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Chengling Pagoda

Chengling Pagoda in Lin ji Monastery Chengling Pagoda, lying in the southern Part of the town, is the most exquisite one amount the four Pagodas. It is neither gorgeous as Hua pagoda nor grand as Lingxiao Pagoda. Still, it wrote an important page in Chinese Buddhist history.

Chengling Pagoda, about 30 meters high, is a multi-eaves one. It is made of bricks. The bottom part is a stone foundation on which an octagonal smaller stone foundation stands. Between the smaller foundation and the three-layer lotus above are some brick carvings of exotic flowers and rare birds. The nine-storied pagoda body stands in the lotus. Just as other multi-eaves pagodas, the first story is very high, with a false door open on each of the four mail sides. On the four oblique sides are apse windows, one carved pillar at each corner. The rest eight stories are comparatively low, and the eaves are supported by a series of well-carved brackets, which are ingeniously designed and really unique. The top is an iron tip, which makes the pagoda more beautiful and elegant.

Lin ji Monastery is the original place of Linji sect in Buddhism. According to the annals

Of Zhengding County, it was first built in 540, at the Linji Village, which was one kilometer away from the town. In 854, a person named YlXUAN, arrived in Hebei to popularize Buddha dharma after learning under the guidance of Buddhist monk XIYUN in Huangbo Mountain, Jiangxi Province. He came to Lin ji Monastery and became the Buddhist abbot. In a short time, the monastery admitted many believers and had a good reputation. YIXUAN was very diligent in study and obtained much knowledge about Buddhism. Later on, he established the Lin ji sect---one of the five sects under Chan Group of Chinese Buddhism. Chan Group, one of the Chinese Buddhist groups, specialized in such skim. That the believers sit quietly without thinking anything. In this way, as time passes, they could become Buddha. As the method was simple and popular, it gradually replaced religious doctrine of the other groups, and the Chan group became a major one. Monk YIXUAN was very strict with his followers and was well known for his blow and shout. That is, when a newcomer asked him question, only a hint was given by beating with a club or shouting. So this is the origin of Chinese saying “a blow and a shout”.

On April 10, 867 Monk YIXUAN sat and answered the questions by his two disciples and then died. Afterwards, his followers gathered his mantle and alms bowl and later buried them into the pagoda they established for him. The pagoda here is the very pagoda. At the time YlXUAN died, Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty was in power. He had been respectful to him, so he entitled him "Buddhist Monk HUIZHAO, and his pagoda "Chengling Pagoda". During the years of Dading of the Jin Dynasty, the pagoda was given a thorough renovation. Later, it was repaired several times. In l734, Emperor Yong Zhen granted YUXUAN another name "Real Buddhist Monk HUIZHAO", which was carved and inlaid on the pagoda.

In the 12th century, Buddhism became in vogue and got popularized in Japan. Rongxi, a Japanese monk, came here twice to study the doctrines and introduced them to Japan, where the Lin ji sect bad a strong influence later Dn. It got a lot of followers and the monks were respected everywhere. Up to now, the Lin ji sect remains still an important group in Japanese Buddhism.

Being the birthplace of the Lin ji sect, Chengling Pagoda has been attracting thousands of believers from China and abroad. In recent years, Japan’s Buddhist circle has sent many delegations here for paying homage to their ancestral pagoda, and conducting Buddhist culture exchanges with China. Thus, not only dose the Chengling Pagoda act as a historical proof of Buddhist exchange between the two countries, but as a tie of friendship linking the two peoples. After the renovation in l985, the Lin ji Monastery has now been open to the outside, and the Buddhist here wil1 warmly we1come the visitors from aI1 parts of the world.