Mount Putuo – Buddhist Land on The Sea

Mount Putuo – Buddhist Land on The Sea

Mount Putuo is one of the four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism, lies in the East China Sea and incorporates the beauty of both mountain and sea, and honored as the Buddhist Land on the Sea. Its area is approximately 12.5 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi) and there are numerous famous temples. Mount Putuo has been a pilgrimage site for over a thousand years. After the Tang dynasty, Mount Putuo became a center of Avalokitasvara (Guanyin) worship.

In 863, a Japanese monk called Hui E aimed to carry a statue of Avalokitasvara from Mount Wutai to his country by ship. However, when the ship was passing through the sea nearby Mount Putuo, it was prevented by the stormy waves and hundreds of iron lotus flowers suddenly appeared on the sea, blocking the way. Monk Hui E believed that Avalokitasvara didn’t want to leave China. So he knelt down on the bow of the boat and silently prayed to the Bodhisattva Avalokitasvara for instructions. After a while, the iron lotus on the sea disappeared, and the boat drifted to the shore of Mount Putuo, where he built a temple in the purple bamboo forest to enshrine the statue of theBodhisattva. From that time, Mount Putuo got the spirit and became the bodhimanḍa of Bodhisattva Guanyin.

Traditionally there were three main temples: The Puji Temple (founded 10th cent.), the Fayu Temple  (founded 1580 CE), and the Huiji Temple (founded 1793 CE).  Today, there are more than 30 major temples located at Mount Putuo. In addition to these monasteries, there is the Institute of Buddhism, one of the largest Buddhist academic institutes in China.

Puji Temple

Puji Temple is the main temple of Mount Putuo and all important Buddhist activities are held here. Covering an area of 37,019 square meters, it contains Grand Yuantong Palace, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Depository of Buddhist Sutras and 357 other buildings. Grand Yuantong Palace is the main hall which houses an 8-meter-high statue of Guanyin surrounded by 32 Bodhisattva with different costumes in a variety of poses on east and west walls. Haiyin Pond in Puji Temple was a free life pond full of spring water primitively and now a lotus pond. At the night of summer, the gorgeous lotus and bright moonlight compose an attractive scenery. 

Fayu Temple

Fayu Temple was built along the uphill with grand building groups and extraordinary manners. It got such a name in that you could see amazing relives of nine dragons are fighting for pearl on the screen wall before the gate of Halls of Heavenly Kings. Among the 294 halls of Fayu Temple, Nine Dragons Guanyin Palace(also called Grand Yuantong Palace), said to be a Buddhist Temple transported from the imperial palace of Ming Dynasty, acts as the most magnificent one. The highlighted part of this palace must be the Nine Dragons Caisson Ceiling. With unique shapes and vivid images, it enjoys high artist value and is listed in Three Treasures of Mount Putuo.

Huiji Temple (惠济禅寺)

Huiji Temple is perched in Foding Mountain, the highest peak of Mount Putuo. The architecture of the whole temple is unique. It is located on the mountain and is arranged horizontally. The hall is spacious and magnificent. Hidden in a luxury forest, Huiji Temple features in peaceful environment. Standing at the peak of Mount Putuo, you can have a distant view of the mountains, sea, reefs, beaches and buildings. In the whole temple, statues, carvings and pictures of Guanyin can be found everywhere.

Statue of Standing Nanhai Guanyin

Standing in the south Shuangfeng Peak, Statue of Standing Nanhai Guanyin is the largest outdoor statue of Guanyin made from copper in Asia. With an 18-meter-high statue, 2-meter-high lotus and 13-meter-high foundation, the whole structure has two stories in its foundation. The first story displays elegant carvings, while the second story houses 500 statues of Guanyin in different poses. On the consecrating day at year 1997, a strange nature phenomenon happened. Before the consecrating ceremony, the sky was full of dark cloud and it seemed that it would rain soon. However, as the ceremony began, it became sunny as if two hands pushed aside the clouds. A beam of sunlight just casts on the Guanyin statue.

Avalokitasvara, Guan Shi Yin in Chinese, means the Perceiver of World’s Sounds. The Lotus Sutra says: “Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, heavenly voice, the voice of the sea’s tide—magnificent, rich and harmonious surpassing all worldly sounds.” The bodhisattva always help all beings in danger and distress and is willing to bear the pain of all beings. There are many stories and folk tales about the bodhisattva’s infinite mercy and compassion.

If we hold the bodhisattva in our hearts and call on her sincerely, she will always respond. I had a personal experience. You can read my story here: Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva saved my life。

Fortunately for us, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has brought the powerful Dharma to this world: the Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva Great Compassion Empowerment Dharma (觀音大悲加持法). This Dharma does not require the practitioner to have any Dharma powers or holy realization. As long as you have the power of the lineage, that is sufficient. You can succeed the same day you take up the practice of it. The next day, you can convene people, empower them, and lead them into a supernormal state. Many Buddhist disciples have participated the dharma assembly and recorded their true extraordinary experience. Click here to read some example articles: 1. Dharma Assembly of Empowerment by Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva’s Mind of Great Compassion ——Note Written Afterwards to Describe the Most Magnificent Scene at the Site，2. Guan Yin Bodhisattva of Great Compassion Empowerment Dharma Assembly- ——A Personal Experience Written Afterwards to Describe the Most Magnificent Scene at the Site.

May the greatly loving and compassionate Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva bless all beings!!!

Mount Putuo – Buddhist Land on The Sea

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/07/13/mount-putuo-buddhist-land-on-the-sea/

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Putuo, https://www.chinadiscovery.com/zhejiang/putuoshan-mountain.html