Thailand's White Buddhist Temple

[Myosha]

Hello,

Never seen anything like this, http://www.viralnova.com/white-templ...xwm0J5-.mailto

Described as beautiful, creepy, holy and profane.

Could be a Zendo?!?


Gassho,
Myosha

[KellyRok]

I saw this too, very neat and powerful!

Gassho,
Jinmei

[Nindo]

I don't know, looks like several tons of sugar icing gone out of control ...

Gassho,
Nindo

[Khalil Bodhi]

I have been there. It's stunning. The last photo has the hands of the damned reaching up. Beautiful wat.

[Jundo]

Well, people have varied tastes and aesthetic sense when it comes to things including their religion.

I sometimes post this about how a Japanese temple is trying to attract younger folks by tapping into Manga/Anime thing ...

The Ryohoji temple, built in the late 16th century in a Tokyo suburb, erected a colourful manga-inspired sign at its entrance in June and has since seen visitor numbers perk up -- especially young men.
Ryohoji's chief monk, Shoko Nakazato, 45, said he did not think it was inappropriate.
"I'm a manga generation who grew up watching them on television. I have little resistance to manga.... I wanted to tell the people that temples are a fun place to visit," he said.
Ryohoji previously had almost no visitors during the week, but recently up to 30 people, mostly young men, had come every day, Nakazato said.
Adding to the spectacle, Toromi, a singer who drew the manga characters on the temple's sign, was in a red-and-white costume inspired by a goddess worshipped at the temple.
"I'm so happy as unexpectedly many people came," said Toromi, who goes by one name and is a common sight in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district that is frequented by computer buffs and fanatics, known in Japanese as "otaku."

She is dressed as Benzaiten, an old Indian goddess mentioned in the Lotus Sutra and often depicted holding a biwa, a traditional Chinese lute, and considered a patron of music and arts.

The Temple is a Nichiren Buddhist temple, the flavor of Buddhism which chants the name of the Lotus Sutra Namu-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō.

All good.

Gassho, J

[pinoybuddhist]

Being a manga otaku myself, I can see myself paying a visit to Ryohoji one day. In honor of my favorite manga Rurouni Kenshin, I'll probably be dressed as a samurai, with a red hair wig and cross-shaped scar drawn on my face.

[Troy]

Beautiful temple! Thanks for sharing. The hands reaching up from the ground were interesting. I wonder what the significance is?

[Jundo]

Beautiful temple! Thanks for sharing. The hands reaching up from the ground were interesting. I wonder what the significance is?

A little Wiki research ...

The temple is the work of a modern artist, only built about 20 years ago.

Chalermchai Kositpipat (Thai: เฉลิมชัย โฆษิตพิพัฒน์) (born February 15, 1955 in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand), is a Thai visual artist. Primarily a painter, Chalermchai's works have been exhibited worldwide, and he is known for his use of Buddhist imagery in his art. ... Among his works is Wat Rong Khun, an ornate white Buddhist temple being built in his native Chiang Rai Province. Work on the temple was started in 1997, and still continues. ... On 5 May 2014 at 18:08 (local time), the temple was heavily damaged by the earthquake in Mae Lao that struck the province.[2] It was closed indefinitely.[3] Chalermchai said on 6 May that he would demolish the whole temple and would not rebuild it.[4]
On May 7 morning after an engineering expert team inspected and confirmed that all building structures in the temple were unharmed by the quake, Chalermchai announced that he would rebuild the temple back to its original beauty in two years and promised to devote his life for the work. He also announced that the temple area will be open to visitors on May 8 afternoon. The gallery building will be open in a few days. But for some buildings, visitors will be allowed only to take pictures from outside.

The hands are lost beings in Buddhist Hell ...

Before crossing the bridge of the “Cycle of Rebirth”, one cannot prevent getting the chills gazing upon the hundreds of sculpted hands reaching up from “Hell”, symbolizing the way to happiness through overcoming cravings.... Twisted demon faces observe and mock the visitor as he prepares to purge his soul from cravings. ,,, Once cravings have been eliminated, the visitor finds himself in front of the “Gate of Heaven”, guarded by Rahu (the One who controls men’s fate) on the left and Death (The One who controls men’s life) on the right.

http://www.canvas-of-light.com/2010/...mple-thailand/

Gassho, J

PS


Many Buddhists traditionally did (still do!) believe in rebirth in heavens or hells based on volitional actions (Karma) in this and past lives. Some of the descriptions of "Buddhist Hells" are as hellacious as anything in Western imagination (although the images seem to have developed independently) ... complete with pitchforks and brimstone ... look here. Not for the squeemish. I have seen similar images here and there at temples in China, Japan, Thailand and Korea ... images that would make any Fire & Brimstone preacher in the Bible Belt faint. Just like in the West, images of "hell" were often used by Buddhist preachers to get people to "be good". WARNING: 18 and OVER

https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1536&bih=764&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=buddhist+hell&oq=buddhist+hell&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.5050.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0.0..1c..15.img.svWQkm9pMTo

[Troy]

I guess it all about the choices we make in life

[RichardH]

It looked pretty modern. A bit over-the-top. Still, no one does a good heaven-hell like the Europeans. .... Bosch, Bruegel. That Northern European Christian imagination. A lot of repressed sexual stuff too.. people getting eaten by bum holes with teeth and so forth. ...and it was permanent.

The white temple looks like it is made of sugar.

Gassho
Daizan

[MyoHo]

Must be my Ango " no sugar" commitment because when I look at the pictures, all I can think of is sugar and candy Well the first pictures anyway.

Gassho

Myoho

[Kyonin]

Now I need to go to that temple to sing and dance with the idoru!

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Heion]

The tempo Myosha posted is so elegant and pure. It almost emits a supernatural aura...

Great stuff

Gassho,
Heion

[Myosha]

The tempo Myosha posted . . .

Gassho,
Heion

Just dancing as everything.^^


Gassho,
Myosha