Nan Tien Buddhist Temple

This past Sunday, Abby and I went to Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the biggest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere.  Nan Tien is a Chinese term which means "southern paradise." 

Nan Tien is one of the branch temples of Fo Guang Shan, founded in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun,which has over 120 branches worldwide. The temple is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the southern hemisphere.

Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Temple complex 3 Tourism 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

 

Fo Guang Shan Buddhism is rooted in the Mahayana tradition which emphasises that Buddhahood is within everyone's potential reach. Fo Guang Shan followers strive to bring Buddhism into daily life and describe their philosophy as "Humanistic Buddhism."

 

It was funded by and constructed under the auspices of the Mahayana Buddhist sect known as Fo Guang Shan, and completed in 1995. The sect itself was founded in Taiwan in 1967 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and has 120 branches throughout the world. The site of the Australian branch's temple was reputedly chosen by Hsing Yun due to its proximity to Mount Kembla, which is said to have an auspicious resemblance to a recumbent lion. It overlooks both Mount Keira (I hiked this mountain!) and Mount Kembla. The land was donated by the Australian government.

The Nan Tien complex was built using traditional techniques and materials by Chinese craftsmen, but with numerous modern features. Occupying a semi-rural hillside site several square kilometres in size, and set amidst landscaped gardens.

In addition to various meeting rooms, a museum, cultural, conference and accommodation facilities and a restaurant, the Nan Tien temple complex includes two massive prayer halls (known as the Great Mercy Shrine and the Great Hero Hall) within which are located multiple monumental Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, as well as a 7 level pagoda intended to house the cremated remains of 7000 people. The front hall houses the Thousand Handed Avalokitesvara (known as Kuan Yin in Chinese culture) and the main hall in the back houses the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Amogasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, Vairocana, Amitabha and Akshobhya. Both halls have thousands of tiny statues of Buddha on the walls. The complex also has amenities for monks, nuns and visitors, and a large garden with a pagoda.

The architecture of the complex is notable because it incorporates the features of several styles of Buddhism. The pagoda is distinctly Chinese, with flying eaves and an angular profile. The main temples incorporates features of Tibetan monastic architecture, with multi-storey painted temple buildings set atop high stone platforms (see the Potala Palace). The courtyards feature Japanese-style gardens, while the statues and shrines often incorporate bright, South-East Asian colour schemes, in contrast to the more sombre and austere styles favoured in China. The halls are carpeted, and pilgrims and visitors are required to remove shoes before entering, a practice more common in India, Korea and Japan than China.

The temple is one of Wollongong's major tourist attractions, and conducts regular weekend retreats for visitors interested in Buddhism in general, and Chinese culture in particular. Retreats can involve classes in tai chi, calligraphy and meditation.

Accommodation for retreat participants and members of the general public is available at the Pilgrim Lodge, a 100-room motel-style facility located in the temple grounds adjacent to its large lotus pond (Abby and I accidentally walked into this lodge and one of the monks seemed irritated we had wandered in there... oops).
It is regarded as an "orthodox" Buddhist temple by local Chinese Buddhists, in contrast with some other shrines which worship Buddhist, Taoist, and mystical heroes in the same building. It frequently hosts festivals.

Yes, I got that all from Wikipedia.  It was easier than explaining all about the temple, and I learned a little bit in the process!  Abby and I walked through the Main Shrine, the courtyard, and the pagoda.  When we arrived at the temple, there were several (what we thought were) monks meditating around a pond.  Later, we found out they weren't actually monks, just people on a weekend retreat meditating.  It felt really weird walking near the people who were trying to meditate--this weird space where tourism and personal growth collide.  How should people navigate the line between obnoxious, photo-taking tourist and honest-to-goodness citizen attempting to connect with their good kharma?  I'm not sure... I guess questions like this surround all religious sites that have been turned into major tourist destinations.

Anyway, we actually did run in to a few monks.  One thing that surprised me was I saw mostly female monks and their heads were shaved.  You really only see male monks with shaven heads in the media, so it was sort of strange to see women in the same Buddhist garments with the same lack of hair. 

So now it's exam time and I've started studying for my finals.  And the end is near : (