国“四大佛教名山”。前人言:“以山而兼湖之胜,则推杭州之西湖;以山而兼海之胜,当推舟山之普陀”由此,“海天佛国”的普陀山天下闻名。 江南的冬季,整个普陀山呈现的是那样的晶莹剔透、丰盈而又充满灵性,山是佛山,树是佛树,花是佛花,有了海的胸襟,浪也似佛云翻滚;二OO二年十二月二十日,看似一个普通的日子,但五更初始,早已在头天晚间渡海上岛的万余游客便络绎不绝从山的各处朝供奉观音菩萨的主刹普济禅寺涌来。朋友称,自一九五零年后,普陀山全山设一方丈统管所有寺院,方丈出任称“方丈升座”,我们此行正遇上普陀山举行盛大法会,新任的全山方丈戒忍大和尚正式升座,因此海内外佛教界的诸山长老,各级政府代表以及八方百姓纷纷上岛观礼祝贺。 走入普济禅寺,只觉烟火通明,香烟缭绕,游人如鲫。普济寺,俗称前寺,始建于北宋。普济寺规模宏大,建筑雄伟,有殿宇九座,其中大圆通殿是寺之正殿,殿宇间古木参天,宝鼎蒙烟。殿正中塑观音像,高约九米,金碧辉煌。两边塑观音三十二应身像,仪态不一,展现观音在十方世界以不同身份出现的各种形象,其中就有化为凡人的形象。而普济寺与普陀山的法雨寺、慧济寺合为该山的三大禅寺,各寺或依山而建,或具有江南园林的特色,或幽静异常,各有各的优雅妙处。 早晨七时许,在虔诚的信徒簇拥中,普陀山新任全山方丈戒忍从法雨禅寺起程到普济寺圆通殿说法,然至法堂举行升座仪式。所经的道路上红毯铺地,头顶有流苏华盖遮天,而打开普陀山主寺普济寺的“山门”(即寺院正门),则是整个仪式中最重要的一幕,据说,普济寺的“山门”开与不开与中国的一位因微服造访普陀山而被拒之门外的皇帝的传言有关,而按照佛界的规矩,除了特殊情况,“山门”只在新方丈升座时打开,或者经过六十年一个甲子(中国农历按照天干、地支循环一次)循环后才能打开。上午九时许,炮竹声中关闭了数年的山门终于大开,虔诚而又喜庆的众人随着戒忍大和尚跨过了“山门”的门坎,门内的各块石碑被无数只手欣喜地抚摸,似乎是要把门内蓄藏已久的福气握在手中,这时久雨多日的普陀山的天空忽然放晴见到了太阳!整个仪式进行了三个多小时,进入新时代的一切皆是那么的神奇,让人大开眼界。 佛教理义博大精深,传入中国二千多年来以其不朽的智慧、慈悲的精神、和平传教的方式,与中国固有文化相融合,成为中华传统文化的一朵奇葩。升座全山方丈的戒忍法师二十二年前剃度出家,先后在南京栖霞山佛学院、北京中国佛学院学习并毕业,曾在河北正定县临济寺任监院,十年前他来到普陀山佛学院任教,任过普陀山佛顶山慧济寺监院,主寺普济寺监院,协助前任方丈妙善处理全山事务,今年被选为中国佛教协会副会长、浙江省佛教协会会长和舟山市佛教协会会长,他年届43岁荣升普陀山全山方丈时再度提倡出家人更要爱国爱教,关心国家大事和社会发展;同时孜孜不倦力主兴教,培养佛教人才。 缥眇云飞海上山,石林水府隔尘寰;我们有理由相信,在睿智的戒忍方丈统率下,“海天佛国”将有一番新的变化,我们期待着普陀山在另三个季节里,再带给我们一番别样的收获。 |
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