Activity 1 Reading
Read the following tour guide speech and answer the following questions.
At the Lama Temple
Mr. Kent (hereinafter short for K), accompanied by Ru Han (hereinafter short for R),entered the Lama Temple.
R: Please go this way, Mr. Kent. On your left are the Drum and Bell Towers and on the right is the Hall of Heavenly Kings. Inside is an enormous statue.
K: Isn’t he amazing! What do they call him?
R: Maitreya, Buddha of the future.
K: Who are the tough-looking characters on either side of him?
R: They are the Four Heavenly Kings.
K: And there is another statue behind that screen.
R: Oh, that’s Wei Tuo, the Guard of Buddhism. Let’s move on to another courtyard.Inside this pavilion is a stele with an inscription in four languages telling the history of Lamaism. It was erected towards the end of the 18th century.
K: What’s the hall over there?
R: Ah, this building coming up is the Hall of Harmony and Peace.(https://www.daowen.com)
K: What do these three statues signify?
R: They are the Buddhists of the past, present and future. All of them are obliged to help the devotee to realize Buddhahood. On the side are 18 Luohans. Each of them is Buddhist who has already reached enlightenment.
K: They have different facial expressions and postures. I’m not quite clear about Lamaism. Can you say something about it?
R: It’s a branch of Buddhism mainly practiced in Tibet and Mongolia. It was established in Tibet and was characterized by elaborate ritual and a strong hierarchical organization.
K: I’m quite interested in Tibet, a mysterious place. I’d very much like to visit there one day.
R: You can be sure of that. Next time you come to China, I will accompany you there.
K: Thank you very much. But how did Lamaism find its way to Beijing?
R: This Lama Temple was founded by the Emperor Qian Long in 1744.In order to strengthen the political unity of his empire, Qian Long sided with the followers of the Yellow Sect that were powerful in Tibet and Mongolia. That’s probably the main reason why Lamaism reached Beijing.
Questions:
(1) How much do you know about Lamaism?
(2) How did Lamaism reach Beijing?