James Baquet

    jamesbaquet@gmail.com

    THE lower gate of Luohou Temple is located immediately next to Shifang Tang, which I described in a previous article.

    In addition to a few unique features, the temple has a most interesting name. If we repeat the first character, so it becomes Luohouluo, the name is the Chinese representation of Rahula, the son of the historic Buddha.

    He was an fascinating figure. Tradition says the Buddha-to-be left the palace the night his son was born in order to seek enlightenment. Later, when Rahula asked the former prince to give him his birthright, the Buddha offered to lead him to enlightenment, too. He became a monk, the youngest among the Buddha’s followers.

    This is the only temple I’ve encountered named for Rahula.

    Built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the temple has been a lamaist — Tibetan-style — one since the Qing (1644-1911). It features a typical “milk bottle” white pagoda, a smaller version of the one in the nearby Tayuan (Pagoda Yard) Temple.

    In front of the sutra library are two half-sized elephants, a delightful reminder of Buddhism’s South Asian connections.

    But in a hall near the back stands the greatest of wonders. It’s an oversized lotus flower which opens and closes mechanically, revealing four golden figures of the Amitabha Buddha (called Amito Fo in Chinese), one facing each direction, and each becoming visible as the mechanism turns, while the petals open and close. Marvelous!

    I exited the upper gate of the temple and continued up the hill.