After Qibao, we went to Longhua Temple. J said that she has not been here so it was included in our list of important places to visit. Longhua means "luster of the dragon". The temple is dedicated to Maitreya Buddha, a Messianic entity in Buddhist cosmology who is said to come to teach enlightenment when dharma (right way) is forgotten in the human world. This belief runs somewhat parallel to the eschatological beliefs in the Judeo-Christian tradition. (While this is an interesting study to pursue, I will have to stick to my present goals lest I be led astray again, but this will be a cool project if ever I have the time.)
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| this pagoda has been around since the 10th century and can be seen from far away |
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| two of the four Heavenly Kings. I think these four are a mainstay in all temples... |
The entrance fee of Longhua Temple is only CNY 10 and yet one can see many things. The area occupied by the temple is very big and
Jade Temple pales in comparison. And since we went there in the afternoon, I couldn't remember how many times I asked myself if I had come to the end already. There's just way too many entrances and one courtyard to the other takes you to different praying stations.
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| Buddha with swastika. |
While looking at the Buddha sculptures, I chanced upon one with a swastika sign on his chest. While I know that swastika was originally associated with Buddhism before it became a Nazi symbol of tyranny and oppression, I don't think I have ever seen the sign in any Buddhist temple I have been to. The swastika actually symbolizes being with the higher self, a main thought in Buddhism.
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| Guanyin... I can tell by the number of hands! |
Another familiar deity is the Guanyin Pusa, or more popularly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy. The many hands of this deity signifies her willingness to uplift the lives of many people.
Read more about my 2013 Shanghai Adventure
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