Po Lin Temple Again(重遊寶蓮寺)

It's nice to take a break from Freud, Jung, Marx, Durkheim etc. and simply allow my eyes to wander to wherever my feet fancy to be.

They took me to the Po Lin Temple today. 

It seems that the Buddha is part of nature

But somehow, people like to put him up on a pedestal

behind a huge gate.

The sun kept on shining as it has done for millenia

I don't know why, people seem to have a fondness for huge joss sticks as if the bigger they are, the more likely would their prayers come true.

Nature has her joss sticks too, certainly much beautiful.

One of the huge guards of the Dharma.

The Vaisravana (多聞天王) guardian of the North, famous for his knowledge of Buddhism, his blessings and virtues, with a Buddhist tower in his right hand, symbolizing the treasure of the Buddhist Dharma.

The Virupaksa (廣目天王) guardian of the West, famous for observation of the world for its protection, with a dragon on one of its hands to symbolize ceaseless changes and a pearl on its right hand to symbolize the changelessness of the Dharma.

The Dhrtarastra (持國天王), the guardian of the East, with a pipa in his hand to symbolize that one mustn't go to the extremes of either too lax or too tight and keep to the Middle Way, something which brings harmony 

The Virudhaka (增長天王) guardian of the South, with a sword on his right hand to symbolize cutting off all sources of ignorance and bad habits.

Another hall with various statues

The seats outside the dining hall where I had some vegetarian brunch

Eaves of the main hall with traditional Chinese interlocking wooden supports for the roof

The ridges of the roof are decorated with various arahans

The main hall (大雄寶殿)

The main hall

a Buddha amongst the trees

The  Wisteria Floribundda (紫藤)  overhanging the garage

A close up of one of its clumps

Dangling purple

orange orchids in the orchid garden, the only type now growing there

an orchid in full bloom

a tree with brush-like flowers at the entrance to the orchid garden

one bunch of its flowers

and of course, the paper flower, blooming all year round

 

a rueful looking rag doll looking at passers by in one of the abandoned hostels of the Tea Garden nearby

a white flower at the side of the path down hill

I love the look of these new leaves in the sun.

 

Some beautiful orchids outside of 十方道場 on the way down.  

and the ever present hibiscus originally from South America. But this one is in beautiful gold.