A
monastery is a building or complex of buildings that comprise the living
quarters and workplaces of either monks or nuns; whether living in a community
or alone. Therefore, a Buddhist monastery is the combined home and “base of
operations” for Buddhist monastics. Currently, there are notable Buddhist
monasteries in approximately 30 countries all over the world; spanning African,
Asian and Western cultures.
The
development of Buddhist monastery architecture harks back to the olden days
after Buddha’s ascension. As Buddhism developed in India, the earliest temples
followed a Brahmanist Vedic model; which consisted of a square inner space, a
sacrificial arena, a conical or rectangular sloping roof and a porch or
entrance area framed by freestanding columns or a colonnade. Later additions
expanded on the monastery’s religious functions to include study areas and
basic caterings for the disciples’ bodily needs. Although the integration of
local cultures and separate religious practices following Buddhism’s spread
eventually led to diverging architectural styles, much of this basic plan still
survives today. For example, temples in China and Malaysia would not only include
localised paintings of demons and monkey guardians on the walls to shelter
visitors and residents from evil spirits; but also the pagoda, which originates
from the Indian stupa, a sculpted marker used to demarcate holy sites and the
dwellings of holy men. Another event that affected monastery architecture was
the birth of Buddhist art and production of Buddha’s likeness in sculptures
circa 1 CE, which brought about an architectural approach in which the temple
serves as a backdrop for Buddhist statues.
There
are countless Buddhist monasteries that are either famous for unique
architecture or great influence. For practical purposes, we shall restrict this
review to only a few notable ones in Asia.
China
Hanging
Monastery
Perched
precariously halfway up a cliff some 75 meters (246 feet) above the ground, the
Hanging Monastery is one of the most remarkable sights in China. Consisting of
a complex of 40 rooms linked together by mid-air corridors and walkways, this
remarkable monastery appears to be glued to the side of a sheer precipice. The
name ‘hanging’ may be misleading though as it’s actually supported by stilts
rather than built into a cliff. The monastery was built in the 5th century and
has been hanging here for 1500 years. Over its long history many repairs and
extension led to its present day scale.
Lama
Temple
When placed in light of China’s and Tibet’s tussle, the existence of this temple becomes all
the more curious. The Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple/Palace of Peace and Harmony),
located in the northeastern part of Beijing, is one of the largest Tibetan
Buddhist monasteries in the world. The temple was built by Chinese emperors who
harbored a deep fascination for the Tibetan version of Buddhism. Over the
years, many Tibetan and Mongolian monks lived and taught here, and there are still
monks in residence today. The temple contains a 26 meter (85 foot) tall statue
of Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of white sandalwood.
Tibet
Yumbulugang
According
to a legend Yumbulagang was the first building in Tibet and the palace of the
first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo. Its name means “Palace of Mother and Son” in
Tibetan. Under the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama the palace became a monastery of
the Gelugpa school. Sadly, it was heavily damaged and reduced to a single
storey during the Cultural revolution but was reconstructed in 1983.
Ganden
Monastery
Ganden
Monastery is one of the ‘great three’ university monasteries of Tibet, located
at the top of Wangbur Mountain at an altitude of 4,300 meters (14,107 feet).
The other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Being the farthest from
Lhasa of the three university monasteries, Ganden traditionally had a smaller
population with some 6,000 monks in the early 20th century. In 1959 the
monastery was completely destroyed by the Red Guards and the mummified body of
Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Monastery, was burned. Reconstruction of the
Monastery has been continuing since the 1980s.
Mongolia
Erdene
Zuu Monastery
The
Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the most ancient surviving Buddhist monastery
in Mongolia. It was built in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan, at the introduction of
Tibetan Buddhism into Mongolia. Stones from the ruins of Karakorum were used in
the construction. It is surrounded by a wall featuring 100 stupas. The number
108, being a sacred number in Buddhism, was probably envisioned, but never
achieved. Under communist rule Erdene Zuu was allowed to exist as a museum
only. However, after the fall of communism in Mongolia in 1990, the monastery
was turned over to the lamas and Erdene Zuu again became a place of worship.
Bhutan
Punakha
Dzong
Unlike
other Buddhist monasteries, the Bhutan dzong is highly unique in that it has
certain secular functions. A dzong is actually a combination of both a fortress
and monastery; and one can found in every district in Bhutan. Of these, the Punakha Dzong is one of the most
photogenic. Built on an island between the confluence of the Pho Chhu and Mo
Chhu rivers, it serves as protection for the region, an administrative seat for
the government and the winter home of the monastic body. It is joined to the
mainland by an arched wooden bridge, and contains many precious relics from the
days when successive kings reigned the kingdom from this valley.
Burma
Shwedagon
Pagoda
The
Shwedagon Pagoda (or Golden Pagoda) in Yangon, is the holiest Buddhist shrine
in Burma. The origins of Shwedagon are lost in antiquity but it is estimated
that the Pagoda was first built by the Mon during the Bagan period, sometime
between the 6th and 10th century AD. The temple complex is full of glittering,
colorful stupas but the center of attention is the 99 meter high (326 feet)
high main stupa that is completely covered in gold.
Taung
Kalat
Built
atop an extinct volcano plug, the Buddhist monastery of Taung Kalat is one of
the most breathtaking sites in Burma. To reach the monastery, visitors must
climb the 777 steps to the summit. Along the way are a multitude of Macaque
monkeys expecting treats. From the top of Taung Kalat, one can enjoy a
panoramic view. One can see the ancient city of Bagan and the massive solitary
conical peak of Mount Popa, the volcano that actually caused the creation of
the volcanic plug.
Japan
Todaiji
Temple
Todaiji
(“Great Eastern Temple”) in Nara is one of the most historically significant
and famous Buddhist temples in Japan. The temple was built in the 8th century by
Emperor Shomu as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan.
Today little remains of the original buildings of Todaiji. The Daibutsuden
(“Great Buddha Hall”), dates for the most part from 1709. It houses one of the
largest Buddha statues in Japan and is the world’s largest wooden building, even
though it is only two-thirds the size of the original structure.
Indonesia
Borobudur
Located
on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, the
Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. The
Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries
by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It
was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and
for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash.
Taiwan
Foguangshan (佛光山) (Mountain of the Light
of Buddha)
The
Tahsiungpao, Tapei, Tachih, and Dashu shrines are the main structures of
Foguangshan, a huge temple complex located to the northeast of Tashu village in Kaohsiung County. On
the southeastern side of Foguangshan stands a 120-meter tall Buddha Amitaabha
statue. Its main square is surrounded by 480 standing Buddhas. Foguangshan has
more than 10,000 Guanyin statues, and more than a thousand large and small
Buddha statues and lanterns of light rest in the 14,800 niches on the walls of
the four shrines.
Written by Lee Shing Yee, Sara Chen and Jeremy Chiu
Written by Lee Shing Yee, Sara Chen and Jeremy Chiu
