|
 The
Entrance to the temple consists of a main gate and two side
gates flanking it. The main gate is constructed on a brick
terrace (2 meters above ground) with single eaves and an
exquisitely modified gable roof. It was build in 1735, in the
reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty.
|
 B/W
picture shows the Entrance at the turn of the century. Notice
the white colored window frames and the absence of the entrance sign. |
 Above
the lintel one sees a black horizontal board inscribed with
three Chinese characters in golden relief 'SHAO LIN SI'
(Shaolin temple). The board is 90 by 193 cm. Above the
character LIN is carved Emperor Kang Xi's seal: 'Kang Xi Yu Bi
Zhi Bao' (Emperor Kangxi has favoured by writing in person
hereon). |
 According
to the History of Shaolin Temple, this board used to hang
above the front door of the Tianwang Dian 'Hall
of Heavenly Kings'; it was removed to
the present place after the hall was burnt down. On careful
observation, one finds that the brushwork on the present board
for the lower parts of the characters 'SHAO' and 'SI'
are not harmonious. This is the result of later renovations.
That the board survived the fire is already a wonder. |
|
  Passing
the Entrance one sees Maitreya smiling his welcome. This clay
statue of Maitreya is kept in a shrine behind glass and has a
gold colour. Up to a few years ago it had lifelike colours.
|
  Behind
Maitreya is a figure of Wei Tuo (Skanda) as a principal guard
of Buddhism. He too is now enshrined behind glass. |
  On
either side of the Entrance is a 1.67 meter high stone lion
crouching on a 1.75 meter platform. Adding ancient flavour to
the place. Next to each lion is a flagpole. |
 
|
 In
front of the Entrance, on the left and right side, stand two
gateways constructed in the Ming Dynasty. These two gateways,
standing homogonously, look the same in appearance. Each has
one arch and two pillars, 5.85 meters high and 1.95 meters
wide. The tops of both gateways are decorated with carved
ridges and tile furrows. Beneath the eaves four modified birch
leave shaped brackets support the tops. The stone horizontal
laths, square columns and thresholds imitate the style of
wooden structures. The main laths are decorated with relief of
'two lions playing with silk balls' and 'two phoenixes
greeting the sun', very popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The front and back sides of the horizontal laths and columns
are carved with inscriptions and antithetical couplets related
to the history of the temple. Picture on the left shows the
archways at the turn of the century: no splay walls yet. |
 On
the eastern part of the eastern archway are in horizontal
inscriptions 'Fountain Head of Zen'.
The couplet reads:
The very centre under Heaven, the
topmost noble mountains;
The greatest treasure in the heart,
the source of Most-taught Zen
On the western part of the eastern
archway is the horizontal inscription 'founded by Ba Tuo' (Ba
Tuo or Buddhabadhra was the first eminent Indian monk coming
to Shaolin temple. Though not the initiator of Chan sect
Buddhism, he was one of its founders.) There is no
antithetical couplet on this column. |
  The
eastern part of the west archway has the horizontal
inscription 'Holy Place of the Great Vehicle'. The 'Great
Vehicle' or Mahayana, and the 'Lesser Vehicle' or Hinayana,
are two schools under Buddhism. The Chan sect of Buddhism or
Zen, taught by Damo in China came from the 'Great Vehicle'.
The 'Great Vehicle' is figuratively used for tidings
sufferings over to eternal happiness; whereas the 'Lesser
Vehicle' stresses on self cultivation and transcendence.
The couplet reads:
The heart's set in the Cave, the
knee-deep snow could but illuminate the transient form. Referring
to Hui Ke's first meeting with Damo.
The face toward the cliff, in
silent night immortals piping drifted to the ear. Referring
to Damo's facing the wall meditation.
The western horizontal inscription
of the western archway says 'Song Chan Lin' (Shaolin in
Songshan, cradle of Chan), followed by the couplet:
Two pairs of jade wells, pure and
limped, bathe the ageless moon.
A reference to the four wells
caused to be there as a result of the magic touch of Hui Ke's
'tin cudgel' down on the ground. All wells have different
tastes.
Three dozen towering peaks, gree,
mystic, glorify mid clouds.
From the smaller words between the
horizontal inscriptions we get to know that the east archway
was built in the fifth month of the twenty-second year during
the reign of Emperor Jia Jing in the Ming Dynasty (1543), and
the west archway was built in the autumn of the thirty-fourth year of the same reign (1555). |
 Part
of an outer boundary wall. |
| The Shaoxi bridge.
The Shaoxi bridge spans over the
Shaoxi stream, with the Entrance looking upon it. An single
span arch structure standing 5.55 meters above water and
stretching 60 meters in length, its 4.29 meter high arch is
further made into two curvatures. A dragoons head is carved on
the west of the arch, its eyes widening, its mouth opening in
readiness of drinking in all torrential floods. On either face
of the arch is engraved an inscription, Built in the ninth
month of Emperor Xuan Zong (about 1856).
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Next:Beilin;
Forest of Stelae
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