Face-to-Face with the Jade Buddha Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple -- text by Vincent Lim Sui-leong ¡¤photo by Brian Johnson (heybrian.com)

Bearing the stifling heat of 38 degrees Celsius, I made my way to the Jade Buddha Temple (pix 1), located to the south of the Suzhou Creek in northwestern Shanghai. Summer in Jiangnan is not a pleasant experience. My only consolation was that it was not as humid as Singapore. The temple was not easy to find, as it did not have any eye-catching facades or tall pagodas, and it was as if swallowed by the forest of glass and concrete around it. What did catch my attention were the gaudy religious merchandise shops and a few tour buses outside the plain-looking gate. I had to purchase a ticket, euphemistically called a "flower and incense voucher", to enter the temple. Truth be told, I was a bit taken aback by the unabashed commercialization.

The first hall that I encountered was the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings, on the southern-edge, or the "front" of the temple. The towering Heavenly Kings in their impressive ancient military outfit flanks a pot-bellied Putai (believed to be an emanation of Maitreya Buddha) who greets visitors with a smile from ear to ear, not discriminating between Buddhists and tourists. The handsome and athletic Wei Tuo Bodhisattva stands in a spirited poise behind Putai, keeping a close watch on visitors with his keen eyes. Here is the boundary between the sacred and the profane, between the bustling world out there and the realm of inner peace within. To gain entry into the realm of dharma, you must discipline your body, speech and mind (as suggested by Wei Tuo and the Heavenly Kings), and also have a mind of loving kindness, compassion and joy (as suggested by Putai). At least, that seems to be the visual message to me.

Crossing beyond the threshold at the back of the "security office", I found myself in a cobbled courtyard, which was a hive of activities. Swirls of incense smoke wafted from the huge censers to the heavens above, conveying the wishes and prayers of the devotees who have offered them. The censers are adorned by intricate carvings of mythical animals and auspicious symbols. Tour groups and individual backpackers can be seen wandering around the compounds, rather aimlessly. A few monks in red and yellow ceremonial robes held in place by ivory or jade clasps crossed the courtyard purposefully, as if on their way to host an important religious service. Seemingly oblivious to the goings-on, flocks of pigeons pecked on the ground, and left behind their unceremonious offerings in return.

Occupying the most prominent position in the centre of the complex is the Hall of Great Hero (pix 2), an imposing building with bright saffron walls and a soaring tiled roof with upturned eaves. For a small donation, visitors can tie little red ribbons to the wooden frames of the ancient-style doors and the stone lions adorning the railings, and pray for their wishes to be fulfilled. Grandparents prayed for the health of their grandchildren, single young people for good spouses, businessmen for good businesses and students for good results in examination. Hopes and fear and all, these red ribbons fluttered incessantly in the wind, like so many pleas for divine intervention. The usual trio of Buddhas is enshrined in the hall------ Shakyamuni Buddha in the center, Amitabha Buddha to the left and Medicine Buddha to the right (pix 3). The trio is surrounded by an impressive entourage of eighteen arhats and many celestial figures. These statues, though grand in scale and beautifully lacquered, are not the main reason for paying a visit to this temple.

During the reign of the Qing emperor Guang Xu (1875-1908), Venerable Hui Gen, an abbot from Mount Putuo made a pilgrimage to Tibet via the sacred mountains Wutai and Emei. He proceeded to visit Burma after Tibet. While there, Mr Chen Jun Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade Buddhas to Venerable Hui Gen, who brought two of them back to Shanghai------ one Recumbent and one Sitting Jade Buddha. With donations from the locals, Venerable Hui Gen proceeded to house the two Jade Buddhas in a temple, which was completed in 1882. He died shortly thereafter. The temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Fortunately the Jade Buddhas were spared from destruction and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928.

I saw the 96 cm Recumbent Jade Buddha (pix 4) on the first floor of a hodgepodge building to the side of the main complex. It has a pleasing form------ flowing and elegant, almost ethereal. As I was not allowed to take any pictures of it, I bought a set of postcards containing the pictures of the two Jade Buddhas from the adjoining souvenir shop. On the ground floor of the same complex, there is another 4 meters Recumbent Buddha that was brought over from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989. You can take pictures of this one but its form is not as graceful as the one from Burma.

To view the Sitting Jade Buddha, which is the more exquisite of the two brought over by Venerable Hui Gen, one would have to pay another 10 yuan for a separate ticket. It had better be good, I thought to myself. As I climbed the dark and dusty stairs lined by scattered curios and objets d'art, I felt my nose becoming more congested somewhat. In fact, I was beginning to doubt whether it was worth the trouble after all when I found myself in a darkened and acoustically shielded room. Soothing Buddhist hymns were playing in the background. There, occupying pride of place in the centre of the hall, was the most lovely and exquisite Jade Buddha that I have ever seen. The 190 cm Buddha (pix 5) was carved from a single piece of flawless white jade, and encrusted with numerous pieces of agate and emerald. The contours are subtle, the countenance is one of bliss and peace, the poise dignified and the down-turned almond-shaped eyes so lifelike that it looked as if it is about to open fully anytime to proclaim the sublime Dharma. He is depicted at the moment of enlightenment, with the graceful and yet solid arms in the earth-touching mudra. The Sitting Jade Buddha was so splendidly floodlit that it looked as if it was illuminated from within and shining with its own light. I could really appreciate the cool and transclucent matrix of the flawless white jade. In short, the sight of the Sitting Jade Buddha is a balm for the weary mind. It was as if the sole purpose of my five days in Shanghai was for just this moment. That a barricade separates the Sitting Jade Buddha from the profane hordes of tourists only enhances its mystique. This Buddha is well protected from the ruthless assault of tourists' cameras too. A wrathful female "dharma protector" sat on a chair to one side and watched visitors with hawkish eyes. She was so quick that she stopped an Indian man before he could click a picture. I stood transfixed by this awesome sight for nearly half an hour, and I also pranced around to either side of the hall to admire the Sitting Jade Buddha, which looks perfect from every angle. If Shanghai is known as the Paris of the East, this Jade Buddha should be known as the Mona Lisa of the East, I thought.

It was early evening, and near the closing hour of the temple. The crowd was beginning to wear out and I was able to stroll around the temple compounds in relative quietude. The old world charm of the temple seems to be enhanced in the soft pinkish glow of the setting sun. One moon gate leads to another, and in between, neat rows of potted bonsai simulate a walk in a peaceful wood. Sometimes, the moon gate leads into delightful courtyards with water and rock features. One led to a hall containing ancestral tablets, with the pensive Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva keeping a watch over the lost souls. Another led to a gallery of portraits of Buddhist patriarchs, with their legacy etched in stone. Yet another led to a Meditation Hall where monks spent months in retreat, sitting cross-legged, facing the bare wall and investigating koans, trying so hard to fathom the true nature of being. Perhaps they will become the next patriarchs? I wonder where the next moon gate will lead me to?