Is the introduction of Asoka Temple in Ningbo interesting?

Asoka Temple in Ningbo is the only temple in China named after the ancient Indian king. It is rich in history and culture and full of exotic elements, attracting many Chinese and foreign tourists. The following is a detailed introduction and overview of this temple.

Yu Wang Temple was built in the Jin Dynasty, about 282 AD, just over 300 years after Buddhism was introduced into China. Why should such an ancient temple with a history of 1700 years be named after a foreigner? The reason lies in Ashoka himself!

If you ask an Indian who is the most famous king in history, he will definitely answer: Ashoka.

Ashoka was the third emperor of the Indian Peacock Dynasty, and his existence time was about equal to the end of the Warring States Period in China. The greatness of Ashoka lies in that he almost unified all India, and was the first and only dynasty in Indian history that was close to unification.

Ashoka's life is full of legends. He was a demon in the first half of his life and a Buddha in the second half. A person leads two extreme lives.

When he was young, Ashoka was rejected by his father because of his ugly appearance and was left out in the cold everywhere. Naturally, it was not his turn to ascend to the throne, but with extraordinary courage and bloodthirsty and cruel means, he got rid of one brother and sister and abruptly seized the throne.

When he became king, he went on an expedition to this country and annexed many neighboring countries, beating hundreds of thousands of people and killing hundreds of thousands of people at a time. But this change is fatal. Once, after witnessing the scene of his slaughter, Ashoka was deeply repented and guilty, and decided to stop fighting and convert to Buddhism.

No one knows how Ashoka completed his transformation. Almost overnight, the bloodthirsty king became a devout Buddhist. He stopped the war, advocated peace, prohibited killing, pitied others, and especially devoted himself to spreading Buddhism.

Before him, Buddhism had just been founded for more than 300 years, and it was only a local religion with little influence. King Ashoka regarded Buddhism as the state religion, built temples extensively, called monks from various countries to write Buddhist scriptures, and sent Buddhist missions to various countries, including princes and princesses.

It was under the impetus of King Ashoka that Buddhism quickly grew into a world-class religion and began to spread all over the world. Ashoka also scattered the relics to various countries and built 84,000 stone pagodas for storage, so the stone pagodas are also called Ashoka Pagodas.

Ashoka has made great contributions to the spread of Buddhism, and can be said to be the second Buddhist figure after Sakyamuni. According to research, there were 19 pagodas in ancient China, most of which were moved or damaged, and the only one preserved at present is Asoka Temple.

The temple is located in the eastern suburb of Ningbo, far from the urban area. Usually tourists seldom set foot, so they get peace. On a sunny morning, I went there by subway. The temple is close to the nearest subway station 1.5km, and the price of minibus is high. I am short of money, so I have to go there on foot.

Maybe walking is right. Ancient monks traveled everywhere, all walking monks. More importantly, the destination is Asoka Temple, which makes walking more meaningful. There are four tall stone pillars in front of the temple. This is the famous Ashoka Pillar, which is more than ten meters high. There are four lions sitting back to back on the stigma, which is magnificent.

Located at the foot of the mountain and surrounded by mountains, this quiet temple is a rare place to practice. To my surprise, there was no admission, and it was free. The temple is built on the mountain, and there are more than 600 temples, many of which are old buildings in the late Qing Dynasty.

It takes a few minutes to walk to the main garden of the temple, all the way through bamboo forests, ponds and old stone tablets. The environment is lush, just like being in a Jiangnan garden. Although the temple is named after the Indian king, its architectural style is still the traditional style of China. On the central axis, there are the King's Temple, the Mahatma Hall, the Temple Mount and the Tibetan Scripture Building.

People who come to Ashoka Temple are all for the stupa, and I am no exception. Located behind the Mahatma Hall, the stone pagoda is one of the few real Buddhist relics in China. Therefore, Ashoka Temple has always been favored by all previous dynasties.

After the failure of the third trip to Japan, Jian Zhen, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, lived in Asoka Temple for a short time, which attracted famous monks from all over Zhejiang to visit.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang named the temple Asoka Zen Temple and listed it as one of the five largest Zen Mountains in the world. Above the lintel of the Temple of Relic, the inscription of Miao Temple is Song Xiaozong's Imperial Book, and the vertical forehead of Buddha's top lighthouse is Song Gaozong's Imperial Book. In addition, there are many literati's pen and ink, such as Chen Kui Songs written by Su Shi.

Unfortunately, just in time for the renovation of the stupa. Although I also saw the stupa, it was protected by plastic foam and I couldn't see the real thing. Of course, stupas are not often shown to people, so it is enough for pilgrims to know that stupas are inside.

There is an East Tower on the east side of Yu Wang Temple, which is made of wood. Its construction time is unknown, but it first appeared in the year of "Tu Shan, Yu Wang" in the Ming Dynasty. It can be seen that it is at least a cultural relic of the Ming Dynasty. The existing one was rebuilt by 1995. It is elegant scarlet, towering into the sky, and is a symbol of the temple.

After visiting the relic temple, pilgrims often walk around the tower and worship three incense before leaving smoothly. I looked at the people around the pagoda, many of whom were monks and nuns. They came from other places to worship the relics, just for the sake of faith.

Wang Yu Temple is quiet and serene, without any commercial atmosphere. Even the incense is provided free of charge, which is considered as "unusual" and simple in temples in China. Perhaps this is the most beautiful temple!

Address: Wuxiang East Road, Yinzhou District, Ningbo, Zhejiang. Tickets are not accepted.

Transportation: Take Ningbo Metro 1 Line to Baozhuang Station, walk or take a taxi.