Ningbo Dongqian Lake Tourist Scenic Area Ningbo Ashoka Temple is a national A-level tourist attraction

Ashoka Temple is located at the southern foot of Mount Luan in Yin County, Zhejiang Province. It is a national key Buddhist temple in the Han area designated by the State Council. Ashoka Temple is known as the "Southeast Buddhist Kingdom". It is a famous Zen Buddhist temple and one of the "Five Mountains of China" in Chinese Buddhism. The temple is famous both at home and abroad for its collection of the true body of Sakyamuni and the exquisite relic pagoda. It is deeply revered and admired by Buddhist believers at home and abroad.

In 486 BC, when Sakyamuni entered Nirvana, his disciple Ananda and other teas were placed on his body. There were bones like five-colored beads, shiny and solid, which were relics. It is said that King Asoka of the Maurya Dynasty converted to Buddhism and built 84,000 pagodas, each of which contained the true relics of Sakyamuni Buddha. After it was built, "Huiyu Feixi" escorted it to the "Eight Auspicious and Six Special Resorts" all over the world. In the third year of Taikang in the Western Jin Dynasty (282 years), the monk Liu Sahe (faming name Huida) was determined to find the pagoda. When he walked through the mountains and swamps from north to south, he came to Niao Shi'ao in Luoshan Mountain (now Daqi Town, Beilun District). At that time, I suddenly heard the ringing of bells underground, so I sincerely prayed and worshiped, chanted sutras and recited the Buddha's name. After three days and three nights, I saw a dazzling little pagoda emerging from the ground. The pagoda was four-sided and five-story, about four feet high and wide. It is seven inches long, with a precious chime hanging inside and embellished with relics. This is one of the 84,000 stupas built by King Asoka. After Huida found the pagoda, he immediately practiced Taoism on the spot and made offerings from thatch. In the first year of Yixi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (405), Emperor An ordered the construction of a pagoda and a Zen room, and gave them twenty-seven monks to guard them. In the second year of Yuanjia in the Southern Song Dynasty (425), Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty ordered the monk You to build the temple and establish the permanent residence of King Asoka. In the twelfth year, another pagoda and temple were built. So far the temple has begun to take shape.

Emperor Xiao Yan of Liang Dynasty popularized Buddhism. In the third year of ordinary times (522), Emperor Wu granted the title of "Ashoka Temple" and expanded the temple. The famous calligrapher Xiao Ziyun of Liang Dynasty wrote the temple title. In the fifth year of Datong (539), Emperor Wu heard that the wooden pagoda hidden in the Asoka Temple's stupa had been damaged, and immediately issued an edict. His grandson, King Xiao Cha of Yueyang, was responsible for increasing the original three-story pagoda to five levels; he was awarded five hundred taels of gold. , built four hundred bronze Buddha bodies, wrote five hundred volumes of scriptures, cast four iron tripods to hold the four corners; dispatched three thousand soldiers to set up camps around the stupa, and ordered the Asoka Temple to waive the land tax. Since then, Ashoka Temple has become famous all over the world, with its pagoda ranking first in China, and celebrities turning to it with all their hearts. In the third year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty (744), the famous eminent monk Jianzhen traveled east to Japan for the third time to preach the Vinaya sect. The ship hit a log and sank in the sea in Zhoushan. Jianzhen and his entourage were rescued and placed in the Asoka Shrine Pagoda Hall in Shaoxing and Hangzhou. Monks from monasteries in Huzhou, Huzhou, Xuanzhou and other places came to invite Jianzhen to preach and receive ordination. Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty sent envoys to bestow gold and issued edicts for protection. Asoka Temple reached its initial prosperity. In the fifth year of Zengchang of the Tang Dynasty (845), Emperor Wu ordered the destruction of Buddhism, the destruction of temples, the burning of Buddhist scriptures, and the removal of relics to pagodas for storage in Yuezhou official treasuries. When Yizong was in Xiantong, he observed that the stupa emitted a strange light by Yang Yan. He thought it was auspicious for the country and asked the court to send more monks to guard it. Yizong approved the report and ordered thirty-seven to keep it.

In the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu in the Northern Song Dynasty (1008), Ashoka Temple was named "Ashoka Mountain Guangli Zen Temple" by the court and expanded into Shifang Zen Temple. In the first year of Xining (1068), Dajue Zen Master Huailian became the fifth abbot of Ashoka Temple. At this time, "the Dharma seat was at its peak and its fame spread all over the world." In the sixth year of Yuanyou, Huailian built Chenkui Pavilion to collect the imperial pens of the Song Dynasty, and Su Shi wrote the "Chenkui Pavilion Inscription". At that time, talents emerged in large numbers, and there was an endless stream of inquirers from all over the world. Ashoka Temple experienced an unprecedented revival. After Huailian, the abbots of Ashoka Temple in the two Song Dynasties were Zhenjie, Jingtan, Liao Kong, Jiekan, Yuanwu, Mahahui, Fozhao, Miaozhi and Xiaoweng. They had profound knowledge and promoted Buddhism, and Ashoka Temple became a famous grand temple in eastern Zhejiang. After the Song Dynasty moved to the south, Hangzhou became an important place for Buddhism in the country. The status of Ashoka Temple also becomes more important. Not long after Emperor Gaozong came to the throne, he gave the relic pagoda of Ashoka Temple the plaque "The Tower of Light on the Top of the Buddha". In the twenty-sixth year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1156), Emperor Gaozong appointed Master Zonggao, a monk from Jingshan, to be the abbot of Ashoka Temple. In November of the first year of Chunxi (1174), Xiaozong sent the angel Li Yuwen to ask the relics to be enshrined in the ban, and the abbot escorted them from the corridor. Emperor Xiaozong paid homage to the relics three times and wrote on the plaque "The Palace of Miao Sheng". He also named Conglang "Zen Master Miaozhi" and gave him thousands of coins. During the Chunxi period, Zhao Kai, the governor of Mingzhou, "built a (tower) with gold and enshrined the pagoda in it." During the reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Song Dynasty, Shi Miyuan, the right prime minister of the Grand Master, requested that the levels of Zen monasteries be formulated, with the provisions of "five mountains and ten temples". Ashoka Temple is listed as the second mountain among the Five Mountains. Like Jingshan Temple, Lingyin Temple, Jingci Temple and Tiantong Temple, it has become an important tourist destination for Zen tourists.

After Song Xuedi surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty in the first year of Deyou (1276), the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty immediately sent envoys to welcome the stupa and enshrine it at Huayan Temple in Kaiping Prefecture. In the ninth year of the same year, the Baoli Pagoda was moved to the Shengshou Wan'an Temple in Yandu. In order to pray for the country, the founder Kublai Khan ordered more than 100,000 monks and nuns to be gathered in the Imperial Palace, the Ancestral Temple, the Imperial Palace and various government offices to set up 16 monasteries, with incense, lanterns and streamers, and Buddhist chants and chants. The ancestor was very happy and came to pay tribute in person. He bestowed the name of Asoka Temple with incense, gold and silver, and then sent the monk Lu Lianchanjia to return it to the south of the tower. He also ordered the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to repair the temple of Asoka Temple. A year later, the magnificent Ashoka Temple once again stood at the southern foot of Mount Luang. From the Yuan Dynasty to the Zhizheng Period, many of the farm properties in Ashoka Temple were occupied by wealthy families. Taiwei Nalin heard about it and appointed Shu monk Xue Chuangguang to be the abbot of Ashoka Temple in the second year of Zhizheng (1342). Snow Window Light lives up to expectations and has no drawbacks. A few months later, not only were all the fields and gardens occupied by wealthy families restored, but a large-scale construction work was also carried out, ranging from the ancestral hall and Dharma hall to verandas, warehouses, and miscellaneous houses, making Asoka Temple a veritable grand temple. jungle.

Monks from all over the world gathered in admiration, no less than a thousand people inside and outside. In the tenth year of Zhizheng (1350), Wuguang built Chengen Pavilion with platinum given by the court. Huang Jin, a lecturer in Imperial Academy of Sciences, wrote "Inscriptions on the Stele of Cheng'en Pavilion".

In the fifteenth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1382), Taizu canonized Ashoka Temple as "the fifth of the five Zen mountains in the world". During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Cixi gave a copper pagoda to store the relics. Abbot Fu Fei rebuilt the relic pagoda hall, built verandas, sacred halls, more than 100 monk dormitories and relic pagoda niches. In the first year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1662), the temple was destroyed. Fire, reconstruction began in the 18th year of Kangxi (1679). In March of the 16th year of Qianlong's reign (1751), when Qianlong visited Hangzhou on his southern tour, he specially gave the abbot Wanquan a purple sand gate inlaid dragon satin robe, palace silk colored satin, a royal show bag and other items. After Wanquan returned to the temple, he built Cheng'en Hall to collect the royal gifts. After that, Qianlong successively gave Asoka Temple a volume of the Heart Sutra, a letter of the Great Compassion Heart Dharani Sutra, and a plaque with the words "Awakening to Perfection". During the Guangxu period, there was a craze for building Ashoka Temple. From the 11th to the 29th year of Guangxu (1885-1903), more than 90 houses such as the Hexin Hall were rebuilt in a year. The pond was dredged, walls were built, and pines, cypresses, bamboos and plums were planted. In the third year of Xuantong (1911), the main hall was rebuilt, thus forming an ancient building complex with overlapping halls, looping corridors and rich national style.

When Zong Liang was the abbot from the first to fifth years of the Republic of China, Asoka Temple still focused on the construction of the temple, and successively rebuilt the relic hall and the scripture building, all covered with glazed tiles; the Qianlong edition was stored in the scripture building Tripitaka. During the "Cultural Revolution", many Buddhist statues in temples and famous calligraphy and paintings handed down from past generations were destroyed. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council implemented religious policies. In 1979, the government allocated more than 600,000 yuan to begin the comprehensive construction of Ashoka Temple. After three years of great unity, the central axis was basically restored as it was. The ancient architectural complex in the Southeast Buddhist Kingdom has become a world-famous Buddhist temple and tourist destination. In 1982, Ashoka Temple was listed as a provincial key cultural relic protection unit, and was later listed as one of the national key temples by the State Council. Ashoka Temple has opened a new page.

Asoka Temple covers an area of ??more than 80,000 square meters, with a construction area of ??about 24,000 square meters. It is a comprehensive complex of art and culture buildings including ancient buildings, paintings, sculptures, gardens, cultural relics and scenic spots. The temple halls are majestic and resplendent; the temple is surrounded by green peaks and towering camphor pines. The mountains and waters set off the thousand-year-old temple, which can be called the palace of the Brahma King. Because there is a jade mountain in front of the temple that looks like a penholder, and it looks like five phoenixes stretching towards the temple, so there is an old saying that "the Tiantong (temple) is like Jiujiang holding pearls, and the Ashoka (temple) is like five phoenixes facing the sun." The buildings on the main axis There are Aunta Pond, Tianwang Hall, Mahavira Hall, Relic Hall, etc., especially the Relic Hall, which is rarely seen in other temples. It is covered with glazed tiles and has colorful treasures inside. The most distinctive Buddhist buildings in Asoka Temple are magnificent. : (1) Aunta Pond: The Aunta Pond in India is a bathing place for nobles on the edge of the Ganges River. It is built over the Aunta Pond of the Asoka Temple in Yin County. It is about 50 meters long and 30 meters wide. The original metal railings on the pool railings around the pool have been removed. Compared with the "Outer Wanggong Pool" farther away, the Aida Pool is also called the "Inner Wanggong Pool". This is where Buddhist believers release lives. The pond is a world of fish paradise. The "Fish Paradise" written by Dong Qichang, a great calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, is on the inside of the south fence. There is a stone tablet of "Miaoxi Spring" written by Zen Master Wanquan on the south side of the pool. There is a stone well next to the tablet. The spring water is clear and endless. In the northeast corner is the three-bay bell tower with triple eaves. Like Tiantong Temple, the temple only has a bell tower but no drum tower. On the main ridge are the four words "Consolidate the National Foundation"; on the eaves there is a horizontal plaque reading "Tianwang Hall"; on the gate there is a horizontal plaque "Eight Auspicious Places" written by Zhao Puchu, the president of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The stone wall inside the hall is inlaid with There are 18 stone carvings of the Diamond Sutra, and six pairs of couplets are engraved on the front and rear stone pillars, such as "King Asoka made bas-reliefs. There are 84,000 of them, but this is the only one. Saha has been seeking relics for twelve generations, and he admires this everlasting spirit." ". The hall houses the statues of Maitreya, Wei Tuo and the four heavenly kings. (3) Main Hall: seven rooms wide, with double eaves and black tile roof, about 14 meters high. There are "good weather" and dragon fish on the main ridge. There are colored sculptures of opera beads, and there is a square forehead of "Mainxiong Palace" between the eaves; the horizontal plaque under the lower eaves reads "Jue Xing Ju Yuan", which is an imperial letter of Emperor Qianlong. Pudu; two famous mountains in Zhejiang and ancient temples in the Six Dynasties. After several red sheep tribulations, the blue sky is always new. "The horizontal plaque in the hall is also written by Emperor Qianlong. There is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the hall, and a statue in the east. Medicine Buddha and Venerable Ananda are in the west. There are eighteen Arhats on both sides. Behind them are the "Island Picture" of the Good Fortune Boy and the two camphor trees in front of the hall. (4) Relic Hall: It is five rooms wide and has a yellow glazed roof with double eaves. The screen door in front of the hall has a beautiful square forehead with the inscription "Miao Sheng Zhi". Hall" was made by Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty. A yellow plaque on the lower eaves reads "Relic Hall". There are four guardian statues outside the back wall of the hall. They are powerful and vivid images. They are works of the Tang Dynasty and have high historical and artistic value. There is a hanging beam in the middle of the hall. The "Bright Pagoda on the Top of the Buddha" is an imperial letter from Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty. The horizontal plaque "Guangming Solemn" is hung on the south side. In the middle of the hall is a seven-meter-high stone pagoda. Inside is a Buddhist niche with a "relic shining" inlaid with seven treasures. Below the pagoda are Libins. As well as the statue of King Asoka, there is a statue of Sakyamuni reclining Buddha behind the stone tower, which is about 4 meters long.

There are four precious steles on both sides of the platform in front of the temple. Among them are the "Stele of the Permanent Field of Ashoka Temple" written by Wan Zhairong in the Tang Dynasty and written by Fan Chongshu, a scholar in the Tang Dynasty. The chronicle of the completion of the "Chen Kui Pavilion" in the temple was written by Zhang Jiucheng in the Song Dynasty. The stele "Miaoxiquan Ming" was compiled and written. There is a "Mother's Milk Spring" behind the palace. The pool is about 2 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. The top of the spring is engraved with "Sanmantuohua", which was written by Gao Zhenxiao, a calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty. In front of the palace, there are two golden osmanthus trees, with more branches and leaves covering the palace courtyard. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the trees are full of golden color, and the fragrance fills the inside and outside. People living there feel like they are entering a sea of ??fragrance. When the sweet-scented osmanthus falls, yellow pistils are everywhere, and you can measure the eaves of a basket. (5) Dharma Hall and Sutra Building: On the left side behind the Relic Hall, there are five rooms on the second floor, about 12.5 meters high. In the Dharma Hall downstairs, there are stone carvings of the sixteen Venerables Shi Guanlin embedded in the left and right walls. The upper floor is the Sutra Collection Building, with a plaque of "Heavenly Dragon Protector" written by Xu Shichang. The original stupa of Sakyamuni's true body is treasured in the building. The "Longzang Plan" printed in the early years of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty was given 1,662 volumes and 7,168 volumes. The "Sha Cang" plan scriptures were photocopied during the Republic of China in 519 volumes, 1,532 volumes, and 6,362 volumes. volumes, photocopies of commercially printed books in Japan, and other precious cultural relics.

In 1992, the current abbot, Master Tongyi, "collected the remaining savings of the permanent residence of the wheel and the net assets of Tanyue", totaling 5.5 million yuan. On the side of the temple, facing the jade table and leaning against the Luang Peak, he built A seven-level octagonal pagoda was completed in 1995 and is called the "East Pagoda of Ashoka Temple". There are also six couplets in the pagoda courtyard, forming the east pagoda courtyard. There is also a "Hua Zang World" built in the courtyard based on the records of Buddhist classics. Ashoka Temple was originally a dojo of the Vinaya sect and has been a dojo of the Linji sect since the Song Dynasty.

The current abbot of Ashoka Temple, Master Tongyi, is 73 years old. He is a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. He graduated from the China Institute of Chemistry. He is also the executive director of the China Missionary Association, the vice president of the Zhejiang Buddhist Association, a member of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the Yin County CPPCC Vice Chairman, Ningbo Municipal People’s Congress Representative.