Hall of Gratitude

Hall of Gratitude

The Hall of Gratitude is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Hall of Gratitude was originally built during the Republican era and rebuilt in 1984, covering an area of 234.4 square meters. Inside is enshrined the Bodhisattva of Gratitude, Maudgalyayana, flanked by his disciples, Elder Min and Younger Min. Maudgalyayana, also called Mahamaudgalyayana, was one of the ten great disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Legend has it that he possessed miraculous powers, could fly to the Tusita Heaven, and was the foremost in filial piety, earning widespread reverence, with incense burning year-round. According to the Buddhist scripture *Ullambana Sutra*, in ancient India’s Magadha Kingdom, there lived a wealthy man named Prince Kikuo and his wife, Queen Qindi. The prince deeply respected monks, but his wife despised them. In their later years, they had a son named Maudgalyayana. Just seven days after Maudgalyayana’s birth, his father passed away. As he grew up, Maudgalyayana inherited his father’s respect for monks and aspired to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). To continue his family’s legacy, he decided to go into business. Before leaving, he told his mother: “When I am away seeking fortune, you should cultivate virtue and treat monks kindly.” Queen Qindi agreed, but once her son was gone, she resumed her usual behavior, abusing monks. When Maudgalyayana returned and heard the neighbors’ complaints about his mother’s hostility toward monks, he confronted her. Qindi swore: “If I have mistreated monks, may I die a terrible death within seven days.” True to her oath, she fell gravely ill and died before a week had passed. After her death, Maudgalyayana distributed the family’s wealth to the villagers and continued his spiritual practice alone. When he attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven, he saw his father enjoying heavenly bliss, but his mother was nowhere to be found. Upon asking the Buddha, he learned that his mother, having disrespected the monastic community, had been cast into the deepest hell, suffering the torment of being hung upside down and transformed into a hungry ghost. To save her, Maudgalyayana was instructed to prepare an offering of food on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month and provide it to all monks, which would liberate her. This became the origin of the Ullambana Festival in Buddhism. His mother was eventually saved, but after transmigrating, she was reborn as a dog in the city of Rajagriha. It is said that the dog seen beneath Maudgalyayana’s lotus throne is his mother. Henceforth, the Ullambana Festival is also called the Ghost Festival. Legend has it that on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, people stay indoors. Pleased by Maudgalyayana’s filial devotion, the Buddha appointed him as the Lord of the Underworld, the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who governs the realm of the dead. He was the last to join the ranks of the Four Great Bodhisattvas. Unlike Guanyin, who focuses on saving all beings, Ksitigarbha is dedicated to redeeming the “sinful ghosts” in hell.

Ksitigarbha is a transliteration from Sanskrit: *Kṣitigarbha*. “Kṣiti” means earth, and “garbha” means womb or treasure. The *Kṣitigarbha Sutra* states: “Unmoving as the earth, deep in meditation as the treasure.” It means: like the earth, containing countless virtuous seeds—hence the name Ksitigarbha. Ksitigarbha’s “Great Vow,” Manjushri’s “Great Wisdom,” Samantabhadra’s “Great Conduct,” and Guanyin’s “Great Compassion” together form the Four Great Virtues.

There are many stories about Ksitigarbha. One credible version is that he was reborn as a prince of the Silla Kingdom (modern-day Korea), named Kim Qiaojue. He was born in the first year of Empress Wu Zetian’s reign during the Tang Dynasty and died in the 10th year of Emperor Dezong’s reign, living to be 99 years old.

When Kim Qiaojue was six or seven years old, his father, King Jin Lihong, passed away, and his uncle, Jin Xingguang, succeeded to the throne. From a young age, Kim Qiaojue grew weary of court life and renounced worldly desires. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, he came to China and practiced austerities on Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui, spending his days in meditation and chanting scriptures to save sentient beings. Later, a local villager, Zhuge Jie, discovered him and was deeply moved, raising funds for him while the local prefect, Zhang Yan, donated generously. Together, they built Huacheng Temple on Jiuhua Mountain and appointed Kim Qiaojue as its founding patriarch. Kim Qiaojue was erudite and a gifted poet; many of his poems were included in the *Complete Tang Poems*. At the age of 99, he passed away while seated in a meditation posture inside a vat. Three years later, when the vat was opened for burial, his body remained uncorrupted, his face lifelike, and his bones moved slightly when handled, emitting a faint golden bell sound. People believed he was the reincarnation of a bodhisattva, so his body was enshrined in a stupa.

Legend says Ksitigarbha was entrusted by the Buddha to guide and save beings in the six realms (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, and heavens) during the interim period between the Buddha’s nirvana and the arrival of the future Buddha, Maitreya. For this, Ksitigarbha vowed before the Buddha: “Not until all beings are liberated will I attain Buddhahood; not until hell is empty will I become a Buddha.” This is his Great Vow. Thus, Ksitigarbha renounced the radiant heavens, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel and a nine-ringed staff, voluntarily descending into the grim hell to redeem the souls of ghosts, engaging in endless teachings. Because new sinners constantly enter hell, Ksitigarbha attained only the status of a bodhisattva and never became a Buddha. His mount, called “Diting,” is a mystical beast resembling both a lion and a dog, possessing extraordinary hearing.

The two attendant bodhisattvas on either side are Elder Min and Younger Min, a father-and-son pair. Elder Min was originally the lord of Jiuhua Mountain, known for his generosity. When Kim Qiaojue arrived, he negotiated with Min to set aside land for his practice. Min asked how much space he needed, and Kim Qiaojue replied: “Just as much as my kasaya covers.” Min agreed, but to his surprise, when Kim Qiaojue spread his kasaya, it covered the entire Jiuhua Mountain. To repay their kindness, Ksitigarbha accepted them as his disciples. Ksitigarbha’s birthday is the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, and his enlightenment day is the 30th.

Ksitigarbha ranks above King Yama, occupying the central and foremost position. Below him are the Ten Kings of Hell, but he plays the role of a gentle teacher holding an olive branch, focused on guiding souls rather than instilling fear like the Kings of Hell, who oversee life and death records. Over time, the Kings of Hell replaced him as the perceived rulers of the underworld.