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Living quarters of the Lingyin monastery

Lingyin Temple (traditional Chinese: ???; simplified Chinese: ???; pinyin: Língy?n Sì) is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect located north-west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. The temple’s name is commonly literally translated as Temple of the Soul’s Retreat. It is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China.

The monastery is the largest of several temples in the Wulin Mountains (???), which also features a large number of grottos and religious rock carvings, the most famous of which is the Feilai Feng (???; literally “the peak that flew hither”).

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Pagoda containing Huili’s ashes, at the foot of Feilai Feng

The monastery was originally founded in 328 AD during the Eastern Jin Dynasty by Indian monk Huili. From its inception, Lingyin was a famous monastery in the Jiangnan region. At its peak under the Kingdom of Wuyue (907-978), the temple boasted nine multi-storey buildings, 18 pavilions, 72 halls, more than 1300 dormitory rooms, inhabited by more than 3000 monks. Many of the rich Buddhist carvings in the Feilai Feng grottos and surrounding mountains also date from this era.

During the latter Southern Song Dynasty, the monastery was regarded as one of the ten most important temples of the Chan sect in the Jiangnan region. However, its prominence has not saved the temple from marauders. It has been rebuilt no less than sixteen times since then. The current buildings are modern restorations of late Qing buildings. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple and grounds suffered some damage at the hands of Red Guards. However, they escaped large scale destruction partly because of the protection of Premier Zhou Enlai.

Today the temple is thriving as a destination for both pilgrims and tourists. It is regarded as one of the wealthiest monasteries in China, and regular pilgrims have included former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.

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 The Wuling Mountains area is a major centre of Chan Buddhism in south-eastern China. A number of smaller temples are also located in the area. Today, Lingyin and the surrounding areas are marketed as the Lingyin-Feilai Feng Scenic Area, with ticketed admission. Visitors enter from a screen wall marked with a four character inscription “the Western Heaven is within reach” (Chinese: ????; pinyin: zhích? X?ti?n; literally “Western Heaven is between 0.8 to one foot away”). Proceeding down the road from the entrance, the visitor first sees Feilai Feng on the left, then Lingyin Hill on the right. The entire scenic area is dotted with historic buildings and artwork, including pagodas, pavilions, bridges, and statues. The largest stone pagoda is located near the entrance. Called Ligong Pagoda (???), it houses the ashes of Huili, the Indian monk who founded Lingyin. The area is thickly wooded, with some trees labelled as many centuries old.

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Stone carvings at Feilai Feng; the panel at lower left depicts the pilgrims of the Journey to the West

Feilai Feng, or “the Peak that Flew Hither”, also commonly translated as “Flying Peak”, is located in front of the temple proper. The peak is so-named because it is made of limestone, giving it a craggy appearance very different to the surrounding mountains. Legend holds that the peak was originally from India (with some versions suggesting that it is Vulture Peak, but flew to Hangzhou overnight as a demonstration of the omnipotence of Buddhist law. A large number of carvings dot the surface of the peak. More are located in various caves and grottos throughout the peak. Within the main cave, dedicated to the bodhisattva Guanyin, there is a crack in the ceiling of the cave that stretches up to the surface, so that a person standing at a certain position can see a sliver of sunlight. This is known as the “one thread of heaven

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Courtyard in front the main hall bordered with trees

The formal entrance of the temple is the Hall of the Heavenly Kings (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Ti?nwáng Diàn). This hall is a double-eaved building. The front of the building carries a plaque (Chinese: ????; pinyin: Yúnlín Chán Sì; literally “Chan temple of the Clouds and Forests”), written by the Kangxi Emperor. The principal statue in this hall is that of the Maitreya Buddha in his manifestation as the clothes bag monk, or the Laughing Buddha. At the back, facing up the hill, is the Skanda Buddha, or Weituo as he is known in Chinese. This statue dates from the Southern Song Dynasty. Arranged along the left and right are the Four Heavenly Kings. The ceiling is ornately painted and decorated with phoenixes and dragons.

Visitors to the temple are often impressed by the size and majesty of the entrance hall and its statues of the heavenly kings. Indeed, the hall of the Heavenly Kings at the Lingyin Temple is as large or larger than the main hall at many temples, reflecting its status as the centre of Buddhism in south-eastern China.

The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is the formal entrance to the temple. However, this entry has been closed in recent years, with visitors funneled instead through side doors, where separate ticket offices are set up for admission to the temple.

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Idol of Lord Mahavira at Shri Mahaveerji (the holy town in Rajasthan named after Mahavira.) Thousands of worshipers visit Shri Mahaveerji Temple daily to catch a glimpse of this famous statue

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Standing Bhai?ajyaguru Buddha at the Gyeongju National Museum

Further uphill and behind the main hall is the Hall of the Medicine Buddha (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Yàosh? Diàn), housing a statue of the Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, commonly called the Medicine Buddha. The hall is currently undergoing exterior renovation and is not open to the public.
 

Bhai?ajyaguru (?????? Ch. Yàosh?fó, Jp. Yakushi), more formally Bhai?ajyaguruvaid?ryaprabha (Jp. ??????? Yakushirurik? nyorai) and also known as the Master of Healing or Medicine Buddha, is the Buddha of healing. His full name means “Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light”. In Mahayana Buddhism, Bhai?ajyaguru represents the healing aspect of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni. The use of the analogy of a Buddha being depicted as a doctor who cures the illness of suffering using the medicine of his teachings appears widely in Buddhist scriptures.

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A mola showing a swastika, based on the Kuna flag

The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats (Chinese: ?????; pinyin: W?b?i Luóhàn Táng), also a modern addition, faces onto the western side of the court yard in front of the main hall. The building has a complex floor plan, shaped like a Buddhist swastika. Along the arms of the swastika are arranged the five hundred arhats as slightly larger-than-life bronze statues. Each statue is seated on a unique ornate seat. At the centre, where the arms of the swastika join, stands a bronze canopy housing statues of four bodhisattvas representing the four cardinal directions. This is currently the tallest solid bronze structure in the world.

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