Buddhism in China

Susan Daly

Buddhism came to China along the Silk Roads from India where it was started in the

5th century BCE by Siddarta Gautama.It brought with it several symbols shown in

many Buddhist images. The most familiar is the lotus flower, a symbol of purity,

renunciation and divinity. Buddha is often shown sitting on a lotus.

Another important symbol is the Golden Wheel. The wheel represents motion, continuity and change, forever moving

onwards like the wheel of heaven.The eight spokes point in the eight directions and

symbolize Buddha’s Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech,

right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Big Wild Goose PagodaBuddha

Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Buddhist

monastery in X’ian

Statue of Buddha – X’ian

Buddhist monk, Xuangzang

leaving X’ian on pilgrimage to

India

Leshan carved Buddha- 25 stories tall

Buddha’a hand can hold 100 people on

it.

Since the Taliban blew up the 2 Buddha’s at Bamyan, Afghanistan, Leshan is the largest carved statue of Buddha in the world. It is

mainly visible by boat from the river because it was carved where 3 rivers converge to

stop the many drownings which took place there and quiet the water. It did stop the rapids.There are stairs which circle the

statue to allow you to get several views of it as you climb around it.

30 foot tall head

Buddhism in western China

Mt. Emei – a sacred Buddhist mountain

Mt. Emei is over 10,000 feet tall. The act of climbing it, is also an act of worship. There are five different Buddhist monasteries at different levels of the mountain. At each stage, pilgrims can stop, pray, and rest.

There are four mountains sacred to Buddha in China.

Lingyan Buddhist Temple

Lingyan Temple Bell

Interior painting of a Lion

Wannian Temple on Mt.

Emei

A fish hanging in this direction says a pilgrim may stay for free here.

Monastery buildings

A Buddhist monk

A Buddhist stupa

Beautiful & peaceful

surroundings

Collecting the days donations

Buddhist prayer wheel

Ladies at worship on Mt. Emei

As we toured the 2 Buddhist monasteries on Mt.Emei, we were a curiosity for many of the pilgrims we

saw along our travels. It was the most foreign I felt in all of China. The young woman with very light blonde hair had

people ask if they could have their picture taken with her because she was

so different.

John and a Buddhist monk

at Wannian Temple on Mt.

Emei

Mt.Emei is a beautiful natural environment with 5 monasteries

leading up to its peak. We saw 2 and along the way saw gorgeous scenery and many types of butterflies. We did not see the monkeys who also live on

its slopes.