Behold Yunju Temple a treasure trove of Buddhist history. Picture yourself standing before this magnificent temple in Beijing’s Fangshan District. Seventy kilometers southwest of the bustling city center lies this spiritual oasis.
Yunju Temple boasts a history shrouded in some mystery. While the exact founding year remains unknown construction likely began during the Northern Qi Dynasty between 550 and 570 CE. Its importance lies in its unparalleled collection of stone Buddhist sutra steles. This collection the largest in the world is a testament to centuries of unwavering devotion.
The story of Yunju Temple’s stone sutras begins with Venerable Jingwan. Around 611 CE this high priest initiated a monumental project. He vowed to engrave Buddhist sutras onto stone to ensure Buddhism’s survival. This was a response to earlier anti-Buddhist campaigns. Jingwan’s vision spurred a thousand-year endeavor. The last stele was engraved in 1691 CE. These steles varied in size and were inscribed on both sides with text images and even Siddham letters.
The Fangshan Stone Sutra another name for this remarkable collection includes at least ten of the twelve categories Venerable Jingwan originally planned. One particularly significant stele dates to 661 CE. It’s the oldest extant copy of Xuanzang’s 649 CE translation of the Heart Sutra. This highlights the temple’s role in preserving vital Buddhist texts. Royal patronage during the Sui Tang and Liao dynasties ensured the project’s continuation. This involved completing incomplete Mahayana sutras and even attempting to engrave the entire Khitan Tripitaka. The original manuscripts have largely vanished making Yunju Temple’s collection even more precious.
The temple itself is a marvel. Nine caves house the stone steles. Leiyin Cave Cave No 5 is the most famous. It’s a large cave whose walls are covered in these precious steles. It was once home to a Maitreya Buddha statue. This was removed in the early 1940s. However a rediscovery in 1981 revealed Buddha relics sarira within the cave. In total the temple produced 1122 Buddhist sutras in 3572 volumes. That’s over 14200 stone steles engraved on both sides.
Yunju Temple houses more than just stone sutras. It also holds over 22000 scrolls of rare printed and manuscript sutras. The Ming Dynasty’s Yongle Tripitakas both southern and northern are stored here. There’s also the Qianlong Tripitaka one of only two extant complete woodblocks of the Chinese Tripitaka in the world. Carved on over 77000 blocks this is a major attraction. Even two bone relics of the Buddha are available for public viewing. While the temple suffered significant damage in the 1940s much has been restored. Twelve pagodas from the Tang and Liao dynasties and three from the Qing dynasty stand as silent witnesses to history.
Leave Yunju Temple with a deep appreciation for its enduring legacy. The temple’s collection preserves a vital piece of Buddhist history and culture. It’s a testament to faith perseverance and the enduring power of religious belief.