Menu
EugeneThePanda.com
  • Brick Panda
  • Traveling Panda
  • Hungry Panda
  • Me Panda
  • About The Panda
EugeneThePanda.com

Hsi Fang Temple Main Shrine Introduction

Posted on May 29, 2022May 30, 2022

Main Shrine Introduction

Who are the Buddhas enshrined in the main shrine and what do they signify?

Buddha, literally means the Enlightened One in Sankrit.

Bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to achieving complete Buddhahood. 

Sakyamuni Buddha

Sakyamuni Buddha (the seated Buddha) is the teacher and founder of Buddhism. Siddhartha Gautama (Sakyamuni Buddha’s secular name) was born as a wealthy prince around twenty six hundred years ago in Northern India. At the age of 29, even though he enjoyed a luxury life, Prince Siddhartha left his family and wealth, determined to search for the Truth and the solution for those who suffer from birth, aging, sickness, and death. After six years of practice, while meditating under a bodhi tree, he realized the Truth of the universe and the full insight in the way of life. This realization is known as Enlightenment. Upon reaching enlightenment, he was called Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha taught for 49 years after attaining enlightenment and upon his death (the physical body died) he entered into Nirvana (a conscious state of full liberation from the cycle of birth and death) at the age of 80.

Gautama Buddha was an ascetic and spiritual teacher of ancient India who lived during the latter half of the first millennium BCE. He was the founder of Buddhism and is revered by Buddhists as an awakened being whose teachings present and explain a path to freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth and suffering

Amitabha Buddha

Amitabha Buddha (the standing Buddha in the middle) is the main teacher of the Western Pure Land. When he was a Bodhisattva (one who made the aspiration to awakening), he made 48 vows to establish the land of ultimate bliss, devoid of worldly miseries, for the sake of receiving all suffering beings. In the Western Pure Land, sentient beings will continue to receive the Teachings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas until their attainment of Buddhahood. Buddhists commonly greet each other with Amitabha or “O Mi Tuo Fo,” which means “wish you with infinite life and light (wisdom).”

Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land (Sukhavati)

Amitabha, The Buddha of the West

According to the legends, a long time ago, Amitabha used to be a king. He renounced his throne to be a monk called Dharmakara Bodhisattva.

Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life, is also known as Amitabha, one of the five Cosmic Buddhas of Esoteric Buddhism.

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, (on the left of Amitabha Buddha) known as Guanyin in Chinese; Kannon in Japanese, is one of the widely known Bodhisattvs in the Mahayana Tradition. She symbolizes great compassion. She contemplates on the sound of the universe who seeks help and she will come to the aid of anyone who calls her name sincerely and mindfully.

Associated with compassion.

The Chinese name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means “[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World.”

In Chinese mythology, Guanyin (觀音) is the goddess of mercy and considered to be the physical embodiment of compassion. She is an all-seeing, all-hearing being who is called upon by worshipers in times of uncertainty, despair, and fear. Guanyin is originally based on the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.

She holds a water vase containing holy water.

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva

Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva (on the right of Amitabha Buddha) represents the wisdom of Amitabha Buddha. The Bodhisattva brings to humanity the necessary knowledge for liberation.

Mahāsthāmaprāpta is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism, along with Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Avalokiteśvara, Ākāśagarbha, Kṣitigarbha, Maitreya and Sarvanivarana-Vishkambhin.

Represents the power of wisdom. His name literally means “arrival of the great strength”.

In Chinese Buddhism, Mahasthamaprapta is sometimes portrayed as a woman, Shih Chih, with a likeness similar to Avalokiteśvara. 

Wei Tuo Bodhisattva

Wei Tuo Bodhisattva (smaller status on the far left of the Buddhas) is renowned as one of the eight divine warriors. Wei Tuo wears his armor as an inspiring display of a majestic general. Before entering into Nirvana, the Buddha instructed the general to remain in this world as a protector of the Dharma. After the Buddha’s passing, his remains were stolen by demons. Wei Tuo Bodhisattva fought off the demons and was able to claim back the relics of the Buddha. He faithfully guarded the properties and treasures of the Dharma. Hence, Wei Tuo Bodhisattva became the devout guardian of Buddhist monasteries.

Skanda (Chinese:塞建陀, 室建陀), also known as Wei Tuo (Chinese: 韋馱) and Idaten (Japanese: 韋駄天) is a Mahayana bodhisattva regarded as a devoted guardian of Buddhist monasteries who protects the teachings of Buddhism.

Qie Lan Bodhisattva

Qie Lan Bodhisattva (smaller status on the far right of the Buddhas), wholived as a great warrior during the era of the Three Kingdoms (220-280CE). He was known as Guan Yunchang, who has selfless loyalty and sense of justice. During the Sui Dynasty (581-618CE), Master Zhiyi, founder of Tiantai Buddhism (one of important school of Buddhism), was going to build a new monastery on Mt. Yuquan. Unfortunately, the land was not leveled enough to build. One day, while the Venerable Master was in meditative concentration, Guan Yunchang manifested and promised to make the site suitable for building. According to legend, the leveling of the land was completed in one night. Under the guidance of Master Zhiyi, he took the vows of the Five Precepts and became known as Qie Lan Bodhisattva, a devout guardian of Buddhist monasteries.

Known historically as General Guan-Yu.

Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.

Guan Gong, also known as Guan Yu or Guan Yun Chang (160 – 219) was a general who lived close to two thousand years ago in China. 

In later centuries, Guan Yu became a Chinese deity and was given the name Guan Gong, meaning “Lord Guan”.

Ksitigarbha  Bodhisattva

Ksitigarbha  Bodhisattva, enshrines in the smaller shrine on the right) is renowned for his great vow. He has vowed to relieve all suffering beings in hell, and has pledged to attain Buddhahood only when all suffering beings are liberated.

His name (地藏) may be translated as “Earth Treasury”, “Earth Store”, “Earth Matrix”, or “Earth Womb”. 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Categories

  • Food
    • Food Asia
    • Food Beverage
    • Food Dessert
    • Food Favorite
    • Food Home Cooking
    • Food Irvine
    • Food Las Vegas
    • Food Los Angeles
    • Food Michelin
    • Food Presentation
    • Food Recipes
    • Food San Diego
    • Food Science
    • Food Taiwan
    • Food Unique
    • Food Vegetarian
    • Food World
  • Home
    • Bed & Bath
    • Designer
    • Garden
    • Home
    • Home Improvement
    • Kitchen
    • Office
    • Product Review
  • Me
    • Art
    • Auto
    • Buddhism
    • Cartoon
    • Chinese
    • Family
    • Finance
    • Health
    • History
    • Humor
    • Lego
    • Movie
    • Music
    • News
    • Real Estate
    • San Diego
    • Taiwan
    • Technology
    • Values
  • Travel
    • Austria
    • Bahamas
    • California
    • China
    • Czech Republic
    • England
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Haiti
    • Hungary
    • India
    • Italy
    • Jamaica
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Mexico
    • Nepal
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • USA
  • Uncategorized

Tags

2012 Italy 2012 London 2012 Paris 2013 Taiwan 2015 Colorado 2015 Cruise 2015 Nebraska Christmas 2015 Southwest 2015 Yosemite 2016 Malaysia 2016 Seattle 2016 Taiwan 2017 Atlanta 2017 Canyon 2017 Desert 2017 Europe Christmas 2017 Washington DC 2018 Hong Kong 2018 India 2018 Jiang Nan 2018 Nebraska 2018 New York City 2018 Seoul 2018 Taiwan 2018 Washington DC 2018 Yunnan 2019 Greece 2020 Taiwan 2021 Las Vegas 2022 Caribbean Cruise 2023 Kyoto Osaka 2023 Taiwan

Archives

  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • April 2019

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
©2025 EugeneThePanda.com | WordPress Theme by Superb WordPress Themes