A Day at a Monastery

Fo Guang Shan Monastery

 On Saturday, March 19th, I visited a beautiful monastery with some of the other exchange students. Myself, Lisa, Stacy, Violaine, Tia, and Jacques, took the hour and a half long bus ride up to Fo Guang Shan. The name literally translates to "Buddah's Light Mountain". It is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in Taiwan, with brand temples located in places such as Africa, India, New Zealand, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and many more. Fo Guan Shan is one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the world, and it is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. Te monastery is surrounded by lush forest, and located at the top of a mountain. The experience was serene, beautiful, and peaceful.

The moment you walk in to the monastery, every angle is picture-esque. The first gate you pass is the Non-Duality Gate, and you enter the Five Hundred Arhats Garden, where five hundred statues line the pathway amidst a beautiful garden. Already, we have probably climbed hundreds of stairs. The next gate passed is the Padmagarbha Gate, which leads the way to the spectacular Main Shrine.

The Main Shrine was exquisite in so many ways. The exterior of the building is grand, and ornate, and the interior is cool, and peaceful. A place you could spend hours looking around at all the detailing, and watching the devoted followers pray. The Main Shrine covers 3 570 square meters, and is 30 meters in height. Enshrined within are three Buddhas, which are each 7.8 meters high. The center is the Sakyamuni Buddha of the Saha world, to the left is the Bhaisajaguru Buddha the medicine Buddha of the Eastern world, and to the right the Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of infinite light of the Western world. 

The interior walls are filled with stone niches enshrining 14 800 smaller images of the Sakyamuni Buddah. Before the Buddhas are the world two tallest Light Jewel Pagodas, each nine meters high in seventy-two layers, and containing 7 200 Buddha images. They represent the light of the Buddha Dharma radiating universally upon humanity and the universe, the light of wisdom, which can break through the darkness of ignorance and bring hope and peace to the world. 



After walking through beautiful gardens, and passing by gorgeous detained buildings, we made our way up to Great Buddha Land where hundreds of identical smaller gold Buddhas, leading us to the Great Buddha. This Buddha is 36 meters in height and can be seen from miles away. This Buddha is the highest standing in South East Asia. 

This journey was better than I had imagined, and made me think a little differently. I will leave you with some words from Fo Guang Shan and BLIA (Buddha's Light International Association). 
                                 

The Four Verses of Fo Guang Shan and BLIA
May palms in every world be joined in kindness, compassion, joy and generosity.
May all beings find security in friendship, peace and loving care.
May calm and mindful practice give rise of to deep patience and equanimity.
May we give rise to spacious hearts and humble thoughts of gratitude.

Till next time,
Chantal
xo