Fayin Temple

　　The great river flows eastward day and night, morning bells and evening drums echo through the three thousand worlds; all beings in the Dharma realm shall be saved, the pagoda’s daily chants bring the Dharma’s voice near. The sutras’ sounds and Buddha’s names fill the void. May we all be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Perched on the dragon’s lip of the mighty Yangtze River, which flows relentlessly eastward, lies a young temple—Fayin Temple. It is a frequent destination for local devotees and visitors from afar. Located in the eastern suburbs of HuiLong Town, Qidong City, on the east side of Shijian Road, it was originally the site of the former Pujisi Temple.

　　In May 1984, with approval from the Qidong Municipal People’s Government and under the leadership of Abbot Youzi, the new Fayin Temple’s supervising abbot led monastics and lay followers (monks, nuns, male and female lay practitioners) in tirelessly hauling bricks and soil to construct three Buddha halls and seven living quarters, naming it “Huilong Buddha Recitation Hall.” Today, the temple complex includes about a hundred halls and living spaces, covering nearly 10 acres. In July 1989, following the inscription “Fayin Xuanliu” (Dharma Sound Spreads Far) personally penned by Zhao Puchu, then Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, and with approval from the Nantong Municipal People’s Government, it was officially named Fayin Temple. The temple is now divided into northern and southern sections, featuring yellow walls and red tiles that blend traditional Chinese architecture with modern design.

　　The temple’s mountain gate is a two-story pavilion structure. Above the gate—personally inscribed by Zhao Puchu—are the three large characters “Fayin Temple,” flanked by the couplet: “From this gate, the true Dharma is taught; by the Eastern Sea, the tide’s voice is heard.” Upon entering, the first sight is the golden statue of the ever-smiling, big-bellied “Maitreya Bodhisattva,” carved from camphor wood in the early Qing dynasty and gifted by Suzhou Xiyuan Temple. On either side of Maitreya’s statue stand four towering Vajra guardians: on the east, the Southern Vaishravana, sword in hand, and the Eastern Dhritarashtra, holding a pipa; on the west, the Northern Virupaksha, umbrella in hand, and the Western Virudhaka, with a dragon coiled around his arm. The implements they wield represent the “wind,” “harmony,” “rain,” and “prosperity”—symbols of “good fortune.” The “Four Great Kings” serve as Fayin Temple’s guardians, overseeing the deeds of sentient beings and protecting the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Behind Maitreya stands the fully golden statue of “Skanda Bodhisattva.” Holding a vajra staff, Skanda’s duty is to uphold the Dharma, dispel evil, eliminate disasters, benefit all beings, and promote world peace and happiness. Passing through the mountain gate, one is greeted by the swirling incense smoke and the towering temple cauldron and incense burners, signs of the temple’s flourishing worship. Further ahead lies the Mahavira Hall. Built in 1987, the hall features yellow walls, red tiles, upturned eaves, and ridges adorned with carvings of dragons playing with pearls and various birds and beasts, with a sacred gourd perched atop. The hall’s sides bear the couplet: “Patriotism and faith in the Dharma grow ever firm; a pure land of reverence takes root in the human realm.” Ascending the stone steps and entering the Mahavira Hall, one sees incense, flowers, oil lamps, banners, canopies, and parasols arranged in order. At the center are three purple-gold statues: the middle one is Shakyamuni Buddha, flanked by Ānanda and Mahākāśyapa, all serene and dignified. Above them hangs a plaque inscribed with “Fayin Xuanliu” by Zhao Puchu. On the sides are statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva, “Shining Light Upon All,” and Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, “Lifting Suffering with Ten Wheels”—the latter carved in the Ming dynasty and gifted by Suzhou Xiyuan Temple. The hall’s sides also feature eighteen arhat sculptures, each exuding lifelike composure, gifted by Zhenjiang’s Jinshan Jiangtian Chan Temple. On the right wall is an inlaid stone stele of the Eighteen Arhats: “The abbot of Zhenjiang Jinshan Jiangtian Chan Temple, Cizhou, and devotees sponsored the Eighteen Arhats statues for Fayin Temple. On April 11, 1989, they visited for offerings. All disciples joined palms in reverence, beholding the venerables with hearts full of Dharma joy...” Exiting the main hall, one finds two-story east and west wing rooms. The east side houses the DaSheng Hall and Guanyin Hall. The outer walls bear verses such as: “The sun is great, parental love is great, a noble heart is great, but petty hearts are filled with rage” and “When impermanence arrives in a single day, one realizes all is but a dream; nothing is taken along except one’s karma.”

　　Stepping into the Thousand-Armed Guanyin Hall, one sees the resplendent Four-Faced Thousand-Armed Guanyin appear boundless under the interplay of modern light and shadow, as if entering the Huazang World. The west side contains the temple’s offices and the “Buddha Recitation Hall,” which also serves as the nuns’ dormitory. After exploring the northern courtyard, a wall away lies the temple’s southern courtyard and the Zhongtian Pagoda. Originally named Duobao Pagoda, it was first conceived in 1987 when Fayin Temple proposed building a stupa. At the time, the “Duobao Pagoda” was mentioned in the “Pagoda” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, hence its initial name. After a decade of construction, it was completed in 1997 and renamed “Zhongtian Pagoda” because Shakyamuni Buddha is the original teacher and lord of the central heaven. The Yangtze River meets the East Sea... In the distance, where sea and sky blur into nothingness, it feels as though the ages themselves are drifting by. A gentle breeze brings the soft tinkling of bells around the pagoda, echoing like the Dharma’s voice in the Pure Land. Gazing into the distance, one beholds the infinite treasures of the Tathagata. For a moment, all manner of reverie dissolves into this exquisite poetic scene. As the saying goes: “In this human Pure Land, the treasures of Duobao arise; in this jade-like tower grove, we praise the Central Heaven.”