Donghua Temple Blessings and Blossoms

Donghua Temple is located east of Wengyuan County in Guangdong. While enjoying the cherry blossoms in Shaoguan, I took the opportunity to visit this temple for meditation, blessings, and to explore the local scenery. In recent years, Donghua Temple has attracted many meditation enthusiasts by offering free "Donghua Chan" meditation classes. This has generated considerable social influence, increasing the temple's fame throughout Guangdong. Upon arrival, I was surprised by the temple's sheer size and magnificent architecture. The large parking lot outside is a testament to its popularity. Several smaller temples, dedicated to traditional Chinese religious customs, are lined up in the square. These include the God of Wealth Temple, City God Temple, and the Hall of the Year God, all attracting many people seeking blessings. In front of the archway, several ancient trees stand tall, including a 900-year-old autumn maple known as the Donghua Tree God. Passing through the archway, I reached the temple's main gate and the Hall of the Three Gates. Stepping inside, I entered the temple grounds, where grand halls rise tier upon tier, following the mountain's contours. Each building exudes an air of majesty and solemnity. The adjacent cliff face is dotted with caves of varying sizes, each housing golden Buddha statues. A giant red character for "Buddha" dominates the central cave, creating a spectacular sight. Following the road and steps to the hillside where the caves are located, I found a cave beneath the cliff called the Three Sages Cave. Legend has it that in 502 AD, the first year of Emperor Wu of Liang's reign in the Southern Dynasty, the Indian monk and Tripitaka Master Zhiyao traveled north from Guangzhou by water. Passing this area, he was struck by the mountain's spiritual energy and entered the cave to cultivate his practice, building a thatched hut called Lingjiu. This was the precursor to Donghua Temple, dating back over a thousand years. In the first year of the Longshuo era of the Tang Dynasty, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, after receiving the robe and bowl from Hongren in Huangmei, Hubei, fled back to Lingnan. Legend says he also practiced here, renaming Lingjiu Temple to Donghua Temple. Hence, the local saying, "First Donghua, then Nanhua; enlightenment at Donghua, Dharma propagation at Nanhua." Donghua Temple's revival began in 1997 when Master Wanxing, born in Suizhou, Hubei, decided to restore the temple after three years of seclusion here, rekindling the flame of Chan Buddhism. His Donghua Chan, upholding the philosophy of "Humanistic Buddhism," has gained widespread acceptance through meditation activities, contributing to Donghua Temple's current prosperity. Descending the mountain road along the cliff, I noticed numerous boulders inscribed with verses written by Master Wanxing himself, such as "Emptiness Reveals Zen" and "Boundless Vows and Practice." Reflecting on these words, I found them to be deeply meaningful.