Xinfu temple lies in the Yushan Hill of north Changshu city. It has the beautiful sceney of green peaks,ancient trees,clear spring water,stone bridge and grand buidings.
With a history of more than 1500 years,Xingfu temple was first constucted in Southern QiDynasty(479-502 A.D.) A local man--Ni Denguang, who was the magistrate of Chengzhou (a city in Hunan province),donated his own manor for a temple with the name of Daci(great mercy). It is said in Zhengguan period of Tang Dynasty a white dragon was fighting with a black one,and one of them was defeated,then it escaped by breaking throgh the Yushan Hill. The traces left turned into a stream named Polong Stream (dragon-breaking stream) and the temple thus called Poshan Temple. Later,in the ninth year of Xiantong Period of Tang Dynasty(869 A.D.) the emperor granted a huge bell and a board inscribed with “Xing fu si”,since then the temple has the name of today.
Xinfu temple has many words written by famous celebrities: after Changjian,there were many poems ,such as Tang’s Wurong；Song’s Liguang and Zheng shanming；Ming’s Wunai ；Qing’s Qianqianyi 、Wu weiye、Wong tongshu、Cheng shanli、and Yangyun ect. The eminient monks writers have Song’s Jiujian,Zhong shu；Ming’s Facheng；Qing’s Ge’an；Modern times’s Yingci、Chisong.There are also many artilcs ,for Tang’s Pirixiu；Song’s Zhongshu；Ming’s Turong；Qing’s Qiangyi、 Wuang yingquan and Wong xincun,ect. They are all edited in the book 《The History of Xingfu Temple》，and when we open it just like enter a culture treasury .
According the written history ,eminent monks of Xingfu temple including Huaishu,Changda of Tang Dynatsy,Yancheng of Liang Dynasty,Wuen of Song Dynasty,they were famous for preaching or Sant responses.The temple has a history of more than 1500 years and experienced many times and rebuilts , that all depends the eminent monks contiue it.
Xinfu Temple has been well known fo more than 1000 years since the poem “Written for the Backyard of Poshan Monsatery” written by a fomous poem Changjian of Tang Dynasty. There are still many relics and scenic spots here:
Stone Pillars of Tang Dynasty Two stone pillars standing at the entrance of the temple with calligraphy of Lu Zhan inscribled on the left one and that of Quanzhen on the right.
Tiger Saved Pavilion The eminent monk Yancheng,lived in the Later Liang Dynasty(907-923 A.D.)who followed the commandments strictly. One day, he saw a tiger wounded by a arrow and he pulled out the arrow for the tiger. The tiger walked around him fo a while before leaving.Thus the pavilion got its name.
White Lotus Pool Lying in front of the Tiger Saved Pavilion and famous for its thousand petal-layered white lotus which has unique colors and fragrance.
Empty Mind Spring It is said it’s keep full all the year round and clear enough to reflect man’s beard.
Empty Mind Pavilion It’s got the name from Changjian’s poem and with Chan’s conception here.
Gentlemen Spring It’s said that’s clear and keep the same after taking a ladle of water.
Lianyin Hall Weng Tong shu,who is the tutor of Emperor Tongzhi and Emperor Guangxu,lived here in his old years after relegation.
In recent decades,other buildings as Jade Buddha Hall,Dining Hall ,Abbot house ,Lecture Hall ect. have been built.
As for the temple’s preaching,there was Mingyu in the end of Ming Dynasty,preach “Faxiang Sect.”.In Guangxuan period of Qing Dynasty,Ven.Fadeng preach Nan Shan Zong(a Chinese vinaya school).Later,the temple was on decline until the summer of 1917,when Yekai of Tianning Temple of Changzhou was invited to take charge. Being busy,he sent his two discples Yuexia and Yingci here and the Buddhism here was revitalized.
When Yuexia, a master of Huayan Sect,took the charge,he built the Huayan Lecture Hall to advocate Buddhism.After his passing away,Yingci followed Yuexia’s instruction “Devote to preaching Huayan Sect.,not take the abbot position.”,untill his nineties.When Cisong a disciple of Yingci,was in charge,he founded the “Dharma Buddhist College”with the help of Huizong and Tanyue.After his retirement,Cisong went to Japan to study True Word Sect (Esoteric Buddhism) until he was awarded professorat of the 51th generation.
In this peace and prosperous society,when Buddhist is thriving,that “all is quiet and still,but the sound of bells”,which has been describled in Changjian’s poem,reappears today.