Guangxiao Temple (Guangzhou) and its Multi Roles in the Development of Asia-Pacific Buddhism

Xican Li

doi:10.5539/ach.v8n1p45

Abstract

<p class="1Body">Guangxiao Temple is located in Guangzhou (a coastal city in Southern China), and has a long history. The present study conducted an onsite investigation of Guangxiao’s precious Buddhist relics, and combined this with a textual analysis of <em>Annals of Guangxiao Temple</em>, to discuss its history and multi-roles in Asia-Pacific Buddhism. It is argued that Guangxiao’s 1,700-year history can be seen as a microcosm of Chinese Buddhist history. As the special geographical position, Guangxiao Temple often acted as a stopover point for Asian missionary monks in the past. It also played a central role in propagating various elements of Buddhism, including precepts school, Chan (Zen), esoteric (Shingon) Buddhism, and Pure Land. Particulary, Huineng, the sixth Chinese patriarch of Chan Buddhism, made his first public Chan lecture and was tonsured in Guangxiao Temple; Esoteric Buddhist master Amoghavajra’s first teaching of esoteric Buddhism is thought to have been in Guangxiao Temple. It was also a translation center in Southern China, where Buddhist scriptures were translated by Yijing and the Shurangama-sūtra was translated by Paramitiin – these texts served to promote the establishment of Mahāyāna Buddhism as the mainstream philosophy of Chinese (even Asia-Pacific) Buddhism. With the development of globalization, Guangxiao Temple is now exerting even more positive effects on the propagation of Buddhism via international communications and Buddhist tourism. Our onsite investigation also identificated the words in the mantra pillar (826 B.C). This significant finding suggests the popularity of esoteric Buddhism in Sourthern China, and will be helpful for Buddhist study in the future.</p>

Highlights

Guangxiao Temple (光孝寺, Figure 1) is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, a coastal city in Southern China
The textual analysis of Annals of Guangxiao Temple indicates that Guangxiao Temple has a history of more than 1,700 years and its history is a microcosm of the history of Chinese Buddhism
(i) Guangxiao Temple often served as a stopover point for Asian missionary monks in the past, it can be attributed to its special geographical position

Summary

Introduction

Guangxiao Temple (光孝寺, Figure 1) is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, a coastal city in Southern China. In the last two centuries, Guangxiao Temple was fatally damaged by the “Requisition Temple Property to Promote Education” (廟產興學, 1898–1931 C.E.) movement and “Great Cultural Revolution” (文化大革命, 1966–1976 C.E.) movement in China. Over this period, most of the buildings of Guangxiao Temple were either destroyed or occupied for secular usage. An animal liberation pond has recently been built near these structures (Figure 5B). These reconstructed buildings have restored the beautiful scenery of Guangxiao Temple to some extent. The scale of the temple today is much smaller than in the past

As a Stopover Site for Missionary Monks

As a Buddhist Preaching and Scriptural Translation Center in Southern China

Preaching Pure Land Buddhism

Translating Buddhist Scriptures

Conclusion