The most famous or largest Buddhist temple in Taiwan Province Province.

Four jungles in Taiwan Province Province.

Religious beliefs in Taiwan Province Province are very common and diverse. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, Catholicism and so on have a wide range of believers.

It is said that the Taoist believers are the most, that is, Mazu, a fairy who believes in keeping the sea safe. This is, of course, very understandable for people in Taiwan Province Province who live on an island and have been connected with the sea for generations. Believers in western religions such as Christianity and Catholicism seem to have increased in recent years. In cities and villages, between the resplendent Buddhist temples and Mazu Tempel, spire churches with high crosses can be seen from time to time. Buddhism in Taiwan Province Province not only has fewer followers than Taoism, but also has a longer history than Taoism. Of course, in fact many people believe in both Taoism and Buddhism. With the economic development of Taiwan Province Province, especially the preaching of Buddhism by many eminent monks, Buddhism in Taiwan Province Province has made great progress in the past few decades, among which the most representative is the "Four Jungles", that is, the Tzu Chi Meritorious Society of Master Yan; Foguang Mountain of Master Xingyun; Dharma drum mountain of the feast master; I only think that the old monk's Zhongtai Temple.

Almost all these four jungles have huge monk organizations, millions of believers, huge temples and huge assets. They also set up schools and hospitals, and have their own newspapers, websites and TV stations. It has had a wide influence on the island, on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and even internationally.

As far as the geographical distribution of the four jungles in Taiwan Province Province is concerned, it is only one south and one north, one middle and one east. Damockwu Mountain is located in Taibei County, in the north of Taiwan Province Province. Zhongtai Temple is located in Nantou County, Taichung, which is in the middle of Taiwan Province Province. Foguang Mountain, located in Kaohsiung County, is known as the "Buddha Capital of Tainan". Tzu Chi is in Hualien County in the east of Taiwan Province Province. Of course, every jungle has its own branches, all over Taiwan Province Province and even overseas. As far as the way of inheriting ancestral home and spreading Buddhism is concerned, the four jungles not only have their own sects and characteristics, but also have an obvious * * * nature, that is, to promote "Buddhism on earth", that is, to promote Buddhism to face the world and serve the society.

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Master Yan Zheng is a thin and strong woman and the only Buddhist leader in the four jungles. She was born in a wealthy family in Taichung. Because of her parents' illness, she went in and out of the temple from an early age to pray for her parents to eliminate disasters. At the age of 25, he shaved himself and became a monk. Later, he converted to Yinshun as a teacher, adhering to the teacher's instruction of "serving all living beings in Buddhism", and founded the Tzu Chi Meritorious Society in Hualien County from 65438 to 0966. From the 50 cents saved in the bamboo tube to the tens of billions of donations raised today, from more than 30 believers at the beginning to 4 million members now, from Hualien at the beginning to the establishment of branches in more than 60 countries around the world, it proves that Master Yan and Tzu Chi volunteers have created incredible miracles on earth. They pursue the purpose of "being merciful, helping the world and saving people". Where there is disaster, there are Tzu Chi volunteers. Tzu Chi's philanthropy involves disaster relief, environmental protection, bone marrow donor, stem cell transplantation and many other aspects. They have traveled all over the world, such as Africa, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and of course Chinese mainland, especially during the SARS in 2003 and the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. In Taiwan Province Province, we can see Tzu Chi volunteers busy with all kinds of good deeds anytime and anywhere. Among them are bosses, wealthy businessmen, officials, stars, women and students, and people of different nationalities, races and religious beliefs are all devoted to Tzu Chi. It is said that one in five people in Taiwan Province Province has participated in Tzu Chi's education, culture, medical care, charity and activities to some extent. Therefore, with its extraordinary charitable achievements, Tzu Chi officially became a UN NGO in the name of "Taiwan Buddhist Charity Foundation" in 2003. Master Yan Zheng, also known as "Oriental Teresa", has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for many times. Some people simply call it Guanyin Bodhisattva.

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Dharma drum mountain feast master died in February 2009. Politicians in Taiwan Province Province, such as Ma Ying-Jiu, paid their respects. As a disciple of the Master, Ma Ying IX personally buried the Master's suicide note. Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the mainland, Ye Xiaowen, director of the Bureau of Religious Affairs, and Yi Changlao, president of the Buddhist Association, all sent messages of condolence, showing the status of the feast master in the Buddhist community in Taiwan Province. The feast master is from Nantong, Jiangsu. /Kloc-When he was 0/4 years old, he became a monk in his hometown Langshan Guangjiao Temple and joined the army in Taiwan Province Province. He used to be an officer of the Kuomintang. 1960 Returned to Buddhism after retiring and went to Japan to study for a doctorate. After finishing his studies, the feast master returned to Taiwan to worship the old man in the early East of Nongchan Temple. 1977 After his death, the old man took over Buddhism. 1989 bought land in Jinshan Township, Taipei County, and founded dharma drum mountain. Feast masters are rare "medical" monks and learning monks in Taiwan Province Province. He has a deep study of Buddhism and is a great scholar, writer and educator. In his life, he wrote 100 works in Chinese, Japanese and English, such as Buddhism in Faith, Outline of Discipline, Guide to Meditation, Letting Go of Happiness, Book of Wise Life and Beautiful Old Age. , are best sellers in Taiwan Province Province. The feast master put forward the concept of "improving the quality of the people and building a pure land on earth", and advocated promoting all-round education with three major educations: great college, great popularization and great care. He has founded China Buddhist College, Ancient Buddhist College, Sangha University, Ancient French University and other institutions, and served as a tutor for master's and doctoral students in many universities in Taiwan Province. He initiated social movements such as "environmental protection of the mind", "May 4th Movement of the mind" and "the relationship between the six minds", which had a wide influence. Therefore, he is known as "the spiritual pillar of the people of Taiwan Province Province".

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Unfortunately, during my stay in Taiwan Province, I didn't have a chance to visit their base camp, but Foguang Mountain and Zhongtai Temple were lucky enough to get attached to each other, which made me feel more personally.

Let's talk about Zhongtai Temple first. Zhongtai Temple is located in Puli Town, Nantou County, Taichung, adjacent to Sun Moon Lake, only 20 minutes by car. Perhaps because of this relationship, Zhongtai Temple has become a must-see tourist attraction in Taiwan Province. Perhaps it has nothing to do with Sun Moon Lake, but its own characteristics and charm attract tourists.

We set out from Taichung City and arrived at Zhongtai Temple in about an hour's drive. Looking from a distance, the Zen Temple is like a towering mountain, and the building is extremely magnificent. It is designed for Li Zuyuan, a famous designer in Taiwan Province Province, that is, the designer of Taibei 10 1 building. Before his design, he visited temples and churches all over the world to learn his strengths and inspire him. Only the old monk personally presided over it, which lasted 10 years and cost NT$ 4 billion. On September 65,438+0,5438+0, 2006, the Zen Temple was officially completed and opened. After the completion of Zhongtai Temple, there were different opinions. Praisers believe that it breaks through the pattern of ordinary temples and is a bold innovation. Opponents believe that it is neither in the middle nor in the west nor in the middle. But in any case, its scale, momentum, exquisite materials and advanced equipment are amazing. No wonder people call it a "five-star" temple.

There is no general temple gate here. We got off in front of the temple and walked up a ramp, quite like the Potala Palace in Tibet. After entering the door, he was received by the temple. Master Jian Zun, the deputy abbot, talked with us in the reception room, sipped tea and arranged a monk to accompany us. On the first floor of the main hall, we saw four heavenly kings, which felt more spectacular than the gods of ancient Egyptian temples. On the second floor is Mahayana Hall, dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha, which is said to be carved from Indian red granite. Take the elevator directly from the second floor to the 16 floor, and visit from top to bottom. Whether it is a Buddhist temple or a meditation hall, it is elegant, bright and beautiful, and there is no feeling of smoke, noise and congestion like a normal temple. There is no incense table or incense in the whole temple. Flowers and water lilies appear in front of the Buddha statue, which fully conforms to the low-carbon environmental protection concept advocated at present. I think this way of worshipping Buddha is really worth popularizing.

Visit the Zen Temple for more than an hour, and then visit the Zen Temple Museum. At that time, it happened that the special cultural relics exhibition of Ashoka Tower (Leifeng Tower) in Zhejiang Museum was on display here, which was rare. We visited this special exhibition first, and then saw the permanent exhibition of Zen Temple. Most of the cultural relics collected in Zhongtai Temple are related to Buddhism. They are displayed according to different materials (such as copper, iron, wood, stone, paper, silk, etc.). ), and there are many treasures. The curator of the museum is a bhikshuni, who has a doctor's degree and personally explains it to us. As far as its facilities and exhibition means are concerned, it is not inferior to ordinary public museums and can be called first-class.

After the visit, I recalled that the "five modernizations" of Buddhism put forward by the old monk Wei Jue, that is, scientific, artistic, life-oriented, educational and academic, were fully reflected here. How to combine Buddhism with modern life? When we arrive at Zhongtai Temple, we will certainly get some true meaning. This is indeed a jungle that keeps pace with the times (self-note: "keeping pace with the times" is the most talked about by the accompanying monks). The modernization of Buddhism can be said to have reached the extreme here, leaving the mark of the times, and even this ending is great.

Wei Jue, an old monk in Yingshan, Sichuan, has been firmly safeguarding the reunification of the motherland and promoting cross-strait religious and cultural exchanges for many years. In his early years, he put forward the theory of "three links": "The two sides of the strait are not connected, and religion is connected first; Religion does not pass, Buddhism passes first; Buddhism was not passed down, but China and Taiwan Province passed down first. " A few years ago, "Taiwan independence" elements on the island held a so-called "referendum", only feeling that the old monk resolutely opposed this act of splitting the country and called for "absolutely no referendum". In recent years, many young wizards from Zhongtai Temple have been sent to Sichuan University and China Academy of Social Sciences for doctoral degrees. This year, regardless of his 80-year-old age, he also made a special trip to the mainland to visit the Shanghai World Expo.

four

Finally, talk about Foguang Mountain. Foguang Mountain is located on the north bank of Gaopingxi, the boundary river between Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County. This used to be a barren hill. Master Xingyun bought this place on 1967, and led his disciples to work hard for decades. Now it has become a Buddhist shrine with trees, temples and weather.

Master Xing Yun, the founder of Foguang Mountain, enjoys a high position in Taiwan Province religious circles. Not only that, he developed Buddhism all over the world, and he is a monk with great prestige in the world. But through several contacts and conversations, I feel that this master is actually an approachable elder and a wise man with a sense of humor.

I became attached to Master Xingyun, and I want to thank Mr. Ching Tien, director of the Music Research Institute of our college. In his early years, he visited Master Xingyun through Pu Zhao, and later taught at Foguang University founded by the master, and he was very familiar with the master. The first time we saw Master Xingyun bid farewell to the hospital in Taichung (Foguangshan has such branches in major cities in Taiwan Province Province), and the master told several witty and profound jokes one after another, which made people laugh. Soon, Ching Tien and I were invited to attend the opening ceremony of "A Calligraphy Exhibition" held by Master Xingyun in the Second Hospital of Beijing Medical University. We chatted with the master and learned that the master and my father were born in the same year (1927), which made us feel closer. About half a year later, Ching Tien and I tried our best to promote it. Master Xing Yun's "A Calligraphy Exhibition" was exhibited in China Art Museum in May this year. The master personally gave a speech at the scene and gave a speech at our China Academy of Fine Arts, which was warmly welcomed. During my stay in Beijing, I accompanied my master and got to know him better.

Master Xingyun is from Jiangdu, Jiangsu. 12 years old became a monk in Qixia Mountain, Nanjing, and then studied Buddhism in Qixia Law School. /kloc-in the spring of 0/949, the monk rescue team was organized to come to Taiwan Province province. In his early years, he was mainly in Hongdao, Yilan, and experienced hardships. After the establishment of Foguang Mountain, based on the tradition of "Buddhism on earth", it set up the purpose of "promoting Buddhism through culture, cultivating talents through education, benefiting society through charity and purifying people's hearts through practice" and devoted itself to promoting Buddhist education, culture, charity and Buddhism. More than 200 Dojo temples have been established around the world, such as Xilai, Nantian and Nanhua temples, which are the largest Buddhist temples in North America, Australia and Africa respectively. Nine art galleries, 26 libraries, 12 bookstores, more than 50 Chinese schools, 16 Buddhist jungle colleges, complete primary and secondary schools in Guang Zhi, Pumen and Juntou, and universities in Foguang, South China and Nantian, Taiwan Province Province, have realized their ambition of "Buddha shines on five continents" and created an unprecedented one.

Master's works include Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha, Lectures by Master Xingyun, Buddhist Series, Buddha Light Textbook, Hundred Stories of the Past, Praying for Buddha Light, Between Misunderstandings, Thoughts of Contemporary People, Buddhist Series on Earth and Buddhist Quotations on Earth, which have been translated into English and Japanese. According to the master, when he was young, he was engaged in literary creation, wrote novels, plays and edited magazines, so the master's works, whether advocating Buddhism or persuading goodness, were clear and fascinating. This is my feeling after reading some books presented by the master.

As early as 58 years old, Master Xingyun wisely withdrew from the affairs of the abbot of Foguang Mountain. However, under a set of scientific and strict systems formulated by the master, Foguangshan's career is still developing vigorously. In Foguang Mountain, as usual, the chief curator of Foguang Garden Art Museum accompanied us to visit the Zen Hall, Liao Fang, Bookstore, Giant Buddha City, Daxiong Hall, Great Compassion Hall, Great Wisdom Hall, Art Museum and Master Hall, and felt the spirit and charm of the master everywhere. Finally, I visited the Foguang Mountain Memorial Hall under construction, which is a large building complex and a busy construction site, indicating a better prospect for Foguang Mountain.

(The author Wang Nengxian is a doctor of literature in Peking University and is currently the vice president and researcher of China Academy of Art)