Buddhavas
(lit.
meaning
abode of the Buddha) refers to the Buddha’s
sacred compound or the place where the Buddha’s
relics are enshrined.
The Substanceless Universe signifies
the universe under the three basic laws called ‘Tilakkhana’
(The
Three Marks of Existence) – it is
characterized by uncontrollableness and uncertainty
which, in turn, lead to suffering. The concept was
demystified and taught by the Buddha.
‘Tilakkhana’
consists of three characteristics namely Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta.
Anicca
(impermanence,
changeableness) means all things are
uncertain.
Dukkha
(suffering,
unsatisfactoriness) means all things are
imperfect and cannot lead to lasting happiness.
Anatta
(substanceless,
non-self) means
all things are uncontrollable.
2.
Passing
through the Indra-Jaya Gate, all the
structures in the Buddhavas’compound are built based
on the concept of the Buddhist cosmology as mentioned in the ‘Tri-Bhumi Katha’
treatise
written by King Mahathammaracha I (Lithai), featuring the
Mount Meru as the center of the universe which at its
peak is theTāvatiṃsa heaven, the abode of the God Indra and his
vehicle ‘Elephant
Erawan’ (Airavata) along with the Chulamani Chedi.
The Indra-Jaya
Gate signifies the auspicious gate of
Indra’s
victory over all evil powers.
Those
who pass through the gate are considered being blessed by Indra and his Three-Headed
Elephant Erawan.
Paichayon Prasat
(Vaijayanta) is the palace of
the god Indra. Indra,
in Buddhism, is the protector of the Bodhisattvas who
practiced all perfections to attain enlightenment.
Chulamani
Chedi
is
characterized by its five-spired
prang, harmonizing the worldly power
with the Buddha’s
power at the core of the main prang which is symbolized as
the ceaseless domination of the Great
Emperor over the Four Continents.
3. Located
outstandingly in the compound of Buddhavas of the Substanceless Universe is the
Great Hall of Vajra Dhamma
which, being inspired by the splendor of Prasat Thong dynasty when Ayutthaya
kingdom’s military power
overshadowed the Khmer Empire, was built with many symbolic implications. Its architectural
exterior, for example, marks the evolution of Siamese culture. In other words,
through the symbolic Mount Meru as the center of the universe according to the
treatise of Buddhist cosmology, ‘Tri-Bhumi Katha’, the Great Hall
mirrors the process on how people, families, races and states are united into
the oneness of humankind. It also shares the same concept and
architectural design with the five-spired prang of Wat Arun built during King
Nangklao (Rama III) to describe the
king as ‘Dhamma-Raja’ who practices the
perfections of the Bodhisattva or the Buddha’s path.
Its central prang stands for the fusion
between earthly power and the Buddha’s power which is the symbol of Supreme
Emperor of the Four Continents, showing the eternal concept of natural law of
all universes, i.e. “the Emptiness of
the Heart”
or “the selflessness
of one’s grasping mind” which is the true
nature, the true serenity and the oneness with the substanceless (Anatta) universe.
Looking at the Vajra Dhamma Hall, one
is reminded of Dhamma cutting through the darkness of delusion, like the
lightning bolt (vajra) breaking through
the darkness of the universe in just a blink of an eye. In other words,
vajra stands for wisdom that, for an instant, arises in meditated mind, leading
to cessation of the five poisons such as attachment, anger, delusion, arrogance
and jealousy.
Like that, with
mindfulness and wisdom arisen, one will successively see through the Dhamma
riddles of the Five Aggregates (Five Khandhas) :
Rupa is material forms
which are visible through the Great Hall of Vajra Dhamma and other
surrounding buildings.
Vedana consists of three
kinds of feelings namely pleasant, unpleasant and indifferent feelings which
occur in our mind when an object is experienced.
Samjna is perceptions of
the emblems of Triple Gem (e.g. Buddha statues, Dhamma Wheel etc.) which we have
gained determinate idea about from our past experiences.
Sankhara is mental
formations which are focused on the path leading to liberation or Nirvana which
is hardly rejoiced by sentient beings.
Vijnana is the mind of
Yogavacaras (one who practices
spiritual exercises with exertion) whose practice of Samatha and Vipassana
meditations lead to the transcendental consciousness, renouncing all desires
and passions.
The Great Hall of
VajraDhamma, therefore, is not only regarded as an offering to the 28 Buddhas
and the Future Buddha, but also as a mean to practice Samatha and Vipassana
meditations which lead to liberation according to the Buddha’s teaching on the
successive observations of Sila (morality), Samadhi (concentration), Panna (wisdom), Vimutti (emancipation) and Vimutti-nanadassana (insight).
Other shrine halls
(Wihan) in the Buddhavas’ compound symbolize the attainment of Vimutti in three different levels,
including Panna-Vimutti, Ceto-Vimutti
and
Ubhato-Bhaga-Vimutti which are learnt in detail through
meditation practice and used as a subtle mean to train and change one’s
state of mind from being existing to non-existing. This practice was directly transmitted from
the Buddha to his chief-disciples all of whom, despite of being
root gurus of different lineages, finally gained the same perfect result in
Nirvana, the same knowledge of Dhamma and the same noble paths. It is as such in all of the Buddhas in all times.
4. The Buddha image of ‘Phra Sri
Sanphetdayan’ (Luang Pho To)
Located
on the Northwest corner of the Great Hall of Vajra Dhamma of the
Substanceless Universe, the image of ‘Phra Sri Sanphetdayan’ or ‘Luang Pho To’ is built as
homage to the Buddha and an honor to the two former kings of Ayutthaya and
Thonburi periods namely King Naresuan the Great and King Taksin the Great
respectively.
Both
kings are regarded as the patrons of the
Siyamopali
Vamsa Buddhism (Siam Nikaya/Siamese
sect)
and said to have a special affiliation with
this Buddha image of Ayutthaya which is the most respected icon holding
together people’s faith and encouraging patriotism. After the kingdom was restored and consolidated, the kings
offered the kingdom as Buddha puja. Thus, the image stands for the kings and their top soldiers’ praiseworthy deeds and the prosperity of Buddhism in Siam.The original model for the image is the main Buddha image of
“Phra
Sri Sanphetdayan”
enshrined
in Wat
Phra
Sri Sanphet, the important temple in the royal palace of Ayutthaya period. The reproduced image is enshrined
in a
decorative arch frame, being in standing position with the hand gesture of bestowing blessings
and the face turning to the East direction. Along the frame enshrine the Seven-Day Buddha images with the ‘Palilayaka’ Buddha image (retreat in the forest posture) of Wednesday’s night behind the main image. Thus, people can pay homage to both Luang
Pho To and their Birthday Buddhas at the same time.
Also, enshrined
at the head of the Buddha image are the Buddha’s relics while around the image’s pedestal are the soil gathered
from
many places
of old capital cities such as Wat Mahathat (Sukhothai), Wat Phra Borommathat in Nakhon
Si Thammarat (Tam Phon Ling kingdom), Wat Phra Sisanphet (Ayutthaya), Wat Saket (Bangkok), Wat Phlap (Thonburi), Phra Racha Wangderm or Thonburi
Palace (Thonburi), Chun Pra Thon Chedi (Nakhonpathom), Wat Phra Buddha Jinaraja (Phitsanulok) and Phra Borommathat Chaiya (Srivijaya kingdom). At the front of Luang Pho To is an
image of Phra Mae Thorani (the Goddess of the Earth) twisting her hair seated on Five-Headed Naga throne which is the
only to be seen in Thailand.
The Buddha image of Phra Buddha Metta is
reproduced based on the main Buddha image in the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya,
Bihar state, India. The image is in the Subduing Mara posture.
Along the
wall of the Great Hall of Vajra Dhamma are numerous Buddha images cast in bas-relief,
signifying numberless Buddhas born in the Substanceless Universe.
Group of
Birth Pagodas
/ Uppatasanti
Pagoda
According
to the old belief, humans’ souls are created from their Birth Pagodas based on
either one of the 12 zodiac signs. Hence,
paying homage to one’s
Birth Pagoda even once in a lifetime can bring one’s soul back to its origin Birth Pagoda after death. This is a clever mean inspiring one’s meritorious
mind to focus on happiness caused by one’s arduous pilgrimage to one’s Birth Pagoda and to take refuge in the Triple Gem
which is believed to lead one’s soul
to enter the Pure Land. Sacred
soil from the original places of the Birth Pagodas are gathered and enshrined
in each of the twelve pagodas together with the Buddha’s relics.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น