The Chinese Temple of Faith from the Ruins

Guang Jue Temple is situated in Zhejiang Province, China, West of Hangzhou on the fringes on a small rural town called Zaoxi. The temple is surrounded by bamboo forested mountains amidst nature and tranquility.

It dates back to the Qing Dynasty to the late 1700’s. In those times some 200 monks and nuns lived there. Devotees came from as far as Shanghai to worship and celebrate major Buddhist festivals. It was the centre of community life.

Sadly Guang Jue was largely destroyed in 1952 during the Sino-Japanese war with all but one of the monks and nuns fleeing to safety. However, one remained to live amidst the ruins, faithfully continually chanting the Buddha Name and performing the daily chanting services in isolation. Locals were not inclined to go there during the later Cultural Revolution.

It was not until the late 1990’s that word about this nun reached Hangzhou and the Venerable Zheng Rong was despatched by his own Master to search for the nun and return her to the safety and teaching of an active Sangha. The Venerable Zheng Rong describes how he located her amid the ruins softly reciting the mala beads chanting the Buddha Amitabha’s name. He was brought to tears at the sight of such intense devotion. He eventually persuaded her that the war was over and to return to Hangzhou to be under the care and teaching of a Venerable.

It was a day or so before Master Zheng Rong could return by bus to Hangzhou so he stayed on at the site of the ruins. On his first night he had a dream. In that dream the Amitabha Buddha surrounded by intense light appeared to him and asked him to rebuild the temple. He describes how he was so struck by this vivid dream that he could not move. So he stayed. Over the ensuing years he gradually rebuilt the temples. There is only one temple now that is still in need of restoration.

Guang Jue stands as a testimony to unshakeable faith in Amitabha Buddha and a parable for our own lives. There are now only five monks who have joined the Master Zheng Rong. Each morning the large bell is sounded at 4:30am and reminds all who live in this sleepy valley that within spiritual faith lays great strength. There is no anger or hatred at what happened in the past – only love and compassion. At the centre of Master Zheng Rong’s teaching is the call to examine our thoughts and actions as these will form future consequences. Only thoughts and acts of love and peace will create love, peace and prosperity for our world.

There is a remarkable spiritual energy within the temple halls, an energy born from the continual chanting of one nun. All who come here feel it and are changed by it.

I have been honoured to be accepted as a disciple of the Venerable Zheng Rong and to be given the responsibility to carry forward the Pure Land teaching of compassion to all sentient beings. The Pure Land is not far from each of us for it is but one breath away in our minds. Each of us has the capacity to create the Pure Land here now in our midst building a world of peace and beauty for all peoples of all nations.

Zhe Shen (Malcolm Hunt)
Retreat Facilitator Guang Jue Monastery.