Unique Dharma statues at the thousand-year-old temple
(Baonghean.vn) - Ba But Pagoda in Lam Son Commune, Do Luong District is known as one of the famous ancient pagodas in Nghe An. Here, a diverse and unique system of statues is preserved, including the 12-armed Buddha statue.
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According to legend, Ba But Pagoda (literally Tien Tich Tu) was built during the Ly Dynasty to worship Buddha, especially to worship Ba But - the person who helped Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang become a saint. |
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In the past, in the 10-acre temple grounds there were many structures, now only two ancient structures remain: the front hall and the back palace. |
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At the pagoda, there is still preserved a system of ancient statues (22 statues) made of wood, lacquered and gilded, diverse in type, size, unique in structure and craftsmanship. It is known that during the war years, many statues from other pagodas in the area were also brought here to worship. |
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Among these ancient statues, the statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin with 12 arms, also known as the “human head carrying Buddha” statue, is the most unique and is worshiped in a solemn position in the temple. The statue is about 1.2m high, including a head wearing a flower hat, a body carved in the style of meditating on a lotus throne, and a head of a fierce human-shaped demon with 2 arms holding a lotus throne. |
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The 12-armed Bodhisattva statue is considered one of the oldest statues of the pagoda, reflecting the story of the pagoda's formation, as well as the close relationship between Ba But Pagoda and Qua Son Temple worshiping Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang in Boi Son Commune. |
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On the body of the Buddha statue there are 12 arms, of which 8 arms (4 arms on each side) are raised high, 2 arms are crossed in front of the belly, in a meditative posture and 2 arms are closed loosely on both sides, pointing. Compared to some ancient statues with many arms in pagodas in the province, the layout and structure of the 12-armed Buddha statue of Quan Am at Ba But Pagoda is quite special. |
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Also on the main altar, right in front of the statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin with 12 arms is a statue of a baby Buddha standing on a lotus platform surrounded by a circle of nine dragons with nine dragons spraying water. This is also considered a beautiful, unique ancient statue of the pagoda. |
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In addition, the temple also worships many ancient statues with the typical beauty of traditional Buddha statues, such as Buddha statues meditating on lotus thrones, curly hair, long ears, plump, benevolent faces... |
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Ba But Pagoda is a gathering place for statues of many temples and pagodas in the area, so the pagoda also has statues of gods, saints, ancestors, etc. The statues of gods are portraits, realistic, with special attention paid to the expressive spirit of each character. Some worship statues are sculpted in relief on a flat wooden surface. |
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Existing for thousands of years of history and still preserving a unique system of statues, Ba But Pagoda is considered one of the ancient and famous pagodas in Nghe An - an attractive destination for Buddhists and tourists. |