Buddhism Site Visit - Daoguo Temple on Emel Mountain

Vanessa Luo
Ms. Mikesell
Ecumenical Religion
4 January 2016

Buddhism Site Visit

On December 22nd, my parents and I visited the famous Daoguo Temple on Emel Mountain. The style of the temple, different from those of India and other countries, is fashioned after the imperial Chinese palaces. The temple consists of a group of buildings separated by courtyard. The top is covered with black and grey tiles on top of the red roof. Underneath the roof, there are big Chinese calligraphy of "Daoguo Temple" carved into the brown wooden board and hanged up horizontally. Everything above is supported by the giant brown posts. The wooden doors are carved with traditional Chinese patterns. The structure is very aetheniscally pleasing since every building has been laid out symmetrically. Two little lions, carved out of stone, are set on each side of the giant front door.  The female lion is set on the right while the male lion is on the left. This tradition of position of lions on front door that corresponds to the yin yang  is commonly used in every Chinese traditional building. With curiosity, I researched the meaning of lions in the temple after coming home. As Buddhism spread from the west into China, lions have been regarded as a kind of sacred species appeared in Folk tales and fictions.  The lions also have the power to guard the door and dispel the evil. I assume it to be the reason that lions appear in front of many traditional houses in China.
        After entering the front hall, I saw multiple buildings situated in line as the mountain went up. On my side, I also noticed four Sons of Heavens carved on the wall in bright colors: some frowned and seem angry, some held weapons and some wore corselet. I assume they also guard the door for the temple. The temple was not very crowded because that day was a workday for Chinese. I saw a few people dressed in casual clothes brought candles and incense and went into different buildings. They seemed to be in a hurry and very ignorant of the other people. In tradition, most people usually brought candles on their own because candles sold in the temple were often very expensive. There was a giant censor made out of copper laid in the center of the yard. People could burn their incense and candles in these special tables and censor. There were still several candles shaped in pink lotuses burning on the table. As I came closer, I smelled the strong smell of incense. Interestingly, it calmed me down.
        After climbing hundreds of stairs, I was able to enter the first building. There are different Gods in the size of 3m to 5m displayed in each room. Each holds different power. People would come, light candles and incense and pray to specific god based on their wish. I could only recognize some of the gods which held greater reputation. For instance, one of them was Guan Yin. She always wears a silky white long gown and holds a bottle with a leaf of willow. She holds the position of children and birth. When a family desires a child, they will come to Guanyin and pray.
        Before I visited Daoguo Temple on this day, I thought the service for Buddhism was very different compared to the other religions: Unlike Christianity, there was no specific day for the service; People did not gather up together to attend a service. The visitors just came with friends or family and then left on their own. People simply kneeled on a mat and kowtowed to the God three times while praying wishes in their mind. Like Hindu, many visitors brought fruit including orange, apples and peaches and different kinds of flowers to show reverence.
        However, I forgot to take a very important thing into account: most people who came could not even be considered as Buddhists. Most people in China simply came to the Buddha temple to pray for their wishes. It is a superstition still existed in China that praying to God will help you achieve your own goals. People do not go to temple for their belief, but they go for their desire and luck.As a result, most who were not Buddhists just came for their own wishes, burnt incense and left in a hurry.
        As I climbed up and went through these buildings, I heard an obscure sound. As I went closer, it became a voice of recitation of Buddhism texts! It was a service! Although I had gone to Buddha temples more than 10 times, this was my first time witnessing the service. Unable to hold it in, my heart full of excitement, I quickly sprinted over. Inside the building, there was a majestic statue of Rulai Buddha coated in pure gold. All the monks kneeled on the mat toward the side of the Buddha. There were desks in front of the monks. On the desk, there was flowers on one side and Buddha texts on the other. All the monks wore yellow garment on the inside with red gown on the outside. Their heads were all shaved. One Buddha leader was reciting the text when the other listened and followed. The music was in company with the recitation as well. There was two other monks performing with the traditional Chinese instruments. The service was similar to the singing in Christian Chapel Service. However, for some reason, I felt that the restless anger and anxiety were all purged and gone. I felt a joyful peace coming over my mind. I felt the presence of Buddha!
        After the service was long over, my mind was still in a constant peace and joy from this service. Luckily, I had a conversation with one of the monks from the temple. He was very amicable and patient. He told me about how Buddhism rules apply to life. For example, it is stated in Buddhism that people suffer because they pursue the wrong thing. He said that many people in China right now pursue too much on materialistic matters. Many girls would simply marry rIch old men who they do not love for money. Many men would work from sunrise to midnight because they want to buy better houses and better cars.  Because they are blinded and pursue the wrong thing, they are all far away from the true happiness and suffer from their choices. This visit offered me a new perspective and taught me a new lesson about Buddhism. If I ever have a chance, I want to come back and hear this wonderful recitation again!