Guiyuan si 歸元寺

Guīyuán sì 歸元寺 Location: Húběi 湖北, Wǔhàn 武漢, Hànyáng District 漢陽區 (Hànyáng was formerly a separate city), Cuìwēi Crossroad 翠微橫路, No. 20 Other names: * Guīyuán Chán sì 歸元禪寺 Guīyuán gǔchà 歸元古剎

Guīyuán Temple

First Founded 1658 (Shùnzhì 順治 15)

Lineage: Cáodòng School 曹洞宗 Status: Public (十方叢林)

Institution section editor: Erik Hammerstrom

Guīyuán sì 歸元寺 is one of the largest temples in Wǔhàn 武漢.

History

This temple was founded quite late: construction did not begin until 1658 (Shùnzhì 順治 15) in the Qīng 清 Dynasty under the direction of Báiguāng 白光. The temple was destroyed in 1852 (Xiánfēng 咸豐 2) during the Taiping Rebellion. Rebuilding bean in 1895 (Guāngxù 光緒 21) and was not completed for at least a decade.

During the Cultural Revolution this temple was occupied by Red Guards, but Zhōu Enlái 周恩來 took steps to ensure that the temple was not destroyed.

Personnel

Important Abbots

• Báiguāng 白光 (founding abbot)
• Dàhuì 大繪 (? - 1910 - ?)
• Míngchāng 明昌 (1979 - 2007)
• Lóngyìn 隆印 (2007 - present)

Notable Residents

• Dàdìng 大定 (in the mid-late 19th century)
• Cízhōu 慈舟 (ordained here in 1910)

Temple Institution

Important Buildings or Artifacts

• Scripture Pavilion, of the North Hall 北院藏經閣
  • This building houses a jade Buddha, which was one of three that Tàixū 太虛 brought back from Rangoon in 1935.

Associated Organizations and Groups

Notes

References

• Official Chinese website for the temple.
• Chinese Wikipedia entry for this temple.