In September of 2011--just ten years ago--I took a trip through Zhejiang Province, starting in the mountains of Xinchang County, through Tiantai Shan (home to an esoteric sect known in Japan as Tendai), and finally to a river-island not far from the ocean in Wenzhou: six days overall.
First stop was the Dafo (Great Buddha) Temple, located in a "Scenic Area" comprised of over 25 square kilometers of mountain scenery, grottoes, and historic architecture. With little time to see things, my traveling companion and I headed straight for the Big Guy.
He is magnificent. This Great Buddha was carved in the native rock by a succession of three monks beginning in 486 CE. The work took approximately 30 years. Monk Senghu began the work, after having a vision of the Buddha's halo shining from the cliff face. He was able to finish only the Buddha's head. The work was taken up by Sengshu, who also failed to finish. Finally, Sengyou came and finished the carving in 516. A three-storied pavilion was built in front of the figure in 845, and was converted some time later to the five-story pavilion we see today. (Incidentally, the seng element in each name means "Buddhist monk.")
The finished seated Buddha is over 50 feet high, and is said to be the largest carved Buddha south of the Yangtze River Delta. Reportedly, 10 people can stand in the upturned palm of his hand! The image portrays Maitreya Bodhisattva--the next Buddha-to-come--in his "original" (non-Sinified) form; he is now more commonly portrayed as "The Laughing Buddha."
I picked up this story somewhere: They say that the Red Guard--Mao's henchpersons who wreaked so much havoc on China's antiquities during the "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976)--came to this remote place with the intent of smashing this precious Goliath to bits. However, local people got wind of their scheme and effected a most clever solution: they got their hands on some pictures of Chairman Mao Zedong and pasted them all over the statue's surface!
I can just imagine the debate that took place before the iconoclasts slunk away in defeat, dragging their unused sledge hammers behind them.
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That's it! Until next time, may you and your loved ones and all sentient beings be well and happy.
Adios, Amigos!
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