Search Buddhist Channel
Doors open to unseen Buddhist cave temple
By Li Qian, Shanghai Daily, March 11, 2016
Henan, China -- AFTER 63 long years, the Longmen Grottoes in central China’s Henan Province allowed visitors to enter a protected cave temple to see a complete set of 29 arhat statues created during the rule of a Buddhist empress.
<< Visitors admire work at the 1,300-year-old Kanjing Temple which is now open to the public. — Xinhua
The Kanjing Temple, a royal cave temple built about 1,300 years ago, is the largest cave in the east mountain of the grottoes. It is 9 meters high, 10m deep and 10.5m wide.
The life-sized statues are among the finest and most well-preserved arhat sculptures of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The cavern temple was previously off-limit to tourists as it was undergoing protection and research as well as to preserve the artifacts, said Lu Wei, a director with Longmen Grottoes Research Academy. Previously, visitors could only admire them from behind a fence.
“The statues disproved stereotypes of Chinese arhat carving. They have vivid looks and give off a highly realist air,” Lu told Xinhua News Agency.
The 29 statues were cleaned, repaired, fastened, and protected by a wall of reinforced glass. The cave is equipped with infrared cameras, thermometer and hygrometer and other devices that will monitor water, temperature and humidity, thepaper.cn reported.
In case of extreme weather, measures will be taken to restrict the number of visitors. The authorities also chose to keep it low profile, meaning very few made inside on the first day of its opening, the website reported.
The cave temple dates back to the era of Wu Zetian (624-705), China’s only empress who was also a Buddhist, a period when Buddhism and Buddha carving flourished, according to Lu.
To court the devout empress, her followers erected a number of Buddhist sculptures at Longmen Grottoes. Kanjing Temple was also believed to be built by the royal family and monks with royal backgrounds, due to its strong royal elements.
Longmen Grottoes, a world cultural heritage site near Luoyang City, has more than 2,300 grottoes with 110,000 Buddhist figures and images, over 80 dagobas and 2,800 inscribed tablets, created between the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Omniscient Robotic-Being for Buddhist Understanding)
For Malaysians
who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.
Dear Friends in the Dharma,
We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:
One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.
How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.
For Malaysians
who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118
Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.
Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.
Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.
Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.
Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!
May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,
With deepest gratitude,
Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team
Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau
We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.
If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv