T50 at 07:57, 6 May 2023

2023-05-06T07:57:17Z

New page

{{Short description|Buddhist place of worship}}
[[File:Candi Sewu viewed from the south, 23 November 2013.jpg|thumb|270px|[[Sewu]], an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple in [[Central Java]], [[Indonesia]]]]
{{Buddhism}}
A '''Buddhist temple''' or [[Buddhist monastery]] is the [[place of worship]] for [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], the followers of [[Buddhism]]. They include the structures called [[vihara]], [[chaitya]], [[stupa]], [[wat]] and [[pagoda]] in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent the [[Pure Land Buddhism|pure land]] or pure environment of a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]]. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kadampanewyork.org/temple/|title=New York Buddhist Temple for World Peace|publisher=Kadampanewyork.org|access-date=2012-06-20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611060043/http://www.kadampanewyork.org/temple/|archive-date=2012-06-11}}</ref>

==Architecture==
{{anchor|Arch|Buddhist temple architecture}}
{{Main|Buddhist architecture|Architecture of India#Indic|l2= Architecture of Indic religions}}

Its architecture and structure varies from region to region. Usually, the temple consists not only of its buildings, but also the surrounding environment. The Buddhist temples are designed to symbolize five elements: fire, air, water, earth and [[Prajñā (Buddhism)|wisdom]].<ref name="bbcworship">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/worship_1.shtml|title=Buddhism: Buddhist Worship|website=BBC|access-date=2017-03-06}}</ref>

==India==
{{anchor|Arch|arch}}
{{See also|Architecture of India|Ancient Indian architecture|Indian vernacular architecture|Buddhist caves in India}}

The design of temples in India was influenced by the idea of a place of worship as a representation of the universe. For Buddhist temple complexes one tall temple is often centrally located and surrounded by smaller temples and walls. This center surrounded by oceans, lesser mountains and a huge wall.<ref>{{cite book |last1=O'Riley |first1=Michael Kampel |title=Art Beyond the West |publisher=Pearson Education |page=61}}</ref>

A [[Chaitya]], Chaitya hall or Chaitya-griha refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall in [[Indian religions]]. The term is most common in [[Buddhism]], where it refers to a space with a [[stupa]] and a rounded [[apse]] at the end opposite the entrance, and a high roof with a rounded profile. Strictly speaking, the chaitya is the stupa itself, and the Indian buildings are chaitya halls, but this distinction is often not observed. Many of the early Chaitya were [[Indian rock-cut architecture|rock-cut]], as in [[Karla caves]] or [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]].

[[File:Tall circular Buddhist temple, Early 1st Century CE - Mathura - ACCN 00-M3 - Government Museum - Mathura.jpg|thumb|Tall circular Buddhist temple, early 1st Century CE, [[Mathura Museum]]]]
Some of the earliest free-standing temples may have been of a circular type. [[Ashoka]] also built the [[Mahabodhi Temple]] in [[Bodh Gaya]] circa 250 BCE, a circular structure, in order to protect the [[Bodhi tree]] under which the [[Buddha]] had found enlightenment. The [[Bairat Temple]] is also a round structure, which can be seen through archaeological remains. Representations of this early temple structure are found [[:File:Adoration_of_the_Diamond_Throne_and_the_Bodhi_Tree_Bharhut_relief.jpg|on a 100 BCE relief]] sculpted on the railing of the stupa at [[Bharhut|Bhārhut]], as well as in [[Sanchi]].<ref>"Sowing the Seeds of the Lotus: A Journey to the Great Pilgrimage Sites of Buddhism, Part I" by John C. Huntington. ''Orientations'', November 1985 pg 61</ref> From that period the [[Diamond throne]] remains, an almost intact slab of [[sandstone]] decorated with reliefs, which Ashoka had established at the foot of the [[Bodhi tree]].<ref name="Huu Phuoc">Buddhist Architecture, Huu Phuoc Le, Grafikol, 2010 [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA240 p.240]</ref><ref name="Ching">A Global History of Architecture, Francis D. K. Ching, Mark M. Jarzombek, Vikramaditya Prakash, John Wiley & Sons, 2017 [https://books.google.com/books?id=SPqKDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT570 p.570ff]</ref> These circular-type temples were also found in later rock-hewn caves such as [[Tulja Caves]] or [[Guntupalli Group of Buddhist Monuments|Guntupalli]].<ref name=BA233>Buddhist Architecture, Huu Phuoc Le, Grafikol, 2010 [https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA233 p.233-237]</ref>

<gallery>
File:Adoration_of_the_Diamond_Throne_and_the_Bodhi_Tree_Bharhut_relief.jpg|Ashoka's [[Mahabodhi Temple]] and [[Diamond throne]] in [[Bodh Gaya]], built circa 250 BCE. [[Bharhut]] frieze
File:Bodhi tree temple depicted in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern gateway.jpg|Bodhi tree temple depicted in Sanchi, Stupa 1, Southern gateway
File:Andhra pradesh, santuario a più piani, da ghantasala, 90-110 ca..JPG|Relief of a multi-storied temple, 2nd century CE, [[Ghantasala, Krishna district|Ghantasala]] Stupa<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hardy|first1=Adam|title=Indian Temple Architecture: Form and Transformation: the Karṇāṭa Drāviḍa Tradition, 7th to 13th Centuries|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=9788170173120|page=39|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aU0hCAS2-08C&pg=PA41|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Le|first1=Huu Phuoc|title=Buddhist Architecture|publisher=Grafikol|isbn=9780984404308|page=238|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA238|language=en}}</ref>
File:Tulja Lena Chaitya remains.jpg|Remains of the circular rock-hewn circular [[Chaitya]] with columns, [[Tulja Caves]]
</gallery>

==Indonesia==
{{Main|Candi of Indonesia}}
[[File:Borobudur-Temple-Park Indonesia Stupas-of-Borobudur-04.jpg|thumb|300px|left|[[Borobudur]] in [[Central Java]], the world's largest Buddhist temple]]

Buddhism is the second oldest religion in [[Indonesia]] after [[Hinduism in Indonesia|Hinduism]], which arrived from India around the second century.<ref name="bdea">{{cite web
| title = Buddhism in Indonesia
| work = Buddha Dharma Education Association
| publisher = Buddha Dharma Education Association
| year = 2005
| url = http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/indo-txt.htm
| access-date = 2006-10-03 }}</ref> The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to the history of Hinduism, as a number of empires influenced by [[Indian culture]] were established around the same period. The oldest Buddhist [[archaeological site]] in Indonesia is arguably the [[Batujaya]] stupas complex in [[Karawang]], West Java. The oldest relic in Batujaya was estimated to originate from the 2nd century, while the latest dated from the 12th century. Subsequently, significant numbers of Buddhist sites were found in [[Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds|Jambi]], [[Bukit Seguntang|Palembang]] and [[Muara Takus|Riau]] provinces in Sumatra, as well as in [[Borobudur|Central]] and [[Jabung|East Java]]. The Indonesian archipelago has, over the centuries, witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires, such as the [[Sailendra]] dynasty, the [[Medang Kingdom|Mataram]] and [[Srivijaya]] empires.

According to some Chinese source, a Chinese Buddhist monk [[I Ching (monk)|I-tsing]] on his pilgrim journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire of [[Srivijaya]] based on [[Sumatra]] in the 7th century. A number of Buddhist [[Cultural heritage|historical heritages]] can be found in Indonesia, including the 8th century [[Borobudur]] [[mandala]] monument and [[Sewu]] temple in [[Central Java]], [[Batujaya Archaeological Site|Batujaya]] in West Java, [[Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds|Muaro Jambi]], [[Muara Takus]] and [[Bahal temple]] in Sumatra, and numerous of statues or inscriptions from the earlier history of Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms.

[[File:Candi Tinggi.jpg|thumb|right|Candi tinggi, a temple within the [[Muara Takus|Muaro Jambi]] temple compound]]
During the era of [[Kediri (historical kingdom)|Kediri]], [[Singhasari]] and [[Majapahit]] empire, Buddhism—identified as ''Dharma ri Kasogatan''—was acknowledged as one of kingdom's official religions along with Hinduism. Although some of kings might favour Hinduism over another, nevertheless the harmony, toleration and even syncretism were promoted as manifested in [[Bhinneka Tunggal Ika]] national motto, coined from [[Kakawin Sutasoma]], written by Mpu Tantular to promotes tolerance between [[Hindu]]s (Shivaites) and [[Buddhist]]s.<ref>[http://www.depkumham.go.id/xdepkumhamweb/xPeraturan/xUUD Depkumham.go.id] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212100545/http://www.depkumham.go.id/xdepkumhamweb/xPeraturan/xUUD }}</ref> The classical era of ancient Java also had produces some of the exquisite examples of [[Buddhist art]]s, such as the statue of [[Prajnaparamita]] and the statue of Buddha Vairochana and Boddhisttva Padmapani and Vajrapani in [[Mendut]] temple.

In contemporary [[Buddhism in Indonesia|Indonesian Buddhist]] perspective, ''[[Candi of Indonesia|Candi]]'' refers to a shrine, either ancient or new. Several contemporary ''[[vihara]]s'' in Indonesia for example, contain the actual-size replica or reconstruction of famous Buddhist temples, such as the replica of [[Pawon]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Replika Candi Pawon|work=Vihāra Jakarta Dhammacakka Jaya|url=http://www.dhammacakka.org/?channel=tentangkami&mode=detailfasilitas&id=93}}</ref> and [[Plaosan]]'s ''perwara'' (small) temples. In Buddhism, the role of a ''candi'' as a shrine is sometimes interchangeable with a [[stupa]], a domed structure to store Buddhist relics or the ashes of cremated Buddhist priests, patrons or benefactors.

==Japan==
[[File:Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)-112516.jpg|thumb|Buddhist temple of [[Kinkaku-ji]], declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]]]]
{{Main|Buddhist temples in Japan}}
[[Buddhism in Japan|Japanese Buddhist temples]] typically include a [[Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)|Main Hall]].

A distinctive feature is the [[chinjusha]], a [[Shinto shrine]] devoted to the temple's [[kami (spirit)|kami]]. Buddhism co-existed with [[Shinto]], but in the 8th century Buddhism became the state religion and Buddhist temples were built. High concentration of important [[Buddhism in Japan|Japanese Buddhist]] temples can be found in Japanese culture heartland of [[Kansai region]], especially in [[Nara Prefecture|Nara]] and [[Kyoto]].

==Thailand==
[[File:01-วัดเบญจมบพิตรดุสิตวนารามราชวรวิหาร.jpg|thumb|[[Wat Benchamabophit]]]]
{{Main|Thai temple art and architecture}}

Buddhist temples in [[Thailand]] are known as [[wat]], from the Pāḷi vāṭa, meaning "enclosure". Wat architecture adheres to consistent principles. A wat, with few exceptions, consists of two parts: the ''Phutthawat'' and the ''Sangkhawat''. The ''Phutthawat'' ({{lang-th|พุทธาวาส}}) is the area which is dedicated to Buddha. While the ''Sangkhawat'' is the area which is dedicated to [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]] Buddhist [[monastery|monastic]] community.

==Sri Lanka==
[[File:Jetavanaramaya Stupa profile.jpg|left|thumb|[[Jetavanaramaya]] tallest stupa in the ancient world]]
{{See also|Buddhism in Sri Lanka|List of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka}}

Buddhist temples in Sri Lanla are known as 'Pansala' or 'Viharaya' in [[Sinhala language|Sinhalese]]. Common features in Sri Lankan temples include [[Stupa]], [[Ficus religiosa|Bo Tree]] and Temple Buildings. Oldest living human-planted [[Bodhi Tree]] in the world [[Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi]] and some of the largest [[Stupa]] in the world including [[Ruwanwelisaya]], [[Jetavanaramaya]] and [[Abhayagiri vihāra]] located in Sri Lankan temples.

==See also==
*[[Gautama Buddha]]
*[[Buddhist paths to liberation|Dhamma]]
*[[Sangha]]
*[[Refuge (Buddhism)|Three Refuges]]
*[[Five Precepts]]
*[[Pāli Canon]]
*[[Uposatha]]
*[[Cetiya]]
*[[Sri Maha Bodhi]]
*[[Vihara]]
*[[Wat]]
*[[Kyaung]]
*[[Burmese pagoda]]
*[[List of Buddhist temples]]
*[[Buddhist architecture]]
*[[Aniconism in Buddhism]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Buddhism topics}}

[[Category:Buddhist temples|*]]
[[Category:Buddhist monasteries|*]]
[[Category:Buddhist buildings|Temple]]
[[Category:Buddhist architecture|Temple]]

Buddhist temple - Revision history

T50 at 07:57, 6 May 2023