Research On Da Xing Shan Temple As The Cradle Of Tantric Buddhism In China

Ever since the modern times, the religious denomination, which was generated in the Sui and Tang dynasties, has begun to show signs of renaissance after the long-term depression in the two Song dynasties. Particularly, the sound and trend of "religious development by denomination" have become increasingly significant in recent years. Hence, the ancestral chamber of the religious denomination has attracted extensive attention. Among the eight religious denominations in Chinese Buddhism, only Esoteric Buddhism was thoroughly lost in the territory of the Han dynasty. Thus, the regression of the ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism shows certain distinctive features, in the comparison with the ancestral chamber of other denominations. With the renaissance of Esoteric Buddhism, especially the continuously accelerated regurgitation-feeding of Mantrayana towards the mainland, the status of the ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism in Da Xing-shan Temple has become increasingly prominent. This has become a significant cultural phenomenon of modern Buddhism that deserves intensive attention from the academic circle.Da Xing-shan Temple, where the supreme management organization of Buddhism affairs of the Sui dynasty was located, was the first ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism and the Buddhist scripture-translation center in Sui and Tang dynasties. Its role in the history of Chinese Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist belief, Buddhist art, and political-religious relationships, as well as the civilized exchange between China and foreign countries is extremely important. However, how to manifest the cultural deposits of the past glories in the current renaissance of Esoteric Buddhism and how to convert historical accumulation into practical charisma, and prevent historical gifts from any meaningless loss is a challenging cultural issue confronting Da Xing-shan Temple. It was under such mysterious confusion that Da Xing-shan Temple became quite popular among the different circles nazarites and received unanimous attention from the political and academic circle. As an ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism, Da Xing-shan Temple also witnesses an increasing cultural status and spiritual appeal. Furthermore, during the continuous adjustment of its own functions and positioning, the temple has gradually promoted the reconstruction of different cultural factors of Esoteric Buddhism and energetically manifested its status as the ancestral chamber. This cultural phenomenon becomes the focus of this research.It is hoped that the historical deposits and cultural factors contained in Da Xing-shan Temple, an ancestral chamber of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, can be comprehensively and accurately explored in this paper, especially the sacred status in the religious sense. Moreover, in light of the observation from this historical perspective, the various reflections of the cultural regression of Esoteric Buddhism in the contemporary Da Xing-shan Temple, as well as the degree of approval held by the religious cultural circle and other circles of the society towards the status of Da Xing-shan Temple as an ancestral chamber are systematically organized. The current development and future trend of the culture of Esoteric Buddhism in Da Xing-shan Temple are explored. Hence, certain beneficial reference can be provided to the overall renaissance of Chinese Buddhist culture and the remodeling of its role as an ancestral chamber.In the first chapter, the formation of Da Xing-shan Temple’s status as an ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism is organized, and the continuity of this status is generalized. In the second chapter, through the changes since the modern and contemporary times, the layout of Da Xing-shan Temple and the remains of Esoteric Buddhism, the features of Esoteric Buddhism in the Great Buddha’s Hall, and the mandala of Esoteric Buddhism, the study of the cultural connotation of Esoteric Buddhism in the contemporary Da Xing-shan Temple is highlighted. Also, the trend of the approaching regression of Da Xing-shan Temple’s status as an ancestral chamber of Esoteric Buddhism is revealed. In the third chapter, the religious cultural construction and development trend of the contemporary Da Xing-shan Temple are mainly studied.