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Bai Dinh Pagoda - Ninh Binh's tourism potential - 8


Hoa Lu Ancient Capital Bai Dinh (Buddhism)




Tai Wei (Taoism)




Phat Diem (Catholicism)

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Bai Dinh Pagoda - Ninh Binhs tourism potential - 8


According to the sacred axis of East and West: Thien Ton - worshiping Angels (Gods), Hoa Lu Ancient Capital - worshiping Buddha, Gods (human gods of King Dinh, King Le and important people of Hoa Lu Royal Court such as Queen Mother Duong Van Nga, Dinh Lien, Dinh Toan, Dinh Hang Lang, Le Ngoa Trieu... Vuc Vong - worshiping Mother (My Quan Cong Phu Nhan), Bai Dinh - worshiping "Buddha, God, Fairy", Doi Phu Temple and Cat Street - worshiping Mother Lieu Hanh. Thus, the central area of ​​Bai Dinh, is both the center and the intersection of these two sacred axes, and is also the center of the traditional custom of worshiping: Buddha, God (Taoism), Fairy (Mother).


Sand Street

Hill Palace

Bai Dinh

Abyss

Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Heavenly Venerable


Notably, the Bai Dinh spiritual center has created a balance and harmony in traditional worship customs, especially creating a balance that is both random and predetermined. The three religions in the folk beliefs of the Vietnamese people, since long ago, are Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity in the ancient land of Hoa Lu in particular.


and expanded to the Northern Delta region: Phu Day (Mau) and Bao Loc Thanh (belonging to Nam Dinh), Lieu Doi (Ha Nam), (Gods and folk beliefs) and Bac Hoa is Song Son (Mau) temple, Han Son (Tam toa tu phu). The Buddhist spiritual center of Bai Dinh is in the mountainous forest area - Duong Tuong, the Catholic center of Phat Diem is in the sea area - Am Tuong. Bai Dinh has created a spiritual symmetry between the two major religions in Ninh Binh, but also created a balance of yin and yang according to ancient philosophy. Taking the center of Thai Vi religion as the center of symmetry and balance of the sacred axis of the North and South.

Forest


Bao Loc

Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Bai Dinh

Sand Street

Willow Couple

Han Son

Sung Son

Thai Vi

Thick Cover

God Talisman

Phat Diem

Good Glue


Sea

The sacred axis is a vast sacred space, running along the majestic mountain and river ranges, and a sacred land according to ancient feng shui theory. To distinguish it from the ancient pagoda on Bai Dinh mountain cave, at the foot of Bai Dinh mountain is a completely new pagoda, people call it Bai Dinh Tan Tu.

The sacred space of Buddhist spirituality is the space of the pagoda (Bai Dinh pagoda ) like the pagodas of the Northern Vietnamese, is


The temple follows Mahayana Buddhism. During the Ly Dynasty, the Chinese monk Thao Duong, who was a prisoner of war captured in Champa, was freed from slavery by Ly Thanh Tong (1504-1072) and allowed to open a Dharma Center at Khai Quoc Pagoda - Thang Long (1609). Many disciples followed, including King Ly Thanh Tong, who founded the third Zen sect that was passed down for 6 generations. The Zen sect of the Ly Dynasty had an easily recognizable characteristic, which was the smooth combination of Zen with Confucianism and Pure Land. During the Ly Dynasty, the country was unified and independent in terms of political sovereignty and territorial boundaries, in a real way and in that sense, it was an inevitable independence in terms of ideology. In the early days of the country's founding, Buddhism was an effective spiritual weapon to consolidate people's hearts and unite the nation against the Northern invaders. Vietnamese Buddhism flourished under the Ly Dynasty, especially during the reign of Princess Nguyen Phi Y Lan. During the Tran Dynasty, the Thien Tong sect was unified, so it can be understood that Bai Dinh pagoda followed the Thien Tong sect.

According to this sect, the sacred space is first expressed through the name of the pagoda such as Phat Tich Pagoda (relic of Tathagata), Tay Phuong Pagoda (Western paradise)... and Bai Dinh Pagoda (meaning continuing the spiritual space and performing the Buddha, God, and Fairy festival that has taken place on this sacred land and mountain since ancient times).

The sacred space is also expressed in the land where the pagoda is built, according to Taoism it is called the landscape. Choosing a land with yin and yang is a good land according to the words of Saint Nguyen, the ancient Bai Dinh pagoda on the mountain - a yang symbol. The new pagoda at the foot of the mountain is a yin symbol, yin and yang are in harmony, enlightenment, and prosperity. The ancient Bai Dinh pagoda on the mountain cave faces North, the new Bai Dinh pagoda is located on the legendary Ba Rau hillside in the Northeast of the foot of Bai Dinh mountain. The pagoda faces South and faces North, which is Trach Ton. The direction of the doors of the main halls in the pagoda... The pagoda was built according to the ancient feng shui theory "front water, back mountain", in front is Ho Dam Thi, in front is Can Minh Duong, Hoang Long River. Phuong mountain, Thap mountain, Hang Trai mountain, forming the word "heart" as the front screen, on the left is Thanh Long hill, on the right is Bach Ho is Bai Dinh mountain, further to the Southeast is Mat Rong mountain, behind is Thung Binh mountain. The Vietnamese chose the land to build the pagoda not only to look towards nothingness, but also to look towards the place of birth.


boiling and developing. Good land according to traditional feng shui concept must be land with an empty left side, or surrounded by rivers and lakes, high and thick on the right side with lotus flowers, banners, precious parasols with dragons, phoenixes, turtles, and snakes paying homage, a bright hall in front, and no mountains behind is good land.

The new Bai Dinh Pagoda has chosen a "prime" land position, "the landscape has enough: water, fire, food, vegetables, the landscape is not close to the human world but also not far from the human world because close is noisy, far is lonely, the landscape can stay is a peaceful place to nourish the body, nurture the character, clear the spirit, and cultivate peace, to be able to cultivate the way, that is the goal" comparing again another very important standard is that Bai Dinh Pagoda has chosen a "prime" landscape and land position that is both worldly and spiritual, the world is on the left side, looking at nothing, according to ancient Eastern philosophy "the infinite creates the ultimate" meaning that matter comes from nothing, rivers, lakes, ponds are the original elements of life, on the right side there are Dragons, Phoenixes, Turtles, Snakes, all of which are yin and yang, the necessary and sufficient conditions for life to grow and develop. Life is also expressed in food, vegetables, water, fire to maintain human life. The Tao is that having a bright hall (where water gathers) in front is also good, but having no mountains behind means there is no yang, implying only seeking yin (birthlessness). According to the Buddhist concept, a temple needs to be quiet and far from the people, but Buddhism saves lives and the world, so it needs people. Bai Dinh Pagoda has people but is not too close to them to have a quiet space.

2.2.3.2. Architectural works

According to the new Bai Dinh pagoda planning, including a large area of ​​many construction items, commonly called "Bai Dinh Buddhist spiritual area". The total area is 30,000m2 with over 20 construction items. Specifically planned as follows: Tam The temple 2,053m 2 , Phap Chu temple (Thich Ca Mau Ni) 2,000m 2 , Quan The Am Bodhisattva temple 676m 2 , 500 La Han temple 12,000m 2 , other auxiliary works 13,270m 2 (cultural park and Buddhist academy 30.28ha, reception area and landscape park 15ha, Dam Thi lake area and Phong Sinh lake 143.7ha, isolated and preserved green area 121.03ha. The pagoda is built on a "mirror" slope gradually increasing along the divine axis from the gate to Tam The temple, in the style of "inner public, outer private", the main architectures such as the gate, bell tower, Quan Am Bodhisattva temple, temple


The Dharma Master and Tam The Temple were built in the traditional Vietnamese pagoda style with 4 roofs, 2 to 3 floors, and the corners of the roof curved around a pair of phoenixes. Looking from the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh Pagoda looks like a large ink painting hanging on a deep green hill. Bai Dinh Mountain looks like a giant pin hanging that magnificent and majestic spiritual painting.

a, Tam Quan

Looking from the outside at the boundary between ordinary life and the pure temple, we immediately see the three gates: the gate of discipline to keep all the precepts, the gate of concentration to purify the mind, the gate of wisdom to practice Buddhism must be wise and clear, or also the three gates: suffering, impermanence, and non-self. In the eyes of ordinary people, the three gates are simply three gates, but in the monastic world, they are the boundary between the sacred and the profane worlds, the sacred threshold, and liberation is the moment of peacefully returning to the eternal realm.

The new Bai Dinh pagoda's three-door gate has a "luxurious" shape, built in the style of a stacked bed, including 3 curved roof floors, each floor has 4 roofs, the 2 lower floors have 8 roofs, which are the eight trigrams. The upper floor has 4 roofs and the roof is the five elements. The roof is covered with dark brown tube tiles, the front and back are seven, the armpit beams are 16.5m high, the perimeter is 13.85m * 13.5m, all made of four-piece wood, 4 main pillars, each 13.85m high, 0.87m in diameter, weighing nearly 10 tons. The four middle pillars are each 11m high, 0.75m in diameter, 16 small pillars around, each 5m high, 0.65m in diameter. All pillars are placed on square stones according to the size of the main pillar, middle pillar and small pillar with the sides of 1.4m, 1.2m, 0.9m respectively. The edge of the three-door gate's roof is curved like a phoenix's tail. The roof of the three-door gate is two pliers facing the moon, the third floor of the three-door gate, the middle room in the front and back are all carved with large reliefs of the wind, surrounded by swirling clouds, in the middle is a Dharma wheel (symbolizing the constant rotation of Buddhism as well as of heaven and earth according to Buddhist philosophy. The doors are all made of ironwood, each door has 4 panels, all are carved with "upper double happiness - wind - lower base".

Looking at the two side rooms of the main gate are the statues of two bronze guardians, 5.5m high and weighing 12 tons, and the statues of the eight Vajrapani (eight angel warriors protecting Buddhism with hearts as bright, clear, and hard as diamonds, holding diamond clubs, cast in bronze weighing up to 8 tons, arranged right at the main gate.


Behind the three-door gate are two parallel rows of wooden buildings connected to the La Han corridor, in ancient architectural style, each building has 16 rooms, 70m long, each room is 4.5m wide.

To complete the gate, people had to use 550 tons of wood, just that much we can see its grandeur. No other temple has such a majestic gate, perhaps the designer's intention was to create a strong impression on the monks.

b, Bell Tower

After the Tam Quan is the bell tower. The bell tower here is built of reinforced concrete imitating wood, shaped like the bell towers of ancient pagodas in the Northern Delta. In the temple of internal public and external foreign, the sacred symbol of Buddha is especially noticeable, which is the height of the bell tower. According to Buddhist beliefs, the more the temple bell rings, the more the Buddha's teachings are spread to all living beings. When the bell rings 108 times, it means dispelling 108 troubles in life.

The bell tower of Bai Dinh pagoda is octagonal, has three curved roofs, gradually tapering to the top of the tower, a total of 24 roofs, covered with dark brown glazed tube tiles, 24 curved roof ridges with floral and vine motifs, each roof is 4.65m high, with 2.3m high motifs supporting the ridges. Each floor has 16 columns (8 main columns and 8 sub-columns), the first floor has a main column up to 16m high, 0.8m in diameter; the sub-column is 8m high, 0.7m in diameter; the top of the tower is shaped like a lotus bud, 3.5m high, the entire bell tower is 49m high. Above is a newly cast bell weighing 28 tons, on top of which is carved a pair of parallel sentences: "Following the Buddha's teachings, crossing the universe, Heaven - God - Fish - Human, all awaken in the bell of awakening to great nirvana; May the great bell resound with the sea of ​​gospel, so that sentient beings can wake up from their dreams, hear the sound of enlightenment to reach bodhi". This parallel sentence has the sacred concept of "Great Enlightenment" that Buddha passed on to all living beings. Bai Dinh bell tower has a similar structure to Keo pagoda bell tower, Phat Diem stone church. This bronze bell weighs 36 tons and was certified by the Vietnam Book of Records Center on December 12, 2007 as the largest "Dai Hong Chuong" in Vietnam. When striking, it is necessary to use a mallet longer than 4m, 0.3m in diameter, weighing nearly 500kg made of Tu Thiet wood. The bell is refined with gold and hung on


The tower is high on a hillside of a majestic mountain and river region, so when the bell rings, the sound of the bell reverberates, echoing from the caves and cliffs, making the listener feel as if it is coming from the sky, from all directions. From more than 10km away, the sound of the bell can still be heard reverberating. The bell tower is shaped like a giant lotus, which has even greater meaning than the lotus, which is the symbol of Buddha and purity.

c, Temple of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.

From the Bell Tower, go through the grass to reach the Quan The Am Bodhisattva Temple. From the outside, the temple was built on a hillside higher than the bell tower and the three-door gate, with a "luxurious" shape, with a stacked bed architecture, seven in front, seven in back like the bell tower, with armpits, pillars, and corners. The roof is designed in two floors, with four roofs (Bagua) covered with brown glazed tiles. The temple is 14.8m high, with a perimeter of 40.41m*16.8m, with 7 compartments including 5 main compartments, the middle compartment is 6.6m wide, each side has 2 compartments, each compartment is 6m wide. In front, there is a lim door 2.5m high, 0.94m wide. The two side compartments are each 4.2m wide, the doors in these 2 compartments are narrower, 0.84m wide, carved and decorated like the three-door door "thuong thong phong, song hy dop, ha ban".

In the Palace, there are two rows of main pillars, each row has 16 pillars, 11.8m high and 0.7m in diameter, surrounded by 24 pillars, 4.8m high and 0.56m in diameter, all made of ironwood, placed on square stones, the main pillar is 1.3m high and the small pillars are 1.05m high, all carved with lotus flowers. The rafters, horizontal and vertical beams are all made of ironwood. The second roof floor of the Palace has 20 small pillars (cots), 0.6m in diameter, supported by large armpit beams also made of ironwood. In the concave and convex areas of the rafters, there are carved wooden panels, carved with flowers, leaves, patterns, art, and exquisite carvings. In the middle of the hall, there is a "kneeling feet, fish belly" altar with carved pine trees, four sacred animals, flowers and leaves, 4.79m long, 2.35m wide, 1.27m high, all the sacrificial objects are made of bronze.

The Quan The Am Bodhisattva Temple was built entirely of ironwood, looking majestic and imposing, using about 900 round blocks of wood. The main hall houses the statue of Quan The Am Bodhisattva "thousand hands and thousand eyes" made of gilded bronze, weighing 80 tons.


Although the project is not yet complete because it is under construction, it can be said that this is the largest statue in Vietnam. The statue of Quan The Am here has a large, bright face, behind the two sides of the Buddha there are small faces facing both sides, the head wears a 3-layered Buddha hat, on top there are 8 small faces and a Buddha statue sitting on the highest peak, on the left and right sides of the lotus throne in front of the statue there are 42 arms: two hands clasped in front of the chest, two hands crossed on the lap, each side has 18 arms spread out like a halo. Behind the statue of Quan The Am Bodhisattva is a round, gilded bronze lotus leaf with a diameter of 5.5m and 16 large and small concentric circles decorated with patterns, protruding 958 small arms, each arm is 0.6m long, shaped like an eye, on top of the leaf there are 2 more statue faces. The bronze statue of Quan The Am has high value in the art of bronze casting.

d, Dharma Master's Palace.

The temple worships Sakyamuni , the founder of Buddhism, the Phap Chu temple has an architecture in the style of Tam The temple, including 2 curved roof floors, each floor has 4 roofs covered with brown tube-shaped glazed tiles and a row of ancient towers creating height, ventilation and sunlight. The temple is a massive, majestic architectural work, 30m high, 44.7m * 43.3m in circumference, with a total area of ​​up to 1,945m 2 , the roof is 2.6m high, the edge is 1.3m high, the moon on the roof of the temple is 4.4m high, the top is 3.3m high. The temple has 5 central compartments 13.5m long, each side has 2 compartments, each compartment is 8.13m long. The temple has 4 rows of columns including 56 columns made of reinforced concrete imitating wood, 2 rows

The main and middle pillars are in the middle, the main pillars are 17.2 m high, 0.8 m in diameter, each row has 4 pillars. Around the temple, there are 20 main pillars 9 m high, 0.7 m in diameter, 20 small pillars in the porch are 7.4 m high, 0.7 m in diameter. The pillars in the temple are made of reinforced concrete, covered with wood and painted with wood grain on the outside, so at first glance it is mistaken for precious wood, only the door frames and door compartments are made of ironwood.

The door of the central hall has 12 panels, measuring 3.7m*1.05m. The remaining 4 rooms each have 4 panels with the same height as the central hall door, 0.84m wide. The doors are all conveniently fitted with leaf-pinning bridges. The walls are built of unplastered bricks inside, forming 1284 small panels 0.59m*0.3m*0.3m high. Inside each panel is a small bronze statue of Sakyamuni.

In the middle of the hall is a statue of Sakyamuni sitting on a 10m high, gilded bronze lotus throne weighing 100 tons. The statue of Sakyamuni is worshiped.

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