The Famen Temple is of great significance to the Buddhist community here and around the world, as it holds a finger relic of Sakyamuni Buddha. Some 120 kilometers from Xian, the temple is a major tourist attraction. The temple itself was built during the Han Dynasty to keep the finger of the Buddha. At the centre most point of the temple, you can see a 13 tiered pagoda. There are also many other beautiful buildings that feature architecture of several eras. The Buddhist statues and other relics are beautiful to behold and have intricate work and detail. It is best to set aside 3 hours for this visit.
The visitor to the complex will encounter four principal gates, namely the Prajna Gate, Foguang Gate, Perfect Wisdom Gate and Bodhi Gate. Of these the Foguang Gate is considered to represent the light of the omniscient Buddha which is considered to be able to save all living beings from ages of torment. The Prajna Gate highlights the importance of Buddhist meditation through which perfect wisdom and finally supreme enlightenment can be achieved. Meanwhile the Bodhi Gate is said to represent the attainment of exalted Buddhist perfection through awakening to the supreme Buddhist dharma. On the other hand the Gate of Perfect Wisdom illustrates the principle of ‘sunyata’, as it consists of gateposts only, representing the Buddhist concept of the ‘character of the void’.
Today the priceless finger relic is enshrined in the imposing Namaste Dagoba. The architectural motifs of the dagoba are considered to represent the Buddhist concepts of harmony, concord, peace and unification.
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