Little Buddha's in The Gardens
Trip Start
Dec 01, 2007
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Trip End
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Unanderra,
Australia
Sunday, December 16, 2007
"Nan Tien" in Chinese, literally means "Paradise of the South". The temple focuses on the exchange of eastern and western cultures; the interchange of the traditional and the modern; and also the adaptation with the local communities.Nan Tien Temple is not only a place of Buddhists attraction in Sydney but also one of the most well known international tourist attractions. It attracts more than a few hundred thousand visitors from all over the world all year round. In addition, it plays an important role of propagating the Buddha Dharma and promoting the exchange and harmonization of the eastern and western cultures as well as all religions.
The idea to visit came about quite randomly, on a sunday morning whilst flicking through the paper and coming across a very small article (and i do mean small) article on the temple.
The temple seemed at odds with it's rather bleak surroundings, the suburb in which it lies is a rather dull and depressing one i might add and as we drove pass the gates it was almost an immediate change in atmosphere like being transported elsewhere. It was raining no real surprise there (especially if you've been reading my previous entries) and the looming Pagoda was the first thing to catch my eyes
followed soon after parking the car, the little buddha's in the gardens. some were hidden amongst the green whilst other were visibly scattered throughout the grounds .
Talking above a whisper felt criminal....
bell
it was that quiet! walking around the grounds i felt as though i was trespassing. It was almost too quiet nothing aside from the light rainfall made noise. Cars that drove in immediately got attention from most visitors eyes due to the sound of tyres over the gravel making that "crunch crunch" noise.Surprisingly despite the place feeling eerily deserted there were many people wandering about. We headed off to see the Pagoda, it was unbelievable to me to think this place was only an hour drive out of Sydney yet felt as if i were in another country all together. Inisde the Pagoda i couldnt help but feel uncomfortable and overwhlemed. It was beautiful outside as well as in but not knowing what a Pagoda was made me feel stupid thus my brief time spent inside. we walked behind the Pagoda and proceeded up stairs to a place where it became all too clear to me as to what a Pagoda is - a resting place.
Nan Tien's Pagoda is a resting place for the cremated ashes of devotees and their relatives; it can accommodate the remains of over 7,000 people. Inside the Pagoda is a wishing bell, visitors may make a wish and sound the bell.
I refused to let Nathan know that i only discovered this now..i was, for a lack of a better word....embarassed.
Back walking the grounds , little buddha's popping up as if mindfully watching us, i felt a surreal wave crash over me. How am i in Wollongong when i feel like im in a foreign country? this feeling i couldnt shake my entire time there.
The Main Shrine is breathtaking. It's most important building and also called the Great Hero Hall.the steps outside are supposed to remind us of our aim to gain enlightenment.
One cannot be given enlightenment, we have to gain it ourselves. It might take many many lifetimes and we have to take each step at a time steadily, it will be a long way but we ought to make those steps ourselves.
On either side of the Main Shrine you find the Gong and the Drum. Inside the Front Shrine (also called the Great Compassion Shrine) stands a prominent statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, known as Kuan Yin in Chinese.
Avalokitesvara can be loosely translated as "the compassionate sage who sees," referring to this Bodhisattva's ability to see all the suffering in the world and thus come to people's aid. She is said to have one thousand eyes and hands with which to save all sentient beings. Kuan Yin takes a variety of forms; the Front Shrine's primary statue portrays her with a third eye in the middle of her brows, and multiple hands.
We also visited the museum which you gain entry by $1.10 - no photos are allowed to be taken inside so i respected that fact.the back wall is of a natural rock formation with a pond that had lots of coins tossed in - wishes - i assume and i made myself one........
