My Footprints On Earth.....: Wild Goose Pagoda #1

An Impromptu trip took us to the ancient city of Xian a couple of years ago.After a scrumptious lunch at the Indian restaurant, we visited the first location for the day - The Wild Goose Pagoda......

It was raining all throughout journey and even till we were having lunch. Luckily once we stepped out of the restaurant, the sky kind of cleared a bit and the rain stopped so that we could enjoy the noon sight seeing....

So lets starts with the Wild Goose Pagoda.A little history before we proceed....

This Pagoda is situated in Southern Xi'an,China. It was built in the year 652 AD during the Tang Dynasty. It was built to collect and store the Buddhist relics and other materials brought from India by the Monk Xuanzang. It is interesting to note that the Sanskrit Sutras were translated into Chinese in those days itself!!!

The pagoda's original height was 54 meters but due to several natural calamities the size reduced and was and was extensively repaired by the Ming Dynasty.The Pagoda now stands to a height of 64 meters. The whole city of Xi'an can be viewed from the top of the Pagoda..

There is a legend behind the name of this Pagoda.It goes like this...

There are 2 sects of Buddhist monks. One is vegetarian and the other is a meat eating group. One day the meat eating monks could not find meat and they prayed to Buddha to provide them with some food. Immediately, the head bird of the wild goose flock that was flying above broke its wing and fell down. The monks were so startled and believed that Buddha was trying to tell them to be more pious. So they vowed to stop eating meat and built this Pagoda where the goose had fallen!!!

This is also called the 'Big Wild Goose pagoda' or the Da Yan Ta and is not to be mistaken with another pagoda called ' Small wild goose Pagoda'.

You have to pay a fee to enter the premises and a separate fee to climb up the Pagoda. It is open from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening. We were told that there is a light and sound show in the courtyard at night but not sure about the timings....

Now for the tour...

A small tower in the Da Ci'en Temple courtyard before entering into the Pagoda area. There are two of these facing each other. One is the drum tower and the other is the bell tower....

The Pagoda as seen from the courtyard...

Exquisite carving on the steps leading to the entrance of the Pagoda

At the entrance is a board that tells us"What can be seen in the Pagoda"

A souvenir shop right at the entrance. We told ourselves this had to wait till we finished seeing all the places inside.....

We visited the various halls in the monastery which are present around the pagoda.At the entrance to each hall in the monastery,there are boards describing the nature of the exhibits and their detailed history. This one is from the board at the entrance of the Hall of Sakyamuni.......

The Hall of Akyamuni is the main hall in the monastery. "Daxiong" is one of the honorific titles to the ethical power of Buddha.It indicates that Buddha is endowed with an invincible power and is capable of subduing all the worries and evils.Enshrines in the middle of the hall are the Statue of Buddha and those of His disciples Jiaye [on teh east side] and A'non[on the west side] and on the both sides of which are Statues of Bodhisattvas Wenshu[on the east side] and Puxian[on the west side].The statues of the eighteen arhat are enshrined on the east and west walls.

The 18 disciples of Buddha, originally 16,refer to the 18 arhat who live eternally on the earth guarding Buddhism. The earliest painting of the 18 arhat date the 10th century AD.The painters are Zhang Xuan and Guan Xiu. Their works are highly praised by Sramana[Buddhist monk] Jue Fan and the great ancient Chinese writer Su Dongpo . In fact Su Dongpo composed 18 essays in praise of the arhat. The Reverend Qingyou in named as the 17th arhat and Reverend Bingtoulu teh 18th. Qingyou is Nantimaiduoluo, writer of Fa Zhu Ji;Bingtoulu is Bingdulupoluoduo, ranking the first of teh original 16 arhat. The differences result from the unfamiliarity with the scriptures and teh misinterpretation os Sanskrit. Hence, the original 16 arhat are replaced by the later 18.Since the Yuan dynasty , the 18 arhat are enshrined in the most of the main halls in the monasteries.The 18 arhats are widely recognized in China. The additional 2 arhats are various. They may be Reverend Jiaye and the Reverend Jun tubotan. In Tibetan area, they may be Damoduoluo and Monk Budai, or the Reverend Fuhu or Moyefuren and Mile.

The Disciples of Buddha....

Pindolabharadvaja 2.Kanakavatsa 3.Kanakabharadvaja 4.Suvinda 5.Nakula 6. Bhadra 7. Karika 8. Vajraputra 9. Svaka 10. Panthaka 11. Rahula 12. Nagasena 13. Lugata 14. Vanavasin 15. Ajita 16. Cudapanthaka

The disciples of Buddha

A close up shot......

The hall was too crowded and that's all I could click....

The next stop was the The Foresight Palace....

Foresight Palace , also called the Zushi hall, makes offerings to the seat of spirit tablet of the abbots in Dacien Temple. On the first and fifth day of every lunar month , the common people can offer some sacrifices to recall and revere the memory of the abbots' great virtues.

Display Temple is the most attractive part of this place.. Read the inscriptions on the board [below] and see the picture and I am sure you will agree with me...

Enshrines in this temple are 8 inlaid jade sculptures of Buddha Sakyamuni displaying the course of his enlightenment "Dreaming of the elephant and getting impregnated", 7- step lotus, " a nightly experience of mortal life", "ascetic practices", Subduing the devil", " attaining the supreme enlightenment and becoming Buddha", Da Zhuan Fa Lun", and "Qi Bu Lian Hua"

The Sculptures are of natural jade without coloring treatment. The exquisite inlaying craftsmanship ensures their reputation of masterpiece.