各位遊客朋友們：
大家好!首先讓我代表海航樂游旅行社歡迎大家來到美麗的江城—武漢觀光遊覽。我是您此行的導遊，我姓許，大家可以叫我小許或者許導就好了，在我右手邊的了是我們的司機劉師傅，劉師傅啊有多年的駕駛經驗，車技相當嫻熟，大家可以放心乘坐。在接下來的時間裡呢，將由我為大家提供導遊講解服務。如果大家有什麼問題和要求，可以儘管提出，我會盡力為大家解決。同時，在這裡預祝大家有個愉快、難忘的武漢之旅。
在這春意盎然的時節，能夠陪同您遊覽以獨特的規模和五百羅漢堂，而極富盛名的歸元禪寺，一同領略佛教寺院的魅力，用佛教的話來說，那可真是“隨喜”了。
說著說著，我們今天遊覽的目的地就在眼前了，請隨我一同下車遊覽吧!
歸元禪寺坐落於武漢市漢陽區翠微路西側，是清順治十五年也就是1658年，，由浙江的兩位僧人白光、主峰來此創建的。取名“歸元”出自《楞嚴經》“歸元無二路,方便有多門”，是超出生滅還歸於真寂本源的意思。現今的歸元禪寺占地近5公頃，建築面積達2萬平方米。現存殿堂樓閣28棟，殿舍200餘間，莊嚴雄偉、井然有序。在武漢呢，歸元寺與寶通寺、溪蓮寺、正覺寺合稱為武漢的“四大叢林”。
大家可以看到，首先映入我們眼帘的是這座杏黃色的大門，佛教寺院的大門也叫作“三門”。 即佛經里的三解脫門，中間的是空門，左右分別是無相和無作門。這個寺院的三門八朝陽開，象徵著廣結良緣、普度眾生，寓意吉祥。抬頭呢，可以看到，三門上方正中鑲著一塊長方形的直匾，直書“歸元禪寺”四個大。說到這兒，可能有的朋友會問了：“這寺名怎么不是橫著寫的呢?”確實，全國佛教古剎不少，可寺名直書的卻不多見，因為直書寺名只有皇帝御賜匾額的寺廟才可以使用，可見歸元禪寺這座民間寺廟在佛教叢林中的地位了之高。
走進寺內，不知道大家是否覺得這個寺廟的布局有點兒與眾不同呢?
寺院作為佛、法、僧三寶的常住地，是講究一定格局的。一般說來，我國明清寺院建築的傳統格局是：在中軸線上最前面的是三門，進三門左右為鐘樓和鼓樓，迎面為天王殿，進而是大雄寶殿，其後是藏經樓，其他殿堂則分布於中軸兩側。然而，歸元禪寺卻不是這樣中軸對稱的格局，這是由它獨特的建造歷史而決定的。在清順治十七年禪院就落成了，第二年修建大雄寶殿，又在康熙三年祖堂、韋馱殿和方丈室完工，五年後藏經閣等建築也一一落成，道光三十年又繼續增修了羅漢堂。從而形成了目前的東、西、南、北、中五個院落的獨特布局，儼然形成了“袈裟”狀。
了解完歸元寺的獨特布局後，就讓我們繼續向裡面參觀吧。
現在，大家所看見的這座雄偉的建築就是大雄寶殿。大殿正中供奉著佛教最高神—釋迦牟尼，您看他“偏袒右肩，結跏而坐”，顯得是那么的莊嚴而又肅穆。兩側是他的弟子阿南和迦葉，整個塑像都是托沙雕塑而成。佛像背後是一組海島觀音像，只見海島觀音赤足站在鰲頭上，左右侍立著龍女和童子，整個塑像向前傾覆。仰視上去，觀音的衣袖好像在飄動一樣，正在洶湧的波濤上迎面向我們浮來。這樣的設計更增加了宗教藝術的感染力。
大雄寶殿的前面呢，就是韋馱殿。您看他，身穿鎧甲，手持寶杵，多么威武挺立啊。傳說，韋陀是“四天王三十二將”之首的護法神。用我們現在的話來說呢，他就是保全隊隊長。這尊韋馱像是用整塊樟木雕刻而成，線條刀法都極具唐雕風格，是歸元寺的藝術珍品，也是我國雕刻藝術品中的一件寶貴遺產。
請大家小心腳下，繼續隨我往前走，接下來我們就要前往羅漢堂了。
大家知道，現在全國寺廟中保存比較完好的羅漢堂已經為數不多了：東有蘇州西園寺，南有昆明筇竹寺，西有成都寶元寺，北有北京碧雲寺，中有武漢歸元寺。但其中最負盛名、最具特色的就要數我們武漢的歸元寺了。
歸元禪寺的羅漢堂平面布局呈“田”形建築格局，給龐大深邃的殿堂提供了良好的通風和採光條件。另外，“田”在漢里恰好又是佛教中正反兩個“xx”的相疊加，這種布局暗示著一種善神降世的吉祥和神秘感。
我國有句俗話說“泥菩薩過江—自身難保”，而我們歸元寺的羅漢就不能這樣說了，因為啊，這裡的羅漢既不是木雕也不是泥塑，而是採用的一種盛行於唐代的獨特工藝—“脫胎漆塑”，它的製作過程十分複雜。首先要用黏土做成等身的人形胎膜;等到幹了以後，用生漆將絲綢或夏布黏附在它的上面;再用生漆將膏灰、木粉混合調勻，塗刮塑造細部;陰乾後再打磨拋光;然後在塑漆像後取一小孔，向裡面注水將泥化成漿，從而脫出胎膜並沖洗乾淨;晾乾後用木塊封口;再刷上生漆，敷上用漆調勻的金粉或貼上金箔;然後上彩塗色;最後塗上桐油或亮漆以保持光澤。這樣，一尊佛像才算完工了。
“脫胎漆塑”的製作方法，雖然造價很高，但所採用的工藝不僅省料，而且體質輕盈、堅固、不透水，很適合武漢地勢低洼、冬燥夏濕的氣候特點。兩百年來羅漢堂幾次遭受洪水侵襲，但洪水退後羅漢任舊完好無損。如此看來別說是讓羅漢過江了，就是讓他們飄揚過海也不成問題。
我們仔細看來，會發現，羅漢們的形象極其生動。動作上，有的在研讀詩書、有的在驅邪除惡;表情上，有的天真憨厚、有的飽經滄桑、有的英勇神武，個個惟妙惟肖，而且五百尊中竟然沒有一個雷同，這實在令人稱奇。
這羅漢堂除了可供參觀外，還可以用它預測一年內的禍福。每逢節假日，人們就會來到這裡數羅漢。所謂的數羅漢就是，根據首先踏入殿堂的那隻腳確定方向，然後隨意選定一尊羅漢為起點，依照自己的年齡，順序往下默數，數到現有的歲數為止，這最後一尊羅漢的身份、表情和動作就可以昭示數者的命運。因此，“數羅漢”也成為了大家參觀羅漢堂的趣是一件。
好了，各位遊客朋友們，今天的歸元寺之旅就到此結束了。希望歸元寺的佛教魅力能給您留下深刻的印象。非常感謝您對我工作的支持與配合，不足之處還請您批評指出。美麗的江城期待著與您再次相逢，最後祝大家旅途愉快，謝謝，再見!
“上有寶光，下有西園，北有碧雲，中有歸元。”歸元禪寺位於武漢漢陽翠微峰下的翠微路西側，與古琴台相鄰。言“歸元無二路，方便有多門。”歸元寺寺名即來源於此。歸元寺原址為明代的私人花園，到一六五八年，由園主布施給化緣和尚在此修造了三座小塔，塔中掩埋無主的屍骨。後來蛻薪鄧財物修建寺廟，又經歷代陸續重建，遂成為今日的格局。現歸元寺建築面積二萬多平方米?
主體建築分內外兩院。外院主要由門樓、庭院、池塘組成;內院由北院藏經閣、中院大雄寶殿及南院羅漢堂三個主體建築，以及天王殿、地藏王殿等組成。歸元寺給人的一個突出印象是它的建築風格與其他寺院不大一致。它不具有整齊對稱的宏大格局，卻略顯雜亂。原來，初建寺院時，化緣的和尚無法在短期內湊聚足夠的錢財做整體安排。有錢時就趕快買地搶修，否則等到錢籌集足夠時，周圍構想中的地方則已被別人搶先買了。和尚們不得已，只能夠有一筆錢就修一處。山門朝東，建築物卻由南向北逐次側進。與一般大叢林相比，歸元寺“百尺茂林，千桿修竹，紅分日剎，綠繞雲房”，多彩多姿，秀麗宜人。
經過荷葉滴綠、蓮花盛開的蓮池，就是大雄寶殿，殿內釋迦像兩旁是海島觀音，以及二十四諸天等像，放置在一個傾斜的面上，工藝水平極高。尤為值得注意的是，釋迦像前供桌的垂簾，它不是一般的紡織物，而是木刻而成的木質垂簾。垂簾古樸典雅造型獨特，有較高的欣賞價值，是一件不可多得的藝術珍品。
向北而行可到藏經閣，其建築壯麗，裝飾典雅，是歸元寺收藏文物的寶庫。閣內藏有清一套和貝葉真經、牙雕或銅鑄佛像，俱為珍品，此外尚有國外贈送的佛事文物若干。正廳陳列了一座緬甸玉雕釋迦佛像，十分精美。
藏經閣向西，繞過大士閣，南行至南院的羅漢堂，進入內室，可以看見呈”田”形排列的五百羅漢。它們起伏坐臥，喜怒哀樂，各具姿色，各富特色，或盤腿端坐、或抱石問天、或研讀佛經、或驅除邪魔，動作各不相同，有的勇武、有的溫和、有的天真憨坦、有的飽經滄桑，表情個個有異，有的在怡然自得地掏耳朵，有的在百無聊賴地打著呵欠，使人忍俊不禁。羅漢製作的工藝水平很高，為十九世紀末清光緒年間黃陂縣王氏父子費時九年製成。工藝上採用了漆布脫胎漆型的特殊方法:先用泥胎塑制模型，再用厚布、生漆逐層貼上套塑，並使每座羅漢的頭部、兩肩、肋骨、腿骨等各自形成一個傾向，從而用藝術的線條形象勾勒出一個大的面，使動作、表情各異。這種工藝方法既利於固形，經久不變，又能夠防腐，經久不壞，此法為中國獨有。一九五四年武漢發大水，五百羅漢滿堂飄浮，水退之後卻完好無損，因此武漢民間又有了“五百羅漢洗過澡”的說法。
歸元寺也是近代佛學復興的發源地之一。一九二二年間春，太虛法師在歸元寺講經弘法，時聽者甚眾，激發太虛弘法志願，與兩湖聽講的名流商議，為更好地弘法利生，必須設立佛學院，廣泛培養佛學人才，此是武昌佛學院得以興辦的緣起之一。
Guiyuan Temple
Chinese Buddhist temples are never single buildings. They always consist of a group buildings following a fundamental patter, which can, however, be modified. The main buildings and their symmetrically corresponding secondary buildings form individual groups and courtyards. The entire temple complex is spacious. The building inside the complex are usually single-storied and the main halls are sometimes decorated with a double roof. The towers, pavilions and halls can be multi-storied structures.
The Chinese temple complex has been subject to great structural changes throughout the centuries. But temple architects follow the basic principles of secular structures from the Tang Dynasty onwards. The complexes stand on a central axis, usually a north-south axis: east-west only as an exception. (Guiyuan Temple is just the very exception.) The main buildings are strung along this central axis, their broadest sides facing south or east.
The most important and most frequently presented building inside a Buddhist temple complex are the main entrance gate, the bell and drum towers, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Buddha and a pagoda.
Buddhism is said to be founded in India in the 6th century BC by Siddatha Gautama (BC565 –BC486), the son of a nobleman and member of the Kshatriya caste near the present borders of India and Nepal. Buddhism advocates that all the people are created equal and turns against the caste system of Brahmanism, so it was popular with the common people.
It was said that Buddhism was spread to China in 2 BC. At the beginning, it was only regarded as a kind of witch. About 200 AD, Chinese version of Buddhist s criptures began to appear, and thus, Buddhist doctrines began to emerge with traditional Chinese religious thought. From 2nd century to late 6th century, translation and research of Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics were becoming more and more popular and many temples were built, which reached its peak in Sui Dynasty (581AD-617AD) and Tang Dynasty (618-907). Some Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics came into being. Buddhism exerts a great influence on Chinese philosophy, literature, art and folk customs.
What is presented before our eyes is a copper statue of a famous bodhisattva in Hynayana Buddhism. Bodhisattva is a tittle which is only next to Buddha. This statue is the image of Avalokitesvara, which has been popular with Chinese people or more than 1,000 years. She is called the Goddess of Mercy cordially by Chinese and is regarded as the symbol of kindness, mercy and benevolence. When we visit the Avalokitesvara Pavilion after a while, I will give a detailed introduction about her. This copper statue was sent to Guiyuan Temple by Taiwan Buddhists in September 1990. It shows that all Chinese, whether in the mainland or in Taiwan, are eager for the reunion of the country, even including religion believers.
The building we see now is the Buddha Hall where one certain Buddha and his two assistant bodhisattvases are worshiped. This Buddha is Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha means incomparable brightness. According to Buddhism, time and space is limitless and thus there are many many Buddhas in different spaces and times. But in a certain space or in a certain period of time, there is only one certain Buddha who is in charge of instructing all living creatures. Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha who presides over the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the west, which will come in the future. Buddhist s criptures describe the Land of Ultimate Bliss as a wonderland, in which no pain exists and the people enjoy their lives. In one word, it’s very attractive. Some people will think it must be very difficult to enter such a world. How can I go to such a paradise? Maybe I have to work hard and bear a lot of sufferings. In fact, it’s very easy to enter the world. He only need often murmur ‘May Buddha preserve us’ sincerely. It’s enough.
You see, the statue in the middle is the very Buddha. On his left is the Goddess of Mercy. On his right is the other bodhisattva who follows the Buddha. It is said that he can save all the living creatures from three kinds of terrible disasters.
Now, let’s step into the Buddhist s criptures Pavilion where the s criptures of Buddhism are kept. But I ‘m afraid what attracts our attention at the first sight must be this snow-white statue. It is a statue of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. This statue was carved out of a big piece of jade which is 2-meter-tall and weighs 3 tons. It was carved by Myanmar handicraftsmen and donated to the temple by the Rangoon Buddhists in 1935.
If we watch the statue, we may sense that the peaceful expression on the Buddha’s face has brought us to a quiet and harmonious state.
The last building we will visit is the Avalokitesvara Pavilion in the north yard. When we entered the yard just now we saw a statue of her. Now I’d like to introduce her carefully.
As a goddess, she swore that she would not become a Buddha until all the living creatures suffering from pains were saved. So she became a bodhisattva who is most popular among the people and attracts the most believers of all the gods and goddesses in Buddhism. It was said that one would be saved from trouble and disaster as long as he (she) chanted her name and if it was heard by her. Thus she is called Guanshiyin, which means ‘hearing or looking on the voices of the suffering’. Because of her kind heart and benevolence she got another title ‘the Goddess of Mercy’.
According to Buddhism, bodhisattvases have no distinction of sex, that is, they are neither male nor female, because they are immortals. But it’s very strange and interesting that most of bodhisattvases were engraved or carved in the images of various kinds of men in human society. Changes didn’t take place until an emperor’s mother thought it was inconvenient to worship a male bodhisattva in her bedroom. From then on, Guanshiyin, the bodhisattvas began to appear before her believers in the image of a beautiful and elegant lady.
We’ll pay a visit to a very serious, sacred place. Generally, the place is regarded as the most holy by Buddhists. It is the Grand Hall, where the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni is worshiped. It is always the center of a Buddhist temple in construction and in Buddhists’ mind.
The statue in the middle is Sakyamuni. According to Buddhism his mother gave birth to him in a garden. He belonged to Kshatreya Caste. He married his cousin when he was 16 or 17 years old. At the age of 29, he was confronted with the sights of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a wandering ascetic. With eyes opened to aspects of life newly revealed to him, he broke from the material world and became an ascetic. Six years later, he gave up mystic concentration that at last brought him enlightenment under a bo tree. He then founded an order of mendicants and spent his next 45 years preaching his ideas until his death.
These two statue beside the Buddha are his two disciples. The one on the right was said to be Sakyamuni’s cousin and he had good memory so that he could remember all the Buddha told his disciples. The one on the left was said to be the lord of Brahmnism and he once was Sakyamuni’s tutor. But afterwards he was convinced by Buddhism after long-term debate between Buddhism and other religions and he accepted Sakyamuni as his tutor. Thus he became the eldest one of all Sakyamuni’s disciples.
Next, we’ll pay a visit to the Ahrat Hall in the south court.
The Ahrat Hall is an important structure in a Buddhist temple. But not all temples have an Ahrat Hall, especially, well-kept Ahrat Halls are very rare in China. This one is among them, and what’s more, it has its own unique characteristics.
Generally, an Ahrat Hall is a square building. The building is subdivided into four small square courts so that the hall can get enough sunlight. This kind of structure show some lucky implies in Chinese Buddhist culture.
Another characteristic about the hall lies in these sculptures themselves. They were neither made up of wood, nor stone, nor clay. A special way was taken in making them, which could prevents them from being burned, being soaked or being eaten by insects. All the sculptures were floating in water while Wuhan was flooded in 1954, but, surprisingly, they were sound and safe after the flood had receded. It was really a wonder.
Ahrats are the immortals in Buddhism. But when you have a look around the sculptures, you may find from the expressions on their faces that they are so familiar to you. That’s only because they were molded on the basis of the people in the reality, so they are human beings in our daily life rather than immortals.
Ahrats are the symbols of harmony, happiness, and good luck, so the Wuhan natives have got used to counting ahrats since ancient time to pray for peace. There are a few ways of counting ahrats. We can count from the first ahrat from left to right or from right to left, when we just enter the hall. We can also choose any ahrat as our starting point, and count in the same way, left to right or right to left. We should base counting on our own ages whatever we take. For example, I’m 25, so I should stop in front of the 25th ahrat from the starting ahrat. The sculpture in front of which I stop is my lucky ahrat. My lucky ahrat will accompany me to spend a peaceful and lucky year. Wouldn’t you like to have a try now? If you need, I can explain connotation of some ahrats.
That’s all for the explanation to Guiyuan Temple. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. You will have another 30 minutes to have a look around the temple. If you have any problems, do let me know. I would like to repeat our bus number, A3074. Please don’t forget. See you later.
更多文章
湖北歸元寺英文導遊詞