Shilin Temple

Shilin Temple

Shilin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

As the ancient saying goes: “Famous mountains across the land are mostly inhabited by monks,” and “A mountain need not be high — it is famous as long as there are monks (or immortals).” Shilin Temple was first built in the first year of the Wanli era, 1573, when Monk Wuyong established a thatched hut to form the foundation of the temple. Through multiple renovations and expansions during the Qing reigns of Kangxi, Qianlong, and Xianfeng, by the end of the Qing Dynasty the temple housed over a hundred monks, becoming one of the four great temples in eastern Guangdong (renowned alongside Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou, Lingguang Temple on Yinna Mountain, and Lianhua Temple on Lotus Mountain). By the 1940s, the temple had fallen into obscurity. It was reopened and restored in 1995 and has now reached a certain scale.

Legend has it that Shilin Temple was founded by Master Ruyu from Hetou Town, Pingyuan County. In his secular life, the master’s surname was Liu, and he had five sons and considerable wealth. When his sons grew up, they divided the family property and started their own families, while the master, having lost his wife, lived alone. On New Year’s Eve one year, the master thought, “It’s the New Year, I won’t have to cook for myself — my sons will come invite me for the reunion dinner.” But in the end, none of them called him for the meal. Around eight or nine in the evening, when several grandchildren came to ask for red envelopes (lucky money), they casually asked, “Grandpa, have you eaten yet?” The master replied, “Who hasn’t eaten by now? Even the dog has eaten.” With that, he left that very night with a large sum of money, went to the foot of Wuzhi Mountain, became a monk, and built Shilin Temple. Feeling that having many sons and much wealth was useless, he took the alias “Wuyong” (Useless), becoming known as Monk Wuyong. Moreover, because the customs of the time prevented him from practicing virtue and righteousness, and he seemed as foolish as an ignorant person, he also adopted the Dharma name “Ruyu” (Like a Fool). The master was already over fifty years old when he built the temple.　

The temple currently houses what is known as the “Three Thousand Jin Trio” — referring to a cast iron Buddha statue, a large bell, and an incense burner tripod, each weighing one thousand jin (approximately 500 kilograms). The original couplet at the temple’s main gate read:

No golden lock is needed for this stone chamber

The forest garden is naturally sealed by white clouds

In the past, during the annual Double Ninth Festival temple fair, this place would be thronged with pilgrims and tourists from Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi

provinces, bustling with activity. During the Qing Dynasty, Huang Jin, a minister of the Ministry of Rites, once visited here to explore the mountains and seek Zen, and composed poems and essays:

How high do the stone forests rise?

The golden temple is hidden amid the central peak.

By day, chants echo through the empty mountain;

by night, the clear bell rings in stillness.