Lhasa temples. Jokhang temple and monastery, Lhasa Lhasa golden dragon temple treatment
MIRACLES OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON
Rangoon, the capital of Burma and the third largest city in the Indian Empire, can rightfully be considered the Mecca of Buddhism. East and West intertwined in its streets, forming a kind of exotic mixture. Modern office buildings coexist peacefully with gilded Burmese sanctuaries, and Buddhist monks in burgundy robes mingle with impeccably dressed tourists. However, the general atmosphere of the modern industrial ™ is not capable of completely destroying that serenity, which is an elusive, but essential element of Eastern life.
A traveler approaching Rangoon by river at first perceives the city as a mysterious mirage, with ghostly buildings dimly visible through the haze enveloping them. But the fog eventually dissipates, and a shining and iridescent stream of golden light suddenly falls from the gray sky. The source of light, this crystallized ray of sunshine, turns out to be Shuedagoun, or the Golden Dragon Pagoda - the most sacred and beautiful of the countless Buddha temples.
The Golden Dragon Pagoda, located to the north of the city, stands on top of a small hill that rises 50 meters above the level of the surrounding area. The specially leveled surface of the hill and artificially built-up slopes form the platform of the pagoda, which is about 275 m long and about 215 m wide. You can climb the platform by four flights of stairs, one on each side of the world. The main entrance is on the south side facing Rangoon.
A tourist, approaching the pagoda from the south, is greeted by two massive griffins * - two brightly painted Burmese lions of grotesque appearance made of white plaster with an evil gaze of sparkling eyes. The entrance itself is an imposing structure in a typical Siamese style, similar in appearance to a pagoda, the roof of which is decorated with intricate carvings along the edge. Right in front of the entrance, you can almost always see a variety of shoes lined up in long rows; here local sandals tread on the toes of imported low-shoes, while elegant sports shoes and military boots sit peacefully alongside graceful high-heeled pumps and worn-out clogs.
Nearby, on a low, uneven wall, are seated flocks of Burmese boys; each holds in his hands an indescribable bucket of water and several pieces of rags. These young businessmen have invented a new kind of activity: they have adapted to washing the feet of tourists who are forced to walk barefoot through the corridors of the pagoda, because no one is allowed to enter Shuadagoun without first removing their shoes and socks; in the East, this ritual is tantamount to taking off the hat when entering a Christian church. It is said that a law requiring tourists to take off their shoes was introduced in Burma solely because the practice was offensive to the British. In this peculiar way, Burma twisted the tail of the British lion.
The flights of stairs leading to the platform of the pagoda are fenced on all sides by walls and a teak roof, completely covered with intricate carvings; and, as soon as a barefoot tourist enters the mud-slippery, worn-out steps, he immediately finds himself in a real oriental bazaar of religious antiquities. Pilgrims who come here from all over the world to atone for their sins in this holiest place certainly want to take with them some souvenirs to remember the visit to the shrine. Demand, as you know, gives rise to supply, and therefore the road leading to the temple is dotted with small shops, where believers can buy crude figurines and lurid multi-color lithographs for five cents.
Climbing the stairs and passing through the quaint gates, the tourist finally finds himself on the platform of the pagoda, and such a stunning sight opens before his eyes that the language simply does not have enough words to describe its splendor. Although the platform is actually rectangular, it appears to be a huge circle. The grand central pagoda is surrounded by a wide promenade *, where the facades are located on all sides of the rows of sanctuaries, decorated with ornate carvings. The middle of the promenade is lined with carpets, and most Europeans prefer not to leave this surface with pleasure.
Imagine, if, of course, you can, two hundred and fifty pagodas at once, each with a height of 3.5 m to 30.5 m, with its own original carvings, mostly gilded or covered with a layer of varnish. Hundreds of golden spiers shine in the sun, thousands of silver bells gently tinkle from the light breeze, and diamonds, emeralds and rubies worth millions of dollars sparkle and shimmer in the rays of the midday sun with all the colors of the rainbow - this is how Shuadagoun appears before you!
On the platform of the Golden Dragon, countless examples of architecture from forty nations are collected in artistic disorder. Strange sloping roofs from Siam; fluted spiers from Indochina; amazing stupas from Cambodia; bell-like dagobas from Tibet; ornate pediments from China and Korea; quaintly carved towers and semicircular domes from India and Ceylon all clustered around Shuedagoun's golden base.
Sculptural images of Buddha standing everywhere look out from each of their niches. There are also huge stone Buddhas sitting for centuries immersed in meditation; Teak Buddhas with varnished faces in dark shiny robes; marble Buddhas in robes inlaid with gold; Buddhas of bronze and copper with emerald eyes and ruby \u200b\u200blips; little golden Buddhas and silver saints sitting in jeweled niches; Buddhas made of jade, amethyst, rose quartz and crystal. Buddhas differ not only in the material from which they are made, but also in postures: some Buddhas are sitting in meditation, others are kneeling in prayer, others are standing and preaching, the fourth are reclining and with half-closed eyelids awaiting the onset of nirvana. Here you can see giant Buddhas ranging in height from 15 to 18 m and Buddhas so tiny that they fit comfortably between the thumb and forefinger. In total, more than twenty-five thousand sculptural images of the "Light of Asia" are placed on the Shuedagoun platform.
Gilded bars are installed across the façades of many of the smaller sanctuaries. Behind these bars are Buddha statues adorned with priceless jewels; diamonds the size of a 25-cent coin burn on the forehead of these statues, and their clothes are inlaid with fabulous precious stones. Some of these shrines are many centuries old, while others are still unfinished. Here and there, some modern zealot erects a concrete shrine for a practical purpose, introducing a fair amount of absurdity into the overall harmonious picture.
On the platform of the Golden Dragon, not only schools of Buddhist monks were located, but also monasteries that provide shelter for people affected by such ailments as leprosy and tuberculosis, who came here for healing. Monks with shaved heads and horse-tailed scepters roam tirelessly between the golden altars. They are considered the guardians of this world famous shrine.
People who are unable to appreciate the years of painstaking work spent on decorating gilded sanctuaries with intricate carvings are inclined to view all this rich ornamentation simply as roughly made antique trinkets. However, regardless of the variety of individual impressions that arise when contemplating an incredible array of shining altars, everyone agrees on one thing: that the grandiose pagoda, towering in the center of the platform, is the perfection of beauty, simplicity and grandeur. The huge spire of Shaudagoun with a golden umbrella as the only decoration, gracefully curving, soars above the platform to a height of 113 m. In the strict simplicity of its outlines, genuine aestheticism is expressed. The numerous pagodas crowded around the base of the Golden Dragon look like a foothill surrounding a lonely inaccessible mountain.
The shape of the Shuedagoun Pagoda has a special meaning. The base is made in the form of an inverted bowl, which is used by priests in Asia to collect food. Above the base are folds of the turban, from which a double lotus flower grows. The spire of the pagoda in the shape of a banana bud rises above the lotus. The countless garlands of electric bulbs with which the pagoda hangs over the city at night like a giant Christmas tree gives a modern flavor to this design. The perimeter of the base of the central pagoda is 416 m. Local bricks were used for the construction of the entire structure. The current "umbrella" forming the pagoda's canopy was erected in 1871. It consists of iron rings covered with gold plates and hung with gold and silver bells, the tinkling of which is clearly audible on the platform. The upper part of the umbrella is called "sein-ba", which means "bejeweled crown". Sein-ba is strewn with a mass of glittering diamonds, emeralds and rubies, as many wealthy Burmese Buddhists hung their personal jewelry on it even before it was lifted up and placed at the top of the pagoda. And as soon as a sunbeam touches one of the huge stones, a bright flash of green, red or white light immediately dazzles the eyes of everyone standing below.
The first pagoda with a height of no more than 8 m was built on a small hill in 500 BC. e. Centuries passed, and the holy place remained in complete oblivion until 1446 AD. e., when the care of a pious ruler began its restoration. Since then, the building has increased in size and was kept in good condition until 1776, when it acquired its present appearance. The huge stupa was repeatedly gilded and new layers of bricks were laid, which were then covered with gilding again, and therefore it is now impossible to accurately estimate how much precious metal was used to decorate the pagoda. The previous method of gilding, as not economical enough, was replaced by a new one, and now the pagoda is gilded using gold foil 3.2 mm thick, covering the surface of the brick with it up to the point where the spire emerges from the dome. It is difficult for a Westerner to imagine the colossal amount of work involved in lining a structure with gold foil with a circumference of 416 m.However, faith is a spiritual quality that manifests itself more vividly in Burma than in the Western world, and therefore the dazzling brilliance of the Golden Dragon has no rivals other than the radiance of the sun.
As always, the same question arises: why was this grandiose sanctuary erected? What does this holy place signify? If you ask a local monk about this, he will answer that the pagoda marks the place where the sacred relics of the four Buddhas are kept, and therefore it is the holiest of all like him. Indeed, somewhere deep under the Golden Dragon are hidden the greatest Buddhist shrines: the Krakuchanda bowl, Gaunagong's clothes, Kathapa's staff and eight hairs from Gautama's head. Where else are holy relics so carefully kept? In this peculiar way, Asia bears witness to its liberators.
Despite its overwhelming splendor, Shuedagoun Pagoda is absolutely out of harmony with the spirit of the great teacher, whose remains it serves as a safe depository. Buddha preached the immateriality of earthly treasures; according to his sermons, in order to discover Reality, a person must free himself from the illusion of physical existence and retire to the inner fortress of his own “I”. According to Lord Gautama, neither the pagoda nor the sanctuary contain any meaning, for they are part of an illusion, from which one must be able to renounce. For him, there was nothing real, except for his own "I", nothing absolute, except for the "I", and no real achievement, except for complete merging with this "I". And when he sat immersed in samadhi *, his consciousness merged with the consciousness of the universe. His mission was to teach people how to break out of the slavery of the illusion that comes from recognizing the parts, and thus achieve complete freedom, which is awareness of the whole. The revelation of the Golden Dragon says: "Asia loves its Buddhas and gives them their due, but Asia does not understand anything."
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Jokhang Temple is one of the most famous and revered Buddhist temples in Tibet. This place is visited by pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
The temple was built by order of King Songtsen Gampo in 639. The initiator was the imperial wife Princess Bhrikuti, who believed that a Tibetan demoness was sitting underground at the site of the future temple. So that she could not rise up, a temple was laid on this land.
Initially, the temple was called Rasa Trulang - "The Magical Manifestation of the Race", but it was renamed after the Buddha Akshobya and Jovo Rinpoche were placed in the building. These statues are now in the temple, but it is unknown if they are genuine.
The temple is decorated with various sculptures and statues, frescoes with deities, rulers of Tibet and Lamaist saints. At the entrance to the temple there is a slab with an inscription-treaty between the rulers of China and Tibet.
Now services are held in the temple every day. Traditionally, from dawn to dusk, pilgrims walk around the entire temple complex along a ritual path (kora), reciting a mantra.
The Tibetan dragon is one of the representatives of eastern mythological dragons and is closest to the Chinese one. The fierce dragon decoration is typical for Tibetan temples, for example, for the Jokhang temple in Lhasa. There are many dragon tales and stories in Tibet. It is said that when young Dorgzong Rinpoche visited Yonten Ritro in Rongmi, Kham, the whole village saw nine dragons.
One of the stories tells about a hunter who fell into a cave and could not get out of there. There was a sleeping dragon in the cave and illuminated it with its own light. In order not to die of thirst, the man began to lick the dew from the pearl clamped in the dragon's paws, and found out that the dew is very nutritious and makes him happy and healthy. In the spring the dragon woke up and took off from the cave, and the hunter, grabbing his tail, got out with him.
Also famous is the flight of the dragon into the heavens from the hill in front of the Nubchen monastery in Gonjo, Kham. This happened when the eighth Dorzong Rinpoche visited this place to "enthrone" one Rinpoche and bless the reconstructed altar that was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The ceremony took place inside the temple on June 16, 1993. But most of the people did not fit inside and housed outside. Suddenly, someone saw a dragon soaring into the heavens from the top of the hill. As is customary in Tibet and, especially among the people of Gongjo, in joyful moments, everyone shouted: "Kyi ... Lha Je Lo ... Kyi ... Lha Je Lo ...". This is an old cry that means: “Be happy! May the gods be victorious! "
When the screams reached the temple, those inside thought that those outside were “drunk with happiness” and thus express joy. So Dorzong Rinpoche was told. At that moment, they ran into the temple and said that the dragon rises directly into the heavens from the hill located next to the monastery. Tibetans believe that making a wish when you see a dragon flying up will definitely come true. Usually they pray for the peace and happiness of all living beings, chanting: "Seven che there che la ga mo sid my yongoye."
Konchok Tashi, the photographer of Dorzong Rinpoche, came out to look at this strange phenomenon and saw a dragon flying from one peak to another, wagging its tail. He rushed to the llamas' room to take a camera and photograph it. But when he returned, the dragon was almost entirely hidden in the clouds. And only part of the tail was visible.
From the encyclopedia of Robert Beer
Supernaturalanimalsfourdirections
The four animals that surround the wind horse - the garu-da, the dragon, the lion, and the tiger - come from the ancient Chinese tradition of geomancy and astrology. In ancient China, four directions were equated to four seasons: the dawn sun in the east symbolized spring, the midday sun in the south symbolized summer, the setting sun in the west symbolized autumn, and the regions of the north unlit by the sun symbolized winter. Each of these directions was attributed to one of four "super-natural" or "spiritually gifted" beings. The blue dragon symbolized the eastern quarter, the red sun bird, or phoenix, the southern quarter, the white tiger, the western quarter, and the turtle, or dark warrior, the northern quarter. The four colors of these animals correspond to the Chinese geomantic mandala of the four sectors of paradise, with blue in the east, red in the south, white in the west, black in the north, and yellow for earth in the center. IN feng Shui(literally "wind and water") the four animals represent the four geomantic qualities, or characteristics of the landscape. These four creatures, with their different characteristics, originally symbolized the animals of the four quadrants of the ancient Chinese zodiac. Later, their number was increased to include all twelve animals of the Chinese zodiacal cycle. Three of them still remain - a dragon, a bird and a tiger.
In the Chinese symbolism of geomancy, the opposition of a tiger and a dragon is a rather often repeated motive. The old tiger looks thoughtfully and longingly at the young dragon, which symbolizes both polarity and the union of principles yin and yang.The tiger, the king of earthly creatures, represents the dark feminine principle yineven numbers, and the dragon, as the lord of heavenly creatures, represents the bright masculine principle of yak of odd numbers. As an emblem of vitality, the dragon of spring represents birth, the red bird of summer represents youth, the white tiger of autumn represents old age, and the black warrior represents death. In Buddhist symbolism, the four guardian animals symbolize the overcoming of the four great fears - birth, illness, old age and death.
Tibetan tradition adopted and preserved three of these four animals: the turquoise dragon, the red garuda bird, and the yellow striped tiger. Skull-ha, or black warrior, the national emblem of China has been replaced by the white snow lion, the national emblem of Tibet. This combination of colors - blue, red, yellow and white - with a green wind horse in the middle corresponds to the Buddhist mandala structure, with Amoghasiddhi, representing the green element of air, in the center.
THE DRAGON (Skt. vritra, tib. ‘ brug, whale. lung)
The monotheistic religions of the Middle East and Europe portrayed the dragon as a fierce satanic monster, guardian of treasures, kidnapper of children and seducer of virgins. Saint Michael and Saint George are archetypal knights who destroyed the animal power of the dragon, suppressing all the forces of evil and releasing everything pure, in the form of childish innocence, virgin chastity or hidden treasures.
The oriental dragon is viewed in a much more positive light. He represents a strong principle yang,the principle of heaven, change, energy and creation. The main image of the Chinese dragon is first encountered on artifacts found at excavations dating back to the Neolithic period, approximately to the fifth millennium BC. The dragon as such is one of the earliest figurative symbols of humanity. Probably, the dragon originally served as a totem of the tribe, combining in its image the head of a pig with the body of a snake and the mane of a horse. There is a record that the Yellow Emperor Huang-di chose a cloud as his symbol, the Flaming Emperor Yan-di took fire as his symbol, Emperor Chuang-xu chose water as his symbol, Emperor Tai-hao took a dragon as his symbol, and the emperor Shao-hao chose the phoenix bird as his symbol. Although each of these dynasties had roots in different tribes, their symbols can still be seen depicted on the attributes of imperial power and in brocade ornaments.
The dragon and phoenix, representing the emperor and empress of China as a union of heaven (dragon) and earth (phoenix), according to archaeologists, are descended from a pig and a pheasant. Dinosaur fossils are found in China and are often found in the Gobi Desert. Most likely, it was they who inspired our ancestors with the image of a giant snake-like dragon.
The earliest written descriptions of the dragon appear in the Canon of Change, or I Ching, where the elusive, elusive, creative nature of the dragon becomes clear. There is a belief that the dragon is a master of reincarnation, that he can change his appearance at will. It can become invisible, shrink to the size of a silkworm larva, or make its body huge, filling the entire heaven with itself. During the vernal equinox, he ascends to heaven, where he stays until the autumn equinox, after which he descends into a deep pool, covered with mud, and remains there until the next spring. As one of the four supernatural animals, azure, or turquoise, the dragon represents the increase in daylight in spring and sunrise in the east.
Like Indian naga,the legendary Chinese dragon has always been associated with forecasting through the years, especially with low cumulus clouds, thunderclouds and storms. Forked lightning bursts from its claws, and a fiery ball lightning flies out of its mouth. The dragon's voice is a roll of thunder, its beating body among the dark thunderclouds gives rise to a hail of lightning, and pouring rain pours out of its sparkling scales. The four jewels he holds in his claws produce dew and torrents of rain when he squeezes them harder. Skull-shell was also used to predict the weather, and prayers to the jade dragon were offered up during drought. The downpour was known as the "living dragon" and the tornado or tornado as the "hanging dragon", while the tidal waves and underwater earthquakes were seen as the wrath of one of the four dragons of the ocean. In the Chinese annals, there are several images made by famous artists who specialized exclusively in dracon, they were asked to paint dragons in dry times - usually on the four walls of a special hall, erected near the dragon pond. The dragons were so realistically drawn that they are said to have come to life, destroying the walls of the hall in a fury of thunder and rain, and dived into the dragon's pond. Dragon painting became the main art form in medieval China, especially during the Five Dynasties (907-960 AD) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), when separate schools of dragon painting and fish.
In China, there are more than seventy ways of writing the dragon character. The dragon can manifest itself in the form of nine separate varieties: celestial, spiritual, winged, serpentine, horned, nosed, yellow, water dragon and dragon guarding treasures. The typical dragon is said to be composed of three sections and exhibit nine likenesses. Three sections: this is the first - from the head to the front legs, the second - from the front legs to the loin, the third - from the leg to the tail. The nine similarities are as follows: the head of a dragon is like the head of a camel; horns like a deer's; eyes like a demon, rabbit or shrimp; neck like a snake; scales like those of a fish; belly, like that of a huge mollusk or like a frog; ears like a cow; legs and paws like a tiger; claws like an eagle. In addition, on the dragon's back there is a ridge of eighty-one dorsal teeth, similar to the ridge of a monitor lizard, its curly hair resembles a horse's mane. Above the top goo-boy mustache, like a catfish, a small beard hangs from the under-beard, a wild look. There are folds of wrinkles throughout the dragon's face; jaws, knees, and tail are crowned with ridges of pointed teeth. The dragon has cylindrical antlers, like a deer, and flames spread from its paws. He wriggles among the cumulus clouds, clutching four wish-fulfilling jewels in his paws, the four elements of magical achievement.
As a symbol of the power of the Chinese emperor, the heavenly, or palace, dragon was depicted with five claws. The emperor's ministers wore insignia depicting dragons with four claws, while lower-ranking officials wore three claws. The elitism of the imperial five-fingered dragon with five claws became law during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when the emperor issued a decree forbidding ordinary people to depict dragons or wear clothes with their image. Officially, only dragons with five fingers were recognized as true dragons - the rest were known as pythons.
"I Ching" moons, whetheroceans and squishy chao,
In China, it is believed that pearls come from the mouth of the ocean dragon, while in India it is believed that pearls arise from the fire of the sun. In India, there is a belief that pearls protect against harm that fire can cause. A pair of Chinese dragons are depicted fighting for the possession of a fiery pearl or in the heavenly pursuit of an elusive pearl. The dragon's instant contact with the pearl triggers a flash of lightning that illuminates the darkness of the gloomy clouds, revealing the dragon's zigzag shape like a flash of white light, and the rolling roar of its voice like a thunderclap. The flaming pearl is, in essence, the egg of potentiality, which is fertilized by the dragon. As a symbol of polarity, it is a negative point or essential seed that comes into contact with a positive charge during an electrical storm. Her swift and lower-ranking officials have three claws. The elitism of the imperial five-fingered dragon with five claws became law during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when the emperor issued a decree forbidding ordinary people to depict dragons or wear clothes with their image. Officially, only dragons with five fingers were recognized as true dragons - the rest were known as pythons (pythons).
The magic number nine has a numerological connection with the dragon. There are nine varieties of dragon, nine similarities, the dragon has eighty-one dorsal teeth, and yang, or celestial lines. "I Ching"formed by the number nine. Likewise, the Chinese emperor wore robes depicting nine dragons, eight of which were embroidered on the outside of the garment, and one, the "hidden dragon", was hidden on the inside. Although there are only three main types of dragons: the mighty horned moons,the dragon of the dull thunder of heaven, whose roar and movements cause thunder and lightning; hornless whetheroceans and squishy chao,living in mountain lakes and caves.
A separate symbol accompanying the drako-na is the mystical pearl of flame, or "pearl that shines in the night." She is depicted as a small red or white sphere surrounded by flames. Legend has it that one of the Chinese ministers healed a wounded snake, which in fact turned out to be the son of the dragon king. As a token of gratitude for the kindness shown, the snake spewed out a sparkling pearl from its mouth and presented it to the minister, who in turn passed it on to the emperor. In the imperial palace, she emitted such a powerful radiance that "it became as bright at night as during the day." According to historical sources, Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796) wore a rare freshwater pearl from the Songhua River as the crowning adornment of his helmet.
In China, it is believed that pearls come from the mouth of an ocean dragon, while in India it is believed that pearls arise from the fire of the sun. In India, there is a belief that pearls protect against harm that fire can cause. A pair of Chinese dragons are depicted fighting for the possession of a fiery pearl or in the heavenly pursuit of an elusive pearl. The dragon's instant contact with the pearl triggers a flash of lightning that illuminates the darkness of the gloomy clouds, revealing the dragon's zigzag shape like a flash of white light, and the rolling roar of its voice like a thunderclap. The flaming pearl is, in essence, the egg of potentiality, which is fertilized by the dragon. As a symbol of polarity, it is a negative point or essential seed that comes into contact with a positive charge during an electrical storm. Its swift movement across the heavens is accompanied by flashes of lightning, the forked lines of which rise to the sky and descend to the earth. One form of movement across the heavens is accompanied by flashes of lightning, the forked lines of which ascend to heaven and descend to earth. One form of lightning is known as "pearl lightning", its bifurcated tip divides into many small white spheres. A fire pearl is defined as fireball, sun, moon, or the essence of a dragon's seed, and a "pearl of great reward" is a Buddhist wish-fulfilling jewel.
In the Indian tradition, the dragon does not stand out especially, its qualities are fully expressed in the local Indian image naga.Perhaps the closest analogue of the dragon appears in the legend of the celestial serpent Vri-tre, the demon of rain and drought, with whom Indra fights for a long time to make it rain. Another Vedic legend speaks of Meghana-de, "roaring in thunderclouds", who was the son of the demon Ravana and once defeated Indra, becoming invisible. Sanskrit term meghameans "thunder" and is also sometimes used to refer to a dragon. The Japanese adapted the Chinese dragon, which became known as Ryu Jin,"King of the seas".
In Buddhism, the dragon is the throne and vehicle of Vairochana, the white buddha of the center or east. The blue turquoise dragon is the vehicle for many guardian deities, air deities, or storm deities. Also, the turquoise dragon is the guardian of treasures (in this case, it is defined as a serpent naga).
The Tibetan term for dragon (Tib. " brug) associates with the sound of thunder. The Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan is known in its original pronunciation as Druk Yul, which means "land of the thunderous dragon." Its inhabitants are known as Drukpa, they are named after the line drukpa Kagyu,founded by Tsangpa Gyare, who witnessed the ascent of nine dragons from earth to heaven in the area of \u200b\u200bRalung, where he later was. Ralung Monastery was founded (around 1180). The ascent of one or more dragons to the sky is always a good sign. Even over the past decade, there have been several cases of dragons appearing in Chiba-te, one of which was recorded on a video camera. In Tibet and China, the dragon is not treated as a purely mythological creature. The appearance of dragons has been noted in history too often to be attributed to mythological creatures or some kind of extinct animal species.
Figure 43. Dragons. (From the Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Ornaments, by Robert Beer)
This drawing shows seven dragons in Chinese and Tibetan styles. Above right - a dragon with four claws descends from the clouds, clutching jewels in its paws. Above left - a five-fingered dragon spread its clawed paws. In the middle, three dragons wriggle, clutching jewels in their claws. Lightning, fireballs and hailstones are emitted by the dragon on the left. Bottom left - the head and front legs of a dragon with four claws peeking out of the clouds. Between the dragons, six examples of fiery pearls are given, which manifest as a disc, a jewel, and a spiral, shell-like sphere. Dragon scales are drawn in two different ways - like reptile scales or as arcs of circles or ovals of different sizes. Such methods are applied in relation to all amphibians, fish and reptiles in Tibetan art, this is how the skin of skulls, frogs, lizards, scales of snakes, fish, naked, ma-karand dragons. In the lower left corner are two examples of dragon paws, soft pads like a tiger, and scaly toes with claws like a hawk or eagle. At the base of the leaf there is a small area of \u200b\u200bthe dragon's body covered with scales, one of the scales is directed backwards, in the opposite direction. In European knightly mythology, this was considered one of the vulnerable spots on the dragon's body, where a dagger should be struck in order to kill the monster.
Jokhang (Buddha House) - The first Buddhist temple in Tibet, erected in the 7th century, is located a kilometer east of the Potala Palace at an altitude of 3655 m. Its age is more than 14 centuries. The construction of the city of Lhasa began from this very place and from this monastery. The founding time of Jokhang is believed to be from 639 to 647.
Lhasa has two historic centers with adjacent residential areas. One of them is located around the sacred Potala, the other around the Jokhang temple. Also known among Tibetans as Tsuklakang, Jokhang is the most revered religious building in Tibet. But before visiting it, pilgrims must make the second inner-city Kora, the route of which goes along the ancient Barghor street, which surrounds this temple. This street was in the past a religious sanctuary, but now it has become the largest trading market in the capital. Having finished the Barghor bark, the pilgrims head to the sacred Jokhang.
At the entrance to the temple itself and next to its walls, there are many people who continuously perform the prostration rite, only performed in one place. The history of this oldest temple in Tibet is rather unusual. When King Songtsen Gampo began to root Buddhism in Tibet by building the first 12 monasteries, he was faced with the fact that he did not have a single sacred statue of Buddha. The appearance of the most important Buddha statue is told by an ancient Buddhist legend.
It says that when Buddha Shakyamuni was about to leave the Earth, he agreed to leave his image to people. But the celestial sculptor Vishvakaram could not take the dimensions of the saint's figure in any way because of the trembling hands. Then Buddha stood by the water and ordered to remove the proportions from the reflection. Four lifetime statues were cast on them from a sacred composition of seven metals. One then went to Nepal, the other to China, and two are hidden in the Ashrams of Shambhala. To take sacred statues of Buddha as a dowry, Songtsen Gampo married a Nepalese and Tang princess.
The Chinese princess Wencheng, who brought the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, decided to build a special temple for her in Lhasa and began to choose a place. She was a sorceress and was engaged in fortune telling by dust, earth and water. Magical acts showed her that the entire territory of Tibet is covered by the body of a demoness - shinmo, lying on her back. The three hills of Lhasa: Marbori, Chakpori and Bonpari are the demoness's pubis and breasts, and in the center of the city, where Lake Othang lay, her heart was covered with blood.
Wencheng threw a magic ring at him, and it pulled a large island from the bottom. The mountain goat brought in lands from the divine land of the nagas and covered the remains of the lake.
A small relief depicting the figure of a goat can be seen in the Maitreya Chapel on the southern wall of the lower floor of the sanctuary. At this place in 653 AD. and the Jokhang temple was erected, where the sacred statue of Buddha was placed. The Nepalese princess Birikuti brought a statue of Buddha Akshobya. It is said that the Jokhang was originally built by the ruler to house the image of Buddha Akshobya. A temple was built for the beautiful statue of Jovo Shakyamuni Ramoche... But after the death of Songtsen Gampo, Jowo Shakyamuni was moved from Ramoche and hidden in Jokanga. Since then, the image has remained in Jokhang, and is the most revered image of the Buddha in Tibet. By the way, the word "Jokhang" or "Jovokhang" means in Tibetan "Jovo Chapel".
The courtyard of the temple, called Cham-ra, where, according to custom, on holidays, solemn services of lamas from all Tibetan monasteries are held, since Jokhang is a common sanctuary for all sects of Buddhism. Numerous stones along the walls are dotted with texts of sacred prayers. Smoke from juniper incense, meaning the blood of Buddha, rises in pillars into the sky.
The temple itself is a rectangular building with three floors with a flat roof. Entering it, you again find yourself in a small dark inner courtyard hall. A lattice partition separates it from the wall, forming a corridor called Chilhordin. This is the ritual heart of Jokhang. On it all those who entered the temple should walk clockwise the third sacred Kora of Lhasa, called Nangkhor, symbolically moving between two worlds: on the right, in the courtyard, there is a golden statue of the coming Buddha Maitreya (in Tibetan "Chjamba"), and on the left to the side, in the wall there are a series of doors, illuminated by the dim flame of oil lamps. Behind each of them is a sanctuary room dedicated to various gods. Pilgrims come in there one by one to bow down, leave gifts and support the continuous fire in the lamps with offerings of oil.
Shrine of Avalokiteshvara. Legend says that, when the workers finished building the temple, they put their tools in one of the niches of the wall. Immediately a beautiful statue of the eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara arose from them, standing on the floor as tall as a man. A shrine was created around it. Another legend says that this statue consists of five layers. When a sandalwood image of Avalokiteshvara was brought from India, Songtsen Gampo ordered to cover it with a layer of a mixture of Tibetan fragrant herbs. And in 650 A.D. the king himself, along with the Nepalese and Chinese wives, merged with this statue, dissolving in it forever. After that, both princesses became goddesses: White and Green Tara. White Tara personifies wisdom and compassion, bestows happiness on the believer. Green Tara frees from negativity, evil, disease, poverty. The Tibetans call her Drolma (Liberating) and treat her with special love.
The main sanctuary of the Temple. In front of the entrance to the main sanctuary, where the famous statue of Buddha Shakyamuni is located, there are two bells that must be struck, announcing your visit. The two-meter high Buddha sits in a lotus position on a high kyote throne, the roof of which is supported by carved pillars entwined with the bodies of dragons. His right hand is lowered to his knee, and his left holds the cup of a mendicant monk. The statue is made of gilded sandalwood and is richly decorated. A heavy wreath of forged gold, richly decorated with precious stones, is worn on the head. The neck and chest are intertwined with large turquoise necklaces and bone beads. A silk yellow robe is draped over the shoulders, over which many white hadak scarves are thrown.
In front of the statue, on several steps, there are many golden sacrificial bowls filled to the brim with offerings. Poor pilgrims put grain, wineskins with yak oil there, richer people put money, jewelry made of silver, gold and precious stones. Monks exchanging filled bowls for empty ones allow especially generous visitors to climb the steps to kiss the knee of the Buddha or drink a sip of holy water from the silver jugs next to the statue. At the feet of the Buddha there is a golden bowl, with the help of which the drawing of lots takes place, during which the identity of the boy-successor to the Dalai - and the Panchen Lama in case of their death - is established. It takes place in this room, directly in front of the statue.
Despite the fact that little remains of the original construction of the 7th century, and most of the statues that adorn the interior of the temple were created after the Cultural Revolution, Jokhang, overflowing with believers and shrouded in secrets, leaves an incomparable impression.
Over the centuries, Jokhang has undergone many changes, however, the original layout is ancient and very different from other religious buildings in Tibet. The main difference lies in the location of the building from west to east, in the direction of Nepal, ostensibly in honor of the Nepalese princess Birikuti. Many changes were made over the centuries when Lhasa remained a minor role in Tibetan history, but the most profound changes in Jokhang were undoubtedly in the 17th century during the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama. During this period, Lhasa was returned to its dominant role, and Jokhang was significantly expanded. Only a few carved columns and the arch of the main entrance remained the same as they were created in the 7th century by Newar artists from the Kathmandu Valley.
At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, most of the Jokanga's interior was desecrated by the Red Guards, and it is believed that many items were removed from the temple. At some point, the room that served as the dwelling of the monks was renamed the Hotel, and part of the temple itself was turned into a pigsty. Since 1980, Jokhang began to be restored, and today only the eye of a specialist can notice that the temple has survived the hardships of recent years.
After leaving the courtyard, you can climb the stairs to the second floor. There are the chambers of the Dalai Lama and the monks' cells. But on the third floor, where there are many sanctuaries of a wide variety of saints, pilgrims are especially interested in the room in which statue of the goddess Balhamo. She is considered the patroness of the family hearth, and therefore is honored by the inhabitants of Lhasa, especially women. They carry to her jugs of barley wine, cups of grain and other food. Dozens of Tibetan mice are running around these alms. In front of the statue is a large silver tray where you can see the corpses of dead mice. They are considered sacred and Tibetans are convinced that the meat of mice from Joghang is useful for many diseases. They even take him abroad!
For a long time I was going to do Chinese ornament, and finally I got this opportunity. I'll start with the most popular motif in Chinese art, the dragon.
His images are found in abundance on the beams of Chinese palaces and temples.
Let's see what Wikipedia writes about him.
"The Chinese dragon is in Chinese mythology and culture a symbol of the good beginning Yang (as opposed to the European dragon) and the Chinese nation as a whole, strongly associated with the element of water. According to Chinese beliefs, the moon snake lives in rivers, lakes and seas, but is capable of soaring and in the skies.Rituals for causing rain were not complete without images of a dragon already in the 6th century BC.
Outwardly, the Chinese dragon is described through similarities: the head of a camel, antlers, demon eyes, snake neck, carp scales (there should be 81 or 117 scales), eagle claws, tiger paws and cow ears. However, the images often show a discrepancy with this description. On the head of dragons there is their most important accessory - a bump on the top of the head, thanks to which they can fly without wings. However, it is rarely seen in images.
The Chinese have divided dragons into groups, in which each breed has its own distinctive characteristics. The four main dragon brothers Lun-wang appeared: Ao-Kuan, Ao-Jun, Ao-Shun and Ao-Qin.
The main dragon breeds are as follows:
Tianlong - Heavenly dragon that guards the palaces of the gods and carries them on chariots.
Futsanlong is the Dragon of the Hidden Treasure that guards precious stones and metals underground and excites the earth with volcanoes.
Dilun is an Earth dragon who is in charge of the seas and rivers.
Yinglong is a divine dragon, on which the weather, wind, rain depend and which thunders from the sky.
The last two types of dragon in the popular imagination have grown together into the figures of dragon kings, which have a human body and a dragon's head. They live in the seas in the east (East China Sea), south (South China Sea), west (Indian Ocean) and north (probably Baikal).
Other breeds of dragons: Kowloon - a scaled dragon (blue), Inlong - a dragon with wings, Kowloon with horns (blue), Hornless Zhilong (red, white and green), Panlong associated with the earth. Chinese dragons can also be black, white, red, or yellow colors, among which the latter is considered the most important. Every dragon is born from gold the same color as his hide. The age of a dragon can also be determined by the color of its skin. Yellow, red, white and black dragons - a thousand years, blue - eight hundred.
As the king of animals, the dragon served as a symbol of imperial power. "
