Truc Lam Temple ( ) is a
Zen Buddhist temple
outside the resort town of Da
Lat
, in Vietnam
.
The temple is located outside the centre of Da Lat. From the
district of Hòa Bình in the city centre of Da Lat, the temple is
located at a turnoff on the road from the city centre towards Prenn
Hill, the temple is near the Tuyền Lăm Lake, located on Phượng
Hoàng Hill.
Along the road winding up the hill to the temple, the bell tower is
clearly visible from afar. The tiled roof of the pagoda is also
prominent, contrasting against the pine forests that surround it.
The entrance of the temple is somewhat isolated, so there is a
direct entrance to the temple with 61 steps or climbing, or the
person can go directly past Tuyền Lâm Lake and then climb 222 steps
past the triple gated entrance to enter the main courtyard in front
of the temple.
The temple is located on a plot of land encompassing
24 hectares. Of the 24 hectares, there are two hectares
that are occupied by buildings, divided into two areas, the
domestic areas and public areas. The domestic area is closed to the
public. There are two domestic quarters, for
monks and
nuns
respectively. Each of the domestic quarters has two meeting rooms
for
sangha, a meditation hall, a kitchen,
dining room and a shed. Currently, there are approximately 50 monks
and 50 nuns in religious practice at the temple.
The public quarters is in a spacious plateau area on the grounds of
the temple, at approximately 1300 m above sea level,
overlooking Benhuit mountain and the wide expanse of Tuyền Lâm
Lake. The public quarters was a building works undertaken under the
architectural design of Ngô Viết Thụ and Nguyễn Tín, and was opened
on
March 13 1994. The
public quarters consistes of a ceremonial hall, flanked by the bell
tower on the right and guest facilities on the left. At the front
of the guest facilities lies a rose garden, and at the front slopes
of the temple in front of the gate is an artificial lake with a
capacity of 15,000 cubic metres.
The statue in the main ceremonial hall is of
Gautama Buddha seated on a lotus, flanked on
either side by Van Th Su Loi and Pho Hien bodhisattvas,
respectively known for their wisdom and dedication. An adjacent
hall is used on the 14th and 29th of each lunar month, that is, the
eve of the full moon and the new moon, the abbot holds a discussion
session on meditation with meditation students, including lay
Buddhists.
One of the objectives of the temple is to recreate the spirit of
Zen Buddhism during the
Tran Dynasty that ruled Vietnam form
1225 to
1400. The tradition
practiced here was started by Emperor
Tran Nhan Tong, who abdicated the throne in
favour of his son
Tran Anh Tong to
become a Buddhist monk and founded a new tradition in Zen. He had
incorporated the three sects of Zen that had come to Vietnam from
China, the Tỳ-ni-đa-lưu-chi, Vô Ngôn Thông and Thảo Đường into a
new Vietnamese Zen tradition, known as Truc Lam. This came after he
had led royal troops in defeating Nguyên Mông before retreating to
Yên Tử mountain to begin his religious life before travelling
around the country to expound the
dharma.
The Truc Lam Zen tradition emphasizes the habit of applying
Buddhist practice in whatever surroundings one finds oneself in,
for sangha and laypeople alike.
References