Caotang Temple is a Buddhist temple located on the north hillside of Mount Guifeng, in Huyi District of Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. In the Later Qin, Kumārajīva resided in Caotang Temple, where he translated Madhyamika-sastra, Sata-sastra and Dvadashamukha Shastra, which laid the foundation for the theory ofEast Asian Mādhyamaka, so he is respected as the founder of East Asian Mādhyamaka and Caotang Temple is considered as the cradle of East Asian Mādhyamaka.
History
Later Qin
Caotang Temple traces its origins to the former Xiaoyang Garden, founded by Emperor Yao Xing of Later Qin in 401 in order to provide accommodation for renowned monk Kumārajīva.
After the establishment of the Tang Empire, Emperor Taizong came to worship the Buddha and wrote poems in the temple. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, master Feixi settled at Caotang Temple, where he taught Buddhism for many years. In the Yuanhe era of Emperor Xianzong, the emperor issued the decree rebuilding the temple. master Zongmi was proposed as the abbot. Under his leadership, Caotang Temple was refurbished and redecorated and renamed "QiChan Temple". After the fall of Tang Empire in the early 10th century, the temple became dilapidated for wars.
In 1734, in the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty, after the canonization of Kumārajīva's disciple Sengzhao, the temple was renamed "Sheng'en Temple", which means royal graciousness. In the Tongzhi period, the temple was completely destroyed by wars. In 1881 in the Guangxu period, the recently established temple was washed away by the flood.
Main structures from the Shanmen to the Abbot's Room are aligned with the central axis and divided into five countyards. At the very front are Shanmen, followed by Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Dabei Hall, Hall of Ksitigarbha, Hall of Three Saints, and finally Abbot's Room in the rear. On both sides of the central axis are Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Memorial Hall of Kumārajīva, stone pagoda, Hall of Reclining Buddha, Pavilion of Guanyin, and ring-rooms.
Shanmen
The Shanmen is wide and deep and only has one door. The hall is flush gable roof style. Under the eaves is a plaque with the Chinese characters "Caotang Temple" written by Zhao Puchu, the then Venerable Master of the Buddhist Association of China.
The Mahavira Hall enshrining the statues of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Bhaisajyaguru. The two disciples' statues are placed in front of the statue of Sakyamuni, the older is called Kassapa Buddha and the middle-aged is called Ananda. A plaque with "Mahavira Hall" written by Zhao Puchu is hung on the architrave. The statues of Eighteen Arhats stand on both sides of the hall. The hall has a double-eave gable and hip roof.
Dabei Hall
The Dabei Hall was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. It is wide and deep. The hall is flush gable roof style. In the center of the eaves of the hall is a plaque "Xiaoyang Sanzang" written by monk Miaokuo in 1947.
Hall of Reclining Buddha
The jade statue of Reclining Buddha enshrined in the hall, which was presented by a Burmese Fu Fengying in 1994.
Dharma Hall
The Dharma Hall is wide and deep. In the meddle of the hall, a high wood carving statue of Vairocana stands in the lotus throne with thousand petals, which has a little Buddha statue on each petal. the altar was carved with one thousand little statues of Buddha, which known as "Vairocana nestling among thousand Buddha".
Occupying an area of, the Buddhist Texts Library has a double-eave gable and hip roof. The hall started to build in 2005 and completed in October 2014. Five gilded copper statues of Buddha are enshrined in the hall.
Memorial Hall of Kumārajīva
The Memorial Hall of Kumārajīva was built by monks of Japanese Nichiren Buddhism. It is wide and deep. A high wood carving statue of Kumārajīva which sitting on a lotus throne is placed in the hall. At the back of his statue is a painting of flying apsaras which was painted by Japanese painter Mise. Several steles of poems written by Zhao Puchu and other Japanese poets are inlaid on the walls.
National Treasures
Stupa of Kumārajīva
The Stupa of Kumārajīva was made of marble in the Later Qin. The octahedral-based stupa has twelve stories and is high. It is composed of a base, a sumeru throne and a dense-eave body. The base has three layers with engraved patterns of clouds.
The high Ming dynasty bell was cast in the Ming dynasty weighting with its bore is. Outside of the bell cast over 14 Buddhist temples, 200 Buddhist monks and works of Buddhist inscriptions. At the bottom of the bell are engraved with patterns of various flying phoenixes, dragons, lions, Bagua, and etc.
