Yuan Guang Chan Temple Introduction
The overall planning of the Yuan Guang Zen Temple follows the traditional monastic regulations. Surrounded by elegant green tiles and white walls, the grand palace-style architecture of the north and the exquisite garden design create a stunning scene, resembling a celestial paradise. A statue of a deer and the Dharma Wheel is sculpted at the side entrance, symbolizing the Buddha's initial teaching of the Four Noble Truths to the five monks in Deer Park, which resonates with the abbot's aspiration to revitalize monastic education. Inside the mountain gate is the Maitreya Hall, enshrining the laughing Maitreya, modeled after the cloth-bag monk, and the Bodhisattva Weituo, who vows to protect the Dharma. On both sides are the Four Heavenly Kings, intricately carved and lifelike. The laughing Maitreya brings joy to everyone who approaches, while Weituo, holding a precious sword, emanates a majestic aura that intimidates the forces of evil. Upon entering through the mountain gate, one arrives at a spacious plaza, flanked by gardens with flourishing flowers and plants. As one proceeds, there are stone steps leading to the Main Hall, with the steps divided into left and right, and a statue of nine dragons intertwined at the center, with Guanyin Bodhisattva standing atop, holding a pure vase to guide the arriving beings. The Main Hall stands at the center of the entire temple complex, serving as a spiritual fortress for the Buddhists. Inside, the three revered figures of the Avatamsaka Sutra—Shakyamuni, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra—are enshrined, with the revered disciples Kasyapa and Ananda on either side. Below the Main Hall is the Zendo, usually used for women's morning and evening recitations, and on holidays, as a place for lay practitioners to engage in their practices. The merit hall at the back enshrines Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the revered Mukan, serving as the place for devotees to offer ancestral tablets. There are also a kitchen, a dining hall, classrooms, and dormitories, accommodating over a hundred people. (Source: Yuan Guang Zen Temple)
