Quiet, charming and peaceful - Yuanming Temple is a wonderful place to relax, reflect and meditate.
At the corner of Zhenning and Yan'an roads in Jing'an District, the temple is easily recognizable with exterior yellow walls so prominent among Buddhist shrines.
The name Yuanming comes from a Buddhist sutra meaning: "Buddha is radiating the light of wisdom and compassion everywhere, every moment."
Temple master Miao Hua said Yuanming is different from other temples.
"Yuanming doesn't have a splendid Buddhist shrine that is lively and crowded with visitors, but our small, garishly decorated temple is always the place for peaceful retreat and quiet meditation," said Miao.
The temple was built in 1933 on the original site of a private garden belonging to Gu Liancheng, a wealthy merchant. Impressed and touched by the teaching of renowned Buddhist master Yuan Ying, Gu donated his garden to the master for Buddha activities.
With an area of 1,900 square meters, the temple mainly consists of Guanyin Hall, Yufo Hall, Memorial Hall for Master Yuan Ying and a five-story Hongfa Building.
Guanyin Hall, or the main hall, is a place to pay tribute to the Goddess of Mercy. In the Buddhism tradition, Guanyin is the beloved deity among ordinary worshipers for the belief that she is able to save people from suffering.
Inside the hall is a nearly 2-meter-high statue of the thousand-hand Guanyin embossed with gold. Each hand has an eye that means she will reach out and grant a helping hand to whoever requests it.
The first, 12th and 15th days of each month are important ceremonies and festivals at the temple, where nearly 300 monks and worshipers participate in one-hour-long sutra chants in the main hall.
A white-jade statue of Sakyamuni, who preached Buddhism for 49 years as the founder of the religion, is enshrined in Yufo Hall. The 2-meter statue is made from precious Burmese jade. Its headgear, arm bangles and cassock are encrusted with agate diamonds and emeralds, which makes it even more spectacular.
Aside from the statues, perhaps the most appealing is the memorial hall for master Yuan Ying, completed in 1983. The displayed artifacts include works, photographs, tea sets and four treasures of the study (brush pen, ink, paper and inkstone) belonging to this imposing figure.
Before he passed away in 1953, Master Yuan Ying was dedicated with sharing his knowledge to society. He had significant influence on Chinese Buddhism and its culture.
According to Miao Hua, there are 15 monks still living in the temple and 10 are taking postgraduate programs in Buddhism study.
Monastery life is rigorous. The day begins in the early morning and ends with sutra chants late at night.
Apart from preaching for Buddha, the monks keep updating their knowledge in a variety of fields. They even use the Internet to gather information and communicate with the outside world.
"Most monks enter the monkhood because of their firm belief in Buddhism," said Miao Hua, with refreshing openness and candor.
Buddhism is profound. Yet it is distorted and misinterpreted by a great many people. In the wake of advanced science, Buddhism appears obsolete.
"Buddhism is not only devoid of superstition, but on the contrary, it is the best cure for every superstition in our world," said Miao Hua.
"Its teaching is absolutely logical, impartial and rational - similar to science. It probes into the truths about life and the universe."
Buddha was not a god and the philosophy of Buddhism does not entail any theistic world-view. The teachings of Buddha are aimed solely to liberate sentient beings from suffering.
According to Buddhism, discipline applies not only to conduct but also to the mind. In other words, one not only should refrain from doing evil, but should also be free from perverted thoughts.
The five Prohibition Rules of Buddhism are simple and can be followed by anyone - do not kill, steal, have illegal sexual relations, lie or drink alcohol.
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha Sakyamuni, who lived as early as the 6th century BC. Spreading from India to central and southeast China, Korea and Japan, Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural and social life of Asia. During the 20th century, Buddhism spread to the West.
It made a great impact on Chinese civilization. Buddhist philosophy influenced many famous poets as well as painters, architects, astronomers and doctors.