What is the difference between a temple and a temple?As a son and daughter of China, you need to know and deeply interpret the differences in religious architecture
Buddhism is one of the three major religions in the world, and its founder is called Shakyamuni, who became a Buddha at the age of 29 in the Ganges Valley region of central India, and then ran away from home to learn from teachers and preach the truth of enlightenment. Under his influence, many people chose the path of monasticism.
When it comes to Buddhism, most people think of it"Temples", but when we traveled to Buddhist holy places, we found out"Temples"with"Holy Land"Always separated. So, what's the difference between a temple and a shrine?As a descendant of Yan and Huang, do you understand?
Ancient"Temple"with"Ancestral Hall"
Although nowadays"Temples"Always associated with Buddhism, but a long time ago,"Temples"with"Ancestral hall"But they are two concepts that have little to do with Buddhism. After all, Buddhism was introduced and developed during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty around 67 AD.
When Buddhism was first introduced to China, it was known as Futu Buddhism. According to the literature, the introduction of Buddhism is similar to the introduction of Buddha statues.
In 57 AD, Liu Zhuang, the son of Emperor Guangwu of Han, ascended the throne as Emperor Ming of Han. One day, he dreamed that there was a Buddha statue in Tianzhu, and Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was very curious about the Buddha statue, so he sent people to Tianzhu to find Buddhist scriptures.
In 67 AD, Emperor Ming of Han sent back a large number of Buddhist scriptures and statues, as well as two Indian monks. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was very happy to see them and arranged for the two monks to live in Honglu Temple.
At this time, Honglu Temple was the official office of the imperial court in charge of foreign affairs. In 68 AD, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered the construction of the White Horse Temple, and the name of the temple was taken from the Honglu Temple"Temple"Word. Since then,"Temple"It has formed an indissoluble bond with Buddhism.
According to the record of "Zuo Biography - Seven Years of the Hidden Prince".
Since the Han Dynasty, the residence of the three princes is called the house, and the residence of the nine Qings is called the temple"。
He also wrote "Hanshu - Yuan Emperor Era":
Jingdao County, the temple house, broke and killed"。
It seems that the relationship between the temple and Buddhism is not intimate, as it is called"There is an official residence, which is called a temple"。
After Buddhism was introduced to China"Temple"Not only me"Buddhist Temple", there are also"Ancestral halls or other places of religious worship"meaning. History of the Song Dynasty - Biography of Relatives VI - Gaochang "Youyun:
There is the temple of Manichae, the place where the Persian priests practiced"。
Originally, a temple also referred to a place where ancestors and gods were worshipped. This is recorded in the Book of Songs-Daya-Siqi:
There are many birds singing in the palace, and there are many Gu insects in the temple"。
It should be pointed out here that:"Temple"appeared earlier than"Ancestral Temple"。In fact, Chinese worship ancestors, and ancestor worship is a very important part of some large families in Chinese culture, but there are also them"Jongmyo Temple"。The place where some large families worship their ancestors is also called"Jongmyo Temple"。
Temples are associated with Buddhism as in China, some"Man and God"Also enshrined in temples – temples are built for those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the country.
Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was also an enlightened person, so to speak"Man and God", so"Temples"Gradually, it began to be associated with Buddhism.
Later,"Temple"with"Temple"Gradual fusion,"Temple"It became synonymous with Buddhism.
Temples"with"Monasteries"The difference.
Temples"with"Monastery"The difference can be summarized in three points:
The objects of worship are different, the basic functions are different, the culture and the place of origin are different.
As mentioned earlier, since the Han Dynasty, temples have been dedicated to holy Buddhas, and temples rarely worship beings other than Buddhas.
However, the temple is different in that it can be dedicated to ancestors, gods, ghosts, as well as saints and sages. For example, the temple is dedicated to the royal ancestors;The temple is dedicated to the land lord;The temple is dedicated to Confucius.
In terms of function, after the introduction of Buddhism, the temple gradually changed from an official house to a place for Buddhist children to practice, learn Xi and live. Here, Buddha children with different qualifications have different identities, and tourists will also receive special services when they go to the temple to worship incense.
Compared to the temple, there are very few monks in the temple, and some even only have statues of gods and Buddhas. If there are rich people in the place where the temple is located, they will spend money to build the temple and live a good life, but if the place where the temple is located is deserted, the temple will become more and more dilapidated as time goes by.
In addition, temples and ancestral halls are culturally different, and until today, temples have basically become another name for Buddhist spaces, while temples today have other meanings, both to refer to Buddhist spaces and to places where ancestors are worshipped.
Originally, temples were mainly used by officials, while shrines were of folk origin. It was not until Buddhism was introduced to China that temples and ancestral halls gradually became one.
Supplement. Finally, let us add a little bit about Buddhism after it was introduced to China. The pinnacle of the development of Buddhism in China should have been the early and middle Tang dynasties. On the other hand, the most glorious and promising period of Buddhism was the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties period.
Due to the chaos and darkness of the Central Plains during this period, people needed faith, support and hope for life, and Buddhism was what people aspired to at that time.
Unfortunately, the statues and paintings that have survived in the Buddhist temples of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties have been seriously damaged, and we can only get a glimpse of the development of Buddhism at that time from some cultural relics and some grottoes in the temples.
Although Tang Taizong claimed to be a descendant of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, the Tang Dynasty also attached great importance to Buddhism. Legend has it that Tang Taizong issued an edict"A battleground for soldiers"When the monastery was established, it was helped by soldiers and monks to eliminate differences and calm the unrest.
Emperors after the Tang Dynasty also attached great importance to the development of Buddhism. At that time, many foreign Buddhist scholars came to China to study Buddhism, and many Chinese monks went to foreign countries to carry out Buddhist reforms.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism in China gradually began to decline, but it was still a very important religion.
As a descendant of Yan and Huang, do you know the difference between a temple and a Taoist temple?