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Zen Garden
Zen Garden
Zen Garden, The Cave of Waterfall

Theoutdoors is designed as a Zen Garden. Thetrees grow here and there, those of the endemic and the newly planted (such as cherry and Bodhi trees). Amid the garden is a bridge over a fish pond, a metaphor of deliverance to the other shore, the shore of the Pure Land. Strolling around, you see Guanyinstatues everywhere, as Guanyin’s guardianships are all over. There is also Sakyamuni Buddha in reclining gesture: Is he sleeping or embodying the truth of eternal tranquility?

The Cave of Waterfall is one of such interesting spots. Behind the waterfallthere hides a Guanyin named Gongde Yuanman功德圓滿(Virtue Perfection Guanyin)– We may not see him clearly, but we are,in fact, all showered by Guanyin’s compassion and blessing.

Mind Purification Bridge

Mind Purification Bridge, set over the Mind Purification Pond, is visitors’ favorite spot for selfieor group picture. It connects to Temple’smain building through Bodhisattva Wenshu and Bodhisattva Puxian standing on one end, and on the other, it leads to the Guanyin in the Cave of Waterfall.This bridge is also a perfect spot for sightseeing. Here one mayenjoy watching the carps playing under the water, taking a panoramic view of the garden, and even looking up the magnificent statue of The Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin Bodhisattva Statue at Tamsui. One can also get some fish feed at theDao Café’s to-go area to have the fun of feeding.

Sitting in the Pond are two Guanyin statues– Cihang Pudu Guanyin 慈航普度觀音 (Compassionate-DeliveranceGuanyin) and Kongzhong Miaoyou Guanyin空中妙有觀音(Nothing-Giving-Rise-to-Anything Guanyin)–accompanied by a stainless steel sculpture entitled“Soaring.” As part of Master Lee’s totemic energy creation, the artwork “Soaring”was Invited to be exhibited at the 53rdVenice Biennial in 2009. Built upon the concept of “dragon,” this totemic energy scripture features two balls. The one above symbolizes “the sun shining upon all” – that is, blessing for great renown, health, and longevity – and the one below is “riding across the universe” – blessing for wealth and family prosperity.

Yunnan Bluestone Mill

The bluestone mill laying in front of Bodhisattva Wenshu 文殊 (or Manjusri) comes from Yunnan Province of China, the hometown of the 2nd Patriarch, Yuan-Dao Bodhisattva. Mill is an equipment for grinding via the movement of turning. Since “turning”(zhuan轉) and “making money” (zhuan賺) are homophonic in Chinese, the bluestone mill with some flowers planted in the middle–“flower”(hua花) and “flourishing” (fa發)”are pronounced similarly – is used as an auspicious symbol for “earning a good fortune.”It is also the Temple’s blessing to all visitors.


Forshang World Foundation 
No. 3, Anzinei, Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City 251, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
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