Highly honor the Truc Lam ancestors
The national treasure, the statue set of the Three Patriarchs of Truc Lam, is currently kept at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda ( Bac Ninh Province). The set of statues includes three statues depicting the First Patriarch Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong (in the middle), the Second Patriarch Phap Loa (on the right) and the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang.
Statue of the three Truc Lam ancestors of Vinh Nghiem pagoda
PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
The statue of the First Patriarch Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong is carved in one piece, depicting the Buddha Emperor sitting in meditation on a square wooden pedestal in a relaxed posture, wearing a nine-piece robe. The statue has a balanced and harmonious body and face, a straight nose, slightly closed eyes, a smiling mouth, large and long ears, and a shaved head. The statue is placed in a beautifully carved altar. The altar has the shape of a dragon pavilion with 2 roofs, the upper roof is carved with a dragon worshiping the moon in the front, the 4 surrounding roofs are carved with dragons, the top of the roof is shaped like a lotus bud, and the door is carved with a phoenix.
Buddha statue in the statue set
PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
The statue of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa is carved in one piece, including the statue and pedestal. The statue has the appearance of a monk, with a tall and slim figure, shaved head, balanced face, high nose, long ears, and a very compassionate and kind demeanor. The statue sits in a meditation posture, with legs crossed and hands in a mudra on the thighs.
The statue of the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang is carved in one piece, including the statue and pedestal. Different from the meditating posture of the statue of the Second Patriarch Phap Loa, the statue of the Third Patriarch Huyen Quang is carved in a sitting position on the pedestal, in a meditative posture, with shaved head, square face, high nose, and big ears. The two legs are crossed, the left hand is placed palm down on the left thigh, the right hand holds a book.
The treasure records show that in the Truc Lam Buddhist Temple, there are only three statues of Truc Lam ancestors. This is completely different from Pho Minh Pagoda and Con Son Pagoda (also in the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, Kiep Bac heritage complex, which was recently recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage). In the two pagodas above, besides the statues of the three ancestors, there is also a layer of statues of the ancestors of the Indian Zen sect. "It can be said that the Truc Lam Buddhist Temple of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda reflects a very high level of respect for the position of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in the Truc Lam pagoda and tower system as well as the founding position of the Truc Lam ancestors," the treasure records say.
According to the records, the statues of the three Truc Lam ancestors in the 19th century all share the same meditation posture, but still have their own postures. The highlight of the Vinh Nghiem statue is the statue of the Buddha Emperor with his hand holding a rosary, the statue of Huyen Quang holding a book. The Buddha Emperor holding a rosary depicts the position of a monk who has attained enlightenment but is very close to everyday life. The statue of Huyen Quang holding a book emphasizes the position of a monk who passed the Three Religions' exam, the best in literature and writing of the Tran Dynasty.
Truc Lam Buddhist Path
The National Heritage Council assessed that the statues of the three Truc Lam ancestors reflect the value of a national Buddhist sect with humanistic ideology typical of Vietnamese culture, demonstrating the longevity of Truc Lam Buddhism throughout Vietnamese history from the Ly and Tran dynasties to the present day.
Second Phap Loa
PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is not only a famous architectural work of the Ly - Tran Dynasty but also a Buddhist center, a sacred ancient temple located in the western slope of Yen Tu, on the path of spreading Buddhism of King Tran Nhan Tong. The pagoda is one of the places where King Tran Nhan Tong practiced, taught, gave sermons and was also the "headquarters" of the sect when Truc Lam Buddhism was established.
According to the UNESCO profile of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, Kiep Bac scenic relic complex, this complex has shown the "Buddhist path" of both King Tran Nhan Tong and Truc Lam Buddhism. This is also shown in the fact that King left behind many works of poetry, prose, and sayings that were engraved on woodblocks kept at the pagoda.
The Third Patriarch Huyen Quang
PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
The national treasure dossier mentions a stele recording the three Truc Lam ancestors. Accordingly, the stele states: "...In the year of Giap Thin, the 12th year of Hung Long (1304), he traveled throughout the religions to find a successor to the Dharma.... On January 1, Mau Than year (1308), he sent Phap Loa to Sieu Loai district at Bao An Zen temple to open the abbotship. In April of that year, Dieu Ngu went to Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Lang Giang to hold the end of the summer retreat ceremony, ordering Phap Loa to preside over the summer retreat. Dieu Ngu lectured on Truyen Dang Luc, and ordered the national teacher (Phap Loa) to lecture on the Lotus Sutra to the monks".
According to the national treasures dossier, this set of statues of the three Truc Lam ancestors not only represents the connection between the ancestors, but also reflects the transmission and transfer of knowledge and dharma from one generation to the next in Truc Lam Buddhism. Dieu Ngu taught Phap Loa and then Phap Loa taught Huyen Quang. "Through this process, it shows that the knowledge and quintessence of Truc Lam Buddhism are maintained and developed over time," the dossier said. (continued)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-bao-vat-quoc-gia-bo-tuong-tam-to-truc-lam-chua-vinh-nghiem-185250714225754763.htm
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