Chapter 12 Four famous temples in Bangkok

I have traveled to Thailand three times in the past five years. My friends asked me why I love Thailand so much. I told them that "Thailand" means a free land in Siam. The people of the country show a bit of arrogance towards the Chinese whether intentionally or unintentionally, which makes people feel very uncomfortable.Bangkok is one of the top metropolises in Southeast Asian countries, with more than two million residents, hitting the three million mark.Half of them are foreigners, and 99% of the foreigners are overseas Chinese, so it is not in vain for Thai friends to say that "a city without luxury" is not in vain.This White Elephant Kingdom was invaded by the Burmese army in the 18th century and captured the then capital "Ayutthaya". In order to appeal to the people, they led more than 100 fishing boats of various types from the Gulf of Siam up the Chao Phraya River, and first recaptured Thonburi and Bangkok.Soon all the Burmese army was expelled from the country, and the country was restored. In the history of Thailand, the Tunwudi Dynasty was formed for 14 years.

Zheng Zhaoxun's career was outstanding and he made great achievements in restoring the country, so he won the love of all the people of Siam and supported him as king.At this time, although the war was peaceful, some remote areas were still in a situation of separatists and rivalries. At that time, Chiang Mai in the north was called the Kingdom of Menglai, and it was very powerful.King Zheng led his army to the north, conquered Chiang Mai, designated Chiang Mai as a state directly under the central government, conquered Laos and Cambodia successively, expanded the territory, and expanded the country by more than doubled. .This great and wise hero who founded the foundation and started a business, unexpectedly, his son-in-law "Cegri" used the excuse of his humble background and Chinese descent, so he personally led the imperial guards under his jurisdiction to besiege Thonburi.Zheng Gong was deeply concerned that the people would suffer another war, so he resolutely issued an edict to abdicate, cut off his hair and became a monk. "Cegeli" should be satisfied when he ascended the throne, but who knew that he was an owl by nature, so he chased and killed all of them, captured his father-in-law and brought him to justice and beheaded Shi Cao.Later, the people of the country never forget the great achievements of King Zheng, and built his tomb into a 150-foot stupa. , and sculpt a row of haughty, glaring Vajras to protect the Dharma.Viewed from a boat on the Chao Phraya River, the emerald green clouds are tall and straight, as if reflecting the atmosphere of resentment towards King Zheng's last encounter.Next to the pagoda is a Zhengwang Temple with two buildings, also known as "Shuguang Temple", because the cornices and corners are all made of multicolored porcelain pieces, shells and mother-of-pearl, carved and carved.Looking into the distance in the morning, the pearls are shining brightly, and the colors are blurred, so it has won the elegant reputation of "Dawn".The main hall is dedicated to the statue of King Zheng, with embroidered banners on parallel cars, yellow flags and purple banners, and the lights are bright, solemn and solemn.Vendors gather in the square outside the hall, and there are all kinds of local handicrafts from all over Thailand.However, those peddlers are always asking for prices. If you don’t know the way and pay back the money on the spot, you will suffer a loss. Therefore, without the company of someone who is familiar with the local business conditions, strangers from outside dare not ask casually.Beside the gates of the courtyards in the temple, there are stone statues of patron saints over Xunzhang, with rhinoceros armor and iron armor, and golden ax and jade axes, just like Chinese gods. Modern stonemasons do not have that kind of high-level technology to repair and maintain them. If they are left to be abandoned and weathered, in a few years, I am afraid that they will be exposed to the cold and autumn, and there will be no traces to be found.

The Jade Buddha Temple was built by King Rama I, who killed his father-in-law Zheng Zhao and made himself king. The temple has a history of more than 200 years.At first, the Jade Buddha Temple belonged to the family temple of the palace, and it was a forbidden area, so it was connected to the palace. Later, the palace wall was cut off and the people were allowed to visit and worship.The emerald tiles and golden shops in the temple, the clouds and colorful decorations, are even more magnificent than Zhengwang Temple.The main hall is surrounded by nine circles, the goose-winged corridor, and the terrace pavilion soaring into the sky, the height is more than Xunzhang.Under the brilliance of the umbrella fan of the treasure cover and pearl building, under the radiance of the silver lamp and purple phen, it stands tall and majestic.The glass brick shrine enshrines a solemn Jade Buddha carved from a whole piece of Qiongyu. This Jade Buddha is crystal clear and transparent, and the Thai people regard it as a national treasure.The dharma body is dressed in the rotten gold-threaded clothes of Fei Hua. There are three sets of clothes, which are divided into summer, rainy season and cool season. They are changed according to the rotation of the seasons. For such a big event, newspapers and magazines have published photos and texts.Ordinary people enter the hall to worship the Buddha, they must first take off their mouse shoes outside the corridor before they are allowed to enter.All the devout men and women who worshiped after prostration were devout and reverent, sitting or kneeling, concentrating on a moment of meditation, staring up, before getting up and exiting.The walls of the Xin side are painted with gold and silver, and painted with chalk powder. From the birth of the Buddha, through hardships, to the attainment of Bodhi, there is a continuous relationship. Although there is no written description, if you understand the life of the Buddha, you can also guess the ins and outs.In addition to the large and small solid pagodas with unique styles, there are a pair of standing statues of chicken heads and human bodies with carved bows and emerald feathers in front of each hall.Some people say that this kind of statue is shaped according to the famous Thai mythology "Princess Manolala". Why do Thai people like this kind of warrior who is half man and half bird to serve as the warrior in front of the palace? That is beyond the understanding of ordinary foreigners. that's it.

It seems that nine out of ten countries that believe in Buddhism have a reclining Buddha.The old monk Quan Lang, the abbot of the Nianhua Temple in Beiping, once told me that the reclining Buddha in the Xishan Reclining Buddha Temple in Beiping was called Nirvana Buddha, and I think the reclining Buddha in Bangkok is no exception.The main hall of the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is very tall, spacious and spacious. When we went there, it was just in time for the scaffolding and the whole temple was destroyed!Production hall Zao painted Tu Dan, ready to welcome the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Chakri dynasty.The reclining Buddha enshrined in the main hall of the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is 174 feet long (more than twice as long as the reclining Buddha recently built by Weng Songshan for Liufu Village). It is three meters long. The feet of the Buddha are carved out of a ten-foot-square slab of Xunying stone. The ten toes are of the same length. Each toe is carved with three spiral patterns, and the left and right soles are divided into more than 120 grids , each grid is inlaid with a small Buddha of different shapes.This reclining Buddha is probably the largest reclining Buddha in the world.When Thai people worship Buddha, all the incense candles they buy are tied together, and there is a small gold leaf sandwiched between them. This small gold leaf is for you to stick on the body of the Bodhisattva.The reclining Buddha stands tall and unattainable. In front of the couch of the reclining Buddha, there is a specific and miniature reclining Buddha. Wherever the believers have any ailments, they stick gold foil on the small reclining Buddha. Headache, leg pain, etc. The legs, believers say, are like a response, and the effect is not good, so this little Buddha, after years of gilding, has become a gold-covered reclining Buddha!

The Yunshi Temple is also called the Marble Temple. It is located diagonally opposite the Royal Garden. It is said that the stone used in the entire Buddhist temple building is made of Yunnan marble. The stone is crystal clear and whiter than the marble in the three halls of Peking.The complex hall and double building, the two views of the pheasant gate, and even the dazzling walls and exposed sills, and the courtyard steps and broad roads are all made of marble.There is a pair of Thai-style stone lions squatting in front of the main hall. They are majestic and charming, and they are quite different from the majestic and majestic stone lions in front of the Chinese palace. The people of China and Thailand are different. showed.Outside the corridor, there are clear streams like belts, rainbows lying on the waves, precious beasts floating on the bridge railings, and colorful copper camels. The bridge is more than a century old. There are not few bridges in China. There is no one as magnificent as this!

On the other side of the bridge, there is another Yunshijie Pavilion, with high eaves and teeth, and the Danbi contrasts with each other. The middle seat enshrines a golden Buddha sitting in full lotus, which is about ten feet high. Gold casting, no matter it is gilt or pure gold, but the treasure looks solemn, and the brows are lowered in meditation, which fully proves the superb ancient sculpture art of Thailand, which is not inferior to China and India, two countries that believe in Buddhism.Around the back of the corridor outside the hall, there are 20 or 30 Bodhisattvas from the heavens enshrined. They are dressed in black and sandals, and the gods are shiny. Thailand is the most pious country in Southeast Asia that believes in Buddhism and has the most Buddhist temples. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty in Bangkok. it's time to.