The Deer and the Wheel of Dharma

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on August 17, 2015.)

Deer and Dharma Wheel atop the gate at Shifang Tang, Wutai Shan

A lovely but enigmatic symbol sits atop the peak of many temple roofs. A large eight-spoked wheel is at the center, with two deer looking up at it with rapt attention. What does it symbolize?

What is "Zen"? (Part II)

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on September 12, 2016.)

Summer flowers at Jinge Temple, Mt. Wutai,
remind us of the impermanence of things.

Last time we talked a little about Bodhidharma, first patriarch of Chan (Zen) in China, and 28th from the beginnings in India. And we mentioned that that tradition began in India with Mahakashyapa.

Master Xuyun

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on June 12, 2017.)

Statue of Xuyun at Yunmen Temple, Guangdong

Perhaps the greatest Buddhist Master of the 19th and 20th centuries was the monk called Xuyun ("Empty Cloud"). From Quanzhou to Kunming, and especially around northern Guangdong, it is hard to find a major temple untouched by his efforts.

Rotating Sutra Cabinets

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on Oct 9, 2017.)

The framework of a sutra cabinet (with the shelves removed)
at Longxing Temple in Zhengding, Hebei Province.

Previously, I have described the use of prayer wheels in Tibetan-style temples. These large drums, which may be located along a corridor, or at the side of a building, have a prayer written on them. Om Mani Padme Hum--"Hail the Jewel in the Lotus!" The belief is that every time a person turns one of these drums--whether laboriously, or with a fast spin--he gains the merit of having said that mantra (a set of supposedly powerful words) one time.